That's what I attended last night, when Don Beyer Land Rover in Alexandria, Virginia hosted writer Joseph Finder for a talk and book signing. Finder is the author of several thrillers, including Company Man and the upcoming Killer Instinct.
This was the fourth of these literary events that the Don Beyer family of dealerships has hosted over the past year. Other featured authors have included Edward P. Jones and Andre Dubus III.
The evening started with free beer, wine and appetizers, always a plus in my book. The author chatted informally with fans for a while, giving people more of an opportunity to talk one-on-one than you usually get at a bookstore signing.
Once the crowd was assembled, Finder spoke for about an hour and then answered several questions from the audience. He talked about how he became a writer, his writing process, how he does research, and how it's easier to get an interview with people at the CIA than it is to talk to CEOs of major corporations.
Finder is a serious guy, but he lightened things up with a couple of funny stories, including one about meeting with the CEO of NEC while his fly was broken.
The turnout wasn't as large as I had hoped, only about 40 people or so, but the audience was enthusiastic and seemed to have a good time. Most of the people in attendance either brought books to sign or bought one there. (Hardcover copies of Company Man were going for only $12, a good deal.)
Don Beyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, co-owns the dealership with his brother Mike, who was the host last evening. It's nice to see people in the community helping to support the arts, and the event seemed to be a great success. I hope they continue this.
