THANK YOU

How AWESOME was this weekend?! I am still living in a daze, feeling super happy and excited. I promise to do a recap of this fantastic weekend but I feel like there are a lot of thank you's that need to be said (Fair warning: there will be several exclamation points throughout this blog post).

THANK YOU to all of the TBF 2015 authors who came! Thank you for traveling great distances to come to Rochester, possibly getting jet-lagged along the way. Thank you for waking up early in the morning and being great sports and participating in the Truth or Talent game. Thank you for answering our burning questions, inspiring and encouraging us. Thank you for signing our books and getting up and down to take pictures with us. Thank you for coming to Rochester for TBF! It meant THE WORLD to us. We hope you enjoyed coming as much as we loved having you here and will come back to Rochester in the future!

THANK YOU to the publishers! Thank you for sending your wonderfully talented authors to Rochester! We hope you know how much TBF means to us and when you send authors to Rochester, our dreams of meeting our favorite authors come true! Also we hope that you will continue to send more of your authors to Rochester in the future! We love them all!

THANK YOU to all of sponsors! TBF would not be a free event if you weren't for your support! We love TBF and we hope you will continue to support this wonderful festival!

THANK YOU to all of our TBF volunteers! There were over 250 volunteers this year and without you guys, TBF would not have ran so smoothly as it did!

THANK YOU to all of the attendees who came! Thank you for travelling to Rochester. TBF is meant for you guys and by you coming back each year, you make this event super successful. This year, we had over 3,500 attendees which is record-breaking! We love TBF as much as you do! We hope you guys will come back for TBF 2016!

THANK YOU to TBF Committee! Most people don't realize it but you guys work on TBF year-round. The TBF Committee started to plan for TBF 2016 the day after TBF 2015. There are too many things to thank you for that it would take a separate blog post. So THANK YOU. I think you guys deserve a group spa day!

THANK YOU Stephanie Squicciarini! You guys, Stephanie is the heart and soul behind TBF. I am amazed by her energy and devotion towards TBF. Think about all the memories, the laughs and the smiles we shared at the festival. That wouldn't have happened if it weren't for this incredible woman. We can't thank you enough, Stephanie. TBF would not exist if it weren't for you. We look forward to TBF every year and quite a few of us are counting down the days for the next festival already. Please know that your efforts toward TBF are very appreciated!

In case you missed it, TBF 2016 will be held on May 21, 2016! We hope all of you will attend!

Miranda

TBF News

ONLY 2 MORE DAYS UNTIL TBF!!!

TBF is sad to report that, unfortunately, Sarah J. Maas cannot be with us this year.  Sarah fell while on tour, seriously injuring her knee and she has to get home to see a doctor.  We all hope Sarah is feeling better and heals quickly so she can continue her tour for her now BESTSELLING book, A Court of Throne and Roses!  It hit the list last night!  Congrats to Sarah and TBF hopes that she will be with us for TBF 2016. 

 

TBF 2015 still promises to be an epic and butt-kicking event with 29 freakin' AMAZING authors coming to spend the day with us!  And Sarah is going to try to record a video that we can share with you during the author sessions with Cinda Willams Chima!

 

Also you do not want to miss TBF Committee member, Sabrina getting her head shaved at the Opening Author Panel! It's going to be crazy!

 

Here is the TBF map and schedule in case you missed it!

 

And I happy to announce that TBF 2016 will be held on May 21, 2016! So mark your calendar readers!

 

We are all looking forward to see you guys this Saturday! Can you believe?!

 

Miranda

Book Review: Relic by Heather Terrell

Hey, readers!

Only 3 more days until TBF! I don’t know about you, but I’m super super excited to finally meet all our amazing authors. And since you still have a few days left, why not pick up one last TBF book before the festival – Heather Terrell’s Relic!

Eva and her family live on a desolate Arctic island and are only able to survive through the safety of the Aerie. Every generation, young people are chosen to go through the Testing, an arduous journey and competition to discover ancient Relics within the ice, Relics that tell them the stories of how humanity fell long ago. Eva’s brother was supposed to compete, but after his death during a climbing accident, she decides to take his place – and thereby become the first female Testor in over a century.

But Eva's journey won't be easy at all – after all, it is fairly common for Testors to die. She has to traverse days of frozen wasteland with only the supplies she carries with her, and once she gets to the Testing site, excavation is just as dangerous. And on top of that, she's not sure who she can trust -- especially once she realizes that her brother's death might not have been an accident. Will she survive? And if she does, what will she discover?

I loved Relic so so much. The story is incredibly captivating, and it pulls you in from the first few pages. I was skeptical of the world-building at first, but it ended up being marvelous and as realistic as you can get. Heather Terrell writes Eva with such a convincing voice that the reader is transported into her world and can barely manage to stay away until the novel is finished. I'd totally recommend Relic to anyone interested in dystopias or sci-fi, or anyone who's looking for a great adventure book. You won't be disappointed!

Happy reading!

Elizabeth

Tidbits on Meeting Your Favorite TBF Author

Oh my gosh! Only 5 days until TBF!

I’m SO excited for TBF! What about you guys?!

At TBF, our authors are the celebrities so it’s perfectly normal to be star-stuck when you come face-to-face with the authors. When I first started coming to TBF, I was extremely nervous about meeting my favorite authors. After being an attendee at TBF for six years and being an author assistant volunteer for four years, I slowly got used to being around them and talking to them. Trust me; there are still some moments when I get tongue-tied around them. So in this blog post I will share with you some tidbits on what to do when you meet an author.

 

1. Be yourself 

This is golden. Authors really enjoy interacting with their fans so be yourself.

 

2. It’s okay to fangirl/fanboy in the presence of an author 

My definition of fangirling/fanboying consists of these sentences:

• “Oh my gosh! Hi [Insert Author’s name]! I can’t believe I’m finally meeting you!”
•  “I love books! I love the characters! I LOVE YOU!”
• “You’re my favorite author! Oh my gosh! Hi!”
• “Hi! May I please worship the ground you walk on because YOU’RE AMAZING?!”

Yep, I have done this on several accounts. I think authors love it when they meet fans who are just as excited to meet them as they are. They love to know how much you love their books because they pour their heart and soul into them.

 

3. It’s okay to address them by their first names

You don’t have to address them by “Mister” or “Miss” but you can if you want. I usually address them by their first names. You may have noticed looking at our TBF author line up that there is A.S. King and G. Neri. Do I say “Hey A.S.!” or “Hey G!”? Here’s a little tidbit: A.S. King’s name is Amy and G. Neri’s name is Greg. I do not recommend addressing an author by a nickname that you came up with. However there is one exception (that I know) to this rule. TBF author, Heather Brewer, calls herself “Auntie Heather” (and her fans are called minions). I’m sure it’s okay if you call her “Auntie Heather” since she calls herself that.

 

4. Be polite

It is NEVER okay to tell any author that you hated their book or hated the ending to a book. It’s not nice and it’s just rude. Plus, if an author does get that sort of comment, the chances of them coming back to TBF are slim to none. They might tell their authors friends that the fans they encountered at this book festival in Rochester NY are not very nice and then those author friends will not want to come. We don’t want that! We love every author that comes to TBF and we want TBF to continue for the many years to come!

 

5. Have fun!

If you ask authors who write for both adult and teen audiences, they probably will say that they love interacting more with teens than adults. Terry Trueman told me that he loves teen readers because they are fun, friendly and interesting. I’m sure if you ask authors things outside of the book world, they would respond positively.

 

 

Are you guys excited to meet our 30 fantastic authors?! I certainly am!

 

Share who you’re most looking forward to meeting at TBF using the hashtag #ROCTBF2015!

Miranda

Updated TBF Autographing Session for Ally Condie

Only 9 more days until TBF, readers! IT'S SINGLE DIGITS NOW!

Everyone on the TBF Committee wants TBF to be fun and organized for all attendees so they are doing some last minute changes to the TBF Schedule. They have decided to change Ally Condie's location for the Autographing Session. Ally Condie will be in the GAC Basement (where Ellen Hopkins will be located for the Autographing Session as well).

Here is the PDF file of the new and improved TBF Schedule and Map!

In case you missed it, check out my secrets and tidbits about the Autographing Session!

Share your excitement for TBF by using the hashtag #ROCTBF2015!
Miranda

Updated TBF Schedule

Only 10 more days! Gah! So excited!

We made a slight mistake with the TBF Schedule. Jo Knowles will be in GAC 375. Here is the updated TBF schedule.

 

If you want to make it bigger or print it out, click here!

 

Also here is the TBF map:

 

 

If you want to make it bigger or print it out, click here!

 

Share you're excitement using the hashtag #ROCTBF2015!

 

Miranda





Tidbits on the Autographing Session

Readers! Only 11 days until TBF!

I have been attending TBF for about six years so I can tell you first hand that the Autographing Session is one of the busiest and the most crowded times during the entire festival. However the Autographing Session is extremely fun and exciting. So in this blog post, I'm going to be sharing my secrets and tidbits I picked up about the Autographing Session.

 

 

1. You can bring your own books
 

Yes, you can bring your own books from home. There are no restrictions on that. However, I will recommend that you at least buy one book from the Barnes & Noble booth (that is located in the Gym where the Opening Author Panel, the Autographing Session and the TBF Merchandise booth will be). Not only has Barnes & Noble been a generous sponsor but if you buy some books at the festival, some of the money will go to TBF next year! Cool new books AND help TBF? Win!

2. Alternative to buying books? Buy bookplates 

Have a ton of TBF books you want signed but don't want to carry them all day long? Want some books signed but don't have enough money to buy a book at TBF? Problem solved! At the TBF merchandise booth (right next the Barnes & Noble booth in the Gym), they will be selling bookplates. What are bookplates? Bookplates are stickers that authors can sign for you and afterwards you can stick it in your book! Super light compared to those heavy books.
 

3. Best time to buy books is before the Author Parade and during the Author Sessions 

In my experience, this is usually the best times to buy books. Usually there is not a crowd at the Barnes & Noble booth before the Author Parade (8:45am). I recommend arriving at the festival around 8:30am if you want to buy books before the Author Parade. I would NOT recommend stopping at the Barnes & Noble booth after the Author Parade. Many attendees will file into the gym and a good number head over to the Barnes & Noble booth. It is very crowded over there at that time period. The other time I suggest buying books is during the Author Sessions. At some point during the day you should eat lunch (the food options are listed here!). Maybe before and after you eat lunch, you can stop over at the Barnes & Noble booth and buy some books. Typically the booth is not crowded because everyone is at an author session or eating lunch.
 

4. If an author line is SUPER long, please bring only THREE items for the author to sign
 

It’s no secret that some author lines will be longer than others. What I consider a "super long" author line is 20+ people waiting in line. If the line is super long but you want more than three items signed you can always hop back in line.

Note: PLEASE do NOT ask authors to sign your books, items and have pictures taken after the Author Session. Our authors are on a strict schedule and we do not want them to run late on their next Author Session, lunch break and Autographing Session.

5. If you want a picture with the author, PLEASE ask them

Most authors will happy to take pictures with you but ask them. TBF author assistants will be with the authors so if you want a picture with the author (after they give permission), ask one of the assistants. Or you can take a selfie.

6. It’s okay to ask and talk to the author during the Autographing Session

Usually you have an opportunity to ask questions during the Author Sessions if the author(s) leave enough time at the end for questions (it’s all up to the authors). I totally understand if you are uncomfortable asking questions in front of fifty people during the Author Session. The Autographing Session is a great way to ask questions and fangirl/fanboy over the author.

7. If you want to make sure you get your favorite author’s autograph, get in line ahead of time.

If you are at an Author Session and you sneak out before it ends to be the first person in line for the Autographing Session that is extremely rude to the author. I recommend not going the last author session and sit in line.

8. Some authors will NOT be signing at the Gym

This year, some of our authors will not be at the Gym during the Autographing Session. Instead they will remain in the same location as their Author Sessions. These are the authors who will not be signing in the Gym and their locations during the Autographing Session.

• Ellen Hopkins (She will be located at the GAC Basement)
• Sarah Dessen and Gayle Forman (Both authors will be located at the GAC Chapel)
• Jonathan Maberry, Neal Shusterman and Heather Terrell (This author trio will be located at the Library Study Area)
• Heather Brewer and A.S. King (Both authors will be at the Shults Forum)

Whew! Lots of important information for you. I hope this helps returning readers and new ones coming to TBF!

And we love hearing and seeing pictures of you at TBF! So make sure you use #ROCTBF2015 to share the experience throughout the day!

Hope you to see you all there soon!

Miranda