Favorite Autographed Books: Suspicion of Innocence by Barbara Parker

Today guest blogger Rebecca Lugones tells us about the time she met Barbara Parker. 

It was the very first time I went to the Sleuthfest Mystery Writing Conference. As I inched my way through the line to get an autograph from the author of Suspicion of Innocence, Barbara Parker, I debated whether or not to tell her the truth about her book. 

The moment arrived and I blurted it out. 

“I loved your book, but many of the Spanish phrases in your book are incorrect.”

There.  I had said it.  I couldn’t let her publish any more books with these errors. Silence. She stared at me.  Was she going to throw her book at my head?

“But I used native speakers!” she protested.

“That doesn’t mean they can write it correctly or that they are saying it right.  I speak Spanish but I when I found the errors, I checked with more than one person who does translations for a living.”

Then she asked me how to say eagle in Spanish. Seriously, how often does one use the word eagle even in English?  I shrugged my shoulders and then she said, “aguila.”  

She signed my book and I went on my merry way with a clear conscious.  

Then I looked at the inscription,

To Rebecca Lugones:
Who has the eye of an aguila. Best of luck with your writing.