When "big" people are real people

You may know that I love reading true crime books. I've read some that were very badly written, so I try to be careful when buying one. While out of town recently, I found myself at a mall eating lunch without a book to read, so I hit the nearest book store. (I don't mind eating alone as long as I have something to read - how about you?)

While perusing the True Crime section, I discovered I had read all the books by my favorite true crime authors (Ann Rule, Jerry Bledsoe and Jack Olsen). But a book by Kathryn Casey, whom I'd never heard of, had an endorsement review on the cover by Ann Rule. I figured if it was good enough for Ann Rule, it was good enough for me.

I loved it - both the story and how well it was written. So when I finished it a few days ago, I "googled" the author to see what else she had written. I found her website. I signed up for her newsletter (how she keeps her fans updated on her writings) and then, upon seeing a"Contact Kathryn Casey" link, I thought I'd give it a try.

I e-mailed her, telling her how much I enjoyed the book, that I'd be reading her others and that she had a new fan in Toledo, OH.

Imagine my surprise when within a few hours, she e-mailed me back. She thanked me for taking the time to write her (!), that she was very happy I liked her book, and said a few kind things about Ohio (!) that she'd visited in the past.

I am impressed. This (possibly best-selling) author took the time to write back to a fan who'd done nothing more than read her book. I guess sometimes I forget that authors are people, too. But I can't help but think that I would have never heard from John Grisham or Dominick Dunne.

Have you ever been surprised by the actions of a well-known person who turned out to be real?