Kathryn Casey

1) Why do you think this book is called BLOOD LINES? What aspects of each of the story lines relates back to the title? What would you have named this book? Why?

2) Do you believe blood ties are the strongest? If not, what anchors pull people together? Sometimes people who've been adopted spend a lifetime looking for their biological parents/siblings. What are they searching for? Why do they feel that need? In the end, are genetics as important as those who nurture us?

3) Do you believe we live in a celebrity obsessed culture? Give examples? How does our celebrity-infused culture affect us? Positives and negatives? Give examples.

4) How large a role does celebrity worship have in our children's lives? Is this something to be feared? What happens when such a role model, i.e. Michael Jackson, Michael Vick, other sports figures, end up in the headlines for alleged crimes? How does this affect the children who worshiped them?

5) Michael Jackson was famous for his love of children and then was suspected although never convicted of indecency with children. Michael Vick was praised for being a hard-hitting, no-holds-barred player in a violent sport, then got in trouble for his involvement in the violent sport of dog fighting. Are the characteristics that give some celebrities fame at times the same ones that lead to their demise?

6) Cassie grew up dreaming of being a singing star. What was it in her past that drove her to succeed? Yet, when she achieved it, was it what she thought it would be? Have you experienced this in her own life? Dreams and goals can be a very positive influence, but what lessons are to be learned?

7) Does the paparazzi sometimes go too far? Give examples. What role do you believe they play? Is there anything positive about what they do? If so, what?

8) If you were a celebrity, how would you protect your privacy? Or would you assume that your status precludes you from maintaining a private life? Looking at today's celebrities, whom do you see as being able to maintain a balance between public and private?

9) Is it worth giving up privacy/a personal life for fame and fortune? Or is this bargain not worth the admiration and money it supplies? If you were offered $5 million today but you knew you'd be pursued by the paparazzi and your every move would be fodder for the tabloids, would you take the money?

10) In Blood Lines, Faith believes her sister is communicating with her. As the book develops, even Sarah wonders if Billy could be reaching out from the grave, attempting to steer her toward her killer. Do you believe a dead loved one can reach out to the living? Have you ever experienced anything like this, perhaps smelling the perfume of a dead grandmother lingering around her favorite chair or believing you see a shadow that resembles someone you've lost standing in a doorway?

11) Did Nora do the right thing, believing the foal couldn't be saved, when she told Bobby not to bring in a specialist to treat Emma Lou and her foal? What lesson was she trying to teach Maggie? Was it the right thing for Nora to do, or would you have let Bobby bring in specialists to help the foal, even if the odds were against its survival?

12) What was the most interesting aspect of the way Sarah interpreted the evidence? Did she make any wrong decisions? When she and David are looking at records of those who could be Cassie's stalker, did you agree with the assumptions they made? Were they based on science or psychology or experience, or all of the above?

13) Fame can, to some, be the ultimate goal. We see this often in the headlines, including killers who leave behind videos knowing they'll be shown on TV news programs. What does this say about our culture? What should the media do: i.e., should they refuse to show a killer's final missive? Yet, isn't it news? Don't we want to know why people do the things they do? Is there a balance between striving to understand what happens and glorifying the violent?