**Please note: the giveaway is now closed. The winner will be announced shortly.
The other day, I realized that it’s been a while since I’ve done a giveaway. And now you guys can help me out with something I’m working on, so it’s win-win for all of us. Fatin over at RR@H Novel Thoughts and Book Talk is collecting discussion guides, which she plans to feature on her website, for several romance novels. Sounds like a great idea! She asked me to come up with 10-12 discussion questions each for Practice Makes Perfect and Something About You, and I thought I’d turn it into a contest. Not to mention, I’d love to get reader input on the topics you find “discussion worthy” regarding the two books.
So here’s how this will work: to enter in the giveaway, leave a potential discussion question about either Practice Makes Perfect or Something About You in the comments below. (Think the kinds of questions one might find in a reading guide, not questions directed at me.) One randomly-drawn commenter will receive a $25 gift card to Borders, Barnes & Noble, or Amazon (at the winner’s choosing.) And two second-place winners (again randomly drawn) will receive a copy of any of my books.
Feel free to post as many discussion questions as you like: each question will count as a separate entry. The only rule is that you can’t repeat a previously-posted question. The giveaway will remain open until 10pm CST on Friday, May 22nd.
Good luck, everyone! And happy reading.
Edited to add: Keep in mind. . . these should be questions of the sort a moderator/discussion leader would ask readers, not questions directed toward me. : )
Hi Julie
I loved all of your books exactly as written. I was wondering, however, what inspired to include more sex in Something About You?
For PMP:
1- Given that J.D. & Payton were both up for partnership at a prestigious law firm, did any of their pranks seem out of character to you (the reader)?
2- Both h/H hide their feelings from each other, who did you find more vulnerable? J.D. or Payton?
3- What connections can you make between ‘Practice Makes Perfect’ and Jane Austen’s, ‘Pride and Prejudice’?
For SAY:
1- Jack believes that Cameron derailed his career, would you be able to forgive someone who did that to you?
2- ‘Something About You’ featured some of the most charismatic sidekicks, who was your favorite?
jenma76(at)hotmail(dot)com
How about what celebrities readers think the characters ‘look’ like to them?
Or if there is a character in a previous book they want to see get their own?
Hi, Julie! Thanks for a great giveaway : )
In “Something About You”, Jack and Cameron are two assertive, driven, intense characters. Despite their disastrous past history, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Could you overcome your personal feelings of betrayal and resentment in a similar situation? Have you ever been attracted to someone who offers a “can’t live with ’em, can’t live without ’em” emotional roller coaster of a relationship? Would you take a chance on a such a relationship or stay emotionally safe?
gcwhiskas at aol dot com
does the chatacstoer u write, do u plot them or do they have a mind of their own as you write , it just comes out
Do your characters take over – meaning have a mind of their own and if so, do they take you to a very surprising journey?
If you could cast anyone as characters in any of the movies made from Julie’s who would you cast and why?
Great giveaway! I loooove all your books and am so happy you are writing right now!
I am curious as to how your ‘past life’ as a lawyer pushed your books ahead and have you had to do more research as you write new books?
While writing the one book, did you start to get ideas for the next book and if so, are you able you write more than one book at a time?
In Practice Makes Perfect: discuss the importance of a life/work balance, and how much you would give up to attain a career goal.
How does the author use humor to convey the changing emotions of the main characters?
Hi Julie:
Great idea for a giveaway! Thank you.
While the sexual tension between the H&H in “Practice Makes Perfect” and “Something About You” is certainly equal in it’s intensity, the later and most recent book is more sexually explicit. Did you find the more graphic love scenes more difficult to write?
Thanks again Julie!
Best
Out of both books (Practice Make Perfect and Something About You), which book would you want to see if that book was made into a movie? And why would you choose that book? Is it because you really enjoyed reading about the characters or you would like to see more of a connection from that book into a movie?
Sarah_Hines(at)cox(dot)net
Sarah_Hines@cox.net
In Practice Makes Perfect, was the socioeconomic differences between the upbringing of the hero and heroine planned out or was it something that just developed?
In Something About You, I often wondered how the trial turned out…if Jack got his vindication?
In PMP, who do you think would have made partner and why?
Wonderful contest!
for PMP: Although companies in America today claim to not gender discriminate in the workplace, do you feel that Peyton had to work harder to achieve success as a female lawyer than her male counterparts, like J.D., did?
Which character from both Say and PMP resonated most with you and why?
Of the sub characters, whose would you most like ro read more about?
Without spoilers, what was your favorite part from with books?
In PMP, what prank would you have done?
Can’t think of any more at the moment… Hmm
Thanks for the contest!
For Practice Makes Perfect:
What do you think J.D. (hero’s name) stands for? (sorry, that was the biggest question in my mind the whole time i was reading it lol)
Both the hero and heroine of Practice Makes Perfect have their own respective best friend. How is the friendship between Payton and Laney different from J.D. and Tyler’s (male versus female friendship)? How are they similar?
hi! great contest!
I just want to know it it’s based on real events…
and if you’ll have a movie adaptation of your novels, what director would you prefer?
1. In Practice Makes Perfect, both Payton and JD have “father” issues. How does their relationship with their respective fathers or lack thereof, effect their professional life.
2. Can a couple like J.D. and Payton, with diametrical political views/philosophy, truly make the compromises necessary for a successful union? What did J.D.’s final decision about making partner say about his ability to compromise?
3. Chase was everything that Payton was looking for in a man, so why didn’t the relationship work?
4. Friendship is very important in this book. Payton has Laney and J.D. has Tyler. What do these friendships tell you about J.D. and Payton?
5. Payton assumed that J.D. was materialistic because he drove a Bentley. Did the story behind the Bentley change your feelings towards J.D. or reinforce them?
6. J.D. played a cruel prank on Payton that could have adversely effected her career. Why then did Payton choose not to throw the 30(b)(6) deposition and get even?
7. Butler was a man’s only course. Did this unduly compromise Payton’s ability to entertain a client and impede her career? What about women in general not being able to get early tee times at some courses or play on them? Is this a case of discrimination or merely the rules of private clubs?
I’ll post my Something about You questions later.
In SAY, if jack and cameron felt that strong bond when they first met, why didnt cameron tell him in private what really happened with the Martino case (before she went to his boss)? If they had sucha a special and personal relationship, she owed him that. And why didnt they act on their feelings during the Martino case? It seems quite odd with a couple with strong sexual tension could just go away and reappear after 3 years.
How would you rate your books? PG, PG 13? R? X?
In Practice Makes Perfect, both Payton and JD have “father” issues. how are you able to relate to these characters?
In SAY, could an agent who is involved with a woman (which was pretty obvious by then) still protect her adequately?
I havent read the books yet – but want to. I guess that makes it hard to give a discussion question! 🙂 Hmmmm… how about:
Does this book remind you of any other book you have read? What is that book and what are the similarities?
What one crazy thing have you done to get a guy’s attention? Did it work? Would you do it again or try a different approach?
After you see your book in print is there usually a single most important thing you look back on that you wish you had done differently either way a bit different or way different?
I’d like to know what are some of the hardest scenes you’ve had to write in the book and what are the easiest. Also how do you overcome the hard issues?
I loved the backstory on the hero for Something About You. I was wondering how you decided to make him an undercover guy?
One more discussion question on PMP: Assume you are the CEO of a huge corporation that is facing a sexual harrassment lawsuit. The plaintiff’s attorney is hoping it goes forward as a class action lawsuit. Under this scenario, which lawyer would you hire – Payton or J.D. and why?
Discussion questions for Something About You:
1. Cameron became an Assistant U.S. Attorney because of her father’s murder and her wish to pursue justice. How can the reader reconcile this idealism with Cameron’s pragmatic decision to go along with Silas and drop the Martino case? Should she have quit her job?
2. Friendship is a common theme in both PMP and SAY. What does their choice of friends say about Cameron and Jack?
3. Considering that Jack was tortured by Martino was his reaction to Cameron dropping the case unprofessional or understandable? Did Cameron betray Jack or was she just doing her job?
4. Could Cameron have handled the entire Martino fiasco differently and was Jack’s transfer warranted?
3. What, if anything, does it say about Jack that he drives a motorcycle? If you were Cameron, would you hop on or hail a cab?
4. Why did Jack’s partnership with Wilkins work?
My questions for Practice Makes Perfect:
What do you think of office romances? Should they be allowed? Are they allowed where you work? Have you or someone you’ve known ever had an office romance?
Oh…these should be questions of the sort a moderator/discussion leader would ask readers..
What catches your eye when looking at books? Titles? A specific author? Or the cover picture?
And what makes you pick it up?
How do you decide a book is worth buying? Or going to the library for it?
Why do you choose hard cover over paperback?
After reading PMP and SAY, what scene from the books would you say are the most memorable?
Which scenes in the books made you laugh out loud?
Are there elements to the books that left you with questions?
In SAY, both Jack and Cameron are stubborn and head-strong characters. Do you feel that their relationship would work outside of a novel? Or do differing personalities work together better?
For SAY: I’m hoping to see more of Cameron and Jack. Now that Cameron has been offered the position of US Attorney and plans to appoint a special task force to go after Marino, to be headed by Jack, do you think that will cause further conflict for their relationship, since she will technically be his boss?