BEA Blitz: Kat Zhang

Last year Kat Zhang was a debut author promoting copies of What's Left of Me. This year Kat will return to BEA not only promoting the much-anticipated sequel, Once We Were, but also as a kick start for the YAGB Tour. Even if you can't catch Kat at BEA, make sure you see her (and some friends) at one of the tour stops in June.

1.) How many years have you attended BEA?

This will be my second year :)

2.)What was it like being a debut author last year?

It was fantastic! I fell so much in love with BEA--all those writers and readers and publishing people. The book energy was wonderful. It was awesome to meet my agent and editor for the first time, as well as others at HarperCollins. I was amazed every time someone mentioned having read and enjoyed my book (this was just after ARCs first went out!). I was lucky enough to have had WHAT'S LEFT OF ME chosen as a BEA Buzz book, so I got to go hear my editor talk about the book on a panel, as well as do a panel and signing myself. It was the best time, ever :)

3.) When you aren't signing books, are you hopping in line to meet authors? Or passed out in the back from exhaustion?

I definitely went to a few signings, and spent a lot of time just wandering the floor with other authors. I wanted to see everything I could!

4.) What's your favorite BEA memory?

Oooh, I dunno! Probably just getting to hang out with my editor and agent in general :)

5.) This year BEA kicks off the start of the YAGB Tour for you and a few of your friends: Tell everyone a little bit about this tour and where than can catch you if they miss you at BEA.

You can learn more about the tour at our tumblr: http://youngauthorsgiveback.tumblr.com/

Basically, though, it's a ~2.5 week, 7 city tour starting at BEA in NYC and covering NYC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Grand Rapids, and Chicago. Erin Bowman, Susan Dennard, Sarah Maas, and I will be doing signings (open to everyone!) at each city, as well as organizing free writing workshops for writers aged 13-22! We hope to see many readers there :)