NoVA Teen Book Fest Recap

I didn't even know about NoVA Teen Book Fest until Amy @ Aya M. Productions told me about it. And I was all like, what??? How did I not know about this? It was an all day event with 24 authors there! Awesome right? Yes. There were multiple panels throughout the day and mini breakout sessions which were smaller setting Q&A with the authors. After all that, there was a huge signing down the street at the Arlington Central Library.


I attended two of the main panels, "Who Are You" with Lamar Giles (Fake ID), Sarah Guillory (Reclaimed), Ellen Oh (Warrior), Meg Medina (Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass), and Diana Peterfreund (Across a Star-Swept Sea). This panel was really great. The authors discussed identity and how each character's role shapes who they are. There was a lot of discussion on gender stereotypes as well as racial stereotypes that was really interesting. I've only read Diana Peterfreund's book, but I am now dying to get my hands on Warrior by Ellen Oh because it sounds amazing and totally something that's right up my alley!

The next thing I went to was a Breakout Session with Marie Lu *squeals* and Ellen Oh. I walked into the room and saw Marie Lu and got a stupid, giddy smile on my face that I could not suppress the entire time she was talking. Seriously she is the cutest person ever and sooooo nice! Ellen and Marie gave some great advice for writers, telling us to never give up. Marie got hundreds of rejections before she finally sold Legend which just shows how important perseverance is in the writing/publishing world.

I then attended a panel called Survivor with Claudia Gray (Steadfast), Kristen Simmons (Three), Meagan Spooner (These Broken Stars), Lisa Maxwell (Sweet Unrest), and Jessica Spotswood (Star Cursed). They talked about how extreme circumstances shape characters. An interesting discussion broke out on just doing what needs to be done to survive and the idea that hope is an ever-driving force behind these characters.

(Sorry the picture isn't great. The lights were glaring pretty bad. From left to right: Jessica Spotswood, Meagan Spooner, Kristen Simmons, Claudia Gray, Lisa Maxwell)

And finally I went to another Breakout Session with Kristen Simmons and Cristin Terrill. We talked about writing tips and they too told us not to give up and to keep trying. We also talked about movie adaptations and how a lot of YA adaptations don't do well because YA readers are very passionate. If you get our book wrong, we are going to rage. So true. I also think that it's expectations. We expect to love it just as much as the book and when it inevitably isn't the same or as good, we are crushed.

Then I went over to the signing and got books signed by Jennifer Rush (Altered and Erased), Kristen Simmons (Article 5 Trilogy), Meagan Spooner (These Broken Stars), and of course Marie Lu (Legend Trilogy). I wanted to get more signed, but alas, I ran out of money. It was an amazing day and it was so awesome to be able to get advice from these amazing authors and to hear more about their journeys and their motivations. Thanks to all the amazing people that organized this event and sponsored it!