Wicked Journey: Stephanie Perkins in PH!

So, hello! I know I haven't really updated my blog because school just started and as usual school is such a B with everything.

Last Sunday was the Stephanie Perkins book signing. I arrived at around 6 am and I was number 92 already! Tweets were overflowing the night before that there were already 11 people in front of National Bookstore since 1 pm last Saturday. I'm proud to say that two of them were my friends. And before they opened the store, a black SUV drove by and inside was Stephanie and her husband Jarrod, and they waved to the crowd.

Here are our pictures with the extremely awesome people of the Peculiar Family! (Photos from Eriele and Charm <3)

Prepping up Eriele before showtime!

Eriele aka Lola Nolan and Apolo aka Cricket Bell! <3 Cuties the two of them!

To say that the crowd went crazy is an understatement. I'll let the photos do the talking. It was just crazy.

She talked about how she started as a full time librarian and now she's a full time writer. She shared that librarians are really great researchers. Her first novel, Anna and The French Kiss, is based on her research on Paris. She's just so full of energy! And even her husband, Jarrod was game with everyone. He was seated at the front row too! She also shared that the boys, Etienne, Cricket and Josh were based on her husband. It's the sweetest thing ever! Here's some of my sneaky photos of Jarrod and his back. Yes, that's how near I am to him at the time.

The crowd was gushing everytime Stephanie mentioned her husband and to add to our feels, Jarrod went up the stage and gave Stephanie a kiss on the lips. I mean, *sighs dreamily* such a perfect couple. He reminds you of a young Mr. Fredrickson from UP right? The eight lucky early birds got themselves a copy of Isla and the Happily Ever After, which will be out on August! So watch out for it!

The first book signing in Cebu last July 5, Jarrod got mobbed by fans who wanted his autograph. Being a crazy fan myself, I walked up to him and asked for his autograph immediately after the interview on stage. They set up a table for him too but I didn't line up because the line was just too long. I didn't get a picture with him. *cries* It was longer than the actual line for Stephanie's signature.

When it was my turn for Stephanie's signature, one of my friends, Alia, asked me to ask her what's Etienne's height. All of the fans know that Etienne is two inches shorter than Anna. I think that's been a question on everyone's minds for a while.

Shakily, I went up to her and asked the question. She laughed and said, "Well, you've been wondering that too, huh. You'd have to read Isla to know his height. It's the big reveal." To us the unfortunate who didn't have an advance reading copy of Isla, we'd have to wait for August!

Huge thanks to Eriele and Charm for the photos and of course to the Peculiar Family for spending time with me. Also to National Bookstore for making this happen!

Till the next book signing!

Stephanie Perkins in the Philippines!

Yup! You heard right! Stephanie Perkins, author of Anna and The French Kiss and Lola and The Boy Next Door is dropping by the Philippines on July 5 and 6! This event is brought to you by National Bookstore, the country's national bookstore, in partnership with Chalk, Metro, ABS-CBN Publishing and Raffles Makati, the official residence.

If you're planning to go, below are some of the guidelines for the book signing:

When and where are the book signings? 
July 5, 1:00 pm, at National Book Store, SM Cebu 
July 6, 2:00 pm, at National Book Store, Glorietta 1

When will the registration be? 
Registration opens at 10:00 am on July 5 at National Book Store, SM Cebu (in the store, NOT the events area) and 10:00 am on July 6 at National Book Store, Glorietta 1. Each guest will be asked to fill out the registration form upon arrival. Separate registrations for each event is required should you wish to attend both events. First come, first served. 

Is there a registration fee? 
No. There is no registration fee. 

How many books can I have signed? Is there a limit as to how many people can have their books signed? 
You may have any number of books signed as long as they were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers or Powerbooks, and we do not have any preset limit as to the number of people. 

However, although we will take every effort to get as many books signed as possible, depending on the number of attendees, we reserve the right to limit the number of copies per person or limit the number of people in line. First come, first served. 

Can I bring old books or other editions of the books? 
Yes, as long as the books were purchased from National Book Store, Bestsellers and Powerbooks. 

Do I need to buy on-site? 
No. You can buy books before or during the event. 

Can I have other items signed? 
No. Only books will be allowed to be signed by the authors. 

Can we have our photo taken with the author? 
Yes, you can have your photo with the author when she signs your book. However, we strictly allow one photo per person only. 

How much are the books? 
Anna and the French Kiss (Trade Paperback – P349) 
Lola and the Boy Next Door (Trade Paperback – P349) 
Isla and the Happily Ever After (will be released in August 14)

So, see you there! And be sure to use the hashtag: #StephaniePerkinsInPH and spread the word!