Sheila Curran's Novel Goes Paperback

GCC pal, Sheila Curran, is celebrating the re-release of her novel Everyone She Loved (Atria, June 2009) this week! I was fortunate to read this lovely book last year and to have Sheila as a guest on my blog (see post). For those who may have missed the hardcover release the first time around, it's now out in trade paperback.

Here's a little info about the novel:

Books are born in strange places. Sheila Curran’s latest was conceived in the front seat of a car while her friend drove and their daughters chatted in the backseat. The women were discussing an article Curran had written about two young girls whose parents had died within months of each other.

While talking about the tragedy, Curran realized that choosing the perfect guardian for her kids--one that would raise them as she would--would be next to impossible. Even tougher to swallow would be the possibility that if she died first, her husband might marry someone awful, and then she’d have no control at all. Unless, she mused, she could get him to agree that if he remarried, her sisters and friends would have to agree to his choice of bride, just to prevent some wicked stepmother from moving in.

And thus was hatched the idea for EVERYONE SHE LOVED: A Novel, an utterly engaging tale that explores the faith one woman placed in her dearest friends, the care she took to protect her family, and the many ways in which romantic entanglements can confound and confuse even the most determined of planners.

With wit and wisdom, EVERYONE SHE LOVED weaves a poignant tale about the abiding strength of friendship and the profound effect one person can have on another’s life. Most important, it delivers a message about growing up and moving on while still embracing a transcendent legacy of love.

For Sheila's first novel, Diana Lively is Falling Down, Booklist gave it a starred review and called it “a gem.” And Jodi Picoult said it was “filled with characters who make you laugh out loud even as they break your heart, this is a funny, warm, inventive, original book.” She's definitely an author you'll want to check out!

Also in the Blogosphere today, L.A. Mitchell is hosting a Time Carnival all day long! Visit her blog and enjoy stories, articles, essays, poetry and more on the subject of "time"...