Classics Without All the Class discussion

So I know at least one person here has met an author they like so I thought this would be a cool way to brag about it. =P

I haven't "met" any IRL, but I have had virtual encounters. I have talked to both Nora Roberts and Jayne Ann Krentz on a few of their forums.

But today was the day. I had my tweet replied to by Kevin Hearne who told me good luck on my writing for NaNoWriMo. Halloween is done for me! I'm set. =) What better motivation to write do I need than that?

So who have you met (either virtually or IRL)?

You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy bookgroup at the Barns & Nobel (That's a huge chain bookstore for people not in the US) that I worked for. We were always a pretty small group and we were always the same 3-5 people meeting every month. We were constantly trying to get people to come to the meetings and we were always excited when someone new showed up. Well one night a gentleman showed up said he heard there was a scifi/fantasy book club and wanted to come to it, but he was just stopping through town. We had our book discussion and when it came time to pick the next book (which we always did in a voteing system) we got into a heated debate about whether zombies were scifi or fiction. So someone said "let's ask the new guy" so we all turned and stared at this more guy sitting there. He then mentioned that he was himself an author and one of his books had some characters that were almost zombie-like except for their minds were still normal while their bodies were decaying (I'm really not doing his book Elantrisand justice so ignore what I say about it). We were stunned though! This guy had been sitting with us for about an hour and he had just dropped kind of a bombshell that he was a published author. His name was Brandon Sanderson and he had stopped by to sign any copies of his books while he was in town (our store didn't even have any copies, we were so embarrassed) and he sat with us for the rest of the evening answering questions about writing, publishing, and his books. He went on to be quite the famous fantasy author and was chosen to be the guy who is going to finish the Wheel of Time Series. Pretty cool huh?!?

Jeane wrote: "You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy bookgroup at the Barns & Nobel (That's a h..."

What about author run-in #2??? :)

My best friend is Craig Johnson who writes the "Longmire" series. The first book is The Cold Dish. The series is now a TV show on A&E. Highly enjoyable books. I have known Craig for almost 30 years.
I did have dinner with Sherman Alexie when he was on tour for Absolutely True Diary. I was taking English courses at the local college where he spoke and the English deptartment chose me as a student representative to have dinner with him. Very funny and engaging man.
Finally, In a previous life I was a bodyguard. I guarded Ralph Nader for his book tour in the Los Angeles area. Highly intelligent.

Richard wrote: "My best friend is Craig Johnson who writes the "Longmire" series. The first book is The Cold Dish. The series is now a TV show on A&E. Highly enjoyable books. I have known Craig for almost 30 years..."

Awesome! You have some really great author encounters!
Not as cool, but I had dinner with the children's author of Stellaluna :)

Angie wrote: "Jeane wrote: "You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy bookgroup at the Barns & Nob..."

Sorry for the late response, but I randomly met George R.R. Martin at comic con about 5 years ago (pretty much before he was as famous and well known as Stephen King). And it wasn't like a book signing, or autograph thing either. He was just sitting there and I recognized him so I went up and shook his hand. It was random and of course now I can't believe I didn't have him sign something for me!

Jeane wrote: "Angie wrote: "Jeane wrote: "You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy bookgroup at t..."

I'm totally jealous!

I had dinner with the children's author of Stellaluna :)
One of my son's favorite books. I think that rates as awesome.

I love Stellaluna! Totally awesome!

So I have exchanged a few tweets with possibly Rider Strong who is running his own book club podcast. I say possibly because he runs it with two other people. I strongly suspect it is the lady whose name I can't remember.

And Kevin Hearne tweeted me again! Love him!

Ooh and Richelle Mead tweeted me back, but it was just answering that her next series (thankfully) will be adult and not YA.

Sharon Draper visited my school when I was in seventh grade. and she autographed a book for me. (Not sure how many of you are familiar with her. I don't think she is very well-known.)

I met and arranged for Mary Matsuda Gruenwald to come to Saint Martin's College to speak about her book, Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps, which was about her experiences living in a Japanese internment camp on Vashon Island. She was amazing. :)

In addition, I met Jennifer Baumgardner and Amy Richards, who co-wrote a few different books on young women's feminism: Manifesta: Young Women, Feminism, and the Future, Grassroots: A Field Guide for Feminist Activism. Both of these books are fantastic. I also had arranged for these two women to speak at Saint Martin's College to speak about what it means to be a feminist today.

Angie wrote: "I met and arranged for Mary Matsuda Gruenwald to come to Saint Martin's College to speak about her book, Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps, whic..."

Awesome Angie! Way to go!

Shelley wrote: "Sharon Draper visited my school when I was in seventh grade. and she autographed a book for me. (Not sure how many of you are familiar with her. I don't think she is very well-known.)"

I've read a couple of her books, Fire from the Rock and Copper Sun. Both were very good.

The book I read/got autographed was Romiette and Julio. It was my favorite book for a long time, but I don't think I've read any of her others.

Shelley wrote: "The book I read/got autographed was Romiette and Julio. It was my favorite book for a long time, but I don't think I've read any of her others."

I've see that one and hear it is great. :)

My stories aren't as impressive, but I've met four authors in real life. My creative writing teacher in college was Clyde Rodgers, who wrote Lives of Quiet Desperation. And we met a poet who came as a guest speaker in my poetry class, but sadly I can't remember her name. And I've met Cindy Woodsmall and Annalisa Daughety at their book signings.

I invited Lindsay Pollak, author of Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World to my alma mater for a conference and got an autographed copy of the book.
And this doesn't exactly count, but one of my college friend's professors is married to Anne Fadiman, author of The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures so I got her to autograph the book for me.

My daughter and I went to a lecture given by A.C. Grayling a couple of years ago. What a class act. He was very impressed with my 6 mo old granddaughter and signed his book _Meditations for the Humanist_ with "warmest wishes for a wonderful life" and had a short conversation with us about his 4 children. Also I've met Wil Wheaton at a Star Trek convention in Las Vegas and had a nice conversation about writing in general. He also signed _Just a Geek_ for us. I've met Diana Gabaldon a couple of times at book signings. We live in the same area. Also met Sharon K Penmen at a lecture she was giving at one of the independent bookstores in our area and Jean Auel at a lecture at Arizona State University after she wrote her last book.

I'm such a luddite. I don't know how to underscore the book titles.

I met Robert Munsch.

*Munch. Darn typos.

When I was working for Boston College as a librarian we went to a book signing for Stephen King. He looked like a wild man in person, but he nicely answered a question I had about vampires and signed my copy of The Shining. I still have the book.

I just met Gene Luen Yang, author of many graphic novels, most notably the Printz award winning American Born Chinese last week when he gave a presentation at the Pacific Grove Library! He was really nice!

I went to a write-a-thon event at 826 Valencia last year and was in the same room as Dave Eggers. Way too nervous to actually approach him.

Jeane wrote: "Angie wrote: "Jeane wrote: "You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy bookgroup at t..."

I have become such a fan of his. What a thrill it must have been to meet him at the point. I hope one day to shake that man's hand. He is so talented.

Jessica wrote: "Jeane wrote: "Angie wrote: "Jeane wrote: "You know I LOVE telling my 2 author run in stories!
Author run in #1-Brandon Sanderson-
So this was about 6 years ago, I used to belong to a Scifi/Fantasy ..."

I actually met him again a couple weeks ago at a book signing for The Wheel of Time series and he remembered me!

I've met and corresponded with Cate Tiernan (or rather, Gabrielle Charbonnet -- Cate Tiernan is her pen name) who wrote the Sweep series for teens, and now is writing the Immortal Beloved series. These aren't usually my type of books, but after meeting her I've read them all faithfully. In real life she's warm and wise, and has been very generous about sharing advice and perspectives with me.

I met Neil de Grasse Tyson at a talk he gave and he signed my book. He was really funny and friendly in person.