Just off the top of your head, can you list any differences between the following people?

Ian Somerhalder

Torrey Devitto

Me

Personally, I see a few differences. For example, 2 of the 3 people above:

1. have foregone the wearing of shirts

2. have probably done so because they have rockin’ bods

3. act in a hit TV series called Vampire Diaries

4. have screaming crowds of people camped outside their hotels.

I will also bet you five bucks that two of the above people did not eat a whole bowl of cookie dough with their 5-year-old yesterday (while still wearing their pajamas in the afternoon).

Yet, all three of us will be showing up this weekend in Paris at the Forum des Halles for the Welcome to Mystic Falls 2 convention. Which would be extremely funny, except for the fact that there will be someone else on my “team”…

Rachel Caine

…the New York Times bestselling author, Rachel Caine. Who is also wearing a shirt.

I am scheduled to interview on Sunday afternoon, just after Mr. Somerhalder steps down off the stage. And I’m going to try to do it in French. I feel it will provide the perfect comic relief to all of the hotness that precedes me onstage. (Luckily, there will be an interpreter handy in case I choke.)

Check out the convention, and the fact that you get to pay 200 euros less to meet me than you do for Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley. All you have to do is buy a book and walk up to my table to ask me to sign it. Which is a bargain, really! I’ll even take a picture with you. But I’m telling you now…the clothes stay ON.

Once in our Nashville hotel, Kim and I ordered dinner from room service and watched 40 Year Old Virgin until we passed out from road fatigue. Bright and early the next morning I dropped her off at the airport (yes, I cried – I hate saying goodbye to friends) and went back to the hotel to work. And late that afternoon I set off across Nashville to meet fellow authors Myra McEntire

and C.J. Redwine.

As I’ve said before, I have a purely online relationship with most YA authors, the fact being that most of them live in the U.S. and I live a kazillion miles away. Attending the RT Conference last month was a HUGE treat for me, because I got to meet all of these authors I already been chatting to on the internet but had never met in real life.

Well, let me tell you, Myra and C.J. turned out to be exactly what I had imagined from our Twitter chats: hilarious, super smart, and really friendly. In that kind of way that makes you want to cancel your plane ticket and stay a few extra days to hang out.

After chatting for a while, we headed over to Parnassus Books where we were met by the events manager, Nikki, who immediately asked Myra and me if we could interview with a BBC reporter who was doing a story on indie bookstores. We agreed, and the first thing Myra asked the guy was if he could get her a personal audience with Dr. Who. And then she mentioned something she wanted to do to him—like licking his forehead, if I remember correctly. (Dr. Who’s forehead, that is, not the reporter’s.)

The reporter blushed a bit, but looked like he might have heard that a few times before (or maybe he’s interviewed other YA authors and knows how weird we can be), and sat us down to tape. I had to say “cut” once, because I was blah-blah-blahing—something I do when I don’t have time to think of an answer. Which is fine at a dinner party, but not that great on camera.

Parnassus crowd (Photo: Vania)

And then we were led to a packed-out room equipped with 2 cushy chairs. (C.J. came to the event, but since her book DEFIANCE doesn’t come out until August, she sat in the audience and sent us positive author vibes.)

Myra & Me on cushy chairs with our color-coordinated books behind (photo: StartingTheNextChapter.com)

Myra and I introduced our books, read a section of our Book 2s (this was Myra’s first public reading of her 2nd book, TIMEPIECE), and then answered questions.

Judging from the look on my face, I'm probably saying something I shouldn't be. Photo: StartingTheNextChapter.com

I couldn’t resist asking a couple of questions of my own. (I’m always interested in finding out whether other authors are plotters or pantsers).

Reading from UNTIL I DIE (Photo: StartingTheNextChapter.com)

Afterward, a few book bloggers accompanied us to to Cheesecake Factory, where I feasted on pure calories (mac & cheese, a pomegranate mojito, and coconut cheesecake) while chatting with Vania about her writing and Courtney Potter about her book-to-be, Faking Normal, which sounds AWESOME.

And then the next morning I waved goodbye to Nashville, hopped on a plane with my over-stuffed suitcase, and headed back to the land of baguettes and revenants!

Here is an account of the evening from Starting The Next Chapter.

And another from The Housework Can Wait.

(This tour journal starts in New York City, continues through the Appalachians, and last post was Lexington, Kentucky.)

Kim and I spent the next day driving through the rolling hills of Kentucky, past vast green pastures dotted with grazing horses. The horse-racing vibe was so strong, it made me want to wear a huge hat and hold opera-glasses to my eyes as we drove through the state (à la Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady).

We arrived in Nashville around lunch time and drove around the downtown until we found a neighborhood that had decent-looking restaurants.

Fried green tomato and bacon sandwich on white bread, left. Pulled-pork barbecue on jalapeno cornbread with sweet potato fries on right. (Washed down with lots of good ol' southern iced tea!)

We wandered into one called Pucketts, and promptly ordered iced teas, a fried green tomato and bacon sandwich, and a barbecue sandwich with sweet potato fries. (Followed by chocolate chess pie.) I couldn’t have asked for a tastier welcome back to the deep South!

My hometown library: The Homewood Public!

A few hours later we rolled into Birmingham, ran to our hotel for a quick costume change, and then arrived at the Homewood Public Library to find that the librarian, Heather Cover, had set out a whole spread of refreshments, complete with Eiffel Tower and skull decorations.

The awesome refreshments table provided by librarian Heather Cover. (Photo: Heather Cover)

Adding sentimental value to the location was the fact that Homewood was my local library when I graduated from Homewood High School. And the bookstore that provided the books that night, Little Professor, was the local indie bookstore that my mom and I used to visit to have tea and peruse books. I had come home.

Me with Maryam from Atlanta, and her drawing of Vincent & Kate on the Pont des Arts

One of the first people through the door was Maryam, an artist and fan of the DIE FOR ME books who occasionally posts her drawings of the book online. She and her family had driven from Atlanta for the event, and she presented me with two of her drawings that I had previously admired online. (Which will promptly be framed and hung in my office when I get back to France! Thank you, Maryam!)

(Photo: @ArtByMaryam)

The auditorium quickly filled, with half of the faces being ones that I recognized: high school friends, friends of my parents, and even a couple of girls I used to babysit (who now have babies of their own). My sister counted 57 people in the audience, which was my personal record for a solo event! (Thank you, Birmingham friends!)

Reading from UNTIL I DIE in the Homewood Public LIbrary

I did my regular introduction, reading, and Q&A, my favorite question being from a teenager who asked, “If a revenant’s limb is severed and can’t be found, will it regenerate while they are dormant?” I dug into my mental Revenant Rulebook and answered it for her (the issue is addressed in Book 2), and went on to the next question. But a few minutes later, I saw the same girl raising her hand, a bit tentatively. I called on her. “What about the head?” she asked. I swear, her questions made my day, and I’m still smiling about them now. (I love my readers!)

The line for signings. (I'm hidden behind the lady on the left.) Little Professor sold out of the copies of UNTIL I DIE they had brought. Hurray!

Afterwards, I signed for about an hour, chatting with friends both old and new. For weeks, I had been worried that high school friends would show up and I wouldn’t recognize them. Luckily, that only happened with two people, and they both had a good sense of humor, so I was forgiven.

My driver, media escort, and...best friend for the last 25 years, Kim.

After the event, Kim and I headed off to meet Chip and Elizabeth Brantley at a lovely little restaurant called Ollie-Irene. I have been talking to them for the last year about what I can do to help participate in their non-profit, DISCO (Desert Island Supply Co. – a creative writing program that gives students in the Birmingham area more opportunities to write). Chip had graciously organized the library reading for me, and over dinner we talked about books, writing, and the goals and progress they’ve made with DISCO. (I suggest you check them out, especially if you are in the Birmingham area. They are a fantastic organization to consider supporting!)

My sister Gretchen and me. (And no, she is not Georgia!)

My sister, Gretchen, had flown up from Orlando for the reading, and we spent the next 2 days with Kim having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with friends. It had been 13 years since I had been to Birmingham, and I had a lot of catching up to do! Besides old family friends (who might not all want their pictures up on my blog), I met my old friend Lou Anders, the editorial director of Pyr Books, who presented me with the anthology of original super hero fiction he recently edited, called MASKED, as well as aspiring writer Lisa Dunick who told me a story idea that knocked my socks off. (Which I hope to read in book-form some day!)

And on a rainy, tropically humid Mother’s Day, Kim and I dropped Gretchen off at the airport and headed to Nashville!

to be continued…

Ready to hear about PHASE 2 of the Revenant Road Trip? (Phase 1 here: New York City launch party and quick picture of me freezing my booty off while driving through the Appalachians).

Well, to get from New York City to Lexington, Kentucky, Kim and I had a LOT of driving to do. Especially since we got lost LOADS of times. Getting lost is kind of a specialty of mine, and I hadn’t realized before that Kim is pretty good at it too.

It looked like this much of the way...

So we took our time *cough* driving the 720 miles, pulling over to sleep a few hours in Cumberland, WV, and occasionally stopping off at fine establishments like this to scarf down our meals.

Blackmail photo. (Kim is my chef friend whose brownies were on Oprah. She's not a fan of fast food.)

Once in Lexington, we drove straight to Morris Book Shop to see Alison, who has been a friend on the internet since long before DIE FOR ME, yet who I had never met in real life. I signed a stack of books at Morris and then Alison took us out for coffee and stories, giving both Kim and I parting gifts of Heads Off & Split, a book of poetry by local Lexington poet, Nikky Finney. (Which I can’t wait to read!)

Alison and me outside of Morris Book Shop

After that, Kim and I did a quick costume change and then it was straight to Joseph-Beth Booksellers, where the extremely capable Erin had everything set up and ready for the event.

Poster-sized Kate

Stacks and stacks of swirly Kates

After introducing the book, I read the Pere Lachaise cemetery scene from Chapter 6 and then answered questions from the audience.

It looks like I'm saying something really important. (Either that, or I'm doing The Robot) Photo: Lori Tincher

A very enthusiastic crowd had turned out for the event, including several folks I already knew from blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

My favorite part of events: meeting my readers!

It was a special treat to meet high school librarian, Lori, who was one of the people who suggested a Lexington stop to me on FB. She brought her nephew, Layne, with her as well as a whole bag full of locally-made candy and candles. I felt totally spoiled. And then, after I signed stock for Joseph-Beth (yes – there are still signed copies stuffed with bookmarks available at the store! 🙂 ), Erin gave me a copy of Gail Carriger’s SOULLESS, which she had been raving about. Another must-read to take back to Paris in my suitcase. (Which now weighs 100 pounds.)

Me with Lexington fan, Layne. (Note bag of Lexington-themed presents to left.) Photo: Lori Tincher

Afterward, Kim and I took our hosts, Josh and Margaret, to dinner at an amazing restaurant and then crashed in order to ready ourselves for our Lexington-Birmingham drive the next morning!

To be continued…

This is a quickie, because I’m about to run to my Lexington, KY book signing.

Here is a really fun account of the Books of Wonder party, with photos and a video of me reading, from Writer’s Block.

Here is my author interview with Mundie Moms (the next stop on the Blog Tour, with giveaway and the next word for the riddle).

And…

Here is me in Appalachian Mountains, on a 12-hour drive from New York City to Lexington, Kentucky. (My friend and driver Kim is making me laugh while I am freezing to death, waiting to dash back into the warmth of the car.)

And now…off to Joseph Beth Book Shop!