This is one of the highlights of the BEA week (and there were so many wonderful things to BEA that this comment is not to be taken lightly). The time with Adriana Trigiani on Wednesday May was….. magical.
Let me back up a bit and let you know how this all came to be.
In February a contest was being held through TLC Book Tours. To be a part of it I was asked as well as many other bloggers to review the first two books in Adriana’s Valentine series – Very Valentine and Brava Valentine. Having read her before and enjoyed her first in Viola in Reel Life , a review I gushed about, I said yes. We were to read and review both books by a certain date and then be entered into a chance to have tea with Adriana while in New York for BEA.
I was one of 6 bloggers that won this chance to have tea with Adriana and I was (and still am) so excited!!!! Adriana (pronounced A-dree-on-uh Tree-johnny) was a blast. She picked us up at the Javits in a limo.
Yes. A limo.
Woo Hoo!!! 😀
We went to a wonderful place called Alice’s teacup where our group was escorted upstairs to a beautifully made table with a set of Adriana’s books wrapped in ribbon and with a card as our place setting. The tea was fantastic and we were introduced to three yummy flavors from a chocolate strawberry tea that was smooth and silky to one that had milk and honey that was creamy and delicious.
Over finger sandwiches and melt in your mouth scones ( I think we agreed the pumpkin was to die for!), as well as a variety of other treats, Adriana chatted with us about the upcoming books to movies (SQUEE!!!) and who is planned to play what role. So exciting!!!
We had so much fun with Adriana – she is down to earth, extremely funny and real. I enjoyed my time with her and the other book bloggers. I am excited to read more of her books and have been recommended many times to read her Big Stone Gap Series, which I plan to do this summer.
From left to right: Kathy from Bermudaonion, Julie from Booking Mama, Lenore from Presenting Lenore, Adriana Trigiani, me, Dawn from She’s Too Fond Of Books, Trish from Hey Lady, Watcha reading, and Jennifer from Book Club Girl and Harper Collins.
Book Journey 
What a great afternoon, Sheila! I’m surprised you even sampled the food. I’d probably just have gushed and drooled and try not to make my tea cup shake too much from nerves. 🙂
Everything was so good leeswammes. I had to have some 🙂 The sandwiches were yummy and I need to know how to make some of them. 🙂
Oh, it’s so great to put faces to the names (of book bloggers) and for all of you to enjoy a fabulous taste treat. Tea is a favorite thing of mine, with the finger sandwiches, scones, and delicious teas…I’m salivating here!
Thanks for telling us how to pronounce her name. I was thinking it would be a soft “g” in her last name.
I just finished Home to Big Stone Gap, and her picture in her flap shows a much younger version. She looked like a young girl in these earlier books!
You are lucky to have had this experience!
The pronunciation was on her website Laurel and I thought that was kind of cool as I was pronouncing her last name wrong. 🙂
What a fabulous luncheon/tea and treat! A limo and everything. That must have been a wonderful break in the day
We had a lot of fun Helen!
What an awesome day out. Something you won’t forget in a hurry.
I think that will always be a great memory Vivienne 🙂 Cant wait to see what Adriana does next!
Great photos! I’ve been a fan of hers for years so it’s nice to see familiar bloggers with her 🙂
The group photo turned out really well Mary. So much fun!
This is great! I really need to read something she’s written.
Robby – yes – I think you would enjoy her books!
Sheila, I could look at your photos all day. I love your photo with Adriana Trigiani. And I love Alice’s Teacup. I would just love to walk in there. Don’t I see a limo parked on that street? You guys really had a ball last week. I enjoying the “dish” too. The teacup is just too dainty and feminine, my deah.:) I am saying this while pretending to drink a cup of tea with my pinkie sticking out. Well, dahling, I must go. I’m going to a cocktail dinner around the corner from Alice’s Teacup.
In other words, thanks for sharing. I enjoyed it.
Tea you crack me up! Yes the limo is how we arrived at Alice’s Tea Cup if you can believe that! My inside limo pics did not turn out too well but maybe somebody else captured a good pic of that. 😀
Sounds like you had a wonderful fime! What a lovely person Adriana Trigiani is… how thoughtful of her to do that 🙂
She is really nice Nikki-Ann. She not only discussed the future of her books with us but she also took a real interest in our lives, where we lived and how long we had been reviewing book.
Discussing books with authors and “normal people” was a true highlight. Other people I know like to read, but we book bloggers take it to a whole new level!
Right Jennifer! I am amazed how exciting it was to be with other bookish people. Finding book bloggers on line is exciting and actually meeting them and chatting (and chatting) books was as you said, a whole new level. 😀
Looks like you guys had a blast! I did not make it to Alice’s Tea Cup (next time, next time). It was great getting to meet and talk to you last week.
Trisha! Hhheeeeeeyyyyyyyyy! 😀
Yes…You MUST read Big Stone Gap series…you will fall in love with it!! Can you tell us which book is being made into a movie????
Staci I made a little video of Adriana talking and I will have to review it and get back to you. It was all so exciting – I think I know your answer but let me verify before I say which one 🙂
I love the button and the photos! 🙂 I’m so glad I got to hear you tell your adventures in person!
Reagan – thats my actual tea cup I drank out of at the event – as soon as I took the pic I knew what I wanted to do for the post!
Looks like you had so much fun! I’m reading Very Valentine right now, and part of the reason I’m reading it is cause I saw a video of her talking about the different places in NYC that inspired her novel. She seems like she’d be a blast to talk to over lunch.
geeekygirl I hope you are enjoying the book – listening to Adriana she is a lot like her Valentine character, smart and witty and funny. 🙂
Now you have me craving pumpkin scones. I popped my head into this tea house. I was too full of macarons to fathom getting anything-the lemon blueberry cake looked DELICIOUS.
Esme I bet you could make a really good pumpkin scone. I will watch your blog for the recipe 😉
That is so awesome. Suddenly I want to go to a tea room
Andrea it was a fun experience! 🙂
Love those photos!! That sounds like an amazing experience! I would have loved to be a part of it too!
It was a lot of fun Aths. 🙂
What a fun event! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Sure Hannah – it was so much fun and I love to hopefully bring it back to this blog so others can be there too. 🙂
Well, reading about it pales in comparison to actually being there, I’m positive.
Hey Sheila! This post was featured on my book bloggy happenings. Have a great day!
Thanks Bobbie- enjoy your day too 🙂
Lucky, lucky you! What a great opportunity. I’ve heard she is a very personable individual. Tea, books, and good company – what more could we ask for. I am very happy for you.
Pat I did feel really lucky to be a part of such an amazing event! 😀
The tea was the highlight of my week! Adriana is a blast!
Kathy it was such a great time!
That sounds like an awesome time! It’s one of those once-in-a-lifetime memories! 🙂
Julie it was amazing!
This was so much fun! I’m glad you got all those cool pics!
Thanks Lenore – it was wonderful meeting you!
Sounds like a great time. I’ll have to check out that tea place when I’m in NYC again.
Oh do that Sagustocox!
What a fun, fun afternoon that was! Yes, Adriana is so warm and welcoming – I was impressed that she remembered each of our names after one quick introduction (and where we were from, etc.).
So many thanks to Adriana, HarperCollins and TLC Book Tours!
Dawn I was too and she knew something about where each of us lived. A remarkable woman!