Monday, July 03, 2006
Meeting Mark Bertrand
Well, I came, I saw, I survived. In fact, Mark and I had a great time roaming the wilds of McMinnville after they rolled the streets up at 4:00p. There were a couple touch and go moments: the "wreck ahead" detour south of town (I was about half an hour later than I'd intended; did someone else fall prey to the insidious trap Mark constructed alongside Hwy. 99W? Or was he diverting me to my doom?), the tense five seconds when I couldn't find the doorhandle to let me out of his Mini Cooper (is that a cement truck coming down the street? I've seen that movie). In the end, Mark devised the cruelest fate imaginable ... he wasn't even aware of my suggesting he might do me in. Drat! (When I mentioned the 8 ways to kill someone with an iPod Nano he said he liked the tiger trap idea since he wouldn't have to mangle the Nano to do me in ... can I call 'em or what?)
But we had coffee, posed for a photograph (I think there was something in the coffee; I don't seem to be focusing properly and Mark is smirking), talked publishing, the genius of Joss Whedon, his move to South Dakota, Flannery O'Connor, pros and cons of book contracts, Dorothy Sayers, kids these days, Mike Snyder and Christopher Fisher, the heat, book imprints, Dave Long and his growing list of authors, his book, my book, short story contests and flash fiction, marketing gimmickry, and who knows else what. If your ears were burning between 3:30 and 6:30p, we were probably talking about you ... complentarily, I'm sure.
A good visit; too short, but good.
Hey! When did I get this strange looking mole on the side of my
But we had coffee, posed for a photograph (I think there was something in the coffee; I don't seem to be focusing properly and Mark is smirking), talked publishing, the genius of Joss Whedon, his move to South Dakota, Flannery O'Connor, pros and cons of book contracts, Dorothy Sayers, kids these days, Mike Snyder and Christopher Fisher, the heat, book imprints, Dave Long and his growing list of authors, his book, my book, short story contests and flash fiction, marketing gimmickry, and who knows else what. If your ears were burning between 3:30 and 6:30p, we were probably talking about you ... complentarily, I'm sure.
A good visit; too short, but good.
Hey! When did I get this strange looking mole on the side of my
Mikesell
6 Snarky Remarks:
Wow, neither of you needs Botox (i.e., you both suck. In a good way)
Angie Poole, at 12:39 AM
Actually, I'm smirking because the girl taking the photo, who was also the barista, had just given me the signal that, yes, the 48-hour, slow-acting poison had been successfully added to the Mikesell "depth charge." I'm thinking: "No one will connect me with the deed, assuming they don't read my comment on the blog about it."
Now that you mention it, Angie, my lips don't look as bee-stung as I would like. Maybe I need to make an appointment....
Now that you mention it, Angie, my lips don't look as bee-stung as I would like. Maybe I need to make an appointment....
I would have paid for three rounds of coffee and cake just to sit and listen to y'all chat.
Mir
Mir
Next time we will definitely include you, then, Mir. :)
Here's a sample of our brilliant repartee:
Mark: Dickens: the quintessential airplane novel.
Chris: Dickens is the reason airplanes were invented.
You owe us a Dunkin Donuts munchkin and a swig of your Pepsi.
Mark: Dickens: the quintessential airplane novel.
Chris: Dickens is the reason airplanes were invented.
You owe us a Dunkin Donuts munchkin and a swig of your Pepsi.
I'm sure the fly on the wall had much to tell. All good, of course.
So when any of you are near Chicago, give me buzz. We'll go to Starbucks. (This isn't Seattle, so Starbucks is the best there is to offer, ok??) Well, unless you want pizza. That I can help with!
So when any of you are near Chicago, give me buzz. We'll go to Starbucks. (This isn't Seattle, so Starbucks is the best there is to offer, ok??) Well, unless you want pizza. That I can help with!
