Tuesday, March 06, 2012

Oh, The People You Will Meet…



I write at Starbucks. When I’m close to deadline—like right now, I’m there more than the busiest barista, and that’s no lie. This week I’ve spent and inordinate amount of time at my local Starbucks which, thank God, is less than a mile from my home.

I’ve been there most days from nine or so in the morning until they give me the old “We’re closing in ten minutes.” warning at twenty after nine at night. During the summer months, I’ve been known to move my computer out onto the patio and write until my battery dies or I need the restroom, whichever comes first. If I had an extension cord and a Porta Potty, I’m sure I would have been there 24-7 during the last week of writing Fisher Kincaid’s story, Call Me Wild. One of my favorite baristas even brought a box of coffee out to me to hold me over before he left for the night. Thank God Starbucks never turns off their wifi!

This week I’m on a tight writing deadline but I’m trying not to stress too much about it since it happens with every book. I’ve found when one spends 90 hours a week in one place staring at a computer screen; people tend to ask you what the heck you’re doing. So in the last few weeks, I’ve met the most fascinating people. I live in a relatively small, rural town in Maryland. I’ve been here eleven years and to tell you the truth, not much happens that’s at all exciting. Imagine my surprise when in the last couple of weeks I’ve met more wicked cool people than I’ve met in the past eleven years.

Take for instance Friday afternoon… I got up to stretch my legs when I noticed a woman curled up in front of the fire reading a book. Now, I don’t know about you, but whenever I see someone reading, I want to know what they’re reading. This is the only thing I don’t like about e-readers. You can’t simply spy, you have to actually stop and ask the person what they’re reading, and sometimes you’re given dirty looks—not that I let a little thing like that stop me. But I digress… I see this woman with her head buried in a book (the same book she’d been reading for hours). I wanted to know what she was reading, but she had the book on her lap. Of course I had to ask, I just had to. She held up Gena Showalter’s new book THE DARKEST SEDUCTION, which she said was really good.

Needless to say we started chatting and I find out EJ Lawrence a Forensic scientist and specializes in DNA. I was immediately impressed, after all, I’m a huge fan of NCIS. It turns out her lab actually does all the DNA tests for NCIS (the real one). So EJ, my new best friend, whips out her phone and shows me pictures of her and the cast of the show! The cast went to the lab to do research and to meet their real-life counterparts. Here’s one of EJ Lawrence and Pauley Perrette


I’m sure you’ve all heard me mention Twinkle Toes, my sixteen-year-old injured ballerina. Yes, she’s stopped dancing, moved home, and has decided to concentrate 100% on school instead of dancing forty hours a week. Her new goal in life is to be Abby on NCIS—a real life Abby that is. And there I was talking to her—well, EJ AKA Real Life Abby.

I asked EJ if I could email the picture to Twinkle Toes. I mean, how cool is that? I also asked if she would mind meeting Twinkle Toes to talk to her about what she does, the education involved, and whatever else Twinkle Toes wanted to know. EJ, being the nicest woman in the world, said she had all night. She sat with Anna talking about everything and anything for at least two hours. When we closed Starbucks, I sent Anna home with her dad, and EJ and I ended up talking for another hour. She’s definitely one of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met, and she’s also a writer—I can’t wait to read her work. Now all I have to do is stop talking to people at Starbucks and write faster!

So, am I the only one who meets wicked cool people at Starbucks?

28 comments:

Miriam Newman said...

A coffee IV drip! Sweetie, you're a genius. But I already knew that cause I read your books. Keep drinking and writing!

Robin Kaye said...

LOL - Yesterday Eddie the manager walked by my table and said in his beautiful island accent, "Robin, you have three drinks?"

I looked at my table and nodded. "One's empty." I shook my empty throw-away cup.

"Well, all right then. I'll get you a refill."

All I could think was heaven.... Sigh.

Kimberly Kincaid said...

How funny-- I just posted on Twitter this morning about how I wanted someone to please find a way for me to take my coffee via IV! :) And isn't it neat how the "real world" is very small sometimes? What a great story, Robin!

Robin Kaye said...

Thanks for stopping by, Kimberly. Yes, a caffeine infusion is a real necessity in my world. Just hook me up!

Gregory Payne/Alex Carreras said...

I need to go to your Bux. Mine is always full of loud talking real estate agents closing or making deals, smelling of way too much perfume. But this is Florida, not Maryland.

Diana Cosby said...

Robin,
I'm a fan of the Starbucks IV drip as well! Oh yeah, I begin each day with Starbucks Breakfast Blend. Normally, in cafe con leche mode. :)
I agree, you meet some of the nicest people at coffee shops. And, I'm with you, I love to see what people are reading. Take care, and have an amazing day!

Christi Barth said...

I wondered how much coffee you had to drink for them to let you sit there all day! I never meet interesting people at my Starbucks. Of course, nobody is talking to each other at 8:30 in the morning. Please meet your deadline - I'm ready to read!!!!!

Robin Covington said...

I tend to hang out at my Panera b/c our Starbucks is too small but I do meet the nicest people there. And, when I made my sale the manager made a big announcement and everyone clapped. it was super sweet.

I'd say that the most interesting person I met was an elderly woman who loves erotica and she loved her new e-reader because she didn't have to put up with her son rolling his eyes at her "naughty books". She was a hoot.

Good luck om the deadline Robin. I'm knee-deep in my first edit cycle and it has required lots of diet coke ingestion.

Hugs,

The other other other WRW Robin ; )

Robin Kaye said...

@ Gregory~ Honey, if you were at my starbucks we'd never get anything done but we'd have fun! I bring noise canceling headphones along to drown out conversations I can't ignore. It's difficult to write a love scene with seven men having a prayer group at the next table.

@ Diana - Thanks for dropping by! I'm all about the soy lattes and the Iced tea lemonade - yum...

@ Christie - at least two Venti coffees, and one lemonade iced teas, which have free refills if you're a gold card member {grin} As for the book, I'm working on it, I'm working on it! Call Me Wild is up for pre-order if you want to show it some love though.... http://www.amazon.com/Call-Me-Wild-Robin-Kaye/dp/1402257333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331043904&sr=8-1

Robin Kaye said...

@ Robin C. - If I hung out at Panera, I'd be eating non-stop. That place smells so good, I gain five pounds when I walk past it. I love the sale announcement story--that's just too cool! I wish I was there, but I do remember cheering you on from Starbucks when I saw your announcement!

Kerri said...

You know, I'm now dying for some Starbucks. Luckily, there are 2 right near my office. Such a great post! ;-)

Phil Bundy said...

And, Robin, you are definitely one of the most interesting people I have ever met at a Starbucks!

Robin Kaye said...

@ Keri~ Go for it, girlfriend!

@ Phil - I was going to mention you in the blog too, but thought I'd save you for a later date--I was getting long-winded. LOL It was great meeting you and I can't wait to hear more about your project!

Anonymous said...

OK, what a cool story! Do you think Real-Life-Abby Jennifer would be willing to come blog for us here at Killer Fiction sometime?

Oh, and I used to write at Panera but I'm home on maternity leave witha 3-month-old so I'm writing on my couch while watching Sprout Network now.

Robin Kaye said...

@ Amanada~ I just texted Jennifer and asked. She's so cool, she's even into Egyptology. Love her and I swear she and Twinkle Toes had so much in common it was almost scary!

Anna said...

Sounds like fun! Makes me want to hit a Starbucks and see what comes of it.

Amy Fendley said...

I have never written at Starbuck's of course there is not one near me that I can just pop over and do that. It would be great to meet that many interesting people! Have a great day!

Anonymous said...

No Starbucks for me, but I don't mind. I get to live vicariously through you! Fisher's story is next! YAY!

Robin Kaye said...

@ Anna - I have met the most fascinating people. I was asking about how to describe the sound of a Gulfstream jet engine, and a fighter pilot just happened to be there and spent twenty minutes helping me with my scene.

I met an amazing copy editor, we became friends and now I have have a great girlfriend and a source to ask when I have those pesky copy editing questions.

One of my future heroes is a techno-weenie who only knows how to speak in code--and low and behold, I found one writing a technical manual who said he'd be happy to help me when the time comes--he has just that problem. LOL Starbucks is my personal writing Nirvana!

@ Amy - I think it's worth a trip. Before I started writing at my neighborhood Starbucks, I used to drive Twinkle Toes to dance 90 miles away and work at the Carlisle Crossing Starbucks. I'd often go up on her days off because I wasn't getting anything done at home. It was worth it.

Robin Kaye said...

@ Patricia - Oh yeah, Fisher's story, Call Me Wild is on Amazon for pre-sale. It's coming, girlfriend!

EJ Lawrence said...

Hey all, it's Jenney O'C (EJ Lawrence is what I write under)

You all make me laugh. My husband has been poking at me all weekend about how things work out in the strangest ways...

See I had a bad day Thursday, a really bad day. Friday, I took a sick day took some time to nothing that needed to be done, and do something that I simply wanted to do. Just because. And I meet Robin, and have the most amazing conversation. Here I think I am the fangirl, but really it is almost exactly like when I met Pauley at the Top Cop Awards. She turned to her boyfriend sqealing "Oh my God it's a Real DNA Analyst" and I am squealing to my husband "Oh my God it's Abby."

So here you go... OMG I just hung out with Robin Kaye!!!!!

Robin Kaye said...

@ EJ - Yeah, and I'm all "Oh My God, I'm hanging out with the real life Abby!" and then my daughter was even worse I'm sure. Okay, maybe I'm not so sure but I'm happy to be delusional in this one respect. EJ you were so wonderfully generous to Twinkle Toes I can't thank you enough. She's totally stoked and said she learned so much from you. She can't wait to see you again and neither can I.

I can't wait for you to guest blog--maybe you can give the killers new and interesting ways to get rid of their bad guys. And no, ladies, I'm still not planning on killing anyone but I sure enjoy watching you guys figure out how to get rid of evil fictional characters...

Anonymous said...

How cool is that? I adore Abby. I'm super jealous you met the real-life Abby. Your local Starbucks is amazing!

Anita Clenney said...

Robin, no one has stories like you. Real life stories. :) You are wicked cool! And you're an inspiration to me. I tend to be shy and hold back until someone approaches me. Then, I'll talk their ears off. But I need to be more outgoing so things like this can happen.

Anonymous said...

Great post! A lot of fun to read. I know what you mean about e-readers. Whenever I see someone reading, I'm always intensely curious. I want to know what it is, if they're liking it, what else they've read, etc. And it's easier to strike up a conversation about a book if you already know what the book is.

Allison Leotta said...

Can you cut another line in that coffee drip for me?? :)

C.C. Hunter said...

I love it, girl!!

You almost make me want to do to Starbucks to write. Wait, there are no really cool people famous people in Spring, Texas.

CC

Princess Alethea said...

OMG -- Jennifer is one of my favorite new best friends EVER. (Her husband is just as fabulous, btw. These people we love to read & write about REALLY DO EXIST!)

Like you, I do more writing when I'm sequestered at Starbucks. The most interesting person I met was a photographer from Nashville who was interviewing with a model that was going to hire him for a photo shoot. The first question he asked her was what books she liked to read.

After eavesdropping like mad (the model left first), I introduced myself and asked him about his work. It was SO INTERESTING!

And he wasn't hard on the eyes, either. :-)