author love

So, you know how I love it when people email me and tell me they read my book? (I do. I love that.) And you know how I love meeting other authors and talking shop with them? Well, I got this email the other day from someone who had just read my book and. . . that someone happened to be an author whose book I loved, and I recall that I blogged about it at the time, but -- I did not email her and tell her I loved it. I need to make it a policy to always do that, because if I love hearing from readers, chances are other authors do too!

Anyway, this author is Jessica Day George, author of the delightful Dragon Slippers, which was one of several wonderful dragon books I read last year. It was kind of a dragon book year for me, and the great thing about it is how totally different they all were! Dragon Slippers presents dragons unlike any you have ever met. They are charming, some of them even silly, and. . . they collect things. . . like shoes! But, it is not a "silly" book -- it's a dramatic, cool adventure book that I gobbled up in a day or two. It was delicious. Now, the sequel is coming out in a few months, and as if that's not enough, Jessica just had another book come out this month! All that, and she has a small child! In fact, she wrote Dragon Slippers with a tiny baby on her lap! So, I cannot wait to read her new book. I will let you know when I do.

AND, I cannot wait to meet Shannon Hale tomorrow at Powell's! Shannon is the fabulous author who wrote a blurb for the cover of my book, for which I will always be grateful. My editor told me she was rushing to finish reading it almost to the moment before she went into labor with her second child! Ha ha, I think that's an exaggeration. Anyway, some of Shannon's books are Goose Girl and Princess Academy, wonderful wonderful, and her newest Book of a Thousand Days which I will buy tomorrow at the signing.

If you're local, it's at Beaverton Powell's at 2. Can't wait! And, Libba Bray will also be there to sign her new book.

And, in audiobook news, Recorded Books sent me an audiofile of the narrator they want to use for Blackbringer, and I got to hear an actress read a chapter of my book, and it was The. Coolest. Thing. Ever. She's amazing!! Her name is Davina Porter and she's a "golden voice" -- that kind of means she's in the audiobook hall of fame. I know I've heard her read before. Her voice is exquisite. Can't wait to hear the whole thing! She's English, I think, but may have Scots heritage. Whether she does or not, she can certainly do Scots -- I mean, she narrated the Outlander books on tape!!! I wish I could link the short recording here on my blog, but I can't. Hopefully, when it's actually coming out, I'll be able to put up an audio sample. That would be cool.

Happy weekend to all. Maybe go to an author reading, even if it isn't Shannon Hale. Authors need love!