Your first signed book/author signing event?

[Cecelia/Ceil]

Carol/Bonadie wrote: "Cheryl's comment in the Monthly Reads folder about Carolyn Hart being the first author to sign a book for her got me to thinking, and darned if I can remember my first. I want to say Dennis Lehane..."

Reading this thread brings back memories of all the fun we used to have on our AOL M/T board when many of our favorite authors posted with us and recognized us by our screen names at signings!
I can't remember who my first signing was with. But with all the great offerings our Murder By The Book in Houston offers, I have had opportunities to meet many of my favorites more than once. I never missed the yearly visits from Harlan Coben, Randy Wayne White and Michael Connelly. I also met Anne Perry, Janet Evanovich, Robert Crais, Jeffery Deaver, Lee Child and many others. The most overwhelming signing experiences I had were at Bouchercon in Austin Tx. I was fortunate to meet Barbara Seranella there as well as James Hall and good looking Ace Atkins!! With all these delightful signings, I do wish I could remember my first, but alas, that part of the old memory board has been erased!!

[OMalleycat]

Cecelia witnessed: "I can attest to JanOMalleycat's actions the night we met Dennis Lehane! She really didn't say much to him because she was too busy twining in and out of his ankles and preening her fur!!!"

Yay! Ceil dropped in to affirm my memory of meeting her and Dennis Lehane. It was LOTS of fun and my fur never looked so beautiful!

Jan O'Cat

[OMalleycat]

Cecelia also wrote: "With all these delightful signings, I do wish I could remember my first, but alas, that part of the old memory board has been erased!! "

Ceil, it must be a good thing to have met so many authors that you can't remember your first. I envy you!

Jan O'Cat

[Cheryl]

Maybe I should start a secondary thread. Do you remember the first author who gave you a hug?

[Shomeret]

Cheryl wrote: "Maybe I should start a secondary thread. Do you remember the first author who gave you a hug?
"

Marion Zimmer Bradley after I gave her a gift. It was a collection of opera librettos. She was a huge opera fan.

Shomeret

Shomeret

[Melodie]

Cheryl wrote: "Maybe I should start a secondary thread. Do you remember the first author who gave you a hug?
"

You would!!! :0) Mine was Crais!! What a hottie!! I've also gotten them from Harlan Coben, Richard Barre (one of he sweetest men on the planet!) and a sort of one from Steve Hamilton after he gave me such grief about the Avalanche!

[OMalleycat]

Cheryl wrote: "Maybe I should start a secondary thread. Do you remember the first author who gave you a hug?"

No fair! No author has ever given me a hug!

A while back I remembered my true first author event which was when I was in Junior High school. S.E. Hinton visited my school library (where I was an assistant). She'd just published The Outsiders. She was only a couple of years older than I. She so captured the teen atmosphere and angst of my hometown, Tulsa. I still remember how that book hit me at that age.

Jan O'Cat, but she didn't hug me

[Mary/Quite Contrary]

Jackie D'Alessandro sent me a signed copy of her romance novel The Bride Thief. I didn't meet her at a signing but knew her years before she started writing when I worked with her husband.

Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer, I got an autograph, pic, and (yes) hug. He is just as handsome, kind, and humble as he seems on the tv. Weeks later, my new puppie got ahold of the autographed book (which was about dog behaviour) and chewed off the corner. Ironic!

Going to Bcon next month and hoping to meet Lee Child, Michael Connelly and Sue Grafton at the least. But since I read exclusively on the Kindle, what will I ask them to sign? Not even my fave author MC will get near my Kindle with a sharpie!

[Cheryl]

Mary> Going to Bcon next month and hoping to meet Lee Child, Michael Connelly and Sue Grafton at the least. But since I read exclusively on the Kindle, what will I ask them to sign? Not even my fave author MC will get near my Kindle with a sharpie!

No problems there. There will be a program with author bios and pictures, and many people collect signatures there.
I have also seen people who have a leather cover for their Kindle and have authors sign on the inside.

[Donna in Southern Maryland]

How I enjoyed reading this thread, and admit to envy for all the authors you've met and had books signed. I never have. Years ago I was in a book store and Stuart Woods was there waiting to sign books, and no one was around! He was signing books that the store just stacked up to sell later. I had no idea who he was or what kind of books he wrote!

I see in the Wash. Post this morning that the National Book Festival will be down on the Mall next Saturday with LOTS of authors there: Michael Connelly, Walter Mosley, James Patterson, Lee Child, George Pelecanos, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult & Nicolas Sparks just to name a few. Big celebration for books. If I was 20 years younger and could walk a long ways again, I'd go. :o)

Donna in Southern Maryland
(who misses the days when the authors would join us on the AOL book Boards and Hardboiled! I had several nice notes from RObert Crais!)

[Susan (twigsx4)]

I went to my first book signing last Sunday at the local library -- sponsored by the friends of the library, of which I am a member. The author, Laurie M. Knight, is a local lady and just had her first book published, Journal to the Center of the Soul. Don't really think it is my cuppa, but I got one and had it signed. She was very nice and had a good presentation.
Susan in AL

[Ann]

Donna: I wish you could go too.
That sounds like a stellar line-up of authors!

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I see in the Wash. Post this morning that the National Book Festival will be down on the Mall next Saturday with LOTS of authors there: .... Big celebration for books. If I was 20 years younger and could walk a long ways again, I'd go. :o) "

[Ann]

Susan:
That was thoughtful of you to support the local author at your first booksigning! It probably meant a lot to her!

Susan (twigsx4) wrote: "I went to my first book signing last Sunday at the local library -- sponsored by the friends of the library, of which I am a member. The author, Laurie M. Knight, is a local lady and just had her first book published, Journal to the Center of the Soul. Don't really think it is my cuppa, but I got one and had it signed. She was very nice and had a good presentation. "

[Carol/Bonadie]

Donna in Southern Maryland wrote: "I see in the Wash. Post this morning that the National Book Festival will be down on the Mall next Saturday with LOTS of authors there: Michael Connelly, Walter Mosley, James Patterson, Lee Child, George Pelecanos, David Baldacci, John Grisham, Jodi Picoult & Nicolas Sparks just to name a few. Big celebration for books. If I was 20 years younger and could walk a long ways again, I'd go. :o)
.."
I hope they show some of this on CSpan II/Book TV..