SIBA 2011 – Part 2
I had a fabulous time at SIBA in Charleston this year and told about the first two days here. This post picks up where that one left off.
We got up bright and early Sunday morning because we had to be at the breakfast at 7:30 AM. It was worth it though, because we got to hear the following authors:
- Wiley Cash – not only is he cute, he’s funny too! His book, A Land More Kind Than Home, is serious though and is being compared to John Hart’s and Tom Franklin’s work. I can’t wait to read it!
- Susan McBride – I’ve exchanged quite a few emails with Susan, so I was really excited to meet her in person. She is every bit as sweet as I expected her to be and I suspect we could be girlfriends if we lived near each other. Her new book is Little Black Dress.
- Dorothea Benton Frank – entertained the audience with the background of Folly Beach. I’ve read this book and thought it was great! (You can enter to win the copy I received at breakfast here.)
Kathy and Susan McBride
After breakfast, the trade show floor opened and it was great catching up with the reps and learning about some of the exciting new books that are coming out. This list is by no means all inclusive, but a few of the titles I’m excited about are:
- A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
- Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage
- The World We Found by Thrity Umrigar
- A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson
- A Good American by Alex George
- Defending Jacob by William Landay
The show closed for The Southern Life Lunch which featured:
- Ron Rash – Ron read two poems from his book, Waking, and I really enjoyed listening to them. I’ve decided I need to try reading poetry out loud.
- Stuart Dill – has worked in the music industry for years and told us about his book Murder on Music Row.
- Michael Lee West – has a new book, A Teeny Bit of Trouble, coming out.
- Hillary Jordan – had us enthralled when she spoke about her new book, When She Woke. I’m really looking forward to it.
After lunch, we returned to the showroom floor for a little while and then took a break so we’d be ready for The Writer’s Block Auction & Wedding. We had a plan this year to win an author! The auction was so much fun! A SIBA employee is getting married soon and she and her fiance were great sports in allowing Wanda to perform a mock wedding, with all of the authors who were being auctioned off as attendants. The “groom” wore a jacket featuring all of their book covers and Wanda managed to weave all of their titles into the vows. Each author gave a toast to the couple and we toasted them with champagne.
As is the tradition at SIBA, attendees can “buy” an author and then take them to dinner. The proceeds are given to charity and this year’s charity was Tanzanian Education Foundation. We wanted to bid on all the authors, but had to narrow our list down and ended up bidding on several and then guarding their sheets like crazy (it’s a silent auction). We we were lucky enough to win Jim Minick, Wendy Wax, and Marybeth Whalen. Lisa Patton wasn’t being auctioned off, but decided to join us for dinner and we’re so glad she did. We boarded the bus and headed to Vickery’s Bar and Grill for a wonderful meal and fellowship. We chatted and laughed and had fabulous time. That meal was probably the highlight of my weekend!
back row: Heather, Marybeth Whalen, Jim Minick, Wendy Wax front row: Swapna, me, Sandy, and Lisa Patton
The first event of Monday morning was 60 Reps. 60 Seconds Each. 60 Books You Don’t Want to Miss!, which was a lot of fun. You’d be surprised at just how much those reps could pack into 60 seconds. We wandered around the showroom floor a little more, mostly visiting at that point.
The last event of the weekend was The Moveable Feast of Authors, which is always great fun. Attendees sit at assigned tables and authors rotate around and talk about their books. The following authors came to my table:
- Holly Herrick, author of Tart Love: Sassy, Savory and Sweet
- Sandra Brannan, author of Lot’s Return to Sodom
- Randy Russel, author of Dead Rules
- James Valentine, author of Southern Appalachian Celebration
- Stephanie McAfee, author Diary of a Mad Fat Girl
- Marjory Wentworth, author of Taking a Stand
- Janisse Ray, author of Drifting into Darien
After lunch, it was time to pack up my car and head home. I hated to say goodbye to Heather, Sandy, and Swapna and am already looking forward to next year! A big thanks to Wanda Jewell and the rest of the great folks of SIBA for allowing us to attend their wonderful show!
You got to meet wendy wax! I loved Ten Beach Road….and I would love to meet her in person and read more of her books. It sounds like you had a great time and had dinner with some great bloggers and authors.
What fun! I have to get there next year.
Your recap is so comprehensive! I’ve never been to BEA, but I’m thinking that this event beats it hands down. Where can you go where you can have lengthy chats, dinner and drinks with all of these incredible authors? No lines? It is a beautiful thing. Naples here we come! (I’m still stewing about how we are going to get to New Orleans without flying!!)
This event sounds like so much fun. I’m hoping to attend BEA next year. Montreal doesn’t have many author events.
Sounds like a fantastic even. I’ve enjoyed books by some of the authors you met. And then to connect with other bloggers – how fun!
You guys are making me so jealous with your recaps of SIBA – it sounds like there were so many great “get to know you” events!
That dinner sounds awesome! Glad you had such a good time.
Wow, that must have been so much fun
Glad you enjoy 
Just wanted to let you know that Macmillan Audio is offering 3 audio books to participants in the War Through the Generations Civil War Challenge. Go here to enter!
Sounds like a fantastic trip! Thanks for the book recommends – adding to my book club list. Too many books and only 12 months in a year, haha!
Thank you so much for posting on the show/conference/people-meeting!! Its really fun to live vicariously through you what with all the authors you got to meet and books you got to see before they hit the stores/libraries.
You did a really great job of encapsulating the last two days here, Kathy! I do also think that the dinner was the highlight of the weekend, and I love the way that you spoke so excitedly about it and all the other events. Such a great time we had. I can’t wait to do it again!
Oh, Kathy, this sounds like such fun! Want a companion for next year?! I need dates!
Thanks for the reports on what books are coming up. I’m a big supporter of Joshilyn Jackson, and will be waiting for that book, in particular.
Miami Book Fair is on Nov. 18-20th this year with a fabulous list of authors scheduled. It’s the highlight of my year, ordinarily. I’m going to miss it my year because of a commitment to a Show for my jewelry line on the same dates out of state! Ugh!
Keep on keeping us informed, Kathy! I count on you.
Deborah/TheBookishDame
How did you fit all of this into just a few days? So much fun, so many books!
This always sounds so wonderfu. and you have been going for a while, too…haven’t you…it sounds cozier than the NYC one.
Too fast…typing too too fast…I meant wonderful…I hate mistakes like that…
You packed a week’s worth of activities into a weekend! Thanks for sharing the fun with us! I am glad you had a wonderful time.
The 60 60 60 sounds fascinating.
Absolutely a wonderful wrap up of SIBA. I too have exchanged a lot of email and fb with Susan McBride, she is so very sweet!! I have a half written review of LBD, I need to finish and post!!
Sounds like a wonderful time, I so hope I can make next year and meet up with you, Sandy, Heather and any other book bloggers I adore!!
how fun! I can’t wait for NEIBA- our equivalent
Now I want to go more than ever! Bidding on authors? Oh so fun!!! And the Patrick Ness book (please dont tell me he was there…..) I cant wait tog et my hands on that one .
This just sounds like a great event. Thanks for all the photos! It made me feel (a little bit) like I was there.
Holy smokes your weekend was jam packed with author goodness! It looks like you ladies had a fantastic time all the way through.
All of it sounds wonderful, the dinners, the reps, the visiting and listening to writers!
I’m so envious of all this book fun. All the events sound so creative too.
That mock wedding sounds like such fun. And being able to bid on an author is perfect. That would have been the highlight for me too!
This sounds fabulous, Kathy, especially the author auction. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!
You need to put your feet up for an entire weekend, after a full and fun weekend like this! (Preferably with a book in your lap!)
Do try reading poetry aloud. It can feel awkward (even if nobody else is home), but it made all the difference for me.
I just love that auction idea! I loved the way you described it and am trying to imagine you all clutching your sheets!
I read When She Woke this week… I would’ve loved to hear Hillary Jordan speak about it!
What an amazing time! Sounds like it was a blast!!! I love the idea if the author auction lol. Did they happen to say when/where the next year’s one will be?
What a great group of authors you took out to dinner. I think that is one of the best events of the weekend! Thank you for sharing a photo! There are so many wonderful books in this post, too! I’m looking forward to the new one from Thrity Umrigar and Joshilyn Jackson especially!
Love the SIBA reports and get togethers