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| Lyla Sage and me at the event |
Last evening I attended my first book event in thirteen years, and after all is said and done, I am glad I attended. There is a bookstore here in San Diego County — Meet Cute Romance Bookshop — and they regularly host book events. However, this particular event is the only one so far that I have felt strongly enough about attending to deal with my anxiety and depression to get myself to. The fact that it was hosted only about a half-hour from home and had free outdoor parking helped a lot. (These are critical when you drive a high-profile large vehicle and rarely drive at night!)
Meet Cute hosted the book party off-site at the lovely California Center for the Arts in Escondido, which I hadn't been to before.
At check-in, each person received a signed copy of the new-release book, Free Falling, by Lyla Sage, and a letter grouping for the photo line. The large conference room accommodated about two hundred attendees, with an elevated front stage area. After a welcome and information from Becca Title, the owner of Meet Cute Bookshop, the other attending author, Lauren Okie, sat with and interviewed Lyla Sage and answered submitted questions for about an hour. Then the photo opportunity with Lyla began, while readers could get books signed and personalized and take a photo with Lauren Okie at another table.
I was in the last group to meet Lyla. She is talented, young, personable, and beautiful. I had only a minute or so with her, but I was able to give her a personal letter to further express what I wanted to say.
Meet Cute also had a table set up with previously signed copies of all six of Lyla’s books.
The Rebel Blue Ranch Series
Meet Cute hosted the book party off-site at the lovely California Center for the Arts in Escondido, which I hadn't been to before.
At check-in, each person received a signed copy of the new-release book, Free Falling, by Lyla Sage, and a letter grouping for the photo line. The large conference room accommodated about two hundred attendees, with an elevated front stage area. After a welcome and information from Becca Title, the owner of Meet Cute Bookshop, the other attending author, Lauren Okie, sat with and interviewed Lyla Sage and answered submitted questions for about an hour. Then the photo opportunity with Lyla began, while readers could get books signed and personalized and take a photo with Lauren Okie at another table.
I was in the last group to meet Lyla. She is talented, young, personable, and beautiful. I had only a minute or so with her, but I was able to give her a personal letter to further express what I wanted to say.
Meet Cute also had a table set up with previously signed copies of all six of Lyla’s books.
The Rebel Blue Ranch Series
4. Wild and Wrangled
Sweetwater Peak Duology
Sweetwater Peak Duology
2. Free Falling
They also had signed copies of Lauren Okie’s two books:
They also had signed copies of Lauren Okie’s two books:
1. The Best Worst Thing (my current read)
2. Tropesick
I was clearly the oldest person there and extremely introverted, so besides Lyla, I spoke only with event employees. It would have been nice to have someone attend with me, but I don’t have a local like-minded reading friend.
Even though Meet Cute promoted the event hours as 7:00 to 10:00, most of us had left by 8:30 after the photo op. It was quite a walk back to my vehicle, and after the rather treacherous drive home, I happily and thankfully settled in to look at these photos and my new signed book. Yay!
I was clearly the oldest person there and extremely introverted, so besides Lyla, I spoke only with event employees. It would have been nice to have someone attend with me, but I don’t have a local like-minded reading friend.
Even though Meet Cute promoted the event hours as 7:00 to 10:00, most of us had left by 8:30 after the photo op. It was quite a walk back to my vehicle, and after the rather treacherous drive home, I happily and thankfully settled in to look at these photos and my new signed book. Yay!
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| The stage before the interview |
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| Lyla Sage and Lauren Okie during the interview |
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| Lauren Okie at her table for signing and photographs |
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| A Meet Cute employee at the books and merch table |
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| The cleared out conference center |
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| Leaving the event in the dark! |
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| The art center all lit up upon leaving! |
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