Kristen's Amazon and Goodreads if you'd like to take a closer look
So, a little while ago I heard about this year's RCR tour - Virginia, Indy, Denver, Phoenix. Of those, Indy was closest to me & I thought I could probably do it as a day trip. Normally I would try to make a whole weekend of it (there were parties & get togethers aside from the signing on Saturday), but my vacation budget was already used on a trip to Denver at the end of May. And, btw, the reason I went to Denver? Because that's where a lot of Kristen's books take place. And from reading about these places, the area, the BEAUTY, I had to see it for myself. Denver does NOT disappoint, ppl, and I can't wait til I have an opportunity to go back & spend another week there! : )
I headed out on my journey early Saturday morning, arriving at the Books-A-Million (or, BAM!) just at 2 o'clock. I'd planned to be there a little early, at 1 (it was supposed to start at 2), but I'd forgotten about the time change - Indy is an hour ahead! Whoops! Still, God always knows what He's doing, and the time I arrived, and the time I made it into line worked out better than I could have ever imagined!
The ladies in front of me in line were very friendly & we chatted about journals & things around us as we waited in line. A bit later, ppl started arriving behind me in line, and I started chatting w/ them. The three ladies, Sandy, Rachel, and Meghan, were quite a lot of fun. Meghan started to find different books & things that amused us all & took pictures w/ them to post later. Rachel's from Australia & aside from loving her accent, she also had a really fun sense of humor! Sandy reminded me of my aunt Sandy (which was slightly ironic in that I didn't know her name until the end of the signing!), having fun hanging out & chatting about book blogs & the like (not that Aunt Sandy would talk about book blogs, just her fun attitude)! : )
As we're making our way through the line, chatting about various authors they want to find in the shelves & take pictures w/ (seriously, how neat is it when you're combing the shelves & you see one of YOUR books or one of YOUR authors on the shelf? In the independent publishing world that doesn't happen all the time, ya know?) I realize I'm having so much fun I haven't had even ONE anxiety attack since they joined the line. I felt like they enjoyed having me as part of their "group" even though they could have just chatted for a minute & then turned away. Rachel even went so far as to include me in her "Ellen selfie" which was super sweet. The type of anxiety I have has certain triggers, which I try to avoid but with things like signings, I know I can't. I'd already experienced a couple of the triggers when I attempted to join the line earlier, but I'm thankful I didn't let them hold me back, or send me back to my car & headed home.
So, when we'd first started talking, Meghan mentioned she writes romances, too, but she didn't mention her last name or titles or anything, and I didn't want to push. I mean, she's there as a fan of KA, just like me, and I didn't want to make her feel like she had to be "on author mode." The same w/ Rachel, she would mention characters or whatnot, but again, I didn't want to be all, "Have I heard of you?" I don't know, it just seems rude to do that when they're out & about. Like asking for autographs when ppl are having dinner (or, good lord, in the loo - who does that?!?!) I don't know if that makes any sense, but I was just having a good time and enjoying not having a panic attack!!
As we get closer to the front of the line, Meghan says something & it reminds me I was going to write down their names so I could look up their books later, but - uncharacteristically for me - I didn't have a pen. And then I was like, DUH! And I whipped out my phone to use the Notes section. (Seriously, I'm still not used to having a phone that does stuff like that!)
And this is when the hanging out in line w/ three cool fellow rock chicks, which was already the best time in a line I'd had in a LONG time, became my FAVORITE part of the trip. Meghan is Meghan March, who happens to be one of my recent favorite authors. She wrote Beneath This Mask, Beneath This Ink, and Beneath These Chains (BTM is the first book in the series, which I haven't read yet - I somehow stumbled upon BTI in February & fell in love with it - the writing, the banter, the storyline! I gave it all the stars when I reviewed because it deserved them!) Rachel is Rachel Brookes, whose recent release Be My December I stumbled upon again randomly & had to buy right away from the description. The sequel, Be My Temptation just released this month, as well. : )
Meghan's Amazon and Goodreads if you'd like to take a closer look
Rachel's Amazon and Goodreads if you'd like to take a closer look
I had been hanging out w/ one of my favorite authors and an author whose work has intrigued me, and discovered they are JUST as awesome as I would have thought. Actually, I'd emailed w/ Meghan a bit in a fan-girly capacity after reading BTI & signing up for her newsletter. To know she's as awesome in person? Brilliant!
After that, meeting Kristen, which was the reason for the trip, was just like the icing on an already amazing cake! : ) Unfortunately, between trying to tamp down my fan-girling on Meghan & making sure I didn't pass out, and the fact that Kristen was running late & her ppl were putting off some "hurry up" anxious vibes, I completely forgot EVERYTHING I wanted to tell Kristen! I wanted to thank her in person for writing Denver in such a way that I HAD to go there, and for her recommendations when I'd asked where I must visit while there. I'd told her this on FB after I got home, of course, but I had the opportunity to tell her IN PERSON, and I biffed it. In my defense, I got distracted by her kickass watch... (As a side note, her ppl were very, VERY nice & they did not mean to put off the hurry up vibe - it wasn't in a rude way at all, it was just feeding my own anxiety and was in no way their fault. I totally got where they were coming from!!)
And they DID remind me to get a picture. *grin*
I also must shout out to the BAM! employee who was super friendly & sweet & helped me out a lot when I finally got to my place in line. After what had happened w/ the girls in line when I arrived, she also really helped calm down my anxiety so I was able to chat w/ the NICE ppl around me in line this time around. Whew! : )
And then it was time to get back in the car for the adventurous trip home. I MAY have gotten off on the wrong turn right after leaving BAM! And I MAY have ironically ended up at an Amazon facility... *grin*
So... That's my story! It was a blessed, blessed day, and I'm SUPER thankful for all of it!! (Well, maybe not my aching joints today from the 10+ hour round trip all in one day, but everything else!! LOL)
TTFN!
