Thursday I was lucky enough to meet
Amy Huntley, author of The Everafter!
Unfortunately, all I knew about The Everafter and Amy were the following facts:
1. I loved the cover of the book.
2. Amy is from Michigan, like me.
3. The book summary sounded really good.
4. The Everafter had been getting good reviews.
I ordered a copy of the book, but I forgot about Columbus Day and I didn't get it in time! Of course, it came the next day. x_x
Amy started out by saying that this event was her very FIRST reading and signing! Which was really exciting!
She talked a bit about the road to getting her book published, then she read an excerpt of the book...
And Oh. my. gosh. I was in love. With the book, not Amy. Because that would be weird. :) The excerpt was so wonderful - I was smiling and almost laughing aloud at parts! It was at that moment that I knew that I had made the right choice buying my own copy of the book and making the trip to see her speak!
After the reading, Amy answered questions about the book and then signed copies and gave out bookmarks! I had met up with Tirzah (
The Compulsive Reader) and her mum there, so we got to chat with Amy a bit more as Tirzah got her books signed and I got bookmarks signed (darn Columbus Day!). Amy was so unbelievably kind and I got the sense that she would be great to have as a teacher (she's an English teacher). We also talked about how in the first cover and story drafts, orchids were used. The cover actually had a lily on it originally! Amy originally wrote the story with a totally different kind of flower (which I can't remember the name of - since it was something I'd never heard of!) I'm so glad they chose the orchid in the end - it looks amazing! Tirzah, Amy, and I also discussed our love of the color purple. :)
I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to meet Amy and hear here talk about her inspirations and road to publication. I'm even more excited to read The Eveafter now - look for my review in the next couple of weeks! I'll also be giving away some of those bookmarks I picked up - they are so pretty and purpley! :)
Some pictures (In which I realize I'm not good at taking action shots...):
Tirzah and Amy!
Kristina McBride, author of THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES, and JT Dutton, author of the newly released STRANDED, are signing in Ann Arbor, MI at the end of July. I'll be there with some other fabulous bloggers and I'd be thrilled to meet YOU too! For more information about the event, see below. If you're thinking of attending, leave me a comment or shoot me an email at thehidingspot@live.com. I hope you can make it! 
