Sunday, July 29, 2012

Liz Flaherty: A Soft Place to Fall


Life is new and wonderful for writer Liz Flaherty these days. She retired from the post office in 2011, promptly gained 15 pounds—she swears it was overnight—and promised her grandchildren, The Magnificent Seven, that she would make each of them a bed-size quilt. She also planned to write all day, every day.

What was she thinking?

She’s learned to write when she feels like it, sew when she feels like it, and maybe even to eat a little less. She’s learned to share the house and sometimes even the kitchen with Duane, her husband of, oh, lots of years.

And she’s having a Very, Very Good Time.

Her fifth book ONE MORE SUMMER, has been released to exciting reviews by Carina Press. She is thrilled to the point everyone she knows rolls their eyes as soon as she opens her mouth. JAR OF DREAMS, will be out in January, followed shortly by A SOFT PLACE TO FALL, and she hasn’t annoyed hardly anyone about that yet.

Leave a comment and have your name added to Cheryl’s famous fishbowl for a chance to win a copy of ONE MORE SUMMER. Please leave your email address.

I didn’t mean to write an inspirational romance. Truly, I didn’t. When I got the first “germ” of Early’s story years ago, I thought it was pretty much like any other reunion story (my favorite kind). Early and her husband Nash would be a young couple just entering their thirties who suddenly realized they didn’t love each other anymore, didn’t even recognize the person on the other side of the sugar bowl. I remembered looking at my husband a few times in those days, wondering who he was and what I’d been thinking when I married him. (He says he wondered the same things—can you imagine?)

But that’s not how A SOFT PLACE TO FALL ended up. Early, Nash, and the Lord had other ideas.

Early McGrath, 46, professional wife, mother, and grandmother, finds herself living in a house she hates in a subdivision she hates more. Even worse, she’s divorced—at Nash’s request—from the man she’s loved since her sophomore year in high school, the father of her four children, her best friend.

She wants to change, but she’s been a nurturer too long, and when Nash’s father suffers a heart attack and requires surgery, she moves back to the rural area where she grew up to care for him. To old friends and a new quilt shop and the church where she married Nash. To God.

A SOFT PLACE TO FALL is about Early and Nash’s journey back. And forward. It will be released soon by Harbourlight Books.

Thanks for stopping by, and thank you, Cheryl, for having me. Congratulations on your anniversary. Not just your blogging one, but for all the others we celebrate as we…gain experience.  I value your friendship.

Visit me at http://lizflaherty.com or at http://wordwranglers.blogspot.com/ where I blog every Monday.

28 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for having me here to help celebrate, Cheryl. I hope everyone's having a great weekend. Congratulations to all RITA and GH winners!

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  2. Liz,

    It sounds like you been having a busy retirement. How did you ever find time to work? I've heard this statment from others who have retired. Good luck on the new book.

    lmyost@roadrunner.com

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    1. I saved up a lot of things to do, that's for sure! One strange thing is, now that I can really schedule a lot of writing time, the words hide from me more often--I haven't figured that out. Thanks for coming by.

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  3. Congrats on your retirement, Liz! I know the words won't be hiding for long.

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  4. Sounds like a wonderful story, Liz. I think all of us reach times in our lives when we question our choices and wish we could "go back." Best of luck with your career!

    nona at nonaraines dot com

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  5. Ah, lovely Liz, my fellow "Gem"!!! WELCOME to Harbourlight - you're going to love working with Pelican Book Group. I can't wait to read "Soft" - it sounds amazing. Congratulations, and many, many blessings!!

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  6. Liz, A Soft Place to Fall sounds wonderful! I know your writing always touches me. I like that you find time to write and quilt in retirement and still have a life. That's important. We only get one shot at living.

    Cher, thanks for hosting Liz. We go WAY back.

    Hugs, Janet

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    1. Hi, Janet. We sure do, don't we? I'm having the best time in retirement (athough that is certainly a misnomer--it's busy!) Thanks for coming by!

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    2. "A Soft Place to Fall" sounds wonderful! Love your writing, Liz. If I win, I'll have an e-book of your lovely story. :)

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  7. Liz, you sound like my kind of woman. And your book sounds like my kind of book. Again, I welcome you to the Pelican Book Group and look forward to reading your stories.

    meadowlark[at]loreepeery[dot]com

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  8. Liz, I'm so excited for this book to come out - can't wait to read Early & Nash's journey!!

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  9. Sounds like a wonderful book and I can't wait to read it.

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  10. Thanks for sharing. I am like you in my thoughts of being able to accomplish more in a day than possible.

    Coolestmommy2000 at gmail dot com

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  11. A beautiful book from a beautiful lady! Thanks for the insights :)

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  12. Sounds like an interesting book.

    bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  13. Sounds like a great book with an interesting journey for its characters. Thanks for having the giveaway.

    Rose
    harnessrose(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  14. Sounds like a great book, Liz. Congrats on your retirement.

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  15. Hi Liz! Sounds like a wonderful book. I'll check your books out!
    Tscmshupe (at) pemtel dot net

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