No Offense - Meg Cabot Page 0,99
million copies of her novels for children and adults have sold worldwide. Meg lives in Key West, Florida, with her husband.
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A Conversation with Meg Cabot
Q: How did you come up with the idea for No Offense?
A: I was taking a walk with my friend Nancy, who pointed to a cute little house here in Key West (where we both live) and said, “I just love that house. It’s where the sheriff and the librarian live.”
I froze in my tracks. “What?” I cried. “How could there be a sheriff and a librarian living together in this town and no one told me before this? How did they meet? Do they solve mysteries together?”
Nancy was unable to answer any of these questions, so I went home and immediately outlined this book and pitched it to my editor (who fortunately loved the idea).
I did find out later that the Key West librarian in question met her cute sheriff husband under entirely crime-free circumstances that bear no resemblance whatsoever to this story, and that no, they do not solve mysteries together (however, he does show up at her library frequently—to take her to lunch). Like the sheriff and librarian in this book, they do not agree on everything.
To me, that’s what gives a romantic relationship just the sizzle it needs to work!
Q: How did you get so many details about librarians—and sheriffs?
A: I love librarians! One of my aunts went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana (where I grew up), to study library science at the same time I was attending elementary school, and I absolutely worshipped her.
After that, I haunted my local library weekly, and my school libraries every day (yes—I was that kid who ate her lunch in the library). Librarians were the ones who encouraged my love of reading, gently reassuring me that it was okay to venture out of the children’s section and into YA and then the adult section. Without them, I’m positive I wouldn’t have become the writer I am today.
Since becoming an author, I’ve been privileged to speak at numerous libraries and even attend librarian conferences, where I’ve met hundreds, if not thousands, of librarians. For this book, I interviewed a number of librarians (including the two mentioned in the acknowledgments) and read numerous nonfiction books on libraries and library science (The Library Book by Susan Orlean is a favorite). Any errors you might find, however, are my own, or were for the selfish purpose of propelling this narrative.
As for details concerning law enforcement, I can only say that I’ve watched every single episode of Law & Order ever made . . . just kidding (not really)! My brother is a police sergeant, and I bombarded him, along with members of Key West’s local law enforcement (who shall remain nameless so they don’t get blamed for any of my errors), with questions. Many of them now run when they see me coming.
Q: Both Molly Montgomery, the librarian in No Offense, and Sheriff John Hartwell love to read and mention the titles and authors of numerous books throughout this novel. Are these books real, and if so, are they books you enjoy, as well?
A: Yes, all but one of them are real books, and have also been favorites of mine at different periods in my life. I recommend all of them (except The Wilderness Survival Handbook by Sternberg, which I made up), either to read yourself or to give as gifts to younger readers (please check for age appropriateness before gifting).
Q: In your last book, No Judgments, you gave readers recipes for some of the food your characters enjoyed in the story. Do you have any for us now?
A: The salad-dressing chicken that Katie Hartwell makes for her sheriff father in No Offense is an old standby! It’s so good, no one will ever know you didn’t slave over it all day.
What you will need:
Chicken (I prefer dark meat with the skin on, but it works just as well with white meat without skin.)
A big sealable plastic bag or a large bowl
Baking tray
Aluminum foil
Tongs or forks
Meat thermometer (if you want to be completely safe)!
Salad dressing of your choice (I prefer Italian, but you can try it with your favorite salad dressing and see how it goes. Many people swear by Dijon honey mustard. Some people also add barbecue sauce in addition to salad dressing. It’s entirely up to you.)
If you prefer to make your own marinade, a recipe I’ve used