I am so appreciative of librarians and independent booksellers everywhere and wish I could include each one here. They’ve been so supportive. Special shout-out to Kayleen Rohrer of InkLink, Daniel Golden at Boswell Books, Nancy Baenen, James Bohnen, and everyone at Arcadia Books, Joanne Berg at Mystery to Me, my literary fairy godmothers Pamela Klinger-Horn of Excelsior Bay Books and Mary O’Malley of Skylark Bookshop, Maxwell Gregory, Jeff Peters at East End Books, Stephen Russell at the Wellfleet Marketplace, The Brewster Bookstore, Fitgers, Titcombs, Where the Sidewalk Ends, Warwicks, Chevalier’s, Buttonwood Books, and … and … I am in physical pain at having to limit this list. Fortunately, you can find an awesome bookseller near you at IndieBound. They are all amazing and work so hard to find the right book for the right reader.

I appreciate the time and space to write, and thank Shakerag Alley, the Ragdale Foundation, LitCamp, and the Dorland Arts Colony for providing me with opportunities to focus and get work done.

Finally, thanks to my family. My mom, Pat Geiger (AKA Kick-Ass Pat), is always there for me, and knits gorgeous sweaters to match my covers. Thanks to the extended Clancy clan and the Seyferts: my aunt Mel and uncle Bo Van Peenan, Val Piper, my cousins Bob Piper, Wendy (Cutie) Van Peenan, Laura Van Peenan, Kristen (Scuz) Wild, my sisters Sheila Cardenas and Karen Geiger-Niedfeldt, and all my nephews and nieces. Great big love for John Clancy for being such a supportive and patient partner, and to Olivia and Tim, the greatest kids a mom could ask for.

Most special thanks to readers for spending time with my novel, and for keeping the literary arts alive.

Discussion Questions

1.  What was your first impression of Sherri at the beginning of Shoulder Season? How did this opening set the tone for the rest of the novel?

2.  As a young girl, Sherri “never had the luxury to misbehave” (chapter 1). How do you think this fact of Sherri’s life influences the decisions she makes as she grows into a young woman?

3.  Sherri expresses her reluctance to interview to be a Bunny in chapter 1, and the narrator explains that “becoming a Bunny would permanently change her reputation in a small town where your reputation was all you had.” How does the truth of this belief manifest, or not, throughout the rest of the novel?

4.  In the same vein, Sherri feels the need to leave the small town of East Troy, believing that a better, more interesting life exists elsewhere. What is it that she feels her town lacks, and does she actually need to leave home to find it?

5.  What role does Roberta play in Sherri’s life, and how does it evolve throughout the course of the novel? What are some of the other significant female friendships in Sherri’s life?