Annoying Things You Should Never Say to an Author

Though authors love to meet readers, sign their books, and have a nice chat, there are a few subjects we wish never to hear again:

#1---"I've always wanted to write a book!" ( What the author hears: If you can write a book, anybody can. It must be easy! )

#2---Worse yet, #1 is often followed by a long, detailed description of the plot of the book he or she wishes to write!

#3---"What is your book about?" ( In other words, this person is too damn lazy to pick up your book, read the back cover, and thumb through it. ) It's impossible for any author to explain the entire plot of their book in a minute or two!

#4---"You write science fiction? Oh, you mean like Star Wars?" ( Arrgh! There's a whole universe to SF besides Star Wars, which is actually space opera. ) This tells the author you know next to nothing about the genre.

#5---"Hasn't that idea already been done?" ( Again, Arrgh! My book may sound somewhat familiar to you, but I assure you it is unique. )

#6---"Is this one of those never-ending series?" ( No, but series exist only because they have fans who never tire of reading them. Obviously, you are not one of those fans. )

#7--"Who would you cast to play your characters in a movie?" ( Cart-before-the-horse much? ) I wrote a book, not a movie script!

So, if you stop by for a pleasant chat with an author, particularly if you aren't familiar with his/her work, be careful what you say.

That's it for now; keep on reading and never stop writing!

M.R. Tighe

What A Night It Was!

   The 2014 New England Authors Expo was held July 30th. Hubby and I arrived at the Danversport Yacht Club around 1 pm. We picked out the best spot we could find in the ballroom and set up our table. It's getting trickier, since I now have had four books published: The Tartarus Trilogy ( Judgment on Tartarus, True Son of Tartarus, and Ransom of Tartarus ) and my latest novel Galaxy Rand.

   Many of the authors, publishers, and illustrators were there for the first time. We tried to help them learn the ropes and hope we gave some good advice.When the expo opened to the public at 4 pm, things got off to a rather slow start, giving me the chance to step out onto the balcony and admire the beautiful view of the port. The weather was just about perfect. The sun was shining, all the little boats were docked nearby, flags were flying in the breeze, and the landscaping was lovely.

   Around 6 pm things picked up rapidly. The authors who had got to know each other began networking like crazy. Visitors were streaming in. I sold, signed, and swapped a good number of my books. Luckily, we had brought with us the framed original watercolor that my daughter had painted to grace the cover of Galaxy Rand. It drew a lot of attention and was a great hit.

   I was asked to pose for several photos, including a group photo to be published in an upcoming issue of Best of Boston Magazine! The last hour or so of the expo was a whirlwind of activity. I did a surprise video interview ( my second now! ), but by that time I was too tired to even be nervous. We found out about a local Comic Con to be held in Dec. at the Shriners Auditorium, and of course we agreed to sign up for a booth there. We spent what was left of the evening catching up with some old friends and promising to keep in touch with new ones.

   After packing up what was left of our books, we headed for home, exhausted but elated. What an adventure! It was such fun that I can hardly wait to do it again.

   In the meantime, keep on reading and keep writing, my friends!

   MRTighe