Sunday, April 29, 2012

Spring Into the Future Signing (and giveaway) with Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Rossi


This weekend, my hubby and I made the trek down to Miami because I read a bout a super cool tour going on called Spring Into the Future with two of my very favorite authors Tahereh Mafi and Veronica Rossi. I was so stinking stoked for this even because I love both of these books. To get ready, I made a Down the Rabbit Hole t-shirt and I also made bags as presents for the authors.

The bags I made

Me in my Down the Rabbit Hole shirt and my hubby
The events that I've attended at Books & Books in the past have normally been very structured but I liked the laid back atmosphere of this event. The aythors weren't formally introduced, they introduced themselves and they conducting the entire Q & A section.


These two were seriously funny. I'd seen Tahereh Mafi talking about how they were like a married couple on Twitter so it was funny to see them laugh and "argue" with each other about who was going to answer the questions first (Mafi almost always got Rossi to talk first).


So here are some of the cool things we found out during the Q & A from each author that you need to know.

Tahereh Mafi
This photo basically captures who Tahehreh Mafi is
  • Warren is not Warren's first name but rather his last. We'll find out his first name in the next books. She chose it because it has the word "war" in it
  • Mafi normally names her character with whatever pops into her head but for Shatter Me, she picked out specific names for Adam and Juliette.
  • The original title of Shatter Me was Touching Juliette which she gets endless amusement out of (we all did as a matter of fact).
  • When Mafi recieved the call that her book sold, she was at a day job and ran out. She says she literally fell over (in high heels) and then had to act like nothing happened. Her mother texted and called her a million times after her intial text that her book sold but she ignored them all because she had to work.
  • Mafi had to wait 3 months before she could announce her book sold.
  • Her character Adam has a tattoo on his back of a bird. Her brother does also. She said when her brother read the book, he felt scadalized and it's made Thanksgiving dinners awkward.
  • A line of dialog that will appear in the book is (and I'm paraphrasing) "I like to hear myself talk. It's the best part." It was originally said by her brother and will be said by Kenji.
  • This wasn't confirmed by her but I walked away with the feeling that Kenji might be her favorite character in the book, mostly because he's inapproriate and funny. We do know that there will be more of Kenji in the next two books. Also, Kenji is Japanese for those of you who don't know!
  • Mafi's best advice to aspiring writers is to never give up, even when it feels like you are getting nowhere. At the moment when you feel you should just give up is the moment you push yourself and you will have a breakthrough.
  • Mafi is a self-proclaimed fashion guru with a special love for shoes, bags, scarves and jackets.
Mafi's awesome bag and shoes
Veronica Rossi
  • Under the Never Sky was always called Under The Never Sky. It was taken from a piece of dialog and everyone agreed that it fit. In fact, Rossi has names already picked out for all her novels.
  • Rossi intended for Under the Never Sky to be four books but after talking with her agent and editor decided to make it a trilogy.
  • Aria was pretty much always named Aria since she was genetically designed to be an opera singer. It was Perry's name that Rossi was unsure of. She wasn't sure if it fit him until she was reading up on the beach she imagined is where Perry's tribe stays and found out it is the nesting ground of the peregrine. It sealed his fate.
  • Under the Never Sky was written quickly and needed very little revision. The second book, which Rossi is currently writing, is much more difficult. She said she's rewritten it about five times.
  • Rossi's family was in the audience and so darned excited for her. When I was up getting my entire stack of books signed, Rossi's mother kept coming up to see why they were excited.
  • Rossi doesn't really care who plays her characters in movies as long as they are able to capture their essence. She says it is particularly important for Perry as she considers him part creature.
  • Rossi is a painter and now a writer. She says she often threatens her husband that she is going to start song writing next even though she is in no way musical.
  • If Rossi has a super power it would either be the ability to double herself (so she could go on enternal vacation) or to fly.
  • Rossi's best piece of advice to aspiring authors is to find some friends. They will pick you up, help you make your manuscript better and encourage you along the way.
The biggest thing I walked away from was how funny, witty, kind and generally thankful these two authors are. I really got the sense that they knew how rare it was for dreams to come true and that they are very lucky. I also thought it was interesting that my friend only bought Under the Never Sky at the beginning because it sounded really good but loved Mafi's personality so much that she purchased Shatter Me at the end. (On a side note, once she read the first page of Shatter Me, she said she was angry I didn't force her to buy both at the beginning)

When I put up my stack of books for them (5 for each) they squealed that I had so many but when I gave them their presents, Mafi said something to the affect of "screw work, we have presents". They both seemed to like their tote bags which is awesome since I spent a long time in the store trying to find the perfect things to attach to them. In fact, they seemed to like them so much that they filled my books with hearts on the inside!

As if I wasn't already the biggest nerd in the place, I also painted my fingernails to match the covers of both books. Check out my Under the Never Sky and Shatter Me inspired nails:

*Photos of the signatures coming soon*

Giveaway time!
I've got a signed copy of SHATTER ME and a signed copy of UNDER THE NEVER SKY to giveaway to 2 lucky readers (1 will get SHATTER ME, the other will get UNDER THE NEVER SKY). So here are the rules:
  • US only giveaway (sorry, international guys, I just can't pay for the shipping right now)
  • May only enter once
  • Must fill out form
  • Must be 13 years or older
  • Giveaway ends 5/13/12
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!


64 comments:

  1. thanks for the giveaway!

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  2. I so wish I could meet them at a signing. I hope you had an awesome time =)

    ~Paige @ Comfort Books
    http://paigebradish1996.blogspot.com/

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  3. Love your inspired nails - what did you use?

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  4. I so wish this book tour was coming anywhere near me because I would love to meet these 2 in person! I love the bags you made for them, and the hearts they drew all over the copies are awesome!! Great job! Joy @ Book Lagniappe

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  5. Arent these women awesome! I got the chance to meet both of them at a book store in my home town a couple months back. I agree they had us rolling they are silly. I was sad because I purchased both of these books on my nook so I couldnt get it signed. I would love for the chance to win atleast one of these, Great giveaway! Thanks.

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  6. Oh the nails are ultra pretty but its so cool you got to meet them.

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  7. I'm so bloody jealous!! Sounds like you had a blast. I know I'd love to meet these ladies :D

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  8. Those are some very nice tote bags. I also wished that the tour was stopping off somewhere nearby. Tahereh Mafi has such fantastic style. I don't think I'd have a very productive day at work if I had just been told my book sold. That's funny about her brother. I liked Veronica Rossi's advice about writing. You could really use this advice no matter what your profession is. I've had that happen too when I've been at an author event and didn't know one of the author's and/or their book(s), but after listening to them speak decided I needed to get their book(s).

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  9. All this is so interesting! I, oddly enough, haven't read Shatter Me yet, but I'm a fan of Tahereh Mafi's. I know it's weird...
    But I LOVE Under the Never Sky!
    Thanks so much for reporting back from this event. It sounds like it was so much fun!

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  10. The funniest thing is hearing that their Twitter married couple-ness comes through in person. I follow both of them and they're hilarious! I'd love a chance to see them live. Lucky you!

    Also love the tote bags. They're totally rockin!

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  11. That sounds like so much fun! And I love your nails, especially the UTNS nails! How exciting to meet two awesome authors, and both of these books are at the very top of my reading list, so this giveaway ROCKS.

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  12. How amazing to get to meet these two authors! I love both of their books a whole lot so I am so jealous you got to meet them! Tahereh always cracks me up, how her brother felt scandalized! LOL I have to also agree with Veronica's choice in super powers. Thank you so much for sharing and for the giveaway! :)

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  13. Wow, it sounds like you had a lot of fun! It's awesome that you bought the author's presents—I'm sure they really appreciated that.

    Thanks for the giveaway! (:

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  14. Tahereh Mafi has the most awesome taste in fashion ever and the bags you made where really nice and sweet. Plus love the book inspired nails. So shinny! :D

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  15. Oh My GOD!!!! Amber! T_T you're so freaking lucky!!! And I love your nerd-nails! lol X.X I think I'd even paint my face or something, I'm THAT weird.
    I'm so excited to know Warner's first name!!! And to have more Kenji in Tahereh's books *_*
    I haven't read Under The Never Sky...though...so lol it was funny to get to know a bit more about Rossi, plus! That bag X_X I love it!!!!!!

    Yey for the totes!!! You rock!!!

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  16. I loved their nails, so pretty. Thank you for the giveaway!

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  17. You're nails are beautiful!!!!!

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  18. It sounds like you had an amazing time at the book signing! And it was so very thoughtful of you to create gifts for them. I heard Tahereh Mafi will be in Toronto during the summer, so I hope she has a signing I can attend. Thanks for the awesome recap!

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  19. I loved both of this books! They are amazing and I can't wait to read the sequels, sadly both books won't come out until 2013 :(

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  20. wow! it feels like i also went there. Mafi and Rossi sounds like funny and cool people! :) i’ve read Under the never sky, but shatter me is still on my TBR file. :) thanks for the giveaway and sharing of your experience! :)

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  21. It's always fascinating to meet authors. I do hope I get to meet these two as well! I'm interested to meet Tahereh Mafi. :)

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  22. It was interesting to find out that Veronica has already selected the names for all her novels. She must write the books to match the names. It has worked for her with Under the Never Sky so, maybe it will work for the rest of them!

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  23. It's very obvious from your review just how much you loved Shatter Me. Using such words as "breathless," "riveting," and "thrilling" is a dead giveaway to how much you liked the book!

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  24. It would seem from your review that you also really enjoyed reading Under the Never Sky. The primary reason, it would seem, was because of the manner in which the main characters, Aria and Perry, changed and developed throughout the book. Much of that happened in their reactions to each other. Since I love watching characters grow and develop throughout a story, I would most likely love this one!

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  25. Christina K. in the rafflecopter

    Lucky you!!

    Author signings are great, you really get a feel for what the authors are like and you appreciate the books even more:)

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  26. Christina K. in the rafflecopter

    Lucky you!

    I love book signings, because you really get to know the authors and you love their books even more:)

    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  27. Thanks for sharing about it Amber! It sounds like you had an awesome time, and I loved hearing about what both Mafi and Rossi had to say. I cannot wait for Unravel Me - so cut that it got postponed to 2013. Kenji is hilarous, but I will always love Adam and Juliette the best. And James second best. And Warner's in there somewhere too. I should stop now.

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  28. Thanks for the giveaway! The signing looked like so much fun! I love your inspired nails too!! :)

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  29. I really wish that this book tour was coming near me so i could go :( It sounded like a great signing!

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  30. I've had both of these books on my TBR list for longer than I can remember. Thanks so much for the chance to win!

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  31. This sounds like the most awesome event ever. I totally didn't know they were like a married couple. That is the freaking cutest!

    I love hearing about how authors got their ideas for names and stuff. Thanks for sharing!

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  32. Aww, so lucky of you to meet these two amazing authors. I find it very thoughtful of you to make something for them. :) & btw, the nails are so adorable. :bd Thanks for the giveaway! :)

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  33. Sounds like you had a lot of fun! Those tote bags you made were so cute, and I love the book inspired nail polish!! :)

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  34. Aww great recap! That sounds like a wonderful event! And Tahereh Mafi seems hilarious on Twitter, so I'd love to see her in person!

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  35. Sounds like you had a blast! I've never been to an author signing... I can't wait till one finally comes to my town. :) And I love your nails, so fun!

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  36. I love books! Can't wait to read this one.

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  37. That's a great handbag. Very clever indeed. Thanks for the insightful article. It sounds like you had a great time. Hopefully the old married couple gets off the road soon. Not a good choice for a long-term lifestyle.
    Thanks again.

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  38. WOW.
    First of all, I've never been to an author signing. And this one looks amazing. I've read both of these books in ARC form and they were favorites of mine.
    Second, these authors are awesome. The things they said are just golden. I love how different they are and yet the same, based on the things that you listed.
    Third, it is really awesome for you to grab books for your readership. So generous. Thank you for the giveaway!
    Finally, CUTE NAILS! :)

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  39. I have never been to an author signing but I keep seeing posts about them and they sound so fun! I wish I could have gone!

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  40. "When Mafi recieved the call that her book sold, she was at a day job and ran out. She says she literally fell over (in high heels) and then had to act like nothing happened. Her mother texted and called her a million times after her intial text that her book sold but she ignored them all because she had to work."

    haha that's funny :)

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  41. I really hope that I'm able to make it to one of their signings. I have heard so many great stories about seeing them, and I am so glad that you were able to. Thanks for sharing your experience! :-)

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  42. Those bags and nails are so cool! Great job!

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  43. That looked like such a fun event, I am so jealous! Your nails are so cute, and the authors were lucky to get those cute tote bags!

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  44. Tahereh seems like such a sweet person. I wish more authors would come to my area.

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  45. Wow, that sounded fun! I really wish Veronica Rossi and Tahereh Mafi would drop by New Orleans sometime soon. They're great dystopian writers. :)

    By the way, those nails? Amazingggg.

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  46. I've read both of these and enjoyed them. They are two incredible authors!! And hearing from them makes me so excited to read their future books, especially Unravel Me, sequel to Shatter Me, which is like my all-time favorite read of 2011.

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  47. That is hilarious about the original title of Shatter me! And good job on the fingernails! They look great!

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  48. Both authors sound really fun and down to earth, which really makes me want to read their books even more!

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  49. Thanks for the post and giveaway! It's always so much fun to get to meet authors and listen to them talk about their books. YA authors in particular are great about making things humorous. :)

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  50. I loved this post! The things Taherah Mafi said were hilarious!

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  51. Great insight into a signing - never been to one before. Love the nails too! :)

    Thanks,
    Leanne

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  52. WOW! It sounds like you had so much fun! I find it amazing how down to earth authors are...they really are just one of us! Granted if I ran into one of them on the street I would still probably be crazy idiot in front of them.

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  53. Hi :D I was wondering, is there any chance I could enter this giveaway even though I live in Norway? I would pay full shipping price for it :) Either way, thank you. So jealous of you! The authors seems so nice. <3

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  54. Thanks for the ahhh-mazing giveaway!!! :))

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  55. This makes me even more jealous that I've never been to a signing. It sounds like you had so much fun!

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  56. This was fantastic and I'm so jealous that you got to meet this two fantastic authors. I love hearing all about the things about Under the Never Sky especially the names. I don't put as much thought into my characters names, so it fascinates me to see how other authors do it!

    And high five on the bags :)

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  57. I love the totebags you made they are so cute! The picture of you and your hubby is cute too! I think it is great that you went to this event. It is so cool to learn and hear about all this stuff!

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  58. I love the nail polish! So pretty. :) Also; so jealous that you got to meet these amazing authors! Glad you enjoyed it :D You didn't reply to my comment with my question :\ So I'll just enter then. If I do win, you can choose if I can pay shipping even though I live in Norway; or if you'll pick a new winner. Either way, thank you :)
    Love, Carina

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    1. I apologize. Yes, you are welcome to enter. And thanks for the nail polish compliment. I thought it was a fun way to show my support!

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  59. I loved this post! Tahereh and Veronica both seem like awesome people. I followed Tahereh on Twitter and I always enjoyed reading her Tweets, and she seems like the exact same in real life! (Well, duh.)

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  60. I love when I get the chance to go to author signings they always are so much fun. The totebags you made are freaking awesome:)

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  61. Lol i WANT Mafi's red bag its soo cute:) Awesome those nails are so pretty:)
    -JennyC

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  62. Both of their books sounds really good :)

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