It seems like everyone is in a book club of some kind—online or meeting with other readers in homes and other venues.

A while ago, I wanted to join a book club, but didn’t know of any, so I asked my good friend to help me organize a group. As a former English teacher, I taught with friends who love to read, so we corralled them to come on board. I also invited several neighbors and ladies from my small daytime choir. 

A local indie bookstore offers a discount for book club members, so we needed an official name for their files. Thus, we are known as Books, Brunch, and Beyond. (Apologies to that store, Bed…well, you know). We meet the last Friday of the month in the morning and take turns hosting the group. The hostess provides coffee and cake or whatever treat we choose. After coffee, we discuss the selected book, and around noon head out for lunch at a restaurant in the hostess’s area.

Our members have come and gone over the years; currently there are nine active ladies and five are charter members. Needless to say, our club evolved into more than just a book group. We’ve become friends—sharing life’s peaks and valleys. Several have lost husbands and battled illnesses. We share travels, kids, grandkids, and more, all while having fulfilling social time.

We’ve been active for 12 years since our first meeting at my house in January of 2005. We select from a variety of books and genres: fiction, nonfiction, and classic, books with positive reviews and articles from various sources.

We’ve been introduced to books we never would’ve read on our own. Have all our books been a success? No! There have been some duds, but most have been worthwhile, enjoyable, and oftentimes educational.

I must add, these ladies have been so supportive in my writing process—from my first my dabbling in writing groups to the day my first novel, Bailey’s Law was published. It's great to have cheerleaders! Great books and better friends...Can you tell how blessed I am?

If you’d enjoy a book club, I say, start one. If I can, anyone can!
            
PS. If anyone is interested in our book selections, please message me on my Contact page.
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Joe Dillard Untangles Legal and Personal Webs

This is book 5 of the Joe Dillard series, and tells the story of Joe's taking on clients whose young daughter was kidnapped from her home during the night. Scott Pratt's writing style is conversational and flows well to keep up the pace of the plot. I was engaged from beginning to end with tension on each page regarding the little girl's disappearance. In spite of hard evidence pointing to the girl's father, Joe finally feels his client is innocent and looks for suspects close to business and family relationships. Meanwhile, adding conflict and challenge to his life, Joe discovers the truth about his father supposedly killed in Viet Nam. Without giving too much away, health issues with Joe's wife arise, testing his core stamina and character. This book would appeal to those of us who enjoy a good who-dunnit, with an interesting and likable protagonist who isn't perfect, but very human indeed.

Read Bailey's Law Now.