Summer of Georgie

                                                         Summer of Georgie

by Kerry Crisley

 

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GENRE:   ChickLit

 

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BLURB:

 

Deep into her 40s with a lackluster career, Georgie wonders how she became so...underwhelming. If she’s not battling her micromanaging boss and egotistical CEO, she’s trying to quiet her inner voice, the one whispering that she hasn’t lived up to the cool, funny and creative person she used to be.

When she's fired for finally pushing back on her CEO’s questionable business practices, Georgie – with the support of her husband and book club friends– uses her free summer to rekindle latent talents and redefine success. But just as she figures out what’s next, an unexpected hurdle threatens to turn her summer of opportunity into a zero-sum disaster.

Summer of Georgie is a fresh and likably snarky take on the “middle age do-over,” with an authentic portrayal of friendship, marriage, motherhood, and that inner critic inside us all.

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

All I’m trying to do is dial a damn phone.

            

When I attempt to hit five, my finger presses seven. I start over in frustration. Six, six, five – fuck. Seven again. And the next time. Furious, I smash my phone on the concrete sidewalk and move to grind it to dust under my shoe. I miss – of course – and my foot leaves the curb. The sense of falling jolts me awake.

 

I’m in bed, on my right side and facing the window. I lie there, sensing, listening, remembering. My pulse is fast, throbbing in my chest, my ears, and my throat. 

 

That was the saddest anxiety dream ever. Girl, even your dreams need work.

 

The clock on my dresser reads 5:36. I could try to doze off again, but these days it’s unlikely. Instead, I get up and pad to the bathroom, careful not to wake Dan. Cupping my hands under the faucet I take in a few sips of water, flooding the desert determined to take up residence in my mouth. In the mirror above the sink, my reflection is glum. Her mascara’s smudged and her dark blonde hair needs a trim.

 

Lookin’ good, my internal judge and jury whispers.

 

“What's up with you?“ I whisper back at the mirror. “You never used to be this mean.” 

 

Well, you used to actually remove your makeup before bed, she reasons.

 

I give her the finger and stalk away, pausing in front of Max’s door. I ease it open and survey the room. Yesterday’s clothes are strewn inside out across the blue carpet. His hamper is overflowing. On the desk, however, his orange camouflage backpack is neatly zipped, filled with completed homework and ready for school. Max himself is an unmoving hump in the center of the bed, dark brown hair peeking out from under his comforter, his breathing even. He’ll wake rested and calm, as he usually does now. The opposite of me.

A Word With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

 

Actually, no! I’m a late-blooming author; I started writing Summer of Georgie when I was 49 and published it at 51. It was when I was deep into the book – when I could see the finish line and was really happy with how the story was shaping up – that I thought to myself “this is so much fun! I want to keep doing this!”

 

I’ve always been a reader, so I think somewhere deep down the desire to write a novel of my own was there. I guess it was just waiting for the right story!

 

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

 

Summer of Georgie is about a 40-something woman – who’s also a wife and a working mother of two – who leaves her toxic job (and even more toxic boss) and has one summer to figure out what her next steps are. It’s a story of personal and professional growth that’s very much geared toward older working women, and all the responsibilities, insecurities, and challenges that we face. It’s also a celebration of the love and support of family and friends, and what we can accomplish with these folks rooting for us. 

 

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?

 

I absolutely love Marne Davis Kellogg’s Kick Keswick series. The heroine, Kick, is an American living in London who works at an auction house by day and steals jewelry by night. The books are pure escapism: fine wines, luxury hotels, sumptuous meals, and a European setting. And I love that Kick is a woman in her 50s holding her own as a leading lady. 

 

4.What’s the best part of being an author? The worst?

 

My favorite part about publishing Summer of Georgie is the number of people who have asked me if there’s going to be a sequel. Writing a novel is hard work, and it can be scary to put it out into the world with zero control over how people are going to react to it. Knowing that there are readers who not only enjoyed it but also want to see more from Georgie was incredibly gratifying. 

 

The worst part, for me, was the querying process. It is a real blow to your confidence to receive rejection after rejection (after rejection!). It stings, it makes you question your ability, and will test your belief in your book. On the bright side, I think the feedback I received from the potential agents who took the time to tell me why Georgie didn’t resonate with them (thank you!) helped me turn it into a better book.

 

5.What are you working on now?

 

My current work in progress is a novel that examines the lifelong friendship between two women that suddenly goes awry. I’m jumping back and forth in time, so the readers can see the progression and deepening of their friendship before it shattered, and follow the events that happen after.

 

I’d say that I’m 75% plotter and 25% panster, so I have to know what the scene looks like before I begin writing it. I use scene cards – Lisa Chron’s Story Genius was a huge help here. I re-read the last scene, and then spend some time sketching out the next scene’s plot points and why they matter. I do just enough so that I have a place to start, but there’s flexibility to go in a slightly different direction if I’m inspired to do so. Beyond that, I’ve always wanted to write a thriller (think Alice Feeney or Lucy Foley). I have two ideas for settings that I’m in love with…it’s a good place to start!

 

 

 

About the Book

 

Summer of Georgie, by Kerry Crisley

Published December 2021 by Lazy Sunday Books

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Page Count: 277

Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

 

 

About the Author

 

Kerry Crisley is a communications professional, with a focus on the nonprofit sector. Fiction, however, is her first love; she wrote and directed an original play performed by her second grade classmates, and has been writing ever since. She lives in Wakefield, Massachusetts with her husband, their children, and their (very spoiled) rescue dog. When not at work, Kerry can usually be found reading, hiking, or getting into a wide variety of shenanigans with her book club. Anything to avoid housework.

 

Kerry is a current member of the Women's Fiction Writing Association, and also muses about life as a writer, autism mom, dance mom, and rescue dog mom on lazysundaybooks.com. Summer of Georgie is her first novel.

 

Website | Facebook | Amazon | Twitter 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kerry Crisley is a communications professional, with a focus on the nonprofit sector. Fiction, however, is her first love; she wrote and directed an original play performed by her second grade classmates, and has been writing ever since. She lives in Wakefield, Massachusetts with her husband, their children, and their (very spoiled) rescue dog. When not at work, Kerry can usually be found reading, hiking, or getting into a wide variety of shenanigans with her book club. Anything to avoid housework.

 

Kerry is a current member of the Women's Fiction Writing Association, and also muses about life as a writer, autism mom, dance mom, and rescue dog mom on lazysundaybooks.com. Summer of Georgie is her first novel.

 

http://www.lazysundaybooks.com/

https://twitter.com/KerryCrisley

https://www.facebook.com/lazysundaybooks

 

Buy Summer of Georgie: https://www.amazon.com/Summer-Georgie-Kerry-Crisley-ebook/dp/B09MZV46FB/

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Kerry Crisley will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway