TOP TEN TUESDAY
March 28, 2017

It’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by the wonderful blog at The Broke and the Bookish! This week’s topic was things about meeting authors so I chose to talk about some of the amazing authors that I’ve been fortunate enough to meet! 

Let’s brag about Anderson’s Bookshop for a second, shall we? They’re my local indie (I frequent the Naperville, IL location but they also have stores in Downers Grove, IL and now LaGrange, IL) and they KILL IT with events! I first discovered them through the blogging world and ended up going to my very first Fierce Reads tour (well, really first author even EVER) on a whim and it was all downhill from there. They’ve brought sooooo many amazing authors to town and I’ve met most of my favorites through them!

I’ve also got to meet quite a few amazing authors at events like BEA and ALA. It’s always such a whirlwind because sometimes signings go by so fast or events are full of bloggers and authors so you try to talk to literally everyone there… But it’s so amazing to be able to mingle with your rockstar authors!

MARISSA MEYER

Obviously, Marissa Meyer is at the top of my list. I first met her when I was asked to moderate (!!!) the Fierce Reads even in 2014 and I was SO. NERVOUS. She was so amazingly sweet and kind enough to sign all of my many copies of her books. I got to see her again for the WINTER release and again at BEA 2016! She’s always so wonderful to talk to (and I hope I don’t scare her TOO much).

LEIGH BARDUGO

You think Leigh Bardugo is tired of seeing me yet? I just love every time I get to see her! She’s so funny, down-to-earth, clever, and an awesome lady all around. She actually recognizes me when we meet now (gosh, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m floored) and she’ll always be a favorite author of mine in so many ways, only one of which is that she was at my very first ever author event!

MAGGIE STIEFVATER

Maggie Stiefvater is AWESOME. I’ve only gotten to see her once (I saw her walk by at BEA but didn’t go to her signing since I already had The Raven King) and she was funny, unique, and amazing. I hope she comes to town again for future tours!! I need to see her again!

GAYLE FORMAN

I’ve actually met Gayle Forman twice now but failed to take a picture with her both times. Once was at Anderson’s YA lit conference and the second was at BEA 2016, but the signing lines went so fast that I felt bad asking to take photos! The Anderson’s YA lit conference was really what started my collection of her books because I forgot to bring my copies so I bought new ones while I was there but then couldn’t bear to get rid of the other ones! So I kept them all and started collecting.

BRANDON SANDERSON

I didn’t realize that I met Brandon Sanderson twice but looking back, now I remember! I was basically tongue-tied both times I met him and tried to come up with interesting conversation. I asked him his advice for which of his books I should start next but what does it really matter because I’m binge-reading them all anyway! (I did take his advice though.)

EMERY LORD

I adore Emery Lord and her books so it was so excited to finally meet her!! She came to town on a Bloomsbury tour and I also got to have dinner with the authors! Man, I had a hard time playing it cool. I was so excited to be around some of my favorites, especially Emery!

ROBIN LAFEVERS

His Fair Assassin is still one of my favorite series out there and I was so excited to meet Robin LaFevers many years back! It was so exciting to meet her and hear some fun and exciting things about her writing process and history on her books.

LAUREN OLIVER

It was a DREAM meeting Lauren Oliver! DELIRIUM was one of my first YA books and I read her series when I was obsessed with dystopian. She read a passage from her book during the event and she used my book to read out of. I died a little.

ERICA O’ROURKE

Erica is local to Chicago and I picked up one of her books BECAUSE she was going to be at an event and I looooved it! I’ve gotten to meet up with her a few times and it’s been too long since our last encounter! I can’t wait to read her latest adult mystery novel and I need to backtrack and read her earlier series too!

MEG CABOT

Meg Cabot was one of the authors who got me back into reading and I got to meet her at ALA!!! It was so, so surreal. Like usually, I had no idea what to say.

CARY ELWES

Okay, so this was more celebrity encounter than “author I wanted to meet” but he was appearing at BEA as an author and OMG I GOT TO MEET WESTLEY.

Which authors have you been most honored to meet? Who else is on your bucket list? I still can’t wait to meet Kasie West someday!!