Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.
Over the past few years, I have become a fan of Brandon Sanderson. This might not be news to you. I "may" have spoken of his work here and there. I "may" have raved about his Writing Excuses podcast. You "may" have heard me say he's a brilliant storyteller. In fact, my agent caught me going on about Brandon Sanderson at a writers conference once and she accused me of having an author crush.
I didn't know there were such things. But when she put it that way, I could not refute it.
And it's all in good fun. I do have a great respect for Brandon Sanderson's storytelling abilities. I own many of his books. And if I had the opportunity, I would buy him a cup of coffee (or cocoa if he preferred) and thank him for hours of entertainment.
If I were to make a list of writers that I so admire I wish we were pals, Brandon would be at the top of that list.
Also on the list would be:
J.K. Rowling
Rick Riordan
Scott Westerfeld
L. M. Montgomery
Frank Peretti (Met him! And bought him lunch! See picture on right.)
C. S. Lewis
J. R. R. Tolkien
Meg Cabot
Andrew Peterson
John Grisham
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Jane Austen
Travis Thrasher
Louis Sachar
and Lloyd Alexander
That all, I think. Though I probably forgot someone. This is a list of authors whose work I greatly admire. Whose writing styles lead me to believe they are likable individuals. Who I'd like to buy a cup of coffee or cocoa and thank them for hours of entertainment. (And, yes, I realize some of these authors are no longer living. So I'll just have to chat them up in heaven someday.)
How about you? Which writers would you like to be friends with?
I didn't know there were such things. But when she put it that way, I could not refute it.
And it's all in good fun. I do have a great respect for Brandon Sanderson's storytelling abilities. I own many of his books. And if I had the opportunity, I would buy him a cup of coffee (or cocoa if he preferred) and thank him for hours of entertainment.
If I were to make a list of writers that I so admire I wish we were pals, Brandon would be at the top of that list.
J.K. Rowling
Rick Riordan
Scott Westerfeld
L. M. Montgomery
Frank Peretti (Met him! And bought him lunch! See picture on right.)
C. S. Lewis
J. R. R. Tolkien
Meg Cabot
Andrew Peterson
John Grisham
Laura Ingalls Wilder
Jane Austen
Travis Thrasher
Louis Sachar
and Lloyd Alexander
That all, I think. Though I probably forgot someone. This is a list of authors whose work I greatly admire. Whose writing styles lead me to believe they are likable individuals. Who I'd like to buy a cup of coffee or cocoa and thank them for hours of entertainment. (And, yes, I realize some of these authors are no longer living. So I'll just have to chat them up in heaven someday.)
How about you? Which writers would you like to be friends with?
Cool! =) I think I used to have an author crush on Louis Sacher. Snatched up all his books away from my brother =P They're do great! =)
ReplyDeleteSome authors on my list are...
Louis Sacher
Jill Williamson *winks*
Stephanie Morrell
C.S. Lewis
Alexandre Dumas
Julie Klassen
Jerry B. Jenkins
Tim LaHaye
Janet and Geoff Benge
I'm probably forgetting millions more, but, let's just say that there are some great authors out there that I really would like to meet! =)
TW Wright
ravensandwriting.blogspot.com
They're so great! Not, They're do great! =P
DeleteJulie Klassen would have been on my list, but I met her twice last year.
DeleteOh my pumpernickel, such a hard question. I guess my list would be:
ReplyDelete-You, duh.
-J.R.R. Tolkien
-C.S. Lewis
-Anne Elisabeth Stengl
-Bryan Davis
-Christopher Hopper
-Wayne Thomas Batson
-Andrew Peterson
-Dianna Wynne Jones
And several others, but those are the main ones.
I have been stalking Wayne Batson. Several times we've been in the same building and have never met. Someday. :-)
DeleteI think that my BFF may have met him before at a homeschool. She has all of her Door Within books signed. :)
DeleteJohn Green would have to be my number one!
ReplyDeleteThat would be fun. I'm curious what he's like.
DeleteI'm hoping he would be like what I've seen on VlogBrothers and in interviews, but there's no way he can be that hyper all the time haha.
DeleteYou've met Frank Peretti? Lucky!
ReplyDeleteI would have to say
C.S. Lewis
J.R.R. Tolkien
John Grisham
Laura Ingalls Wilder
and Frank Peretti
I did! He randomly came to my little church in California one day with this college kid. They were acting partners. My husband and I took them out to lunch. The acting kid didn't know that his acting partner had written a ton of amazing books. LOL
DeleteThat's funny, Mrs. Williamson!
DeleteThat is funny :b wow, just randomly. I wish he'd accidentally break down in my town or something. Lol
DeleteSome of mine, in no particular order.
ReplyDeleteJill Williamson(technically, I've already met her, but it was a fleeting conversation. I got pictures, though. And a book of hers that I owned got signed)
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Lloyd Alexander
Wayne Thomas Batson
D. Barkley Briggs(almost met him, but he never showed up because something happened and he slept in :P)
Andrew Peterson
Amanda L. Davis
Bryan Davis
Patrick W. Carr
Bryan Jaques
Kerry Nietz
Those are just some. Would be awesome to meet them! :)
-Ryebrynn
Did I sign your arm? Just wondering. I signed someone's arm... LOL
DeleteI met Amanda Davis! She got a copy of Replication. And I'd love to spend some time with Kerry Nietz and Pat Carr. They are online friends of mine. I've never met Kerry, and Pat and I have been at ACFW but not had a chance to talk much.
No, you didn't sign my arm. Signed my book though, but I already mentioned that. I think you signed my brother's book, too.
DeleteAwesome!
-Ryebrynn
And my brother is Jake Buller.
DeleteStephanie Morrill, John Green, and Ester Grace Earl.
ReplyDeleteAuthors? I'd have to say Patrick Ness, Jerry Spinelli, Elizabeth Eulberg, Margaret Atwood, John Green, and Shannon Hale. But I'm more literary agent obsessed; if I could, I'd want to be friends with Donald Maass. He's my dream agent and is so knowledgeable.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'd love to meet you and Stephanie! That'd be Uh-MAZING.
I'd like to meet Donald Maass. And Shannon Hale. And Anastasia Elizabeth too. ;-)
DeleteBrandon Sanderson, J.K. Rowling, Andrew Klavan, and Rick Riordan.
ReplyDeleteOoh, I'd put Andrew on my list. Katie, you and I should stalk these four together. Save time that way. Team effort, and all. :-)
DeleteI would love to meet Jill and Steph in person. :)
ReplyDeleteBrian Davis
Frank Peretti (Lucky Jill)
Julie Klassen
Donita Paul
C.S. Lewis
Elisabeth Speare
just to name a few.
Julie Klassen was on my list for a long time! I finally met her at a conference (she's tall and blond, so quite easy to spot), told her how much I loved her books, and asked her if she would sign them for me. She's surprisingly easy to talk to. We chatted for about 30 minutes (I asked lots of dorky writing questions) and then she sat with me at lunch. Excellent, excellent lady.
DeleteDonita K. Paul would be similar, I think. She's extremely modest and kind hearted. I've met Bryan Davis as well (early in the Dragons In Our Midst) years and he was also very kind.
Lucky. :)
DeleteI forgot Lisa T. Bergren. She and Donita Paul live only around fifteen minutes from me. I have to meet them soon. :)
Brooke that is so funny because both of these authors live in my town as well :).
DeleteI'd love to meet Donita and Lisa. Been online acquaintances for years, but never met. And I got to have lunch with Julie Klassen last year in Oregon. I told her to read Shades of Milk and Honey (Regency fantasy) and begged her to give me her list of Recency resources for my own Regency fantasy novel. And she did! Now, if I could only find time to write it...
DeleteI adore that picture of you and Frank! You look equally thrilled to be meeting each other :)
ReplyDeleteThe first writer who comes to mind for me is Sarah Dessen. I absolutely adore her. And our daughters could go play together :)
Amy Sherman-Palladino was the creator and head writer of Gilmore Girls. I've always thought she would be amazing to meet. Back when I wanted to write for TV, I queried her (I'm sure that's NOT how it's done, but I was ignorant) and she wrote me the nicest no on Gilmore Girls stationary. It's the only rejection I've ever saved. (And framed. I'm a dork.)
J. K. Rowling would be amazing. I would love to talk to her, Stephenie Meyer, and Suzanne Collins about the pressures involved in having crazy bestsellers like that.
Stephanie Perkins writes quirky YA books that I love, so that would be fun. Same with Meg Cabot. I loved The Princess Diaries.
Nothing could quite beat tea with Jane Austen, though :)
He was such a good sport. He got his picture taken with the every conferee that year, I think.
DeleteI love that you framed that rejection! How fun.
Yes, I'd like to have tea with Jane. Tell her about the computer and see what she'd think.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteJ. R. R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Sir Martin Gilbert, G.K. Chesterton, James Herriot, and Louis L'Amour. Oh, and John Grisham. That's my friend group, y'all.
ReplyDeleteNice list. John Grisham was my one and only for years. (Before I stared reading YA and fantasy.) I hear such great things about him too.
DeleteI have a feeling C.S. Lewis and I would get along rather well. The other authors I would love to be friends with include:
ReplyDeleteJ.K. Rowling
John Flanagan
J.R.R. Tolkien
Brandon Sanderson
Lisa T Bergren
Rick Riordan
Veronica Roth, definitely!
ReplyDeleteVeronica Roth, C.S.Lewis, L.M.Montgomery, J.R.R.Tolkien, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jane Austen, Suzanne Collins... maybe more, but I couldn't come up with any more at the moment.
ReplyDeleteJ.R.R. Tolkien
ReplyDeleteC.S. Lewis
Martha Finley
Gilbert Morris
Brock Eastman
Wayne Thomas Batson
I am sure that there are others! But, that is my friends list (for now)
Woah, I've sort of met Brock Eastman! My dad works with him and actually illustrated a few of his books!
DeleteThat is so neat!
DeleteThanks! :)
DeleteMy list would be...
ReplyDeleteChristopher Paolini
Cassandra Clare
Jill Williamson
Suzanne Collins
Veronica Roth (I'd probably cry, and then buy her coffee)
Melanie Dickerson
Louis Lamour
The dude who wrote Hank the Cowdog...
C.S. Lewis
Jennifer L. Holm
And that's all I can think of right now XP
In no particular order.
ReplyDeleteTravis Thrasher
Frank Peretti
Arthur Conan Doyle
SE. Hinton
Jenny B Jones
Jr. Tolkien
Christopher Paolini
Sigmund Brouwer
G.P Taylor
Lemony Snicket
Jill Williamson
Neil Gaiman
Jenny! She is lots of fun. You will laugh. Ooh, I'd like to meet Neil Gaiman. That would be interesting.
DeleteYou met her, your so lucky. I also think it would be so much fun to meet you. I could talk about your Blood of Kings series for hours. Even my dad read them and enjoyed them almost as much as me.
DeleteLemony Snicket's on my list as well. I think he's fantastic.
DeleteI know his writing is so unique. He's one of the writers I aspire to be like.
DeleteThanks, Skye! You made me smile. :-D
DeleteBeverly Lewis, Robin Jones Gunn, Janette Oke and Lynn Austin. :)
ReplyDeleteRobin Jones Gunn was at my very first book signing. It was a multi-author signing. So the rest of us tried to steal her long line of fans. But Robin was so kind and fun. She's a great speaker too.
DeleteThat is SO awesome! :D
DeleteUm.. Ted Dekker, Veronica Roth, Suzanne Collins, James Dashner, Brandon Sanderson, Demitria Lunetta, Morgan Rhodes, Travis Thrasher, Christopher Paolini. There are so many I'd love to be friends with! :D
ReplyDeleteWell, here we go (no particular order):
ReplyDeleteLois Walfrid Johnson
Jennifer Erin Valent
Stephanie Morrill
Julie Klassen
Karen Witemeyer
Jen Turano
Regina Jennings
Melanie Dickerson
Laura Frantz
Anne Mateer
Anne Elisabeth Stengl
And that's just a start. :)
Wow. Tough question. I just read my first book by Brandon Sanders (Steeheart) and boy was it ever good! Are his other books equally clean or no?
ReplyDeleteI'd put you and Stephanie on my list but I have pictures of me eating lunch with you two already. But I wouldn't mind a repeat, so you can stay! Who else?
Suzanne Collins (not so much because I love her writing but I'd love to hear her thoughts on why her books make people think.)
Randy Alcorn
John Flanagan
C.S. Lewis
Chuck Black (Didn't have lunch but got to talk to him for a long time at a conference. He and his family are super nice!)
Elizabeth George Speare
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Tom Davis (That would be one intense lunch...)
Rachel Starr Thomson
Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Dandi Daley Mackall
Margaret Peterson Haddix
And probably more...
I would say his other books are equally clean, but I haven't read Elantris, Warbreaker, or The Emperor's Soul. As a caution, the writing in his other books is a little less tight than in Steelheart. But they are no less awesome.
DeleteI've been mulling this question over in my mind all day! Here's my list:
ReplyDelete-Corrie Ten Boom
-C.S. Lewis
-Leo Tolstoy
-Charles Dickens
-Roseanna White
-Elizabeth George Speare
I love to also think about which characters from books I would like to spend time with. If the characters are so relatable and well-developed that I start placing myself inside the book--wondering what they would think about me, how I would interact with them, etc.--I know the author has created people, not just characters.
I love your list!
DeleteBrandon Sanderson. Yes.
ReplyDeleteC.S. Lewis
J.R.R. Tolkien
Corrie Ten Boom
Charles Dickens
Jody Hedlund
J.K. Rowling
Lemony Snicket (I forgot his real name. Daniel something?)
Gail Carson Levine
Patricia C. Wrede
Jessica Day George
Louisa May Alcott
Lloyd Alexander
Trenton Lee Stewart
Jane Austen
Marissa Meyer
And I think that's about it. Probably a few more....
Woops! I'd love to meet you and Stephanie as well. Forgot to put you on my list. :)
DeleteWell...since I've done reports on both Lewis and Tolkien (GO INKLINGS!!!) I know those two the best (like, I feel as though I've met them). Lewis was an evangelical I think, Tolkien was Roman Catholic, so on religion stand points, I'd go with Lewis. Although, I feel as though I'm more like Tolkien when it comes to life and writing, so....
ReplyDeleteBut, MAN I'd love to meet Rowling! So many writers questions I would ask...
Also on my list would be:
Robert Liparulo (have two autographs, but never met him in person! agh!!!)
Andrew Klavan
Evan Angler
JK Rowling
JRR Tolkien
CS Lewis
Hmmm.......
ReplyDeleteStephanie Morrill
Jill Williamson
Veronica Roth
Suzanne Collins
Lisa T Bergen
Sigmund Brouwer (I met him! He signed my book!)
Donita K Paul
Frank Peretti
Stephen Lawhead
Truthfully, I would die just to meet any author in general. Every time I meet one in a book store, I completely flip out. I have to remind myself that they're human too!! XD
Hmmm let's see:
ReplyDeleteGail Carson Levine
Donita K. Paul
Wendy Mass
Allie Condie
J.K. Rowling
C.S. Lewis
Christopher Paolini
Eoin Colfer
Angie Sage
Hmmm,
ReplyDeleteSarah Dessen
Jill Williamson
Stephanie Morril
Jodi Picoult
Angie Sage
Chanda Hahn, and many more!
They all seem so knowledgeable and I would want to see if they are anything like the characters they write about!!
Nancy Rue and Krista McGee. They write amazing YA books.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, I love Frank Peretti! He would totally be on my list. As well as Francine Rivers, and L. M. Montgomery.
ReplyDeleteRebecca
Angie Sage. Angie Sage Angie Sage Angie Sage. She is such a good writer!!! I love her way of storytelling and her characters.
ReplyDeleteAnd then I think I'd like to meet Cornelia Funke, Meg Rosoff, Mary E Pearson, Nina Blazon, J.K. Rowling, ...
I am soooo happy to see Andrew Peterson on your list! So few people have heard of him yet his books are amazing! And he's a Tolkien/Lewis fan too :) His music is also very good.
ReplyDeleteI have an author I like to read who is not very well known, Michael Scott. I also like to read books by Karen Traviss
ReplyDeletePretty much any author would be fun to talk to just to learn...even the ones I don't like. I haven't read any of your books, so I can't put you on my list :) most of my faves, are dead, and even though I like certain authors books, I'm not sure they themselves would be at the top of my list just because of what I've read of them and they don't seem to have much in common. But for the favorites!
ReplyDeleteKatherine Paterson
Sir Walter Scott
R. M. Ballintyne
G. A. Henty
Martha Finley
L. M. Alcott
Judy Baer
Frank Peretti
Robert Stevenson
Elizabeth George Speare
I got to meet Bryan Davis last year! And my list of other authors would probably be ...
ReplyDeleteJill Williamson
Stephanie Morril
Shannon Dittemore
Krista McGee
And I think Suzanne Collins would be cool to meet, too.
Jessica Day George, Shannon Hale, and Cornelia Funke. Their stories have helped me with my writing and shown me what it is about writing that I love.
ReplyDeleteMarissa Meyer, Shannon Hale, Suzanne Collins, J.K. Rowling, Frank L. Baum and Patricia C. Wrede (Dealing With Dragons), and Bryan Davis, just because his Echoes from the Edge series was sooooo good...
ReplyDeleteStephen King
ReplyDeleteNora Roberts
Janelle Taylor
J.R.R. Tolkien
to name a few...
Oh that's hard! My list would probably be:
ReplyDeleteSuzanne Collins
Jill Williamson (hi!)
Stephanie Morrill
Frank Perritti
Angie Sage
Brandon Sanderson
Bryan Davis
Eoin Colfer...
Jane Austen
Laura Ingalls Wilder
I could probably go on for a while, but those are some off of the top of my head. Cool post!
Alexa Skrywer
alexaskrywer.blogspot.com
I am incorrigibly in love with Mr. Tolkien.
ReplyDelete