Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Hitman Meet Gustav. Gustav...Hitman.



My husband drove through Hurricane Gustav and all I got was this lousy photo.

Okay, it's really a cool photo. But you understand, in keeping with the t-shirt quote, I had to keep similar phrasing.

Yes, that's my book. My husband read it sitting in a Suburban SUV outside the hotel he was protecting during Gustav. He called to tell me how much he liked it and to let me know he thought my use of "dialogue has improved." And yes, he really said that.

Tom got the call to head to New Orleans a few days before Gustav hit. He drove there from Illinois in a rented SUV filled with all kinds of stuff - from a generator to duct tape. His mission was to protect a hotel, its clients and staff from the possibility of looters. Sounds like fun, eh? Well, it sounds like fun to Tom.

Being that I'm afraid of stuff like hurricanes, I wasn't happy about this. Especially when he arrived in time to drive across the 22 mile causeway over Lake Ponchitrain in the full brunt of Gustav. He actually said, "It was kind of tense."

Now, my husband is not an excitable man. Those words coming from him would be the equivalent of me saying, "OHMYGOD! #!@! WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

While he was there, he realized he hadn't yet read my latest, STAND BY YOUR HITMAN. So, being a guy who likes to watch storms, he sat out in the vehicle during the storm and read my book.

WHO IN THE HELL DOES THAT?

Of course, this is Mr. Assassin. When he made his first parachute jump in the 82nd Airborne, instead of screaming like a little girl as he plummeted to the ground (as I would have done), this man took pictures of the ground rushing up between his feet. He then sold the photo to other guys in the 82nd so they could all send it home and say that they took the picture. He made a fair amount of money off that too.

And last night, he tells me that he can't believe that Bob and Al (my dying plants) got last week's blog when he read my book in a car during a hurricane.

So Tom, here it is, your moment of zen.

The Assassin

17 comments:

Jenyfer Matthews said...

So - now we know who you model your heroes after :)

Anonymous said...

omg, Leslie, lol, your husband sounds like a great guy.

Lucy said...

What exactly does your husband do that he was "protecting" the hotel during the storm? I live in hurricane country (regardless of where it hits, we will be affected by Ike) and if it didn't mean being stuck in traffic for hours on end, only to have to return home BEFORE the storm hits, I'd happily leave my own home to avoid them!

Christie Craig said...

Leslie,

LOL Don't you love those comments coming from our husbands about our work. Mine reads mine when I get the galleys. He always manages to say something that causes me do go...huh?

CC

Unknown said...

*waves* to Mr. Assassin! Enjoy your suppa star day.

Okay, Les, I'm the worlds biggest chicken shit but I gotta say that sounds like a bit of fun. Sitting in a big tough SUV, reading an awesome book and watching the storm swirl around me.

Is Mr. Assassin home safe and sound now?

Terri Osburn said...

I love that you use Jon Stewart's line at the end. Love that show. LOL!

See, if I had known that Mr. Assassin would be a star someday, I'd have gotten his autograph. I've driven through tornadoes (hail is no fun!) and had to drive through Tropical Storm Hanna this weekend but no way would I ever cross that bridge during the real thing. CRA-ZY!

That airborne picture story is too good. LOL! Hope he's home safe and sound!

Gemma Halliday said...

I love Mr. Assassin. He's really got that "cool" thing down a science, hasn't he?

And, I'm a little jealous. I haven't gotten my copy of Hitman yet!! My local Borders is a tad slow getting you on the shelf. I keep pestering them... hopefully soon.

~Gemma

Anonymous said...

Ha! Leslie, Mr. Assasin is so great... you can tell him we'll always consider him a star in his own right.
Not only for reading your fantastic book in the car during a hurricane storm, taking pictures as well... but for also reading it closely enough (depsite said storm) to critique.
Hilarious...

Anonymous said...

I love Mr. Assassin too!

Stand By Your Hitman is on my shopping list which I hope to buy soon. :)

Keri Ford said...

Sounds like you've got a character on your hands, Leslie. I hope he came back safe and didn't have too much trouble with all the looters.

I'm with you on the weather. Course, I live in a single wide so when the wind starts blowing hard I start considering whether or not I need to be running to moms or getting me a mattress ready to dive in the bathtub with.

Leslie Langtry said...

Ladies, here is YOUR moment of zen. The following comes from Mr. Assassin himself;

"Huh. There's a blog about me. When I told Les I didn't like being bumped by the dead plant in our yard, I'm not sure I meant this either. I did mean it about the dialogue. I also think you have made tremendous progress with your comma usage as well.

Thank you to the lovely ladies who have said so many nice things here. I'm not sure I deserve them.

Hello to Kim. My wife adores you -you do a great job. Gemma & Christie - Les talks about how wonderful you are all the time.

I remember meeting Terrio - anytime you want an autograph I can send it - although I don't feel that it is worth anything, really. Mia, how could I forget a woman who wants my wife to call her so her breasts can vibrate? I try to encourage her to call you now and again.

I'll hand you back to Les now. It was nice to meet you."

Mr. Assassin

Terri Osburn said...

I was already having a pretty good day, but I'm going to smile the rest of the afternoon now. LOL!

Leslie Langtry said...

Yeah, he has that effect on people. And did you notice he didn't use an exclamation mark? Not even once? The man is too calm.

Estella said...

Your husband sounds like an amazing man.

Leslie Langtry said...

Thanks! (Notice MY use of exclamation marks.) Somehow I've managed to keep him interested for 20 years. Must be my sparkling personality (sic).

Elisabeth Naughton said...

OMG. I'm with Gemma. I love Mr. Assasin. Any man who holds the table and keeps the glasses refilled is a keeper in my book. (And he's good with chairs!)

LOL at the dialogue comment...laughed even harder at the comma one. Uber impressed he protected that hotel. (He did protect it right? You left the outcome there hanging...)

Unknown said...

awww! Isn't he great??

Les, you're right. He's far too calm although in his line of work that's probably a good thing. I'm sure I use enough exclamation points to make up for his lack of. LOL.