Do you fangirl/fanboy or your authors? I do. ALL THE TIME. I go to multiple book signings each year and I have to try and contain myself. It’s so hard sometimes. Social media has made it easier to interact with out authors, which amps up the fangirling. I see the same author every year and I still get all sweaty and bumble my words. I consider her a friend and I still act like a dork. *sigh*

They don’t realize the effect they have on us. When they recognize us by our face or names, it’s a thrill. If they call us out and act excited to see US, we lose our minds. I can’t tell you how many times I have to leave a signing room to calm down. These people are our rock stars.

Last month my family and I went to D.C. for a vacation and so I could attend Apollycon. I took my daughter with me to the signing, even though she hates to read almost every book except Sarah J Maas’ Throne of Glass series. I wanted her to meet some of my favorite YA authors and see their books and hear them speak. Some get so passionate it’s fabulous. I hoped she would find at least one new author to try out. I never expected anything like what happened.

A little backstory, since January my daughter has been dealing with a debilitating illness that we can’t figure out what is causing it. So we were very nervous to take her on a 9 hour drive and then to all the museums and monuments. But she wanted to go. Amazingly she did well and didn’t get sick once. I however, was a nervous wreck the entire time. This has been my life since January, so it won’t switch off till we get a diagnosis.

Her one wish was to see and get a picture with Sarah J. Maas. She won the lottery so she would get to meet her and get a book signed but a picture wasn’t part of the deal. But on that Friday, I was working the registration and I get a text saying, “Sarah is in the lobby. I’m too nervous to ask for a pic.” To which I respond with, “ASK!!!” I mean, what’s the worst that can happen, she says no?

And then I get this picture. Mind you, she just got back from Mount Vernon and she had a hat on all day, so she looks tired and a mess. 🙂 But look at that smile.

Sarah had no idea what this kid’s been dealing with. She doesn’t know that she came up to me shaking, with tears in her eyes, and she never cries. She has no idea that in that couple of minutes she took away the fear of an unknown diagnosis. She made my girl so happy that she forgot all the stress. I went with her the next day to get a book signed and I tried to tell Sarah how much it meant to me as a mom to have her daughter get her wish and I could barely get the words out through my tears. I would’ve said thank you for making my daughter’s whole life, so far. Thank you, for taking a few minutes to show a teenager that they’re worthy of your time. You made her wish come true and I will be forever thankful.

By the way, she still tears up when we talk about it. That’s the power of an author. And that’s the life of a fangirl.

~Melpomene