Florida Fan

Yesterday when I got home there was a voicemail on Spotlight Publishing from a woman in Florida, calling to see where she could buy a copy of Lessons In Stalking... Life with Cats.  As I dialed her number today, I was debating whether to use my name or make up a name or just not give a name and simply say I was calling with Spotlight Publishing.

The reason for the deceit is it doesn't look impressive to have the actual author of the book returning your call. The whole point in starting the company was to create the illusion that Spotlight is larger and grander than it really is. But this morning found me not really feeling the need to impress and I rationalized that the chances of her knowing my name as the author anyway were to slim to none, so when she answered the phone I said, "Hi, I'm Dena Harris calling with Spotlight Publishing. I'm returning your call about where you can locate the book Lessons In Stalking."

"Oh, great," she said and then were was a brief pause. "Wait--are you the author?"

"I am," I said.

"Oh my God, I love you!" she said. (This is a woman who knows how to start a conversation).

Turns out she is a huge cat lover who has 4 cats, feeds feral cats, and is also known among friends as the Crazy Cat Woman.  She found my web site and loved it. She's having a birthday next week and asked her mom to buy the book for her. I was so thrilled with how thrilled she was to be talking to me that I offered to make sure the book reached her by her birthday if her mom ordered online today.

Sometimes being an author turns into a grind of "Aargh--what else can I do to sell this stupid book?" And then there are days like today where I am reminded how very, very fun it is to have written a book that makes people laugh. And how glad I am I did it in the first place.

So today's shout out goes to all the freaky Florida cat lovers out there. I love you people.