Author Responds

In response to Carolyn See’s review of my novel, “Laguna Heat” (Aug. 26), I find it irritating that she misspelled the name of my main character throughout the article.

I find it petty that See claims the book cover is “too good” for the book itself. Shall I commission a not-so-good one for my next novel?

I find it irresponsible for the reviewer to suggest that “there’s money riding on this book--lots of it.” How much? Where did she find this booty? Is she willing to share it?

More importantly, I take it as a personal and professional insult when the reviewer suggests that I “and perhaps even the publishers” sat down to contrive a rip-off of a novel (“Tapping the Source”). I’ve never done such a thing and never will. A simple checking of publication dates would have revealed that “Laguna Heat” was finished before the other book even appeared in print.

But let’s be positive.

It is refreshingly comical when See annexes the entire Southern California coast in the name of one writer, all but suggesting that the other novelists who live in, love and write about this area should quit writing “for a decade or two.”

All I can say to this is: No dice.

T. JEFFERSON PARKER

Laguna Beach