David Levithan and Rachel Cohn visit Southern California to promote
Every Day and Beta.
Every Day and Beta.
On Monday, October 22nd I had the pleasure of meeting two great authors, David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, when they visited a local independent bookstore by me. I love Mrs. Nelson’s bookstore because I get the chance to meet amazing authors in such an intimate setting. Not to mention, I also get myself in trouble by browsing their book collection and spending a bit too much!
But I digress. :) Back to the signing… It was great to meet both of these authors. They were funny, witty and very entertaining from the moment they sat down to talk to us. They joked about the treats on the table, the awkward silence they’ve learned to embrace at signings, and their love of writing to name a few topics.
But I digress. :) Back to the signing… It was great to meet both of these authors. They were funny, witty and very entertaining from the moment they sat down to talk to us. They joked about the treats on the table, the awkward silence they’ve learned to embrace at signings, and their love of writing to name a few topics.
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| David Levithan |
David Levithan started off the event by reading from his book Every Day, which is about a soul with no body named A. I was immediately mesmerized, whether it was because of his narration or the actually story, I don’t know, but I was glued to every word he said… the story sounds amazing and I can’t wait to read it.
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| Rachel Cohn |
Next, Rachel Cohn treated the crowd by reading an excerpt from her novel Beta, which we learned is a four book series. Coincidentally, her story is about a body with no soul named Elysia. Keep in mind, these two books were independent works for both of them, so you can’t ignore how in tune these authors are with each other even when they aren’t co-writing.
It was great to hear these two authors banter back and forth, and their natural camaraderie was refreshing. So it’s no surprise what a perfect pair they make when co-authoring hits such as Nick & Norah, Dash & Lily, and Naomi & Ely. A fun fact they shared about their writing process is that they typically don’t have a set outline and stream of events when starting a book together. They have an idea, one of them gets to pick the names, and then they tag team back and forth to bring it to life. They were asked if any other books would possibly be hitting the big screen. David and Rachel shared that their experience with Nick & Norah going Hollywood was epic, and they have hope that their other books will have the same experience, but nothing to report as of yet.
David and Rachel also shared their writing techniques for aspiring authors with regards to writing groups and getting feedback from fellow authors. Where Rachel started off in a writer’s group, she’s since moved away from that to write on her own. David relies on his editor of 10 years for feedback, and she’s typically the first person that will read his book once it’s complete.
Overall, I had a fabulous time! I was able to enjoy this author event once again with my Goodreads/bloggy friend Rachel from The Readers Den. It was nice to see that I’m not the only one that gets excited when it’s my turn to get my books signed. :) We were both a bit giddy and smiley when it was our turn to get our bundles signed. I really enjoyed my time at this signing and to be able to hang out with another book friend made it even more awesome! Thanks Rachel!
Signed Copy of Every Day by David Levithan
Signed Copy of Beta by Rachel Cohn
Signed Copy of Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn
