Kirsten Clark

Book Clubs

I'm happy to attend book club meetings or similar events within an hour of Grande Prairie, AB Canada.

I'm also available my Zoom or Google Meets to video conference with book clubs or other interested groups who are located further away.

Interested in setting up a date and time? Send me a message and let's chat.

The Secret Ingredient Discussion Questions

  1. When Sebastien is injured and then hospitalized, his absence in the kitchen at Holy Grounds is a wake-up call for Bridgette, illuminating her true feelings for him. Describe a time in your life when you took something — or someone — for granted. Did you experience a wake up call of your own? 

  2. Throughout his hospital stay and subsequent diagnosis, Sebastien tries to be like a duck: calm on the surface despite what is happening beneath the surface. How does this approach to life serve him well? How does it harm him? 

  3. In Chapter 4, Bridgette finds the courage to admit her true feelings to Sebastien. Have you ever struggled to be honest about your romantic feelings? Explain.

  4. Holy Grounds is an important setting in The Secret Ingredient  because the cozy coffee shop brings Bridgette and Sebastien together. What locations in your life facilitate fellowship?

  5. In Chapter 5, Bridgette stays with Sebastien during one of his seizures to ensure his safety, despite his recent rejection of her feelings. What does this action reveal about Bridgette’s character? 

  6. In Chapter 6, Sebastien recounts how he found insight and inspiration in a Christmas Eve sermon. What memorable sermons in your own life have provided you with insight and inspiration? 

  7. Sebastien shows love for Bridgette and the wider community through his food, creating fellowship and blessing those around him by feeding bodies and souls. Do you know someone who shares love, and faith, through food? 

  8. In the epilogue, we get a glimpse of Bridgette and Sebastien’s relationship ten months in the future. What do you think God has planned for them next? 

  9.  The Secret Ingredient is a story about facing hardships with faith. How could you pray for a friend who is  currently struggling with a difficult situation in their life? 

  10.  In The Secret Ingredient, we reconnect with Sandra and Simon, the heroine and hero of A Christmas Cup of Joe, the first installment in the Holy Grounds series. How did you interpret the continuation of their story? 

A Christmas Cup of Joe Discussion Questions

  1. Sandra is called by God to take a blessing bag and visit Dickensfield Park where she meets Simon for the first time. Describe a time in your life when you felt a strong call to take action. What was the result? 

  2. Throughout her gran’s cancer diagnosis and the subsequent lawsuit, Sandra found strength and solace in her faith. Do you know someone like Sandra? When faced with  hardship, what role has faith played in their life? 

  3. Upon finding out about Simon’s coffee date with Sandra, Ansel says “She doesn’t care about you and her God doesn’t either. She’s probably just checking an act of service off her December to-do list.” What effect do these words have on Simon? 

  4. In Chapter 3, Sandra is worried about what others might think of her relationship with Simon. Have you ever struggled against our society’s obsession with appearances and outward success? Explain.

  5. Throughout the story, Simon’s decisions are driven by fear. What exactly is he afraid of? Do your fears drive your decisions? Why or why not?

  6. Holy Grounds is an important setting in A Cup of Christmas Joe because the cozy coffee shop brings Sandra and Simon together. What locations in your life facilitate fellowship?

  7. In Chapter 4, Simon dumps his cup of coffee onto the snowy ground. What does this action symbolize about the status of his relationship with Sandra?

  8. Simon is not the typical hero you might expect to find in a romance story. What did this unexpected character teach you about worthiness and love? 

  9. In the epilogue, we get a glimpse of Simon’s continued healing and development. Does his career surprise you? Why or why not?

  10. At its core, A Christmas Cup of Joe is a story about trusting God’s plans for us. What advice would you give a friend who is struggling to believe that God has a plan for them?