I’m back from the 73rd Bi-Annual Metro-Detroit Book and Author Society Luncheon that was held yesterday (20 October) in Livonia, Michigan. The other authors included Ann Ford (On Their Own), Helene Cooper (The House at Sugar Beach), Richard Paul Evans (Grace), and Michael Connelly (The Brass Verdict).
We met beforehand in the building’s “green room,” and were then ushered into a huge ballroom where close to 1300 book enthusiasts had gathered. It was the largest audience any of us had ever addressed, with the possible exception of Mr. Evans, who had spoken there before. The organizers asked that we talk about ourselves and our work and to limit any reading to a very brief, illustrative
passage, which means that I, too, soon felt as if I were getting an inside look at the way other writers work.
I’m now a fan of Liberia-born Helene Cooper, who has written what sounds like an utterly fascinating memoir, and I was glad to see Michael Connelly again (pictured here on the right.) He’s on an exhausting tour for The Brass Verdict, which is getting well-deserved rave reviews everywhere.
Although I enjoy these events, it was good to get home late last night and to have no more commitments until I finish the next book.
