It's Me. No Kidding.

I saw a neighbor recently who didn't know I was a writer.  So being the self-promoting hound that I am, I gave her a couple of books.  She flipped it over to look at the back (where my photo is), and got a puzzled look on her face.  She said, "Wow.  I would never guess this was you."

I laughed a little.

Her frown got deeper.  "Seriously.  I would never. guess. this. is. you."

I said, "It's me.  You've just never seen the Julia London Full Monte."

By this point, she was studying me.

I kept trying to explain my face away.  I said, "I am usually out running or walking the dog when I see you."

She nodded. Then she started talking about the books and saved me any further embarrassment.  For the record, she never made a face when she said it, or gave my any reason to think she thought one version was better than the other.  But I know what I look like when I've been running, and let's just say I wouldn't be winning any beauty contests.

Anyway, I came home and looked at myself.  and then the latest pub photo.  This picture is what Julie Kenner sees when I go to her house.  The neighbor sees my hair pulled back with a hat.  And you guys see the coiffed, made-up version of me that I trot out from time to time.  But I don't think I look THAT different.  There are some authors out there who look waaaaaaaaayyyyy different than their pub photos.  Like…twenty years older than their pub photo, if you know what I mean.

I am very proud of my very vain self for showing you the real me.  Do you think I look that different?  How do you photograph?  More or less like your real self?  Are you ever surprised by how you look in photos, or in real life?