A Book Signing

It was a year ago today that I heard in the news that Anne Rice passed away at 80.

The first book I ever read of hers was Interview With the Vampire, which moved me so much inside – I bought many versions of the paperbacks as they came out, just to get those lush covers when they updated them.

My favorite cover was the first one, the white one, as it looked so old fashioned to me. I stared at it for hours, absorbing the details….Claudia’s little frock, the white suits that Lestat and Louis wore…all the lace. Their gaunt, vampire faces.

My favorite book of hers was The Feast of All Saints which I have read so many times I have absorbed it into my soul. It also sent me to New Orleans multiple times to track down the locations from the book in the French Quarter.

When I went to a book signing by her, I purchased a copy of The Witching Hour – but really I wanted to talk to her to RAVE about The Feast of all Saints, which I told her was a “damned fine book.” Amidst her busy signing, she looked up at me and said, “You know, that’s just what my publisher said.”

That book signing was a red-letter day for me, my friends, a red-letter day.