Fabulous Day at TLA! The 2023 Texas Library Association Conference

I had a fabulous day at the Texas Library Association’s 2023 Conference! It was great to promote my Sophie Washington series to librarians from across the country and get books signed by my favorite authors.

Librarians lined up to enter the convention center before it opened at 10 a.m. The excitement in the air was electric. It was like they were waiting for limited concert tickets! I could relate. Once the doors opened everyone rushed in. Their favorite authors are like rock stars to the librarians and other book nerds, like me!

I exhibited at SCBWI Austin’s table and was happy to interact with new readers from across the country and network with author peers. It was great to meet my book signing agent, Carole Weitzel of Authors and More in person and also to see Bethany Hegedus of the Writing Barn. Bethany selected one of my manuscripts for the Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award a few years ago. This led to me securing a literary agent and my first major book deal with HaperCollins Balzer + Bray for my upcoming book, They Built Me for Freedom, so I’m eternally grateful to her!

In between my own exhibit time I was able to fan girl and interact with some of my author favorites like NYT bestselling authors, Kwame Alexander and Nic Stone and Samantha Clark, Anne Wynter, David Bowles, Traci Sorrell and more!

This was a day I’ll definitely never forget! I wish I could have stayed longer because there were many other fabulous authors in attendance that I wanted to meet and greet with, but didn’t have time to. I can’t wait to return to TLA next year in San Antonio!