Sandi Shilhanek | How Far Is Too Far?

When I originally thought about this week’s blog I thought I would write about how far a reader would travel to “meet” a favorite author. I was thinking about that because I was going to attend a function in Ft. Worth in which Robyn Carr was going to be the phone in author. However, fate decided to give me a sick husband and I had to cancel. (We won’t even discuss how disappointed I was about that!)

I’m lucky in that I live in a large area that has many interconnected highways,
so if the traffic fates are
smiling upon me nicely the commute between sites is smooth, and good for
listening to a great audio
book. If the traffic fates are conspiring against me well, I get a longer
commute, and more audio book
time!

I don’t travel to Ft. Worth often because it seems far away to me, but in
reality it might be only about a
sixty (60) minute drive…I guess that translates into about sixty (60) miles. Is
that too far to go for a
favorite author? What about having to go out of state to meet an author? How
far are you willing to
go? Does it depend on the author?

As for me if time, money, and family allow I don’t really know how far I’m
willing to go. I’ve done Ft.
Worth a time or two, and would love to make it a bit further field to have the
chance to meet not only
authors who have yet to make it to DFW, but some of my online friends as well.

Until next week happy page turning.

Sandi Shilhanek

DFW Tea Readers
Readers 'n 'ritas... celebrating literary obsessions

Comments

22 comments posted.

Re: Sandi Shilhanek | How Far Is Too Far?

I live in a major city and we never get anyone it seems. So I honestly for a favorite author would travel say 2 or 3 hours if I had the time and money. But then I never seem to see any of my favorite authors coming to Ohio??? What's up with that?? LOL
(Shauna George 11:06am February 7, 2010)

In all honesty, I am just a neighborhood driver. Unfortunately, my car is 17 years old and I cannot go far; afraid she might stahl etc. If I am close bye, one of my children can pick me up. I don't like traveling alone. I have a Barnes and Noble nearby which is a pretty good size but I will go there if one of my favorite authors were there. I think it is always fine to meet an author that you like. If you have the time and the desire and don't mind driving either a short or long distance, I say, "why not."
(Peg Fragale 11:15am February 7, 2010)

I guess it depends on my time and where author is going to be. We don't get very many authors I like up here in the Great White North.. Canada, that I know of. But if it was possible I would travel to see them if they were say an hour or two it takes me to drive to Buffalo NY or even down to Erie PA, where I go often to visit friends. It is my dream to go to the RWA to meet all of these great authors I love to read so much.. Maybe one day????
(Kathleen O'Donnell 11:26am February 7, 2010)

I'd have to say, anywhere where I can go and come back on the same day. I went to see Nora Roberts at her bookstore in MD about 5 years, or so, ago. It was about a 3 hour trip (went w/2 other people). The drive wasn't bad, even with some of the rain we hit. I'd do that again. I also saw here when she came to West Chester, which was an hour or so for me (again, when with a friend from the last trip). That was a Q&A and soooooo worth the time to go.

On the other hand, went over the bridge to Trenton (10 min) to see Janet Evanovich, waited in the heat for an hour, barely moved in line, and left. Wasn't even sure we make it to her in the alloted time she was there --- and it was HOT that day. I talked to some of the people in line, and a lot of those women had traveled far - some even from Canada! Unless I was making a vacation out of it, I wouldn't travel quite that far.

Like Kathleen, I'd love to go to the RWA someday. So far, when they've been close, they always fall on end of month close at work, and I can't take off those days. Hopefully, one of these days, I'll make it there:)
(Amanda Reeder-erdly 11:38am February 7, 2010)

I'm mostly a local area driver and the one time an author (Suzanne Brockmann) was actually here I was about to have knee surgery and physically could not manage it. I'm surprised you didn't hear my screams.lol
(Joyce Mandle 11:41am February 7, 2010)

I kept missing Anton Strout in
New York (1.5 hour train
ride), so when he did a
reading on his old stomping
grounds in Pittsfield, MA
(also old stomping grounds for
me, near where I went to
college), I drove the 2.5
hours to get there. I think
I've done drives about the
same distance to see Robert
Ballard (the scientist who
found the Titanic) and Brian
Jacques, but in those two
cases, I stayed with friends
nearby!
(Alana Abbott 12:09pm February 7, 2010)

We, who live in the DFW area, do seem lucky and have a number of wonderful authors come to our neck of the woods so driving anywhere in the metroplex to a book signing is eas to do. I was lucky to meet two of my very favorites, Jane Green and Adriana Tregiani this past year because they were in town. There was a group of ladies at the Tregiani book signing who had driven from McAllen (over 500 miles) to be there. I'd have driven that far to meet her myself. I suspect if I could work a little vacation into the event, I'd be even more likely to make the trip.
(Jill Hayden 12:45pm February 7, 2010)

I have been wanting to go to Washington State to see Port Orchard where debbie macomber lives some of the year. The town is sort of like the Cedar Cove she writes about in her book. If I could I would go just about anywhere to meet my Favorite authors in Robyn Carr and Toni Blake as well. We have a big nice B&N here in Wichita but don't seem to ever have any of the authors I know and read come here. Diana
(Diana Smith 1:21pm February 7, 2010)

An hour travel each way is about all I can manage.
(Mary Preston 2:28pm February 7, 2010)

Anything more than an hour away makes me gulp. It would have to be something extra spedcial to go further like a conference.
(Alyson Widen 2:51pm February 7, 2010)

We're in such an out-of-the-way place that no one ever comes here for anything. The closest that some author might come some day is a 2 hr. drive. I'd go, depending on who it was. I doubt if I'd go much farther than that, though.
(Donna Breitkreuz 4:00pm February 7, 2010)

To those of you that wish you could to RWA, I highly recommend it. I was able to go when it was in San Francisco in 2008(I think) and I was so glad I went. It was quite the experience. San Francisco is about 70 miles south of where I am. I would drive even further for some authors! I don't know of any that have come to my area that I wanted to see. The RWA book signing is an experience that I could babble about to you for a long time but I won't make this much longer. The year it was in Reno, NV I was planning to go but due to being in a new job with no vacation time I just couldn't do it. Darn!! I'm hoping someday it will be on the west coast again. Reno is about a 5 hour drive from me, an easy trip. I love to drive & have traveled many years on car trips by myself.
Enjoy the day! I have to go get ready to watch Super Bowl!!
(Donna McClure 4:20pm February 7, 2010)

Whoops! That is suppose to say "wish you could go to RWA"!!
(Donna McClure 4:21pm February 7, 2010)

I live in a rural area, so we travel for most things. We have a bookstore that specializes in Christian books not far away that will order general titles, but the closest general bookstore is an hour away. We can get some things at a Shopko and of course WalMart, but a true bookstore, you have to drive, but I guess we're used to it.
(MaryAnn Frerichs 6:37pm February 7, 2010)

I would travel a little ways if it were in my budget. I wish we had some authors come here but I never here of any coming here. I would love to have the money to go to the conferance and all. It is just not in my budget. One day i will meet some of my favorite authors!!!
(Julie Harper 6:44pm February 7, 2010)

I live in a very small area and would have to travel a very long ways to get anywhere near a place an author might go. As it is I have never had the joy of meeting an authors. If someone I really loved went to the biggest close place, it would be about 60 miles and I would consider that but no one ever goes there either, lol.
(Vicki Hancock 7:21pm February 7, 2010)

The farthest I've ever gone simply to "meet" an author was about 130 miles. I'd met Suzanne Brockmann before but wanted to get some of her newer books signed. A few years later, I drove about 100 miles with radial nerve palsy in my right hand for the same purpose. There are a few other authors I'd go as far if I had a car available. In my own city, I've met Kelley Armstrong, paranormal author, once and Diana Gabaldon twice. Kelley lives close and Diana has been promoted by UWO and might come again. Actually, I've never heard that the author who lives here has done a signing. Maybe I've just never known about them.
(Sigrun Schulz 8:07pm February 7, 2010)

I can get kinda crazy when it comes to meeting famous people. Where I live we don't get any famous authors here so I would go almost anywhere to see my favorite authors.
(Lisa Glidewell 10:59pm February 7, 2010)

Well I have driven from Marylnad to Pittsburg, and Exton. So that is 5 hours and with rotton traffic 6 hours. So I will travel pretty far. The last time I have to say I was dissapointed and wont be traveling for that author any more. I traveled to San Francisco in 2008 California to visit my BRR's and we went to RWA soooo that was way far.Then in 2009 RWA was in DC so they came to visit me and we hit that on too. It was awesome. I am thinking about going to Columbus for RT *sis lives near* so I would be going for books and sisterly vist. That is an 8 hour drive.. Lynsay Sand and JR Ward, I love thier books and have been luck to see JR twice adn Lynsay once!
(Linda Elliott 8:54am February 8, 2010)

I've traveled to Arkansas to see Sherrilyn Kenyon, then went to Ga to see her again, then she came to NC so saw her again(that was closest only a couple of hrs drive), I've been to NYC to see authors for the big RWA signing, went to GA for that signing and to DC for that signing. So yeah I've driven a ways to see authors, but I live in small town and the close bookstores rarely feature authors and the ones that do don't often feature romance authors. ROFL.

hugs,
WendyK
(Wilma Keel 11:44am February 8, 2010)

The only time I've ever got to meet an author was at a book store signing event at my then fave book store. They advertised it for about a week before hand so I was able to get there for it. I currently live almost 3 hours drive from the c=nearest city that has ever hosted any kind of romance convention. Unless I ever get lucky enough to win a trip(or the lottery)that is as far aas I will ever be able to go to meet an author. But very few get out to western Washington, except for that one annual convention, that I'll probably never get the chance to meet to ones I'd really love to meet.
(Carol Cobun 12:50pm February 9, 2010)

I do travel about 80 miles to Birmingham when I can to see authors -- that really has been the closest that any authors come to where I live. Once in awhile there may be someone in Huntsville more like 30 miles, but not often. When I had the $ & Vacation time I would travel to book conventions on the west coast of the US (was living in FL) and as far as Bristol UK. So much fun. Hopefully I will be able to do this again someday.
(Pam Nolan 9:14am February 10, 2010)

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