during the pandemic for a) entertaining my child and b) helping me understand Everett a little better.
So many thanks to Lauren Dlugosz Rochford and Emily Adrian for reading my words and encouraging me to keep going.
Thank you to Mary Schmich, who was most likely the person who actually said, “Do one thing every day that scares you.” Sorry so many people, including my fictional characters, misattribute your words to Eleanor Roosevelt.
Thank you to the librarians who read and recommend my books, and extra thanks for doing your jobs so well during such a difficult time.
A massive thank-you to all the bookstores and booksellers who’ve supported me and my books. Extra special shout-outs to Annie at The Bookshelf, Carl at Fountain Bookstore, Paul at Silver Unicorn, Anna and Amanda at One More Page, Kate and Beth at Bookmarks, Kim at Joseph-Beth, Chelsea and Vanessa at Wheatberry, Kim at Read It Again, and everyone at The Book Loft and Cover to Cover. Thank you for letting me take part in virtual events, putting my books on your Best Of lists, making my books your staff recommendations, and/or being amazing in general. This is a rough time to release a book, sell books, or be a human, and I get genuinely tearful when I think about the support and warmth you’ve shown me.
My family kept me relatively sane while I wrote a book during a pandemic. Thank you to Harry for always encouraging me to take a break, and thank you to Hollis for the in-depth LEGO knowledge this book needed.
And finally, thank you to everyone who reads my books and recommends them to their family and friends. Thank you to the book bloggers and the bookstagrammers and anyone who has ever sent me a kind message or email. I enjoy the process of writing, but the real reason I write is because I love to connect with readers. I couldn’t do this without you, and I wouldn’t want to.
READERS GUIDE
VERY SINCERELY YOURS
Kerry Winfrey
Questions for Discussion
Everett has always known what he wants to do with his life, while Teddy has never identified what she’s passionate about. Do you relate more to Everett or Teddy?
Teddy decides to do one thing every day that scares her. What kind of things have you done that scared you? Did you end up enjoying them?
Getting dumped by Richard pushes Teddy to make some big changes in her life. Do you think she would have made these changes if Richard hadn’t broken up with her? Have you ever gone through a seemingly negative experience that changed your life for the better?
Teddy and Everett get to know each other via email before they meet in person. Have you ever started a relationship with someone online? What do you think the benefits are of getting to know someone this way?
If you were in Everett’s position and had a chance to go to New York for a job like his, would you have gone? What might change your mind?
Teddy finds comfort in watching Everett’s Place, even if she isn’t the target audience. Do you have a show, film, or book that’s a metaphorical security blanket? Would you ever want to meet the creator?
Everett and Teddy had very different childhoods. How did their backgrounds and families affect their confidence in their own abilities and their determination to follow their dreams?
How do Everett and Teddy change each other’s trajectories? What do you think the future holds for their relationship?
Keep reading for an excerpt from Kerry Winfrey’s next novel . . .
JUST ANOTHER LOVE SONG
Coming soon from Jove!
I’ve imagined running into Hank Tillman roughly one million times since we graduated from high school fifteen years ago. Maybe he’d see me walking my Great Dane, Toby, down Main Street, my hair blowing in the wind in a casual-yet-gorgeous way, and he’d be rendered speechless by my beauty. Maybe he’d see me at work and be impressed that Sandy Macintosh had grown into a competent, successful, but (most important) extremely sexy business owner. Or maybe he’d see me attempting to play basketball with my best friend Honey’s three kids, and he’d be mesmerized by my athletic prowess and ease with children (forget the fact that I can’t make a basket to save my own damn life, and that Honey’s six-year-old, Lydia, makes fun of me every time we play because she’s a bad sport).
But never, in any of my wild imaginings, did I picture our reunion happening in