Sunday, June 30, 2013

Super Six Sunday: Authors I've Met/Want to Meet


I'm really excited today to be participating in a new feature put together by the fabulous ladies over at Bewitched Bookworms! Inspired by Top Ten Tuesday from The Broke and The Bookish, Super Six Sunday has different book-related topics each week and asks participants to address each topic in the form of a list of six. Obviously. This week, the focus is on authors I've met or would like to meet, so below are just a handful of the authors who turn me into an utter fangirl at the mere mention of their names!

KATIE MCGARRY
(Pushing the Limits/Dare You To)

I first met Katie when she came to Columbus for a YA author panel at my local bookstore, and even while hyperventilating with excitement, I still managed to plaster a smile on my face and carry on what I hope was a coherent conversation. I don't remember it all that well, it's just a haze of happiness really, but I'm pretty sure I didn't scar her for life. A couple months later I had the pleasure of meeting up with her again for dinner while in NYC for BEA, and I fell in love with her even more. She's adorable and funny and I just need to stop talking before I embarrass myself ;-)

 (Pushy, Me, Katie, Julie Kagawa, and Danny)

JULIE KAGAWA
(The Iron Fae/Blood of Eden Series)

Dinner with Katie at BEA included Julie Kagawa, a happy surprise addition I had no idea was joining us. It's for the best I didn't know she was coming ahead of time as then I didn't have as much time to stress about being cool, so aside from a brief flustered moment I was able to rise above my awkwardness and not just stare at Julie with a dreamy expression on my face. The whole dinner was simply one giant win and definitely not something I will ever forget.

MICHELLE HODKIN
(The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer)

I unfortunately don't have a picture with Michelle, but I was lucky enough to meet her for lunch at BEA last year, and had one of those surreal moments where I looked around me and realized I was sitting in Bryant Park with my mom, my mother in law, Melissa from I Swim for Oceans and Michelle Hodkin, just chatting away with the author of one of my very favorite series. Thankfully I was able to say more than "I love Noah" to her, but I'm pretty sure it still came out of my mouth a time or two. Or four. Whichever.

ALLY CARTER
(Heist Society/Gallagher Girls series)

I wrote a whole big blog post about my time with Ally Carter here if you're so inclined to read it, but meeting her definitely deserves another mention! At the request of the fantastic people at Disney-Hyperion, I was asked to attend Ally's signing in Cincinnati and come a half hour or so early for a blogger-author meet and greet. Due to a misunderstanding on my part, I arrived under the impression it would be a group of bloggers meeting with Ally, but when I got there it was just me (and my mother in law who I drag to all bookish events). Me and Ally. Ally and Me. Alone in the corner of a bookstore. I had zero questions prepared, but Ally was so incredibly personable and easy going that I was able to shake off my initial shock and enjoy the fact that I had her all to myself for nearly a half hour.


J.R. WARD
(The Black Dagger Brotherhood)

I actually met J.R. Ward before I started the blog, but I'd been a longtime fan of her Black Dagger Brotherhood series and nearly fell out of my seat with excitement when I saw she was going to be in Columbus for the RT Convention a few years back. I'm obsessed with this series. Obsessed. I took my mother in law (of course) with me to get copies of Lover Mine (my favorite of the series) signed for me and my mom who lives out of town. We were allowed to bring our own books to the signing, so I was holding both copies as we approached the table to buy our tickets.

When purchasing our tickets, the woman informed me that J.R. was only signing one book per person. I nodded that I understood and figured I was good to go because I had two books and there were two of us there. Win. The woman at the door collecting the tickets noticed I was holding two copies of Lover Mine and once again told me that J.R. Ward was only signing one book per person. I blinked this time, looked at Cathy, looked at the two books in my hand and smiled at the woman to indicate all was well. Awesome. I went straight for J.R.'s line once I was in, and upon arriving at the back the woman trying to keep things under control looked at the books in my hands and said what you ask? You guessed it, apparently J.R. Ward was only signing one book per person. I DID NOT KNOW THAT! I finally just gave up and handed a copy to Cathy and we sat down and waited.

The signing itself was only scheduled to be I think 3 hours, and it was glaringly apparent at the 2.5 hour mark that she wasn't going to get through everyone in her line before time was up. Instead of getting up and leaving after 3 hours though, she stayed and made sure every single person that was in her line got their book signed. The people regulating the line wouldn't allow her to take pictures with anyone (understandable, there were a ton of people there), but J.R. made a point to talk to everyone instead of simply signing her book with her head down and then moving on to the next person. She was fantastic.

• • • • • • • • • •

I decided to use my sixth spot for an author I desperately want to meet (aside from Wendy Higgins who knows I adore her and am counting down the minutes until we're finally at the same event and I can hug her). This is likely someone I will never have the chance to meet unless I attend FeverCon, but I dream of coming face to face with the woman who gave me Barrons and Ryodan.

KAREN MARIE MONING
(The Fever Series)

If any of you haven't read the Fever series, I beg you to drop what you're doing and run to the nearest bookstore to pick up all 6 books (technically book 6, Iced, is a spinoff, but they need to be read in order). She writes alpha men like no one else, and I, like untold numbers of others, fell madly in love with Jericho Barrons. He's a complete a-hole, but there is something about him that's indescribably magnetic and I've read the Fever books more times that I care to admit. Even if you end up not liking him or the books, I guarantee you will walk away with strong feelings about the man.

More recently (with the release of Iced), I fell hard for Ryodan. Ryodan is in the Fever series, but he's a smaller secondary character, and is quite frankly overshadowed by all that is Barrons, but in Iced he's very much the alpha among alphas. Karen sometimes teasers her readers on her Facebook fan page with pictures of beautiful men who fans think fit the image of Barrons and Ryodan she's created in our heads. Not too long ago she posted some pictures of a model by the name of Stuart Reardon who many fans thought embodied Ryodan. I feel the need to share some of these pictures with you, as they will no doubt inspire you to pick up the books and will definitely make you want to meet the woman who wrote his character. You're welcome in advance ;-)

(photo by Gilles Crofta Photography)


(photo by Kemuel Valdes)

(photo by Kemuel Valdes)

39 comments:

  1. You "hard" for Ryodan? I do too! I refused to read the Fever series but I bet I have to read it to get to the Iced series. I liked all those Scottish Highlanders that came before the Fever series. But my oh my! Where you guys find these pictures I just don't know! I think this is an addition to my Pinterest board!

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    1. HAHAHAHAHA that is the greatest error ever. It was supposed to say "fell hard" but the fell didn't quite make it on page. Awesome.

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  2. Oh didn't comment on the authors! I would love to meet all of those authors that you've already met! I should probably tape my mouth so I don't say what I always say
    "I loved your book" and then just stare. No matter how many time I meet Beth Revis it's the only thing I can come up with. Really, it's sad.

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  3. I loved the man-candy so much I forgot what I wanted to say..lol! I have never met an author. Isn't that sad. I am hoping to be healthy enough to go to BEA next year. Loved all your author stories

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    1. Yes. He has that effect doesn't he! I definitely just started drooling and mumbling incoherently when I first saw him. I so hope you can come to BEA next year Kimba, I would love to meet you!

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  4. LOL @ Kim, although I don't blame here. :P

    I think it is fabulous that you have meet some pretty great authors! One day I will make it to a big convention!

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    1. I have met some really awesome authors, I've been lucky! I always get so nervous meeting them and then I have to mentally tell myself to rein the excitement in and be normal:)

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  5. Oh Jenny you've met Katie! That's amazing. I really love her books. :) Also Julie's :) For the Fever series - I have read the first book! Aaa you see I'm catching up :) I wasn't blown away but everyone said to go on with the series. Anyhow great post Jenny :)

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    1. Katie is amazing, I really can't say enough things about her. All the ladies above are so incredibly nice and down to earth and it was such fun meeting each of them. And please do stick with the Fever series, it gets more addicting as you go:)

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  6. Jealous!!! I have only met *thinks long and hard* One children's author that is only known to like 20% of my country. Oh and non-fiction historical author/professor

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    1. You have to come to the US and visit! Maybe one year you can make it for BEA or ALA?

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  7. I'm soooo jealous Jenny!!!! I've wanted to meet Katie McGarry ever since PTL came out last year...but WHY DO I HAVE TO LIVE IN AUSTRALIA??? I REALLY want to read Julie Kagawa, Ally Carter and Michelle Hodkin as well<3

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    1. Well, I'm pretty jealous that you live in Australia, but not too many US authors tour there, so there's a small downside. COME HERE FOR A VISIT SHIRLEY!!!!

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  8. Like probably everyone, I am envious of all the close contact you had with authors. Especially two of my favorite authors: Ally Carter and Julie Kagawa. That's amazing that you had dinner with Julie and Katie! gosh, I really want to go to BEA next year and have the chance to eat with authors.

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    1. It was definitely a highlight of BEA for me! And they're just so cute, I could have hugged them all night, but that likely would have made things awkward ;-)

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  9. Oh, holy schnizzles. That man is GORGEOUS. *scrolls back up* Wow. Wowowow.
    *composes self*
    I adore meeting authors and it's always so amazing to me how normal they are. I know, I know. They're just like us...but they really are! Julie Kagawa is so sweet!

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    1. RIGHT MARY!!!! I need him to please do some work for Ellora's cave and come to the booth as a Caveman so I can take a picture with him. Except I probably wouldn't be able to get close to him without panicking over his hotness.

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  10. I love your list Jenny! I've only had the chance to meet Rachel Caine and I was totally lost for words then. So I completely understand how you would be sitting there in complete awe of them. Thanks for sharing your great photos too. Also you mentioning the Fever series reminds me I need to start Iced asap, I can't wait to get more of Ryodan now ;)

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    1. Oooo I'd love to meet Rachel Caine! Love those Morganville Vampires:):) And yes, please read ICED, I bullied Rachel into it and made her email me as she was reading.

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  11. Yes, yes and YES! I would LOVE to meet Karen Marie Moning. I wonder what she's like. If she's the type who would make sure everyone got through the line or if she would just sign and go. I loved ICED. I really want to reread it, I'm so in the moon for it. I mean, Ryodan....*DROOLS all over screen* I do love him. Why is it that we love them even though they are total asses?

    I finally got to meet Maggie Stiefvater who you know is like my favorite author ever and I totally made a fool of myself. I went over in my head what I said after the fact I just feel like such an idiot. You want to make an impression, stand out somehow and I really just made myself feel like an idiot. Ug! I'm still embarrassed.

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  12. How nice of you to include photos :-)) You're so good to us!

    that's great about J.R. Those lines get so crazy and it's a bummer when you wait that long just to be turned away.

    Tim Gunn did that at BEA too. He was so nice and stayed until the very end meeting each person.

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  13. I have been fortunate to meet these amazing authors and I owe it all to you :) And it was worth being told umpteen times at RT that JR Ward was only signing one book. All these ladies were wonderful. thanks

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  14. I hear you on Barrons and Ryodan. My review goes up tomorrow for Iced and I speak of my new found love for Ryodan. He is so hot. Love that delicious pic of him.

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  15. Ahh, I totally agree with you about Barrons! THAT MAN! I'm jealous you've met so many authors, though. I have yet to meet any, though I've had great online relationships with them. Wonderful post, Jenny! :)

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  16. Julie Kagawa and Katie McGarry have been popular choices today! I would love to meet both of them too. :) I'd also really like to meet Karen Marie Moning, though, for some reason or another, I've convinced myself that I'll find her pretty intimidating. J.K. Rowling, Veronica Rossi and Melina Marchetta would probably make my own list. Thanks for sharing, Jenny! I like the sound of this new feature. :)

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  17. Oh man I would love to meet Michelle Hodkin and Julie Kagawa. And KMM!!!!! Would love to meet her! Those big signings (like JR Wards) are overwhelming and I tend to get annoyed cause the people 'regulating' . Even when authors are friendly and chatty the workers literally push you along. I went to Kim Harrison's signing (The Hollows, aka Rachel Morgan) and it was INSANE. It was my first signing and WAY overwhelming. Since then I either arrive early so I'm first or just skip the WAY popular authors events.
    Love this post!

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  18. OH MY. I think I just drooled a little, Jenny! >.< Aaah you've met so many authors, I''m so jealous! Living in this tiny, remote part of Asia, the only author I've met is Sarah Alderson, although I like to think she counts for at least 5 because she's so awesome. ;) I would DIE if I got to meet Michelle Hodkin or Katie McGarry or Julie Kagawa! They are three of my favourite authors, and I'm pretty sure I would faint if I ever came face to face with them. :P Lovely post, Jenny! Thanks for all the pics. ;) x

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  19. I would die to meet KMM!! Like... I want to meet her sooo badly!!! Maybe one day I must go to a Fever Con - I should have done that for Shadowferver...

    Oh and JR Ward I want to meet too!!

    And yes there couldn't be anymore sweet and lovely and awesome than KatieMcGarry and I love this picture :)

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  20. Jenny, THANK YOU! You've have made my morning. I wish I could met Julie Kagawa. I fangirl over her so hard!

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  21. I'm sorry - what is this Fever series you speak of?! I clearly need to read it ASAP! Holy hotness!

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  22. Wow, You have met a lot of authors and I'm so very jealous. Especially, Katie, Julia and Ally they are like my top authors. We don't really have many author events in the UK, so not fair, lol! Should I just come live over in the US. Haha!

    I'm a new follower, can't believe I haven't seen your blog before. *waves* :)

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  23. That's awesome that J.R. stayed and made sure that she got to sign everyone's book. The way things were going in that story I thought it was going to end badly. I would love to meet Gayle Forman one day!

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  24. MICHELLEEE! No, but really! I'll never be able to forget how awesome it was to just sit and chat with her about everything. She's so down-to-earth and I love her to death (and you.) I'd die if I got to meet John Green someday.

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  25. I love this new meme. I might have to join it. I was commenting on Pushy's post that I really loved meeting Stephanie Perkins and Gayle Forman. But Maggie Stiefvater is my favorite.

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  26. I'm back from my blogging break! I'm so jealous that you've met so many awesome authors, Jenny! I wish more would visit here.

    Oh, and J.R. sounds fantastic. I can't believe she stayed and ensured everyone's books were signed.

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  27. Um... after those last pics I forgot what the post was about... ;)

    One day we will have to meet and then meet some authors together. It would be a blast!

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  28. As Napoleon Dynamite would say: "Lucky!" Although maybe I should take off the ! because he wouldn't say it quite so enthusiastically, lol! I love Katie McGarry and the fact that you got to meet her twice and one of those times was at dinner is just amazing! Funny you mention J.R.Ward. I was just talking about her with another book friend and she said she actually had body guards! Whoa!

    Oh those pictures, Jenny! Wiping the drool off now. Thank you, lovely! ;) Do we really have to wait until January 2014?!! Noooo!!!!

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  29. I have to say, I really wanted to be good and read about the author meetings first thing, but those pictures...yeah I lost a few minutes there. :-) You've met so many amazing authors! I remember your Ally Carter post, and I feel like that experience is similar to so many of mine. It's surreal and completely amazing to meet the authors who created characters you adore (and the characters you might be slightly in love with). I always hope I'll be able to tone down the gushing, and I never do. :-) OH MY GOSH I NEED TO READ ABOUT RYODAN. After Heidi's review and these pics, I'm kicking myself for waiting so long!

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