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Monday, January 31, 2011

My First Author Event = Awesomeness!

I had my first author event on January 15th, the Saturday after my book was released. I went into this event completely excited and totally nervous, for a few reasons:

1. I was afraid nobody would show up. I had this image in my mind of me, sitting all excited at a table, surrounding by nothingness, then cue the crickets.

2. I didn't know what to expect. I've never been to an author event so really, what was expected of me?


My GOSSIP cake--chocolate!

So I get to the Barnes & Noble where it's being held and right away, I was greeted by such friendly people. The manager, staff, etc. And then I see my table. In the front of the store. Piles and piles of books stacked neatly on the table. Gulp. Was I supposed to sell ALL THOSE? I swear I broke out in a sweat. I mean, this seemed really overwhelming.

And then I learned the best thing ever--I would be getting free mochas from Starbucks during the event. Sweet!

The moment I sit behind the table, my table, I see a bunch of friendly faces in the crowd. People I know have come to see me! And they were actually there early, before me even. Minute by minute, people were filing in, a huge crowd gathered, a line formed even. Friends, family, people I knew from high school were there. Friends of friends that were told about the event showed up. Kids, girls and boys, grabbing books off the table.



I signed book after book, not really getting a breather, and I loved every second of it! Friends brought me flower bouquets, gifts, coffee mugs for writers....seriously? I'm doing something I've dreamt of my whole life AND getting gifts? It was totally unexpected and well, totally awesome.


My 2yr old, Sam, was my biggest supporter!

Every 30 minutes, the store would announce on the overhead that "Author Rose Cooper" was in the front of the store doing book signings. And they even read off a blurb about my book. I was in writers heaven. Then suddenly, right after the first hour, my husband said to me, "Um, we're out of books."


The first time the manager of B&N saw me, he said "I knew
you had to be Rose, you look just like your book!"

What?! I actually sit back and look at my table. He's right. The books are...gone. They even brought out extras from the back and off the shelves, and they all sold. So we started a list for people to order books (that I would come back and later sign). The manager said he never had an author event go so well and said I was the first author to sell out in the 5yrs he'd been there. Normally, authors sell under 20 books. I sold a total of 40, but said I could have easily sold more if we didn't run out.

I was estatic, to say the least. No more thoughts of me surrounding by nothingness or crickets chirping in the background. The event went better than I could have ever imagined.


My three boys and my hubby. I'm the luckies girl. ever.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

GOSSIP WINNERS!!


Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment and support the book release of GOSSIP! I've been so busy I haven't had time to reply to each comment or email, but please know it is so appreciated and means the world to me! Now, on with the winners...

WINNER OF GIVEAWAY #1: 

NIKI MOSS!!

Thank you for all the fabulous pics, Niki!!


WINNER OF GIVEAWAY #2: 
Blogger gideon 86, MICHAEL!! Thank you, Michael for all your help promoting GOSSIP on it's big day!


WINNER OF GIVEAWAY #3:
CANDYLAND!!  Thank you, Candace for the book trailer! You can see her book trailer for GOSSIP here!

To see the winner of Sofia's giveaway, check out Blogtasticnovel.com.

If the winners will please send me your snail mail (if I don't have already), I will be happy to send you your prizes! Please allow a few extra days for mailing since i'm still really sick (yuck).



Monday, January 17, 2011

Winners announced tomorrow!

I know I said I would have the winners posted today, but I've been in bed really sick since Saturday eve. But I PROMISE, I will have the winners up tomorrow. And this week I will also be posting about my awesome Book Release Party, which was uber successful!

The winner for the giveaway on Project Mayhem IS announced, so check out the blog and congratulate the winner!


xx,

Friday, January 14, 2011

Did someone say...cake?

Tomorrow is the Book Release Party!! Here are the details in case you missed it and are local:

Barnes & Noble at Birdcage (Across from Sunrise Mall)
6111 Sunrise Ave
Citrus Heights  CA
1PM

I ordered the cake so it will look just like the book cover (with a bright pink trim, yay) and I have awesome baskets with books to giveaway.  I even had a customed made hair flower done just for this occasion, which I will be wearing (and maybe giving one of those away too!)

For those of you who have already bought the book, THANK YOU!!! Your support means the world to me! And after you read, would LOVE if you added your comments to Amazon.  Seriously, love!

Winners from the Book Release Online Giveway will be posted Monday (including on Project Mayhem and Sofia's blog).

In the meantime, enjoy this book trailer of GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLS' ROOM made by the awesome Candyland!




Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Book Release Day of GOSSIP & Giveaways!!

Today is THE day! Gossip From The Girls' Room, A Blogtastic! Novel is released and in bookstores! So it's only appropriate to have some giveaways, right? Right!


GIVEAWAY #1:  A signed copy of GOSSIP and swag! The swag includes handmade bookmarks, handmade character magnets, and some book inspired items like chocolate, a notebook, and really cool handmade box with something super-secret inside.

TO WIN: Snap a picture of GOSSIP in any bookstore and email it to me! OR snap a picture of yourself with GOSSIP and email it to me! A winner will be chosen randomly from the picture entries.



GIVEAWAY #2:  A signed copy of GOSSIP and bookmarks!

TO ENTER: Promote the release of GOSSIP. MUST leave a comment. Get points for doing the following:
Tweet: +2 points (for each tweet)
Facebook +2 points (only once)
Post on your blog: +10 points
Post a link on your sidebar: +5 points
Already a follower on this blog: +8
Become a new follower on this blog: +5
Adding up your point total: +5


GIVEAWAY #3: A signed copy of GOSSIP, swag, AND included in the acknowledgments of the second Blogtastic! book, RUMORS (out Spring 2012).

TO WIN: Make a book trailer for GOSSIP. I know, I know. I never got a chance to do the one I wanted and I have no idea how to make one myself. Plus, with my deadlines for book#2 I don't have the time to learn right now.


GIVEAWAY #4: A signed copy of GOSSIP.

TO ENTER: Check out my post at Project Mayhem and leave a comment with your favorite funny book. Ever.  Easy, peasy!



GIVEAWAY #5: A handmade hair flower made by YA Author, Stephanie Boman from her awesome Etsy Shop, Dinkybird Boutique!

TO ENTER: Hair Flower is given away by Nona Bows on Sofia's Blog, so check it our for deets!



**You can enter any and all of the giveaways, no limit!

xx,

Monday, January 10, 2011

One Day Until Release!!

Who wants free stuff? Tomorrow to kick off my book release (gulp!) I will be running a contest AND having giveaways! This will include swag and items inspired by the book, handmade things too, and signed books! Even Sofia will be doing an awesome giveaway on her blog!

Another uber cool thing? I'm the January Featured Author of the Month on Scribbler to Scribe. The awesome Stephanie M. Lorée is running a Juicy Rumors Giveaway so please, check that out here! My interview will be up on her blog on January 17th as well, so I'm definitely looking forward to that. If you haven't friended Stephanie yet, you MUST do that too. Yes, because I said so. And you can't deny the fact that she rocks!

Oh, and another review of GOSSIP FROM THE GIRLS' ROOM, A BLOGTASTIC! NOVEL can be found in the January 1, 2011 issue of Booklist. What does it say? Glad you asked.

Gossip from the Girls' Room.

Cooper, Rose (Author) , Cooper, Rose (Illustrator)
Jan 2011. 256 p. Delacorte, hardcover, $12.99. (9780385739474). Delacorte, library edition, $15.99.
(9780385907910)

Sixth-grader Sophia just wants to be one of the popular students at Middlebrooke Middle School. Unfortunately, her plans to accomplish this have not met with success. Sophia and BFF Nona did not end up in “super fun” elective classes where they could talk to cool kids, and their after-school activities did not make them popular, just sweaty. After the final straw—Sophia’s mom taking a substitute-teacher position at the school—Sophia becomes determined to use her anonymous school blog to post gossip about the popular kids in hopes that at least her blog will find popularity. Things go awry when she posts something private about Nona and discovers that maybe the popular girl she is trying to bring down isn’t
so bad after all. Written as a journal with illustrations and asides, this humorous take on trying to fit in will find wide appeal. Hand this to female fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, and they’ll soon start
anticipating Sophia’s next adventure.

— Shauna Yusko