I know what you're thinking. What kind of author am I if I don't even have a card to give someone?
"I'm so sorry I don't have a free ebook coupon card to give you," I said, mentally kicking myself. "I forgot to pack them in my purse. But I might have something..."
I dug around in my purse and gave her a slightly worn bookmark (with out of date book covers). She took it as though I'd offered her gold. I didn't realize that for her it was gold. She was a book club member and needed some new book suggestions. Now she had some.
"This Divine Intervention looks really good," she told me. "What's it about?"
"It's about a covert team of psychic agents searching for a deadly serial arsonist in BC."
You had me at 'covert'," she said with a laugh.
We chatted for a while and I learned a lot about this woman in a very short time. She was an older lady living on her own, with only the residents of a very small town to chat with. To her, I was a bit of excitement on what would normally be an average day.
"My book club would love to meet you. Do you think you'll be back here again any time soon?" she asked.
"To be honest, I'm not planning on another trip here for a while," I said.
The light in her eyes dimmed for a second.
"But," I told her with a smile, "I'd be happy to do a Skype visit with you and your book club."
"Really? You'd do that?" She couldn't sit still, she was so excited.
"I'd be happy to," I said. "Just give me enough warning so I can make sure my hair and makeup are done." I grinned at her.
"You look pretty as you are," she said.
I think I blushed. "Thank you. That's sweet of you to say."
Suddenly, I had an idea. I didn't have a coupon card to give her a free ebook, but I had something even better.
"Hold on a minute," I said. "I'll be right back."
I had a box in the back of my car. I plucked something out of it and ran back inside the restaurant. I handed her a copy of Divine Intervention. "I call this my Random Act of Divineness."
She was overwhelmed. "Will you autograph it for me?"
"Of course," I said. Then my smile faltered.
"I know what you're thinking," she said.
Surprised, I said, "And what is that?"
"You forgot to pack a pen too, didn't you?"
I know what you're thinking? How can an author not have a pen?
I nodded, redfaced.
"Do you have a pen we can borrow," the woman said to the couple at the next table. "This here lady is an author."
"Do you have a business card or something?" the second woman asked me.
~ Cheryl Kaye Tardif
I invite you to check out my novels.
