Take an author out for coffee

Who would you pick to take out for coffee if you could choose any writer you wanted?

I think Alexander McCall Smith, author of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency would be entertaining, erudite and good for a high-brow chuckle. I'm guessing he's an Earl Grey Tea man. And maybe a piece of lemon meringue pie. With icecream.

High on my list as well would be Cathy Cassidy, loved by tween and young teen girls everywhere. She'd drink a decaf cappucino, we'd share a slice of mud cake and I'd ask her questions about how she got her audience. (I want them, you see...)

While I'd like to drink chai with Lee Child, author of high-octane thriller novels featuring ex-military loner Jack Reacher, I think our conversation would be short and unsatisfying. Everything's fast paced with him. He'd be in and out of the cafe, chiding the wait staff and looking at his watch.

Of course, I'd never say no to drinking coffee with Anna Funder, Malala Yousefsi or David Rock. Actually, I'd probably never say no to heading to a cafe with any living author. (Dead ones, not so much... but only because of the maggot factor.)

Imagine taking your favourite author out for coffee and telling them, "I love your books and I support you." They'd get a kick out of it.

Just as good, though, is buying your favourite author's book. Most e-books are less than the price of a cup of coffee. Most print books are the same as the bill for tea and cake for two people at a classy cafe. And a book may even provide you with a better conversation with the author than you could have in a noisy cafe with traffic noise outside. 

Want to support your favourite author? Purchase their book and then write them a letter thanking them for a great virtual morning out.