she's alive!!

back in the 90s when i lived in atlanta, jamiesmitten introduced me to an author who wrote a series of mysteries based in atlanta. and not just any old part of atlanta, but the part where i spent my formative years -- little five points. and candler park. and all the other hot spots. kathy hogan trocheck wrote about callahan garrity, a detective who solved crimes and operated a house cleaning service from her candler park bungalow. she regularly drank at the euclid avenue yacht club. i was hooked, and soon had to buy the books when they were released in hardcover. i even went to an instore at my beloved oxford books (rip) and got an autograph or two.

so when, in 1999, i overheard my boss at wcw setting up a meeting with an atlanta-based author to give her some behind-the-ropes wrestling information, i jumped at the opportunity. we had lunch at some restaurant in vinings and she picked my brain on the industry. i eagerly anticipated her new book, and was positive i would get a thank you in it.

and then kathy hogan trocheck never published another book.

i knew she was alive, because periodically i'd check her website, and i'd see her screen name signed on to aol. i thought about emailing her to ask about the book that never was, but i never did. i just knew that i was responsible for killing her career.

a few weeks ago, thanks to the maybe-not-so-horrible-facebook, a friend of a friend posted something about kht. she's alive! she's still publishing! only under another name - mary kay andrews. haven't read any of them yet, and doubt they will hold the same appeal as they take place in savannah and not a tiny little corner of atlanta. but she's alive.

so i guess i just killed "kht's" career.