by Wendy Webb
I spent a lot of time with her that summer. We’d sit outside under the shade of my crab-apple tree and talk about her past, her life, their children. It was a privilege to know that great lady. She passed at summer’s end.
They were, obviously, the inspiration for the Alice-Jason-Gil story. Not the paranormal stuff. That all came from me. But she was just as gentle and lovely as Alice, and they were (and are) just as loving and funny and dear as Jason and Gil.
Just before I sent this manuscript to my editors, we shared a bottle of wine and talked about that summer. If you’re so inclined, please give to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America so we can put an end to this cruel, heartless disease.
THE HAUNTING OF BRYNN WILDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What is it about Wharton that has the power to heal? What draws people there after their lives have fallen apart?
What is your impression of LuAnn’s? Is it just a hotel and restaurant, or something else?
Why are some places more haunted than others?
When did you know Dominic wasn’t exactly earthly? Did you figure it out before the end?
If you were Brynn, would you have fallen for him?
Who is your favorite character, and why?
Have you ever cared for a loved one with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease?
Many different kinds of love are explored in this book. Who do you think showed the most love, and why?
How could Brynn be in room five in the past and in the present at the same time?
Have you ever had something odd happen to you in the “in-between time”?
Was this an emotional book for you to read? Why or why not?
Wharton is based on a real place, Bayfield, Wisconsin. Would you ever want to visit? (Hint: LuAnn’s is Gruenke’s First Street Inn & Dining, and they really do a fish boil on Fridays in the summer. Harrison’s House is Le Chateau Boutin. Ile de Colette is Madeline Island. The beach with the eerily temperate waters is Big Bay Town Park, and if you go there, you will pass by Tom’s Burned Down Café, shirt and shoes not required.)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Wendy Webb is the #1 Amazon Charts bestselling, multiple-award-winning author of five novels of gothic suspense, including Daughters of the Lake, The Vanishing, The Fate of Mercy Alban, The Tale of Halcyon Crane, and The End of Temperance Dare, which has been optioned for both TV and film. Her books are sold worldwide and have been translated into seven languages. Dubbed Queen of the Northern Gothic by reviewers, Wendy sets her stories on the windswept, rocky shores of the Great Lakes. Wendy lives with a good dog in Minneapolis, where she is at work on her next novel. For more information visit http://wendykwebb.com.