Although my Twitter bio says I live in “the great wide somewhere,”* the reality is that I live in the middle of nowhere in the Midwest US. While suburbs and small towns do have some benefits, such as fewer people, one definite con is that we’re almost always skipped over: book tours, concerts, you name it. It’s very likely that we have to travel to take part in anything significant.

*If you don’t get the reference, we can’t be friends. (Kidding.) (Kind of.)

So you can imagine my excitement when I skim an author’s list of tour stops and find my own indie bookstore on the list. With the exception of a few local authors, I can honestly say that that’s NEVER happened (to my knowledge) prior to 2016. Lately, we’ve gotten lucky, with appearances by Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Leigh Bardugo, and Ally Carter. I know I’m drawing this out unnecessarily and you can see who it is in the title but whatever.

And today, one more name was added to the list: Marie Lu! While she’s not one of my all-time favorite authors, Legend is one of the books that introduced me to YA and I fell in love with Warcross last fall. Meeting her was an absolutely amazing experience, and even though I’m sure most of you are familiar with how these events go, I thought I’d make a little post about it.

I’m excited, okay?! You definitely can’t tell.

We got there two minutes before the event started and I was lucky to find an open seat.* After she was introduced, a local author whose name I unfortunately can’t remember led the Q&A, with a few audience questions mixed in. Marie talked about her time working in the video game industry; the very first draft of The Young Elites, in which Adelina wasn’t the protagonist; the collective effort it takes to publish a novel; her next book, a historical fantasy about Mozart’s sister; and which three characters from her books she’d want with her on a deserted island. It was very entertaining from start to finish.

*Even when I want to do something, I’m late. Story of my life.

After that, the signing line formed. I was #40, which technically isn’t that bad, but it took quite a while to get to the signing table. I think we can all agree that waiting in line is the least favorable part of any bookish event. While in line, I found one of my favorite local authors and we chatted for a few minutes.

Then, finally, it was my turn. Marie was so sweet in person. I told her I loved her outfit, and she said that she loved my hair. As she was signing my books, she told me that Emika would love my hair too, and I’m pretty sure that’s one of the best compliments I’ve ever received. I got both Warcross and Wildcard signed, and the former personalized. (Side note: her signature has a little heart in it and it’s super cute.) (Also, I love that both hardcovers are bright colors!)

When my mom and I left, it was an absolute downpour. My books didn’t get wet, but we certainly did. Spoiler: it was worth it.

Tell me: have you met any authors? Who would you love to meet? Have you read Warcross? I’d love to know! 🙂

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a fabulous day/night! ❤

Until next time…