After we finished our celebratory lunch in Phoenix, then it was off to to another interview. It was a podcast called Dragon Page. As with most interviews, you have one, or two names tops, an address, and some background on what they do, if you’re lucky. Our driver dropped us off, and waited in the car.
We rang the doorbell of a nice suburban home. The inside was wonderfully neat and tidy. I am such a cluttery person that neatness always impresses me. They had a yellow-naped Amazon parrot sitting on the open door of it’s cage, very quiet and well behaved. I have a real fondness for yellow napes, since I owned one for many years. We walk in and are introduced to our hostess, then taken to the back yard where our hosts are sitting outside enjoying the lovely weather. One of the men that stands up, is Mike Stackpole. Michael A. Stackpole, who happens to be one of Jon’s favorite authors, and also, as it turns out, one of Charles’s favorites, too. Mike is one of the regular on air personalities for the show.
Mike and I knew each other when, even sharing an agent at one time. I think it’s been about nine years since we’d seen each other in person, at least to talk at any length. Jon did the whole fanboy thing for Mike. Charles played it more cool. But later they both said, "Warn us if we’re going to meet one of our favorite writers." They said this, separately, and darn near in unison.
"I can’t warn you, if I don’t know. I didn’t know Mike was going to be there." It seemed like defense enough.
But in all honesty, I’d have known to warn Jon, but though I can now order food at almost any restaurant for Charles, I don’t know his favorite authors. Touring with someone is a strange kind of intimacy. You learn all sorts of things that are usually reserved for closest friends and your sweetie, but there are entire volumes of information that never come up. Things that your closest friend, or real sweetie, would know. One of those bits of info would be favorite authors. I mean I know some of his preferences on books, but not, by any means, all of them. I told him he’d just have to give me a list of people to warn him before we meet them. Of course, that only works if I know the person will be there ahead of time. Sometimes I get surprised, too, like in Phoenix. But it was a pleasant surprise. Good to see Mike again.
The show was fun in that way of good interviews; a lot of shared laughter, good questions, and time to give more than the short answer. Besides, Mike, I had three other people on microphone with me; Michael R. Mennenga, his Wife Lorri and Summer Brooks. I think the most I’ve been interviewed by at one time was three before this. But it didn’t feel crowded, not physically, or in any other way. It was just fun. They’ve invited me back, and I’ll be happy to do a return trip.
Jon took the whole surprise more in stride. I asked him about that later, and he said, "Within the first two years of being together I sort of got used to it." He reminded me that one of the first conventions we ever went to as a working couple, he got to meet Terry Brooks, Barry B. Longyear, and Terry Prachet. I guess, Jon did get thrown into the deep end of the pool for someone who loves to read. I wonder how long it will take Charles to take it all in stride, too? Probably longer, because Jon wasn’t just going on the road with me, but living every day in a house where you never knew who would be calling, or e-mailing. The total immersion theory gets you over the shock sooner, I think. Though, frankly, there are days when I still go, "Wow, this really is my life. Cool."
Darla wanted me to mention that the radio interview with John Carney is up. Here’s the address: The Carney show for 5/27/08 (First Hour) There’s more to his show.
