Pages Booksigning

Since I don't get out to the west coast that often (and probably won't be coming again soon--Rain Dragon was an angel on the plane but I don't think I should push my luck) I thought, perhaps, I should try to do a booksigning while I was out there. I was rather doubtful about it, as attendance at booksignings can be pretty iffy. While I felt like I knew a fair amount of people on the east coast, would anyone even come on the west coast?

However, Pages Bookstore graciously offered to host so my author/illustrator friend Anna Alter, who also came over for the wedding (we shared a house together in Venice Beach) decided to risk it, leave our babies with the husbands, and squeezed in the event for our last day in LA.

Prior leaving for the bookstore we had thought,"Hey, we drive in Boston! We can drive anywhere!" However,  LA traffic and parking quickly humbled us. We were 15 minutes late to...SURPRISE! a big crowd of people:

image from Annelam's flickr album!

I quickly grabbed a book and started the reading:

image from Yucaree's flickr album

and I did the dragon-draw-along I've done hundreds of times during school visits. However, maybe because it has been a while or I still have baby brain, but I completely blanked on how to write the FU, the Chinese word for luck and a parent had to flash me an image off her iphone. My Chinese teacher would be so horrified.

image from Yucaree's flickr album

But it was lovely meeting all my readers, young and old!

image from Annelam's flickr album!

Some were very old readers-- they'd been reading my books for a long time! One girl brought this photo of herself and all my books that she owned:

It was a lovely time!

Cherish (our host at Pages), Anna Alter and me

Thanks so much Pages Bookstore and my west coast readers!

and Melody got married

For readers of Year of the Dog, you know that those books are based on my childhood. The main character makes a best friend named Melody. Well, I really did make a best friend but her name wasn't Melody (I changed it for the book). In real life it was Alvina. And now, the whole reason we came LA was happening. Alvina was getting married!!

The cake topper I made was on the cake:

looks cute, don't you think?

Alvina was dressed and beautiful:

last photo of Alvina as a single lady!

And the ceremony began:

I had a good view to watch...

I was a bridesmaid! Just like we agreed upon in  elementary school (see pg 50 in The Year of the Dog!)

the final kiss:

And Melody Alvina was married!

Right after the ceremony, I changed my dress (it was a bit tight, still have to lose those pregnancy pounds!) and got Rain Dragon (who was being a fussbudget):

Blue Rose Girls: Author/illustrator Anna Alter, Alvina & me (with Rain Dragon)

Since I was all gussied up (when would I ever get my make up done professionally again?), we took a family portrait:

We clean up pretty well, don't you think?

The newlywed couple danced so beautifully (on the tennis court!):

that Rain Dragon settled down and went to sleep:

I had to give my toast like this!

into the night,  until the cake was cut:

and the paper lanterns looked like moons in the sky:

It was a beautiful wedding!

Grace Lin Makeup

So, I admit that I occasionally google myself. And when I do, I usually come across a professional make-up artist by the same name. So, it seemed rather serendipitous that Alvina hired her for the wedding. And since I was a bridesmaid, I was going to get my make-up done too. Yes, I, Grace Lin Author/Illustrator was going to be made beautiful by Grace Lin Makeup!

And she definitely had her work cut out for her! The early mornings and late nights of Rain Dragon and the time change had left me rather haggard:

But about two hours later and with the labored efforts of not one, but three professionals:

I turned into this!

Grace Lin Author/Illustrator and Grace Lin Makeup!

I don't think Rain Dragon recognized me!

Day in LA

With much trepidation, but much determination, the Sasquatch and I packed up the Rain Dragon for her  first airplane trip.  I was so afraid we would be the parents with the screaming baby that everyone gave the stink eye. But Rain Dragon was a little angel and slept the whole way, not crying once (though she did honor us with an incredibly poopie diaper).

good baby!

She slept so much that very early the next day she was ready to go and explore LA:

she's wearing the red shoes from hong kong!

We walked along the canals in Venice:

where a pair of ducks led us:

to a row of flamingoes:

past the starship enterprise:

to muscle beach:

to the storm troopers:

to finally...yes...A DRAGON!

Rain Dragon didn't see the likeness

By then Rain Dragon had seen enough and went back to sleep:

goodnight, baby!