Nora St.Laurent runs two book clubs near the Atlanta area and this year became ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Book Club Coordinator. She currently writes a Book Club Column for Christian Fiction Online Magazine. You can read her reviews and author interviews on her Finding Hope Through Fiction blog located at http://www.psalm516.blogspot.com/ Nora also runs The Book Club Network on Facebook 

The Book Club Network (TBCN) is an online site where book club members and authors do more than just meet. I’ve enjoyed the interaction between authors and book clubs as they learn from one another. It’s also where book club leaders can share what they’ve read and the creative things they’ve done at their book club meetings. Several book clubs have set up pages on TBCN so members can see what different clubs are reading and discussing.

Last month I interviewed Brandi Fitzpartick, the book club leader of Faith in Fiction book club. Listen to what she has to say about TBCN and why she’s excited to be part of this group.

You’ve recently joined TBCN. How has this site enhanced or helped you with your book club?

I love TBCN! I’m excited to see where it is going to take our group. We have several members who are not living locally right now and this is a wonderful way for us all to stay connected. It is a great resource for those who come regularly but may miss a particular meeting. They can still keep up on what we have been reading and make comments at TBCN for all the members to see. They can also read what other members thought of the book club selection that month.

What do you like best about TBCN?

I like the ease of navigation! I also like the idea of being able to connect with an author whose book we are discussing. It is another great way to add depth to the discussion. Other clubs that have connected with authors have given me the courage to reach out to a few authors. If some authors made comments at the network, I can respond and get to know them and their books better. It’s been fun to connect with authors and other book club leaders.

Any comments about TBCN and how it could be used in the future?

I trust that we will all think outside the box on this one. Consider the possibilities of reaching people. Fiction is an amazing thing . . . authors have an ability to say things through fiction that we can’t in everyday life. I see how the message has brought about great discussions in my group and affected lives. It’s powerful and fun. That’s the beauty of book club. It’s also a great way for other book club leaders to connect with and encourage one another.

Thanks, Brandi, for sharing and encouraging me and others. I have great news for ALL book club members. Brandi mentions TBCN helping her think outside the box. A contest we just announced the first of November is very creative and definitely outside the box. Author of Forget Me Not and a new book Deadly Ties, Vicki Hinze, and my husband, Fred St. Laurent, have come up with an exciting contest that will run till December 31. The winner will be announced New Year’s Day

We’ve asked the book clubs at TBCN to participate in a secret mission. It’s like a scavenger hunt. They can do all the items on the list or just pick and choose what works for their group. Every

mission has a point value. The club with the most points wins fifty free books for their group. Yes, you read that right. Fifty!

Vicki Hinze is giving away twenty-five copies of her new action-adventure suspense book Deadly Ties, which is coming out the early part of 2011, and Sandra D. Bricker is giving away twenty-five copies of her new book Love Finds You in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, a fun and lighthearted detective wannabe story.

The club that wins this part of the mission will go on to the next phase and have the opportunity to do something really fun and completely different. There’s a cash prize offered to the winner of the next phase. It will be the biggest prize we’ve offered yet!

I’m so thankful that authors are catching wind of fun ways to get involved in book club meetings. I’m also thankful for book club leaders like Brandi who want to think outside the box and welcome the opportunity to do fun and exciting things at their meetings.

If you are a book club member, you still have time to join the fun. Jump on over to TBCN, and get started. The contest is on the front page of TBCN and so is my interview with Vicki Hinze. We’d love for you to participate in this contest. If you miss this contest, we have a few more planned for next year. TBCN wants to help you have the most fun at book club while growing as a group and making close connections between members and the authors you love to read.

If you are a book club leader and would like to be featured on my blog and in this magazine, please contact me. I’d love to get to know you and your group. Check out the contest and join in this fun at The Book Club Network. See you there!

Until next time.

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network