NYT best selling author

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Packing For Tour

I feel like I'm getting good at this packing thing, and I've learned a lot since that first tour a couple years ago when WAKE was just a baby.

I'm heading out in the morning for the third and final leg of my GONE tour. This time I'll be gone 12 days. And I've decided to attempt carry-on only.

Why?

1. Because I'm slightly crazy. Also because I managed it quite nicely for five days (Becca Fitzpatrick managed for six, so of course now I must beat her record)...and if I can do five days, I can do twelve, as long as I have a chance to stop at a drug store somewhere in there to restock on hair product (because it *is* all about the hair, isn't it?) and a hotel that does overnight laundry. Which I will have, because Simon & Schuster takes good care of me.

2. Because I don't like waiting to check bags, and I don't like waiting for my luggage. And I don't like fretting if the luggage doesn't arrive. With seven flights in snowy places, the chance of my bag being lost feels big.

3. Because I have a great carry-on that has wheels that swivel all directions, making a huge difference in maneuvering through the airport/bathrooms/airplane aisle. Huge HUGE difference. I mean it. I would not do carry-on without spinner luggage. (And no, I didn't pay $400 for it. It was 60% off when I bought it. Worth every penny)

4. Because I want new underwear. See, I don't think it's wise to send your undies out for hotel laundry. At $3-4 a pop to wash, it just doesn't seem worth it when you can buy new for that price. And you don't want to carry them with you for 12 days - yuck. So you just pack up all of your old grungy underwear that you've been meaning to get rid of, and throw it away every day. Surprise, housekeeping! And then when you get home, treat yourself to some new ones. :)

5. Because checking a bag means $20 with most airlines, and I'd rather spend it on laundry services, because they even iron stuff, if you can believe that. Crazy, I know.

6. Because I really only have 6 or 7 tops I love anyway, so why pack a bunch of clothes that I tell myself I'll wear when I know I really won't? When I'm on tour, I really just want to be comfortable and in my favorite clothes.


So...now that I've made the decision, I admit I'm a little nervous about it, but I think it's going to be okay. And I think I'll even have a teensy bit of room to spare.




So what's in the bag? I had to pack for cold and warm weather, as I'll be visiting St. Louis, Atlanta, Florida, Cincinnati, and Toronto.

Absolutely everything matches with everything else. My own personal Garanimals. Thin fabrics do well when rolled and they fit into those little gaps nicely. You won't mind if I'm a little wrinkly, will you?
Here's the list!

--13 pairs of undies* (an extra for emergencies, of course)
--10 pairs of socks* (that's all I own...so I may have to wear a couple pairs twice...)
--5 long sleeve tops
--2 short sleeve tops
--2 jackets*
--1 sweater*
--5 camis*
--3 pairs of jeans*
--1 pair of shoes* (Saucony walking shoes, well broken-in)
--1 pair cheapo flat slippers stolen from London Hotel NYC
--1 belt
--1 jammie shirt
--1 pair yoga pants
--1 "dry" toiletries bag
--computer cord
--phone charger

(*)indicates I'll be wearing one of these on the plane, so they will not be in the bag.

The quart-sized bag of liquids goes in my over-the-shoulder bag, which also holds:

--itinerary (prepared by my awesome publicist Nicole)
--Macbook air in a padded envelope (it's okay to laugh)
--purse
--phone
--a copy of GONE
--e-reader
--book signing pens
--sunflower seeds and an individual cup of peanut butter
--one small med bottle containing: ibuprofen, Tylenol PM (key for getting to sleep on time when wired from evening signing and having to get up early for school event), Excedrin (for after those double school events), antihistamine, immodium, and zantac. Yes, we travel prepared for everything, and when you eat 36 meals in a row on the road, you must be prepared.


So...I think I'm ready!

Friday, February 19, 2010

The WAKE trilogy hits the NYT bestseller list!

With the release of GONE, my books move to a different list on the New York Times Review -- the series list. So rather than GONE competing against other titles as an individual, the entire trilogy competes against other series'. Chances were pretty slim that we'd make this list, but lo and behold, we did it, and at number 8! Thank you for buying the books and making this happen! *hearty-hearts*

GONE on its own hit the USA Today list at #118, which is very cool because it includes all books.

Also, major congrats to a most deserving author and friend, Heather Brewer, who hit the NYT bestseller list (among others) for the first time with her Vlad Tod series. Incidentally, if you are in the St Louis area, she and I will be together signing our NYT bestselling series' books this Monday, Feb 22, at the St. Louis Library. And then to celebrate, we're both going to get new tatts. Heh. (Mom, uh, they're just the temporary stick-on kind, just like the one that's been on my ankle for four years.)

The tour is going great and I had so much fun meeting fans in California and Arizona. Coming up:

Tucson
St. Louis
Decatur, GA
Tampa
Coral Gables
Vero Beach
Cincinnati
Dayton
Toronto

Can't wait to meet you!

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Happy GONE day!

GONE is officially out today! This week's signings: Tue 7pm Changing Hands, Wed 7pm B&N Oceanside, Thu 7pm Mysterious Galaxy, Fri 4pm Mrs. Nelsons, Sat 11am Sam's Club Long Beach, 3pm Borders Canoga Park... More: http://digg.com/u15mP0

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Word on the street: GONE is out in many stores!

The official release day for GONE (Wake, bk 3) is Tues, Feb 9, but I've heard from all over the US that people are snagging their copies and devouring GONE. I see on various online stores (indiebound.org and others) that it's shipping. So head out this week and grab it or order it! While you're at it, pick up a copy of WAKE or FADE (now both in paperback) for a Valentine's gift. Or try the audio books. You can find my books in lots of places including independent bookstores everywhere, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Target, Sam's Club, BJ's, Indigo, and Amazon.

Today I am doing laundry and getting ready to pack. My tour starts Tuesday -- I really hope to see some of you along the way!

Thanks for being such awesome fans. Hopefully I'll have some good stories and photos to share from the road! And of course, I'll be bringing Miss Spoobin with me. :)

Thursday, February 04, 2010

I'm on BlogTalkRadio

You can listen live at 1pm ET today (Feb 4) or listen to the recorded program later.