LITTLE 15 Passes Book Club Test

LITTLE 15 passed the test of this feisty group of book clubbers in Lantana, Texas.

Place a novel in the hands of a book club and you’ll find out pretty quickly if it’s worth a read.

LITTLE 15 recently went under the scrutiny of some long-time book clubbers in Lantana, Texas, which is located about an hour northwest of where I live. All of these ladies are extremely well read, so I knew my book would be put under the microscope.

Thankfully, LITTLE 15 passed the assessment of this sophisticated crew of readers, who dissected the heck out of it – from the characters to the plot to the five typos found by one member, who just so happens to be an editor.

“I just finished editing an 800-page book,” she told me. “You are a  really good writer. In fact, you’re awesome.”

Another member of the club loved LITTLE 15 so much that she contacted a local community newspaper distributed to thousands of homes and business in Denton county. Not only did the editor assign the story to a reporter, but he sent a photographer out to the book club meeting to snap a few pics of yours truly. (Story to come!)

But the highlight of the evening for me came much later, as the group dove into a passionate discussion about LITTLE 15. In fact, at one point during the night, when I felt the glass of wine working through my veins, I let myself sink back in my patio chair and enjoy the mild Texas evening. The lively discussion of LITTLE 15 was still in full throttle. But I had said my piece and I wanted to give the book clubbers space to say theirs. So I just sat there quietly and observed as they went on and on about my book and its characters. They talked about Lauren and how she was emotional starved for affection – most severely from her parents. They pondered Daniel’s marriage to Jessica and what might have driven him to adultery, much less into the arms of a 15-year-old girl. They discussed candidly the disturbed mental state of Lauren’s father, the beaten down spirit of her mother and the looming theme of a cover up, inspired by the conspiracy of silence plaguing the Catholic Church. And to my utter delight, no one hesitated addressing the controversial topic of abortion – or sharing their opinions.

“Unfortunately, sh*t happens … people need to get over it!” commented one reader, emphatically. “I would have done the same *bleeping* thing if I was 15 and pregnant!”

Although I didn’t write LITTLE 15 for any political or religious purpose, I did hope that the subject matter in this novel would spark debate. And that’s one of my goals as a writer – to move my readers,  inspire thought,  ignite an emotional response and prompt inward reflection of one’s attitudes and beliefs.

By the end of the night, this intelligent group of women had convinced me to join them for next month’s meeting. Their pick for June? Fifty Shades of Grey.

Oh hell yes. Count me in.

Author’s note: One of my favorite things about my job as an author is mingling with my readers. If you are a member of a book club, or simply want to discuss my novel - LITTLE 15 - please use my CONTACT form and let me know. Depending on your location, I can meet with your club in person, via Skype, or online forum. Thanks for reading!