Just Between Us Girls
Have you ever been a fan of a particular author and wondered what that person is like, up close and personal? Have you ever been surprised, disappointed, startled, turned-off when you finally met the woman whose writing you so admired?
I was in New York last week on business and thought I would take the opportunity to look up one of my favorite authors, Karen Salmansohn. I have loved her books for years now .... among them, How to Succeed in Business Without a Penis; How to Train Your Man in 21 Days or Less Using the Secrets of Professional Dog Trainers; Even God is Single so Don't Give Me a Hard Time; and Be Happy, Dammit! She's written 29 books in the past six years - can you believe it!?! I've bought her books as gifts for girlfriends as well as for myself. And I've often wondered, "Just who is this amazing woman who writes with such wit, verve, style, chutzpah, and, well ... balls?" Or as we say in California, huevos. Appropriately enough, her newest book is called Ballsy.
Happily for me, I was not disappointed or turned-off when I met the fabulous Karen at a trendy Chelsea restaurant for dinner. She was every bit as bright, funny, sassy, and bold in person as she is in writing. The one thing that did surprise me is how young she is - in her mid-thirties! I expected someone with so many books under her belt to be considerably older .... such prodigious writing from such a young woman! It made me all the more impressed with her.
We had a great evening - comparing notes on publishers we like and don't like, swapping horror stories about dates from hell, oohing and aahing over photos of each other's dogs. Yes, it's true, dogs and their owners have much in common - not just appearance but personality. Karen's canine is smart, funny, full of energy, and delighted to keep you entertained in that New York kind of way. My dog, on the other hand, is sweet, responsive, funny in a quiet kind of way, with spiky blonde hair like mine. She's not so smart, but she's adorable, so she doesn't have to be smart.
I came away from the evening feeling like I had known Karen for a long time, which I suppose I have, through her books. Like opposites that attract, she and I are very different - she's a petite, brunette, Jewish, New York chick, while I am a tall, blonde, California shiksa. But what we had in common was much more important - a zest for life and love, a flair for fun and humor, lots of creativity accompanied by a sense of adventure, all the while keeping an eye out for that special mensch who can make our toes curl.
Next time you admire an author's work, don't be content to just admire her from afar. Get in touch. Go on the internet and let your fingers do the walking. Let your favorite author know how much you love her work. Writing can be a lonely job sometimes and authors often don't get much feedback, except in the form of sales figures and royalty checks (hey, I'm not complaining ... dollars make sense to me!), and they like to hear from readers. Don't get carried away and stalk them or anything .... But send an email, or a note, or pick up the phone and tell your favorite author how her work has touched your life - or tickled your funny bone. Reading a book is good, but saying "Atta girl!" to the author ... priceless.