May 24, 2012

Out of the Closet and Giddy as a School Girl

This past Saturday, I had a booth at the Gaithersburg Book Festival for the second year in a row. Unlike last year, I split a booth with a local chapter of the Maryland Writers' Association. What a difference. It freed me up to visit some of the speakers and other booths.


First up, Melissa Foster.

Pardon me while I embrace the squealing inner teenager for a moment. I honestly felt giddy and nervous about finally meeting Melissa Foster in person. I've known her in the online universe for almost a year, and she's an amazing author and person. She does so much for the writing and reading community through World Literary Cafe and The Women's Nest.

I attended Melissa's presentation and book reading. She read from Come Back to Me, her latest novel and one I absolutely loved: my review, Come Back to Me, Melissa Foster (5 stars). After, she made a point to come over and talk to me, and fellow blogger and book lover, Kristin, from Kritter's Ramblings.

My online writing community has become so important to me. I don't know what I'd do without their support, encouragement, and inspiration. To meet Melissa in person... priceless. Kristen, too!

Now to find a way to meet my Blogathon, ROW80, Writers' Platform-Building Campaign and other blogger/writer buddies!

And the good day just kept on going. Next up, I was able to hear M.K. Graff, otherwise known as Marni, speak about her new book, The Green Remains. Marni is a friend of my family, and it was great to see her again. I really enjoyed her first book, The Blue Virgin: The Blue Virgin, MK Graff (4 stars).

I also wrangled her into writing a guest post. Catch her great post about Pacing here on Tuesday, May 29. I hope to have a review up of The Green Remains soon, too.

One of the best things I ever did was come out of the closet, being an isolated writer was never for me.

In case I haven't said it lately...

Thank you to everyone who stops by this blog and encourages me to keep on keeping on. It means the world to me.

For fun, if you could meet ANY author in person (living or dead), who would it be? Me: I'd want to meet Pearl S. Buck and Judy Blume.

*****

Check back here tomorrow for more insight from the book festival. Hint: I found it very interesting who I was sitting right next to in the booth area.

3 comments:

Jaleh D said...

Gosh! I don't think I could decide who I'd most want to meet. I have many favorite authors, but I suppose one would be Mercedes Lackey. I love so many of her books and read them again and again. I probably rip through our whole collection of the ones we own once or twice a year.

I also want to meet all of my WD writer friends and some of my newer Blogger friends like you and Juliette Wade. I've met two in person so far: Emily White and Jai Joshi, both wonderful ladies. If things work out, I'll get to meet Janice Hardy in about a month in Louisville, KY at Fandomfest. (She'll be there; it's me I don't know for sure yet.)

bookworm said...

I would love to meet: Max Brooks (son of Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft - so you can throw Mel Brooks into the list too) author of World War Z; Susan Beth Pfeffer (YA author) and last but not least, Harry Turtledove, amazing writer of alternate history. I would have loved to have met Isaac Asimov, possibly one of the most brilliant authors of the 20th century, and Mark Twain. Of course, if I have a chance to meet any of the above living people, I would be so shy and tongue-tied - would have to get over that before I actually do meet anyone I admire.

Tia Bach said...

Like you ladies, I want to meet my fellow bloggers. Your friendship has meant the world to me and keeps me blogging. Thank you so much, Alana & Jaleh!