Q and A with Barbara

BOOK GROUPS:
 Reading Group Guides, free DVD for book groups
Do book groups discuss your books?
Increasingly so. Rarely does a week pass when I don't hear from one group or another. Naturally, I'm biased, but I think my books are wonderful discussion books. I write about real people and real problems, and book groups are made up of real people with real problems, so the identification is strong. Moreover, my books are vertical, rather than horizontal. In other words, rather than having a linear plot based on action such as in a novel of suspense, my plots consist of multiple threads driven by my characters' emotional needs. Digging down into my books opens up food for thought. Peeling away the layers, as book groups do, exposes the reader to aspects of the book that she may not have realized were there. It's all about enhancing the reader's experience.
Are there Reading Group Guides for your books and, if so, who writes them?
All of my recent books have Reading Group Guides. In several cases, my publisher has written the Guide, but most often, I write it myself. This isn't rocket science. Being in a book group myself, I know the kinds of questions that spark a discussion. So I write them down as they come to me in the course of writing a given book. BTW, I'm a great proponent of Reading Group Guides. I think that they help readers get the most out of a book, whether they are in a book group or not.
How can I get a copy of the Reading Group Guides?
Several ways.  For a guide to a particular book, click on the title on the main Books page, then click again on Reading Group Guide.  For a collection of all the guides is one place, go to the main Books Page and click on Reading Group Guide.  As an alternative, Reading Groups may want to send for a free copy of my DVD.
DVD? What DVD?

I've made a DVD that I distribute free to groups that are discussing my books. The DVD consists of 70 minutes, broken into 3- to 7-minute segments individually accessible from a menu, in which I talk about my books and my work. Visit Reading Groups for information on how to get one.
Do you have a fan club?
Nope. This web site is as close as I get to that.
Why doesn't Oprah name one of your books to her club?

Beats me!