New Novel Finished!

I'm thrilled to announce that I finsihed writing my latest novel this last fall. It is a 63,000 word novel, but it is not horror. They say that sometimes an artist is affected by divine inspiration...I don't know about, but it did just flow out of me. I actually could not stop writing it! I wrote some of this novel at home, at airport layovers, in hotels, while visiting other states and countries, and even at the Meritage Winery in Napa Valley, California! I specifically mention the winery as this novel is tentatively titled, Of Wine, Women, and Love.

It is the story of the Baudin sisters descended from a French-American family of Jewish-Catholic vintners who fled Nazi-occupied France during World War II. The sisters find themselves unexpectedly in charge of running the family winery in California after the sudden death of their parents. Rose, the older sister is forced to leave her career as a lawyer to run the winery to avoid total ruin. Her younger, bohemian, sister Lea experiences great difficulty in assuming the new responsibilities and falls into the arms of an abusive man who ultimately seeks to destroy both Lea and the family business. The sisters must learn how to cooperate to make good wine, celebrate their unique holidays (i.e. Chrismukkah) with friends and family, and overcome many obstacles in order to save the family business and find true love. It falls between commercial fiction and women's fiction.

Since I am not a woman, I feel a bit disengenuous about labeling my writing "women's fiction," but it is a story about two tough women and the trials and tribulations they must overcome. Women are strong in my story and are certainly the protagonists. I won't say anymore about it now, but I have submitted it to the Big Moose Prize (publishing award) and have had a LOT of rejection notes from literary agents. Ha! Plucky me though, I'm bound and determined to find a home for my novel yet. Think a cross between McLeod's Daughters (Australian TV drama series) and the film version of Under The Tuscan Sun and you will have some idea of my novel and it's witty dialogue. More soon? I hope!

Here are some pictures from the Meritage Winery Resort in Napa Valley, CA where I wrote some of my winery novel: