On October 10th, I headed out to the Arlington Heights Public Library to the Fierce Reads tour. This tour was incredible because the authors were obviously just having SO much fun! I thought I’d share a few highlights and pictures:
- Just look at that awesome cake (the picture up at the top). Isn’t it fun?!
- Gennifer Albin is bloodthirsty. And hilarious. She had me laughing the whole time. One example: apparently, she is constantly thinking about how she could die in any circumstance (things like, “If that beam right there suddenly broke, it would take my head off.”). Yep, just a little crazy!
- Marissa Meyer talked about how she came up with the idea for Cinder because she had a Cinderella dream where the girl’s whole foot fell off instead of just her shoe. She immediately thought, “She’s a cyborg!”
- Jessica Brody was inspired to write Unremembered when she read about a real life plane crash in which a 12-year-old girl was the only survivor. She started thinking about how that could happen and ended up coming up with a whole story about a girl who survives a plane crash, but has no memory of who she is.
- Nikki Kelly was shamed (lightheartedly, of course) for being the only British person on the tour – and the only person who hasn’t read Harry Potter. She was properly abashed.
- Jessica Brody talked about how not to go about worldbuilding. She says that she just kept throwing in fun little details about her main character’s abilities and past – and then suddenly in the third book she had to take all those disparate elements and force them to all make sense. She definitely does not recommend this approach!
- Nikki Kelly started off the tour with “Top of the morning to you!” and then, looking somewhat chagrined, said “I don’t know why I said that. I’m not Irish.”
- Gennifer Albin wrote Crewel for NaNoWriMo on the computers at her local library (because she had accidentally fried her computer). She says nothing inspires you to write quickly like a countdown timer telling you how much time you have left to use the computer!
- Marissa Meyer told us that when she started writing her series, no one thought that YA sci fi or dystopian could sell, but she loved the idea so much that she just couldn’t let it go. Then, just before she released Cinder, a couple of the big YA dystopians came out (Divergent, anyone?). Aren’t we all glad she listened to her instincts?
I bought one book from each author and had them signed! (You can WIN the signed ARC of Lailah – check out the giveaway below. Read my review of the book HERE!).
First of all, THAT CAKE!!!! It’s just Magnificent! I want to eat it (that may be because I’m super hungry but that’s irrelevant!) .
This is probably the most interesting recap I’ve ever seen. I’m usually not a fan but I love yours :)))
Glad you liked my recap! I tried to just highlight a couple of fun facts from each author because this event was just really entertaining! LOVED these authors!
I’m so jealous!!! That looks like it was an awesome event 😉 I haven’t had a chance to go to an author event yet and it’s on my bucket list to do. Thanks for sharing!
Definitely something for your bucket list! I never really went to author events before blogging – I had no idea what I was missing out on!
Marissa Meyer is so cool! I really love hearing her speak! 🙂
Gotta agree with you there! Really, all of these authors were so much fun! It was a great event!
So cool. I love the little tidbits of information about the authors in attendance. Especially Gennifer Albin’s several work stations. 🙂
So funny, right? Encourages you to work hard on your book and not get distracted by other stuff when you have a timer counting down your writing time!
I have never been to an author signing before and thanks for the giveaway!! 🙂
Hope you get the chance to go to one. They’re so much fun!
I haven’t been to one but I daughter helped out at the library friday for one of a local sci-fi author. She come home with a free signed book for helping and was so excited.
That’s so awesome! I’m glad that your daughter got that opportunity!
I’m totally jelly! 😀
It was so much fun! Good luck in the giveaway!
I haven’t been to an author signing yet! My husband and i were just talking about this today. I think it would be alot of fun.
It is definitely a lot of fun! If you ever have the chance, go to one!
J.E.A.L.O.U.S….. but I am glad you had fun 🙂
LOL! Yeah, I’m lucky that I live in an area where we have a lot of signings!
The event sounds like so much fun! I was laughing just reading about it, so I’m sure it was even funnier in person 🙂
It was REALLY fun! I spent pretty much the entire time laughing!
[…] Fierce Reads Tour (recap & giveaway) […]
This sounds like it was so much fun! I would have loved to have been there to see all these great authors, it sounds like the event was a blast! 🙂
[…] attended the Fierce Reads tour and got to meet Marissa Meyer, Nikki Kelly, Gennifer Albin & Jessica […]
This sounds like an awesome event! That cake definitely does look amazing and all the authors sound like pretty cool people! I loved finding out about how Cinder came to be as an idea. Funny how great novels can come from strange dreams 😛
I know – you never know when your next dream might inspire you!