lisa samson

Embrace Me

1.    How does Lella and Valentine’s physical dependence on each other reflect their emotional / spiritual relationship with each other? What role did Lella play in Valentine’s life?
2.    What do Drew’s letters to Father Brian and his self-mutilation reveal about his character and the nature of his ministry?
3.    Valentine and Augustine have both had major conflicts with people very close to them whom they have forgiven. How are they able to forgive these offenses? Have you had to forgive someone for crimes against yourself? Have you ever had to ask for forgiveness?
4.    Why do you think Valentine chooses the name that she does?
5.    How important do you think beauty and societal images are to the Christian church today? What does the author suggest can happen when the beauty is stripped away?
6.    What was the most disturbing scene in the novel? Why?
7.    Elysian Heights (a mega-church) and the Laundromat (a community gathering place/monastery) are two entirely different “churches.” Do you see benefits and drawbacks to each of them? 
8.    Why does Valentine remain hidden from “outside” people or wear scarves when she goes out when she exposes her face at the carnivals to make a living? Why do you think she begins to loosen up?
9.    Why do you think Drew/Augustine returns to Mountain Oak when he ran away from it for so long?

10.  In what ways could you imagine serving those who are in need?

These were written by the wonderful Becky Monds!

welcome reading groups and book clubs

First of all, I'm not sure what the difference is between a reading group and a book club, but if you've chosen one of my novels for your group, I thank you!  Second, you'll find here on this page ten questions for each of my contemporary novels for you to copy, print off, whatever you'd like.  These are mine and now they're yours.  You can even tell your group you wrote them if you want; change a modifier here and there and it's all yours.  In any case, I do hope they're helpful.

Here is a short list of the novels you'll find on this page and the basic issue each touches upon:

The Church Ladies:  death of a child, being married to a pastor, adultery, acceptance
Women's Intuition:  divorce, agoraphobia, taking chances
Songbird: depression, mental illness, televangelism, healing
The Living End:  death of spouse, finding your purpose in life
Tiger Lillie: spiritual abuse, singlehood
Club Sandwich:  caring for ailing parents, priorities

Feel free to add your own questions in the comments sections and thanks again! 

straight up

1. Why do you think Georgia drank so much?
2. Why did Georgia's father's death throw her into a tailspin?
3. How would life had looked differently for Georgia had her mother lived?
4. Why did Fairly drown herself in the things of the world? What things of the world do we drown ourselves in to keep from facing the truth of our lives?
5. What was the significance of Natalie's storyline?
6. What was God calling Uncle Geoffrey to do? Why?
7. Are alternative forms of church such as Uncle Geoffrey's biblical, needed, something you're attracted to or not? What is church really for?
8. Had any mentors in your life like UG and Della-Faye and Solo? How necessary is this for spiritual growth?
9. What has kept you from not living out what you feel your true calling is?
10. If you're living your true calling, who and what were your greatest influences/examples/encouragements to do so?

club sandwich

1. How did Ivy let her life get this way?
2. Was her initial approach with Rusty effective, and if not, how could she have better handled his leaving?
3. What was Ivy's responsibility to her dead-beat dad?
4. What characteristic of Ivy drove you bananas?
5. If you are an Ivy, in that you are "sandwiching", what would be the one thing someone could do for you that would mean the most? What keeps you from asking for help?
6. How do you feel about children putting their parents in assisted living homes, barring there is no severe health issue which they cannot deal with?
7. If you have an Ivy in your family, what are you doing to help?
8. Is there anything noble about loading your plate to the extreme? Why is "busy" synonomous with "worthy" these days. Are we overtaxing our children as well, and if so, why? What will the benefits/harm be in later life for them?
9. How can we better understand those around us who are aging?
10. Would you have kicked Rusty out long ago?

Songbird

1. Is it possible for someone to have as difficult a childhood as Charmaine's and still end up happy? How?
2. Why does God let terrible things happen to children?
3. Did you relate to Charmaine?
4. Do you deal with, or know someone closely who deals with, depression? How do you/they cope with it?
5. Is it wrong to use medication? Why or why not?
6. Why couldn't Charmaine find help within the traditional church constructs?
7. What do you best remember about the televangelists scandals? If God was cleaning house then, did we get the message or not?
8. Should Charmaine have fought to keep Leo? And what purpose did Grace show in the novel?
9. How is the theme of "home" explored?
10. How did Charmaine find a home within herself?

The Living End

This is my favorite.

1. Why did Pearly leave her dreams behind?
2. Was Joey self-centered or giving?
3. What would you do if you made up a list like the one in this book?
4. What have you already done that you've always wanted to do?
5. Did Pearly's promiscuity have anything to do with her willingness to lay aside her dreams for Joey's?
6. What was Matt doing in this book?
7. Pearly's reaction to her husband's death was pretty non-standard. Have you ever wanted to run away from something like she did? When and why?
8. When in the book did Pearly come to faith and why?
9. We all need to invest ourselves in others' lives. How did this save Pearly?
10. Had Pearly had children, would that have changed things for her? How would children have complicated her life?

Tiger Lillie

1. Why has Lillie remained single well into her thirties?
2. How did Tacy allow Rawlins to enslave her? Where did you see 'the handwriting on the wall'?
3. A lot of people have 'systems' for raising kids. What do you think about this? Have you tried one? Was it a good or bad experience?
4. Rawlins is a metaphor for legalism in the church. Has legalism touched your life? Do you still espouse it? Why or why not?
5. Why was Gordon so calm and centered?
6. Did Tacy's knowledge of her parents' sexual slip-ups before marriage make an impact on her choices?
7. Was Lillie justified in trying to kidnap her niece?
8. Cristoff: what did you think about him?
9. Should wives always submit themselves to their husbands? No matter what?
10. How has spiritual abuse touched you or your family? Had you heard about it before reading Tiger Lillie?

The Church Ladies

1. Do most women complain as much inside their heads as Poppy does?
2. How did Poppy's affair color the rest of her life? Do Christians really have affairs?
3. Why was Paisley so antagonistic toward her mother? And why not toward her father?
4. Poppy obviously felt she didn't measure up to her best friend Chris. True or not?
5. Why was Mildred LaRue so crucial?
6. Was Duncan too good to be true?
7. How did Josh's death bring the town together? Did God engineer Josh's death or simply allow it, and if He allowed it, why does He do that sort of thing? Does it let Him off the hook of culpability when He could have stopped it?
8. Who was your favorite Church Lady?
9. Did you recognize anybody in this book from a pew at your church?
10. How does the Church work against itself in leading others to faith?

Women's Intuition

1. How can someone let fear get the best of them like Lark did?
2. When did Lark and Leslie's relationship begin to deteriorate?
3. Did you know Bradley wasn't dead?
4. What kind of influence did Prisma have on the ladies of Greenway?
5. Do wealthy people have a greater responsibility to society?
6. What did the good heart doctor do to draw Lark out?
7. Did you see any of your own fear in Lark?
8. How important is it for us to repair our relationship with our mother? Have you ever done such?
9. How was Lark able to keep up a good relationship with her daughter? What role did Flannery play in the overall relational health of her family? Should it be up to the offspring to do that? Why or why not?
10. Is there anything you're fearing that you'd like to deal with?