“A writer only begins a book. A reader finishes it.”  –  Samuel Johnson

I am posting this blog a day early as tomorrow I am heading down to Florida to meet with a book group. I love meeting my readers because every time I chat with someone about MacCullough’s Women I see the story through a different set of eyes. I am always interested in hearing how readers relate to my characters. The last time I met with a book group, a woman launched into a spirited defense of Drew MacCullough when a member of the group questioned his character. Another reader told me that she despised Desmond Sheerin. I am sure you can imagine that as the person who created these people and sent them off into the world, I love hearing this and find it fascinating.

Hearing from readers either in person or on my author page on Facebook has helped me in shaping my second book. Every writer tries to make the next book better than the last. The way they do that is by listening to what their readers have to say.

Ordinarily, I would not be getting on an airplane to go to a book group but this is a special case. One of the members is my cousin. She has been hugely supportive of my writing and she asked me to come. Spending three days in Florida in March is a treat.

I have been working on a list of discussion questions for book groups to use. I am planning a page for book groups for this website but it is still a work in progress.

Every time I fly, I am reminded of the first time I was on an airplane. I was fifteen years old and flying from Boston to Denver to visit my mother’s sister and her family. I was the first person in my immediate family to fly. My anxious mother pinned fifty dollars to my bra. Fifty dollars was a lot of money then. I am not sure  exactly when she thought I was going to be robbed because in those calmer and gentler times you could be both accompanied to and met at the gate. After securing the money, she handed me a lemon meringue pie to take to her sister. I flew across the country with that pie on my lap. The pie arrived in Colorado intact and everyone enjoyed it. And nobody robbed me on the plane, either.

Tomorrow all of my money will be in my wallet and I will not be bringing a pie just my iPad. I can’t wait to meet some new members of my tribe