In 2020 during the height of the pandemic, tennis courts were closed in Portland. Gates were locked and nets were taken down at many of the city’s public tennis courts. But with some dedication by a few brave and desperate tennis players in my group, we were able to locate a few public courts that were sort of open for use…sort of!
I remember our first outings. It felt like we were doing something illegal…just playing tennis! We would maintain our distance from our hitting partner and do our best not to handle the ball, as not to spread the virus. Any ball coming onto the court from a neighboring court would be kicked or tapped back with a racquet. Never would you pick up the ball and toss it back!
Those were strange times indeed and it showed how much tennis meant to us. If anything, the pandemic brought our group closer together. Beyond our occasional tennis sessions, we looked for other ways to stay connected. One of those ways was to form a Tennis Book Club. Our club would read anything that had to do with tennis and then meet to discuss the book. Our initial meetings were held via video-chat, and as social distancing mandates loosened, we would meet in one of the book club member’s back yard for food and drinks. We had some amazing group discussions, and began coming to meetings with our own tennis stories to tell…these were amazing! This is where the idea was hatched for me to write my own tennis-themed novel! Eventually leading to the release of GAME SET MURDER - A Stan Powell Thriller.
Six years later, our Tennis Book Club is still going strong…I think we’ve read around 50 books. We continue to meet to discuss the most recent book and always include an activity, food, and drink during our gatherings. I’ve published a second novel: THE PALE RIDER - A Stan Powell Thriller, and we continue our search for the next tennis related book to read.
I look back now at how crazy the world was back in those early days of the pandemic, but thankful that it brought our Tennis Book Club together. There are some amazing tennis books out there. If you need any recommendations, please reach out. I’m happy to share my thoughts.
If you are interested in reading GAME SET MURDER - A Stan Powell Thriller, it is available in paperback, e-book, and audiobook at GSM-A Stan Powell Thriller. Happy reading!