35 Days to Launch and It's Getting REAL

Too excited to fix my hair first; photo by author

“The weeks leading up to your debut launch are like nothing else,” said one of the best-selling children’s authors I met at the conference. “And you’ll never have that experience again, so enjoy it to the full.”

Advice taken!

My publisher, Disney-Hyperion, sent me to the Texas Library Association 2026 conference in Houston this past Sunday through Tuesday. And boy howdy, was it a good time.

The Disney Publishing booth . . . notice the Griffin Speaker cover in the middle of the upper display?

Everything about the conference was Texas-sized, from the hotel to the conference hall to the energy. Librarians, especially school librarians, are a lively bunch! And since they have both the power and the dedication to get good books into the hands of young readers, they’re worth celebrating and cultivating.

Thanks to the Disney marketing team, I was able to participate in three conference activities. The first was Monday morning’s “Texas Tea,” a sort of speed-dating event in which groups of two to four school librarians were seated at tables, and the authors were given 10 minutes at each table to pitch their books — or, simply to schmooze with lovely people who are devoted to both books and kids.

That’s where I got my excellent advice from the author I was paired with for the event, Amar Shah. By the end of the event, I was affectionately referring to him as Obi-Wan.

On Tuesday morning, I was a panelist for a session called “Imagination Unleashed: The Next Chapter of Middle Grade Fantasy.” With between 60 and 80 librarians in attendance, it was another high-octane event.

I was delighted to connect with four other wonderful authors on the panel, including the prolific, best-selling Brandon Mull, perhaps best known for his Fablehaven series — and he’s launching a new one with the first in his Guardians series. It just so happens that I already have my ticket to see Brandon’s author presentation at Boise’s Egyptian Theater later this month!

After the panel, I headed back to the exhibition hall for my first-ever book signing. This being my first rodeo (fittingly, in Texas), I didn’t know what to expect. I thought, maybe a small table at the Disney booth, where I’d hope to catch the attention of passersby?

No, grasshopper. This was a full-press affair in one of the aisles dedicated to author signings, with folks lined up (lined up, I say!) with pre-sale copies furnished for librarians by the publisher. I had a big line! I had assistants! I signed books and posed for pics for a solid hour . . . and yes, I felt like a celebrity.

video courtesy of author (and yes, everybody at the conference consented to a general photo release)

After that, I was whisked away by a car service to IAH (George Bush Internat’l), where the security lines had been notoriously lengthy — as in, four hours — thanks to the current governmental enthusiasm for using TSA agents like political pinballs.

Luckily, with spring break winding down and TSA finally getting paid (at least for now), I was in line for all of five minutes.

Two flights later, I was back home in Boise by 10 PM, happy to reunite with husband, cat, new puppy, and especially my bed.

I crawled out of the covers this morning, figuring it was time to come back to earth (insert Houston Space Center joke here). But after unpacking, working out, and sifting through emails, I settled down with a cup of coffee and the March 23 edition of Publishers Weekly that I hadn’t had time to read, the one with the luminous Ann Patchett on the cover.

I flipped through it and nearly did a real-life spit take when I beheld this:

photo by gobsmacked author

This may be my best April Fool’s Day ever. And now I promise to get back to work!

Looking ahead, here are upcoming events around the Griffin Speaker launch — if you’re in the area of any of the in-store events, please join me and say hi!

May 9, Boise: Book Launch Party at Rediscovered Books in Boise (1 - 2 PM Mountain Time) — free, and open to the public!

May 16, Boise: Author In-Store Event, Barnes & Noble Boise (11 AM - 2 PM Mountain Time)

May 20, San Francisco: In-person presentation at Town School

May 21, San Francisco: In-store event at Books Inc Laurel Village location, where I’ll be in conversation with the wonderful Kiyash Monsef, author of Once There Was and its sequel The Bird of a Thousand Stories, both luminous books. If you’re in the area, please join us! eventbrite.com/e/jan-m-flynn-at-books-inc-laurel-village-tickets-1977649020457?aff=oddtdtcreator

May 22, San Mateo CA: In-store event at Barnes & Noble, Hillsdale Mall, 6 PM PT