Arizona's Third Annual Teachers-and-Librarians Appreciation Party

What?  Who hasn't posted a blog since September of 2013?

Sorry. :(

For what it's worth, if I'm not writing blogs it's probably because I'm writing books!  And Tweeting, I guess, somehow it's easier to cram 140 characters into bits of my day than to draft a coherent, adequately picture-laden blog.

But some things are worth blogging anyway!  For the past few years, the YA authors in the Phoenix metropolitan area have been putting on an appreciation party for our local teachers and librarians, and this year it was AT MY HOUSE!  Yay!

The point of these parties is simple: to give us local YA authors a chance to thank teachers and librarians for everything they do for our community.  They get a chance to network a bit, get their books signed, and of course pick up some free books and swag for their classrooms and library shelves--courtesy of our many fabulous publishers and local booksellers!

As I said to one of my editors, I know that we can't just fill every library and classroom with books for free (though Kids Need to Read is making some wonderful steps in that direction!).  But that didn't stop us from trying. :)

Of course my husband wanted everyone to be very aware that all the books on this table were by authors in attendance and forced us to carry pens around all night. :)

Does the table look a little bendy to anyone else? ;)  We actually filled that spot in the middle with books once all our latecomers arrived, but we weren't able to get a good picture of the final arrangement because, well, teachers and librarians... really like books!

In all we had about 150 of them stop by for swag...

And food...

And just all-around good company.  It was a fun chance to see new and familiar faces from all over Arizona, every one of them excited to share their passion for promoting literacy among our youth.  So thanks to everyone who attended and contributed to our little event--all told we got about a thousand new books into Arizona's libraries and classrooms for the New Year, and we couldn't have done it without you.

Aprilynne Pike (Sleep No More)

Janette Rallison/C.J. Hill (Slayers)

Shelley Coriell (Good Bye, Rebel Blue)

James A. Owen (The First Dragon)

Janni Lee Simner (Faerie Winter)

Bill Konigsberg (Openly Straight)

Lisa McMann (The Unwanteds: Island of Fire)

Amy Fellner Dominy (OyMG)

Angela Morrison (Sing Me to Sleep)

Tom Leveen (Sick) (not pictured)