Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

A signing! A signing!

Well tonight I was lucky enough to make my way to my second signing of the season (the first being a signing in Ann Arbor with Richelle Mead.) This one was a big one. For years I've wanted to meet the amazing Laurell K. Hamilton. Last time she was remotely nearby I couldn't make it for one reason or another...this time around I made sure I had the time set aside well in advance.
Lets start at the beginning shall we? Woke up this morning far too early (after staying up waaaaaaaaaay too late to watch the whole Stanley Cup Finals game...come on Wings!) for work. Went through the motions because I knew I would not be going in for the afternoon shift. Made it through then hauled booty back home to catch a quick 2 hour nap (ok not so quick...but I do lurve my naps!)

Around 3:15pm the lovely Ms. Jade (my new book signing buddy! yay!) showed up at my house and off we zoomed through the humid drizzling michigan afternoon. With only a slight directional delay (get off at exit 175...not 177 to get to the new Borders in Ann Arbor...heheh) We got parked and dashed through the rain to the entrance.

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Now I work for the Borders Corporation but I work at what I consider the "red-headed step-child" of the company. I work at a Waldenbooks. Waldens are small...with antiquaited registers and technology. And a suprising lack of books. Go figure. Well this is one of the newest, most modern, fancy-schmany Borders there are. It is gorgeous.

Ok back to the step-by-step. We got our wrist bands and were lucky enough to be in the 3rd group (about 100 people or so in.) At this point we decided to run back to the car and go in search of food. Applebees was the choice. yum..food...eat..yadda yadda. Dash back to Borders to get our spots for the Q&A section.
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I have to say Laurell is a very at ease and very entertaining speaker. I really enjoyed this portion of the evening..though I wish it could have been a bit longer and that maybe a pillar hadn't been in my view. sigh. The pillar is why there are no pics of this event. Moving on.

Seriously one of the slowest moving lines I've ever been in at a signing. This is both good an bad in some ways. It means the author really takes time with each reader but it also means everyone in line is stuck clumped together in small spaces that get really uncomfortable. Luckily I have always found my fellow readers to be amazing to chit chat with and help pass the time. I met up with one of my younger high school buddies (no longer high school yay graduate!) and her mom who helped pass some waiting time, then chatted it up with some new stranger friends while inching along in the actual signing line. Now I have a disclaimer...the lady at the store took the pictures....and they suck. they suck baaaaaaad. but oh well.
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Me and Ms. Hamilton...Squee moment!
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Ms. Jade, Ms. Hamilton, and me! (heheh I love
Jade's expression... total squee face)
Now the big part. Laurell. I have to say her presence was amazing, but as Ms. Jade remark "she seemed kinda cranky." Yeah I might be too if I had a fear of flying, got stuck in nasty traffic and was late, then started having hand/wrist issues while not even half way through the signing. But really it was her husband Jon that seemed the more animated, affable one. He's the one that chit chatted. Laurell, while a fantastc group speaker didn't strike me as much on the individual level. Don't get me wrong...lots of hearts for Laurell...but I really think that I have other authors I've met that I've enjoyed alot more. While I enjoyed this event I'm really looking forward to seeing Jacqueline Carey again (hopefully on the 16th) and Sherrilyn Kenyon on August 6th. And hopefully I'll have more pics and maybe some freebies to share!

All in all worth the trip..I'm sure I'll go again if she comes around..but not my top two. So far those honors go to Sherrilyn Kenyon and Suzanne Brockmann.