What goes around comes around

I was in the library the other day looking for a new author to read because I had read pretty much everything from my favorites. I texted a friend of mine to ask her for recommendations for a new mystery author. She didn't get back to me before I had to leave, so I just grabbed some books from an author I had never heard of, but her back cover blurb looked good.

Several hours later, my friend got back to me and I told her who I picked. Apparently, she had met that author and "she was a bitch to me." Now I try to divorce the author's personality from the author's talent. There are authors I don't think I'd necessarily like to hang out with, but I enjoy their books. Other authors, I'd love to go out for drinks with because their characters are so damn cool I think they have to be too.

*Disclaimer* There are several authors who I have gone out for drinks with. . .gotten drunk with. . .slept on their bathroom floor, etc. but that's another story. I'm posting as a reader not a writer today.

Anyway, after my friend said this author I was going to try out was nasty to her, I thought about just putting the books back, but in the end I really needed something to read and I had the books right there with me, so I thought I'd give it a try anyway. I mean, maybe the author was just having a bad day or something. I could enjoy the book even if the person wasn't particularly nice, right?

Apparently, no. First, let me say the writing wasn't fantastic anyway. The heroine was annoying and they mystery just didn't grab me AT ALL. I usually will finish a book no matter what because I want to know what happens. I couldn't get past the tenth chapter. It was very frustrating!

After I returned the books, I wondered, if I hadn't heard anything about this author, would I have given her more of a chance to hook me? Was I influenced by the author's behavior more than her writing?

And almost more importantly, have I been a bitch to others and now they'll never read one of my books and they'll be sure to tell all their friends what a bitch Arianna Hart is? I have to admit, it's possible. I'm not always the nicest person, and if I'm tired or my blood sugar drops (which tends to happen at conferences) I could be nasty too.

I hope this experience has taught me a lesson about what goes around comes around. If you put out nastiness, it's bound to come back to you. I think this is good to remember in all aspects of life, so just for today, resist the temptation to flip off the driver who cut you off, don't jump down the throat of the cashier who is taking forever to get you a cup of coffee, and resist the urge to slice someone with sarcasm even if it would be really funny to you.

You never know when the good you do will come back around.