Book Club Exchange - Michele Scott & Giveaway

I am so glad to welcome Michele Scott, author of the Wine Lover's Mystery Series as well as the recent novel HAPPY HOUR, to Book Club Exchange. (I thoroughly enjoyed HAPPY HOUR, and you can read my review here.) Michele is a very fun author who also happens to be extremely sweet. If you are like me and enjoy good food and wine, then you should definitely check out her books!

First off, I want to thank Booking Mama for having me guest blog. I am honored and delighted that she would ask me to do so! As an author, I think one of my favorite things about what I do is meeting readers. I suppose in some ways it’s an ego thing—unless a reader tells you that she hates your books, and then it’s like a wilting flower (I can actually see an image of myself sort of wilting, and sadly I am no flower). I have been fortunate enough to never have anyone tell me to my face that what I write is awful (thank Heavens). Most readers who pick up my books (my mysteries in particular) know that they are going to be reading something fun and light (albeit they do include murder in wine them), and they won’t have to think too hard. I write to entertain. You will never find me on a literary bestseller list, if you find me on any bestseller list at all (my fingers are crossed and I await the day that Oprah calls me—yeah I know, I can hear you all laughing along with me). However, where you may find me is in the home of one of my readers seated amongst a handful of chatty women, wine glasses in hand and a plate of tasty treats on the coffee table in front of us. Yes I am talking about book clubs and I love them!

On occasion I have had the pleasure to be invited to a book club who has read one of my books. Now, my books are perfect for those book clubs members who also like to open a bottle or two of vino and have some food available because let’s face it, I do write The Wine Lover’s Mystery Series and my new book Happy Hour includes some of those same topics (umm..wine and food. Oh jeez I sound like a wino and a constant eater. Hmmm…am pleading The Fifth). I had one book club who had read the first wine mystery—Murder Uncorked. The really cool thing was that each member made one of the recipes from the book, they bought the wines in the book, and then they invited their spouses for dinner. After a very tasty meal we all sat down and discussed the book and what a writer’s life is like. That was a fun club!

All of the book clubs I’ve attended have been great, hospitable, and generous with their compliments (give people enough wine and they will say wonderful things about your books). In all seriousness, the thing I love the most about book clubs is that there is an obvious camaraderie and friendships that were in place before tend to become tighter due to the commonality of the love of books and reading. And people who hadn’t known each other prior to joining the book club tend to become friends (again over the love of books). Friendships are vital for our livelihood especially for women. I think when women get together whether it’s with a book club or just out for coffee we lean on our friends in good times and bad times. We laugh together and we cry together and we support one another. And I think more than even reading the books themselves that the friendships that come out of being involved in a book club is an awesome, awesome gift!

Cheers,

Michele
http://www.michelescott.com

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Michele Scott is the author of the popular Wine Lover’s Mystery Series and The Michaela Bancroft Mysteries (a.ka. The Horse Lover’s Mysteries). Michele grew up thirty minutes east of San Diego in an area called Jamul. It was out there in the country that her parents bought Michele's first horse and she learned how to ride at five. At nine years old she knew she loved to write and one day wrote a short story that she showed to her dad. She'd written it on one of his legal pads. After he read it, he looked at her and said, "You are a writer." With those words spoken, she's never stopped writing stories.

She graduated from The University of Southern California with a degree in communications, where she studied journalism and hoped to be a reporter. But deep down inside, she'd never given up on being a fiction author, and continued to pursue her dreams while raising a family and working in the equestrian industry. In 2004, Michele received “the call” from her literary agent that Berkley Prime Crime wanted to sign her for the first three books in the Wine Mysteries. Today Michele has nine books out with more on the way.

Michele writes full time now and lives in San Diego with her very supportive husband, children and just a “few” animals.

I am so grateful to Michele for sharing her love of book clubs with us. If you are interested in participating in a future Book Club Exchange, please contact me at bookingmama(at)gmail(dot)com.

Giveaway Alert: Michele has graciously offered to giveaway five copies of her novel HAPPY HOUR! It really is a great book about the strength of female friendships. To enter this giveaway, please leave a comment telling me your favorite thing to drink during a happy hour. Make sure you leave a way for me to contact you in case you win. This contest will be open until Wednesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. ET, and I will notify the winners the following day. This contest is open to those of you in the US only. Good luck.