Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How do you pronounce "Shaffer"?
SHAY-fer. Like a vanilla wafer.
Is the Bernie Sanders cozy mystery authorized by Senator Sanders?
Nope—it’s an unauthorized parody. He had no hand in its development and, to my knowledge, hasn’t read it or commented on it.
Has President Obama or Joe Biden read Hope Never Dies: An Obama/Biden Mystery or Hope Rides Again?
I signed a copy of Hope Never Dies for Joe Biden and spoke to him during an appearance in Kentucky. He hadn’t read it at the time, but subsequently did—and spoke to the Des Moines Register about his experience. President Obama has a copy on his bookshelves, but I don’t know if he’s read it.
Will there be a third book in the Obama Biden mysteries?
A third book was planned prior to Joe’s run for president, but scrapped—there was no way I could keep up with the news he was generating on the campaign trail. Ditto with his presidency. Though book three has been shelved for the time being, never say never.
I heard the Obama Biden mysteries were optioned for a television series.
An animated series was in development at a major television studio, but again, real life intervened. President Biden is simply too busy to solve crimes.
Has Donald Trump sued you over The Day of the Donald: Trump Trumps America! yet?
No. Sad!
What's the story behind your Fifty Shames of Earl Grey pen name, "Fanny Merkin"?
When my agent was shopping Fifty Shames of Earl Grey to publishers, we decided to use a pseudonym so as not to tarnish the intellectual image I'd painstakingly cultivated as a nonfiction author. I found the name "Fanny Merkin" in a book of funny, real names from the 18th century (Morecock, Fartwell, & Hoare: A Collection of Unfortunate but True Names).
What's a merkin?
A merkin is a pubic wig. From Wikipedia: "Usually made of fur, beaver pelts, linen or some soft version of cloth. The Oxford Companion to the Body dates the origin of the pubic wig to the 1450s. According to the publication, women would shave their pubic hair for personal hygiene and to combat pubic lice. They would then don a merkin. Also, prostitutes would wear a merkin to cover up signs of disease, such as syphilis."
When is Fifty Shames In Space coming out?
The short answer is "never." The long answer is also "never." Fifty Shames of Earl Grey contains an "excerpt" from Fifty Shames In Space, a fictional sequel that promises "twice the sex, twice the excitement, and twice the sex." I didn't have any intentions of writing a sequel—I'd read a bit of the second Fifty Shades book, and it seemed to be more of the same. There wasn't much there to parody. However, there are two Fifty Shames short stories that continue from the end of the first book: "An Earl Grey Christmas" and “Gone Grey,” both included in the collected edition, "Fifty Shames Gone Grey."
How did the sharknado book come about?
The idea originated with Crown Publishing and Syfy. I hear they wanted an author who could handle a chainsaw. When they couldn't find one, they asked me.
Your novel-in-progress Tapped was optioned by Freeform TV. What’s going on with that?
A television drama based on my Young Adult novel-in-progress Tapped was in development at Freeform, with The Pretty Little Liars' I. Marlene King and The Vampire Diaries' Paul Wesley producing. The option lapsed, however, and the project was shelved. Since the book’s publication was dependent upon the TV deal as part of a production package, the novel was laid to rest as well. Thus ended my brief foray into the YA world!