Sarah Pekkanen’s Book Signing:: The Opposite of Me :: March 10, 2010

It’s not everyday your friend becomes a published novelist. Wouldn’t ya know that yesterday WAS one of those days??

The Opposite of Me, Sarah Pekkanen’s debut novel, was FINALLY out in publication yesterday after months and months of anticipation. As some of her biggest fans, we of course arrived as early as possible to be front and center, showing our support and love.

The girls and I grabbed dinner to-go from Cosi and arrived before the chairs were even set up. I have no shame and as “the stealthy room mom” we set up our makeshift carpet picnic in the middle of the kid’s section of the book store, where the reading would eventually take place, to save our spot. The room started to fill and Sarah came out about a  half hour before the reading to mill around and visit with her guests. Sarah grew up in the area and we knew it’d be a packed house with all her friends, family and supporters! 

While the girls went upstairs to buy their books, I had some really nice quality time to chat with Sarah (although I was sad they missed our convo). I shared how amazed I was that Jennifer Weiner, one of my all time favorite novelists, was so supportive of Sarah’s novel- giving her the Golden Touch (think Oprah to Rachael Ray). I asked her if she’d thought about doing a co-tour with Jennifer Weiner? Or thought of teaming up on some east coast dates? I expressed how much my friends and I would JUMP at the opportunity to attend a joint charity women’s tea/brunch/lunch if both ladies were to host a round table discussion on being a modern woman in the writing industry. She loved the idea and I look forward to our “Roadtrip to Philly” to come to fruition! 😉 What a dream come true for Sarah! I adore Sarah’s approachability and down to earth nature. She’s easy going, sweet, and opened the floor up for questions for the good part of 30 minutes last night at the reading. I’ve never heard so many great questions asked from an audience. I especially loved hearing Sarah’s endearing responses and learning about the writing process (from both a business and creative perspective). As a wife and mother of 3 sons, I’m amazed at how well Sarah balances all the hats she wears and her drive and comic timing inspire me. After the signing, we headed over to Parker’s for the after-party celebration and so Sarah could get that LONG OVERDUE Chocolate-tini!

We surprised her with a handmade card (thank you Planetbooks!) and a bottle of our ‘special’ champagne. Sarah’s husband, Glenn Reynolds, was so sweet to come over and chat with us while Sarah mingled with her other guests. As the night went on and folks were gradually making their way home, we stuck around. We planned ahead for a late night on purpose.  We wanted some quality time to really chat with Sarah and show our support and love for her but one-on-one. Her FIRST book signing for her FIRST novel obviously is a once in a lifetime occurrence. These events are like weddings- you want to make your rounds and say thank you to everyone. We honestly didn’t expect to have as much one-on-one time with Sarah as we did (although we were hopeful)! It just truly touched us that Sarah and Glenn gave so much of their evening to us. We all went home feeling like we were floating on a cloud. I woke up with the same feeling this morning. I cannot say enough how gentle, kind, sweet and just downright adorable Sarah is! She invited us to join her on that  road trip to Philly and I just cannot wait to watch all the success unfold for Sarah Pekkanen.  I hope you will pick up a copy of The Opposite of Me! And don’t forget to check out this week’s People Magazine for the review of The Opposite of Me! Looking forward to joining Glenn in Sarah’s cheering section for many years to come.

Sarah, from the bottom of my heart, I could not be more excited and proud to witness your moment in the spotlight.

And for goodness sake, PLEASE set some time aside with your adorable hubby Glenn to enjoy that champagne.

You deserve it.

All my love and support,

xoxo,

LibraryLove

PS- Special thanks to Planetbooks and Amy for making the

night even more special because we shared it together.

Sarah Blake’s Book Signing: The Postmistress February 28, 2010

Hi all!

Today was a very special day.  My dear friend and fellow book blogger, Planet Books, whisked me away on a fun-filled birthday date about town. The highlights- mozzarella tasting,  gourmet dinner, cupcakes, and Politics & Prose for Sarah Blake’s book signing!

What an amazing privilege to listen to fDC native, Blake, read in her gentle soft tone, from The Postmistress. Even more amazing? Getting to hear (from where else but the front row of course) about the almost decade long journey to completing this amazing work and the impetus behind it. Like Stockett’s The Help, Blake’s Postmistress was also inspired by events of September 11th, 2001. Blake explained how moved she was by a 9/11 photo. She yearned to know more about what was going on “to the left and to the right” of that particular photo depicting a man and son, who were killed on that fateful day. Directly from Blake’s website, here’s a quick description of the book in case you’ve lived under a rock for the last two weeks and didn’t see it in People Magazine, The NY Times Best Seller List or all the other publications she’s been praised in:

Iris James is the Postmistress of Franklin, Massachusetts a small town at the end of Cape Cod. She firmly believes her job is to deliver and keep people’s secrets, to pass along the news of love and sorrow that letters carry. Faithfully she stamps and sends the letters between people such as the newlyweds Emma and Will Fitch, who has gone to London to help out during the Blitz. But one day she slips a letter into her pocket, and leaves it there.

Meanwhile, seemingly fearless radio gal, Frankie Bard is reporting the Blitz from London, her dispatches crinkling across the Atlantic, imploring listeners to pay attention. Then in the last desperate days of the summer of 1941, she rides the trains out of Germany, reporting on what is happening to the refugees there.

Alternating between an America on the eve of entering into World War II, still safe and snug in its inability to grasp the danger at hand, an a Europe being torn apart by war, the two stories collide in a letter, bringing the war finally home to Franklin.

It was also fun getting to meet fellow book bloggers, S. Krishna’s Books & The Book Lady’s Blog, who shared our front row experience. Thanks to Planet Books, I cannot wait to read my very own autographed copy! Stay tuned for my review in the next few weeks! I will be circulating this book around to my network and can’t wait to hear what they and my book club babes think of this amazing novel. If you can, I urge you to attend one of Blake’s book tour dates. Grab your copy asap!

Xoxo, Library Love

Breakout Author’s Spotlight:: Sarah Pekkanen:: February 20, 2010

Are you a fan of authors like Jennifer Weiner and Emily Giffin?

Do you love quick whitted and down to earth authors?

If the answer is yes to any of the above, you will ADORE Sarah Pekkanen! Major congratulations are in order for my friend’s brand new breakout novel, The Opposite of Me, in stores March 9th, 2010.

Please check out Sarah’s Website for more information on her book, tour dates, and to sign up for her hysterical monthly newsletter. Oh, and email Lorne Michels and tell him you want to see Sarah on Saturday Night Live 😉

Sarah Pekkanen’s work has been published in People, The Washington Post, USA Today, The New Republic, The Baltimore Sun, Reader’s Digest, and Washingtonian, among others. She writes a monthly Erma Bombeck type column for Bethesda Magazine, and has been an on-air contributor to NPR and E! Entertainment’s “Gossip Show.” She is the winner of a Dateline award and the Paul Miller Reporting Fellowship. Sarah lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with her husband and three young sons. ~Simon & Schuster

Other Sarah Pekkanen News:

Publisher’s Weekly Deals, 07/21/08
http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6579803.html?industryid=47146
A first novel by Sarah Pekkanen titled The Opposite of Me; Victoria Sanders sold world English rights. Pekkanen, a monthly columnist for Bethesda magazine, will, tongue in cheek, explore low self-esteem, the hunger to succeed and have it all, and the grueling but rewarding bond of sisterhood. Pekannen’s work has been published in a host of newspapers and magazines. Pub date is early 2010.

Bethesda Magazine

• “Lies, Damn Lies”
  http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/nov05/liesdamnlies.php

• Death to the Goody Bag
  Kids’ birthday parties have evolved in a Darwinian sense: Only the strong parents survive.
  http://www.bethesdamagazine.com/sept05/goodybag.php

Other clippings

• “To Save Her Daughter’s Life,” Washingtonian Magazine
  http://www.zftrans.com/bbs/read.php?tid=17489&fpage=2

“Rookie reporter scoops the big guys on Collins,” Detroit Journal
http://www.forensic-intelligence.org/corrupt/10rookie14.htm

Xoxo, LibraryLove

PS- Special thanks to my dear friend PlanetBooks for introducing me to

Sarah, who is so whitty, our facebook conversations crack me up everytime!

Author’s Spotlight:: When Two Worlds Collide:: February 12, 2010

Hi all! As we dig out from the Snowpocalyptic conditions here in the area,  a fellow book blogger and dear friend, Planetbooks, uncovered this fun and exciting interview about an author I will get the pleasure of meeting at her book signing/reading in two weeks!  Ever heard the phrase when worlds collide? Read on to find out about two fantastic authors we love here at YOTBW2010. Just so happens that Kathryn Stockett, one of YOTBW2010’s new favorite author of New York Times Bestseller The Help, which both of us bookworms read and raved about, just interviewed Sarah Blake, author of The Postmistress, for an Amazon.com review exclusive!  I couldn’t be happier to meet Sarah Blake, and am patiently waiting to read Blake’s The Postmistress until the signed copy is in my hands, and not a minute sooner! Of course, I’ll share my review here for you all to enjoy. I hope you’ll pick up one of Sarah’s other novels, Grange House or Full Turn while you wait your turn for The Postmistress at a library near you.

Until then, here’s the interview!! xoxo, LibraryLove