In 2013, my wife and I had a rare opportunity to meet the author and creator of the Bones television series, Kathy Reichs at a public book signing. Kathy Reichs is a forensic anthropologist turned author and is by far my favorite author of all time. I am proud to say that I have read everything that she has published with the exception of the Virals trilogy that Kathy and her son Brendon Reichs wrote together. I am working on finishing reading that series right now.
The Virals series, not part of the Temperance Brennan series, is geared towards a young teen audience but is well worth the read regardless of your age. The series is about a group of teenage children that use the powers they have to solve crimes and save the community that they live in. The Reichs did a great job with these books and I have not been disappointed yet. There are no vampires, werewolves or magical flying creatures even though they were asked to add them by their publicist to create interest. The Reichs did an excellent job in trying to “keep the science real.” If you haven’t yet, pick up one of her books and give it a shot. I give you my personal guarantee that you will not be disappointed.
The book signing went very well and, by far the most memorable part for me was how well she interacted with my 5 year old son. He was wearing a t-Rex shirt and Kathy Reichs asked him if he knew what kind of dinosaur was on his shirt. Bryce said that he didn’t know what kind it was and she explained it to him. I suppose, being an anthropologist, she would know best. I would like to personally take the time to thank Mrs. Reichs for taking time out of her day and schedule to spend a moment with my son and brighten his day. Her actions speak volumes about the person that she is inside. It was a moment I will never forget and if I ever have the opportunity to be rich and famous (doubtful, I know) I hope that I can retain the same level of humility that Kathy has.
Aside from the surreal experience of meeting my favorite author, the experience is what got me thinking about writing again.
A very sincere Thank you Kathy and Brendon Reichs!
