I headed to Charlotte on a cold afternoon after work and met up with my little sister Leighton for coffee at Starbucks. It was so good to see her face! We have both been busy and hadn't been able to catch up since her wedding, so it was great to see her.
After a quick coffee I headed the long way through Charlotte *I hate being a tourist* to the Barnes & Noble. I'd brought along with me six copies of her new book (for me and my wine club) and seven of her other books. Thinking that might be a bit much, I agonized and picked three of my faves because nine isn't too many, right?
I got it and got our three seats and our tickets and sat down impatiently. My friend Amanda joined me soon after, and then Jen walked in!! It was like seeing someone famous because, well, she is. But she was so laid back and fun, and maybe even a little nervous? She started by saying she didn't want to being the program early, but it was cool if we just wanted to chat. So we got to ask her about Fletch, Barbie, the Thundercats, her house, etc. And it wasn't at all like talking to someone famous.
Admittedly, I was nervous that with all these best-sellers and fame, she'd forgotten the little people. But she mentioned that her readers didn't like her fiction work, that it was too similar to her real life. So her new fiction book? No resemblance to her real life. Her readers didn't like paying for a book that they'd read 75% of online. So her next new book? None of the stories are on the blog. I loved that she admitted her negative feedback, and did something about it. Faith restored!
She read a chapter out of her new book, Here I Go Again, and then took questions. She was so funny, and not at all pretentious or snotty. Sassy maybe, but not snotty. But that's what her readers loved about her. I loved the chance to meet her in person because while she's exactly the same as she is in her books and on her blog, she's also totally different. She's a person. Who gets spray tan.
We were among the last to get our books signed, and when I mentioned I thought 13 too many to sign, she insisted that I go out to the car to get them. "I'm here, you paid for them, why not??" was her response. So my sweet friend Stephanie went out to the car so I wouldn't miss a minute with my fave author (and new bestie).
I was so excited to finally meet her! I missed her for four years while we were in Germany, and she hasn't been back to NC since I moved back (for shame). But you can bet if she's within 4 (okay, 6) hours of me in June for The Tao of Martha, I'm totally going to see her again!
