THE SECRETS OF FAMOUS AUTHOR ROB BYRNES REVEALED!
(Not really. I just liked the sound of it as the title for this entry.)

Thanks to all of you who took the First Official "How Well Do You Know Famous Author Rob Byrnes" Quiz... especially the brave souls who clearly didn't know me at all. Not surprisingly, Michael Vernon scored 100%; since he's frequently in my presence, and therefore frequently hearing about me and my exotic, jet-setting life full of intrigue and fabulousness, anything less would be unacceptable.

Here's a quick recap of the quiz and answers:

1. What city was Rob born in?
The correct answer: Rochester, NY
Almost everyone got this right. Good job. I have actually lived in all four choices (the others were New York City, Albany and Schenectady), so it shows that you've been paying attention. Your score: 86%

2. When he isn't writing wildly popular novels, what is Rob's day job?
The correct answer: President of a not-for-profit corporation
This was another question that almost everyone got right. And the two incorrect answers -- Development Director for a Not-For-Profit and Freelance Technical Writer -- weren't obscenely wrong. Your score: 71%

3. And what about Rob's siblings?
The correct answer: A sister who's a lawyer and a brother who's a doctor
This one was admittedly tougher, since I don't talk about my family all that often. But I have made passing references to both Lawyer Marje and Doctor Tim in the past. Your score: 57%


4. Rob's boyfriend is better known on his blog as:
The correct answer: Bradykins
Sorry, there are no excuses for not knowing about Brady, aka Bradykins. The other options (the HMB, Josita Loca, and Mowgli) are names of exes, and therefore are not mentionable at TRL. Actually, that's not true. Maybe one of these days I'll write a little something on ex-boyfriends, if for no other reason than to explain how they earned their nicknames. Your score: 86%

5. Rob graduated from:
The correct answer: Union College (Schenectady, NY)
Yes, the University of Rochester sounds logical, but I really did spend four years of my life in Schenectady. Your score: 57%

6. His college degree was in:
The correct answer: Political Science
Strangely enough, almost everyone got this one. I suppose the fact that only one person selected English Lit tells me what you think of my writing skills, and the fact that no one chose Computer Science tells me what you think of my web site... *sniff* Your score: 86%

7. The world knows that Rob's novels are THE NIGHT WE MET and the upcoming TRUST FUND BOYS. But in which anthology was he first published:
The correct answer: "Strange Bedfellows"
Wow! You really impressed me by knowing this. Now buy the damn book! Your score: 86%

8. What is Rob's full name?
The correct answer: Robert Charles Byrnes, Jr.
This was a nasty thing I did to you. You had no way of knowing this. And you didn't. Heh. Your score: 14%

9. Drink of choice? Food of choice?
The correct answer: White wine. Food?
There were no truly wrong answers to this question, but there was a truly correct answer. Oh wait, there was a wrong answer: I stopped drinking beer (and everything else carbonated) a long time ago. But red wine and scotch are my back-up drinks; I am very much a white wine sort of guy. For the record, I do eat... but you know how your appetite is suppressed after a few drinks? Yeah? Well, there you go. Your score: 57%

10. And finally, let's talk about fashion. Which of the following groupings are most closely associated with his personal style?
The correct answer: Suits; ties; Ralph Lauren polo ponies; pastels; khakis... in short, WASP City
I own one pair of jeans. I own sweats for the sole purpose of going to the gym. I own no Prada. I would, granted, shop at Barneys and Bloomingdale's if I had the money, but... alas, see the answer to question #2. However, I am the King of Khaki, and my closets are bursting with a rainbow of pastels. And I'm also one of those rare men who looks forward to looping a tie around his neck. You folks seem to know that, too, 'cause... Your Score: 57%

Thanks again for playing, everyone. Michael, you win the new car. The rest of you get Rice-A-Roni, the San Francisco Treat!