Book clubs are popular and proliferating at a rate I could have never imagined.  What a joy that people are still reading!

The Sun City McDonald Ranch Book Club couldn’t have been more inviting.  Thankfully, I am beginning to feel more comfortable that I no longer hide behind the lectern.  The fun is directly interacting with the audience.  That these folks had good questions I could respond to was entertainment for us all.

Las Vegas Community Lutheran Church had a large, kind of “family affair” gathering that reminded me of after-church socials back at the Mt. Zion Church of my youth.  I had a speech prepared, but once I got started, I put it down and just shared stories with them.  I am a storyteller at heart and at my best.  Creating an intimate, warm communication that amplifies the connection of us all is tantamount to my Joy!

I don’t know the last time I was in the presence of so many highly-credentialed and outstanding professional women as was my benefit when I attended The Phenomenal Women luncheon last week.  They strutted beautiful and walked tall – just as they should.  I borrow from my mother’s words in praise of them, “They covered the ground they stood on.”

What can I say about the visit with the Sistafun Book Club?  Out-Fun-tastic-Amazing!  Those bright, intelligent, funny, outspoken ladies turned it out!  Most of them had already read my book and they let me know they were personally invested in certain characters.  They took Mary, Coolie Parts, Anders, Tesh-Lucianne, Bittibay and others to heart and they lived in them.  They informed me about aspects of these characters I didn’t even know about when I put them to paper.  They understood the relationships and empathized with them to the point that they asserted to me why they did what they did, or didn’t do.  I had to laugh out loud at their passion.  One reader’s fiery expression was:  “Um-huh!  I knew right off that that Tesh-Lucianne was one crazy lady!”  Another responsive soul fixed me with her penetrating eyes and declared:  “I felt sorry for Gates.  But I wanted to kill the bastard anyway!”  What could I add but, “Amen.”

Off to yet another upcoming book adventure, I will be talking at the Paseo Verde Library Book Club this Thursday from 6 – 7:30 PM.  I’d love it if you’d join us.