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I have considered it a couple of times. I am currently reading Lionel Schriver's "post-birthday world" and am really engrossed in it and very tempted to email her to tell her what I think.
I sent a print of DP's to Ian Rankin at a book signing I knew he was going to (called and asked the staff to pass it on) with a letter in it saying thanks for all the rebus books and the company it gave me on long nights up with dd with special needs ( his son has a similar condition).
I got the most beautiful handwritten letter back a week or so later, which I will always treasure
OP- I read that book too, but I thought it was dreadful Not the quality of writing, but snooker? It just seemed too chock full of research to me. Hey ho, glad you are enjoying it though....what would you say to her if you did write?
What did you write Litchick? I presume it has already been revealed the way you are so frank?!
I wrote to Marian Keyes once, I wanted to know if she had a new book out in Spanish as I recognised that it was a new title, but it turned out it had just been called 'por los pelos' sort of like by the skin of your teeth instead of last chance saloon. Her husband wrote back.
um, yes,I've emailed one but I knew him from years ago... ,my only other encounter was meeting Armistead Maupin a couple of times and being thoroughly starstruck and talking gibberish
i wrote to Bryce Courtenay once. just to ask a question about one of his books. His son wrote back to answer the question. I thought it was quite cool that he did.
When I was younger I wrote to Lucy Boston, who wrote the 'Green Knowe' books, to say how much I loved them, and she wrote me a lovely letter back and invited me to come and visit and see her house (the original for Green Knowe)! And then she died before I could organise it! (She was over 90. Wish I'd done it sooner.)
DH has written to author, and they are now facebook friends... he even sent us a free novel. I wrote to Marian Keyes too... Her DH emailed back. I'm sure they all appreciate knowing you like their work.
I wrote to Harlen Coben once got an automated reply saying he would reply personally. Thought nothing more of it but true to his word a got a really nice reply back answering all my questions.
Oh dear bitoffun - I see what you mean about the snooker bit - I thought it would really put me off (have been put off other books before because of the over-researched thing).
I think maybe I identify a bit too much with the main character, or actually her partner (the staid one) - I am married to a v. similar man!
I emailed Liz Gilbert of "eat, pray, love" (a great book btw). her book touched so many chords with me and i just wante her to know it. she sent back a very personal and lovely email- i was touched!
I used to go out with a reasonably well known writer. He is an egomaniac and loves being told how brilliant he is , whether by letter, e-mails, Amazon reviews. He is very precious and poncey about "my readers".
ClementFreudsGreatestAdmirer - how did you find an address for the great man? Did you just write to him c/o the publisher (Penguin?). I would love to write to him about that book - nearly did so last year, or whenever it was, when a few of us were reminiscing about Grimble.
I emailed Bernard Cornwell once. Your email gets put on a wall on his website and a lot of them only get scant acknowledgement or none at all, but he did reply to mine! Mind you, he ignored the bit where I pointed out to him the give-away in his long term plotting!
The only author I ever wrote to was Tony Benn, with questions about his diaries, when I was a very nerdy politics student. He wrote back by return of post with pages and pages of answers.
DS wrote to the author of his favourite book on cathedrals (a man who's also been on the BBC). I looked up the publisher on the internet and emailed one of the contacts that they listed to ask whether they would pass on a letter from a 6-y-o boy. They emailed back to say they would, and that the author would doubtless be delighted...
A week later, DS received a really lovely handwritten letter (and a picture of a cathedral!) The author also emailed me to say how much he had enjoyed receiving his fan mail.
DS was sooooo thrilled, and I was very touched that the author had gone to so much trouble. He is going to be speaking not far from where we live next year, and has suggested that I bring DS to meet him. I think DS might just burst with excitement...
As a 12 year old I wrote to Winston Graham about the Poldark books and got a lovely handwritten reply. I was chuffed to bits.
As an adult I wrote to Bernard Cornwell and got a reply from him too. I then went to a "meet the author" do at Waterstones and carried on the conversation with him (it was about warhorses!)
I also wrote to Stephen King, and didn't expect a reply. I was very surprised to get a reply from his secretary or publicist apologising that it wasn't from the man himself.
I wrote to Stuart McBain twice to point out mistakes in his books (he keeps confusing Edinburgh and Aberdeen). He's written lovely replies on both occasions.
A bit off topic, but to Bitoffun. I'm so glad that Ian Rankin is really nice. I heard him interviewed and thought he was great. I'm not a massive fan of Rebus either.
It's always nice when people live up to your expectations.
ohdear - yes, i wrote to him via penguin. to ask if he would consider making an audiobook of grimble. he replied by hand on his headed notepaper with his phone number and all his letter said was 'how can you possibly be ex directory when you are a mother?'.
My dp is a writer, and absolutely loves it when readers get in touch. Think about it; it's a long lonely road between book launches...
I think I've only written once, to a very well-known author, but she is also a distant cousin of mine so I felt more legitimate about getting in touch. She invited me to tea and was very friendly and nice
DS1 emailed Morris Gleitzman (Australian children's author) a few years ago, and received an email back with an answer to his question. DS was so pleased to receive a response
I did when I was about seven. Can't remember the author's name but she wrote a book about a cat called Princess (classy, no?), the ending of which I found bitterly unsatisfactory for some reason. So I asked her to write a sequel. I got a very nice letter back (from America! Foreign stamps!) saying that she was thinking of writing a sequel, but that these things take a long time and I might be grown up/have lost interest by the time it was published. She was quite right of course.
A friend of mine wrote to Anita Brookner a few years back - think she got a very nice response from her.
I often get my classes to write to authors. One day Jill Murphy phoned the school to say thank you for the letters my class had sent and to say she would be writing back soon.
The secretary came and got me saying "T42 Jill Murphy wants a quick word - she is on the phone!"
Of course completely starstruck my voice went like Harry Enfield's Kevin and I said...
"'ello - I love eeerrrr we love your books heeeeeeey!"
She was really very sweet, but alas, never called again!!!
I wrote to Raymond Briggs as a child, and received a lovely hand-drawn postcard in response
My rl reading group has written to several authors and had great responses..can't remember who though am 32 weeks pg though.... I think 1 was Alan Bennett, and he sent a lovely reply.
Kathyis6incheshigh: <<awe and wonder>>. wow. So sorry you never got to meet her.
You can still go round Greeen Knowe, though, even if it isn't quite the same without the author. I haven't yet gone even though it's only about 20 minutes drive away from me. It occurs to me that I have been waiting for too long to have the excuse of a DC getting interested in the books (DS1 only reads spy stories anyway at the moment) and I have just had a brilliant idea for my Christmas list.
And Grimble is out of print???? Terrible news. I still recall with fondness the piece about Grimble cutting potatoes into ever-smaller pieces in an attempt to make them boil faster. sigh.
To stop reminiscing and actually reply to the OP: not just yet. I've spoken to one or two at signings but as the signings are usually happening at work I tend to hang back (since it feels unfair to jump the queue when I haven't even paid for the privilege) and hence get the author once they are jaded and fed up of being told inarticulate nice things. BUT - having had a friend hold forth to me this weekend about how she had been told by someone frightfully important that "no one ever talks to me at parties as they are too starstruck", and it was therefore very important to always tell people when you thought they were brilliant - I am now resolved to do so. Hope you get a good response!
I emailed Tad Williams to tell him how much I was enjoying his Otherland series, asking when he'd have the next installment out in the u.k.
I half expected a standard response, or even none at all, instead of which I got a really chatty email explaining that he'd just had a baby and things were really manic...but he was trying his best to get in some writing every day. I know it was probably written by some poor assistant, but she/he was mighty good at impersonating a hassled new dad if that's the case
WOW Squilly - I love Tad Williams. I was gutted when otherland turned into 3 books rather than a trilogy, as I had resolved not to buy it until I could read all 3 in one go on the trot.... and it still wasn't the end-Gah!
Eachpeachpearmum...I love Tad. I suspect it is partly to do with the email I got back from him. And I loved all the books he's written...Can't wait for more
Not the quality of writing, but snooker? It just seemed too chock full of research to me. Hey ho, glad you are enjoying it though....what would you say to her if you did write? 
, whether by letter, e-mails, Amazon reviews. He is very precious and poncey about "my readers". 
