If you enjoy meeting an author and want to know if they’ll be anywhere in your area soon, check this site out:
Book Tour- Where Authors and Audiences meet
It also lets you search for events according to zip code, genre, and dates so you can check out any events going on in your area, even by authors you may not have expected. You can also request for an author to come to your area, either as a speaker or for some event. I don’t think you’ll be able to request Stephen King or Dean Koontz to come to your next book club meeting, but you never know who else might be available.
This site is also great for authors, as you can use it to get the word out about your upcoming tour besides announcing it on your blog and newsletter.
I see that smile.