feature: jen lancaster

This post contains affiliate links.

Back in 2011 and 2012, I wrote about book signings held by Jen Lancaster (twice), Meg Cabot, and Ally Carter for a now-defunct site. Since those posts are no longer available, I'm sharing them here. Below is the first one about Jen Lancaster visiting the Seattle area. It first appeared May 2011.

On the last day of the tour for If You Were Here, I had the opportunity to attend Jen Lancaster's reading/signing at Third Place Books just outside of Seattle. Not that it was any surprise, but it turns out Jen Lancaster is just as funny in person as she is on paper.

After reading a hilarious excerpt from If You Were Here, Lancaster took questions from the audience, which was packed in around the stage. She answered every question with the candor one would expect after reading her memoirs. One of the questions was, of course, about how closely Mia and Mac resemble Jen and Fletch. Lancaster stated that one writes a novel when writing a memoir will lead to divorce. But that doesn't mean there won't be any more memoirs; there's at least one more planned (though she's scrapped the plan to write about charity work) as well as two additional novels. The novels will feature the same characters, but in new adventures. As to whether a new novel or memoir will be released next, Lancaster said it all depends on what she's most inspired to write. She said she might even write some YA since she's been enjoying reading that so much, particularly the Blue Bloods series. Lancaster also shared numerous stories from her life such as her obsession with eBay; her cats recently broke all the vases in the china cabinet, so Lancaster declared that more eBay shopping is in order.

After the extensive Q&A, it was time for the signing. We were divided into four groups of people who purchased If You Were Here at Third Place plus a group who bought the book elsewhere. The wait was fairly long for those not in the first group (I was in the third), but well worth it as Lancaster took the time interact briefly with each fan.