Top Ten Tuesday (on a Thursday): Authors I've Met (and The One I Want to Meet)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

I was super excited for this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic but I was swamped all day and just didn't have the time to post. So, even though it's Thursday, and even though I'm two days late, I'm playing anyway. :)

I love having the opportunity to meet favorite authors. I mean, authors are my rock stars. So, being able to meet them, to have a few minutes of one on one conversation (about books or about anything at all), is pretty awesome and never gets old. Disclaimer: I'm not playing by the rules (again) this week. I couldn't narrow it down to 10 so I quit trying. 

Corinne Michaels | Harper Sloan | Alessandra Torre | T.M. Frazier

I met all of these lovely ladies at Sassy in Savannah in 2015. I actually went with the express purpose of seeing only two authors (Krista and Becca Ritchie) but because so many others would be in attendance I took advantage of the opportunity to get lots of books signed and meet many authors who were so kind and so friendly. (Not pictured but also met at that event: Natasha Boyd, Aurora Rose Reynolds, Leddy Harper, Seth King, and Aly Martinez.) 

Lauren Oliver | Gayle Forman

YallFest (2014) was the first *big* author event I went to and is still one of my favorites. There were a few signings happening the day before the real deal and that's when I was able to meet both Lauren Oliver and Gayle Forman. Gayle was so friendly and when I told her that my husband had also read If I Stay, she signed the book to both of us. :)

Diana Gabaldon | Tracey Garvis Graves

I can't be sure, but Diana Gabaldon might have been the first author I ever met. This was waaay back in 2001 or 2002 when she was touring to promote The Fiery Cross. I was still fairly obsessed with the series at that point so meeting her was pretty epic. Tracey Garvis Graves is still one of my favorite author meetings. She was having a signing at a small local independent bookstore (in 2013, I think) and my sister and I went together. The turnout wasn't huge so it was almost like hanging out with a friend. :) Tracey talked, answered questions, signed books... it was just such a fun, relaxed event. And what's most impressive, to this day she still remembers me, asks about my sister and we've actually talked/joked about meeting up for wine and dessert the next time she's in town. 

 

 

K.A. Tucker | Cora Carmack | Rebecca Donovan | Molly McAdams

ApollyCon 2016 was an amazing event! So. Many. Authors. It was a book lover's dream. I loved getting to meet K.A. Tucker. I had the review I'd posted as part of the blog tour for He Will Be My Ruin and asked her to sign it. She took a look at it, said she remembered it and was able to quote part of it back to me. Um, wow. Cora Carmack... what an awesome person! I just adored her sparkling personality. She's the kind of person you just know you could be best friends with. :) Rebecca Donovan was sweet and kind and, it must be said, absolutely stunning in person! Molly McAdams was so great to talk to. I had just recently taken part in the blog tour for To the Stars and she was sweet enough to sign my review. And, as with K.A. Tucker, with a glance she remembered reading it and was able to talk about points I'd mentioned in the review. I was so taken aback (and excited!) by that.

Sarah J. Maas | Abbi Glines | Katie McGarry

Confession time: At the time I met SJM, I wasn't even really a fan. I had *just* started Throne of Glass (actually, my bookmark was in the book she signed and I told her not to lose my place LOL) so I wasn't even halfway through my first book by her. But I was like, oh cool, I'm reading her book and she's here, I'll get it signed. Little did I know what was to come a couple years later (hello ACOTAR and ACOMAF!). I've mentioned before that the Rosemary Beach series by Abbi Glines is my book crack. I inhale those books. And when I learned that she was attending a book event close by I couldn't miss it. I had something of a fangirl moment when she came and sat down next to me while waiting for the conference room she was using to open and we chatted until she went in to set up. Definitely an author meeting highlight! :) When it comes to YA contemporary, Katie McGarry is my #1. So I was thrilled to meet her at ApollyCon last year. She is so incredibly down to earth, so genuine and I felt like I could have pulled up a chair and talked to her all day. I would truly love to meet Katie again.

Krista & Becca Ritchie

I've had the pleasure of meeting these amazing, talented, funny, gifted young women twice now and I just adore them. They write my favorite NA contemporary series (you might have seen me mention the Addicted series a time or fifty?) and having the chance to spend some time with them is such a blast. I first met them in Savannah in 2015 and met them again last year when they were at an event right here in my city. Both times they met up with a few readers for dinner after the event and it was amazing to just sit back and chat about anything and everything (book related or not). I should also mention that their mom happened to be at both events and Gina is an incredible lady who is so supportive of their career.

 

Jennifer L. Armentrout

My love for Jennifer Armentrout has no end. I adore her and her incredible story telling. I mean, the woman created Daemon Black. LOL She has given me sooo many hours of entertainment and escape and enjoyment. Her books are so addictive and she is one of my *very few* auto-buy authors. She's also funny and friendly and so genuine. Each time I've met her she's taken the time for a bit of personal conversation, making a quick connection, and I love that about her. 

Now on to The One I Want to Meet...

I've been lucky to meet all of my favorite authors... except one. Colleen Hoover. It's just never worked out. But one day it will happen. I'm coming for you, Colleen! :)

Have you met your favorite author?  

Top Ten Tuesday: New-To-Me Authors I Read in 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's theme is Top Ten New-To-Me Authors I Read for the First Time in 2016. My first thought was I'm not even going to have ten. Surprisingly I had about 16! I think there are a couple debut authors but hey, it still counts. :) So here are my ten favorite new-to-me authors that I read in 2016.

Becky Albertalli

Molly McAdams

Taylor Jenkins Reid

Evelyn Skye

Jay Crownover

Renee Carlino

Amber Smith

Sarina Bowen

Lauren Layne

Samatha Harris

Have you read any of these?
What new-to-you-author did you discover this year?

New Release Review: Show Me How by Molly McAdams

Show Me How by Molly McAdams

Series: Thatch #3

Genres: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: August 23, 2016

Format: Kindle

Source: Edelweiss

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

After her first love was ripped from her grasp four years earlier, Charlie Easton was sure she would never be able to trust anyone with the shattered pieces of her heart again. That is, until Deacon Carver forces himself into her life, and makes those pieces swirl in chaos. But Charlie doesn't know how to let him in… until a stranger stumbles upon a notebook filled with her innermost secrets, and shows her how.

Deacon Carver is known for sleeping his way through the town of Thatch, as well as the surrounding cities—something he used to take pride in. But that persona has haunted Deacon ever since he decided to leave that life behind for the girl he wants more than anything: Charlie Easton.

But when another girl falls into Deacon's life, allowing him to be himself without judgment for his past, will their conversations hinder his relationship with Charlie… even if he's never seen her?

My Thoughts

Show Me How is a wonderful addition to Molly McAdams’ Thatch series. In it we get to delve into the lives of characters that we know from the previous books in the series – Charlie and Deacon. The road these two have to travel to find their way is an emotional one, filled with missteps, but so, so rewarding.

Charlie has returned to Thatch after college and is focused on one thing and one thing only: getting custody of her three year old son, Keith. She gets a job, she sets up a home for she and Keith, doing everything required to make sure Keith is finally hers even as she continues to grieve for Ben, Keith’s father and her only love. Being back in Thatch brings her face to face with Deacon and her heart is telling her that maybe she can love another. 

"As I grew up and my reading material grew with me,

 my standards for my Prince Charming morphed, but

 never lessened. I was so sure I would find my Prince Charming, 

even if he wasn't as princely as I'd dreamed when I was a little girl."

Deacon has always been known among his friends as the king of the one night stands. A guy who’s had to stretch his conquests beyond the bounds of Thatch because he’s slept his way through most every girl there. He’s not even sure that love really exists – certainly not for him. So why is it that he can’t stop thinking about Charlie?

The growth in both Charlie and Deacon was so well done and I loved seeing how far they’d come, even though it wasn’t an easy journey. Through misunderstandings and mistakes and fears, two people who were convinced that a forever love was not possible, find their way to just that.

I enjoyed the fact that previous characters in the series played such prominent roles in Charlie and Deacon’s story. Jagger and Grey, Knox and Harlow, Graham – they were all here and made for such a richer story. And then there was Keith. I’ve never been a fan of small children in books. They are usually too precious and too precocious for words and the over the top cute factor leaves me cold. Not so here. Keith was a little bundle of energy and laughs and was so adorable that I couldn’t help but be completely charmed. His talk of ‘supapowers’ with Deacon made me smile every time and whenever he mentioned ‘the grassy place’ my heart hurt. McAdams managed to make Keith a completely believable three year old little boy that lit up every scene he was in.

The epilogue was just perfect and had me teary-eyed. The fact that it was in Deacon’s point of view made it that much more poignant. I’m sad this is the last entry in the Thatch series because I would love to return to this cast of characters again and again.

3.5/5 Stars

Note: Show Me How is the third in a companion series. It can be read as a stand alone but I recommend reading the series in order for a richer experience and to better understand the relationships between characters.

* I received an advance review copy from William Morrow via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Top Ten Tuesday: The Best of 2016... So Far

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme 

created by The Broke and the Bookish.

Welcome to my Top Ten Favorites of 2016... so far. There have been some hits, there have been some misses, but these stand out above all the rest (Katie McGarry for the win!). In no particular order...

Nowhere But Here (Thunder Road #1) - Katie McGarry

Walk the Edge (Thunder Road #2) - Katie McGarry
The Problem with Forever - Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Edge of Juniper - Lora Richardson
Him (Him #1) - Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
To the Stars (Thatch #2) - Molly McAdams
Breaking the Rules (Pushing the Limits #1.5) - Katie McGarry
Chasing Impossible (Pushing the Limits #5)
One True Loves - Tayor Jenkins Reid
Fuel the Fire (Calloway Sisters #3, Addicted #3.1) - Krista & Becca Ritchie

Have you read any of these?

What would make your list of 2016 favorites?

ApollyCon 2016

Last weekend I took a little drive up I-95 to Savannah for the awesomeness that was ApollyCon 2016. Officially... the release party for Jennifer L. Armentrout's latest book in the Titan series, The Power. But even more than that... an incredible gathering of authors in one space, interacting with readers/fans, signing books, taking photos - basically a bookish girl's dream. I had several must-see authors that I was excited about (Katie McGarry and K.A. Tucker were two big ones) but the biggest draw? Jennifer L. Armentrout, of course (you know I adore her), and Pepe Toth. If you've known me for any length of time you know that Daemon Black is my #1 book boyfriend. And, in my mind,cover model Pepe Toth *is* Daemon Black. (I might even admit to following him on virtually every social media platform. LOL I seriously have a thing for Pepe/Daemon.)

Drew Leighty ("Seth" - cover model for Titan series) and Pepe Toth ("Daemon Black" - cover model for Lux series)

My sweetie/best friend/book event buddy (aka my husband Robert) and I drove up on Friday so I could hit up registration and nab my tickets for the "ticketed authors" (which they ended up doing away with *sigh*).  

The next morning we got to the event just after 9 AM to line up outside. Like the genius I am, I hadn't purchased the tickets that allowed (among other things) entrance to the event one hour earlier than the general admission. (Note to self: *always* get the VIP tickets, it's worth it!). Supposedly VIP got in at 11 AM and everyone else at noon. Then the event staff announced that had been published in error and it was actually 12 and 1 PM. So there was roughly 4 hours of standing in line before I ever stepped inside. 

Finally it was 1:00 and... welcome to the madhouse. :) I made a beeline for Katie McGarry's table and had the best time talking with her. She is incredibly down to earth and humble and I felt like I was chatting with my next door neighbor. Next up was Abbi Glines, who I met before in 2014 and she was lovely then, but I have to be honest and say that she seemed to be going through the motions here. Maybe it was just me, but there was little interaction (even though the line wasn't overly long) and even Adam ("Cage York") seemed bored. Hm. On the opposite end of the spectrum was Cora Carmack. I wanna hang with this lady! She seems like so much fun, she was super bubbly and I loved meeting her. I was so happy to get my books signed by Rebecca Donovan but a little embarrassed because I've yet to read them. She was super sweet about it though and made me promise to let her know what I thought when I read them. (Side note: Rebecca is sooo pretty and her outfit was *on point*! It was very gothic/steampunk and 100% gorgeous.)

Earlier this year I received ARC's for He Will Be My Ruin by K.A. Tucker and To The Stars by Molly McAdams and participated in their blog tours. I had the idea to print those blog posts and ask the authors to sign those as well. I saw Molly first and she actually stopped to read the review before she signed. And then stunned me into silence when she said, "I remember this one!" Once I was able to speak again (ack!) I said I didn't think authors ever read reviews (most authors I've met said they avoid them like the plague). Molly said she never reads reviews at Amazon or GoodReads but always reads reviews on her blog tours, good or bad. She made a few comments on my review and then she started to get choked up which meant I started to get choked up... just, wow. I had a similar experience with Kathleen (K.A. Tucker) - although less emotional. LOL She also said she remembered the review and even quoted a particular phrase from it that she remembered (!). Those two experience were definitely highlights of the day and truly memorable. 

I had bought a tee shirt for Robert earlier in the year to wear to future book events and it made its debut at ApollyCon. The amount of attention it received was almost comical. People commented on it all day long and even took pictures of it. (And that shirt played a part in getting my books signed by Sarah J. Maas after she had already closed up her table!). Pepe Toth even fist-bumped Robert when he saw it and said "Great shirt" so that kinda made my day. LOL

I knew I had to get in line for JLA even though there were several authors I had yet to see. Robert to the rescue! I stayed in line for JLA while he managed to get through several lines, including: Alexandra Bracken, Jay Crownover, Wendy Higgins and Jen McLaughlin. Unfortunately, by that time Sarah J. Maas had closed her table but... Alexandra Bracken and The Shirt saved the day! Robert was in another line when Alexandra came walking over with Sarah to show her Robert's shirt. Robert had already met Alexandra and they had talked about the Never Fade trilogy since he's read the books (I haven't - ha!). She was showing Sarah the shirt and saying hi to Robert and that gave him the perfect opportunity to meet Sarah and mention that I had given him books to have signed. So Sarah signed them right then and there, even though she was done for the day. Way to go, Robert!

Meanwhile, I was still in the mile-long, barely moving JLA line. The event was supposed to end at 4 PM and most authors packed up and left but Jennifer (plus Pepe Toth and Drew Leighty) stayed until everyone got their books signed. They finally had to move us to another location down the street because the hotel needed the room for another event. But, after just shy of 3 hours in line, I made it! Standing in front of JLA and Pepe Toth. Jennifer was as kind as always and remembered me and Robert from previous signings. Drew signed all my Covenant series books (along with Jennifer) and Pepe signed my copy of Oblivion, my favorite signed book of the entire day. (He wrote: "Let me know if you need another bodyguard." Uh, YES please! LOL)

CAN WE JUST TAKE A MOMENT AND APPRECIATE HOW GORGEOUS HE IS? ♥

By then it was just after 6 PM and we'd been basically standing in lines for 9 hours straight. We were both exhausted but it was so worth it. With Robert's help I was able to get every single book I took with me signed. He is such a trooper! 

Another highlight of the day was meeting my fabulous friend Sarah from Words With Sarah. (If you don't follow her blog you totally should.) Sarah is my best blogger friend and I simply adore her.♥  She finished up way before I did (because she's smart and bought the VIP ticket!) but she came down to visit while I was still in JLA's line. It was so great getting to meet face to face and I wish we'd had more time to hang out. But hopefully we'll meet up again this summer at Sassy in Jacksonville!

Me and Sarah... isn't she gorgeous? :)

 It was a fantastic weekend in Savannah, an amazing time at ApollyCon, and if it's ever anywhere close by again I'll definitely be there! I met some of my favorite authors, got 40+ books signed, met some great people, and made some memories I'll cherish.

ALL MY SIGNED PRETTIES

Do you attend book events? What has been your favorite?