The Big "Bangs" Theory

Okay, so if you didn't think I was loser enough already--wait until you hear my stalker, fangirl tale.

Truly, there aren't many people I get crazy over. Bary Manilow, John Cusack and that's about it. Now the exception to the rule are two authors. Authors who have crazy premises and a wild sense of humor.

I can remember first reading them after a sabbatical from romance and thinking, "Wow, romance novels have changed. No more nannies falling in love with their employers ect." Thank God :)

This would be when I found Nina Bangs and Sandra Hill. Nina wrote a book called Night Games and I'd found it on Alibris while I was looking for used books. I liked the cover. It was about a guy from the future who played not the typical Monday Night Football, but Monday Night Sex.

I rolled around on the floor over that concept and bought the book. When I was done with it, I bought anything else she had too. Like The Pleasure Master ect. Her ideas were so unique and quite honestly, when I'd read other romance novels, I'd change the story in my head to some whacky premise if I was bored. Her stories fit the bill for my vivid imagination.

Now remember, I'd never planned to write a word until it just happened, but thinking back on when I wrote a narcoleptic vamp, I remember thinking about Nina Bangs when I thought the concept was going to make everyone go, huh? And it paid off for me. Yeah, people still thought I was nuts, but in a good way. LOLLOL. With all the dark vamps going around in e-books at the time, I thought I'd be raked over the coals. However, the e-community has a HUGE sense of humor and for that and for the inspiration Nina gave me, I'll be forever grateful.

it set me on the path of "what if" a werewolf, who essentially looks like a dog, was locked up in the pound and needed adopting? That led to where I am now with Berkley. Writers like Nina and Sandra and MJD sorta paved the way for the crazier folk like me. Tee hee :)

So every time I'd come up with some new, nutty idea, I'd always refer to Nina and Sandra who had the guts to walk out on a very shaky limb with some pretty hilarious, far out ideas.

Just recently I found out that Nina is a part of Berkley and that meant we were now collegues. Totally blew my mind. Totally. I kept thinking, how fricken' strange is life that me, an ex BQ and housewife from Jersey, could be in the same realm as someone I'd admired for several years? Truly life is stranger than fiction.

Then I found out she was going to be at RT in Houston too... I was giddy. Yet, I'd promised myself and R, I wouldn't behave like a tard. R said, "Just say, I'm a big fan of your work when you meet her and walk away with some class."

Yeah, that's exactly how it went down.

Or NOT. LOLLOL

So all my buds know I'm sorta over the top excited about Nina being there and one day in particular, when she was doing panels, my friend Ter had had many "Nina sightings". I was just never in the right place at the right time to catch her. Ter would call me on the phone and I was on my way to a booksellers get together ect, ect.

But I figure it's okay--I'll see her at the book fair and stalk her, er talk to her there. However, as luck would have it, we're in the bar (where we spent a good portion of our time) and Ter nudges me and says, "There's Nina."

I'm verklempt, speechless (I know, me????), torn as to whether I should tackle her or just look on in reverant admiration. Ter says, "C'mon, let's go see her." I follow because I'm atwitter and I can't think straight.

So we're all skulking up behind her and the entire time I'm saying to Ter in a hushed whisper, "Be subtle", then nearly screeching, "OMG, it's Nina Bangs!" And I can't seem to get up the courage to stop her as she's walking toward valet parking. This is sooooooo not me, people. I'm a take the bull by the horns kinda girl, yes? But I see the end of my road is coming because she's all leaving if I don't catch her. So I finally just do it.

I tap her on the shoulder and say, "Miss Bangs?" After that it's a blur of "OMG--I love you and I write for Berkely now too and OMG, I'm rambling right?" More blurry stuff, pictures taken, me sobbing and squealing like a pig and more, "OMG--I'm rambling, right?" I remember meeting her very nice crit partner Gerry Bartlett (hope I spelled that right) who wrote Real Vampires Have Curves Too. I remember trying to maintain my composure while I stuck my hand out and introduced myself to her because, after all, I was accosting her friend.

I was the picture of refined.
All class.
Behaved like a reaaaallll lady.
OY.

However, Miss Bangs was definitely everything I was NOT. She took my crying, screaming, freaked-out-ed-ness like a champ. She hugged me. She took pictures with me. I think at one point she even gracefully untangled me from her hair or something. Because I got clingy--whatever... LOLLOL

Either way, she's a class act and when I saw her the next day at the book fair, she didn't even cringe. In fact, she mentioned meeting me in her newsletter and invited me to be her friend on MySpace. Ter grabbed her newest book for me and had her sign it. She signed it, "To my new favorite person Dakota." Do note, she left crazy OFF the person part. LOL

Like I said, one classy lady.

I have to say, aside from meeting my online friends in person, THIS was the highlight of my RT. To finally meet and behave like a blithering idiot in front of Nina Bangs was a huge thrill for me.

And now I'm going to drop her a note and offer to pay for her therapy :)

Dakota :)