Book Clubs Rule!

I love book clubs. What an incredibly warm, intimate setting to talk about writing.

''Mama Does Time,'' the debut in my funny, set-in-Florida mystery series has been out about five months I've done a pretty good number of events by now, definitely enough to judge my fave format. All the fests, conventions, bookstore signings and the like have their good points (and a couple of bad).

But book groups? ALL good. Check out this great story that ran in the Dothan Eagle about me visiting a club on a swing through Alabama. Moon Pies, RC Cola, AND I got to talk about "Mama.'' Doesn't get any finer than that.

Readers might be surprised to find that many authors agree with me: Book Clubs Rock!

If you know an author lives in your area, or you have advance notice of an upcoming appearance, reach out through his or her website, and ask about a drop by. "Tele-visits'' are an option, too, where book club members can chat by speaker phone with a writer the group is reading.

Can't hurt to ask, right?