I am VERY honored to welcome Ann Aguirre, who’s dropped by this Fangirl’s blog on her Blue Diablo launch tour!
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Thanks so much for having me on the blog today.
People occasionally ask me if there´s any other genre I would like to write. As of now, I have made all my dreams come true. I´m published in SF&F both, and my first romance will come out on December 1. Those are my deep, endearing loves.
No, not mystery. I don´t have the sort of puzzle-building brain required to write excellent mysteries, though I do enjoy reading them. Julia Spencer-Fleming and James Lee Burke are two of my favorite mystery novelists. Hm, I wonder why they both have two names…
At any rate, I do have a secret desire to write a big epic fantasy novel someday: one with a glossary, maps, and indexes. But if that day never comes, I will be totally satisfied with what I´ve accomplished. I´m tickled when readers contact me, and even more tickled when they say they´ve enjoyed my books. At heart, I am an entertainer. I want readers to care about my characters. I want them to invest emotionally in their journey. If I achieve that, then I am content.
Sometimes it´s a little bit hard, living in Mexico, so I can´t go to the bookstore and see my books on the shelves, anytime I want. Sometimes it feels a bit unreal because I live two lives. Here, nobody knows who I am. In the States, people occasionally recognize me. Which is weird but cool. I really look forward to those times when I get to come to the US and be an author because the rest of the time, I´m just an average person, going about my business here.
Therefore, the spotlight is rare and alien to me. To complicate matters further, I am by nature an introvert. In person, I listen more than I talk. I observe people and how they interact. (Some would argue that´s why my characters feel so real.) If I don´t approach you, should we happen to encounter one another in person, it´s frankly because I figure you have more interesting things to do. That doesn´t mean I wouldn´t be overjoyed to chat with you, but it´s shyness, not disinterest. So if you see me at a signing or a book fair or a convention, stop me. Talk to me. I want to meet you, but I´m a little freaked out by crowds. Chances are, I would love a friendly face and a wave or to spend fifteen minutes with you over coffee.
What authors would you guys like to meet?
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It’s giveaway time! One very lucky commenter will win a signed copy of Blue Diablo! Just comment and say you want to win it, and be sure you have a valid email address somewhere in your comment. If you do win, I encourage you to post a review and let the rest of us know what you think!
The contest ends at 9:00 a.m. CDT tomorrow (that’s Saturday, April 18), so be sure to enter quickly! And spread the word!
Related posts:
I’d just like to point out that Ann is an AWESOME writer. I met her through the Sirantha Jax series (Grimspace, Wanderlust, and DOUBLEBLIND NEEDS TO COME OUT FASTER), which I thoroughly enjoyed (I’m a sci-fi/fantasy buff). I took a chance and read Blue Diablo just because Ann is awesome, and I really enjoyed it even though I’ve never read urban fantasy before. I really think that there is a good possibility that Ann will eventually end up publishing in hard cover, not just in soft cover.
Plus, I’d be all over the epic fantasy :)
I recently got to met two authors. I’ve never met any before and I was freakin excited and nervous. I’m a shy person in person. Hope that makes sense. Anyway I met Monica Burns and Melissa Schroeder. There were other authors there but I went just because of them. It was awesome and I wish I was more out-going. But for me *sigh* it was very great.
I’ve been lucky to have met most of my “Before I die” authors at the two previous RWA conferences. Two left on my list: Lani Diane Rich and Jenny Crusie. I’d probably make a fool of myself with JC, but it happened before I died.
Sidenote: I think 80 percent of authors are introverts i.e. people watchers.
Thanks for having me!
I’ve only met one author so far–Neil Gaiman, who is one of the loveliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting. But I really want to start making it to more cons to meet more of my favorites! I think Ann said she’s thinking about going to a convention in Austin; I might have to make the drive to that one. :)
Celebrith, I still get fanmail for a book Random House published only in e-form, many years ago. The book is now out of “print”, and I would someday very much like to complete the trilogy as I intended. Thanks for your kind words about my hardcover potential. A fabulous bookseller named Patrick at Mysterious Galaxy recently said the same thing.
Brandy, that’s really cool! I was so nervous when I met Nora Roberts. I’m sure she has no idea who I am, but she’s one of my idols.
Melissa, does JC attend RWA? I don’t even know.
Great post! There are so many I’d like to meet…off the top of my head, maybe Laura Lippman or Jeri Smith-Ready? Two author meetings I’ve already had that stand out for me: Ursula K. Le Guin (in high school) and Neil Gaiman (at a signing). Pretty sure I uttered barely a word during either as I was so afraid of making a fool of myself.
Jeri Smith-Ready is WONDERFUL, as a person and an author.
I would love to meet Christopher Moore, Simon Green, Masha Canham, Connie Brockway, Alice Hoffman, Roberta Gellis, Anne Stuart, Patricia Briggs, Lilith Saintcrow, Karen Chance,…..honestly I could go on and on and on
flilp, I’d love to meet Patricia Briggs and Karen Chance, too. I’m going to have to add Terry Pratchett to my list; I’ve got friends who attend a Discworld con in England, and they say he’s a really great person. I’d also like to meet Elizabeth Peters; she’s such a smart lady!
I do not need to be entered because I already won a copy of Blue Diablo but I would like to meet you Ann, Patty Briggs, Anne Bishop, Laura Anne Gilman, Lisa Shearin, Jeaniene Frost, Sharon Shinn, Robin McKinley, Robin Owens, Anne McCaffrey…ok starting to look like a book addict here. I think I will stop with those.
Hi Ann. Just stopping by to say Hi and I wanna win!!! I would love to meet sooooo many of todays popular paranormal writers but right now I would have to say Jer Smith-Ready, Cheyenne McCray, Shiloh Walker and Sherrilyn Kenyon would be at the top of the list. Thanks Shell
I would love to be entered. I have been reading so much about Blue Diablo I cant wait to get the chance to read it.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
DonnaS, you won a copy over at Fantasy Debut. Have you emailed Azteclady yet?
Not anymore. Last year she held a Cherry Con in Ohio. I had spent all my extra cash on RWA and couldn’t go. One of these days though.
fangirl, I love Elizabeth Peters. I have been reading her books for nearly forty years.
Wow, there are so many authors I’d love to meet. Heading to Dragon*Con (my first ever convention) this year, so I’ll get to tick a few off my list. But ones I’d definitely love to meet include J.R. Ward, Patricia Briggs, the dynamic duo that is Ilona Andrews, Adrian Phoenix, Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead, Jennifer Rardin, Caitlin Kittredge and Jeaniene Frost.
I just picked up a copy of Grimspace for a reading challenge this month (and after a glowing review from a few friends). I’m definitely looking forward to starting it soon!
I’ve heard so much on Aguirre. I’d like to try her myself. Sounds like an interesting new book.
email: live experiment@aol.com
I am really looking forward to seeing and talking with my readers at RT in Orlando next week. If you’re going say hi to me!
Just dropping in to say, I’m reading BLUE DIABLO right now, just about finished. And I am loving it!
Hi Ann,
Love your Jax series and looking forward to reading Blue Diablo. Would love to win it!
Authors I would like to meet are you for one. I’d love to hear some of those stories you have yet to write. I’m shy too and don’t like crowds so not sure where I would meet any authors but if I could I would also like to meet Nalini Singh. I’m crazy about her books and she just seems like a genuinely nice person. Plus she has that cool accent. :)
Thanks for the chance to win Blue Diablo.
lgladnick AT cox DOT net
Thanks to everyone who posted. Time to pick a winner:
It’s Sarah! (Comment 9) Email azteclady1 at gmail.com to get your book.
Wow, thank you! I’ve been dying to read “Blue Diablo.” Hooray!
love to win
Hello! I’ve been a lurker of your site and that sounds really creepy. Anyway, just wanted to let you know we wanted to give you an award:
http://thebizarrelibrary.wordpress.com/urban-tales/
Also, bummed that I miss this contest.
Wow, thanks Alice!