Tammara Webber & Abbi Glines Recap + Giveaway

Hi, everyone! I hope the week is going fantastic. It's actually really flying by which is nice. Is it just me or do you start counting down the days until the weekend on Monday? Maybe it's just me but I do love the weekend. This week was broken up by a really fun author event. Barnes & Noble at the Americana hosted Abbi Glines and Tammara Webber on May 6, 2014. Even though I left work a little early, it still took me over an hour to get there (grrr LA traffic). First things first though, I went and got dinner with Alethea at Din Tai Fung. DTF is a really great Chinese dumpling restaurant. I hadn't been to this location before and I was starving, so we ordered all the things.

shrimp rice cakes

pork and seafood dumplings

We were cutting it close by having dinner beforehand but, like I said, starving. We arrived a few minutes after 7pm and grabbed seats (thanks, Aly!).  There was a really good crowd there and it was standing room only. There was no talk beforehand and the ladies launched right into a Q&A session. I'll give you a few tidbits about what I learned during the Q&A.

Tammara has never been recongnized as far as she knows. Abbi says that she isn't usually recognized either but loves going on tour to meet fans. The first time she ever flew was in 2012 when she went to NYC.

Abbi has turned down movie options for her books because she doesn't want the rights to be tied up with a film. She thinks that there is too much story in her series for a movie and is waiting for a TV deal.

my nails match and i didn't even plan it!

When asked about what it was like going from being a self-published author to signing with a major publisher Abbi said that she had to give up some control over things like covers and pricing on her books. However, she said that giving up that control is worth it to have things like an editor and seeing her books on the shelves of major retailers.

Abbi did not outline her first book, which she said was a bad idea. Now she outlines every book. Tammara does not outline her books.

When asked if they write in chronological order, Tammara said that it depends on the story. She wrote Easy chronologically but not all of her books have been written that way. Abbi says that she writes chronologically because that's how her brain works. When she tries to write out of order, it gets confusing.

Abbi wants to do another Vincent Boys books but, with her current publishing schedule, isn't sure when that will happen. It will be a prequel story to the series.

Tammara is thinking of writing a book from the point of view from some a secondary character in her books.

Tammara hadn't planned on writing Lucas's book. It wasn't until a year after Easy was published that she started to see and hear Lucas's POV in her mind and decided to write the book.

Abbi said that Rock and Trish will get a novella.

Tammara says that she wanted her son to read the audiobook for Easy. She knew that he could do it but had to convince her publisher to let him audition. 

After a few more questions, it was time for the signing. It was all very orderly though there were a lot of people so we had plenty of time to chat while we waited. (Apologies for the less than stellar pics below. It was really busy and I just tried to take a few quick pics while I was in line.)

Here is Tammara signing about 4 copies of Breakable. She was a little quiet but super sweet and friendly.

Here is Abbi signing a poster for me. She's super funny and I love her Southern accent. After the signing we retreated upstairs to Starbucks for a much needed caffeine break. Thanks for B&N for a lovely event. It was very organized and the turnout was great. Both Abbi and Tammara were super nice and charming. I can't wait to read my new books! If you want to see a few more pics, check out my Flickr set for the event. 

And because you, dear readers, are always on my mind, I got a few presents for you at the screening, too. I am giving away a signed copy of Breakable by Tammara Webber as well as an Abbi Glines T-Shirt (Large) and a poster signed by Abbi. Giveaway is US only at this time. Please check out my giveaway rules and enter the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends 5/24/14. Good luck!

Giveaway Rules:

1. Open to US residents only. 
2. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged items. 
3. One set of entries per household please. 
4. If you are under 13, please get a parent or guardian's permission to enter, as you will be sharing personal info such as an email address. 
5. Winner will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter widget a day or two after the contest ends. 
6. Winner will have 48 hours to respond to to the email, otherwise we will pick a new winner. 
7. If you have any questions, feel free to email us. You can review our full contest policy here. 
8. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY PERSONAL INFO IN THE COMMENTS. Sorry for the caps but we always get people leaving their email in the comments. Rafflecopter will collect all that without having personal info in the comments for all the world (and spambots) to find. Thanks!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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