The latest meeting of the WCYR’s Book Club took place on 19 February 2025, with author Deborah Armstrong, who talked about the inspiration and writing of her novel, Boss.
Deborah filled us in on her motivation behind writing Boss and why she made some of the plot decisions she did. In Boss, Red tries to escape the advances of an unwanted lover. She goes to a Navy bar and asks the first person who looks safe to pretend to be her boyfriend to get her through the night. There is a five-year separation, and a reconciliation as they gradually find their way together. Boss is disabled in that he has brain seizures, and he uses a service dog. Their daughter and the dog help to bring them together, and they have their happily ever after.
The idea behind Boss came to Deborah after completing a prompt at a writing group. She wanted to include a service animal in the story, so she gave Boss a reason to need one. Deborah discussed character flaws with the group and why it’s important the main character has one. She said she modelled the dog after a breed she had when she was younger. Deborah also told us that she had to research quite a bit to make her story sound as close to true as possible, things like PTSD, service animals, guns and shooting, and the Navy, for example.
Cathy, our Program Coordinator, led the discussion by using the book club questions in the book, which was quite helpful in keeping the conversation going. Deborah asked the audience if they thought the ending was satisfying. She also wanted feedback on some of the characters in Boss that will be featured in her next book.
Many thanks to Deborah Armstrong for sharing her novel Boss with the WCYR book club, and we look forward to her next novel.
Our next Book Club meeting will feature Roderick D. Turner’s science fiction book Interstitial: You Are Never Alone. Be sure to sign up as a participant to receive the latest book club news and announcements.