Welcome to Brenda Novak’s Book Group
Welcome to my book group. This is an online group of avid readers that utilizes what’s called a Facebook “group” page. We are 25,000 members strong and are quickly becoming friends as we share our love of books. If you are on FB and haven’t joined yet, you can do so here: fb.com/groups/brendanovaksbookgroup.
JAN 30 @ 5:00pm PST / 8:00pm EST
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If you just joined, the following information will bring you up to speed very quickly. And just to welcome you to the group, I’m offering you three FREE stories you can download from right here:
Finding Our Forever
FINDING OUR FOREVER is the first book in my open-ended contemporary romance series Silver Springs. These books are set in a picturesque small town (fictional) in Southern California which has been modeled very loosely on Ojai—a place where even the hardest hearts can learn to love again.
When We Touch
WHEN WE TOUCH is the first book in my Whiskey Creek Series. Although this is a contemporary series, it’s set in a “gold country” town similar to those near Sacramento, CA where gold was discovered in January of 1848. These books can be read as stand alone novels, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s always better to read them in order.
Blood In, Blood Out
BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT — A Bulletproof Short Story (Bulletproof Book 1.5), was first published in Love is Murder, an anthology of short stories edited by NYT bestselling author Sandra Brown in 2012. Note: This story places between book one (Inside) and book two (In Seconds) of the Bulletproof trilogy.
Finding Our Forever
FINDING OUR FOREVER is the first book in my open-ended contemporary romance series Silver Springs. These books are set in a picturesque small town (fictional) in Southern California which has been modeled very loosely on Ojai—a place where even the hardest hearts can learn to love again.
When We Touch
WHEN WE TOUCH is the first book in my Whiskey Creek Series. Although this is a contemporary series, it’s set in a “gold country” town similar to those near Sacramento, CA where gold was discovered in January of 1848. These books can be read as stand alone novels, but for maximum enjoyment, it’s always better to read them in order.
Blood In, Blood Out
BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT — A Bulletproof Short Story (Bulletproof Book 1.5), was first published in Love is Murder, an anthology of short stories edited by NYT bestselling author Sandra Brown in 2012. Note: This story places between book one (Inside) and book two (In Seconds) of the Bulletproof trilogy.
How to join…
- Logon to Facebook
- Go to facebook.com/groups/brendanovaksbookgroup/ to go directly to the group page.
- Click on join
Book Group Meetings
We have a meeting once a month in which we feature one of my books or that of a guest author. Either I will do a Live Feed on Facebook, or I’ll do a split-screen live event with my guest author, so that you will get to discuss the book with its creator. This will happen on the Book Group page. The next online book group meeting will be on Thursday, January 30 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern at this link: facebook.com/groups/brendanovaksbookgroup/.
Book Group Schedule for 2025
Featured Author / Book: EDDIE WINSTON IS LOOKING FOR LOVE by Marianne Cronin
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, January 30 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS by Pam Jenoff
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, February 27 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND by Patti Callahan Henry
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, March 27 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT MIRA by Sonali Dev
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, April 24 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THE PAGE TURNER by Viola Shipman
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, May 29 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
June 2025
Featured Author / Book: THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING by Brenda Novak
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, June 26 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THE BOOK CLUB FOR TROUBLESOME WOMEN by Marie Bostwick
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, July 31 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: A SUMMER FOR THE BOOKS by Michelle Lindo-Rice
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, August 28 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THE STOLEN LIFE OF COLETTE MARCEAU by Kristin Harmel
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, September 25 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: OUT OF THE WOODS by Gregg Olsen
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, October 30 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: THE LADY ON ESPLANADE by Karen White
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, November 20 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Featured Author / Book: A MERRY LITTLE LIE by Sarah Morgan
Book Group Meeting: Thursday, December 11 at 5:00pm pacific / 8:00pm eastern
Brenda Novak Book Boxes
These have been a HUGE hit! We sell out every month, so grab yours early — or, better yet, get a subscription so you don’t miss a thing. What’s inside? That’s different every month, but I can tell you this — they will contain a print copy of the book we are reading for that month (autographed by the author!) or a substitute book of mine (generally one that is hard to find), at least two of my favorite things and a surprise gift that you won’t know about until you receive the box. One random person each month will receive an even bigger mystery gift. We will announce the contents for the next box at the first of each month, or as soon as all contents are secure, and you will be able to order it then or the day after (providing they’re not all gone to subscribers). If you are a subscriber, you are guaranteed a box and payment is due by the 7th of the month. The box ships three weeks later, during the first week of the following month (unless our supplies are delayed due to COVID and they have to go out a bit later). Here’s the link where you can get the next box or sign up for a monthly or yearly subscription:
Book Group ABC
Brenda Novak 2024 Reading Challenge
The challenge reads coincide with the books I’ve selected for my online book group this year. Each month we’ll discuss the book with the author via a live video. If you complete all twelve reads and record by January 15, 2025, you will be entered into the GRAND PRIZE drawing, a dedication in one of my upcoming books. The form to let us know you’ve completed all twelve reads will open December 15, 2024 – January 15, 2025. You will also get a FREE enamel pin commemorating that you completed all twelve reads.
Monthly Giveaway–$100 Gift Card to The Brenda Novak Store
If you read along with us each month and record that you’ve read our read that month by the 15th of the following month, you’ll be entered in to win $100 Gift Card to The Brenda Novak Store. Winner will be posted here and in the book group.
December Challenge Read:
A CHRISTMAS DUET by Debbie Macomber
Record by January 15, 2025
BN Book Buddies Program
Two book group members will be paired up as “buddies” for four months, during which they will send each other one letter/card or parcel per month. You can opt in at the free level (meaning you will be pen-pals and no money will be spent), or you can opt in at the $5/month, $10/month, $20/month or $30/month level–whatever you’re comfortable with (you can spend more but don’t expect any items of greater value than the category in which you are in). This is a great way to get to know other members of the group and to receive a fun surprise each month.
The current round of book buddies runs from September – December 2024. If you haven’t signed up for this round, you will have to wait until the first week of January 2025, when we start another round.
Registration for the January – April 2025 round is now open:
*Make sure if you sign up that you are prepared to fulfill your obligation. Also, please know that this is a big group and while we do our best to make good pairings, we can’t vet everyone who enters it. If you do not fulfill your obligation, you will not be allowed to be part of the program again. (That doesn’t mean you can’t be part of the book group; it just means you aren’t cut out for this particular program.)
If you’ve participated in the May – August’s round, please let us know how it went:
Book Group Invites
If you’d like to help spread the word about the book group by slipping an invite into my books as you find them in stores, you can go to the following page to print out some.
Book Group T-Shirts / Sweatshirts
We have a choice of three different designs. Check them out and see if you’d like to order one. You can find pricing and all the various options here: https://brendanovakstore.com/.
Brenda Novak Backlist Award
Anyone who has read 50+ Novak books (no matter how long it has taken) will receive this lovely commemorative pin. In order to receive your pin, download this list of my titles, mark off the books you’ve read, and scan and email the list to readingchallenge@brendanovak.com. (If you’d like to snail mail it instead, you can send it to Brenda Novak, P.O. Box 3781, Citrus Heights, CA 95611).
Member Birthdays
We will create a birthday post each month. Members who have a birthday that month can add their name to this post to be entered to win a Birthday Pack from The Brenda Novak Store, which includes an autographed Brenda Novak book, a darling pink mug that says, “A cupcake is just a muffin that believed in itself,” and a birthday greeting. (One winner per month.)
Member Mondays and Other Bios
The book group member who is invited to be our Member Monday will receive a $10 Barnes & Noble Gift Card. Yay! But they must also agree to send a favorite book or a book they recommend to the previous spotlight (so they have a small responsibility, too). We also welcome regular daily bios, so feel free to post a short bio to let us know more about you, and my moderator will put it through to the group as soon as there’s an opening.
Notification Settings
To designate what you would like to see from the group, you can choose all posts, only highlights, friends’ posts. Please select all posts if you don’t want to miss anything that is happening in the group. Highlights would be the next best choice and will show you the popular things that are happening in the group. To make sure you have set your notifications to your desired choice, simply go to Brenda Novak’s Book Group. On the bottom right of the banner photo, you’ll see the buttons, “Joined,” “Share,” and “Notifications.” You can select your preference there.
Giveaway Tuesday
Look for our Giveaway Tuesday post—it’s typically something fun and comes with a giveaway, too!
Rules
We don’t have many rules for the group. You’re free to post anything positive, even if it’s not book related (if you just had a new grandbaby, for instance, or you’re traveling to Peru, or you just won the lottery–LOL). The only “please don’t post this” would be anything that attacks someone else, anything political, anything that asks for votes or likes and anything that’s trying to sell something. We even have a weekly post called Hopeful Heart Sundays, where you can post anything challenging you’re dealing with to get support and prayers from the group.