The Book Readers and Beer Drinkers Club

On Monday, May 7, I was very pleased to have the opportunity to meet with members of the Book Readers and Beer Drinkers Club at the Royal Oak on Echo Drive in Ottawa.

Organized by the impressively thorough and detail-oriented Julie Dodd, the club meets bi-weekly to select, read, and discuss books while enjoying a draft of beer, or perhaps the new Keith's cider, or just a coffee (me).

Julie had compiled a rather thick and spooky dossier on me and was prepared with questions that kept the ball rolling and gave me plenty to talk about, as well as prompting many questions from other members. We discussed my crime fiction novels, the writing and revision process, independent publishing, and other interesting subjects. I was delighted to find that people felt quite comfortable with the fictional Glendale, Maryland as the setting for the series, and intrigued to learn that one member felt Donaghue and Stainer reminded her of Golden Age DC superheroes. Mind you, I would hope that as the series progresses their roundness as characters (see E.M. Forster) might become more evident, but as I said at the time, it's always amazing how varied the reactions of readers will be toward fiction.

My thanks to YA author and club member Adrien Leduc for referring me to the Book Readers and Beer Drinkers, to Julie Dodd for the invitation, the coffee, and a wonderful evening, and to Sarah, Peter, Crystal, Craig, Melissa, Gen, Ryan, Adrien, Michael and Suzanne for some great conversation.

If you're interested in learning more about this club, check them out at meetup.com.

Thanks again, folks!