Bringing the Crazy to BEA

I may have mentioned this a time or ten, but I'M GOING TO BEA!!!  The time can be counted in hours now, even for a math challenged gal like me.  

I said it on Facebook, but I'll sum up my expectations here too:  it's kind of like Sex and the City, but with far less sex and lots more books... still that same amount of alcohol though!

For the last two years, BEA was a dream that my heart dared not speak aloud.  But you know what?  That was stupid! Because all I had to do was mention to my friend Kim from On the Wings of Books, and presto, changeo, magic! We were going to BEA!  We met and plotted with our friend Steph from The Fake Steph, we ordered business cards and discussed what baked goods to tempt Maureen Johnson with when we meet her and finally make her our friend. Kim and I found two awesome bloggers to share our hotel room with: Cindy of Cindy's Love of Books and Kellie of REAWrite.  Thankfully Cindy is a veteran of BEA, so Kellie, Kim and I will be clinging to her like baby kangaroos climbing out of their mama's pouch.  We may have to give Cindy and honorary "K" name.

So, what's the point of this post?  Well, like many of my blog posts... there really isn't any point.  But lots of other bloggers are posting a getting to know me, or how to NOT act like a spaz at BEA, or what they're packing.  Since I'm a newbie I can't really say what to pack, and it's a foregone conclusion that I'll be acting like a spaz at BEA, so I thought I'd post some pictures so that you can recognize me.  Feel free to say hi, or ask for my business card since I bought a butt load of them (depending on the size of your derriere, but trust me it's a lot!).  You can call me Kate or Katie.  I go by both, and I'll probably introduce myself as both.  I normally say Katie, but write Kate.  You can also call me Hey Girl, especially if you look like Ryan Gosling, or you know Ryan Gosling.

So here's me:

 

 

See, I can somewhat hide my crazy (biggest tip, narrow the eyes, nothing says crazy like BIG CRAZY EYES).  My hair might be straightened, but I doubt it since I'm lazy and that would require a lot more work.  Plus it's supposed to rain and my hair will end up a frizzy, fly-away mess anyway.  But here's what I look with straight hair and a smile/sneer (I guess the sun was in my eyes? And what the hell was I thinking in trying to squeeze my ass into a playground swing?)

Here's what I'll look like if I get a copy of Odd Apocalypse or Shadow of Night:

There will be stars and happiness and probably birds bursting out in song.

It'll be all Sad Panda Face if I don't get a copy of new Odd book, but there's few books I'm going in with the expectation of getting my grubby paws on, so hopefully any books I do get will send me into a state of pure euphoria. 

I'm leaving Sunday morning at the UNGODLY hour of 4:10am, but the upshot is we'll be in NYC by noon.  I'm taking MegaBus, which is a cool double decker bus.  I'm staying through Saturday, so if you want to hang out, I am available.

I'll be going to Blogger Convention on Monday, I'm going to the John Green breakfast, and I'm doing a cocktail party for Laura Moriarty, author of the amazing book The Chaperone, and then later that night The Penguin Bird Bash on Wednesday.  I'm doing Teen Carnival too.  Not quite sure what else I'll be doing, other than I know I'm hitting The Strand at some point!  I have to buy Courtney from Abducted By Books a little something, and perhaps leave a note from her somewhere in the stacks for another book lover to find.  

Also, for some reason I appear to be packing lots of black and blue clothing for the trip.  So, look for the blogger who looks like a bruise, and there this Midnight Book Girl will be. There's still so much to do before BEA, and I can't wait to meet all of you.  And for those of you who aren't going to be at BEA, or can't be there, there's always Armchair BEA, which is a blast as well.  

Before I started book blogging it didn't feel like I had that many people I could really talk books with, even my bookish friends didn't read as much, or the same books book as I did.  Our book blogging community has changed a habit that used to isolate me from others into something that allows me to connect to so many other people. And because of all of you, I'm going to New York, baby!