and then will ferguson rang my bell

In all my ever loving, over flowing wisdom, at some point over the last year, I decided that it would be a super brilliant idea to join another book club. Because going to school, where the reading is endless, wasn't enough reading on top of the book club I am already a part of, and have been for 7 years. We'll call that book club 1.

Hmmmm, another book club? Yeah, let's read more, that sounds doable, I thought. So when a group of ladies I love love love formed a book club I said, "Count me in!"

I am enthusiastic like that. We'll call this book club 2.

So...along comes my turn to pick the book for book club 2. I mosey on down to my shelves of books that are waiting patiently for my eyes to grace them with their glorious green presence.

What to pick, what to pick? Sometimes the picking of something to read can be a real conundrum. It involves much thinking and pondering and wondering "what if I make the wrong choice?"

"What if the the book I put back is the book that needs to be read the most?"

I tend to treat my books as though they have feelings that might be hurt if I ignore them too long or tease them by reading their cover and making a face that might insinuate it's going to be the next great love of my life only to put it back on the shelf and choose the book beside it. Can you imagine the anticipation followed by that level of rejection?

Life can be cruel, yo.

So anyway, I see a book I had recently purchased and decided it was the one. I picked it. I let the ladies know.

419 by Will Ferguson.

6 weeks later my living room fills with women who have traveled through a raging snow storm to not only discuss this book but also to feast upon Cafe Rio. If you don't know what that is you need to make a reservation at Chez Dabels and chow down, Charlie Brown.

Yum yum yum.

Moving on. After we had eaten and settled in for a discussion about this novel, a conversation ensued about the various aspects of the book people liked or didn't like.

And then . . . the doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" I proclaimed! "And on this blustery night, no less!"

I opened the door and low and behold, who was standing at my door? Why it was Will Ferguson, the author. Of the book. The very book we were discussing at that very moment in time.

Now, I don't know about you but for me this was PRETTY FREAKING EXCITING!

Will Ferguson came into my living room and chatted with us about his book. He answered all kinds of questions and cleared up Dana's misgivings. Because Dana always has misgivings about the legitimacy of the fiction inside the novel. A fictitious novel. A novel based in fiction.

Oh Dana.

He signed our copies. Graciously posed for pictures. And then left us there.

In our wonder and our awe.

Coolest book club ever.

Now if you're wondering how that came to be the answer is Sarah. Sarah knows everyone and everything and when I picked the book she casually mentioned that she knew Will and she would see what she could do to get him out. She made it happen as only Sarah could. I knew about the surprise, as did Sarah, but no one else did and it was all kinds of wicked.

Thanks Sarah, for knowing everything in the universe. Wink. And thanks Will, for being the amazing sport you were. We do appreciate.