Last week, I wrote about meeting people on MySpace and Goodreads, an ongoing process which is still fun. Goodreads in particular is a mecca for bibliophiles, and it does my heart good to see so many people who love reading and who love sharing info about what they've read. These past couple of weeks, I've been introduced to hundreds of books and readers I had no idea existed.
Another interesting thing about networking online is that you get to know people from a geographical distance. Distance offers a measure of privacy and perhaps even security, especially if you're not someone who loves the limelight, which I don't. Well, this week, physical distance is about to be stripped away.
On Wednesday, a reporter interviewed me, by phone, for our local newspaper. Two hours later, a photographer came to the house and took a photo of me and FATAL ENCRYPTION's cover. Since a number of scenes in the book are set in Port Moody (where I live) and Coquitlam, we played up the local angle. After all, no one's put Port Moody in a mystery before. The article will appear this week and it's a little daunting to know that people in my community will see my picture and learn what I've been up to. But this time, I have a better idea of what to expect.
Four years ago, an essay of mine appeared in Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul. The publisher sent a press release to the local paper, and within days a reporter and photographer came to my house. After the article appeared, everywhere I turned people were mentioning it. The article went up on bulletin boards where I worked, at my husband's office, at my daughter's skating club, and my son's elementary school (to his embarrassment). Suddenly, it felt like the whole world knew about my essay. And while people were complimentary, part of me felt like I was walking around wearing a fairly sheer skirt, wondering how much people could actually see through.
Yet, after all is said and done, I'm proud of what I've written and I love Port Moody. It's a beautiful place and if you'd like to see a glimpse of it, photos are on my website at http://www.debrapurdykong.com/
It should be an interesting few days ahead. Am I prepared for what comes? I hope so.
FATAL ENCRYPTION is available at
amazon.com
Debra_Kong@telus.net
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