LS: For so many years I read southern authors because I was writing southern books, so that does color this list a little. I love To Kill a Mockingbird, Cold Sassy Tree, and anything by Pat Conroy, Rick Bragg, Maya Angelou, or Russell Baker. Every once in a while, I still take a trip back to Louisa May Alcott. Then I have the authors I love for light reading and escape: Georgette Heyer, Philippa Gregory, Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, Sue Grafton, Sara Paretsky, Dave Barry, Carl Hiaasen, and P. G. Wodehouse. I started reading Wodehouse when I was a kid because I saw my father—who was not a very demonstrative man—laugh out loud when he read Wodehouse, and I figured any writer who could get that kind of a response from Dad had to be really funny

I'm not sure how any of these authors have influenced my writing except that I like to have a mystery at the heart of my books and I love books with some kind of historical context. And humor. I really hope readers get a laugh or two when they read my books.

RHRC: What are you working on now?

LS: The next book is going to be back in Vaudeville again. I love that genre because as far as I can tell it really was the entertainment of the American melting pot. You had all these kids from all these different ethnic backgrounds doing their thing. And I'm going to be writing more about a favorite theme of mine, which is second chances. And strong women. Also, this time I want to explore a love story more fully—romance always pops up in my books but it usually isn't the engine driving the story.

1. How has Carrie's past affected her decisions and ability to choose a life path? Which characteristics does Carrie share with Rose, and how are they different from each other?

2. Shaffer is known for creating well-developed, convincing female characters. Which of these women did you most identify with? Sympathize with? Disagree with?

3. Carrie's best friend, Zoe, states that Carrie has “mommy issues.” Why do you think mother-daughter relationships are often so complicated? How do you feel about the way Rose raised her daughter?

4. Why does Rose hold back so much family history from her daughter? How does Carrie's eventual discovery of what happened affect how she perceives her mother?

5. Rose is a complicated, dualistic character with a love-hate relationship with wealth and fame; she is constantly telling Carrie to be wary of one's ego. What, in your opinion, made Rose shun her lifestyle after Bobbie's death? Do you think her choices made her happy?

6. What do you make of Rose's multiple copies of the same dress? What was her reasoning behind this?

7. How does Mifalda change over the course of the novel? How do you think she came to her decision regarding Lu and her new baby, and could you imagine doing the same thing in her position?