Oh, Pooh

[deliasherman]

Feeling somewhat crabby, owing to Viking having politely declined to publish the third volume of the New York Between series, aka The Dragon of Wall Street.  And after I'd gone to all the trouble of making up a plot and everything.

These things happen.  But we do not have to like them.

In other news, I have spent a useful day taking apart Chapter 11

Comments

[1crowdedhour]

Well, dang! I'm disappointed. But roll on Freedom Maze and The Wizard's Apprentice .

[batwrangler]

I too am disappointed that Viking decided to pass. :(

[auriaephiala]

Darn! That title was so cool.

[deliasherman]

Yeah, well.

[beth_bernobich]

Oh no! I *want* to read The Dragon of Wall Street!!!!

*sinks into deep gloom*

I can only hope another publisher will See The Light.

But at least.... The Wizard's Apprentice. V. cool!

[deliasherman]

Bless you, Beth. Exactly what I needed to hear, on all counts.

[themaskmaker]

I, also, WANT to read the Dragon of Wall Street!!!!!!!!!! *stamping foot*

[rikibeth]

It was exactly the same tone he used when he leaned forward, made eye contact, and asked me to watch his stuff while he went to the restroom. And when he got back? He touched my shoulder lightly as he thanked me. And all I could think was: Actor. Bad News.

That's not just ACTOR bad news. Those two behaviors? The inappropriate presumption (why should he trust you to watch his stuff?) and the inappropriate touch are both tricks that con men use to build a sense of obligation into their marks. It appears he wasn't actively trying to con YOU, right at the moment, but those are the behaviors of a con man, and so it wasn't at all wrong of you to suspect him of trying to con "baby" on the other end of the phone call.

Sketchy as hell. Bad cess to him.

[deliasherman]

Oh, asking someone to watch your stuff in a Starbucks is SOP in New York--so common that nobody would register it as presumptuous at all.

Eye contact and velvety voice, though. Pleasant in their own way, but, I agree, sketchy in this context.

[matociquala]

...I make eye contact and use a pleasant voice (or my closest approximation) when I ask a stranger for a favor.

[deliasherman]

Well, there's eye contact and eye contact. This was definitely in the realm of "significant." And since I was easily 10 years his senior and not, even in the dewy bloom of youth, nearly as pretty as he, I'm guessing it was that certain kind of reflexive flirtation that makes me think things like Actor. Bad News. even while thoroughly enjoying being flirted with.

In Starbucks, most people say, "Excuse me, lady. Gonna be here for a minute? Mind watching this for me? Thanks!"

Little do they know that when I'm writing, six men in striped sweaters with burgler masks and bags marked "swag" over their shoulders could come in and take everybody's worldly possessions (including mine) and I wouldn't notice until I hit the end of the scene or got stuck and looked up.