Authors R My Idols Public Book Signing! June 20,2015 Nashville, Tennessee!

UtopYA Con Presents Authors R My Idols Public Book Signing

Are you an avid reader who wants to meet and hang out with their favorite authors? Here's your chance - and you get to do it for a great cause! Meet bestselling authors like Denise Grover Swank, Lauren Miller, Kim Holden and Rysa Walker (and many, many more!) at Authors R My Idols (ARMI), sponsored by Indie-Visibles and presented by UtopYA Con. 

On Saturday, June 20, an open-to-the-public book signing will be held at Nashville’s Millennium Maxwell House Hotel. The book signing benefits local non-profit group Book 'Em. The signing is free for fans who donate a book, or only $5 without a book.

Two signings will be held from 10A-12P and 1-3PM to insure readers get plenty of time to find their next pile of books to read! All donated books and admission fees go directly to Book ‘Em to help them with their two-part mission: to get books to children and teens in lower-income families who might not otherwise have books of their own; and providing volunteer readers to local pre- and elementary schools. Book’em creates a more literate Nashville by helping economically disadvantaged children, from birth through high school, discover the joy and value of reading through book ownership and enthusiastic volunteers.

 UtopYA Con is a proud supporter of this organization and looks forward to connecting authors and readers for such a great cause. For more information such as exhibitors, conference tickets, and more, visit utopyacon.com or you can purchase tickets (or save your signing space) here.

My Thought Monday #2 (Attending An Author Con/Event)

Hey readers! Welcome to another thrilling installment of My Thought Monday. A weekly post where I get to rant and/or rave about happenings in the book world. I got a lot of positive feedback from my mega post last week where I laid out my thoughts on "Young Adult vs. New Adult: What's The REAL Deal?" so I knew I needed to follow it up with another interesting topic today. Today's topic is one that has been on my mind for a while now: general reader/fan etiquette while attending an author convention/event. This is a major topic of importance for me so I'm excited to get down to business.

I'd like to offer up my thoughts for discussion among authors, bloggers, readers, and all members of the literary community. I understand that my views may be in the minority on some fronts and would love to hear your thoughts. Please note that while I would love to hear your thoughts, I will not tolerate this as a place of hate and negativity. If you so choose to put forward your thoughts via comment, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc, please do so professionally. I am fully aware that sometimes the bookish world is the last place you want to put your personal thoughts, but I, for one, am tired of being quiet. It's time for me to take a stand on issues that are important to me in this community. It is my belief that, only as a community, can we pull together and make real change in this bookish world we all know and love.

Here we go:

Attending an Author Con/Event: What YOU Should Know

So you've found out that fifteen (or fifty) of your favorite authors are signing at an event next weekend and you're able to attend. The rush of excitement of meeting some of your favorite authors and bookish friends leaves you positively giddy. Maybe this is your first event signing, or maybe you're a seasoned vet in the field, either way the feeling of excitement never dies. That is, until you get to the event and see some of the behaviors that will turn you from flailing fangirl to Hulk-smashing angry.

What do you do? How do you handle said situations? Today's post is written from not only my own experiences, but also the experiences of a handful of bloggers and authors who frequent cons! This post is directed towards readers and authors. Rather than include these tips in paragraph form, I'll be doing the in list form for easy reading!

DO: Remember that authors are people too. While everyone likes to be in the spotlight for a moment, don't overdo it. The biggest complaint I've heard from authors is that some fans are overbearing to the point of being scary. It's totally okay to freak out and flail when you meet an author (trust me, there have been times when I've been SHAKING from excitement), but remember to keep it to a dull roar. 

DON'T: Push yourself onto an author. Regardless of the pedestal we place them on sometimes, authors are human beings as well. They face the same issues as we normal mortals do: social awkwardness, anxiety, etc. If an author isn't standing up to hug and take a picture with you, don't be offended. Maybe they don't feel comfortable being touched. If an author isn't really seeming to connect with you, don't chalk it up to them being an 'author behaving badly', recognize that maybe they aren't comfortable in the situation. Put yourself in their shoes. I see this a lot on social media: "____ was such a bitch because she wouldn't hardly talk to me/take a picture with me." Don't be that fan.

DO: Introduce yourself to everyone you can. Is an unknown-to-you author sharing a table with your favorite? Be sure to take a minute to say hello to them also. Author events/cons are all about meeting new people and introducing yourselves as readers and fans to other members of the literary community. Sometimes it's a great feeling to get to know the person before you meet the author. I have had great luck with this personally. In fact, some of my closest author connections have come from me meeting the author in person before ever actually reading their books. Once I know they're an awesome person in real life, I can definitely love their books with no questions. I've, admittedly, been involved in a lot of awkward conversations with authors on this front, but I wouldn't change them for anything. Maybe you're seeing a sci-fi author, but the author sharing their table writes hardcore erotic romance? Nobody said you have to buy their book and sign up for their mailing list, but even just a simple "Hey, I'm _____, nice to meet you" will make an authors day, and give you a connection. 

DO: Take advantage of any one on one time you may get with the author. My favorite author events have been the ones with fewer fans. The ones where the setting was much more intimate and I could actually have a conversation with the author of my choosing. Seek out smaller events, local signings, etc to ensure you can really make a connection with your favorite author. There is a don't associated with this that I'll get to later. 

DON'T: Assume that the author will remember you. I hear a lot of whining from fans about how they can meet an author five different times and the author doesn't run up and embrace them when they meet again. Some authors have MILLIONS of fans, do you really expect them to recognize them all? No. Absolutely not. This one is a huge pain point for me. Just be glad you can be in their presence. Do you honestly remember the names and faces of every person you ever met for 5 minutes in your life? Now if you are lucky enough to have an author recognize you from a past signing, take it as a small blessing and go on with it. Authors will often say things such as 'oh I recognize you!' or 'oh you were at my signing in _____' if they do recognize you, but don't assume anything. It makes an ass out of you and me both. Also, don't push them to remember you, that gets awkward.

DO: Limit yourself. Maybe the event sponsors haven't placed an official limit on the number of books you can bring for each author, but that doesn't mean you should bring them all. I get rather angry when events place strict limits on the number of books you can bring to an event. Let's take a specific event into consideration. One of the largest book events in the country has a 'three book per author limit'. While I can agree that this is reasonable, it really sucks when you have an author present who has over 30 books in their arsenal. How do you choose? Also, how bad would it suck to stand in line for an hour only to have three books in a five book series signed? Thankfully, most events I've been to have been fairly lax on these rules and only ask this as a request. There are events that aren't so lax and will count your books when you arrive. Have more than the required number? Get your three signed and then get back in line. Sorry folks, it's the rules. Whether I agree with them or not, I definitely see where they're coming from. I once went to meet an author who had over twenty books in publication as of that date. The woman two people in front of me had a wagon full of books. A freaking wagon people. She had every book the author had ever published. And, while the authors eyes got as big around as basketballs when she saw all the books, she never said a words and still signed them all, because she was awesome like that. Now while this fans day had been made, I was absolutely livid to have to stand behind her and wait. As were the fifty some-odd people behind me grumbling. My point here people is to be considerate of other fans who are attending the event. If you have an offensive number of books to have signed, wait until the very end. The authors, event organizers, and your fellow fans will be appreciative, plus you get to spend more one-on-one time with the author. Make it count!

DON'T: Act like you and the author share a deep personal bond of friendship. If you share a personal relationship with your favorite author, it's one of the greatest feeling in the world, but don't ever assume the author feels the same way. Story: I once had a blogger friend ask me to get a book signed by their favorite author. This friend told me that the author knew I was coming and played it off as though they were the closest of friends. Insisting that they talked every day as old chums. Upon meeting the author in person, I brought this up and the author, very kindly, informed me that she had absolutely no idea who I was talking about, then signed the book just as she would for any normal fan. Don't make yourself sound more special than you are when it comes to author relationships. All it does is build up jealousy and animosity about you from other readers. This plays a big role at signings. 

DO: Dress comfortable. I hear this debate a lot. "What should I wear?" I like to keep two things in mind when dressing for an event. 1) What's going to look good in pictures? and 2) What is going to be the most comfortable? Author events aren't all hanging out with your favorite authors. In fact, most of it isn't. 80% of your time at a large author event will be spent waiting in a line of some sort. I was recently present at an author event with nearly fifty authors and nearly two thousand fans. I sat in like for hours at this event. Of the four hours I was there, at least 3 were spent in some form of line. You come to expect this from events, it's an unfortunate downside, but it happens. Just think about what is going to be comfortable when you're sitting/standing in line waiting for your 30 seconds with the author. If you have a fun crazy T-shirt, wear it! Authors love when fans dress like that! Don't worry about dressing to the nines for an event though, trust me, more people will criticize than compliment you. I went to an event once where there were two guys in front of me in line wearing suits and ties and my only thought was "wow they look stupid" as we stood in line for an hour. Same with you ladies, why wear heals and a cocktail dress to stand in line for hours on end?

DO: Mark your books. Post-it notes are your best friend when it comes to an author signing. There are fewer things more frustrating than getting home to see that an author has misspelled your name. Honest mistakes happen, but they can be easily avoided by simply placing a post-it note with the name you'd like inscribed on the title page of the novel. It's quick and easy, and it makes the singing process much streamline and effective for authors. It also minimizes mistakes. Don't, however, write personal notes on for the authors on those post-its, as the author will sometimes be so in the zone that they write your whole message in the books. True story, I've had this happen a handful of times!

DON'T: "Stalk" out your favorite author. I've only recently seen this trend and it's sketchy as hell. These authors are traveling across the country to make it to these signings. In some cases the author has been on multiple planes, trains, and automobiles to make it to the hotel. The last thing someone who just traveled twelve hours to get somewhere wants to do is be hounded as soon as they walk into the doors of their hotel. Seriously fans, keep it professional. Seriously. Don't be a creeper. That's a real quick way to earn yourself a bad name in the literary community.

Do: Bring a backpack, book cart, duffle bag, SOMETHING! One of the very best parts of a book event is that you're always going to leave with more things than you came with. Whenever I go to events, I pack myself full of so many books I can hardly move. While I always enjoy myself, carting around those books can be a huge hassle. A hassle that has caused me to miss out on some of the more important aspects of a signing. Rather than try to carry all of your books in a small bag (or purse for you ladies), think big. Bring a backpack, purchase a rolling cart (I got mine at Staple's for less than $20 and it's a life saver), grab an extra suitcase on wheels. Trust me, it may seem crazy, but your back will thank you later. Books get heavy. Also, this way you can rest easy knowing that ll of your books are secure in one place!

DON'T: Be afraid to ask for a picture with the authors. Unless there is a strict 'no photos' rule, most authors will love to take a picture with their fans. Remember to be considerate to those behind you in line. It's always a great idea to have a friend with you to take pictures. If not, this is a perfect opportunity to perfect the 'selfie', as it gets old having to ask people to take pictures for you. As a fan, it's great to have a photo as a memento, but also as an author, it's exciting to see those pictures pop up on social media! Be sure to tag the authors fan page when you post online! *Note: a fun tip is to make sure you have your security pass code on your phone turned off if you intend to use your cellular device to take pictures. It's a real time saver when passing your device to friends, assistants, or fans to take your picture* 

DO: Meet fellow readers and bloggers. Funny enough, some of my greatest experiences at book events have come from all the friends I have made in line to meet the authors. Some of them have become some of my very best friends. Make good use of the time you'll be sitting and waiting. Remember, you're all there for a reason, so you already have at least one thing in common! Don't be afraid to strike up a conversation, just don't be that guy who won't shut up.

DON'T: Criticize an authors' works to them in person. Author cons/events are not Facebook,Goodreads, or Amazon. Keep your reviews there. nothing will frustrate an author more than you telling them how you feel their stories should have been written. They are the guests of honor, not you.  You wouldn't tell a chef how to prepare his special dish, or an artist how to paint, don't tell an author how to write. Just don't. Keep your negativity at home, this isn't the place for it. I've seriously seen fans stand in line just to tell an author they hated their works. Seriously? Get the hell out of here. You people are disgusting.

DO: If you're getting something signed or meeting the author, DO tell them your favorite scene, favorite character, or something you loved about their books. Authors love positive feedback just as much as we all do. Let them know what you loved!

DON'T (Authors only):  Pitch your book to another author ever. Especially at a signing. Keep it professional. It's fine to ask for advice, but don't make it uncomfortable.

DON'T : Assume you're presence is more coveted because you traveled far to attend the event. This is one of my biggest pet peeves. People, I'll be blunt. Nobody cares if you traveled across the street or across the nation to attend an author event. Do not just assume that since you traveled quite a ways to be there that you are going to receive any form of special treatment. I have traveled ten minutes for an author event, I've also traveled ten hours through tornadoes and blizzards to author events. You're all fans and nobody made you come. Don't try to act like you're something special. I was recently at a signing where a group of readers tried to act high and mighty because they'd traveled a whole 4 hours to be there. I had traveled ten hours and a friend of mine traveled 2300 miles to be there. We just laughed. Those girls sure looked stupid when it was announced that some fans had traveled internationally to attend the event. Just be glad you got the opportunity to come. And remember, you may be tired, jet lagged, etc, but you're not the one sitting behind a table signing until your wrist sounds like a cement mixer, after traveling cross country. Food for thought.

DO: Take time into consideration. Be sure to hit up your favorite authors first to make sure you get to meet them. Author events can get real out of control, real fast. Make sure you have a game plan, complete with maps and a course of action to ensure you get the most out of your time there. While some authors will stay later to sign things, others simply won't or just can't. A signing I attended once just had to shut its' doors, as the facility was closing. Keeping a schedule will help avoid any unnecessary frustration.

DO: Give feedback to event organizers. Did you love an event? Did you absolutely hate it? The only way to make sure things change for a future event is to let the organizers know in a professional manner. Writing a simple email or dropping off a comment card will greatly help event sponsors plan future events. Is there an author you'd like to see invited, a new venue you think would work better? Don't complain, help make the next one better! Event organizers and sponsors are always looking for tips and feedback to improve future events, let your opinions be heard! Remember to keep it professional though, not doing so is a quick way to find yourself banned from future events!

And above all...

DO: Have fun! Be yourself! Make the best memories you can! Remember that these events are special and that you have the power to make them be as great as you want them to be. I can promise that if you adhere to some of the steps above, you'll have a much more memorable and enjoyable experience!

*****

So as you can read, a lot of planning goes into creating the perfect author event/con experience for both the author and the reader. I have attended more events than I can count and can say without hesitation that they are my favorite part about being involved in the literary community. The connections that you make are priceless. By following these dos/don'ts, you can ensure that you have the best event experience possible! If you're interested in seeing more information about some of the events I have been to, head over to my Hall of Fame page to learn more! 

Got some more hints/tips for readers and authors? Add them in the comments below and I'll add them to the list!

I'd like to also reiterate that all thoughts expressed above are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of any authors, bloggers, publicity/publishing, companies that I may work alongside. If your thoughts are different, please sound off in the comments or via Facebook, Twitter, or email. All of my contact links can be found above. Thanks so much for stopping by!

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Roanoke Author Invasion

 

Mark My Words has partnered with the Roanoke Author Invasion to provide free consultations to authors regarding their branding and marketing efforts!

What is the Roanoke Author Invasion you ask? Join 30 bestselling authors of contemporary and paranormal fiction and more at the Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Virginia on April 11, 2015 from 12pm-4pm. Enjoy an afternoon of books, giveaways, and more as you get the latest releases from your favorite authors and discover new voices!

When: April 11, 2015 from 12pm-4pm
Where: Holiday Inn Tanglewood in Roanoke, Virginia
Who: 30 incredible authors!

Adrianne James, Alyssa Rose Ivy,  Bryna Bulter, Brina Courtney (MMW Representative), Cambria Herbert, Casey L Bond,  Casey Peeler, Heather Hildenbrand,  Jennifer L Armentrout, Karen Lynch,  Kristen Day, Laura Howard,  Nicole Zoltack, Liz Long, Inger Iverson, Viv Daniels,  Wendy Higgins, Bella Roccaforte,  Theresa Kay, Mari Mancusi,  Michelle G Miller, Quinn Loftis,  TR Lykins, TC Mckee,  Diana Peterfreund, Rebecca Rynecki,  Nancy Straight, Michelle N Files, Melissa Haag, and Rysa Walker!

Ticket Information for this FREE event can be found here.

Are you an author who wants to set up a consultation? Please sign up here.

You do not need to be a signing author to receive a FREE consultation!

See you in Virginia!

First Friday Artwalk: Author Signing at Bookmarx 12/5/2014

Hello all! Happy Saturday! No reviews or promos for you on this post, I just wanted to post about my incredible experience meeting four new authors last night in the hopes of introducing them to all of my readers! As some of you may, I currently am residing in the Springfield, MO area. The first Friday of each month, Springfield hosts the First Friday Artwalk where local artists and businesses showcase their trades. The event has always been a favorite of mine and usually draws a big crowd!

Here recently our area was granted a huge gift in the form of a new-used/Indie bookstore downtown, Bookmarx. Bookmarx has been open for business for a while, but I have not had the opportunity to head down and check it out until now. After last night, I can definitely say I will be a regular customer now! Before we get to the event specifics, click the links below to learn more about First Friday Artwalk and Bookmarks!

Seriously, if you are ever in the area you are going to have to check these out, so much fun! I am hoping to get in contact with the owners of Bookmarx soon to discuss getting some more awesome authors in there and maybe making some Indie Author book donations! Woohoo! Now anyway, as I was saying I headed out because I saw where local authors were going to be signing copies of their latest works. Thankfully I already knew one of these amazing ladies and she gave me the heads up! Here's the specs:

I'll be honest. I have lived here for five years now and had never heard of ORA. Apparently there are many, many more book organizations like them in the area and I am going to have to get involved in them all now! Meeting these authors was such an incredible experience and I had such a great time. You guys all know how I feel about meeting authors. They are all rock stars to me! Be on the look out here on the blog because I will definitely be featuring these ladies in the future. Here's a bit about each author so you guys can get to know them as well!

Barbara Bettis

I love to read and I love to write. I love creating stories of other times and places, of heroines ‘to die for’ and heroes to live for. And, of course, happy endings.

Find Barbara Bettis

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS |

Terri Lee

Let's get the basics out of the way first shall we? Born and raised in northern California, that part of the country will always have a piece of my heart. My family moved to Missouri in my teenage years and when the love of my life walked through the door at my summer job...well that's when my heart truly found it's home. As with all good things, when I least expected it. Of course it didn't hurt that the first thing he did was offer to buy me a chocolate malt. Forty years later I am still married to my High School sweetheart, who has always been my biggest cheerleader in whatever schemes I dream up. And believe me, I'm capable of dreaming up almost anything. We have a Golden/Lab named (Elizabeth Bennett) Lizzie, who is my muse, my steadfast writing partner. She offers only the kindest of critiques. Not to be outdone, our cat, Baby Kitty, is a card carrying terrorist, whose only mission in life is to thwart any goodness that comes my way. I make my home in a small rural town outside of Springfield, MO. The sort of place where the adventures reside only in the stories I weave, which is just the way I like it.

Find Terri Lee

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

S.J. McMillan

I live in Southwest Missouri with my awesome husband and our three lively children. My guilty pleasures include, but are limited to, reading whatever I can get my hands on, watching reality TV, singing loudly, and dancing terribly. My real passion is writing. I started writing poetry in high school. Over the years my writing has evolved into creating Urban Fantasies. I get immersed in the lives of my characters, in their struggles and in their triumphs.

*I am currently reading McMillan's City of the Gods series and love it! Review coming coon!

Find S.J. McMillan

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

Brandy Nacole

Gemini Brandy Nacole is a writer of urban fantasy books. She is the author of the Shadow World series and the Spiritual Discord series published by Ponahakeola Press. A reader from a young age, Brandy has always loved folklore and stories of beings that go bump in the night.

Brandy lives in Arkansas with her husband, three never stopping kids, two snooty cats, two very lazy bearded dragons, and one mellow turtle. She is a member of the Ozark Romance Authors in Springfield, Missouri. Whenever she’s not reading or writing, Brandy is spending her time outdoors wheeling, hiking, playing amateur photographer, and enjoying a good laugh.

*Side note. Found out last night I will be hanging out with Brandy at UtopYAcon 2015 in June! WOOHOO! This will definitely not be the last time you hear about her!

Find Brandy Nacole

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS 

**BONUS AUTHOR 

(Author was not part of the signing but was there saying hey at the time! Woohoo!)

Ellen Harger

I’m Ellen. I’m a word gypsy and emotion sifter, writing about broken condoms, unhappy marriages and women’s issues. Filled with sass and snark, my novels live at the chick-lit end of women’s fiction and women’s fiction end of chick-lit.

Find Ellen Harger

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | WEBSITE | GOODREADS

 

Me with the group last night during the signing! Loved getting to meet these awesome ladies!

Alright guys, I will have a longer post later and more to say on the topics of ORA, local signings, Bookmarxs at a later time. As for now, I have more awesome reads to finish before the weekend is up! I hope you will all take a minute to check out all of these authors and 'like' them on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and stop by their sites to show them some love. Tell them Ethan sent ya! They were all incredibly nice and loaded me up with signed swag and personalized hand sanitizer (yes you read that right) for stopping by! Under their suggestion, I will be attending many more events hosted by the Ozarks literary communities in the hopes of meeting more awesome authors and getting involved. Know of some local events in the area? Let me know! 

Until next time, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Nashville Author Event Review!

Hello and happy Sunday readers! Hope your weekend is going great! As many of my fans and readers will have already hear, yesterday I had the great privilege to attend the Nashville Author Event hosted by Lalone Marketing. The event was held June 7, 2014 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum located in the heart of downtown “Music City USA”, Nashville, Tennessee (the happiest place on Earth in my opinion). I did a quick pre-post about the Nashville event. That post can be found by clicking here. 

The event was the best author event I have been to to-date and I am excited to share my experience with all of you guys! As you guys know, reviewing my events is something of a tradition here at OneGuysGuideToGoodReads and they are always my favorite posts to write because they include lots of pictures of me freaking out over meeting some amazing authors, bloggers, and fellow Street Team members! Hope you guys are ready, because this post has all kinds of fun in store!

 

Yesterday morning, two of my best friends (Hannah and Tommy) and I set off on a 3 hour drive headed to Nashville. Though a little tired, I was more than excited about what the day had in store for us. I knew that 2 of my fellow street team members, some blog "sisters", author friends, a a whole slew of fellow readers awaited me at the event. This was also the weekend of CMAFest which, if you guys don't know anything about it, seriously get out from underneath your rocks. CMAFest is a HUGE deal. It's pretty much Woodstock for country music and the ENTIRE city of Nashville celebrates! I figured rough traffic, no parking, long lines, and plenty of frustration would meet us upon our arrival in Nashville. I couldn't have been more wrong. Little to no traffic, easy parking (very close to the venue), and no frustration whatsoever. The weather started out beautiful so no complaints there. My only complaint was that my partner in crime, the amazing Megan who has accompanied me to every event thus far was unable to come due to a prior commitment. Before I get into the review of the event, here are some pictures of the venue and Nashville! 

Hannah and I in front of the Musicians Hall of Fame and museum before the event!

Marquee bearing the event and the Griffin Peterson performance announcement! Such a neat venue!

The beautiful Nashville skyline from the observation deck of our parking garage!

Once we got inside the event we were greeted by a line of amazing fans and then several "hey Ethans!" which made my day! If you guys have never been to a book event, let me tell you: go. The people are so nice and they really do remember you. I had been introduced/reintroduced to at least 10 people before I ever even took my place in line. It was such an amazing feeling! 

Line waiting to meet the amazing authors!

Rather than go through and discuss my experiences meeting each author, I am just going to post a whole stream of pictures and give you guys a visual journey through the event. Sorry, but I'm in all the pictures! :D Here we go!

First up was my amazing friend and author Miss Cora Carmack. I have met Cora before, but I still LOVED seeing her again. As a member of Cora's Street Team I have worked closely with her for the past few months promoting her newest novel All Lined Up! Cora is so freaking awesome. Pictured with us is my blog mentor and "sister", Amber from GrownupFangirl. More info on Amber and her gang later on!

My next stop was probably the one I was anticipating the most. Jay Crownover! What up Jay!! Jay is the author of the Marked Men series, and while I haven't read them, Jay is one of my favorite people ever. She and I have connected several times since our paths ALMOST crossed in Des Moines back in April. It was so awesome to FINALLY get to meet her. She is such a fun person who really loved her fans. I may be joining the Crownover Crowd after meeting her and Melissa! Megan is VERY jealous!

Third on the list was Rebecca Donovan! Rebecca is the bestselling author of the Breathing series and loaded me up with some amazing swag. Another fun lady, I can't wait to meet her again!

Fourth was the ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, INCREDIBLE, FANTASTIC Colleen Hoover! As you guys will remember, I featured a series review last month of Colleen's Slammed series. Colleen is an amazing author and hilarious woman. She was also extremely generous and actually gave me some surprises to give away to my amazing readers (be on the look out for that). I'm a huge Colleen fan so meeting her in person was such a great experience! (BTW that's Tommy in the background, hey Tommy!)

Fifth was bestselling author Heidi McLaughlin! Heidi is the author of the extremely popular Beaumont Series! Heidi was so awesome to meet. She loaded me up with giveaway swag and even told me to contact her if I ever want to collaborate so you guys may be meeting more Heidi later. Also with Heidi was one of her cover models which was pretty cool (for obvious reasons I did not request a picture with him, sorry guys [I'm looking at you Carmcats....])!

Sixth up was probably the coolest person I met in Nashville, Mrs. Tina Reber. I have only heard of Tina so I did not know what to expect. Nobody mentioned that she was the most awesome person ever! She and I talked for quite awhile about me being a guy in this female dominated book world and she had lots to suggest in the line of future events. Tina is awesome, she was later found dancing in her seat at the concert later that afternoon! She was so cool to meet. I'd love to see her again after reading some of her works! Her book covers are AMAZING!

Oh boy. I can't describe my experiences with this author in a short few sentences. This is me with Jenn (J) Sterling. Don't know who Jenn is? You should be ashamed. Jenn brought the party with her to Nashville and definitely made my few minutes meeting her a very memorable experience. I will never, ever forget meeting Jenn. Haha! Jenn is the bestselling author of The Perfect Game series. I haven't read any of Jenn's works, but after meeting her, I definitely will be in the very near future. I WILL be making it a point to meet Jenn again. Haha!  

Last on the event line was the author I was the most excited to meet, Mrs. KA Tucker. KA is the bestselling author of one of my favorite series, the Causal Enchantment series. I will be doing a series review of it later this week (with giveaway). KA is also the author of the Ten Tiny Breaths series which is huge right now! KA was amazing and so nice to talk to. Coming all the way to Nashville from Canada to be with her fans. We were so fortunate to meet her. 





Check out each author's Goodreads page by clicking on the authors name below!

Cora Carmack          Jay Crownover          Rebecca Donovan          Colleen Hoover  

Heidi McLaughlin          Tina Reber          Jenn Sterling                  KA Tucker

As you can see, the team behind this amazing event did not skimp on the author list! 8 of the biggest names in the business! Seriously, you couldn't throw a stone without hitting 2-3 bestselling, award winning authors. That is seriously impressive. HUGE shout out to Emily and her team at Lalone Marketing for putting this event together.

That being said, the event would not have gone off without a hitch without all the amazing blog sponsors and volunteers who helped make it happen. They did such a great job. Even more exciting, 4 of those volunteers were friends and fellow ST members! The event was blog sponsored by none other than the amazing girls over at GrownupFangirl. You guys have heard all about these ladies before, but I'm going to talk about them again. Amber, Carmen, and Christina were on hand in Nashville and were so awesome to see (again). I had previously met Carmen and Christina when I traveled to Des Moines for AViD in April! These girls have been so awesome to me while starting this blog and Amber can be thanked endlessly for her support since the beginning. I seriously love you guys to death. Ya'll always know how to make this guy feel special!

And as if that wasn't reason enough to be excited, I also got to finally meet another Carmcat, Elizabeth, who volunteered with Rebecca Donovan at the event! Here I am with Beth!

Here are a few more pics of me with the girls!

Me with the amazing and hilarious Christina from GrownupFangirl, Christina is probably my current favorite person on the planet, seriously she's awesome!

Pictured with my "sis", friend, mentor, fellow Carmcat, fellow blogger, storm chasin', readin' fiend and favorite person from Mississippi, the AMAZING Amber from GrownupFangirl! She's such an awesome person!

Me with the beautiful and hilarious Carmen from GrownupFangirl!



Carmen and Christina came all the way from the Kansas City area to be there, nearly 9 hours! They're hardcore!

The Carmcats went out to dinner after the event yesterday evening to celebrate us being in the same town for the first time! Nashville wasn't exactly "close" for any of us, but we still made sure to get together before heading back to North Carolina, Alabama, and Missouri late last night and early this morning!






Be sure to check out the girls from GrownupFangirl by visiting their amazing blog at http://www.grownupfangirl.com/ they work 366 days a year to ensure they have the most awesome book blog out there! Give them some love!

Here's the last of the random pics I have from the day including a picture of the Griffin Peterson performance!

Cora cheesing it up before the Griff concert. We can't take her anywhere without her being CRAZY! Just kidding, you know I love ya Cora!

 

Griffin Peterson and band playing the soundtrack to Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel Maybe Someday!

Overall this was THE BEST author event I have been to to date. The authors were amazing, the fans were great, the convert was spectacular and oh by the way IT WAS IN NASHVILLE!!! Woohoo! Needless to say we were rather exhausted after the 3 hour drive back to Missouri afterwards, but it was well worth it. I know I will be forgetting someone, but huge shout outs to each author, the volunteers, Emily, and all the bloggers I had the great opportunity to meet yesterday! Special shout outs to my best friends Tommy and Hannah for coming with me to this event. Sorry you had to be a pack mule and camera man Tommy, you know I appreciate it bro! Lol. And Hannah, I am so glad you finally got to meet some of these amazing authors I've been telling you about! Much love to all you guys! 

That's all I have to say for now about the Nashville Author Event, but you can check twitter for the hashtag #NashvilleAuthorEvent for some fun posts and pics of the event or you can check out the event Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/591605820924239/ for more awesomeness! 

Coming up tomorrow here at OneGuysGuideToGoodReads I have a release day post for Kallie Ross' newest novel Descent! I am getting ready to start it tonight and am real excited about it. It come to me from the amazing KP and her team at InkSlinger so check back tomorrow around noon for that post! Also be on the look out for some giveaways soon because I have LOTS to give away after yesterday. Have a great week readers and as always, Happy Reading!

-Ethan

Nashville Author Event THIS SATURDAY (Tomorrow)!

Hello readers! Very quick post for you guys! I have recently moved and have been without internet so I have been unable to keep you guys posted on reads and upcoming events and I deeply apologize for that. Usually I would have done a HUGE post about each of the authors I will be meeting at the Nashville Author Event tomorrow (6/7/2014), but due to time constraints, I'm just going to keep this nice and simple and promote the event instead so you guys can come out and meet all the amazing authors! Here's the rundown folks!

Head here for all the info pertaining to this awesome event: http://www.lalonemarketing.com/events/nashville-author-event/

I, along with several members of my support staff will be in attendance tomorrow and would love to meet any and all of my readers! Just holler and I'm sure I'll see you (I'll be the one freaking out over being in the same room as Cora, Colleen, Jay, and KA Tucker)! Lol! 

Also, as many of you will have read before, I am a member of Cora's street team promoting her newest All Lined Up so you guys need to check out my archives to read all about ALU! Also I have written about Colleen Hoover, Jay, and KA so be sure to check those out as well! This is sure to prove to be an exciting event for all. Plus it's free so register yourselves and I will see you there!

Lastly, the amazing girls over at GrownupFangirl are the blog sponsors for this event and as you guys know, these girls are like my blog-sisters and I owe them a huge debt of gratitude for all their support over the past few months with this blog so be sure to give the girls a high five (or a hug, they don't bite) when you see them there! I know I will be! They are awesome! Check out their blog with ALL the important info about the event at http://www.grownupfangirl.com/!

Alright, I told you guys this would be short, I apologize for the short notice, but I hope to see many, many, MANY of you there tomorrow! Nashville is an amazing city and you won't regret coming! Until next time, Happy Reading!

PS If anyone remembers, be sure to stop by Cora's table and wish her a happy belated birthday! She celebrate her's this past Wednesday! Much love for the belated birthday girl!

-Ethan

Dark Days Tour in St. Louis Review!

Happy Thursday everyone! As many of you will remember, I attended the Dark Days Tour in St. Louis, Missouri a few weeks to meet some amazing YA authors and hear them speak on their works! You guys enjoyed my review of the AViD event earlier this month, so I figured I would continue the tradition. For those of you who may have missed my post about the Dark Days tour, you can find it By Clicking Here! This is just a post to share my amazing experience from that night with all my even more amazing readers!

As you will recall, the featured authors of the Dark Days tour were Danielle Paige, Kelly Armstrong, Kiera Cass, and Kimberly Derting. As you guys have read many, many times before, I am quite possibly Danielle Paige's biggest fan so I was so excited to meet her that words just couldn't describe it. My road trip partner, and fellow book lover (and Danielle Paige fan), Megan and I once again took off from the Queen City of the Ozarks, this time heading to city known as the "Gateway to the West", St. Louis, Missouri! Both Megan and I are originally from hometowns that are relatively close to St. Louis (~2 hours) so we were familiar enough with the city for it not to have been as exciting as Des Moines was for us, but still really awesome!

The Dark Days tour was hosted at the St. Louis Ethical Society, and while we are stills scratching our heads  as to what exactly an Ethical Society is, we found the place with relative ease considering neither of us are city folk! Oh well, here are a random assortment of pictures from our evening rubbing shoulders with the literary elite! :D

Neither Megan nor I could figure out what an Ethical Society was, but the building was pretty cool! We ended up having to go to their website to figure out what they were all about!

From left: Danielle Paige, Kelly Armstrong, Kiera Cass, and Kimberly Derting are asked questions by the event moderator, Allie from Harper-Collins! The authors answered questions about the content of the books, their backgrounds, and what we can expect from the authors in the future!

 

Here I am pictured with Danielle Paige. As you guys have read before, I am the self proclaimed biggest fan of Danielle's first full length novel Dorothy Must Die and have already devoted several blog posts to her and this series. Making the trip to STL to meet this amazing author and woman will forever be a memory I carry with me. I actually got quite a bit of time to talk to Danielle and actually learned a lot about the future of the series, and her work within the Oz community. She is an amazing woman and I am so blessed to have gotten to meet her. I am already looking forward to the next time!

 

Not to be missed, here I am pictured with the absolutely amazing Kimberly Derting. Although I have YET to get a chance to sit down and read her newest novel The Taking, it is at the top of my TBR list for when things slow down for me! Kimberly was amazing and even remembered me from the blog (THIS blog) and even knew the name of it! Woohoo! It really made this guy feel special! Can't wait to read The Taking!

I know many of my readers need no introduction as to who this woman standing beside me is, Mrs. Kiera Cass. Kiera is the author of the HUGE hit The Selection series! Kiera had a huge turnout of fans, including many, many young fans which really made me happy to see so many young people getting excited about reading! 

Last, but certainly not least, here I am pictured with Kelley Armstrong, author of the popular Darkest Powers and Darkness Rising series! I have had these series on my TBR list for some time and plan on tackling them this summer. It was so awesome to get to meet Kelley!

All in all, I had an awesome experience meeting these four incredible authors during their St. Louis stop of the Dark Days Tour. I am so excited to check out the works of these authors and already looking forward to what we can expect from them in the future! It's always a life changing experience for me when I get to meet an author so this was truly a special night for me to get to meet four, including one who is so special to me. An incredible experience all around!

I am so blessed to have gotten to attend this event alongside my best friend, Megan. Megan and I both graduated college this past Friday and will soon be beginning the next chapters of our lives very soon. As exciting as this sounds, it means that we will be separated by many, many more miles than ever before. These past two events have already made us decide that this will become a tradition of ours. We will potentially be traveling to Nashville for events this summer and this morning we decided that SOMEHOW we will be traveling to Philadelphia next February for the first ever Apollycon in celebration of Jennifer Armentrout's (a favorite of ours) new Titan series! 

That's really all I have for you guys right now, I apologize that it has taken me almost a month to get this posted. As I mentioned earlier, I graduate college earlier this month and then took a 10 day vacation to Mexico so I have REALLY been busy this month. Look forward to a WHOLE BUNCH of fun from me this summer though. I have lots planned and a mountain of books to keep me busy. Today is actually my two month blog anniversary so I wanted to make sure I had a fun post for you guys. Thank you to all my amazing readers who have helped me to gain quite the impressive numbers during my first two months. You are all awesome. Feel free to contact me for any suggestions, recommendations, or any book you would like to see my take on!
 

Alright guys, be sure to be on the lookout for more awesome posts soon here at OneGuysGuidetoGoodReads! Comment below and let me know if you were at the Dark Days Tour as well! I'd love to hear from you! Happy Reading!

-Ethan