Calling all book clubs

Some of the most exciting experiences to come from our podcast MESSENGER: A Novel in 15 Episodes (find it on this website under Podcast) were my visits to Book Clubs. I will always treasure these times of sharing Messenger with other book lovers, answering questions, and joining in deep, meaningful discussions.

Now that Messenger is a print book, I would be delighted to virtually visit your book club meeting so we can talk about all things Messenger. IT’S FREE!!!! I’ll be happy to answer your questions and to explore your favorite themes and characters in Messenger.

Any type of club, any level of discussion—fine by me. You will, of course, set the agenda and choose the questions. I’ll try and make it easy for you by providing a list of Questions to Ponder, free and available to all book clubs.

Here are just a few of the questions to sample:

1. What do you make of the Messenger’s Composition Book entry, which begins the book?
2. Have you ever experienced the beat, as Messenger describes it, or the flow, as Alana does?
3. Alana throws herself wholeheartedly into this project. What risks does she face? Have you ever had a challenging time in your life when you thought taking a risk, even a longshot, was justified? How did it work out?
4. Describe the growing relationship between Alana and Messenger. Have you had a similar one? Were you Alana or were you Messenger?
5. What’s going on between Alana and Ed?!
6. The Flower Lady raises themes of loss with Alana, as she tells Alana about her own mother, then asks Alana about losing her mother. Do you think Alana has dealt with her grief? What hard places do you detect in Alana now that you know her better?
7. Which of the 10 Elements in Messenger’s list opened your heart? What elements would you include if you made a similar list?
8. An old saying goes: The first rule of magic is containment. In Lunch with Mary, sharing her project out loud for the first time and viewing it through Mary’s eyes, deflates Alana. Have you ever had this experience when sharing a new project with a friend?
9. For Alana, a visit to her favorite store, Aubergine, is a kind of portal to another reality. What does the word portal mean to you? Do you have a place you go when the going gets rough?
10. Messenger’s disappearance triggers Alana, which catapults the action forward. Were you surprised at Alana’s actions? Have you ever had a similar experience when you reacted from a place of deep hurt?

In addition to these questions and more, we can talk about writing, my goals for this book, my writing process, and how Messenger came to be. I can explain why I chose to release the book first as a podcast, and what I hope readers will take away from reading Messenger. I can share the real-life messages we received from podcast listeners and will hopefully have received from those who read the book. Maybe you’ll have some of your own to share with me, too.

I hope this virtual visit sounds like something your book club would enjoy. If so, please go to the Contact page on this website, list your name and email address, then click on “Yes, we’d love Liz to join us at Book Club and to receive a list of Questions to Ponder.” Feel free to also write me a message or to send any questions you have in the message box. I would love to join you and look forward to hearing from you soon!