CHIMES FROM A CRACKED
SOUTHERN BELLE
BY SUSAN REINHARDT
BLOG TOUR REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY
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| 4 STARS Synopsis:
Most people think the reason Dee Millings married the best looking man in the Carolinas who turned out to be a complete psycho and near-murderer is because she was raised all wrong.
Dee, a 38-year-old heroine to root for, sets out on a path winding with loveable kooks, wanting to prove there is a great life on the other side of tragedy and a crazed ex behind bars who continues to mail threatening letters from prison. Her new adventure begins two years after the crime spree that nearly stopped her heart and left her flat-lining. She packs up her two young kids and settles in her parents' South Carolina hometown where she deals with a delightful, but over-the-top mama who pretends her grown daughters are virgins.
Dee finds new purpose for herself and her children, discovering joy in places she never expected it: in a nursing home where she tends to the likes of 104-year-old Annie Sue who still drives and has a hankering for cold draft beer. Offering heaps of comic relief, Dee's Aunt Weepie lives to crash funerals just to get the covered-dish meals after the gravesides, no matter she has no idea who's in the coffins. Her antics lead her to making a daring decision that could change Dee's life forever.
As Dee begins a journey toward recovery and becoming a registered nurse, a dark secret resurfaces, one that if handled right, could be her ticket to allowing herself to love again.
 Purchase Link: Graceful Steps Foundation Malaprops My Review Chimes From a Cracked Southern Belle is a story about a woman, Purdy (Dee) Millings, who has had to face some hard times. Back in the day, she was homecoming queen and had boys knocking at her door to go out with her. These days she is trying to get her life back in order and get herself back to the self reliant, confidant woman she once was. Bryce Jeter, her psycho ex-husband, is now behind bars serving 25 years for trying to end Purdy's life with his church van and tools. Purdy now bears the scars of that inside and out. It's been two years since she went through that horrific ordeal. Now she is picking up the pieces and moving forward with her life taking care of her two kids. This book will make you laugh...sometimes a lot. (The Zoo scene!) You will also experience emotions of sadness, hurt, and then hope. Purdy's mother and aunt Weepie both have good intentions when interfering with her life. Purdy's prudish conservative mother leaves Bible verse quotes on her answering machine each morning and her funeral attending aunt is trying to encourage her to "dirty" her hands while keeping her morals at the same time. The countless psychologists that Purdy has been to have all come to the same conclusion; she will never be able to move on until she faces what happened to her and gets mad about it. Purdy feels like there isn't any point to remembering and her mother is angry enough for the both of them. When Purdy gets a job at a nursing home she meets an interesting wild 104 year old, Miss Annie. I hope that if I'm still alive at 104 that I am as awesome as this lady! And, of course there is love. If you are looking for a read that evokes all emotions from laughter to sadness but still manages to stay on the lighter side, then this book is for you. Susan Reinhardt has done a great job with her first work of Fiction and I know we will be reading much more from her. About The Author
Susan Reinhardt, a well-known, award-winning columnist is author of six books along with many anthologies.
Her bestselling book of humor, “Not Tonight Honey, Wait ‘Til I’m a Size 6,” is now in its 7th printing. This was followed by "Don't Sleep with a Bubba," A Book of the Year winner, and "Dishing with the Kitchen Virgin," a best-selling collection of hilarious culinary disasters with a dash of PG-13 humor and a smidgeon of sex. All were published by Kensington in New York City. Her recent books include participating in the Malaprop's Book Store bestseller, "Naked Came the Leaf Peeper," in which a dozen of Western North Carolina's most well-known authors went wild with a serial novel, each taking a turn with his or her own chapter. The book was highly praised by Charles Frazier, author of "Cold Mountain," along with "Eat Pray Love's" Elizabeth Gilbert. In November, 2012, she and co-author and editor DC Stanfa released "Fifty Shades of Funny: Hook-ups, Break-ups, and Crack-ups," featuring some of the most famous authors and bloggers around, including their own tales of romantic misadventure and blunders. Soon, she will release her biggest project to date: Her first novel, 10 years in the making titled, "Chimes from a Cracked Southern Belle." In addition to writing, she's a stand-up comedian, public speaker, public servant, taxi driver to her teen daughter, debit card to her 20-year-old son, and a borderline candidate to appear on "The Hoarders" Buried Alive!" if you saw her bedroom/office and the amount of books and stacked papers. She is mother of two: daughter Lindsey, 14, and son Niles, 20. They are her true loves and the very reason she BEGS her husband (second hubby) for Botox at least once a year. Reinhardt is involved in many charities, including child and animal welfare groups and is a community volunteer. Social Media Links Goodreads Blog Tour Wide Giveaway Follow The Tour |
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