Last month, I had the privilege and pleasure of traveling around New England and the Mid-Atlantic with GEORGE. I got to share Melissa’s story with children, adults, and folks in-between at:
- 11 public events
- 3 school events
- 7 meals with librarians, teachers, booksellers, and other VIPs
- 15 bookstore drop-in stock signings
I presented before my first full-school audience (thanks Monson Middle School in Monson, MA!) and joined in a Homemade Halloween parade (hi Summers-Knoll in Ann Arbor, MI!) I spoke on-stage with Leslea Newman and with an amazing panel of fresh writing voices at the Celebrating Diverse Literature conference.
And I left a trail of signed copies (they let me write in the books!!) in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.
Along the way, I:
- Stayed in 16 hotels
- Drove over 3300 miles in 3 rental cars (rock hit the first’s windshield; the second had mechanical trouble)
- Lost a rental car key and and a hotel room key (like, the actual key kind)
- Found the rental car key while looking for the hotel room key (after having gotten a duplicate made)
Endless thanks to everyone who helped put this together, especially my publicist Sheila Marie Everett, and Scholastic sales reps Nikki Mutch and Sue Flynn. And of course, the booksellers, librarians, teachers, and principals who were kind enough to invite me into their spaces. And to everyone who came to an event, and everyone who asked questions, and everyone who thought about coming but couldn’t/didn’t make it, and everyone who read the book. You’re all fabulous!!!
A full list of events, including pictures is right here. You can also read more about my adventures by checking out #GeorgeOnTheRoad on twitter.
Until next time, sparkle on!!
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