Adventures of a Bibliophile: Lauren Oliver 2012 "Pandemonium" Book signing event

March 25, 2012

Sunday

Okay...to be honest, I've never read any of Lauren Oliver's books...but I always see them around the Powerbooks and Fully Booked branches. I wanted to try her books since I already heard that they are addicting but it has always put on hold since whenever I go to the bookstores I prioritize the books I came there for. 

Me and my sister went to Makati not to have the book signed but to watch "The Hunger Games" <- another book series I'm in love with (but that's another story) and to pass the time, we hang out in Powerbooks Greenbelt and saw the sign that today at 3PM for the launch of her book "Pandemonium" a sequel to "Delirium". 

I was hesitating a bit and in the end, I gave in and bought her new book to have it signed, although I must hurry up because our "Hunger Games" movie date would start at 5:10 PM

Here it is, her book signing event.

Well, she did the interview first. And told the audience that she came from a family who loved books so much. Well I can relate to that

Here is her book ^^

Me and my siblings: Marion and TJ. While waiting for my turn (I'm number 128) we read. Ah~ Forever geeks.

This is the view from where I was sitting. 

Finally, I got my book signed

My book signed...and personalized too!

Her advice to budding writers, never stop writing. She wrote and tried to finish her novel for 8 years, started out as 13 and ended at 21. Write everywhere and anywhere and don't lose hope. (She also was a fanfiction writer...to her fave books ^^)

I hope I become one just like her.

Authors are definitely heroes.

A short story of a love once forgotten and a love regained

I'm going to post a short story I've once written a long time ago..hope you all like it, criticisms are most welcome. :)

HOME

Seeing him after so many years makes me so scared that he might leave me again or better yet hurt me once again. I was so shocked when he called me last night.
“Hello?”
“It’s been a long time Jenna...”

I am so stupid! Five years has passed but still, his voice makes my heart flip.
“What do you want?”
“Is that how you greet a long-lost friend?”

Friend? After all this time is that all I am to him?

“Matt...Stop it... Seriously what do you want?”


“I’m coming back... Please say you’ll come 12:00 pm sharp in the airport...”
“You’re coming home?”
“If that’s how you’ll put it”
“But why me?”
“Because I want to tell you something...”

After those words, he hung up. But I was still standing there, heart pounding, trying to let my mind sink in everything that happened earlier.

And now I’m here at the airport, still trying to calm myself.
“Flight 201 is delayed for 30 minutes...”

Great, just great! Now my suffering will last longer. Will this ever end? I still remember that fateful day where my heart was crushed. Remember it as if it was yesterday.

Matt is my childhood friend, actually he’s older than me for about two years, then the unthinkable happened, I fell in love with him. I kept asking myself why and hid those feelings inside. I hurt every time he looks at me and let me feel that I’m just a friend and when he constantly treats me like his little sister. He had girlfriends and every time he has, I hurt.

I tried to forget him, really I did, but whenever he has problems he keeps running to me as if our fight never happened.

Then here came Marianne, the only girl he was ever serious about. One day I found out that Marianne was two-timing him. I tried to warn him but he didn’t listen, he just keeps on telling me to butt out, that’s when we fought. We actually didn’t speak for weeks considering he was my next door neighbor.

“Is there something wrong Jenna?” my mother asked.
“It’s about Matt...”
“I always thought you two make a nice couple...”
“Mom, he doesn’t...”
“But you do?”

“He doesn’t love me...” At that time I cried for him and most especially for myself, I swore to myself to stop loving him. I didn’t know that loving someone causes pain beyond compare.

But now I’m sitting here at the airport as if nothing has changed. Pretty ironic isn’t it?

I can still remember the day he left for Denmark, he wanted to see me but I refused, he insisted so I went to his house, unwillingly. He opened the door smiling at me like nothing happened and that made me angry, that made me shout at him.

“Matt, what are you playing at? Are you purposely making my life miserable or are you just plain dumb?”

He looked at me, with sadness in his eyes, like he was asking for understanding and that made me stop. He sighed then said:
“I broke up with Marianne...”
“I don’t care...”
“I said I broke up with her...”

“If that’s what you want me to know, then good, congratulations, now will you excuse me? I have better things to do than listen to rubbish.”

I was about to walk away when:
“You were right Jenna...”
“What did you say?”

“I said you were right, Marianne was two-timing me and I was too blind to see it, won’t you say I told you so?”
“I don’t state the obvious...”
“Jenna—“

“How would you like me to react, jump for joy and shout hallelujah or just rub everything in your face?” I said sarcastically.
“What’s the problem? Something is wrong...”

“So now you are running away? It isn’t like you Matt...”
“I have to forget her...”

“You’ll have to travel miles away to Denmark just to forget someone who has been lying to you the whole time?”

“What do you know about being hurt by the one you love, what I know is you have never loved anyone!”
“Why, do you know me Matt?”

“Love makes you blind and dumb enough to forgive them even though they’ve hurt you many times over. That you don’t know, so stop lecturing me as if you’ve become the love guru!!!”

“I was too blind for so long, and starting now I’ll not be stupid anymore! Go away if you must and never come back for all I care!”

“Jenna—“. Then I slammed the door at his face, letting the tears flow.

That was the last time I saw him, the last thing I heard that he was studying there and it’s been five years ever since.

I’ve had past relationships but then it’s as if my heart still belongs to him, and I hate myself for that. And now, why it is every time I think of it, tears still fail me.

“Flight 201 has arrived...” the speaker said.

I wiped away my tears and scolded myself for drowning in nostalgia. Stood up and there he was smiling at me. I looked at him unprepared for this, heart pounding. Five years has passed but he still is the same Matt when I last saw him. I walked nearing him but he’s still wearing that stupid smile on his face.

“Aren’t you going to hug me?” I did oblige but strangely though, he hugged me back as if he didn’t want to let go.
“So how are you?”
“Jenna, I want to apologize. The last time…”

“If that’s you want to say okay I accept you’re apology. Now I have to go”

“No... I don’t believe you, the last time you were too angry at me, and that is the reason I don’t believe that you’ll forgive me that easily.”

“Why can’t you believe it? Come on Matt, it’s been five years…I’m not stupid enough to hold on to that.”
“Jenna—“

“I’m too tired to argue. If that’s what you want from me, and if that’s the reason you came back, it’s so stupid and childish.”

“I went home because something is missing; remember the last time you told me that you don’t care whether I go back or not.”

“We were both angry that time, I said things; you said things, forget it, it was a long time ago.”

“Is that true? I don’t believe you. I called your mother before and she told me the truth...”

“What truth--? Wait a minute; you’ve been in touch with my mother?”
“That you were in love with me...”

I was so shocked at those words that I couldn’t speak.
“Well, say something Jenna!”
“None are true...” and I looked away
“Is it true? I don’t believe you—“
“What do you want?”

“Do you still love me?” I was shocked that he said that.

“No, I don’t. I never did. It was just a silly childhood crush”

“I don’t believe you, you’re mother said you cried. I’ll repeat again, do you still love me?”

Tears were suddenly pouring down my eyes.

“What do you want? Make my life miserable once again? Everything is just right then now you suddenly come back and complicate things once again.”
“Just right but not perfect...”

I am looking at him angrily but he is now looking at me, wearing that stupid smile on his face. The smile that means something just made him happy. I tried to look away from his gaze, that piercing stare that makes my stomach churn and my heart beat faster, but I stopped when he said those simple words:
“I love you Jenna”
“What did you say?”
“I said I love you...”
“You’re just hallucinating”

“But I do, when I went to Denmark I realized that I have loved you since then, that Marianne was just a cover of my true feelings.”
“You don’t—, you can’t—“

“But I have and I do. Now Jenna do you still love me? ‘Coz if you do I’ll be the happiest man on the earth, no the universe, I was stupid enough not to realize it sooner, and if you don’t I’ll do anything to—“, I put my finger on his lips and told him those special words he was anxious to hear for the last 10 minutes.

“I still love you Matt. God knows I tried to stop it and forget about it but I can’t...”

“I’m glad you didn’t, then marry me...” he brought out the ring.

“You have thought about everything have you?”

“Well, yeah, that’s why I went back remember? Now what?” he told me as he pulled me closer

“I will marry you Matt if you promise to be there always…”

“I promise…” He said as he kissed me and whispered to my ear:
“At last my heart has finally found home…”

*after I wrote this, I realized that the names I used for the main characters (Matt and Jenna) is similar to the ones used in the movie "13 going on 30" ah~ I absentmindedly used the names, but the plot is all mine*

Adventures of a Bibliophile: Sparks fly in Manila with Nicholas 2011

Authors are my heroes. Writers are heroes. Being an amateur-ish writer myself (who dreams of being published) Those are the people I look up to. They are people who make wonderful alternate realities and take you in this roller coaster ride of emotions, while finishing off with a bang (and wanting more of course).
That's why when I heard the news, way months back, that Nicholas Sparks will be coming to Manila, I was happy..heck I was in cloud 9.

But, the only problem was...is these simple rules in how a fan could get a signing pass (c/o National Bookstore and Powerbooks):

1. All purchases of Nicholas Sparks’ new book “The Best of Me” from National Book Store or Powerbooks will come with a Lucky Draw Coupon. Note: The Lucky Draw Coupon in not a guaranteed Signing Pass.
2. A person may purchase as many copies as he/she wants and each purchase will come with a Lucky Draw Coupon.
3. The Lucky Draw Coupon shall entitle the bearer to one (1) attempt at a Lucky Draw on Friday, October 28, 2011 at the atrium of The Podium. Lucky Draw will start upon registration at 1:00 pm.
4. Every person who draws a marked winning stub shall be entitled to a signing pass to have one (1) book signed by Nicholas Sparks at the event.
5. There will be a minimum of six hundred fifty (650) winning stubs in the the Lucky Draw.
6. In addition, there will also be fifty (50) Early Birds. The first fifty (50) persons to arrive at the venue will be allowed to have their Lucky Draw Coupon automatically exchanged for a Signing Pass. Limit is one (1) signing pass per Early Bird.

I was really nervous. To get a signing pass, all you need to do is to surrender the lucky draw coupon (which was with the "Best of Me" purchase) and draw a paper which should have "YES" in it. Oh, Lady Luck be with me today.

 And yes, I was standing at the 5th floor. Imagine how long the line was? And the event was supposed to be at 5pm. Me and my best friend Dianne arrived at 10:30 AM. The mall opens at 10 AM, they said that there was a line as early as 2 AM. WUT? o_O

Closer to the lucky draw, and I can feel my heart beat. So stressed out~

Got my pass!! *jumps for joy while throwing confetti* For some reason the number 14 is such a great help to me. Sadly, Dianne got a NO. They got her book and the guy said that they will try to make it a signed copy as well. Hope so!

As the event draws near, more and more fans are anticipating to meet Nicholas.

And there he was! Too much screaming, like he is an idol or boy group. It was obvious that he was rattled. He didn't expect the warm welcome. Well, Filipinos are bookworms you know. ^^

My heart was thumping as I got closer to get my book signed. I really don't know what to say if I meet him face to face.

And there he was, the first thing he did was smile at me and say "Hi there~" Seriously, I was starstruck. I love him and his books. What I said was the simple "Hello~" and when he gave me the signed copy... "Thank you~" Which I regretted later on. I should've said something like: "Thanks for coming to the Philippines~ The fans love you" But NOOOOOOOOO~ I was speechless. Ugh. Regrets.

Well, I got my book signed and that's whats most important. It wasn't personalized with my name or anything (but was deeply yearning for it) due to time constraints and the amount of who people attended, and it was mind-blowing! I guess he was sort of touched on how he is loved here.

 

Happy. On Cloud 9.

Hope he comes back.

Hope other authors would come to the Philippines.

Writers are heroes.

Author Spotlight/Blog Tour:

Suzie Tullet's "The Trouble with Words" Blog Tour (hosted 09/25/2015)
Rachel Dunning's "Debt" Blog Tour (coming out on March 2016)

Cover Reveal:

Mina V. Esguerra's "Learning to Fall" (out on 10/06/2015)

Release Day Blitz:

Suzie Tullet's "The Trouble with Words" (10/01/2015)

Annual Reading Challenge:

2013 GoodReads Reading Challenge (62/75)

2014 GoodReads Reading Challenge (50/75)