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Terrible Liar — My guest appearance at the infamous Liar’s Club
If you want to be a great writer then you must know great writers. And by this I don’t mean you have to physically know them, but you must be able to identify and understand their writing. But if you get the chance to actually become acquainted with them, well, then all the better.
~~~
I met with Wayne Barcomb for a cup of coffee and to talk about making a trailer for his new thriller, The Hunted, due out April 2009. Wayne is a… more experienced writer so any chance to sit and chat with him is time well spent.
“So, what’s new with you? How’s your writing coming along,” he asked and picked apart his scone.
“Pretty good. Number two is done and I’ve got a few people looking at it. When I get it back I’ll make changes if necessary and start looking for an agent.”
He popped a piece in his mouth, “You should send it to me. If you want?”
“That would be great, I’d really appreciate that.”
We sat for a minute in silence while he finished chewing. Then I said, “You guys still meeting at Café Baci?” Referring to the Liar’s Club.
The Club was started back in the 50s by John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee series. It is a member’s only group of authors, which has been meeting every Friday at 1pm ever since. Some of its members over the years have been Pulitzer Prize winner MacKinley Kantor; former editor-manager of the New York Times News Service Rob Roy Buckingham; Edgar Award winner Joseph Hayes. Even Stephen King has popped in for a few. The group would meet, talk about writing or whatever during drinks then play Liar’s Poker.
“Yeah we still meet. You should come out there. We could use some young blood,” Wayne said.
“That would be awesome!” And that was an understatement of how I felt about the idea.
“Well, how about this Friday?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good, meet me outside about five ‘til and I’ll walk you in.”
You see, no one just walks up and joins the group; you have to be invited as a “guest”. Then from there the group decides whether or not you’re a fit.
~~~
The clock in my Wrangler read 12:50 when I put it in park. While I made sure I was presentable a silver Porsche Boxster pulled in along side of me. The gentleman hopped out and headed for the door. I recognized him right away, Don Bruns. My shoulders relaxed a bit seeing how I’d met Don before so there was at least one more face besides Wayne’s that I’d know.
Scanning the parking lot I did not see Wayne, but headed for the door. Just as I got to it Wayne bounded out.
“Hey Jim! Is it Jim or James?”
“Whichever. Jim will work.”
“Okay.”
Once inside we rounded the corner into a back room with some tables pushed together. There were about seven, eight guys sitting and chatting. Wayne introduced me to the group and we sat down. I sat next to Don Bruns and we chewed the fat a bit.
Looking around the table I couldn’t help but feel honored. This was a group of esteemed men in a field I hoped to be part of. Then Stuart Kaminsky came in with New York Times bestselling author John Lutz. The feeling of comfort only an old friend can bring warmed my insides.
It’s not like I hang out with Stuart, but I had the privilege of having breakfast with him a couple of years ago at the Mystery Florida Conference at the Lido Beach Resort. Just the two of us at the table and I found him to be one of the most sincere people I have ever met. Then just a month ago I had dinner with him at the Canvas Café. So this meeting, lunch, would complete my round of meals with him. This would also be Stuart’s last at the Liar’s Club until who knows when since he is moving to St. Louis.
John Lutz took the seat across from me and we shook hands. He has a very calm and friendly demeanor. The smile parting his full beard lulled me further into thinking I am among friends. Which is true until the poker begins.
Finally it is time to get to business. Richard Glidewell, seated at the head of the table to my right, was dealer which entailed passing around a stack of dollar bills face down. Everyone took a buck, careful not to show the serial number to the players to either side.
Now John Jakes was across the table a couple seats down from John Lutz and he may be as good at liar’s poker player as he is an author. You may have, or should have, heard of him. He has had 16 straight New York Times bestsellers which includes The North and South Trilogy. Yes the same trilogy that was turned into one of the highest rated mini-series of all time. Well, John Jakes managed to get out first in three of the four games. And in the last he was third or fourth, so he paid nothing to the drink tab.
Did I mention that the loser in each game pays a fourth of the drink bill? And did I mention that there are 12 players seated at the table? Remember these facts.
So the first round of the first game is played and I sit out in hopes of catching on. I jumped in on the second round sputtering as I went, not raising properly or not using the proper lingo, ‘They’re called ochos, not eights, kid.’ But still I feel pretty good about the odds since there are so many players and there can only be four losers. Or can there?
So it goes like this:
First game I felt like I was holding good numbers and called out nine fives. Everyone challenges and they totaled up the fives for a count of eight. Yea, I just bought drinks for three players!
Second game I get suckered hard, after all it is called liar’s poker, and fall four short of my claim of ten nines. Drinks for three more!
Thankfully the third game fell on the shoulders of Leo Seligsohn, who sat at the head of the table to my left.
“Guess I’ll join you. Didn’t want you to be all alone.”
“Thanks, but I’m not so sure this is the company you want to keep,” I replied.
Last game. The players dropped off one by one and it got down to five of us when talk of “mano-a-mano” started. They were of course referring to the last two players going head to head. And wouldn’t you know it; it came down to me and John Lutz. Now you might be picturing the showdown of James Bond playing baccarat against Dr. No, at least I was, but no.
John Lutz opened with three aces to which I looked at the tousled mess of numbers on my scrip in hopes to counter, but all I had was a pair of threes. But I did have an ace. I contemplated calling four aces, but what if he is suckering me? Instead I gambled with four threes to which John Lutz leaned back in his chair and examined me.
“I’m thinking you either have the four threes or you’re hoping I have one or two.” I didn’t respond and he paused once more. “Well, I’m going to challenge, because I don’t have any threes.”
Like that I’m in for three-fourths of the bar tab. And that concluded that meeting of the Liar’s Club.
“You should have played the four aces,” John Lutz said as he shook my hand.
One might think that I’d left with my pride battered, but instead I walked away with a huge smile on my face. Do you know who I spent two hours with? Well, I do and it was worth every penny.
If you want to be a great writer then you must know great writers. And by this I don’t mean you have to physically know them, but you must be able to identify and understand their writing. But if you get the chance to actually become acquainted with them, well, then all the better.
~~~
I met with Wayne Barcomb for a cup of coffee and to talk about making a trailer for his new thriller, The Hunted, due out April 2009. Wayne is a… more experienced writer so any chance to sit and chat with him is time well spent.
“So, what’s new with you? How’s your writing coming along,” he asked and picked apart his scone.
“Pretty good. Number two is done and I’ve got a few people looking at it. When I get it back I’ll make changes if necessary and start looking for an agent.”
He popped a piece in his mouth, “You should send it to me. If you want?”
“That would be great, I’d really appreciate that.”
We sat for a minute in silence while he finished chewing. Then I said, “You guys still meeting at Café Baci?” Referring to the Liar’s Club.
The Club was started back in the 50s by John D. MacDonald, the author of the Travis McGee series. It is a member’s only group of authors, which has been meeting every Friday at 1pm ever since. Some of its members over the years have been Pulitzer Prize winner MacKinley Kantor; former editor-manager of the New York Times News Service Rob Roy Buckingham; Edgar Award winner Joseph Hayes. Even Stephen King has popped in for a few. The group would meet, talk about writing or whatever during drinks then play Liar’s Poker.
“Yeah we still meet. You should come out there. We could use some young blood,” Wayne said.
“That would be awesome!” And that was an understatement of how I felt about the idea.
“Well, how about this Friday?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good, meet me outside about five ‘til and I’ll walk you in.”
You see, no one just walks up and joins the group; you have to be invited as a “guest”. Then from there the group decides whether or not you’re a fit.
~~~
The clock in my Wrangler read 12:50 when I put it in park. While I made sure I was presentable a silver Porsche Boxster pulled in along side of me. The gentleman hopped out and headed for the door. I recognized him right away, Don Bruns. My shoulders relaxed a bit seeing how I’d met Don before so there was at least one more face besides Wayne’s that I’d know.
Scanning the parking lot I did not see Wayne, but headed for the door. Just as I got to it Wayne bounded out.
“Hey Jim! Is it Jim or James?”
“Whichever. Jim will work.”
“Okay.”
Once inside we rounded the corner into a back room with some tables pushed together. There were about seven, eight guys sitting and chatting. Wayne introduced me to the group and we sat down. I sat next to Don Bruns and we chewed the fat a bit.
Looking around the table I couldn’t help but feel honored. This was a group of esteemed men in a field I hoped to be part of. Then Stuart Kaminsky came in with New York Times bestselling author John Lutz. The feeling of comfort only an old friend can bring warmed my insides.
It’s not like I hang out with Stuart, but I had the privilege of having breakfast with him a couple of years ago at the Mystery Florida Conference at the Lido Beach Resort. Just the two of us at the table and I found him to be one of the most sincere people I have ever met. Then just a month ago I had dinner with him at the Canvas Café. So this meeting, lunch, would complete my round of meals with him. This would also be Stuart’s last at the Liar’s Club until who knows when since he is moving to St. Louis.
John Lutz took the seat across from me and we shook hands. He has a very calm and friendly demeanor. The smile parting his full beard lulled me further into thinking I am among friends. Which is true until the poker begins.
Finally it is time to get to business. Richard Glidewell, seated at the head of the table to my right, was dealer which entailed passing around a stack of dollar bills face down. Everyone took a buck, careful not to show the serial number to the players to either side.
Now John Jakes was across the table a couple seats down from John Lutz and he may be as good at liar’s poker player as he is an author. You may have, or should have, heard of him. He has had 16 straight New York Times bestsellers which includes The North and South Trilogy. Yes the same trilogy that was turned into one of the highest rated mini-series of all time. Well, John Jakes managed to get out first in three of the four games. And in the last he was third or fourth, so he paid nothing to the drink tab.
Did I mention that the loser in each game pays a fourth of the drink bill? And did I mention that there are 12 players seated at the table? Remember these facts.
So the first round of the first game is played and I sit out in hopes of catching on. I jumped in on the second round sputtering as I went, not raising properly or not using the proper lingo, ‘They’re called ochos, not eights, kid.’ But still I feel pretty good about the odds since there are so many players and there can only be four losers. Or can there?
So it goes like this:
First game I felt like I was holding good numbers and called out nine fives. Everyone challenges and they totaled up the fives for a count of eight. Yea, I just bought drinks for three players!
Second game I get suckered hard, after all it is called liar’s poker, and fall four short of my claim of ten nines. Drinks for three more!
Thankfully the third game fell on the shoulders of Leo Seligsohn, who sat at the head of the table to my left.
“Guess I’ll join you. Didn’t want you to be all alone.”
“Thanks, but I’m not so sure this is the company you want to keep,” I replied.
Last game. The players dropped off one by one and it got down to five of us when talk of “mano-a-mano” started. They were of course referring to the last two players going head to head. And wouldn’t you know it; it came down to me and John Lutz. Now you might be picturing the showdown of James Bond playing baccarat against Dr. No, at least I was, but no.
John Lutz opened with three aces to which I looked at the tousled mess of numbers on my scrip in hopes to counter, but all I had was a pair of threes. But I did have an ace. I contemplated calling four aces, but what if he is suckering me? Instead I gambled with four threes to which John Lutz leaned back in his chair and examined me.
“I’m thinking you either have the four threes or you’re hoping I have one or two.” I didn’t respond and he paused once more. “Well, I’m going to challenge, because I don’t have any threes.”
Like that I’m in for three-fourths of the bar tab. And that concluded that meeting of the Liar’s Club.
“You should have played the four aces,” John Lutz said as he shook my hand.
One might think that I’d left with my pride battered, but instead I walked away with a huge smile on my face. Do you know who I spent two hours with? Well, I do and it was worth every penny.