This story begins in 2005, when I was 15. I’d just read PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern, along with a few other girls in my year at school, and we’d all fallen head over heels in love with Gerry. I blubbed my heart out at the end of that book. (While I appreciate the movie, and it makes me blub too, they didn’t get it spot on).

We found out Cecelia Ahern was doing a book signing for her latest release, If You Could See Me Now, so we all rushed into town after school to meet the woman herself. Regular readers of this blog know I whinge constantly about the lack of author signings in Ireland, and because of this, I wasn’t familiar with how these things work. What I didn’t realise, is that you can usually bring some of your own books with you, to get those signed as well. By the time I got to the front, there wasn’t much I could do about it. Lesson learned for next time.

While browsing Twitter, I spotted that Cecelia Ahern was having a book signing in the same Easons to promote her latest book, The Marble Collector. I’d get a copy of her new book of course, but what I was really after was the elusive signed edition of PS I Love You. The signing was being held at lunch time, on a week day. Not too much of a problem, I’d just take the day off work. Except it was during an external audit so there was no getting out of it… Aha! My sister wasn’t working that day, and if I asked her very nicely, maybe she would go for me. It wouldn’t be the same as getting to go myself, but at least I’d have that signed book. Luckily she agreed.

Flash forward to the night before the signing:

So, the next day I go to work, doing my usual routine, grab a coffee in the afternoon to keep me going. When I get a notification for this:

Yep, and the sticking tongues out part? That was Cecelia’s idea! Turns out when my sister asked her for a photo, they got talking, and as Cecelia had liked my sister’s Tweet the night before, she was aware that the books were for me and I couldn’t go.

At least it’s nice to know one of your favourite authors has a sense of humour, right?

Do you have any stories about signings, getting to meet your favourite authors, or like me someone else getting to meet an author on your behalf?! Share your stories in the comments!