After receiving an invite from my publisher to attend the 2018 Book Expo America at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City I had been excitedly anticipating the event although not without a smidgeon of trepidation- it was more than a little scary to read that 17,300 industry leaders and professionals were scheduled to be joining together for the event, which to a Cornish gal who has lived in rural Canada for the past twenty-two years, seemed like the entire human race!
Wanting to be in the midst of the hustle and bustle of this phenomenal city my husband and I stayed in Times Square where we could walk to most places of interest and enjoy the culture of the city. It was on the evening of our arrival that we stepped into O’Lunney’s Irish Pub to grab a bite to eat and were stunned -in an extremely good way I must add – to see the Cornish Flag of St. Piran displayed, right here in New York City, on the wall of this Irish Pub! Kernow bys Vyken!
There are so many amazing things to do in this ‘city that never sleeps’ (I know because I couldn’t sleep either!) and when time is limited hopping on and off the open-topped buses to Downtown is a great way to see as much as possible. One particular memorable moment from our trip was hiring a horse-drawn carriage to ride through Central Park, what a great way to see the sights the Park offers! The visit to NYC was far too short and planning for our next trip back has already started! One establishment that really deserves a mention is Connolly’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Times Square, where the excellent food and service is second to none (they even sell Bass ale on tap which made my husband a happy man!} – definitely worth a visit.
On arriving at the Javits Centre to attend the Book Expo America I felt a little like a fish out of water but soon got over that when I saw the exhibitors stands crammed with books and instantly knew I could lose myself here for days! I was so excited to meet one of my favorite authors, Ruth Ware, author of the crime thrillers ‘In a Dark, Dark Wood‘ and ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’, and be given a signed copy of her latest book, ‘The Death of Mrs. Westaway’, published by Simon & Schuster. It was an amazing opportunity to meet so many people involved in the industry and, of course, the highlight of the event for me was to see my novel, ‘Alex and the Druids’ Eclipse, A Cornish Tale’ on display. A very humbling experience!
I would like to thank my publisher, Archway Publishing from Simon & Schuster, for making this event so real for me and for the awesome time I had, and to all the exhibitors and attendees who took the time to attend the Expo and make the event one filled with amazing information and awesomely magnificent books!
My appetite has definitely been well and truly wetted for book expo’s everywhere and I am wildly searching the internet to discover where my travels may take me next!
