How to approach me in public.

You don’t. Yes, I’m a “people person” when I have to be, but I do not want to be approached in public, unless I’m doing a (rare) public event. (You can see all my events on the Events page, though most events are online YouTube livestreams).

I’m introverted. I don’t like being around a lot of people. I don’t like being approached by people I don’t know. This doesn’t make me “rude” or “cold.” This makes me human. We’re all unique in how we deal with being in the public. I like to blend in and not be seen. I’m an author, not an actress or a public speaker. I purposely try to keep what I look like off the Internet so that I’m not recognized.

I made that mistake a long time ago and I won’t do it again. Many years ago, I wrote an article, and a small picture of myself was included in it. As fate would have it, someone recognized me and immediately approached me, acting as if we were old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a long time. The truth is, I didn’t know who this person was, and I not so kindly told them to get away from me.

So, unless I have a very specific public appearance where I’m doing a signing (I don’t do those), or at a convention (I don’t do those either), please don’t approach me in public, unless we already know each other. If I’ve never met you, my response may not be so kind.