I have often met with readers. The most common place is book fairs where I set up a table and chat with people browsing through the many, varied offerings. What I enjoy about these is that most of the people are taking their time, enjoying a leisurely stroll through the book stalls, and are quite willing to simply talk about memorable books, unusual stories, and their own experiences. I may sell a few books, but that's not nearly as important as meeting readers and making a connection with them that goes beyond the writer/reader interface.I've also been invited to book club meetings, which are great fun. The people at these meetings are avid readers which means they hold the bar pretty high; I'm always a little nervous about my books meeting it, but then pleasantly surprised when they do. Book club meetings offer a comfortable, intimate setting where readers and I can really delve into what makes a great book: story line, characters, conflict and resolution. I also like to give my new friends a little "behind the scenes" information about the book at hand. Kind of like the extra features on a DVD, it helps to round out the story a bit more, and gives the readers a fuller picture of the process.
So did I get my free cup of coffee? Yes, I did, plus much more. It was great to be able to sit down with the two men and simply chat, not only about my books, but about other books they'd read, ideas they had for my series (and I just might incorporate those--who knows?), our many common interests and common experiences. It made me realize again, as I have so many times, that my readers are the greatest!
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