Quick bookish confession: Despite my avid reading & reviewing, I have never personally met an author.
Until today.
One of my “favorite favorite” authors – Laura Frantz – was doing a signing today for her newest release The Mistress of Tall Acre. It was only about 45 minutes from my house, so the hubby and I and the Mistress of Tall Acre piled in the car and set off for the bookstore.
There was such a great turnout for the signing – I have no idea how many people were actually there but I got there just after it started and a solid line had already formed. The line stayed steady and full for the whole two hours!
I totally pilfered that picture from another fan who was there today lol. If you’re reading this, thanks Toni! 🙂
Friends make everything better, don’t they? Including standing in line! At the signing I was also able to finally meet several friends in person (instead of just seeing their beautiful faces online). They were all just as lovely in real life as they are on Facebook 🙂
My reviewer friend Nancy (that’s her on the left) happened to end up right in front of me in line – such a God thing! We had planned to connect at the signing and I was wondering how we would find each other there. It all just worked out so nicely 🙂 Plus Bonnie (on the right) was stationed at the back of the line handing out name tags and the gift basket entry form so she was also easy to find! And Georgianne (middle) recognized me and introduced herself. So much fun!!
Oh – and I also had Pepper to keep me company. In case you’re new to the blog or have forgotten, Pepper Basham is the author of one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read – The Thorn Bearer. She has two other books coming out soon as well – A Twist of Faith and The Thorn Keeper. (I’ve already devoured them both and they are AMAZING!!! You will love them!) Anyway… she lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains which are not exactly up the road from us so she wasn’t able to make it to the signing. But she’s a major fan of Laura Frantz as well (and vice versa) so we devised a plan. Thanks to the wonders of technology, Pepper simply FaceTimed me and I toted her around in line with me lol. Hysterical. She even got her picture taken with Laura … in a manner of speaking.
I tried not to think too much about it but … you guys… I was ON THE PHONE with PEPPER BASHAM!!!! I had a little pocket Pepper!!! Totally fangirled about it on the inside … so as to maintain my calm facade 😉
But anyway, on to the main event.
Laura Frantz’s book The Colonel’s Lady was one of the first books I discovered when I returned to my first love of reading. It really opened my eyes to how far Christian fiction had come in the six years since I’d been away. From there I went on a hunt to find what other authors and books I’d been missing … and now you’re reading my blog.
Laura’s books are always written so beautifully and paint such vivid pictures of the setting and the characters with just the right amount of exquisite detail. If you haven’t read anything by her yet, I highly recommend her newest book – The Mistress of Tall Acre. Clicking on that hyperlink will take you to my review.
(Don’t worry about that guy in the pic on the right … that’s just my totes-adorbs husband… not some creepy stalker hahaha! Here he is again, being a stellar purse wrangler for me and Nancy.)
You guys. LAURA FRANTZ hugged me!!! 😀 Totally fangirling on the inside again.
And after meeting her, I know why her books have such heart. Because she does. Laura is so incredibly gracious, down-to-earth, and sweet. Oh so sweet and lovely. If you are ever near a place where she is doing a signing, please go!! She made my first author meet/book signing experience a dream come true for this fangirl-at-heart.
(Special thanks to my hubby for being my chauffeur, my afore-mentioned purse wrangler, my photographer, and my cheering squad. Also an apologetic shout-out to Pepper’s oldest son who I’m pretty sure we annoyed with all our shenanigans lol)
What about you? Have you ever met a favorite author? If not, who is on your bucket list?
About Laura Frantz:
Laura Frantz is a Christy Award finalist and the author of several books, including The Frontiersman’s Daughter, Courting Morrow Little, and the Ballantyne Legacy series. She lives and writes in a log cabin in the heart of Kentucky. Learn more at her website!
How awesome and fun! I’d love to meet Laura someday.
I met Karen Kingsbury at a book signing once, probably close to 10 years ago. Somewhere I have photographic evidence! She was very sweet.
Lol!
I’ve never met a Christian Fiction author, but the one you met today is at the top….along with Pepper, Dawn Crandall, and soooooo many others! Thanks for sharing!
My list grows by the day 🙂
Carrie, you are CRAZY!!! I think you might be the first person who has EVER fangirled over me. So hilarious. But fangirling over Laura is TOTALLY understandable. And it was a blast getting to talk to you in person, though I must say I feel like I kind of know you and the Rachaels and Marisa pretty well after all of your awesome brainstorming help!!
So thankful for you!!
And so excited you got to hug Laura!!!
Thankful for you too!! 🙂
My son has recovered fairly well. I’m sure he’ll wipe the horrifying events from his mind 🙂
Snicker 🙂
Ahhhh so exciting!!!! Congrats!! I got to go to a writers retreat and spend three days with Julie Klassen – I swear I was having a mental breakdown the whole time from disbelief 😉 Then I got to meet Erica Vetsch, Gabrielle Meyer, and Michelle Griep – ashamedly, I didn’t know who they were until they brought up their books.
Oh my word. RACHAEL!!! To be in the presence of all of those authors at once!!! How did you not expire from sheer delight?? Because I might have lol
I thought I was going to!!!! LOL! I don’t think I slept at all the entire trip. I am still convinced it was all a dream. 😉
I’m thinking about attending the ACFW conference next year since it’s only 3 hrs from me. I’m not sure I’ll live to tell about it 😉
Oh my word!!! I can’t even imagine! I want to go sooooo badly but I don’t think I will be able to afford it. Where is it at?
Nashville. I’m starting to save up now lol
It wasn’t a dream, Rachel. 🙂 Hopefully we have another retreat next year. Looking forward to seeing you again!! 🙂
What a fun day! I’m jealous if only I were closer. Glad you had such fun!!
Fellow Laura fan,
Mary
Thanks, Mary! I wish you were closer too 🙂
I’ve been blessed to meet several authors. 🙂 But there are numerous I’m desperate to meet–my absolute faaaaaave author, Tamara Leigh, has promised me a hug if I can get down to ACFW next year in Nashville. lol! I told her I’m holding her to it! She agreed. 😉
Ooooo Mikal!!! I may go to ACFW next year too!
Please do!!!!!!!!!! I need to save up lots of pennies, but I’m going to do my best!!!
Yes – my saving has begun in earnest 🙂
YAY!!!! Mine hasn’t yet because of house things that keep coming up. Ugh. But I’m determined!!
Hi, Carrie! I enjoyed reading this post and living vicariously through you. 🙂 I’m a huge fan of Laura’s (after reading The Colonel’s Lady, I began to pursue my lifelong dream to be a historical romance writer and I had my first stories traditionally published this year with another on the way next year). I’ve wanted to meet Laura in person since then, but I’ve been so thankful we’ve connected online and she’s become such an encouragement to me. Pepper is a good friend, too! I just saw her at ACFW last week, actually!
So happy to find your lovely blog! Thank you for sharing this amazing day with us.
Gabrielle, thank you so much for hanging out with me online 🙂 Aren’t Laura and Pepper both just the sweetest?? Congratulations on your published works!!! I’ve got the Convenient Bride Collection in my queue to review as a matter of fact 🙂
The only authors I have met at a book signing is Oliver North and Jeff Bennet. I have a long list of Christian Authors I would like to meet.
The first author I met was Liz Curtis Higgs. And yes I fangirled all over the place! I have talked with her several times and have pictures to prove it! My friends lovingly refer to me as Liz’s stalker. LOL. I attended the ICRS in Atlanta a few years ago and was blessed to interview a number of authors. It’s hard to ask questions when inwardly you are gushing. At the same event I was in a book signing line behind a cute blonde gal who turned out to be Suzanne Woods Fisher. She and I ended up in several lines together that day and sat together at a luncheon. Yeah I was fangirlling on the inside then too. Meeting authors is always such a huge treat. They are always so warm and friendly. And after several such encounters, I am still a fangirl!
So glad you got to meet one of your favs. Such fun stuff!
Oh I would love to meet both of those ladies too! Liz’s husband is actually from my town. So glad to know I’m not the only one who fangirls haha!!!
LOL — Pocket Pepper — LOL — very creative, you guys! Still jealous. Bwahahahaha!
Hahahahaha Kav 🙂
Awesome!!! Too fun!!!
Sent from my iPad Mini
>