My Very 1st Author Signing Experience!

This year I had the great pleasure of attending
my very 1st author signing! 

It took place at the annual Lori Foster event in Ohio!

I traveled with the wonderful Mandi from Smexybooks to the event. We traveled from the state of Maryland to Ohio and the trip took us 8 hours.  Let me just say that Mandi is an absolute sweetheart for putting up with me this weekend. LOL!  We had lots of great convos while traveling.  We talked about some of our favorite books, authors, and couldn't wait to meet all of the people that we tweet with on a daily basis.  We also found out that we like the same music and bonded over the musical stylings of Kenny Rogers.  Oh Kenny!  As we drove through West Virgina, we saw some beautiful scenery as there were many mountains all around us.  There's nothing quite like seeing that while listening to some Kenny Rogers.  If you haven't experienced this yet, I suggest you do so. 

Mandi and I. 

Yeah, I ganked this photo from her site.

 After arriving to our destination and putting all of our stuff in our room, we went downstairs to find our tweeps and mingle!  The first person we found was Bridget Locke from Reading, Writing, and Life..Oh My! whom I absolutely adore!  I had a blast with her this weekend!   We all then sat with KatiD from Katidom and her friend LeeAnn.  Colette from A Buckeye Girl Reads greeted us next.  My C!!!

I forgot to take a pic with her and so many people because I was so overwhelmed by everything, so she lent me one of hers.  Then we meet up with two of my favorite tweeps!  Stacy (my Snooks!) from Stacy's Place On Earth and Liza (LL!) from Blogging by Liza

I then met my very first author ever!!!  Monica Burns!

Yes Monica popped my cherry and she was so nice to me!  LOL!  We talked throughout the weekend and she was gracious enough to give me a copy of her book Kismet and signed it personally to me as my first.  If you haven't read anything of hers do so!  I loved her book Pleasure Me that came out at the beginning of the year.  Her hero is a virgin!  Yes you heard me right and the book is so sensual.  Great writing!

As the night went on the authors started coming into the ballroom. We were all so excited pointing them out.   Then I heard the magic words, "NALINI IS HERE!"  So a couple of us went up to her and introduced ourselves.  I went total fangirl on her and told her just how much she meant to me.  I also told her that I absolutely LOVE her character Raphael from her Guild Hunter series...and that I named my mini after him. LOL!  She chuckled and then I left her alone after that.  But I just had to let her know.  My mom even knows who Raphael is because I talk about him.  So when I told her that I meet the woman that wrote the books she was so excited for me.  Here is a pic of her during the "intimate chat" with her readers.

We actually got the chance to sit with her and probe her mind!  How awesome is that?!  When she uttered the words, "Who's got a question?"  my hand flew up first!  I just couldn't wait to chat with her and asked her which character's book would be next and she told me that Raphael and Elena would be!  I then asked her if Illium aka Bluebell would get a book of his own.  She said yes and now I can't wait to read it.  I then got to take a pic with her and it may look like I'm crying in the pic, but I'm not. 

Seriously, she was so sweet and patient to all of her fans.  Took the time to talk with them, explained her writing process, discussed her series, and I had the pleasure of sitting next to her at dinner.  I let her know how much I love her books and what they meant to me...and how they keep me sane.  And that she's a rockstar!  Soooo sweet!

Virna DePaul, Lori Foster, and Nalini Singh!

Here's Lori Foster at the signing.

Here is Virna DePaul signing my copy of Chosen By Blood!

I'm currently reading it now and am enjoying it!

Btw, she's gorgeous in person!  I totally

have a girl crush on her now. 

Here I am with Rosalie Stanton.

I picked up a copy of her book Lost Wages of Sin

for my buddy Dren. DanteTongueLove!!!

I got the chance to meet mah Boo JA Saare!!

I love her so much and was so happy that we got the chance to spend some time together.

Here she is again taking a photo with us!

Liza, Stacy, Bridget, Jaime, and me!

I also got the chance to meet to other great tweeps

will I was there!

One of my fav tweeps Jenny from Supernatural Snark and
Mollie from Book Fare Delights joined us in this pic!
Jenny, me, Liza, Mollie, Mandi, Stacy

All in all I had a blast this weekend and can't wait to attend next year.  I met so many great authors including Anya Bast and have to admit that I was a little scared to go up to some of the others.  But they were all so friendly and seemed to be having a great time as well.  I also had meeting new tweeps and bloggers.   The event is so laid back and everyone enjoyed themselves.  There are lots of great prizes that were raffled off for charity.  We all raised $8,000!!  How awesome is that!  I'll be attending next year...will you?