Debbie Harpham
by Lisa Steinke
We love books. We love wine. Therefore, we love book clubs.
We were in a book club together before we were ever authors. A book club for two that started when we were in our early teens. We’d drink Dr. Pepper and nosh on chili cheese fries, dishing on the latest Danielle Steele, Jackie Collins or Sidney Sheldon novel that we snagged from our moms’ bookshelves and devoured well into the night, not quite yet understanding the love, romance and the aching heartbreak that can go along with it. We loved, not just to read, but to discuss what we were reading. To analyze the characters, dish on the drama, study the ending. And we still do that, even living apart—the dissection of the plot and characters of the books we read continues to be a vital part of our relationship.
But never did we imagine we’d be sitting with a book club of women (and men!) we’d only just met answering questions about our books. To be honest, it always feels just a little bit odd to be on the other side. To be the ones who wrote the novel up for discussion. Because we still feel like those teens chatting about Lucky Santangelo and her high-powered life.
Each book club has its own culture—some are a thinly veiled excuse to escape the kids and drink wine. Some want to have serious discussions on theme and how it relates to the world we live in. Some are a little of both. Regardless, we love and appreciate every single one! Always full of so many thoughtful questions. Some we often haven’t ever considered! And there’s usually at least one reader in the bunch who challenges us. Why did you do this or that? Why did you write this character that way? Some of the brazen ones even tell us what they didn’t like about the book. And you know what? We love that! Because it makes for an even better conversation. There really is nothing better than talking directly to our readers. Finding out what you loved about the book and what you didn’t. Your feedback does matter and often influences our future novels.
The bottom line is, we certainly wouldn’t be where we are today without book clubs, in any and all forms. From the groups with names and organized meeting times and signature cocktails that complement the novel they are discussing, to the two friends who dish about a book casually over a dinner they’ve had to reschedule three times. They all matter to us.