Lee Child - Impressions of The Man

In time honored tradition (a phrase I hear often) I have saved the best part of my excursion for last. As promised in my (much earlier) post today, I would like to share with you my impressions of Lee Child. The dewy glow of perspiration and the trembling paranoia of anxiety attacks aside, meeting him was worth it all.

My goodness, I suppose the best place to start is his entrance. My husband actually saw him first and clued me in. We watched him come up the stairs and slowly skirt the outer wall. He disappeared behind some bookshelves for a moment and then, there he was, not twenty feet from me. He moved in with quiet confidence, a fluid poise. He was stunning. That thought was quickly followed by the realization that he is absolutely more handsome in person than he is on book jackets and web photos. Every anxious cell in my body took a much needed sabbatical. I sat there completely enthralled. His voice was as warm and smooth as a glass of Raynal XO brandy.

His opening lines to our little group (I am not sure how many were there, but I would guess about 40 - 50 Reacher Creatures) were witty and smart, the usual background information any speaker offers a new audience. He told us he was going to do something he never does, read from the book. He said it would be a short seven second snippet. After a while he told us that as some of us might know, he would continue talking and fill the hour unless or until he got some questions. The following repartee was for me, fascinating.

In the course of answering questions, he told us how he originally conceptualized Bad Luck And Trouble and some of the other Jack Reacher novels. He cracked me up when he said, "he loves sleazy places," that was so Reacher! He told us about the gentleman in Little Rock who is a gun collector and has offered his assistance and expertise to Lee. It was interesting, to say the least, when he talked about the downfall of characters after the author falls in love with them. He said he tries to write Reacher in a way that he likes him a little bit less with each story. He tries to avoid creating or encouraging blind hero worship and sugary sentiments because they kill the hero.

We were given a little breaking news on the 2008 novel. Lee's original title had been , Play Dirty, he had to change that due to Sandra Brown publishing a book in September with that very title. The new title for 2008 will now be, Nothing to Lose. The story will take place in Colorado in the vicinity of two small crossroads towns called Hope and Despair. There are a couple of things wrong in Despair. Reacher stumbles on to the scene and off we go.

Those are just a few of the things I learned on Tuesday night. I encourage anyone who can to go to an event like this one. I do hope I'll have the opportunity to do so myself. I feel honor bound to add a disclaimer here. There are no direct quotes from Lee Child here. I did not interview him or ask permission to publish anything he had to say. Just keeping it honest.

So.... Impressions of the man. I came away from the encounter wishing I could get to know the man behind Reacher. It is so easy to think you know someone from, or because, of what they write, but the truth is we don't really know our favorite authors personally. Sadly, most of us never will, and yet that may be for the best. As for Lee, I think he is an extremely confident and elegant man. I would put a wager on his being a generous and compassionate person. In short, Reacher set him up for a long fall, a lot to live up to. I'm sure even Reacher is impressed with the quality of his creator.

Remember, there is always hope.

Betty

Euphoria and Exhaustion

Were people meant to experience the giddy thrill of euphoria while being struck by the near debilitating force of an anxiety attack? I don't think we are. I can tell you, it left me exhausted. I would do it again tomorrow : ).

We arrived in Dayton (Fairborn to be technical about it) at about 2:00. We wanted to check in to our suite and have a little down time at the hotel before going to the book store. I wanted my husband to have a little fun too, after all, without him I would not have been able to pull off this trip. I really wanted to take a nap and get a little rest but I was unable to sleep. We managed to entertain ourselves until I could, at last, meet Lee Child.

It started about twenty minutes before we were going to leave. There is no delicate way to describe what happened. I broke out in a true sweat. A clothing drenching, stomach churning, knee knocking sweat. I don't know how I managed it, but I made it to the book store without turning to a salty heap of goo. Actually, by the time we got to the book store I was feeling a little better. Feeling better naturally boosted my courage. I was feeling pretty good about myself, sort of giving myself a metaphorical pat on the back. Maybe the worst of it was over. Then again...

I am not exaggerating. The very minute I walked through the doors of Books & Co. it started all over again.. The first thing I did was go straight to the information desk and get the first nine Reacher books (they were holding them for me) and then we went upstairs to get my line number (it was 25 and I still have it) and my copy of Bad Luck And Trouble. Don stayed upstairs and held our seats while I went back downstairs to pay for my books. And that is when it all hit full force. I was so excited. In just a few moments I would see him! Then, anxiety. What was I doing there? What was I doing? I should just leave before I embarrassed my husband or myself. Were people staring at me? Could they see how profusely I was sweating? Surely they had to see it. My stomach was in knots. I had to be a sight. I am surprised they let me stay in the store!

By the time I got back upstairs my knees were knocking. I found my husband and sat down, I knew the entire group had to know what was happening to me. I was sweating so badly, rivulets were running through my scalp and down my back. I couldn't stand it. I found the restroom and proceeded to try to mop up the mess that was me. Naturally the only way to dry your hands in that particular bathroom was a blow dryer (curse them!) so I used the only thing available, toilet paper. Feeling nowhere near collected but resigned to my fate, I went back out and waited for a glimpse of Lee. Then, it was nearly a miracle that I didn't start laughing like the fool I am, (when I was younger I always laughed hysterically when I was nervous) because it suddenly occurred to me that when the time came to actually walk up to Lee and ask him to sign my book... he would look up and see the thousands of little specks of damp toilet paper that were no doubt clinging to my very wet skin. I was so humiliated.

Thankfully, there was no clinging toilet paper. Lee talked for about an hour and then he signed books and graciously posed for photos. Soaking wet and trembling, I bravely stepped forward and handed him my books. He personalized them for me, "Betty, best always, Lee Child". I asked if my husband could take my picture with him and he happily agreed. I do have to say, my goodness, he is tall!

When all was said and done, I left the store shaking like a paint mixer and walking on air. I am already looking forward to my next opportunity to see him... well, I would like to see him, but...

I'll tell you later what Lee talked about. For now, remember, there is always hope.

Betty

Oh Happy Day

Time for the Snoopy dance ~~~~~~. This evening I finally get to meet Lee Child :). Even I didn't realize just how excited I was about this. I did not sleep one wink last night (thus the very early morning post). So, get ready Dayton, get ready Lee Child, here I come. Don't worry. I am really well behaved and I am positive you'll never even know you meet me. Just a mousy housewife from Ohio meeting the Hunk of The Decade author. Okay, I'm really smiling here. My description could not be more true. Since I am up and apparently ready to start the day, I may as well get ready for my walk. I hope to put in another 3 miles today. I haven't put in nearly as many miles as I should have in the past few months. I mentioned my copy of Bad Luck And Trouble came in the mail last week. I decided not to read it because I am sending it back. It is not a first edition copy. I am fairly sure they will have first editions at Books & Co. this evening. If not, well, I will still have to buy one of course. And I will be buying the other nine books by Lee that I don't have. Oh, this is so very exciting. This is a perfect example of the benefits of being a loner. If I were more of an extrovert and not starved for attention, I probably wouldn't even go to meet Lee Child. Or if I did, I wouldn't be beside myself with anticipation. Being a little lonely really does increase the impact of exposure to the "real world" for me. As it is I am both a cringing ball of anxiety and about to explode with happiness. How is that for contradiction? Typical, Betty. There is much for me to do today before we leave. And speaking of we, I am so grateful to my husband for taking me to Dayton. He could have refused or told me to go alone. The fact that he offered to take me means a great deal to me. Just listen to me go on. I truly need a cup of coffee. Reacher and I have that in common, I think I love coffee as much as he does. Time to start the fabulous brew. Tomorrow I will tell all about the signing in Dayton. There is always hope. Betty

Kokosing Gap Trail Busy

What a beautiful day for a trip to Kokosing Gap Trail. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Kokosing Gap Trail (http://www.kokosinggaptrail.org) is a paved, 14-mile recreational trail built on a former Pennsylvania Railroad line with endpoints in Mount Vernon and Danville, Ohio. It runs through gently rolling farm country. My husband and I hadn't been there in months, so it was a real treat to spend the early part of the afternoon there today. He ran 12 miles and I walked 3 miles. I encourage you to make the trip there if you have the opportunity. It is interesting, the things that go through my mind when I am out walking. I always have my MP3 player on and the music I choose does dictate the speed at which I walk and the distance. Today I trundled along with Medwyn Goodall, and the Clan album. I also listened to a little of Celtic Legend by Asha. It occurred to me that even out exercising, people have a tendency to stay within their personal cocoons. It's as if their are invisible barriers wrapped around them, I can almost hear them thinking "Do not pass my comfort zone". I think it's fascinating that even in such a rural area people throw their barriers up and keep them there for the duration. Frankly I am a lot more comfortable walking when everyone else is closed off too. It was so busy there today I felt nearly invisible. Another thought as I walked along. I saw an Amish couple on bikes and I thought, well, there goes several ideas for a novel. Think of the possibilities. What could be done with a couple who appear to be Amish on a bike path? The things I think of:). I suppose that is enough of my windblown thoughts for this day. Tomorrow is a huge day for me:) and I have a date with my husband this evening to watch Deadliest Catch, one of my favorite TV shows. There is always hope. Betty

A Fine Fettle I'll Be In

Holiday weekends are not the be all and end all for everyone. I worked for years in retail and I can assure you that while the Monday through Friday, 9 - 5 people were out having a grand time of it, I was working. Woe the poor people who work in the service industries, stores and restaurants. It is sad to say but the truth of it is that people who work in those industries are seldom given a holiday off. I can say from personal experience that Christmas was just a day off when I worked retail. I will also say with conviction, there is very little that could ever entice me to return to that particular grindstone. So here's to all hard working people. Especially the ones who have to work holidays, like our military, and policemen and nurses and firemen. You are the ones who make this country great. Cheers to you. Tomorrow will be a brighter day for me. I will be working myself into a fine fettle in anticipation of going to Dayton. As is typical for me, I am now almost wishing I hadn't made all the arrangements to go there. I don't understand why I do this, but I often do. I make plans for something I am interested in or excited about and then I want to back out at the last minute. It all comes down to the suffocating feeling I get when I leave home. I break out in a sweat and breathing becomes nearly impossible. I know it is called anxiety and I know it is not uncommon. I really wish I would just grow up and get past it. Going to Dayton is supposed to be one the biggest things that has ever happened to me. I mean, come on! I am going to meet Lee Child! I should be so excited I can barely contain myself. I am that excited actually... As I said I will be working myself into a fine fettle tomorrow. As for this day. It has been a lazy one. Don is at home today. We haven't done much and we don't intend to do anything this evening but watch a movie. Speaking of movies, we watched Mrs. Palfrey At The Claremont last night. It is one of my favorite movies. Joan Plowright is such a beautiful actress. I wish she would adopt me. As for Rupert Friend... well what a handsome young man. Not a bad actor really. Tonight, who knows what we'll watch. I want very much to push the loneliness I feel aside. Popcorn and a move doesn't help, we have a very big couch. The upside is that we also have a very big TV :). There is always hope. Betty

I Miss My Father

I miss my father. He died several years ago and I would have thought missing him would have lessened a little by now. I would have been wrong. I miss him very single day. He was... well, he was many things. He was love. When I was a little girl he taught me the things I suppose parents are meant to teach their children. Because of him, I knew I was loved. Not just loved but needed and cherished and I knew the shinning spark of light in his eyes was there because of me. His blue eyes had a beautiful twinkle and his smile came straight from his heart. He laughed often and long. He did love to laugh; and his grin, always lurking there tied to that mysterious sparkle in his eyes. I still think he was an angel who who got lost in the mists of time. Every good thing about me came from him. Compassion, honesty, unselfishness all of it, never judging but always giving the benefit of the doubt. He taught me courage and confidence, generosity and faithfulness. Even after all these years my soul still keens and wails for my father. He was the nearest thing to perfection I have ever known. He was perfect in my eyes; eyes the same twinkling blue as his. I hope I never to experience the bitter despair of that kind of loss again. The sad truth is, even after all these years, I miss him so much I still have trouble sleeping at night. It is the void he left. I am afraid one day I might just fall into that blackness and be lost forever in the mists. When I am awake, I can still feel his touch. The heavy weight of his hand on my shoulder, a gentle squeeze of pressure for encouragement as if he is saying, "It's alright sweetie, you can do it". Even at 48 years old, my soul screams back, "NO! Daddy I can't without you!" Well... it had to be said. If anyone ever says to you, concerning someone who has passed, "Would he/she want you to spend the rest of your life grieving?" You can say with all the confidence in the world, "No. But they would like knowing I cared enough to remember." The world continues to spin. Lee Child is coming to Dayton. Pirates of The Caribbean is in the theater and I have a husband who will be home in a few hours. Thanks for being here for me. Betty

Avast Ye Pirates!

Oh, what fun it was to see "Pirates of The Caribbean At Worlds End". It was almost as much fun watching the kids (the vast majority of the audience was teenagers) as it was watching the movie. I will be the first to admit the movie will probably not go down in cinematic history as an example of early 21st century brilliance. It has weaknesses. I suppose the best recommendation I can give the movie is that we intend to go back and see it again next week. It was just fun. If you are of a serious nature and can't let a few unrealistic scenarios pass you by then do not go see it. If you would enjoy a few laughs and some spectacular battle scenes by all mean go have fun.

The greatest regret in my life is having no children. I could not. My husband didn't want any kids and I would not adopt a child unless he was a willing participant in the parenting. Well... I just wanted to say I really enjoyed watching those kids being kids.

I am more than a little upset at the moment. We had a piece of jewelery insured through our home owners inland marine coverage, and it was lost. We made a claim after searching everywhere we could think of. It has been more than three weeks since we made that claim and we had not heard a thing from our insurance company until we got a check in the mail today for less than half the insured amount. This item was not insured for depreciated value. Rant...rave...making angry noises. I won't drag this out any more. We didn't even get a courtesy call to explain what they were doing or why.

Now, for the really big news. Bad Luck And Trouble by Lee Child (in case you didn't know) finally arrived today! Oh my goodness! OH... MY...GOODNESS!!! So, I've got a little reading to do.

Betty

Little Victories

I drove on through the night pursued by demons of my own making. Doubt, insecurity and mirthless self-abasement. I was shrouded in a aching loneliness so dark and desolate I was very nearly brought to my knees by the weight of it. Still, I survived, I made it through. Just another little victory in a lifetime of little victories. When I woke this morning I knew I had passed the worst part of the funk I have been in. Immediately Bob Seger's song "Little Victories" came to mind. By the time lunch rolled round I was humming"The Time of Your Life" by Little Steven. My word. It really is completely draining when the loneliness gets so bad I question my own existence. That is a degree of loneliness I wish to never experience again. But I will, eventually. And I will have another little victory. There is a lot of chatter going on at the moment at the http://www.leechild.com forum. "Bad Luck And Trouble" hits the NYT at #2. I am very happy for Lee and all of his fans. I spent a little too much time on the site earlier. This evening my husband, Don, and I are going to see Pirates of The Caribbean At Worlds End. I am also a Johnny Depp fan, well... and an Orlando Bloom fan:-). It should be fun. An observation on Reacher. Someone on the forum commented on the change in him in BL&T. I think it would be very unlikely to find two people who have less in common than Reacher and I and yet, we have much in common. I admire him for living by the rules of morality, I understand his loneliness. The need to have his own space contrary to his need to be a part of something. He is straightforward and complex. Lee Child is brilliant! I can't wait to meet him. Betty

Pretentious Protestations

Years ago, when I was young enough, pretentious enough, to believe my voiceful protestations concerning morality, I was certain I was above reproach. I had (and still do) a strong sense of right and wrong. Everything in my world was clearly black and white. Now I believe just as firmly there are gray areas, huge gaping holes in nearly every issue. I wonder, is it age or cataracts that have distorted my view. What brought all that on? Heavens, I don't know. I woke up in a bit of a funk this morning. One thing I have come to face straight on about myself is that I really am quite a serious person. Oh I love to laugh. I can see the humor in most things. I just can't seem to help myself, I take everything at face value. Many times I have missed a joke or not understood what I saw or heard was intended to be funny. Face value. I used to look at that particular character trait as a negative. Not so sure it is a negative now. Appearances mattered to me, back in the day. What other people thought, had or had not, in general, how I was perceived mattered a great deal to me. At this juncture in my life I must confess I am no longer pretentious enough to care enough about other peoples impressions to make the effort of convincing them. I really am all muddled today. Best to wait a few hours to continue this I think. Betty.

A Long Road

The wind rushes in through the open windows snapping the slack in my seat belt. Holding the steering wheel in a near death grip, I reach up and play with the angle of the visor in an effort to shield my eyes from the blinding, setting sun. The rolling planes of Nebraska slide by like roiling ocean waves, rounded crests descending into deep troughs and rising again to ever higher ridges. The air flowing in is warm and smells of sunshine with just a hint of dreams. I drive on, into the approaching night... At least, that is where I would like to be at the moment. I have imagined driving off into the setting sun for years. No particular place to go. Life is the journey, not the destination. I don't know who said it but I believe it. Lonely I may be, but I am not depressed. How can a person be depressed and see the things I see? There is beauty for all our senses to experience nearly every moment of every day. Sunshine, clouds, rain and music and books and children. Beauty is everywhere. It is even in the eyes of disadvantaged people. I have seen it. No. I am not depressed but I am most assuredly lonely. When Lee Child puts Jack Raecher on a bus because it is his preferred mode of transportation, I believe him. I think Reacher prefers to travel by bus because it gives him contact with other people. He can sit back and passively observe or he can participate in the conversation around him. Economics is most definitely not the only reason Reacher takes the bus. I am rambling today, am I not? Must be the weather. I'll see what tomorrow brings. Betty

Melancholy

I am caught tightly in the grip of melancholy today. Probably due to too much time alone. The day started out well enough. We went together to a local park and he ran while I walked. Alas, by 2:30 I was on my own again for the rest of the day. He won't be back home until 11:00 p. m. or so. Yes, I think melancholy describes the state of my spirit perfectly today. A quote from Charles Kuralt , "There is melancholy in the wind and sorrow in the grass". On the upside of things, I confirmed hotel reservations for the Dayton signing of "Bad Luck And Trouble" by Lee Child ( http://www.leechild.com) at Books and Co. on May 29th. It sounds like an easy enough place to get to and Chad was very helpful on the phone. So everything is a go there. This evening I think I'll park myself next to the washing machine and finish reading "The Hard Way" while I get caught up on laundry. Maybe the reason I like Reacher so much is that he is alone. He even says he gets lonely sometimes. Another thing to share with you today. As I write this I am listening to one of my all time favorite music albums (are they still called albums?), "Celtic Minstrel" by James Galway/The Chieftains. I find it very soothing to a lonely heart. I have been doing a little research on my new favorite author and his books. I figure at my age if I am going to be obsessed with a writer (and I only mean obsessed in a good way, as in devoted to his work) I may as well go all the way and see if it is possible to get all his books in hardcover. So far not much luck there. What could I expect? "Killing Floor" was first published 10 years ago. I have had fun searching though. There are a few used books out there and the occasional new one but when the goal is to own every Reacher book in hardcover the price does make a difference. I guess it's time to get wash started. Thanks for visiting The Lonely Spot. Betty

Alone Again

Home alone. Well, if I can count books, music and the internet then I guess I am not alone. I do manage to keep myself entertained. As I said yesterday I am very nearly obsessed with Lee Child and his Jack Reacher character. I spent most of the night last night reading up on the forum at his web site. Apparently that wasn't enough because I have spent a great amount of time researching Reacher today. What can I say? It entertains me. My husband is out running 21 miles with a friend today. Never think poorly of my husband if I complain here (which I have no intention of doing) facts are facts and it takes two to make and break a relationship. Ours is a strange partnership. We have no children. We both say, " I love you" and we seem to get on well enough. He just lives his life with the looking out for number one motto. The inequity there is I have always felt he was number one in my life too. My problem I know, well lets not venture there. Maybe? Is it possible I could be having a mid-life crisis? Hmm... I can't seem to get enough of Enya's "The Celts" album today. That is another topic I am fascinated with, the history of the Celts and all things concerning Scotland, Ireland, Wales and England. Actually, I just like history. I do believe you really have to know where you've been in order to see where you are going. I think I'll take a break from reading this afternoon and watch a movie. Maybe Return Of The King. I think Reacher could teach Aragorn a thing or two. There I go obsessing again :-). Have a great evening. Betty.

I Am A Reacher Creature

I am happy to say that on May 29th, I will get to meet my favorite mystery/thriller writer, Lee Child. He will be in Dayton, OH and I will not miss the opportunity to see him. I am waiting for his new book, "Bad Luck And Trouble" to arrive in the mail. I have decided to reread "The Hard Way" by Lee Child. It was the first Reacher book I read and it hooked me, so I read the series from the first book, "Killing Floor" right on up through "One Shot". I think "The Hard Way" is just a little different (in a good way) from the other books. Reacher seems to be operating with just a slightly different mind set. He has always relied on his shrapnel sharp mind as well as his brawn, but I think this time he is assessing things more closely and giving even remote probabilities more consideration than in the past. Naturally his sense of justice and his characteristic vigilantism have not changed. One of the things I love the most about him is that he absolutely does not discriminate. Male or female, if you open the door you had better be prepared for what's on the other side. All said, I guess it will not be a huge hardship to reread THW while I'm waiting on "Bad Luck And Trouble" to get here Betty.

Not So Very Lonely

This day is shaping up pretty well. It started out a little on the lonely side but working on setting up this blog has diminished that feeling. I am looking forward to hearing from others who feel lonely. After 48 years I believe I have learned a thing or two about my feelings and I believe that I have learned enough to know that though my feeling may be similar to someone else's, that does not mean I can say I know exactly how they feel. Being lonely with someone, a spouse, friend, child or acquaintance is sad. I know after 30 years of experience in marriage just how lonely it can be with someone sitting right beside me. I was the third child in a family of six children and I always felt isolated when four of us went to bed in the same room each night. Lonely is a complex thing. It is not always a bad thing . More often than not, I cling to the feeling of being alone, it is a comfort to me. Still there are times when I need to feel as if I am a part of something, like I matter. I do wonder if the end result of voluntary isolation, loneliness, will make me a bitter old woman. And there is the rub. To a great degree I can not blame my loneliness on anyone else. Crowds of more than three make me an anxious wreck. I am quite content with my books and music most of the time. Which is a very good thing because my husband does insist on living his life without me most of the time. It has always been that way. I suppose I felt unworthy of his attention. Maybe I still do. Let me know what you are feeling, thinking wondering. Betty