talking with authors

[Sugarcane]

i've chatted with DD and Holly black and Tamora Pierce.

I am soooooo jealous...

[Jacq]

I am such a very nervous person when faced with fame that I can't really say I've talked to any authors in person. I have a few signed books, but I don't think anything came out of my mouth other than a squeaky "th-thank you!"

I did have some brief back-and-forth with Mark Oakley, the author of the comic Thieves & Kings. He email me because I addressed something incorrectly, and it went from there for a few days. Highlight of my life, hurrrrr.

And on the subject of knowing authors... My friend Hannah's mum is an author. The wildest thing is that Hannah shows up in her articles/stories a lot (hence why I'm not naming names). It's disconcerting. Though I understand how it feels, a bit. My boyfriend has a few webcomics and also makes animations, and it's really strange when conversations we've had or things I've done show up in his work - This scenario, for example, was a discussion we had one night after too much wine.
(click on House's head after the credits to see an easter egg that maybe three of you will understand)

[Viz22]

I've talked to only ONE author before. I think her name's G. L. Giles or something along those lines.

We had a really good discussion, not about books though. Mostly about what moonlight is and then how you have to get over being shy to get your works published and along those lines. I must have talked to her for about an hour or so~
It would be great to talk to more, and I envy those of you who have D: authors hold really good discussions :3

[bookgirl]

Not just books -- I never would have stuck with Sailor Moon for any length of time if Diane hadn't plugged it once. :-) (I still haven't watched very many episodes, but Ael's taken the time to watch several of the series on YouTube.) I'm waiting for easy access to the original version on DVD before trying to get into it seriously -- after how the US version completely butchered the last two episodes of S1, I didn't want to bother with watching the whole thing. (And yes, that statement doesn't make much sense if you think about it in too much detail.)

Both you and DD are Sailor Moon fans???? Wow. And yes they did butcher the final two episodes, but I love the music from the dub.

Sorry, I digressed from the topic. Another author I'd really like to meet is Maria V. Snyder. I love her books. (Poison Study, Magic Study and Fire Study)

[Garrett Fitzgerald]

And she's funny too, she was telling a story about someone that had be really rude to her and she said it didn't really bother her because she said "When someone is rude to me I just make them a victim in my next book."

"Given a choice, offend the warrior. He can only kill you; a bard can make you immortal." :-)

Kathy Li, you're right, authors give the best book recommendations!

Not just books -- I never would have stuck with Sailor Moon for any length of time if Diane hadn't plugged it once. :-) (I still haven't watched very many episodes, but Ael's taken the time to watch several of the series on YouTube.) I'm waiting for easy access to the original version on DVD before trying to get into it seriously -- after how the US version completely butchered the last two episodes of S1, I didn't want to bother with watching the whole thing. (And yes, that statement doesn't make much sense if you think about it in too much detail.)

Ael once started a story where the Magic Tree House kids met Hagrid -- and she gave it to Mary Pope Osborne at a signing. :-)

[nelina]

I just recently attended a seminar on "How to Publish Your Book Now", by Diane Wolf (Do you read her books?). Anyway, she owns her own publshing comany and one of the things she said was to go to events, meet publishers, take a picture with them, and send it with your query letter so they remember meeting you. So, when she took a break in the seminar, I came up to her, and introduced myself, asked her a question, then had my dad take a pic. of us together. It just so happens that she publishes teen fic and self help (yay). At the end of the seminar, she then wanted to take a pic. of me on her digital camera! (that's all I/m going to say b/c I don't want to jeapordize anything or disclose too much just in case.

[Lazy Leopard]

A good way to meet authors is by going to conventions. It helps if the conventions are smaller. Of course there are signing sessions and programme items with authors on panels and so on, but I've also had interesting conversations with quite a few authors in convention bars, green rooms and dining rooms as well. You never know who you might meet...

[bookgirl]

oooh! I didn't know we had this thread, cool!

I got to meet Mary Higgins Clark! *squeals* She came to a high school near me for a library thing, her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, came too. First they just answered questions that the lady hosting asked them. Then they opened it up to those of us in the audience. After all that they announced that they would be doing a book signing. My friend and I hurried out to get in line, there was already a huge line. We stood in line for almost two hours waiting, but we're both book geeks so we didn't mind waiting. When we got up there she signed my book, and I couldn't resist asking for a picture. She was totally fine with it. She just said "of course"! I didn't really get to talk with her, but as we were leaving she thanked us for waiting in line. I was surprised, I was the one who should be thanking her. As my friend and I walked out of the building we both totally geeked out. We looked at each other and yelled, "We met Mary Higgins Clark!". lol.

But she is such a nice lady! She one of those people that simply exude class. And she's funny too, she was telling a story about someone that had be really rude to her and she said it didn't really bother her because she said "When someone is rude to me I just make them a victim in my next book."

I've met other authors too, though they are mostly from small publishing companies here in Utah. I work at a bookstore, and that is how I meet most of them. I'm friends with several of them.
Kathy Li, you're right, authors give the best book recommendations!

I'm jealous of those of you that have met so many cool authors! Like Orson Scott Card, I would love to meet him. I've read most of his books, including his religious ones. We belong to the same religion.

And Anthony Rapp???!!! That is so awesome!

[illiriam]

Ooh, just found this thread thanks to Kathy Li posting a link in ToGR. Thanks!
In elementary school we used to have authors come in. One time it was an author for the book we were reading in class (this was first grade, think picture book about a cat.) I was so excited. Lol. I also have a more mature book, which I can't remember the name of, which was signed. I do remember that it was about a girl who escaped from slavery and ran to the north.
Other than that, I haven't met any authors in a convention or signing.
But, the mother of one of my best friends from high school is an author. She got published around the time I was in middle school, or the start of high school, which would be.... 6, gosh that can't be right... 6 years ago. Her name is Kathleen Eschenburg, and she is a romance writer. Colleen, her daughter, and I weren't allowed to read the books though. Apparently they were a bit explicit. I might have to go find her books and read them now, since I guess I am old enough. lol. Plus, what good is having a friend with an author for a mother if you've never read her books?

[Kathy Li]

You could always try again. I think the "at this time" phrase is key--it probably means either that 1) she doesn't have the time or 2) there were too many letters at that moment for a timely response to get back to you.

But yeah, that's not fun, getting a canned response, especially since they're actively soliciting letters on her website.

But not all authors are so standoffish. A surprising number, like DD, will even put e-mail addresses out there by which you can contact them.

[Mel]

I hadn't just really thought about it until now, but once I wrote this letter to Sharon Creech (I can't help but love her books. They're so good!) and spent a lot of time on it, and I got this letter back from Harper Collins saying how she couldn't answer at this time because she is busy. Blah, I hate those letters!

[Kathy Li]

I once talked for hours with Chris Claremont, because I was a complete X-Men nut at the time (I was probably 16 or so), and he was nice enough to let me. I think the absolute best part was when I asked him if he really knew Diane Duane, and he blinked, said yes, and then we spent half an hour enthusing over DD's Young Wizard books. It was kind of like talking Doctor Who with Terry Pratchett last year. Only better.

I think one of the things I love about talking to writers is that (funny this) most of them are voracious readers, and they give the best book recommendations. Connie Willis will tell you to read Damon Runyon and Charles Williams. Elizabeth Peters will tell you to read Terry Pratchett. Terry Pratchett will tell you to read Donald Westlake. Geeking out with writers over writing is fun.

[seabiscuit1009]

Don't mean to be rude guys, but umm...you're way off topic, and one-liners aren't cool, especially when they're this off topic. So...sorry if I'm being a kill-joy or anything like that...

I guess since I'm bored, I'll go back to the original point of this thread: talking with authors. Umm...I've only talked with one author, Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees and several other books on things like spirituality and religion (haven't read those ones XD). She's pretty nice, very down to earth and all that stuff, and she tells great stories. Lots of fun.

[Bryan]

Originally posted by singer:
(slides up with 8 dozen of her famous Lemon Cookies)

:steals them and offers my 4 dozen with her 8 dozen :-p:

[the_peridexis]

perhaps i should go stuff my head in a toilet.