Okay, so it’s the day before Thanksgiving. The busiest travel day of the year. A day when no breadcrumbs or russet potatoes are safe. It’s also the first time in six months I’ve looked ahead at the calendar and not seen one single event to promote What Happened to Goodbye. That, I am especially grateful for.
Don’t get me wrong, I had a blast on the tour and at all the conferences. In fact, this last trip was especially awesome. First, there was the Miami Book Festival (my first time!). I got in late Friday night, exhausted, and checked into my hotel. Because my mom is a New Yorker, I have always been taught that the very first thing you do when you get into your hotel room is lock the door, both the deadbolt AND that thing you swing across to keep it from opening, period. I did this, then went to brush my teeth. A moment later, I heard someone trying to open the door. (Thanks, Mom!) I crept closer. “Yes?” I called out, in my most brave voice (not very brave). “Yes,” a man’s voice replied, “can I come in, please?” I considered this. “Um, no,” I said. “But I think this is my room?” he said, politely. Then I looked through the peephole to see a very distinguished gentleman, with his luggage, that I recognized had been checking in right beside me at the front desk. Whoops! Within moments, we realized we were both authors there for the Festival and they’d put us in the same room. I called down to the desk, where they said according to their records, we were supposed to share . “Um, no?” he and I said together. Then he very gallantly went downstairs and sorted the whole thing out while I babysat his suitcase. He was so lovely and pleasant and I know he probably would NOT want me to say his name here on this silly blog. But he wrote a book about Catherine the Great that has been very well reviewed and now I will be reading it. See how that all works out?
Miami was FULL of huge famous authors. I basically sat in the Author Room and gaped, which is what I do at most festivals. I met Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson and Edna Buchanan, and was within arm’s lengths of Colson Whitehead AND Amor Towles, whose book I was devouring the entire time I was down there. I had a great panel with Colleen Houck, Debbie Viguie and Nancy Holder, then signed books for lots of great Miami readers. Walking around afterwards, I had a photo op with someone who is SERIOUSLY famous, especially in my house:
Why, yes, that IS Sister Bear from the Berenstein Bears. My daughter still can’t believe I actually met her. Snaps for me!
That night, I went to the author cocktail party, which was at a very swanky club. I was completely out of my element and knew NO ONE. I swear I feel like such a loser at things like that. At YA festivals, I know folks, but here I was just on my own and really feeling it. Then, as we all stood around outside waiting for the place to let us in (did I mention I was alone?) a very nice guy came up to me. “You should come stand with us,” he said, and gestured for me to follow him over to where he was standing. Then he introduced himself and the woman he was there with, and just like that, Matt Phelan and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan became my new best friends ever. I hung with them all night and will never forget how they made me feel so welcome. This is why I love the book world. Good people are there.
The next morning, bright and early, I headed to the airport and Chicago for the ALAN conference. While at Miami Bookfair I knew few people, this was like old home week, from the second I walked in the door and spotted my publicist. Yay! I had enough time to go shopping at Saks with the amazing Jenny Han (who tried on Prada pumps that were so beautiful they belonged in a museum) before heading to the ALAN cocktail party. Going there from the Miami party, I felt like the Bee Girl from that Blind Melon video. All my friends were there! Like:
Megan McCafferty, who basically gave me JUST the advice I needed, exactly when I needed that. Yet another reason she is so freaking awesome. Also, she’s seen Barry Manilow in concert multiple times, just like me. Is it any wonder we are friends?
And also:
John Green and M.T. Anderson! Shortly after this picture was taken, I was gesturing while talking and whacked a woman standing beside me in the face. I was mortified. Of course, John Green THEN had to tell everyone I was walking around the party “bitch-slapping” people. This is how rumors get started, people. I swear, I just wave my hands when I talk!
I also got to see Sara Zarr and the amazing Lauren Myracle. And, for the record, did not smack either of them:
The next day, I gave my FINAL talk, a short speech at the ALAN conference, which was a great place to wrap it all up: you can’t find any people who love YA lit more, I swear to you. And they didn’t even mind that my speech was a little short. Better than too long, I guess, right?
Once the speech was done, I signed books and gave my super publicist Elyse, who engineered every step of this crazylong tour, a high five. DONE! Then I celebrated on Michigan Avenue with sushi and this:
And lo, it was good.
So now here I sit, my book tour shoes tucked away in the closet, my writergirl clothes at the drycleaners for the last time in awhile. I have dressing to make, a pie to prepare, and a kid that is FINALLY getting over the cold she caught two weeks ago. And yes, I am thankful, SO thankful, for all the wonderful stuff that I got to do in the last six months. And equally thankful to be here at home, finally.
I hope that you ALL have a great holiday, surrounded by the ones you love. I wish you good food and good health and lots of laughs. And if you are traveling today, I wish you short lines at the airport, nobody pushing back in the seat in front of you AND if someone does appear at your door with the same room key, that they be as gentlemanly as my visitor was. But: do the deadbolt and flip that lock, just in case. My mom says so!
Have a great holiday, everyone!
My mom taught me the same thing but thankfully I never had the lock tested!!! Congrats on the end of your tour and have a great Thanksgiving.
“Can I come in please?”
“Um, no.”
haha – and good answer! From now on, I will always bolt that lock! The first thing I do these days is rip the bed apart and check for bed bugs. Sorry, not to give you something else to be paranoid about.
Happy Thanksgiving Sarah!
I could imagine my husband’s reaction if I were to call him and say I was scheduled to share a hotel room with another man. I’m pretty sure he would be the one on the phone with the front desk. How nice the mystery man at your door was so respectful about it. LOL!
I’m 14 and remember watching the Berenstein Bears!! I still watch it, haha!
“can u come in please?”
“um. No”
Hahaha! I cracked up when I read that. I’m pretty sure my husband would come and stalk me if he heard I had to share a room with a man. The next time I go on a business trip, I think I’ll do that to him.
I hope you have a great Thanksgiving!! Love always- Jacqueline
Wow, thanks so much for the pictures and story! Have a marvelous Thanksgiving, and hope you have the best rest of the week! Can’t wait to hear more.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Hello Sarah, I’m from LEBANON, I wanna thank you for writing such good books. Yesterday I finished reading “Dreamland”, it is really a geat story and it encouraged me to read more books written by you, I’m sure that you have so much fans and I hope you the best.
Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy your time.
Happy Thanksgiving!!
you even blog like a writer…i love THAT!!! hahahahahahahahhahahahah
yes, you should have a contact link…
Sarah Dessen, you are the most amazing author ever! I checked out like three more books of yours from the library, already read What Happened To Goodbye and Just Listen, and last night (at 12:30) I finished This Lullaby! I fell in love with all your characters! Owen Armstrong was my dream guy and Dexter sounds like he could be my best friend. You have inspired me to write my own novel. I am on chapter ten currently and it is coming along great. Since I am only starting high school next year, I plan to take more creative writing classes. I just had to let you know that you have encouraged me to begin my own book. My aunt is an editor and has read it. She believes it is worth-publishing-material. Thank you so much for writing the way you do. If you go to my website, that is a preview on my novel. By the way, you should make a contact me link on this site. <3
Omg whats ur website! I would love to hear about the sneek peek of your book cuz i’m a writer too and am totally inspired by other writers the same age(:
Sounds like you had a blast! Wish I could go to the festivals too!
But on the bright side I get double fudge cake and a good 8 to 10 hours in a car just to get to black Friday! (I live in Canada thats why I have to go so far. 
)
Hope everyone gets a nice Holiday too!
-D
hahaha “bitch-slapping”, I hope to see you on the next Vlogbrothers video.
Hi Sarah, I read your books and now my 12-1/2 year old daughter reads them too. I’m also a blogger for Real Moms Guide and I’m doing a Gift Guide for teens — wanted to let you know I’m putting your books on the list. You’re one of my fave YA authors — thanks for your books! Happy Holidays! Stephanie Elliot aka MaNiC MoMMy
Sounds like you had fun. I have something totally off topic to ask you though. I am a very devoted reader (love your books) and I was wondering if you ever thought to have contests to win your books. I have reason to believe that it would be a very popular attraction. Thanks!
Happy Thaksgiving!
I love your books and you inspire me so much!!!!!
i love all of your books i read dreamland, awesome book, What happened to goodbye this lullabye, that summer, all great! you are my go to author for any book!
omg, i love your books SO FREAKING MUCH! you are my all time favorite author, well except for james patterson and the maximum ride series, if you have not read them I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM! i am currently reading what happened to goodbye and i’m trying to get my school to buy more of your books..i must agree that owen wilson sounds pretty hot.. Thanks for the amazing books! and like other people you have inspired me to write my own book, even though i was planning on it before i read any of yours…I talk ALOT on the internet.. i wish that you could go to a website called Glogster and look up SnapCakes, oh tht’s me, and review my poetry, there is only a few, but i post as often as possible, anyways, i am going to get a gmail account so maybe we could be penpals?? that is SO old fashioned, but it might be cool..like i said, i talk ALOT… but yeah, i will be only able to respond at school, so if i don’t respond soon, it’s cuz i’m at home…but anyway.. YOU ARE AMAZING!!!!!!
DAnielle is right, that would be so cool to have a contest!! you could donate money to a charity or host something i dunno but that would be SO COOL!
yeah.. gobble gobble…:)
i’m so sorry
RIP Jesus Eduardo Alfaro… December 17 1987- November 24, 2011
Son, Uncle, Friend, and much more.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the Alfaro Family. Jesus worked at the Bank Of America by the Jewish center in Camarillo, Ca. I knew him and knew he was a kind person. He passed away in a car accident in Bakersfield, Ca on his way to Lake Tahoe.. His 17 year old niece died as well.
How sad, huh? And on Thankgiving day. Man…
Dear Ms. Dessen,
I don’t know if you recognize my name, but my teacher, Joyce Miller, was at your conference. She went out to tea with you, and she gave you a letter that I wrote. In return, you signed a copy of Along for the Ride for me. If you remember that, please respond to this. It would mean so much to me. As you read in my letter, you are my favorite author of all time, and you have inspired me so much!
From,
Kiera
Yes! I have someone to agree with me. Thanks Evangeline!
totally sweet books dude. gotta love ‘em