My friend L. threw my book launch party for me; I had very little to do aside from buying beverages and helping to set up. Her 6 year old daughter Geeklet (not her real name!) drew me a picture of a gorgeously dressed pirate queen with tattooed scalp, an octopus pirate (you can tell by the eyepatch) and, coincidentally since she didn’t know the book’s title, a duck (she likes ducks). So my next novel should clearly be The Duck and The Pirate Queen.
I had the picture on my signing table, but it got covered up by the books. L. also provided the gorgeous tropical flowers. The little open book is my guestbook, for attendee autographs.
The food! We had chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds, as well as the fresh variety, and Indian milk sweets. The tiny bowl holds gummy octopuses, which are heraldic creatures in the book. The chocolates are caramels topped with sea salt (like the ocean, get it?). There’s one missing…that was me. We also served fresh mango and papaya, kimbap, and chicken satay, all foods that are eaten in the book, or close to them.
The octopus cake! It was late arriving, but conveniently showed up just as I finished reading, when everyone was ready for dessert. Later in the evening, L.’s younger daughter, a toddler known as The Maw, ate the octopus’ eye. That was all she wanted. Just the eye.
My friend C. brought me Tribute: a prisoner! Shark Pirate guarded him until his delicious demise. *nom nom gingerbread*
Now THAT’S a launch party! You did that in serious style! OMG!!! You had barfi! (Indian milk sweets!) I have to write a book involving India so I can make a point of having barfi in my snacks at the launch.
I’m so jealous. You’ve no idea.
Glad to see it went well!
To tell the truth, there wasn’t actual barfi mentioned by name in the book, but I love it so much that L. snuck it in because it might have been there in the opening scene. She found food in the book I’d totally forgotten I’d written.
Looks like you had a lot of fun! That cake looks yummy.
That all looks fantastic! And barfi!!!
*drool*
I did enjoy my trip out of town, but (wo)man, I’m sorry I had to miss this.
Bwhahahaha!!! More barfi for MEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sounds like an awesome event. Wish I could have been there.
Me, too!
One of your books was there virtually on my e-reader!
Congratulations on the launch! It looks like you celebrate in style. Chocolaty pomegranate seeds – oh my god.
I love the octopus (and the tale of the friend’s daughter is like something out of a delightfully old-school fairy tale) – it reminds me of how my mother used to draw octopi on my easter eggs when I was small. I’m not sure what the symbolic reasoning behind that was, but they were gorgeous.
I believe the chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds came from Trader Joe’s. They were interesting. At first, all you tasted was the chocolate, but once it melted, the pomegranate seed sent a juicy-tart burst across your tongue.
I am now envious of your Easter eggs…I think the Geeklet would totally go for that.
To tell the truth, there wasn’t actual barfi mentioned by name in the book, but I love it so much that L. snuck it in because it might have been there in the opening scene. She found food in the book I’d totally forgotten I’d written.
Now THAT’S a launch party! You did that in serious style! OMG!!! You had barfi! (Indian milk sweets!) I have to write a book involving India so I can make a point of having barfi in my snacks at the launch. I’m so jealous. You’ve no idea. Glad to see it went well!
Now THAT’S a launch party! You did that in serious style! OMG!!! You had barfi! (Indian milk sweets!) I have to write a book involving India so I can make a point of having barfi in my snacks at the launch. I’m so jealous. You’ve no idea. Glad to see it went well!