Friday night, I went to a book launch party. Even
better? The book didn’t officially come out until today, so I was
able to buy it early. (You’d think with all the pre-release books I
get these days it wouldn’t be a thrill, but it still is.)
The book is Neverseen, the latest in the Keeper of the Lost
Cities series for middle grade readers by Shannon Messenger. Unfortunately,
the signing was a ways away, and with traffic, especially on a Friday night, it
took me a long time to get there. So long, in fact, that I missed
Shannon answering questions from the audience. But I got there for
the actual signing.
And oh the line! I was actually there for three
hours waiting to get my book signed. During that time, I finished
the novella I was reading and wandered around the store some. Then I
stood in line.
Mind you, I’m not really complaining. It is
wonderful to see so many kids exciting about reading. I mean, this
was a hardcover, and all the kids had copies. And Shannon was taking
the time to talk to fans and not just signing books, which is great for keeping
them engaged in reading the books. Plus Shannon is a truly wonderful
person, and I’m thrilled to see her reaching this level of success. I’ve
been reading the series from the beginning, and I’m thrilled to see it doing so
well, too.
Still, it made for a long night, although I was able to get
home a lot faster because the traffic had died down by the time I left. It
was a great day all the way around. Plus I’ve passed the half-way
point of the book already (which is saying something for a 700 page book) and
am fast closing in on the final quarter. Goal is to finish it by
Wednesday, and things are heating up, so I am sure that will happen.