The Land of Stories Release Frenzy!

so much love!

That's so sweet! I remember reading about that giant book on Glee Forum. I really wanted to be part of it but I was literally so sick and tired I never got around to it.

Right now I'm dealing with a cold that I've had for about two weeks now.

This whole tour must have been great for Chris's ego. To meet literary thousands of people who were there just to get your book and see you for 10 seconds. Also, to see just how many fans he has that aren't primarily Glee oriented but are interested in him especially (not that they weren't a lot of Glee fans, but I doubt that if they weren't primarily fans of Chris - why waist time and money). I also hope that there were people who were interested mostly in his book - potentially new fans who don't give a shit about Glee.


Any way, I hope Chris had a great time and most importantly lots of fun.

arina wrote:

That's awesome. I ended up submitting a letter on the last day.

Kurtsie4ever wrote:That's so sweet! I remember reading about that giant book on Glee Forum. I really wanted to be part of it but I was literally so sick and tired I never got around to it.

Right now I'm dealing with a cold that I've had for about two weeks now.

^ Hope you shake off that cold soon. Kurtsie4ever. It's a nasty flu season at where I'm at too.

I wonder if the person would've gotten more of responses by putting his post in the KHAT instead of the Chris Colfer subforum on GF.

Oh well, from the look of how thick the book is, he has had no shortage of contributors to his project. And he got rewarded with a hug from Chris for all his hard work

Anyway, I'm very glad that Chris had this book tour that allowed him to get so much positive feedback and love and gifts from so many fans.

Oh, that video broke the camels back. (That video and my dentists numbing and paracetamols...)

I think Chris would benefit from a small break, but I guess he's not getting any. We here at the forum seem to have fallen apart after this tour, lets hope he's made of sturdier stuff than us.

i love this glee a lot more than the other glee.

this is from Girlfriend magazine:

fantastica wrote:


i love this glee a lot more than the other glee.

ETA: I just found the text of this article at the source: http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20120729/NEWS/307290077/With-Glee-they-greet-Christ-Colfer?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

They waited. And waited. And then he was here.

At 3:39 p.m. Sunday inside Joseph-Beth Booksellers, screams went up at the sight of actor Chris Colfer. From the store’s second floor, he waved. The time had finally come for his fans -- crowded into the store’s hot first floor -- to climb their way up a staircase where Colfer would autograph his “The Land of Stories” book.
.... (read it yourself, I am tired!)

Posting this fan story here because I don't think it has been posted yet.

It's a more detailed account of Chris's encounter with the autistic boy who drank his diet coke

I met Chris Colfer today!

He is honestly the sweetest person, I am beyond in love with him. When they got to our point in the line, they actually held the line for us so the little room wouldn’t be so cramped. My twin brother Shawn is autistic, and can get crowded and overwhelmed in small spaces. He loves Chris and Glee as much as I do. Music is what helps him communicate.

My mom walked up to Chris first and introduced Shawn, she mentioned that he had autism and was a fan. Chris held out his hand and said “Hi Shawn, can I have a high five?” and smiled super big. He high fived him three times, because that’s also Shawn’s was to say hi. Then my mom introduced me, and told him we were actually twins. Chris got all excited like, “Oh, really?!” and I told him how I loved that he wrote about fraternal twins. We don’t get much love. Then he said he never knew why he always grew up liking twins. “Those damn Olsens!”

Another fun fact about my brother: He looooves his soda but I call it pop. Chris had a glass of Diet Coke sitting on the table, and Shawn doesn’t understand that everything really doesn’t belong to him. He started to pick it up to drink it, and my mom and I both instantly went to stop him. Then his manager or assistant was like, “Oh hey, does he want a soda? We have some!” …….. YEAH?!!! He chugged it then tried to hand the can back to Chris. I just took it from him and drank the last drop. So yeah, we drank Chris Colfer’s Diet Coke.

He asked my mom how to spell Shawn’s name, and actually wrote the book out to him. It was so sweet. My mom thanked him, and he said “No problem, I have a sister exactly like him, I understand.” … then the moment I’m eternally grateful for:

I finally got to tell Chris, “Yes, I know! When I heard about your sister I was so touched because I can relate. You’re amazing.” He smiled super big and genuinely again, and I gave him my post card that we found with The Book Loft on the front. Then I threw in: “Oh and I know you like Harry Potter, my birthday is the same day as his!” “Oh, the 31st? Happy Birthday!!!!”

- Take a moment to comprehend that Chris Colfer knows when Harry Potter’s birthday is. Now continue. -

My friend Kaitlyn gave him the “Visit Westerville!” magazine that we found when we got the post card earlier today. Whenever we go through Westerville, we yell, “WARBLERS!!!!” He CRACKED UP laughing, and thanked us. He flipped through it really quickly too. It was perfect. She shook his hand, then I asked him for a handshake, then he went and shook my mom’s hand as well. We all thanked him, told him he was wonderful and amazing, then proceeded to walk out into the tiny maze of a bookstore. I was shaking so badly. My chest hurt. I’m amazed I didn’t pass out. We went across the street to Starbucks and freaked out with our new friends. They all took pictures with the Coke can that went down in infamy.

Today really HAPPENED. We got some adorable videos too.

Then on the way home, one of my friends tweeted me a link to a post about my brother getting the Diet Coke. I was kind of upset because “WHAT, THAT’S ME, THAT’S MY BROTHER, THAT’S MY MOMENT!” I had no idea how that even got out because I only told the people I had just met. So that led me to share my whole story. I’m beyond blessed for the time we had. I also watermarked everything because you never know with the Internet these days…

Thank you everyone for all the kind words and messages. It means the world!!!

Source

^^^


I'm going to miss all these fan stories.
Chris seems such a wonderful guy. Not that we didn't know that already, but getting these many reports of fans who actually met him to confirm that is so nice.

My love for him has increased tenfold.

He loves his fans, and he gives so much to them. He is the most genuine, the kindest and most humble person I have ever had the privilege of being a fan of.

Chris is the real deal, no fakery, no pretense, he shows himself to the world as he is. He is a true role model.

I loved this Chris Colfer lovefest and I didn't want it to end. At least he knows not all his fans just love him for playing Kurt. There where more there for him than for Glee. I don't blame Chris for being overwhelmed. I wasn't when I saw the pics of the crowds, it just filled my heart with absolute joy.

Chris is so much more than playing a character in a show on Fox. I hope he realises that now.

I attended several parts of the book tour for Chris, this was one of the most emotional moments for him and for everyone who waited in line at La Verne, a lady wearing a blue shirt that said Llama King, the lady approached to him and gave him a the same shirt, but also brought him a gift for his sister, he was moved and his eyes filled with tears, and he was that approached his beautiful face to the lady, for her to touch him , because he was crying.

^
The last story of that woman gave him a Chris a gift for her sister. Is so sweet

I'm really gonna miss all of this. Suddenly being back to the world of Glee has just gotten me depressed. I hope it's not too long of a wait before we get more non-Glee related Chris events, like SBL, LOS sequel, etc.

I know. I feel the exact same way.

Hi everyone, I'm back!!

And I'm happy to say that I MET CHRIS!!!!!

(Sadly, I've been writing a really long detailed recount of my entire experience and my internet suddenly rebooted and I lost everything. I'm upset about that, but I'm going to rewrite it, although it won't come out as nicely as the first time. *sighs*)

My family and I were so paranoid about getting into the line on time that we left the house at 4 AM, and we waited outside the bookstore for seven hours until it started in earnest at 11 AM. And despite getting there in the dead of night, there were already 50 (!!!) people in front of us. I was dumb and didn't even think of bringing entertainment (most of the people there had books or Ipads or laptops), so I literally sat there, waiting, for hours. The two girls at the front of the line had been there since 5 PM of the previous day!! Now that's dedication.

At about an hour before Chris arrived, the line was brought inside the bookstore and we were asked to snake in and out of the bookshelves on the upper floor. We did, but there was still so many people that the line continued to wind around the back of the building outside! There had to be at least 500 people there and counting.

While we waited, people who worked at the bookstore came and played games with the crowd - singing competitions, balloon animal competitions, dance competitions, etc - and if you won you were given one of those special The Land of Stories bags that they were giving out at the BEA event. At one point, one of the workers played a question "game" and asked the crowd - "Who travelled the farthest to see Chris?" - and I shot out of my chair and shouted, "I CAME FROM SALT LAKE CITY!!!" The worker looked pretty shocked. So I won one of the bags, and so did a woman who'd flown in from Oregon. (That was at about 8:45 AM, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone came later from even farther away). Here's a pic of my bag;




I've read the last few pages and saw all the really beautiful fan encounters that have happened at the booksignings, and I wish I could share something similarly touching with all of you. But to be honest, I blew it. Before I left Utah, I decided to write Chris a letter - a really long one, telling him how much he means to me, how he's changed my life and inspired me, how much I love him - because I was afraid that when I finally met him face to face, I would freak out, and be too nervous and shy, and end up not saying anything at all.

And, for the most part, I was right.

The closer and closer it got to being my turn, my heart started to race and I had to take deep breaths to calm myself down. The line was moving really fast; probably because Chris had another book-signing in just three hours, and because there were so many people there. He wanted to meet everyone, so the amount of time we had with him was only 15 seconds or so long, and I understood that and didn't expect anything more.

But then it was my turn. I walked up to him and I remember saying, "Hi, Chris."

And he replied, "Hi, how are you?" while he signed my book.

Before that moment, I'd gone over and practiced so many things I wanted to tell him in person. There were dozens of things I could have said, and wanted to say, but all of a sudden I just froze. I didn't say anything at all! Not even a "I'm good, thanks, how are you?". I was just stupidly silent. (Maybe I can be nicer to myself and say I was starstruck?) Instead, when he was finished signing my book, I just handed him my letter and stammered "I wrote this letter for you, there's a piece of fanart inside too." (I decided to draw him a little picture of Goldilocks, since she was my favorite character and I wanted to give him some sort of gift).

He took the letter from me, and he really looked at it, he didn't just toss it into his (rapidly growing) box of gifts like it didn't matter. While he was flipping it over, looking at the "To Chris" I'd written in cursive in blue glitter glue on the front, he told me, really sincerely and sweetly, "Oh, thank you honey, that was so thoughtful of you!"

Then he looked up. And I had the opportunity to say something else, and I really really wish I had said thank you, just thank you for everything, but I didn't. I was so nervous that I just immediately about faced and scurried away, and it was only then that I realized how much I was shaking. I was shaking so much that I could barely hold onto my signed book when my family asked me to show them his signature.

And, that was the end of that. In the moment I felt really euphoric, then I was really disappointed in myself when it sunk in how I didn't tell him anything meaningful, but now I'm back to just being so happy and grateful it happened at all. Hopefully he'll get to read my letter, and I hope the silly picture I drew will make him smile. And he was so gracious, he really sounded like he meant it when he thanked me and told me it was thoughtful, and I know he calls everyone sweetie and honey but I still felt very special to just be included in that, to hear him call me honey.

I can also report that what everyone says - that he's even more beautiful in person - is 100% true. He's just so...the only word I can use to describe it, is radiant. It sounds cheesy but he really just seems to glow when you see him, because he's so beautiful and he's just this really warm presence. He really is so, so beautiful.

Here's some more pictures, courtesy of my aunt and my mom who both came with me and were my "camera ninjas";


The girl in the blue and black shirt is me ( you are more than welcome to crop me out ), and Chris was holding my letter in this shot, that's when he was thanking me.


This was the girl after me, she gave Chris a llama-themed gift of some kind.


This was the group of girls before me. One of them was so nervous that she puked, about an hour before the signing started. But she was a trooper and she stayed. They gave Chris a custom-made tiger stuffed animal wearing a diet coke can, and I remember Chris was really delighted with it and told them how sweet it was and that he'd put it on his shelf at home.


Chris was sitting in a secluded corner of the bookstore, and wasn't easily accessible, so the only way to get photos was to either be right in front of his table or to try and get between the bookshelves he was behind, zoom your camera, and hope for the best. Our zoomed pics all came out blurry, this is one of the best ones.


This is a picture of the line outside the bookstore, at around 9 AM. There were all sorts of people there. Groups of women in their forties; a very little boy and his mother; two tween daughters and their dad; teenagers and people in their 20s, male and female, everywhere, usually in groups or trios. There was also a really adorable gay couple there, holding hands and being super sweet.


And here's the pic of Goldilocks I drew for him. I hope it made him laugh or smile, I know it's silly.


Here's a picture of his signature in my book

^That sounds wonderful, Erin.

You're so lucky to have met him, even though you were too flustered to say much. At least Chris has got your letter now (that was a good idea) and I'm sure he will read it, so he will know how much he means to you.

And your family is great for staying with you all day and making those pictures.
Imagine: you've got a picture with yourself and Chris Colfer on it, only a few feet apart!

Thanks for the lovely post, Erin And please don't be disappointed in yourself because you didn't speak much to Chris. I might have the same response as you if I met him

Chris seems to be lovely and adorable in your report and you must be thrilled that you're in the same photo with him

PS: The Goldilocks that you drew is SO CUTE Feel free to share more of this precious encounter if you want to

Erin, thanks for the report! And don't be disappointed. I think most of us would react similarly if we were in this situation. You were in the same room as he was, he called you honey , he got your letter, you got his signature and you have picture where he is with you! So I think it was succesful trip :-)... And the drawing is really cute, Goldilocks is one my favorite as well :-)

I'm glad you had a wonderful experience. To tell you the truth, I wouldn't have been much different then you. I don't like to gush about or to celebrities and I find it awkward when people do. I would have asked him how he was doing, that I can't wait for the sequels and his movies and that he should keep up the great work he is doing. And that would have been it. But, I'm secretly a little (OK, a lot) jealous that you met him. And that goes for the rest of you who did or have seen him in-person.

Welcome back Erin and thank you so much for your lovely "report"! Don't feel bad that you "screwed up". you were just star struck. think about how many times Chris also had those WTF moments when he met many famous stars in the beginning of his career. It's totally natural and normal and at least you didn't break down and cry! I mean, if I were Chris and see so many people cry in front of me I would feel so weird. We are all humans w/ emotions and meeting your idol is a very emotional as well as physiclaly challenging (think about hours of waiting!) experience so when the moment finally came the feeling was over welming. I remember I cried when my first baby came out of my womb. The scene must be really funny because both the mother and child are crying almost in sync. If I were in your shoes during that signing, I would have no idea what to respond either. Last time at Tribecca I ddin't "meet" him. I only saw him. I never speak to him, touched his hands, or got his autograph. I only stood far away to watch him. So I didn't have a chance to make a fool of myself. At least you are brave enough to get really close to him, and leaving w/ a beautiful memory that you can savor for the rest of your life. Consider that most of fans dont get to see him in person, you are one of the lucky few. So allow me to contratulate you and hope to see you here daily again (yes we did miss you a lot!)