Top Ten Authors I'm Dying to Meet

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. There is a new subject each week and this week's topic is "Top Ten Authors I'm Dying to Meet".


I've never met a famous author before or even just an author I really admire. I have a feeling that if I did, I'd be tongue-tied (especially with the first three authors on my list!). Still, here are some authors I am dying to meet:

1. J.K. Rowling


I would love to meet J.K. Rowling but if I did I have a feeling I would not be able to utter a coherent sentence. Or I would go all fangirl and shriek about how much I love her books, how they've changed my life, will she write more about the world of HP, etc. and annoy her. Probably a good thing that I won't be meeting her any time soon...

2. Gail Carriger


I was so disappointed that I wasn't able to go to ALA this year and even more disappointed because I knew that Gail Carriger was going to be there! Of course if I had the opportunity to meet her, I'd likely sound like a blithering idiot. If an author is witty enough to create a character like Alexia Tarabotti, she is likely really intelligent, fashionable, and bitingly funny herself. If I did meet Gail, I'd hopefully be able to thank her for introducing the world to such fun characters and making me give steampunk another chance.

3. Rick Riordan


I have heard that Rick Riordan is funny in real life and his books certainly suggest that. I always find myself laughing out loud when I read-even the chapter names amuse me. I'd like to meet this creative and funny writer who sneaks educational stuff into his entertaining books. I know I'd act like an idiotic fangirl if I met him but I'd love to hear him discuss his books and research. Oh and I'd ask him if he can give us any hints about The Son of Neptune or if he will ever write a series about Hindu gods or Norse mythology.

4. Deanna Raybourn


I am a recent devotee of the Lady Julia Gray mysteries but I'd be delighted to meet Deanna Raybourn. Even if I guess who the killer is there are always unexpected twists and her main characters Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane are so much fun to read about. So are the eccentric members of the March family! I don't know what I'd ask her if I met her but I bet she'd have interesting things to say.

5. Ally Carter


I want to meet Ally Carter because her books are so much fun and from reading her blog and her tweets I have a feeling she has a great sense of humor too. I'd want to ask her how she does her research for her books, especially the Gallagher Girls series. 

6. Veronica Roth


I was blown away by Divergent when I read it recently and I'd love to meet Veronica Roth before she becomes as famous as Suzanne Collins or J.K. Rowling. I'd ask her which faction she'd choose and see if she'd share any tidbits of what to expect from Insurgent.

7.  Maggie Stiefvater


Maggie Stiefvater is such a creative and talented author, artist, and musician. Truthfully her next series kind of creeps me out but it sounds fascinating and will probably be just as good as The Wolves of Mercy Falls. If I met her, I'd just thank her for writing such beautiful books.




8. Sophie Kinsella/Madeleine Wickham 


I love the Becky Bloomwood books and not just because Becky reminds me a little of my former shopaholic sister. They aren't literary or groundbreaking but they are fun books that epitomize "beach read". Anyone who can write such a fun character like Becky is someone I'd like to meet. I'd ask Sophie/Madeleine if she plans to keep writing Becky Bloomwood books and if Becky will ever be "cured" of her shopping addiction.

9. Cassandra Clare


 In spite of my disappointment with City of Fallen Angels I am still a huge fan of The Mortal Instruments. I am also excited to read Clockwork Prince. I would love to meet Cassandra Clare to tell her how much I adore the fictional world she has created and its characters. I also love the humor in her books. I'm glad the first book is being made into a movie though not sure if Hollywood will get it right...

10. Julia Quinn


I am a new fan of Julia Quinn. I never thought that I'd be a fan of mainstream historical romance but I make an exception for her writing because it is so funny and I like her characters. I also like that there is usually an entertaining plot (in the three books I've read anyway). If I met her, I'd ask her if she (or her fictional character who wrote it) will ever publish Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron.

11. Cindy Pon


Silver Phoenix and Fury of the Phoenix are two of my favorite fantasy books. If I met Cindy, I'd thank her for writing such fantastic stories featuring a POC heroine. I'd ask her what kind of book she is working on next. I also admire Cindy for her work with Diversity in YA (along with Malinda Lo and other authors).

12. John Granger "The Hogwarts Professor"


You may not have heard of John Granger before but he is a Harry Potter expert who has written several books on the symbolism and deeper meaning in the books. I read Looking For God in Harry Potter (an excellent book on the religious significance/themes of the Harry Potter books and why they are not evil) and it really increased my appreciation for J.K. Rowling's writing and research she put into the books.  I also had the opportunity to participate in an online book discussion of Half Blood Prince that he moderated. Most interesting is that someone guessed correctly a lot of the secrets from Deathly Hallows (Snape's connection to Lily, Horcrux Harry, the theory of Dumbledore's "stoppered death"). It made me wonder if it was J.K. Rowling herself posting in disguise! Anyway, I digress. If I met John Granger, I'd thank him for his illuminating books. 

13. Diana Gabaldon

I have not yet caught up on the series but I loved Outlander. It is set in Scotland, involves history, romance, and time travel, and I love the characters of Jamie and Claire. The book is detailed and a lot goes on but I thought it was fantastic. It isn't for everyone (there are some explicit and rather violent parts) and it is incredibly long-I read it as an e-book which saved my poor wrists. I would love to meet Diana Gabaldon to learn more about the series and the research involved in writing the books. I think she'd have a lot of fascinating things to say!

Other authors I'd be delighted to meet (but didn't feel like writing in depth about why I'd love to meet them):

Sarah Dessen

Lauren Oliver

Alison Goodman

Y.S. Lee

So that is my list though truthfully there are several more authors I'd love to meet. 

Did any of these authors make your list?