Rae's Visit

My friend (and SUPER famous New York Times Best Selling Author) Rachel Hawkins came to visit yesterday! Yay! I've been friends with Rae since we were five. We became better friends in high school, and besties in college. Sadly, as will happen, since graduation we have really only seen each other a handful of times (well, maybe two handfuls...). So, I was really excited when Rae said she'd be coming to Nashville for a book signing and wanted to know if she could stay the night with us. Yay (again)!

Rachel got here around 1:00 yesterday and we caught up and ate Totino's Pizza Rolls like old times. Etta took a bit to warm up to her Aunt Rae, but warm up she did! E decided that her Aunt Rae was her new BFF.

Keith came home a little early to hang out with Etta so I could go with Rae up to the Barnes & Noble in Cool Springs. I was excited to see her being all authory (yeah, I just made up a word). This event was actually the last stop of the "Ash to Nash Tour" (Asheville, NC to Nashville, TN) for most of the other authors on the panel. Along their tour, they had guest authors join them and Rachel was a guest author for this Nashville discussion/signing. All of the authors were really witty and I really enjoyed being there for the event and I'm looking forward to reading a bunch of new books!

 

(left to right) Beth Revis (Across the Universe), Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray), Julie Kagawa (The Iron Fey Series), Myra McEntire (Hourglass), Victoria Schwab (The Near Witch), Rachel Hawkins (Hex Hall, Demonglass)

Pretty good turn-out! The crowd got a little bigger after I took this...

They even had papparazzi hiding in the bookshelves...

Myra, Victoria, and Rachel

Julie, Ruta, Beth, Myra, Victoria, and Rachel

Rachel telling a witty story

This girl was WAY cute! Her mom embarassed her by letting EVERYONE know that they flew in from south Florida JUST to attend this event. We were all singing the praises of that supportive mama... and most of the authors were in tears.

Team Holly! These four authors share an agent (who is, according to them, the BEST agent in the biz)

Myra McEntire, Victoria Schwab, CJ Redwine , Rachel Hawkins

(Rae, you look a lot like your mama in this picture. <3 )

After the signing, we all went over to Chili's for a late dinner. I got to be a fly on the wall while they had a few drinks and discussed the biz and gossiped about other authors.

Rae's double fisting her 2 for 1's

We got home around 11:00 and went straight to bed. Rae left soon after we all got up this morning. Sad to say goodbye, but LOVED getting to spend time together! Miss you, come back soon!