Wonder what it was like at the Google Hangout that happened last week with Stephenie Meyer and The Host cast.  One of our readers, Elizabeth AKA EverythingRemindsMeOfTwilight, was lucky enough to attend and she reports in for us!

The Google Plus Chat with Stephenie Meyer and cast made for a Valentine’s Day that I will never forget! This was my first time meeting Stephenie Meyer, and it was a small venue (there were only 15 of us)! The “witty banter” and teasing amongst the cast and Stephenie had all of us in the audience laughing.

They debuted the new, full theatrical trailer, but for us in the audience there was no sound. They played it again after the interview was done, but honestly, I was so distracted getting to see Stephenie that I didn’t pay as close attention to the trailer as I should have. I still need to watch it again to really “get it all.”

The part of the interview that struck me the most was Stephenie’s answer regarding what didn’t make it in the movie. When she told us that Walt was not in the movie, there a definite reaction from the audience. There was a bit of a gasp and people seemed a bit stunned. Stephenie assured us, however, that the feel of the movie has the feel of the book so well that it pulls you in and you actually don’t realize you’re missing Walt until someone mentions that he’s missing. I don’t know how the others in the audience felt; but I was glad to hear her assurances and it makes me look forward to the finished film even more.

I really appreciated Stephenie’s response when she was asked about the love story of The Host. It was probably the moment when the audience was its quietest. It was like you could feel everyone’s attention on Stephenie as she eloquently described the different kinds of love she’d written and how they are relatable on very different levels to even herself—brotherly love, mother love, loyalty to community, and best friend/sisterly love. I, like Stephenie, have two sisters that I am very close with and that aspect of The Host resonates deeply with me.

When the interview was done, a staffer asked us to head out to the lobby to be escorted back to the exit. So, as Stephenie left the stage, not two feet from me, I quickly expressed my thanks for her books and all the joy she’d given me and the people I know. I started to leave; but when I looked back, I found I was the only one following the staffer out. Everyone else had lined up and started taking pictures and getting autographs. So back to the line I went, and I am so glad! I was able to get Jake Abel’s autograph first and a picture. I asked Stephenie if she had to go, but she said no, and as she started signing my book, I started crying my thanks. She was incredibly sweet and gracious and generous and listened to me blubber out my thanks for all her great writing. It was truly a Valentine’s Day that I will never forget!