Waiting For Spring Klub - Welcome and Introductions

[RJ Keller]

The Waiting For Spring Book Klub doesn't begin until November, but I thought I'd jump in now to say hi. (Hi!)

• Waiting For Spring (Official synopsis): "The pain in Tess Dyer’s heart stems from a lifetime of rejection: by her distant mother, by a string of one-night stands, and by her husband, Jason. He promised to love her forever, yet here she is, divorced and shunned in her own town. She tries everything to dull the pain: sex, work, and endlessly cleaning the house. Finally, in a fit of despair, she abandons the small town of Brookfield, Maine, for an even smaller town, determined to start over with a clean slate. But she can’t run from the demons in her head, and she soon falls back on her old habits, this time with the help of her sexy new neighbor Brian. Though she tells herself he is just a warm body to dull the pain, his kindness has a soothing effect on her bruised heart. But the fear of losing his love is always there, and before long, Tess’s past threatens to destroy her fragile new happiness. Ultimately, she must make a choice: continue drifting through life, or confront the cruel realities of her past and start living. A dramatic departure from contemporary chick-lit, Waiting for Spring is a moving novel about a real woman struggling to find her place in the world."

I originally self-published Waiting For Spring in early 2008. It was subsequently picked up by AmazonEncore and re-released in May of this year. (You can read about that here, if you're interested in how that came about.) Those of you who have read the self-published edition may be wondering what differences there are between it and the Encore edition, and if those differences are significant enough to warrant a repurchase or to affect the discussion. The answer: Encore made very few changes. The manuscript was given a very thorough copy editing, there are a couple of passages that I cut out of the edition I published that were added back in, and a minor change in a decision Tess makes regarding her employment. In my opinion, none of the minor changes affect the story significantly enough for a repurchase, but I'll leave that up to you. When the Klub gets to the chapters with the changes I'll point them out, with direct excerpts from both editions, and we can talk about the differences and why changes were made.

In the meantime, I'm working on some specific questions and points of discussion for November. If any of you have read the book and have anything in particular you'd like to discuss then, feel free to let me know in this thread. I'm looking forward to talking with you, both now and in November!

[geoffthomas]

Oh Joy!!!
I will enjoy this one a lot.
But I warn you that I will be sorely tempted to keep asking for the next book.
See there I have done it already.

[RJ Keller]

Hi Geoff! Good to see you here! (And please don't stop asking.)

[RJ Keller]

Just a little over a week before the Waiting For Spring Klub kicks off. I've been busy getting questions and points of discussion ready...and I'm SO looking forward to November!

I thought I'd kick things off with the introductions before we begin the Klub next week. I live in Maine with my husband, my teenage son, two teenage daughters, and two cats (who rule the house). Monday - Thursday I'm busy writing the follow-up to Waiting For Spring, which is tentatively called The Wendy House (to learn a little more about that, you can check out this interview). Friday - Sunday I work as a cashier at a small "one stop" grocery store, where I collect ideas for stories and characters as well as a paycheck. I'm also a movie buff and all around geek.

I'd love to hear about you guys, and to know whether you're participating in the WFS Klub with the self-publishing edition or the Encore edition (or if you have both, like me haha!). As we get closer to November, I'll start posting background info and setting up some specific threads. I'm very open to any input regarding the upcoming discussion!

[geoffthomas]

Happy Birthday RJ.

[RJ Keller]

Thanks Geoff! So far 41 is good. 

[carissanboys]

Stopping in to give a quick introduction! I have the AmazonEncore edition of Waiting for Spring and am almost finished with chapter 8. I'll join in the week 1 discussion once I'm caught up (hopefully later today). I'm not sure how much I'll be around with NaNoWriMo in full swing, but I hope to at least participate once each week.

My name is Carissa and I'm a SAHM, currently homeschooling my three boys. Just this year I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing and am furiously typing away this month in an attempt to finish the rough draft of my novel. I've always been a voracious reader and was excited to start your book. Born and raised in Maine, I love to support Maine authors. My other passions are travel, football, and photography.

I look forward to delving into Waiting for Spring!

[Susan in VA]

Oooh!  Can I play?  Or am I too late?  I just read this last week, and would happily read it again.   I think I have the newer version, based on the revision of the part where she quits/doesn't quit the job.

[Jeff]

Oooh!  Can I play?  Or am I too late?  I just read this last week, and would happily read it again.   I think I have the newer version, based on the revision of the part where she quits/doesn't quit the job.

R.J. is sick, so on her behalf I'll invite you to please join us. You're only a day behind. The questions for this week haven't been posted yet. Here's the schedule.

[RJ Keller]

Oooh!  Can I play?  Or am I too late?  I just read this last week, and would happily read it again.   I think I have the newer version, based on the revision of the part where she quits/doesn't quit the job.

Yes! Please play! 

R.J. is sick, so on her behalf I'll invite you to please join us. You're only a day behind. The questions for this week haven't been posted yet. Here's the schedule.

Thanks for stepping in! Sick + work = brain dead

[Susan in VA]

Thanks, Jeff and R.J.!