Authors: Robert Whitlow
Tags: #Suspense, #Fiction, #Christian, #General, #Legal, #ebook
The Living Room (62 page)
“Also, I’ve cowritten a children’s book with a friend of mine who’s an artist,” she said. “Would you be interested in taking a look at it?”
“A kids’ book? There’s not much money in those unless you go heavy with the horror stuff. I don’t know why, but kids like to be scared out of their heads right before they go to sleep. Or maybe it’s the parents who—”
“This is about three children on a long summer vacation at the beach,” Amy interrupted. “The watercolor illustrations are fantastic.”
“Hmm,” Bernie replied. “Sounds old-fashioned, but that can be a way to pitch it. Send it along, and I’ll take a look. I have a buddy who has a few contacts in that market. He’d split the agent fee with me, and I need the revenue. These heart doctors complain a lot, but they make tons of money.”
“I’m glad you survived your surgery.”
“Yeah, me, too. I still can’t believe my niece dropped the ball. I’m going to have to call everyone I know. Bye.”
Amy smiled as she placed the phone on the passenger seat of the car. She no longer felt like an orphan.
That evening she went upstairs from the family room later than usual and noticed that Megan’s light was still on. It was a school night, and Megan should have already gone to sleep. Her door was closed, and Amy knocked.
“Come in.”
Megan was sitting in the middle of her bed with her laptop beside her.
“What’s going on?” Amy asked. “It’s late.”
“I met with Ms. Robbins today, and she suggested I start keeping a journal of my thoughts and feelings.”
“That’s a good idea.”
“It’s private,” Megan added quickly.
“I understand. For years I’ve kept a journal that no one sees, not even your dad.”
“Is it on your laptop in the writing room?”
“Yes, and you don’t know my password.”
“You always use something with my birthday in it and Dad or Ian’s name.”
“And I’m going to change the password tomorrow.” Amy smiled.
“To Ian’s birthday?”
“Or something so strange and bizarre that no one can guess it.”
Megan looked down at her computer screen.
“Something strange happened to me,” she said. “And I think I should talk to you about it.”
Amy’s heart sank. She had valiantly fought against the fear of darker disclosures but knew this moment might come. She grasped the seed of faith within her heart and sat down on the edge of Megan’s bed.
“I’m listening.”
Megan lowered the screen of the laptop.
“It’s hard to describe,” Megan said. “But I think you’ll understand better than anybody in the world.”
“I’ll try,” Amy said, hardly daring to breathe.
Megan looked up into Amy’s eyes. But instead of a wound, Amy saw wonder. Megan spoke slowly and with deep conviction.
“Last night I had a dream that was different from any other dream I’ve had in my entire life. Mom, it was so real, more real than us sitting here. And in the dream, I went to a place . . .”
1. Why do you think Amy’s mother didn’t want her to tell anyone about her dreams? What effect did that have on Amy as she grew into the woman she is? How do you think Amy’s life would have been different if her mother encouraged and supported her?
2. “If their dilemma had taken place in one of her books, they would have engaged in a heart-felt discussion about their unwavering love for each other and trust in God’s faithfulness. But life doesn’t always imitate art.” Do you agree with what Amy thinks here after a hard discussion with Jeff about finances? How do our choices of what to read and watch influence our real lives and relationships?
3. Amy’s life as an author isn’t exactly what she was expecting, and the realities of life forced her back to her old job. Was there anything she could have done to maintain her freedom as a writer without a day job? Have you ever struggled with the same dilemma: dream vs. reality?
4. When Amy told Natalie about the dream she had where Noah was injured on a field trip, she almost couldn’t help herself from blurting out what she saw, then immediately wished she could take the words back. Have you ever had that same uncontrollable urge to say something to someone? How did it turn out for you and the recipient of your message? Why do you think Amy regretted speaking up? How would the course of the novel have changed had she kept her dream to herself?
5. Jeff says, “It’s important for Megan to know her father cares about what she does, where she goes, and who she hangs out with.” Describe the relationship between Jeff and Megan. How is it different from Amy’s relationship with Megan? How do those relationships change over the course of the novel?
6. While Amy’s visions from the living room inspired her first two novels, they hadn’t really transferred to her everyday life until her vision about Noah. Why do you think they started changing and becoming more and more important?
7. After Amy shared the synopsis of
Deeds of Darkness
with Ms. Burris and Natalie, she felt deflated by their reaction. Why do you think they weren’t enthusiastic about it? Have you ever left a meeting with a friend feeling the same way? After time had passed, did your feelings change?
8. Amy received visions and warnings about her friend’s family and clients at work, but when it came to her own family, she had no explicit warnings about the dangers facing them. Why do you think she didn’t have visions about Ian’s four-wheeler accident or Megan’s ordeal?
9. When Megan started showing signs that something was wrong—sleeping so deeply that she didn’t hear her parents knock—what did you think was the cause? Did you think Amy and Jeff responded well? How would you have reacted in their situation? Were you surprised by the cause of her strange behavior?
10. Did you learn something new about the life of an author or the publishing industry from reading
The Living Room
? What surprised you the most? Do you think all authors are like Amy and have similar experiences?
T
hanks to Allen Arnold and Natalie Hanemann for encouraging me to write about a novelist. Special appreciation to my wife, Kathy, for protecting my creative time. And thanks to Daisy Hutton, Ami McConnell, and Deborah Wiseman for shepherding this book to completion.
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