My First Calling

I LOOKED OVER MY GLASSES FROM the bench and asked, “Is there anything else?” I was confident in the details of the case and ready to deliver a standard hearing closing.

“No, Your Hon—” the attorney began, but his client interrupted.

“Your Honor, I have one more thing,” the man said.

I looked to the attorney. I’d been a judge for 23 years—a female judge from a time when that was neither expected nor particularly respected. I ran a tight ship. It was always “Yes, Your Honor” or “No, Your Honor.” I made a face that said, Get your client under control. That should have been enough. But today the attorney threw his hands in the air, exasperated.

I knew we were in trouble. I turned to the client. “Yes, sir. What is it?”

“I just want you to know, no matter how you rule, I’m buying your book.”

My insides did a somersault. I’d been trying was published in 2011, followed by a number of short stories. I was trying to sell another novel, Magazines and local papers were now publishing articles with titles like “Judge Writes Book” and “Judge Wrote Mysteries.” That was the marketing hook. My private passion was fast becoming common knowledge.