MUMBAI: It was a flattering email. Alda Kane had reached out on behalf of the Vancouver-based ‘More Than A Classic Book Club’. ‘We’d love to invite you to a relaxed virtual Author Spotlight with our book club, where members can learn more about your writing journey, creative process, inspirations and experiences as an author,’ it read.
On looking up Alda Kane, Google showed up Aida Kane. A typo? Possible. On the QWERTY keyboard we are used to, ‘L’ and ‘I’ are close to each other. As a published author, and with another one in the works, why would I miss a chance to engage with a book club?
Because it carries icons that apparently link to her social media pages and links to 34 websites that carry her articles, all these pages look perfectly legit.
But something seemed off as well because her email said, “Your experience across fiction, nonfiction, young adult literature, feature writing, and editing also offers a fascinating perspective on the different ways stories can engage and resonate with readers.”
A brusque answer followed: “You are being a little too inquisitive at this stage. The hosting and production are handled by the team responsible for the event, and the specific details will be communicated as we get closer to the date. There is no fee or cost expected from you at any stage.”
