By Globe Staff

As a former ad copywriter and (among other jobs) fitness instructor who wrote her first novel at age 45, then saw her second novel turned into a Hollywood movie (above), Claire Cook of Scituate knows all about second acts. In addition to publishing six novels, she has led writing and “reinvention” workshops for women around the country, and her session last month at Scituate’s Front Street Book Shop will be featured in a Today show segment that’s expected to air in mid-August.

In her most recent novel, “The Wildwater Walking Club,’’ the plot is set in motion when the lead character takes a buyout from her employer, an athletic shoe manufacturer. The heroine’s transformation includes career-counseling workshops with a group called Fresh Horizons -- though Cook says that any resemblance to her own workshops is mostly coincidental.

"I don’t know how good the coach was at Fresh Horizons, but I know he was better than I am. I don’t pretend to have any expertise at all in career coaching, but I feel really lucky that I can make a living on my book contracts because soooo many authors can’t. So for me it’s a giveback thing. I really believe that if you have a buried dream, it’s a good idea to dig it up and take a look, and see if it still resonates, and yet I still know how terrifying it was to me.

Q. I belong to several online groups. Recently, I started getting inundated with posts about an upcoming seminar. A common member of most of the groups I belong to started sending out dozens of postings to each group about his upcoming event. I felt this was in poor taste but he said that is what these groups are for. Am I correct that there is proper etiquette for these online groups? What are they, and how can I apply them to the groups I administrate?
D. P., Fairport, NY

Q. I was married a little over a year ago and changed my last name to that of my husband's. I am currently in the midst of a job search. For the better part of my employment history I used my maiden name. My resume and contact information all use my married name, as that is my preferred surname. My question regards a prospective employer contacting a former employer about my work dates - if the job was before I was married, my previous employer will only know my maiden name, but future employers will only have my married name. How do I remedy this disconnect? How and when is it appropriate to tell prospective employers what my maiden name was, so that they can conduct the appropriate background research?

A. Women, and men, have many options about the name or names they choose to take into adulthood. Do we continue to use our original name? Do we choose to use the name of our spouse or partner, or perhaps create some meaningful combination of the two? Which order should we put these names in? Many cultures make recommendations about who gets first billing. And some people are choosing to start over and take completely new names that represent who they are at a new point in their life. It might be a family name from generations ago, or a descriptor of their aspirations.

Q. I am a senior communications/marketing/PR professional looking to move to the Boston area from New York, and have spent a lot of time networking over the past year, which has resulted in a few interviews. Several Boston search firm executives I spoke with said to use a Boston address (my sister's, whom I would live with once I got the job) on the resume, or many hiring managers would not consider me, as they normally prefer someone who is already in Boston. I do explain my situation in the cover letter, but I am afraid they would not look at the letter if they see a NY address. I just need to get my foot in the door to get an interview. In addition to the networking, what do you suggest I do?

A. Let me answer your questions in the reverse order. Here are some additional strategies that might enhance your long-distance job search:

1. Read Boston newspapers, journals and publications such as the Boston Business Journal, and the Boston Globe, on a regular basis, for both job listings and relevant business news.

2. Join (and start attending the meetings of) at least one Boston-based professional association or the Boston chapter of a national professional association.

Q. I know - or at least, I've heard - that a lot of employers look at social sites when considering resumes of potential new hires. My problem is that there is at least one other person out there (in the same region, no less) with my name. So while I've kept off the social sites in an attempt to keep my reputation clean and clear, anyone looking up my name might mistakenly think I'm this other person. Is this likely to cost me interviews? Should I be worried about it?

A: Great question. Social sites are becoming a more common source of information for recruiters and hiring managers. You are right to think about this issue, but I would not be overly concerned.

Q. My husband was laid off recently. This is our first experience with unemployment. Almost everything I have read says the large Internet job sites are a waste of time. What should the first step be in the job search? He was a manager in telecommunications.

A. To be successful during a period of unemployment, your husband needs to balance solitary tasks - such as visiting Internet job sites - with those that include face-to-face contact with people.

In my experience, the most successful job seekers follow a detailed job search plan, which includes actively networking and using the Web sparingly. Encourage your husband to set six-month, three-month, weekly, and daily goals, and to make reviewing his goals a twice-daily habit, like brushing his teeth.