I’m thrilled to have with me today, Patricia Mann, author of Is This All There Is? Patricia is sharing her gorgeous new cover (I think you will agree
it’s utterly beautiful and perfect for the book), along with a little bit about
the story’s inception.
Beth Thomas has the perfect life. At thirty-five, she’s married to
her college sweetheart, has two adorable kids, and teaches part time at the
local university. But when a friend persuades Beth to go dancing on a rare
night out, a chance meeting with twenty one year old Dave, one of her former
students, changes the course of her life. Loud music, too much to drink, and
the thrill of feeling young again lead to an unforgettable kiss that was never
supposed to happen. As she tries to put the memory behind her, Dave’s pursuit
leaves Beth torn between what her mind says is right and what her heart and
body crave.
Patricia has kindly offered to share a little of the inspiration
behind the book below. Both Patricia’s story, and that of her heroine, Beth, is
one many, many women can identify with. Is
This All There Is has had some excellent reviews, please do check them out.
Having browsed and learned a little more about the book, it is now firmly on my
tbr list.
About Patricia. The
story behind the story. Is This All There Is?
I’ve dreamed of being a writer since I was a little girl. Growing
up, I kept journals, penned poems, and fantasized about writing the next
Wuthering Heights, one of my early favorites. A couple of decades, a husband,
two kids, and dual careers as a professor and consultant later, the dream had
been all but forgotten. Then I confessed to a friend that I was depleted and in
desperate need of a creative outlet. She recommended a novel writing group that
she knew of. It became my oxygen. I started writing the story of a woman whose
life was much like mine. It was cathartic to twist my real experiences into
fiction to reveal the exquisite joys and heartaches of mothering two children
while trying to keep a marriage alive and a career afloat. But before long,
Beth, my main character, took on a life of her own. She went out dancing with
friends one night and ran into some former students. Would you believe that
wild woman had too much to drink and kissed one of them? Even worse, she then allowed
him into her life, putting everything she held dear at risk. Everything changed
and suddenly Beth was forced to come to terms with her past and decide what she
wanted for her future. So I let Beth and her story take over. Parts were based
on my real life, other parts were based on experiences I’ve seen friends and
loved ones go through. But as I was writing, I began to believe the book could
actually be helpful to readers, if I could get up the courage to publish it. I
did eventually publish it, of course, but chose to use a pen name, because as
one reviewer said about Is This All There Is?, “It’s raw, honest, unrelenting.”
Excerpt:
We ordered more
drinks and the six of us engaged in the animated, uninhibited conversation that
comes so easily when alcohol is flowing. Shouting over the music and standing
way closer to each other than would be acceptable anywhere else, we talked
about politics, sex and religion - subjects I avoided in most social settings. The
drinks kept coming and I lost track of who was ordering or paying for them. At
one point, I remember running my mouth off about how with all the hours I put
in at home, I probably made the equivalent of two dollars an hour as a part
time professor, while movie stars were making tens of thousands of dollars per
minute. Somehow everyone else’s attention seemed to drift but Dave’s eyes
stayed fixed on me as he listened intently and nodded with empathy. “It’s just
not right. The work you do is so much more important.” That dimple. Those eyes.
His undivided attention.Later, a spirited debate raged over the validity of the administration’s rationale for the current war, although some of us were too drunk to notice we were all on the same side. But not Dave. He followed each intoxicated train of thought and responded with intelligence and passion, especially when he was talking to me. When he reached past me to grab a pretzel from the bar, I noticed that his hair smelled like apples. Chills ran down the length of my entire body. When there was finally a lull in the conversation, Shelly held up her empty glass and announced that she wanted to dance.
I glanced at the dance floor. It was jam-packed, the music even louder now. The techno beat of a song I didn’t recognize filled the air. Shelly put the glass down and started gyrating her hips. “I love this song! Who’s coming with me?” Fahti leapt up and started to pull her away.
“Come on, Beth,” Shelly said, wiggling her fingers in my direction.
“No way,” Dave said. “She’s staying right here. It’s not every day you run into your favorite professor.” He turned to me. “Can I buy you another drink, Beth?”
My heart skipped a beat. Students rarely called me by my first name.
Website/Blog (New posts every
Thursday): http://www.patriciamann.me
