My Date With Meg Cabot

Hello Chummies!

Well, it's been a wonderful month off, filled with writing, critiquing, painting, and playing, and now I'm back and rearing to go with the blogging.  Although I must add a disclaimer: It's total crunch time, so my blogging may be sporadic in the next couple months.  I've got to get my WIP done, my query letter polished, and start researching agents.

But onto more fun and lovely things!

Like my date with Meg Cabot!

 Okay, so there were about 60 other people on the date as well, but we won't talk about that.

Seriously though, she came to my old stomping grounds to promote her new book Abandon, so my sister and I went to her signing.  (And I want to publicly thank my awesome sis for letting me drag her along so she could take pics of me and Meg)

Let me just say, meeting authors is like meeting celebrities for me, so I was all giddy and nervy and knew I had to keep my mouth shut or else something spazzy and uncool would squeak out of my mouth.

I have to tell you a little background on my first experience with a Meg Cabot book.  It was back in 2001 when I was in college, I started reading The Princess Diaries.  I remember my boyfriend (who later landed the role of the Hubs) had an internship at the state Capital with the Majority Leader of the House.

I would visit him occasionally, and on the last day of session, I came up so we could go to the Inaugural Ball of the new Governor.    Working with the Majority Leader gave Future Hubs the great opportunity of going on the floor of the House, and basically running around, passing out documents to all the representatives.  He would stand in this little deputy guy's office at the edge of the floor and then go out when he needed to.

 I came with him that day and sat in that little office while he worked.  I was bored, so I started reading the Princess Diaries.  That was a mistake.  I snorted and snickered so hard, trying not to laugh out loud, I think I blew snot all over the carpet.  The deputy guy probably called the Feds, telling them to keep an eye on the loony blonde with tears streaming down her face reading a pink teen book at the Capital.  (Now that I think about it, that's probably why my "free" HBO mysteriously got canceled after I told someone about it on the phone.)

I'm surprised future Hubs decided to marry me after that embarrassing display.

All that aside, I loved the books and they were a great distraction from homework and papers and she's been one of my favorite authors ever since.

On to the signing.  She was awesome of course, regaling us with funny childhood stories, cute (and awesome) drawings, and a little bit about the inspiration for Abandon.

She showed some old school notebooks with doodles and drawings all over her math problems, and it reminded me of my own old notebooks with drawings all over them. We're total twinkies in that department. (ooh and she had a mac, so more twinkie goodness)

She signed my copy of Abandon for me, and also a copy of an Allie Finkle book for Little Monster (and my super sis's ticket stub).  Of course I just stood there grinning like a loon.  I think I said hi.  Not sure.  I may have stuttered something about loving her books.  But I kinda blacked out for a second.  

I had a fabulous experience and am SO glad I got to go.  

Maybe someday, in my wildest dreams, I can sign MY book next to her while chatting about things like the Royal Wedding and what type of fascinator we'd wear.

Like this one:

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or maybe this one:

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But in all honesty, I think I'd go with this one:

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Haha, just kidding.  Probably this one, actually.

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I'd wear a smile with mine though.  Although, I'm pretty sure its physically impossible for Vbecks to smile (I totally just made that nickname up.  It kinda sounds like vbac...)

I'm glad to be back, and I really have truly missed you all!  

What have you all been up to this month?  I'm dying to know!