Today's topic is "real life" experiences - including partnerships in local community, book events attended of blogger meet ups.
So today I chose to write about a book event that I attended last October where I also had the chance to meet a handful of fellow Canadian book bloggers.
It was my second time attending the Smart Chicks Kick It tour. I attended the first year just after starting my blog and my fiancee went with me since I didn't know anyone. But this time around I met up with some amazing Ottawa area bloggers.
We arranged to meet for dinner at a restaurant not far from the library where the Smart Chicks Tour was being held. I met up with with Meaghan (Feeling a Little Bookish), Emilie (Emilie's Book World), Carmel (Rabid Reads) and Katherine (The Lady Critic's Library). They were wonderful to meet in person and I still chat with them via Twitter all the time. I would love to meet up with them again sometime, but haven't been able to make the trek to Ottawa lately.
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| (L-R) Chrystal, Emilie, Carmel, Meaghan and Katherine. |
After having a lovely dinner with everyone and getting to know each other a little better and our book genre tastes, it was time to head over to the event.
The crowd was
amazing and made up mostly of younger teens, but throw in a few parents,
a few fans of Kelley Armstrong's adult series and the book bloggers and
you have yourself a fun crowd. I think the younger crowd asked the most
thoughtful and amazing questions.
I actually printed out the Smart Chicks Tour poster on photo paper and had all of the authors sign it. It's probably one of my favourite swag items that I own.
I also brought along a few books that I already owned to have the authors sign and they were so absolutely fun to chat with and meet.
I would have to say that attending an event with people of a like mind is so much more fun than going alone. You have someone to talk to about the books, the authors and your love of reading. It's energizing and exciting. i cannot wait to attend some more events either in Ottawa or Toronto (I live pretty much halfway between), so that I can meet more of my online blogging friends. And next time I think it would be even more fun if my real life BFF and fellow book blogger, Aislynn, were able to attend with me.
That's a great picture and so glad you got to a cool event AND meet some local bloggers! Sometimes interacting with other bloggers is the best part of going to events ;)
ReplyDelete♥Isalys / Book Soulmates
Armchair BEA: Book Soulmates on Networking
Thanks for stopping by Isalys! :) Events are pretty sweet especially when you can spend them with friends. :)
DeleteThat's awesome! It sounds like you had such a great time.
ReplyDeleteIf you have the time, I’d love to hear from you at my armchair BEA post.
It's always a great time hanging with these ladies or even just chatting on twitter with them. :)
DeleteThis sounds like a blast! I should totally try to go to more author events. They just always seem to happen when I have commitments elsewhere! Lol.
ReplyDeleteMost of the events that I want to go to are always on weeknights and I live too far to drive there and back to attend. 2+ hours each way is not cool on a weeknight. So I generally attend weekend or Friday night events. :)
DeleteHope you can find some great events to attend near you soon!
that's awesome you were able to meet some other bloggers. they are the best. it's great to find people that like the things you do and will actually ENJOY talking about it. I'm lucky that my sister and one of my besties do read and I can talk to them, but bloggers know more. LOL
ReplyDelete-Lauren
Hi Lauren! My sister likes reading, but doesn't really chat about books all that much, not in the way bloggers do. But we do trade books from time to time. And my BFF is a book blogger - Aislynn from Stitch Read Cook :)
DeleteI agree that the younger teens always ask the coolest questions at events I've been to. I never have any clue what to ask!
ReplyDeleteI wish more events were held locally, because I can rarely make it to Toronto on a weeknight. =(
Are you going to the Ontario Book Blogger Meet-up this fall?
Here's my post.
Hey Ashley! Ya I don't make it to Toronto all that often lately only because weeknights are not ideal for me to go back and forth between Toronto and Kingston, but weekends sometimes work. :)
DeleteI am hoping to attend the Ontario Book Blogger Meetup - I was supposed to go last fall, but had to give up my ticket at the last minute due to a family function. *crossing my fingers for this year*
That looked like fun. Kelley Armstrong...wish we could get her to my part of TX. Glad you've got a good community.
ReplyDeleteI will cross my fingers that Kelley stops through your hometown sometime soon. She is always doing signings and events all over Ontario because she lives here.
DeleteI've heard great things about events in TX. :)
The events in Ontario always seem so fun! :D I always wish that I could go to them, but at least I get to see them through pictures. :) I love the wrap up posts from all of those events! :D
ReplyDeleteKelley Armstrong and the Chicks Kick It tour didn't come here last time, but this year they're coming! :D I can't wait!!!! :D I think I might take a note from your book and print off a poster too, that's a great idea! :D
Thanks for sharing, Chrystal! :D
Ambur
My Armchair BEA Networking Post
YAY! I am glad they are stopping near you so you can attend this year. I think the closest one to me is Montreal... which I was debating on going to with fellow bloggers, but I think it's pretty close to my wedding so I think I'm passing this year. *sigh*
DeleteYou should totally print off the poster. They all happily signed mine. I still need to get it framed, but I have it in a safe place. :) I printed mine on matte photo paper with a white border on it... through Shoppers or Costco (can't remember now). :)
This is a great post. Whilst I'm not actually participating in Armchair BEA, I really do love reading bloggers posts and finding out more about the bloggers behind the posts. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteStephanie @ Stepping Out of the Page
Thanks Stephanie. I'm off to check out your blog. :)
DeleteOh! Printing out posters for authors to sign is such a great idea. I'll have to remember that.
ReplyDelete