Sunday, July 14, 2013

Pretty Is As Pretty Does On Tour


I’m delighted to be participating in author Debby Mayne’s Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tour for her contemporary women’s fiction, PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES. This is book one in her new Class Reunion Series.

As part of the tour I’m sharing my thoughts on the book, a bit about the author, links to other blogs participating in the tour, and the author is sharing an excerpt from the book. Let’s get started.

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES by Debby Mayne

coverTalk of class reunions always brings a vast array of images and thoughts to mind - some good, some not so good.

For Priscilla Slater her 10-year high school reunion will be a chance to show her classmates she’s no longer an ugly duckling. She’s traded her discount wardrobe for designer clothes, she has perfectly straight teeth, gone is her mousy brown hair, and she has a successful chain of hair salons. But her parents’ disapproval of her career doesn’t help her self-esteem.

Once at the reunion, Priscilla discovers her classmates aren’t as she remembered nor have they changed in the ways she imaged. Receiving attention from the boy of her high school dreams, Priscilla realizes he’s not what she thought after all.

The reunion organizer has overdone herself, while her husband does his self in by drinking too much and making a fool of himself. Having starved herself for the event, one woman passes out. The class beauty queen seems unshakable until her ex-husband arrives with his latest fling. 

Author Debby Mayne has created realistic and likable characters that will remind you of people you know. The characters are well-developed and a good blend of the typical high school class.

PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES moves at a steady pace and story flows smoothly. The story is told from a number of view points giving more insight into the members of the class. Mayne also includes the viewpoint of Tim, a rep for a beauty supply company, who is enamored with Priscilla and is her date for the reunion.

Mayne touches on the various aspects of attending a class reunion and does an excellent job showcasing how expectations drive people. The story is plausible and pulls you in from the first page. There’s a good mix of humor throughout the book that will have you smiling and even laughing out loud at times.

Anyone thinking of attending a class reunion should be sure to read PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES first. It will make you see things in a whole new light.

Author Debby Mayne's website is www.debbymayne.com

Pretty Is As Pretty Does by Debby Mayne, Class Reunion Series Book 1, Abingdon Press, @2013, ISBN: 978-1426733581, Paperback, 304 Pages

FTC Full Disclosure - I requested this book as part of the author’s virtual book tour and it was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
     Debby Mayne has published more than 30 books and novellas, 400 print short stories and articles, more than 1,000 web articles, and a slew of devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor for Long Ridge Writers Group, and a copy editor and proofreader for several book publishers.
    For the past eight years, she has judged the Writers Digest Annual Competition, Short-Short Contest, and Self-Published Book Competition.
    Three of Mayne’s books have been top ten favorites by the Heartsong Presents book club. Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine and was named a Top Pick for the month of July 2009. 


For more on Mayne and her writing, visit her website at www.debbymayne.com or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.


PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES is available at the following sites:
AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | ABINGDON PRESS


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Visit Mayne’s virtual blog tour page for the schedule of blogs she’s visiting this month.

Now here’s an excerpt from PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES to entice you to read more. Just so you know…..the second book in the Class Reunion Series, BLESS HER HEART, is slated for release next month and deals with Priscilla’s 15-year class reunion and a whole new set of problems.

Chapter One 
(Priscilla Slater) 

We are thrilled to announce 
Piney Point High School’s
10 year reunion 
on June 7, 2003, at 7:30 PM 
in Piney Point High’s 
Newly renovated gymnasium. 
Attire: Sunday best 
RSVP: Laura Moss 601-555-1515 
PS: There will be a pre-party 
At Shenanigans in Hattiesburg 
Starting at about 5:00 PM. 

     Wow. Ten years. As I read my high school reunion invitation a second time, I can’t help but smile. Although I own one of the most successful businesses in my hometown of Piney Point, Mississippi, I’ve lost track of most of the people I graduated with. 
     Knowing the people I went to high school with, this is going to be one crazy event—that is, if everyone attends. I’m not surprised Laura added a pre-party to the invitation. Her husband has never attended any social event before pre-partying his face off—even in high school. Pete Moss graduated with the distinct honor of high school lush, and as far as I know, he continues to hold that honor, which is ironic since I don’t remember ever seeing Laura touching a drop of anything stronger than her mama’s two-day old sweet tea. 
     Poor Laura. 
     I pin the invitation to the bulletin board beside the fridge. And for extra measure, I jot the date on my calendar. In pencil, just in case . . . well, in case something comes up. 
     As I kick off my killer-high heels, I wonder if Maurice will be there. I sigh as I remember the guy who, in my mind, almost became my boyfriend. I used to stand in front of my bedroom mirror, practicing “looks.” I reflect back and realize things weren’t as they seemed, but I still wonder if he’ll see me differently now that I’ve made something of myself. Not that I’m trying to impress anyone. 
     And I sure haven’t impressed my parents. Quite the opposite. Still, I’ve taken a small-town beauty shop and turned it into a fabulous business—one of the most successful in Piney Point. And I’m not ready to stop there. I already have three shops—the original, which used to be called Dolly’s Cut ‘n Curl, one in Hattiesburg that formerly held the title Goldy’s Locks, and the salon where my current office is located in Jackson. In honor of the first, they are all called Prissy’s Cut ’n Curl, although I’m seriously considering changing the name to something a little trendier since I’m planning to expand. I mean, really, can you imagine anyone in New York City telling her friends she gets her hair done at the Cut ‘n Curl? Besides, I hate being called Prissy. 
     I’ll never forget Mother’s reaction when she found out I’d dropped out of my first semester of college and enrolled at the Pretty and Proud School of Cosmetology. You’d have thought I announced I wanted to pledge Phi Mu or something. No offense to anyone in Phi Mu. It’s just that Mother was a Chi Omega, and that makes me a legacy, which carries even more clout than being Miss Piney Point, something I never was. Mother would have had a fit if I’d even suggested entering a beauty contest. So when I met some of the Chi Omegas at Ole Miss, I was surprised by how many of them were beauty queens—something Mother never mentioned. 
     My parents are academics and they’re proud of it. Mother is a professor of English, and Dad is the head of the history department at the Piney Point Community College, but you’d think they were tenured professors at an Ivy League school the way they carry on. 
     I missed lunch today and my stomach’s grumbling. But when the noise turns to hissing, I relent and pull a Lean Cuisine from the freezer. I know how to cook, but it seems rather pointless to do that for one. I also know that one Lean Cuisine isn’t enough, so while it heats in the microwave, I grab a bag of salad and dump the contents into a bowl. Then I chop a tomato, grab a few olives, and pour a tablespoon of ranch dressing on top. I step back and study the salad before I squirt another tablespoon or two. The salad’s full of fiber and the Lean Cuisine is low-fat, so I figure that balances out the extra calories. 
     Just as I’m about to sit down and enjoy dinner, the phone rings. It has to be Mother, I think. She’s the only one who ever calls my house phone. I hesitate, but my daughterly duties overcome me. What if she needs something? I’d never be able to live with the guilt if I didn’t answer an important call from the woman who gave birth to me after twenty hours of labor—or so she tells folks when they ask why I’m an only child. 
     “Did you get your invitation yet?” she asks without letting me finish my hello. “Are you planning on going?” 
     Leave it to Mother to know about the reunion before me. “Yes . . . well, probably.” 
     “There’s really no point, Priscilla. After all, it’s all about showing off all your accomplishments, and it’s not like you’ve made all that much of your life.” 
     I bite my tongue, as I always have. I want to let Mother know how I really feel, but talking back has never gotten me anywhere with her, so I somehow manage to keep my yap shut. She takes that as encouragement to keep going. 
     “That silly-frilly little job of yours will get old one of these days, and then what will you do?”

2 comments:

  1. Mason - High school always leaves such a strong impression on us one way or another that reunions really do tend to spark those strong emotions. No wonder they're such great subjects for novels. Thanks for sharing about this one.

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  2. I had a blast writing this series! Thank you so much for posting your review here and sharing your thoughts.

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