A Weekend Signing With Jenny Han + Morgan Matson With A Giveaway

 

On a dready Sunday evening in NYC when the sky couldn’t decide whether it wants to shine or rain, there was a book signing featuring both Jenny Han and Morgan Matson in Books of Wonder. I was personally surprised by the little turnout – probably because the signing is on a weekend and it was during 4PM to 6PM, the last hours before people get off from work. But alas, I did not regret coming at all (even though I had to argue with my parents to be able to attend the signing, but it was SO worth it).

Because I was a fool and thought that I wouldn’t write up some information about the signing, I never took any pictures of the authors. So yeah, let’s pretend there’s a picture of Jenny Han with Morgan Matson right here. Jenny Han is wearing an awesome red lipstick shirt (or was it a dress?) paired up with a dark shade of lipstick and Morgan Matson is just gorgeous. That’s all you need to know. ;D

Anyways, onto the conversation. Please note that I do not remember a lot because 1. I was tired and 2. I didn’t plan on writing an event recap post the first place.

Jenny Han discusses how she is like Lara Jean – they both write love letters to boys to help get over the guys they liked and keep their love letters in a tin box. She also told us that once, she went to an event and noticed one of her past crushes’ friends come to the event, but thank god the actual guy didn’t come or that would be so awkward and embarrassing. Jenny Han also loves baking and Japanese fashion like how Lara Jean does.

Jenny Han and Morgan Matson talked about dream casts for their books. Morgan Matson says that she never pictures anyone for her dream cast while Jenny Han talks about how she wants the actor playing Lara Jean to actually be one-half white and one-half Korean like Lara Jean is, meaning yes, she doesn’t want anyone like Selena Gomez or Jennifer Lawrence for the role because they won’t fit. I completely, 100% support this because #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

Morgan Matson talks about how she struggled to name her main character. The name “Sloane” came really easily to her because it was a fancy name like her character Sloane, but she didn’t know what to name who we now know as “Emily.” Morgan Matson wished she didn’t use the name “Amy” from her first book, Amy and Roger’s Epic Detour, because it would be a perfect name to use for the main character in Since You’ve Been Gone. Morgan Matson also couldn’t use “Sara” since Sloane’s name already started with a “S.” Morgan Matson talked about going to her agent Emily and discussing the name issue and suddenly, BAM! the right name was right in front of her all along.

Jenny Han and Morgan Matson also discussed their covers. Morgan Matson loves her cover (honestly, who wouldn’t?) and said that it was a photo shoot cover – the cover designer asked her what clothes Emily and Sloane would be wearing and Morgan Matson showed the cover designer clothes from her own closet, which was then used for the cover, so the cover of Since You’ve Been Gone feels like a cover shoot of her clothes to her. The picture on the back cover of Since You’ve Been Gone was taken by someone climbing a ladder by the way. (Such dedication!)

Jenny Han says the same person who designed Morgan Matson’s cover also did her cover. (No wonder – their covers are both GORGEOUS!) She also mentions that some people thought it was her who wrote “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” for her cover since it looks like her handwriting, but it wasn’t her. Jenny Han also commented that the cover of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before might look really pretty, but the picture was really taken at a 27 year old guy’s dirty apartment; you just can’t see it since it’s zoomed in.

When I went to get my books signed and told Morgan Matson I haven’t read Second Chance Summer, but planned to, she warned me that it has a sad ending which means Kelly SCARED. I’ll read it when I’m in the crying mood then. Jenny Han was very nice like the last time I met her and commented something along the lines of “we’ve talked on twitter right?” She has an EXCELLENT memory since that was ages ago!

So now, time for the giveaway! I have SIGNED ARCs of Since You’ve Been Gone and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before up for grabs. Just enter the Rafflecopter below!

 

Terms & Conditions:

• This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY.
• The giveaway will run until June 7, 2014.
• You must be 18 years or older, or have parents’ permission to enter.
• All your entries will be disqualified if you pickup entries for something you haven’t done. (I had to do this for so many of my last giveaways, please don’t make me do this again.)
• If you only use ONE account to do all these tasks and enter under different names, they will still only constitute as ONE entry.
• If the winner does not respond to my e-mail within 48 hours, I will have to choose another winner.
• I am not responsible for any items lost in the mail.

a Rafflecopter giveaway