We Love You Jeffrey!

I know more than one person who doesn’t like JA’s books. They find them repetitive, convenient, sensationalised, and tied up very neatly (among other things).
I love them. And after Tuesday evening, I know that at least another 300 do. Why else would they stand 4 deep, literally falling over each other and they hundreds of books around them?!
Lord Archer was in town promoting his latest book. Not his best work. I belong to the ‘We love Kane and Abel’ club. But it was an opportunity to see the man who wrote one of my favourite books and hearing him speak.
And I wasn’t disappointed. Far from it in fact. He had the audience charmed as soon as he walked onto the dias and asked the people at the back to come in the front and take the empty seats in the ‘reserved’ section. This one act told everyone that he cared more about his fans than snooty journalists who couldn’t make it on time.
The man is funny, witty, expressive and can sure tell a story! He knows his audience and says just the right things. He pauses at the right moments, and he poses at the right ones too!! :D He had the bulbs flashing all the time!
He is 70 and exudes excitement like a 10yr old.
He takes his writing seriously and makes sure the audience knows and appreciates what an uphill task writing a book is. He is appreciative of intelligent questions, and handles the stupid ones with amazing tact and diplomacy.
He just makes you want him to go on for hours.
So I stood in line with everyone and got my book signed and a picture taken and came home all tingly and excited.
Now I can finally understand why people spend hours waiting for a Mr. Khan or a Mr. B to pass by in a car. :)