It takes about 6-7 hours to drive from Montreal to Manhattan. It takes a minimum of 11 hours to take the train there. In fact, I was 2 hours delayed in arriving in NYC so my train ride was a lovely 13 hours, the last 3 of which had the ventilation turned off because some little skinny dude was cold and so rather than turn down the a/c the conductor turned OFF the air completely. From before Albany until Penn Station we sat there sweating and tired and glaring at the student dude.But I got there!

I stayed at the Paramount hotel with my roommates, Kristi and Erica. Those of you who only follow this blog and not my personal one may not know Finnegan my ephalent who likes to travel with me and sightsee for himself. He did a lot of sight seeing while in NYC. Here he is crashing on the bed so happy to finally be unpacked from my backpack and able to stretch out his legs. The beds at the Paramount? The most comfortable beds in the world, the pillows too. I should have taken them home with me.As an avid reader and someone who likes to be prepared in case of apocalpyse, it was important to me to check out the New York Public Library. Movies have taught me that this is the place to be when the world ends so that you can survive. It was under construction so I couldn't get a decent outside shot, but Finnegan made friends with the lion protectors, so I think Kristi and I have an "in" when the world ends and they'll let us pass.

Monday was a full day. Kristi and I walked all over the place and then headed to the West Village to have lunch with Melissa Walker before the Teen Author Carnival that evening. We ate at the Cornelia Street Cafe, which was a cute little place and had French all over the menu. I was trying to escape the French and Melissa felt the need to accost me with it on my first day in her city. ;)

Finnegan also got in on the author action. He likes to hob-nob with important people. I let him handle the schmoozing and I just go on about my business. Melissa actually has a rare photo where Finnegan's I ? NY! sticker was still on his shirt.

I think Finnegan and Melissa make a cute couple, don't you? We might have to warn her husband. I was so happy to get to have lunch with Melissa since I got to know her online. She was the first ever author to comment on my blog! We have a history. Awww. ;) After lunch (late lunch) we headed on over to the Jefferson Market Branch Library for the Teen Author Carnival.

On the "real life" panel:

This was by far my favourite panel of the entire TAC. The authors were really engaging and fun to listen to. There was much laughter and I could have sat there for hours listening to them. I couldn't get photos of the panelists from the Teen Love panel because I had too many heads in my way, but I didn't like that one as much anyhow since I couldn't give a hoot about romance in books. I'm crotchety, deal with it.

The final panel I saw was the Mystery/Fantasy panel on the main floor of the library (the library, by the way, was GORGEOUS but there was so much going on and so many people I wasn't able to take photos).

I was super excited about this panel because Michelle Zink was on it! I couldn't wait to finally get to talk to her in person. Sadly, there wasn't much time for socializing once the panels were done because it was book signing mayhem in another room and hard to get around. But Finnegan, always the charmer, got his way into a photo with Michelle!

And Michelle will make her way to Montreal one day soon and we'll hang out and talk and gossip and have fun! I was so happy to get a Guardian of the Gate ARC because it looks a lot more like the hard cover of PoS and as Michelle knows, I am not a huge fan of the new covers. I don't like covers to be FACE!!! and title. Far away faces, ok, I can deal. But what is with this FACE with just one eye fad? Used to be headless women, now it's a huge face with one eye showing. Example:

IMAGE

Am I the only one who gets tired of these cover trends? I mean, I like an original cover. I am more likely to buy something that looks a) pretty and b) different than others. I guess I am the only one because since Twilight publishers seem to want to Twilight-esque ever book cover out there to get people to read the books. I don't know. I get tired of seeing the same thing over and over again.

So that was my Monday (minus those books in the last photo). I apparently did not take many photos on Tuesday. I did meet Polish Outlander for lunch at the Old Town Tavern and that was fantastic! I was looking forward to meeting her so I was glad we were able to meet up for lunch. Oddly, I ended up running into her all throughout BEA and I was starting to worry she might think I was stalking her. I saw her more than I saw Erica or Kristi and other people I was there with! Even when I went to sit down for lunch on the Wednesday, I go to sit down - BOOM! There she is with her friend. I promise I was not stalking you!!

After I left my lunch I went off to meet some other people for tea at Sweetiepie restaurant (my opinion? Don't bother. Spend your money elsewhere and much more wisely). I seem to have been directed to the wrong Greenwich not realizing there was a STREET and AVENUE within 10 minutes of each other. WHO DOES THAT? Geez. When I finally got to the tea place I was just so happy to sit down. We took these cool photos from the mirror over head -

I'm in the top right corner, counter clockwise is Susan (I remembered!), Khy, crap, I am blanking on the other woman's name (sorry!), James, Khy's mom, Pam, Erica, Alea and Gail.

Later that night we went to a book signing at Books of Wonder near where I had lunch with Polish Outlander. I got there late because, er, I can't remember why. We got back to the hotel late and then weren't sure if we wanted to go back out again. But I collected Susan and James and we went to BoW met up with Kristi and then wandered around after that event trying to get to The Strand, got lost. Called it a night, went back to the hotel, got pizza, watched Glee and then went to bed.

And this is just my first two days in NYC! I'll write up another post about Wednesday and Thursday and show off Finnegan's schmoozing skills and author photos. It's only 8:00pm right now, but I am wiped out from the trip and I think I'm going off to bed. Canadians had their long weekend last weekend, while I was away, so I don't get to sleep in tomorrow like many of my American friends!