The Hand-Book of Millinery. to Which Is Appended an Essay On Corset Making

As she filled out the forms, she repeatedly paused to ask me why none of the films based on my work resembled the books from which they were adapted (because theyБЂ™re all blithering idiots in Hollywood), why I write so many more women in lead roles in my books than do most male writers (because IБЂ™ve met so many interesting women and married a great one), would I ever write a sequel to Watchers (if you canБЂ™t top the original story, it doesnБЂ™t need a sequel), and what scares Dean Koontz (the possibility of bleeding to death). The towel wrapping my hand became so saturated that it dripped blood on the floor. You might think that I became impatient with the receptionist, but I did not, for three good reasons. One, she liked my books, and although I wonБЂ™t die for people who like my books, I will happily suffer for them. Two, this woman had no way of knowing that I am philosophically opposed to allowing my blood to leave my body. Three, if IБЂ™d been the receptionist, and if John D. MacDonald, the writer, had hobbled to me, holding his severed foot in his hands, I would have had a thousand questions for him and might even have asked him to wait while I ran home and got some of his books for him to sign ...»