Pages

05 October 2009

Book signing with Diana Gabaldon

I got to go to Diana Galbaldon's book reading and signing last night at Powell's Books in Beaverton!

This is just before the event started. I was in the second to last row - and I got there an hour and 15 minutes before the event started. Someone said some people were waiting for three hours.



They handed out tickets to those that were sticking around for the book signing (about 150ish people left when she was done talking). She was signing as many copies of Echo in the Bone as you brought or bought ($30 there) and up to three of the first six books.



She didn't read from the book, which secretly I'm glad about. I'm about 200 pages into Breath of Snow and Ashes and I got enough spoilers last night while sitting in the audience waiting my turn. Huh, not much of a secret now! The ladies I was talking with were very nice and were so nice about not giving things away since they knew how far I was in the series, but then we had to move up so the store employees could start the clean up and we ended up sitting near a discussion about the ending of Breath of Snow and Ashes and the beginning of Echo in the Bone. Its all good though, I'm very easy going and don't let spoilers spoil things for me. I'd rather not know, but knowing won't hurt my enjoyment. I can watch a movie for the 10th time and still have the same reaction as I did the first time - same with reading books.

Anyways, Diana sounded so hoarse and I thought it was because she had an event earlier in the day in Salem, but another fan said that is how she sounds all the time (and her reference was interviews via YouTube). Diana talked about how she got started writing these books and how she came up with the ideas, and told a few jokes.

"If I can keep a group of 200 students awake at 7 in the morning, than I can keep a group of 200 awake at 7 at night - and they want to be here." - Kinda paraphrasing there - didn't record it.



She talked for about 30 minutes and then took questions. Of course the very first question was when/if there was going to be a movie. Apparently there has been a couple attempts that haven't been greatly succesful, but right now she said they are looking for a director and that the script writing is in the hands of the same guy that did the script for Braveheart and Pearl Harbor. *Please oh please oh please be a good movie!*
About the scottish ghost Frank saw watching Claire in Outlander - Diana said she will explain that, wrap it up nicely, but it will be the last thing in the last book, which she is working on right now (at least I think it is the last book - it might just be the next in the series).
Did you know that she finished writing Echo 6 weeks before it was released? And it went to the publishers 4 weeks before being released. Only 4 weeks to print millions of copies and get them to stores, and preordered, and .... Crazy quick, huh.
Oh, and there is a graphic novel in the works - I believe that is scheduled to come out fall 2010 - and it is currently being drawn. It is Outlander from the view of Murtaugh and Jamie.
And check out this link for 'interactive' guides to clothing of the 18th century (helps with visualizing the characters I think) and this link for other links.
So after questions and answers - about 20 minutes - it was time for book signing.
They allowed handicapped or those with strollers to get their books signed first. I should've borrowed one and kept it covered (sleeping baby) HA! Then they called numbers - 10 at a time and she signed books and took pictures. One of the employees of Powell's was extremely kind and took camera after camera and made sure she got a good picture with each and every camera.
Finally it was my turn.



I think I look like a goober - but that's what you get when sitting around for three hours waiting for a book to be signed. It was really fun. I'm glad I got to go. She is really tiny, funny, and was very nice.
But, I still wish April and Gramps (who got me started on her books) could have come with me.
Thank you guys! I am really loving her books. They are going on my Christmas list - well except for Echo in the Bone, I have that one :)

4 comments:

  1. That is so awesome Becca! I wish I could've been with you too, maybe next time :)
    Thanks for sharing the night with us...I can't wait for more and more from Diana.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a great experience. I'm so glad your were able to go and meet Diana. I emailed her a time or two, and she even answered me. I'm sure she is charming and gracious. I love the books. The characters just leap off the pages and she makes them so real. I don't know why more guys don't read the books. I looked at her Facebook fan list and is was mostly women. Their loss, guys that is.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Forgot to say. I think you looked great in that picture. She is so small. I saw a picture of her and her husband, I think, and he is huge. Maybe a stand in for Jamie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Great write-up, I really enjoyed reading about your big day. It is a good picture of you Becca! Granny loves you.

    ReplyDelete

Give me some LOVE!

PS: I'm turning comment moderation on. SO! If you leave a comment and it doesn't look like it showed up - it's because I have to approve it first. And I'll do that, usually pretty quickly.

Blog Archive

Popular Posts

background

a