Book Clubs & Binge Watching

I recently did two things I seldom do – cleaned out drawers and closets and binge watched a series on Hulu. As I mindlessly watched the series and pulled socks from my daughter’s drawer that fit a two-year-old, this is a big reveal on my part because she is nearly a teen, I discovered more than a few things. First, to my delight I found the Lilly purse that the younger female with my last name claimed to have put in the give-away pile, the pile that had already been given away. Secondly, I discovered pairs and pairs of swim goggles that couldn’t be located during the last decade of beach trips. Needless to say that my family will be well suited in goggles for the July 4th holiday.

It was, however, my third discovery that surprised me the most. I discovered that paying attention to popular culture wasn’t mindless – it was research. As a writer of young adult fiction, my readers span from 10 to 102 and some of these readers required a mom or daughter in a book club to read my novel first and then blog about it or pass it along to their child, their school, or their parents. You get the picture, right?!

Well, I didn’t get the “picture” until this week while doing something that I often hear other people talk about, but never do – no, not clean, binge watch a series. I was watching “Younger”, a TV Land series by director Darren Star about a mom, actress Sutton Foster, who is in my decade of life and she finds herself posing as a twenty-something to get hired in the publishing industry after taking time off to raise her family. Anyway, I was able to overlook that she dates a tattoo artist, who makes the profession attractive, and managed to mindlessly clean all the closets and all the drawers until this… Please watch the video clip.

My best friend who lives in Johns Creek, near Atlanta, was the first person I called. She has a book club! This makes sense, and actress Hilary Duff said it best in this episode. “If you can get the housewives – you can make the best-sellers list.”

My closets needed cleaning and taking a break from writing my sequel while waiting to hear which award my book received from Literary Classics proved valuable. “Housewives” – I like to refer to myself as a “homemaker” – are incredibly influential when it comes to not only their families but the success of a business.  It’s as simple as sharing with close friends how much they enjoyed a restaurant, a grocery store, an independent bookstore and yes, even a book. They often influence what their friends and family read and these days, book clubs are a great way for a group to take a break from binge watching. I am only kidding, being a homemaker is the most rewarding and one of the most exhausting roles and it leaves little time to indulge. I do however, have more rooms with closets and drawers to organize. So, here’s to the next episode and to more research!

For an author visit for your Book Club, either in person or by Skype, contact Sheila at sslavich@me.com or visit her website at sheilawslavich.com. To purchase signed books from the author visit http://www.slavichbookshop.com.

“Jumpin’ the Rails!” was named as the 2017 Literary Classics Youth Media Top Book Awards recipient of the Gold Award for Middle School Science Fiction/ Dystopian, the Silver Award for Preteen Historical Fiction and the Gold Award for Best Cover Design (Cover by Connie Wilkerson-Arp https://www.facebook.com/crookedcrowstudio). “Selected from submissions by entrants around the globe, these distinguished honorees are recognized for their contributions to the craft of writing, illustrating, and publishing exceptional literature for a youth audience,” Literary Classics.