There is drama around the internets lately. I'm not going to get into the whats, whos and whys. It's all so petty, and I really hope it ends quickly and with as few casualties as possible. Instead of throwing mud, pointing fingers and getting sucked in to the vortex of drama, I wanted to spread a little joy this morning. I thought it was time to show a little AUTHOR LOVE.
What this drama has made me realize, is how lucky I am to do what I do in my little corner of the blogoverse. I keep my head down, I read, and I chat about books. My readers allow me to do this, because you guys love books like I do. Publishers and book publicists help me feed my addiction to the written word by sending me brilliant books. I have also found a solid group of book blogger friends, for which I am also extremely thankful - not a drama queen to be found in that group!
Do you want to know my favorite perk of doing what I do? The authors! Oh, yes, those rock stars of literature! Sometimes I get to chat with authors, whether it be over e-mail, at a signing event, launch party, or through an introduction made by their publisher at and industry event like BEA (Book Expo America). Every once in a while I will have a special exchange with an author, and the author and his/her work will hold a special place in my heart forever. It's one thing to read a book that moves me, that's special enough, but said book takes on an entirely new level of meaning when I get the opportunity to meet or talk to the author behind the work.
I am so lucky that I have the chance to talk with authors. Not for a single minute do I take that for granted. I wanted to take this opportunity to give a little extra author love to those authors who have so generously trusted me with their work, who have taken the extra minute to answer my questions, who are patient with me, who respect my opinion, who remember my name, who treat me as a professional, who understand my snark, and who inspire me to want to be a writer.
Thank you, thank you, thank you....
Kristina McMorris, Lauren Belfer, Adriana Trigiani, James Dashner, Amy King, Mike Mullin, Julie Kagawa, Dorothea Benton Frank, Kathy Riechs, Karin Slaughter, Markus Zusak, Audrey Niffenegger, Lisa Mangum, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Jeffrey Ford, Brett Battles, Pat Conroy, EL Dotorow, Elin Hilderbrand, Valerie Martin, Janet Evanovich, James Patterson, Kathryn Stockett, Phillip Done, Amanda Grange, Kaleb Nation, Allison Leotta, Margarett Atwood, Jeanette Walls, RL Stine, Maggie Stiefvater, JK Rowling, Stuart Neville, Jordan Christy, Rebecca Stead, John C. Maxwell, Malcom Gladwell, Josh Bazell, David Baldacci, Barbara Hamilton, JM Coetzee, Elizabeth Strout, Neil Gaiman, Matt Bellace, Chris Wooding, Christopher Healy, Katrina Kenison, Tatiana deRosnay, Alyson Noel, Kristen Cast, PC Cast, Amy Briggs, James Dalton, Kate Jacobs, Elizabeth Kostova, D. Charles Wilson, Nicholas Sparks, Amy Huntley, Richard Doetsch, Kimberla Lawson Roby, Sioban Vivian, Kate Braestrup, Carolyn MacCullough, Rachel Hawkins, Seth Grahame-Smith, Steve Hockensmith, Garth Stein, Francisco X. Stork, Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows, Joshua Ferris, Alice Sebold, Jeff Kinney, Jon Sciescka, Tom Angleberger, Wendy Holden, Susie Day, Lauren Kate, Sarah Addison Allen, Emily Giffin, Mark St. Germain, Alice Hoffman, Pete Nelson, Josh Berk, Cassandra Clare, Dan Simmons, Carol Plum-Ucci, Stephenie Meyer, Michael Codgill, Alina Bronsky, David Cristofano, Eleanor Catton, Andrew Clements, Carl Hiassen, Becca Fitzpatrick, Cristoph Neimann, Chris Cleve, Mo Willems, Lauren Oliver, Maureen Johnson, Catherine Fisher, Kristen Clark Venuti, Chevy Stevens, Susan Gal, Tad Hills, Kimberly Derting, Alex Evanovich, Philippa Gregory, Sarah Blake, Kirsten Miller, Heather Brewer, Yannick D. Murphy, Lisa McClatchy, Suzanne Collins, Artie Bennett, Dan Bonner, Brenna Yovanoff, Chuck Murphy, Kami Garcia, Margaret Stohl, Sara Shepard, Nelson DeMille, Allen Kurzwell, Beth Kephart, Elizabeth Kostova, Wendy Delsol, Ally Condie, David Small, Doug Bratton, Grace Lin, Louise Yates, Emma Donoghue, Sharon Dogar, David Wiesner, Beth Pattillo, Adele Grifin, Lisa Brown, Bree Despain, Bob Buyea, Andy Mulligan, Kate DiCamillo, Lani Woodland, Jennifer Connelly, Bruce DeSilva, Elena Mauli Shapiro, Charlaine Harris, Jessica Anya Blau, Joe Hill, Tim Dorsey, Kate White, Eleanor Brown, Charles Todd, Steve Hockensmith, Meg Waite Clayton, Linda Wisdom, Danielle Trussoni, Randy Susan Meyers, Molly Peacock, Melissa de la Cruz, Tina Fey, Siobhan Fallon, Nayana Currimbhoy, Erin Morgenstern, Ellen Feldman, Tawna Fenske, Laura Moriarty, Kate Atkinson, Beth McMullen, Glen Duncan, Sam Wasson, Bobby Flay, Susana Fortes, Isaac Marion, Ernest Cline, Laura Hilderbrand, Catherine Fisher, Kiersten White, Jordan Sonnenblick, Nick Hornby, Alissa Grosso, Lauren Oliver, Meg Cabot, Jay Asher, Tessa Gratton, Laini Taylor, Marie Lu, Carolyn Macker, Andrea Cremer, Libba Bray, Patrick Ness, Ingrid Law, Brian Selznick, Louis Sachar, J.M. Kozlowsky, Mini Grey, Diane Kredensor, Kevin Hawkes, Charlotte Bennardo, Natalie Zaman, Jamie Ford, Nancy Bilyeau, Sue Monk Kidd, George R. R. Martin, Chad Harbach, Carrie Fisher, Deborah Harkness, Rob Lowe, Susie Maloney, Jenny Lawson, Amy Beth Arkaway, Chris Pavone, Jeanne Ray, Vince Flynn, Karen Thompson Walker, Nichole Bernier, W. Bruce Cameron, William Landay, Rachel Joyce, Gillian Flynn, Moira Young, Lauren Myracle, Beth Revis, Veronica Roth, John Green, Jeff Hirsch, Sharon Draper, Chris Rylander, Madeleine L'Engle, R.J. Palacio, Kate Bernheimer, Jarrett Krosoczka, Beth Gutcheon, Linda Yellin, David A. Kelly, Maxwell Eaton III, Liza Klaussmann, Chris Alexander, David R. Gillham, Penny Warner, Michael Grant, Caroline Taggart, Joanna Trollope, Michael Buckley, Lisa Tucker, Pam Jenoff, Sandra Brannan, E. Duke Vincent, Adele Griffin, Erik Larson, Joshilyn Jackson, Markus Zusak, Michael Chabon, Kathleen Sharp, Natasha Solomons, Joyce Maynard, Katie Crouch, Tony DiTerlizzi, Wiley Cash, Jennifer Solow, Wayne Josephson, Ilsa J. Bick, Christopher Wakling, Andrew Gross, Kate Mess Locke, Maryann McFadden, Vaddey Ratner, Michael Ennis, Erika Robuck, Emma Straub, Penny Vincenzi, Brandon Mull, Alma Katsu, Will Schwalbe, Maria Semple, PJ Tracy, Barbara Kingsolver, Jessica Khoury, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Lee Woodruff, Bill Roorbach, Emily McKay, Amy Sohn, Kevin Powers, Maile Meloy , Jami Attenberg, Ellis Weiner, Kazu Kibuishi, Tommy Greenwald, Kurtis Scaletta, Melanie Gideon, Chrisopher Holt, Eloisa James, Margot Livesey, Elizabeth Haynes, James Rollins, Jennifer Weiner, Charles Duhigg, Phil Stutz, Barry Michels, ...etc. etc.
Someday I wish to publish my own book. I have seen enough in this industry to know who would make up my dream editors, publishers, and publicity team. I have also learned how to handle press (both good and bad) with grace from the examples of the authors listed above. The authors in bold are those who have made a special mark on me, whether they realize it or not - a little extra patience, a personal note, remembering my name on the stairway at BEA, sharing a laugh at a silly moment, taking an extra moment out of their day to say thanks, and showing me that success and humility are not exclusive of one another.
Thank you!!
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