Vote for Books: Sonoma County Book Festival

I got to spend this past Saturday at my booth at the Sonoma County Book Festival. It was a beautiful autumn day at Old Courtyard Square in Santa Rosa and since it had been a couple months since I had done an event for Ruby Rest, it felt really good to talk books again with the people who love them. Aside from always meeting a lot of interesting people, without fail book events bring me face to face with people whose comments I am unprepared to answer. Besides being accused of promoting murder…more on that in my next column…I heard other familiar remarks along with some new ones.

It isn’t uncommon for people to call me Ruby after looking at my book cover. You would think I’d be used to it by now but for some reason it always embarrasses me just a little bit. When someone says, “Hi, Ruby,” I instantly picture myself working at a diner in the middle of nowhere with short cutoffs and a nametag that says “Hi. My Name is Ruby.” I have no idea why that image pops into my mind, and nothing against the name Ruby, but I can’t help but turn a little red when someone looks me in the eyes and calls me that.

Midday at the festival one woman picked up my book and looked at me to say, “Well I guess you’re not voting for Palin.” I really had no idea romantic mysteries were political in any way. Of course I’m assuming she was referring to the rhetorical question of banning books, but for my part for the day I avoided any political discussions in favor of wearing my “Vote for Books” sticker on my chest and talking about mysteries, real life and fictional.