Several years ago, I was asked to appear in a series of Bacardi ads to be featured in The New Yorker. To be honest, I don't drink flavored Bacardi and don't read The New Yorker. But this being my third novel, I was glad to be included and appreciative.

I guess I wasn't a very good pitch man. I haven't been asked to sell anything since. Unlike actors or athletes, authors are rarely asked for endorsements.
 
I recently ran across this ad, thinking I had never ordered a flavored cocktail in my li...