Prequel to the Jeff Kinney Interview

I had the most exciting opportunity last week, to meet a real live CELEBRITY. I've mentioned it a little here and on the Facebook page, but here's the deal.

I belong to a Facebook group for Michigan bloggers, where someone with connections offered the chance to review the latest Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, The Third Wheel, by Jeff Kinney. Hello! Me! Me! Me! I had already bought the book for Connor, ordering it in advance from Scholastic. But, what the hey. I still wanted in. This person also offered the opportunity to attend a Jeff Kinney book signing. I'm in! Yes, yes, yes! It was at a book store on a Monday morning, and I could bring my kids. I'm there, right?

So...I emailed the proper people to confirm everything, and got an email from a PR lady giving me the deets. Then she said that if we were "early risers" (ahem) then we were welcome to meet Jeff at his hotel for a "more formal interview."

Well, we are not early risers, but for one day? We could manage. I am also not an "interviewer"* by any means, but for this one time? I could do it! I HAD to do it! We're talking about Connor's favorite author. I mean, I can't imagine if I had been in 4th grade and my mom said let's go meet Judy Blume at her hotel and interview her!

Just a word here about stepping out of the box, and leaving our comfort zones. Interviewing a famous person was FAR out of my comfort zone. But I felt compelled to do it, so I did. I felt like this was something my kids would remember forever, and I had to do it for them. And for me. Because, you know that quote about doing the thing you're afraid to do, that I'm too lazy to look up right now but that some famous person said? Famous quotes are usually famous for a reason...because they resonate with people and they MEAN something. And I happen to believe that it is important to do that which you fear, for reasons of personal development, etc. etc.

Anyway...

Lucy opted out of meeting Jeff Kinney, although she is a fan. I think the getting up at 5:00 AM thing threw her off. And there was no way I was bringing Mattie because she doesn't like when I talk to anyone in her presence, as evidenced by the fact that she tends to get right up in my face and speak OVER me and whomever I happen to be speaking to. I didn't think that would be conducive to an interview. So it was just Bethany, Connor, and me, waking up in the dark and driving 25 miles in the soupy fog to meet Jeff Kinney at his hotel.

There was a problem, a little problem. My PR contact told me to call a certain person when I got to the hotel to let him know I was there. But...she didn't give me his number. I tried to contact her & get the number, but I had no luck. I knew of one other blogger who would be there, and we communicated via Facebook and text and decided we'd just show up and hope for the best. (Shout out to Danielle of Blossom Bunkhouse, notorious for her "controversial" Elf on the Shelf genius).

We got to the hotel, with only a first name and no phone number, and the desk clerk appeared to not even know that Jeff Kinney was staying in the hotel. So we sat down in the lobby and waited. I'm not quite sure what we were waiting for, but we knew that at some point Jeff Kinney would be coming downstairs and leaving for his book signing. Of course, he could have been all clandestine and left through a more discrete door. But we were Hoping for the Best.

What happened next? I know you're DYING to know. But in the meantime, don't forget to enter my Diary of a Wimpy Kid book giveaway! The winner gets to choose any book from the series! And if you just can't wait, head over to Amazon, where you can buy The Third Wheel ** for only 7 bucks! What a great Christmas gift!



*Forgive the quotation mark overload. Sometimes, I just have to do it.

**Affiliate link. Forgive me again.