BIRDS OF PARADISE by Kathryn Handley

Today I’m highlighting BIRDS OF PARADISE by author Kathryn Handley. The author had been scheduled to guest blog today as part of her WOW (Women on Writing) virtual blog tour but due to unforeseen circumstances was unable to.

Thanks to Kathryn and Robyn at WOW, I have 1 copy of BIRDS OF PARADISE to giveaway to a lucky visitor who comments on this post between now and 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13. Be sure to include your e-mail address in your comment if it’s not a part of your profile.

Here’s a brief description from the book’s back cover: Birds of Paradise tells the story of a lonely, long-haul trucker, Joe-Mack, who picks up a runaway, Freddie, in Las Vegas and drops him in Hollywood, offering to help him if needed. When the call comes, he reaches out to the boy and becomes embroiled in the lives of homeless kids.

The stakes are high for Joe-Mack, Freddie and a homeless girl, Starlet. The three have in common their search for love and a place to belong. Joe-Mack, despondent over leaving his unfaithful wife, yet spirited by a vision of the road angel Freddie, searching for relief from a crazy home life and his own identity, and Starlet, who wants to become a famous actress, connect in Hollywood. Set in California’s beautiful, yet challenging neighborhoods, the characters take on risks and maintain thin threads of dignity amidst troubling situations.

This is one of those books that will tug on your heartstrings. It deals with homeless and troubled teens, and a man upset over his failed marriage. Yet, it also deals with hope and friendship. There are also a few twists and turns along the way.

The author has done a wonderful job of creating a core of characters that you can’t help but be drawn to. The trio may seem like an unlikely group at first, but they share common hopes and dreams that bind them together in a tender way.

The story flows smoothly and is an easy read. Once you pick it up, it will be hard to put it down.

You can find more about BIRDS OF PARADISE on Twitter with the hash tag #BirdsParadise.

Now for a bit of background on Kathryn. Her grandfather entertained his family with stories and dancing, her father quoted Shakespeare and her mother was known as “Mary the Poet” so naturally Kathryn would become a writer…eventually!
 
Now a published novelist at age 71, Kathryn’s short fiction has appeared in many literary magazines. She recently won Word Hustler’s Page-to-Screen Contest (2011) and currently serves as Prose Poetry Judge for the National League of American Pen Women Soul-Making Contest. A collection of her work will soon be released under the title A World of Love and Envy (short fiction, flash-fiction, and poetry). 

For more on Kathryn and her writing, stop by her website at www.kathyhandley.com or the book’s publisher, Riverhaven Books.