Well, we are finally at publishing stage! Whew! Stay tuned for news as Paul Harvey used to say. It's almost time to have a copy of the book in your hands.  

Can I share a little bit more about this novel?  I cannot give away any pertinent details but maybe I can give you some insight as to what you can expect. 

In all the books I have read by many authors, some I stayed up to finish until midnight, others I put down after the first chapter. The novels that have ranked up on the higher side of the scale for me had one quality in common. They allowed me to get into the characters’ lives, fully invested in the mundane as equally the spectacular. With my first published novel, I wanted to bring you a tapestry of closely bonded friends. Their lives are changed by a pivotal event, one action by one person and it changes the trajectory of their lives forever. This is an allegorical sort of novel with a front story and a hidden message in the background. It is not littered; you will not find language bombs dropped on every page. I believe there is an audience out there that will appreciate that. It’s truly southern and what I class as chic literature. Imagine your favorite sitcom on net flix or hallmark channel. Each chapter is like an episode or a teaser for next week’s show that you want to watch now. In this case, you can keep reading. I will tell you I do not think their shenanigans and instances have an end. So, if you like sequels, stay tuned for a series of novellas as we dig deeper into the next chapters of their lives.

As you read the first few pages, you will get an intimate view of the main characters. As you continue to have a front-row seat in their lives, you will see how one hasty and selfish decision leads to a journey I believe you will might be able to relate to. All of us have been there at some point, news that stops you on a dime. Tables and chairs get flipped and it rearranged your world. Can you raise your hand?

This is a work of fiction, and the events in this novel are only events revealed in my mind as I pecked at the keyboard. However, all of us have a memory of times we experience, witness, detest, love, value, or just downright hate that it happened. Some of the circumstances may seem familiar to you as you have been there before. But trust me, these characters and their lives are simply just a blend of many life experiences any of us could encounter. What is noteworthy is how well these ladies bond - they are the proverbial super glue friends. 

I do include a few favorite local spots around the Carolinas that deserve an honorable mention in a true Southern saga, as well as some local geographical spots. We will also have recipes for their favorite dishes on the blog. In you like to cook–you are going to want to subscribe to that–because we have them coming. A couple of them you may want - Laney borrowed them from Chef Scott at Wimpies’ Cafe. Now I know y’all want to get those.

Without further ado, I introduce you to the ladies of Greenway. . .

It all starts with Leslie. Her heart is broken. But she hides it incredibly well. She has become a professional in art of masquerade. She is also particularly good at keeping account of all life’s hurts and pains. Sometimes that weighs in on the heavy side and pushes the good in life down a bit deeper. That is when she must roll up her sleeves and work a bit to lift it back up to the surface. Leslie is the glue that holds this group together. You know how you have that one friend in your friend group that does the planning and makes the calls, sends the group text. That’s Leslie. When she is not keeping the books for her husband’s farm, she is working her day job at their small town’s medical center. 

Then we get introduced to Carrie. She is a firecracker of energy, and her given name suits her–she cares so much for life and her friends. Carrie is the oldest in the foursome and, sadly, just newly divorced from an age’s old marriage. She finds that the divorce is feeling like she is drowning, and she needs an attitude adjustment. Leslie could see that dam breaking weeks ago and planned the beach trip. Carrie needs to find a way to polish up a bit so she can shine again.  

Next up in the group is Sandra. By profession, she is a nurse. But when she is not working, she does not have a filter and usually says exactly what she is thinking. She is always dieting and hates it that the other ladies want to plan dinners and festivities, which always call for elaborate meals. She has a past that creeps up and haunts her regularly. Certain events had caused her to almost, almost lose her footing in our earthly home. The get away is perfect for her and at an opportune time for her to clear her mind as she and her husband have some serious decisions to make. 

Now let me tell you about Laney. Sweet, sassy, eclectic personality and the youngest one in the group. Although she thinks she is ancient since she is 30 and not married yet. She had a prospect at one point, but that did not work out and you will learn more about why as you read along. She is a chef. And a pretty darn good one and has traveled the world with cooking shows and marketing high end equipment. She just had a career surprise, and her navigational beacon may need to be recalibrated. 

The weekend fun starts out large and finishes strong and they are looking forward to the next few days and their beach hop down the coast of North Carolina. But suddenly they receive bad news, and it rattles one of their lives to the core. One of them must go back home to Greenway. Since they are all in for one kind of friends, they all return together and deal with the tragedy. 

What happens next is an unveiling of a different life. One where “no pain, no gain” rings true. The roller coaster dives and climbs, but they never lose hope. As it turns out, by the end of the year, life looks completely different for all of them. When they look back to where they came from, they realize the key that unlocked the new door for them was closer than they could ever imagine.