It’s never too early to plan ahead

I have never been the sort of person who becomes ‘fanlike” in the presence of a famous person.  In my youth, I knew quite a few rock stars, not in the biblical sense, and found them to be very ordinary and often annoying and not worth bothering over.  When I lived in LA and met a few movie stars, I felt the exact same way.

Ava and the incomparable Sarah MacLean

Imagine my shock when I discovered I’d swallowed FANGIRL!  This came to me late in life and happened during my first RWA conference two years ago.  I met several of my favorite authors and squealed at them and spoke incoherently.  There may have also been drooling and babbling.  It’s all a blur.  This year was no different.

Anyway, I have not added a new “favorite” author to my list in at least ten years.  That is until last year.  Last year I found Sarah MacLean at Margaret Mitchell’s house.  Fitting don’t you think?  I’d never read anything by her before and she was adorable!  I vowed right then and there to read one of her books the second I returned home.  And I did.  Then I insisted Amy take me to the book store to buy everything she’d ever written.

This year, I ended up meeting Sarah in the Starbucks at the hotel.  I squealed.  I babbled.  I insisted she write faster even though she has a seven month old baby.  I attended her master class on conflict.  It was amazing and helped Amy and me improve our writing.  At the end, I asked a question and was given a deck of cards with Sarah’s latest cover on it.

Amy actually thought we were going to play with them!  I think she’s lost her mind.  I have given Amy clear instructions on what these cards are for – she is to throw them on my funeral pyre.  One at a time while she is weeping.

It was nice to meet you Sarah!