my personal homage to the raven cycle on bookstagram in anticipation of the event
The final stop of the Raven King tour happened to be in my little hometown of Kissimmee, Florida at the Books-A-Million right across from my old high school. (wow, sidebar, it feels SO strange to call it my old high school now that I've graduated...)
Although it was an altogether confusing experience from the viewpoint of an attendee trying to get some answers from BAM as far as what we could bring, what event protocol was like, etc. it was overall a fantastic experience that I would repeat in a heartbeat.
A woman after my own heart wearing ripped jeans and Doc Martens, Maggie began by talking to us about her career and her writing process, standing on top of the table the entire time so that everyone in attendance could see her as she spoke. What a magnificent storyteller she is, with a presence unmatched by any other author I've had the opportunity to see speak. My goodness, was she hilarious! I laughed so hard my sides hurt and I teared up, my eyeliner wing was gone on one eye by the time she finished.
She told us about her time as a portrait artist and a commission she once received to paint a rather unsightly baby...
how I imagine the scenario went down
She told us about how she accidentally tweeted a picture of her boob once...
She recounted her family trip to Wales as she was researching locations for TRK and how she spent the whole trip sick...
punctuated with lying on the table for emphasis, of course
And my personal favorite, the story of how she raced John Green last year and how he managed to set himself on fire.
It seemed over much too soon. I had the pleasure of meeting a blogger friend I had previously only known on Twitter, Carrie from Paper Bindings, and spending my day with her and Lillie in the bookstore cafe as we sipped coffee and watched the rain outside. As my friends and I had snagged reserved seating tickets for being there so early, we were able to get seats in the very front row! Because of this, we were some of the first to have her sign our books and it seemed over before it really had begun.
Carrie, Lillie and myself sitting front row!
An equal joy to speak with one-on-one, Maggie took her time signing everything I asked her to and even agreed to pose for a polaroid with me. She commented on the inscription I requested she write in my copy of The Raven Boys, asking if my words really were unerring tools of destruction. I told her I certainly hoped so, because it's my dream to work as a publisher, to which she wished me much luck. I handed her a slip of paper and asked her to sign it for my friend who couldn't make it to the event, saying she had originally requested I get her to sign a napkin or anything else I could -- Maggie said she would have gladly accepted that challenge head-on.
I drove home that evening feeling like I had discovered my own Glendower and had been granted my coveted favor.
(don't worry, I was at a red light here. the sky was too pretty not to photograph with the book!)