Aside from RJ, what Authors have you met?

[Orderofolde]

I've always wondered about my good fortune in meeting and my Random luck in speaking with well-known authors.  I am certain that others out there have had some luck in finding an author with some time on his hands and willing to talk, and wanted to open up a thread for some sharing.

 

Tom Clancy- I was 13 when I met him, and had acquired a secondhand dog-eared copy of a paperback to Patriot Games.  My friend and I were really into his earlier works (that's all that he had out at the time as it was 1993).  I didn't have money for one of the shiny new copies of his latest hardback as my dad was in the Army and earned crap pay.  I kind of held back letting all the adults and soldiers go on ahead and when the line thinned and he was starting to sign extra copies I humbly presented my ratty paperback for an autograph.  Apparently the paperback was a rare printing or perhaps an overseas printing as it seemed to bring him up short and he asked me where I had gotten it.  I was too embarrassed to do more than tell him I'd had it for a while.  He smiled and signed it, and on my shelf it still sits.

 

Charles Henderson-Wrote all the sniper novels of the famous Marine Sniper Carlos Hathcock from Vietnam.  An older gent when I met him somewhere in 2002-2004, he was too busy to do more than nod and offer a few words of encouragement as he signed the stack of books I'd bought despite there being no one else behind me.  He arrived late due to poor coordination from the store picking him up from his hotel, and had a flight.

 

Kevin J. Anderson-One of the coolest, laid back Authors I've ever met.  This guy was my hero before RJ, tied with Tom Clancy for all his Star Wars books and a little Fantasy series he'd put out.  He was on one of his Dune book tours, and the store was absolutely dead, thanks to no advertising what so ever.  I went in to grab something for my mom and poof, there he was sitting surrounded by stacks of books and signs looking bored, I thought it was his agent or someone while he was out to lunch until I saw his picture behind him.  We spent about 15 minutes talking and I spent the last few bucks I had at the time buying his newest hardback despite not being into the whole Dune series all that much.  I would have spoken longer but I had to get home.  Kevin told me the best advice he was ever told was to get a literary agent.  An agent can guide you through the writing process and help pitch and sell your book or idea.

 

Here's a few to start. 

[Barid Bel Medar]

A good topic, but more appropriate in the General Discussion forum, to which I have moved it. 

[Mavin]

I've met Sanderson at quite a few events an he he is AMAZING!! He's super nice and approachable.

 

We had a bunch of authors come to our local comicon so that was kind of a meet. James Owen was super super nice and Melanie Rawn was a bit odd. Lol.

 

I'm super excited to meet Charlaine Harris at this years comicon and Diana Gabaldon (can't remember how she spells her last name) is doing a signing soon. :)