conferences | Jeannie Lin

Report from BEA as a first timer

Going to New York for BEA was a big treat for me. I wrote up a report as well as my thoughts on whether it is worthwhile for authors over at the Ruby-Slippered Sisterhood blog: My First Time at BookExpo America

One thing that I did not put on the report was probably my best moment in New York. I was waiting in the Trump Soho hotel to meet up with an editor and there was a lounge called “The Library.” I browsed through the gorgeous books there and then sat with my coffee to read on my iPad.

Every time I looked up, I surrounded by the beauty of books and book culture. I was reminded of a scene in The Lotus Palace when Yue-ying, the maidservant, looks upon the hero’s study. She notes how his writing desk and chair are like a throne and his books are cherished. He’s surrounded himself with these things because world of the poetry and the Classics and studying for the imperial exams was his religion. That was what I felt when surrounded by the publishing world in New York – the worship of books. For a lifelong book lover like me, this was certainly a pilgrimage.

More pictures over at the Ruby blog as well as at my Facebook page: BEA 2013 Album

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet could keep me away from speaking at my first Comic-con this weekend. I braved the St. Louis Snowpocalypse on Sunday and dragged myself onto the Metro for the first time to head to the America Center for our Wizard World Panel.

Swords, Steam & Sorcery: Authors Tell All with (from left to right) Cole Gibsen, Shawntelle Madison and Angie Fox + myself (Jeannie)

We had a great turnout, despite the ice and snow, and it was fun to answer questions and interact with the audience. My Comic-con themed giveaway of my co-panelists’ books is still open until this Saturday, March 30. You can enter here.

After the talk, we headed over to the exhibit hall where I shook hands with Dean Cain (who is even more handsome in person *swoons*) and got to meet James Hong of Big Trouble in Little China fame (and of course, Balls of Fury)!

DABWAHA Sweet Sixteen!

Of course, this entire time, I was checking Twitter and dabwaha.com since My Fair Concubine was going up against Sarah Morgan’s Once a Ferrara Wife. The two books were neck and neck from the very beginning, so I was campaigning hard at Comic-con to get celebrity endorsements (see gallery below!). Meanwhile, there was a groundswell of support from the Twitterverse, which continued once I got home straight through midnight when voting ended. Crazy as it seems, ONE VOTE edged me into the DABWAHA Sweet Sixteen! Thank you so much everyone who campaigned and voted for My Fair Concubine. *mwah* *mwah*

So now it’s Round 3 against the formidable Ruthie Knox and her RITA nominated novel, About Last Night. Voting for this match-up will be this Friday, March 29 from midnight until noon. Ruthie has been a fierce competitor, so I’ll need everyone’s help to get through this one. Here’s the video where I take on Ruthie head on.