The “Come as your favorite Made-Up-Saint Book Party” for THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD!

Wow! This looks like one heck of a party! And why not? It's not everyday your debut novel launches! Let's join Donna as she dishes on her real life launch party!

Last Saturday I got to celebrate the publication of my first novel and I’m happy to report that it was a lot of fun. One of my geeky ideas for the party and in honor of my protagonist, Antonia, who proposes new saint specializations that she feels are in dire need of representation—was to have the guests dress as their favorite idea for a new saint. It was hilarious to see what people came up with, and we took special “saint portraits” of friends in costumes. Here are some of my favorites:

Here’s Lisa Graff—author of “The Life and Crimes of Bernetta Wallflower,” editor at FSG, and one of the Longstockings—as the Patron Saint of the Book Jacket. If there had been a contest I think Lisa would have won! How creative is that skirt? And note the headband and bracelets—all made of book jackets!

Do you know, that Chrysler Building headdress actually lights up? Cheryl Klein, editor at Arthur Levine Books/Scholastic, and I ham it up for the camera.

It’s the Patron Saint of Candy! And look at all that candy…YUM. Anyone who knows Alvina Ling, editor at Little, Brown, knows how much she loves sugar. By the end of the night most of that candy was gone…

The esteemed 2k8 class member and author of Alive and Well in Prague, New York, made it early on to the party and I had to make sure to catch her with the camera. Daphne was amazing moral support as I was nervous and getting everything ready before guests started to arrive—and I’m eternally grateful to this fellow 2k8-er and dear friend.

Hope you enjoyed a quick look into THE POSSIBILITIES OF SAINTHOOD launch party!