East of Eden by Lee Strauss
Publication date: November 12th, 2013
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Regret is a formidable foe.
Eden Kelley is the primary caregiver for her mother who’s in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and she’s only twenty-four. Not what she planned to do when she left her husband for a new start with her four-year-old daughter in tow. She’d hoped for free babysitting, but instead she found a mystery. The discovery of an erroneous marriage document leads to more questions, and unfortunately Eden can’t ask her mother for answers because she doesn’t remember.
Her mother’s antics drive her crazy, but Eden’s determined to make the best of it. That includes finding the exciting romantic adventure she’d dreamed about. But when trouble knocks, it’s her husband Cade who arrives to help. It’s awkward and tense. And Eden comes to one sure conclusion: leaving her handsome, caring husband was a huge mistake.
Her parents had a second chance at love? Would she and Cade get one, too?
EXCERPT
She was a despicable woman! Eden had tolerated her mildly
before, but now she despised her That
smug expression of superiority, that flashy wool suit: you’d think she was a high and mighty lawyer instead of an
ordinary secretary. Eden filled her glass, emptying the bottle of cheap red
wine and clumsily set it back onto the coffee table.
She’d snatched Sophie away, en route to the airport, without
even the slightest display of remorse
or apology. Cade would be meeting them in Prince George. Eden pouted. That miserable hag would probably be with
him.
“Oh, my sweet, little girl,” Eden moaned aloud. “I can’t
believe I have to share you with her! This is going to be the most wretched
Christmas of my entire life!” She lifted her glass to her mouth, slightly off
target, and a dribble of red ran down her chin. She wiped it with the back of
her hand.
“It’s just you and me, Mom,” she slurred, patting Lorraine on
the arm. “Yup, just you and me. Me, the sorriest sample of humanity on the face
of the earth, and you… forgive me, Mom, but I have to say it. You live on
another planet entirely.” Hiccup.
Lorraine was dressed in her nightclothes with the bra strapped
on over top. She grinned blissfully, her face dusted with the orange powder
from the Cheezies she ate as they
watched It’s a Wonderful Life. Eden,
on the other hand, found nothing wonderful about it. Like a zombie, she sat on
the couch with her glass of wine, a half-empty box of Kleenex, and a pile of
dirty tissues. She’d shed no tears for Jimmy Stewart; at least things work out
for him in the end. No, the tears were solely for her.
“Oh, Mom,” she moaned, and rested her head on her mother’s
spindly shoulder. “What are we going to do?
What’s to become of us?”
Her mother’s shoulder was too thin and bony to provide comfort.
What she needed was a man’s shoulder: a firm, strong, muscular shoulder. Like
Cade’s. She needed Cade’s shoulder! Her breath shuddered as she swallowed a sob
and blew her nose again.
Oh, what had she done?
GIVEAWAY
Prize (open to US/Can):
--A signed copy of East of Eden
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
1.
I hear there is a story behind
the story of East of Eden? Can you tell us about that?
East of Eden is a back list book meaning it was once published traditionally
and went out of print. It was published in 2000 by a German Publishing company
in the German language. I made major revisions to the original version
including a title change, character name changes. I also deleted scenes, wrote
new scenes and moved scenes around. This is the first time it has been
available in English and I’m happy to have it out there.
2.
Is that why it’s set in 1990?
Yes. I wrote the early drafts in the 1990s (so the
setting is authentic!) I didn’t update it because the mystery involved depends
on this time frame.
3.
What’s with the funny spelling?
The story is set in Vancouver, BC and being a
Canadian myself I decided with this book I would stick with Canadian/British
spelling.
4.
So is this a love story or a
mother/daughter story?
Both. East of Eden is a
romance with strong themes of regret, forgiveness and second chances. It’s also
a family drama where Eden learns how to look beyond her own needs and wants,
and what it means to love unconditionally, especially when it comes to her
mother.
5.
Do you have any personal
experience with loved ones and Alzheimer’s disease?
My grandmother passed away from complications due to Alzheimer’s disease. I remember
the first time she didn’t remember who I was, what that felt like. How I’d lost
opportunity to ask her questions about her past. She kept asking me over and
over again if my baby was a boy or a girl. It was heartbreaking.
6.
What’s next for Lee Strauss?
I’m really excited about my next project, a collection of
stand-alone contemporary romance companion books set in the singer-songwriter
world called The Minstrel Series. The first book Sun & Moon is set in Dresden, Germany about a risk-taking
singer-songwriter whose world collides with a brooding uptown banker. The books
will include mp3 links from songs written by talented Indie songwriters whose
songs feature prominently in the books. It’s a unique opportunity to
collaborate with the Indie Music scene. Sun
& Moon will be out Jan 27. Pre-orders are available on itunes, Kobo and Barnes
& Noble
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lee Strauss writes historical and science fiction/romance for upper YA and adult readers. She also writes light and fun stuff under the name Elle Strauss.
To find out more about Lee and her books check out her facebook page.
Follow her on Twitter https://twitter.com/elle_strauss to find out about new releases sign up for her newsletter at www.ellestraussbooks.com
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