Went over to Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore this afternoon. Author Carol O'Connell has a new mystery novel, "Find Me", just out and was there to answer questions and sign copies. In case anyone is curious, she does look exactly like her author photo on the cover. Many writers don't because the photo is not a good one or they're using an earlier one.
O'Connell is an author who doesn't make speeches or give talks. She answers questions. Another author who refuses to make speeches is Joe Wambaugh. Like O'Connell, he answers questions. Both are generous with those answers. The result is more like having a conversation. Problem is, unless you're familar with their work, the questions leave a lot to be desired. Which is why, I suspect, they give extensive answers. Gives the audience something to work with. I should have tried that when my co-author and I did book signings.
Quite a contrast with Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi. That woman can not only give a speech, she makes damned clear exactly what she's saying and, as importantly, what she is NOT saying, as she did on one of the Sunday morning talk shows today. This is definitely good. There's no guessing about what she means. She means precisely what she's said. She's gonna drive talk show hosts nuts because her words are gonna be very hard to twist around and spin.
I've been cleaning out my books. Giving away those I know I'll never read again. Not signed copies. Those stay here. For instance, I have a friend who was in the Special Forces and loves to read. Passed on a bag of military novels to him yesterday morning. Interesting guy. He likes to go out target shooting on weekends...very early in the morning. Has a place out in the desert, not far from the Mexican border where he's set up a 500 yard range.
So he's talking with another guy and says he hates the desert, but loves the jungle because one can hide in the jungle. I prefer the desert because you can see what's next to you. He counters with the fact that the enemy can see you as easily as you can see them in the desert. Same thing in reverse, I think, in the jungle. Both cases depend on who spots who and who knows who's going to be there and can set up ahead of time. In the end, neither argument is winnable.
Rain in the jungle. Sandstorms in the desert. And snow in Colorado. I'm not going anywhere near that snow. And the Special Forces guy says he's not traveling outside the US again. He's seen all of the world he cares to see. I'm in full agreement there.
Wrap...
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