BEA-amazing

It's been a week since I got back from BookExpo America – or BEA – and while a bit o' blogging is long overdue, it took me a week to process, well, this.

Those? Those would be two giant banners of my book, flanking the main entrance to the largest book trade fair in the world. I perhaps shouldn't admit this, but when I came around the corner of the crystal palace and saw these hanging there I stopped in my tracks, and I cried. The thing is ... I've fought for this book. I believed in it when others did not, and now, to see EVERYONE believe in it -- it's overwhelming.

Actually the whole experience was New York big. I flew into the city on Thursday morning, and flew home Friday afternoon. In that window, I had a coffee, a cocktail party, a dinner, a breakfast, a lunch, and a signing. But best of all I get to meet Team Scorpion -- my agent, my editor, my publicist, and all kinds of amazing folk from Simon & Schuster and Simon & Schuster Canada, not to mention about a million of my favorite people, the book-lovers who make books happen -- publishers, book sellers, reviewers, bloggers, librarians.

Some pictures!

We suck at selfies, but that's me in the middle, with my editor Karen Wojtyla (in glasses) and my agent Jane Putch (some of her). I owe ten thousand thanks to these ladies.

This will give you some idea of the scale of the thing. Also the marketing tagline is GENIUS. "This is how the game is played if you want to rule." Yup, it's just like Game of Thrones, except different in every way I can think of ....

Look -- I match my book! That's more of Jane my agent.

People actually lined up to get their books signed. I apologize to the back of the line with taking so much time with the front of the line. I am not accustomed to being a rock star.

Speaking of ....

Whenever I talk about New York, I manage to work in a mention of "David, my driver." Thank you for showing me your city, David, my driver! Sorry I was an uncool chatterbox about absolutely everything. I am a poet from Canada and this is all a just a bit BIG.

I hope this doesn't all sound like I'm humble-bragging, because my intention is straight-up bragging. My book, y'all. My wee word baby! Look how it grew! But the overwhelming awesomeness does overwhelm, too.... Next stop, American LIbrary Association! See you in San Francisco!