Don’t Miss this One! PURELY RELATIVE by @Claire_Gillian_

This graphic doesn’t come out a lot but I’m showing it large and in charge today. That’s because it’s my BFF’s and long lost cross country sister from another mister’s Book Birthday week. I’m talking about Claire Gillian’s release of Purely Relative.

I had the pleasure of getting my hands on a copy early and it was everything I’d hoped it would be and more. You see, Claire’s first book,  The P.U.R.E., was one of those rare stories that had me thinking about the main characters long I finished reading the book. I was anxiously awaiting the companion story and it doesn’t disappoint! Not only is Gayle as adorable and Jon as sexy as I remembered but we now get up close and personal with Jon’s family, especially his sister Jenny (my favorite secondary character in The P.U.R.E.). We’re also introduced to other interesting Cripps family members. I’d love a story about Jon’s little brother. *hint hint*

Read on for The Lazy Gal’s Guide to Writing Books by Claire Gillian…

Hi everyone and thanks to Sandra for opening up her blog to me today. I have a new book that released on April 30th called Purely Relative. It’s a contemporary romance sequel to my debut novel, The P.U.R.E., a romantic mystery.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If you want something done as efficiently as possible, assign it to a lazy person.” By this logic, lazy people really aren’t lazy, they’re just very efficient players of the odds. So what the hell does that have to do with my new book? Hang on…I’m getting there. Another saying is “write what you know” with the implied adjunct of: “and if you don’t know it, research it until you do.” So to recap so far, we have low effort on the one hand and high effort on the other. Does this mean I’ve written an autobiography? Ha! Good answer, self…but no. It means I have to be careful about where I draw the line between fiction and reality, but if I do it well enough, few people will notice if it’s blurry or squiggly and my lazy self will conserve energy.

My first novel, The P.U.R.E. was about newly hired CPA off to a very rocky start at her new power job. OK I totally knew that puppy! I lived it…er a few decades ago. I’m calling it close enough though. No further research required. I just tapped the old memories, updated the feminized power suit, 86′d the pantyhose and silk scarf ties and swapped out the Easy Spirit sensible pumps for a pair of Jimmy Choo stilettos (purchased on credit) that I saw in a recent issue of Style magazine while waiting to check out at the grocery store. Good enough. Next.

The P.U.R.E. and Purely Relative are set in Dallas. Bingo! Like the main character, Gayle, I too started my super-duper CPA career in Dallas, Texas, and also like Gayle, I was new to the city. Great! Insert tales of getting lost, naively blundering into the bad sections of town and I’m almost there. But cities have an annoying habit of growing, sprouting new roadways and being remodeled over the span of several decades. Big sigh. No avoiding it any longer. Research time…but as little possible…and thank God for Google!

But the biggest blessing of all is…at the end of the day, it’s FICTION! Plus I don’t want to infringe on any copyrights or trademarks by naming real places, ya know. Yeah, that’s my story and I’m stickin’ to it! ***yawn*** Is it efficiency recharging time already?

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But before I snooze, let me tell you a little bit about Purely Relative where even less research was needed to continue the sometimes funny, sometimes angsty romance of Gayle Lindley and Jon Cripps. You certainly could be lazy and skip The P.U.R.E. going straight to Purely Relative, though I wouldn’t recommend it. There’s a time and a place for laziness after all.

Blurb:

Unemployed and living far from home, Gayle Lindley is nevertheless lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping her murderous ex-employer. She’s also thankful to the boyfriend gods for having blessed her with a former co-worker. Jon Cripps is brains, brawn and bedroom-certified, all in one delectable package. Life is finally on the uptick.

…Or so Gayle thinks until Jon pops the big question—no, not marriage, but meeting the rest of his family. What he neglects to mention is his loose familial definition also includes the parents of his ex-fiancée. And too bad Gayle has already met one sibling while engaged in a vigorous mattress inspection with Jon. Everyone will think she’s a man-stealing hussy!

As Gayle tiptoes into the bosom of Jon’s extended family, she is deluged with more secrets than even her curious nature can absorb. But the drama hits hardest when Jon, mysterious as ever, drops a bombshell that threatens to unravel every single stitch of progress she has made with him and his … ‘interesting’ relations.

Where to Buy:

About Claire Gillian

Claire writes smart, witty stories for smart, witty people. She is a number-crunching executive by day and a darkly romantic curmudgeon by night. Her debut novel, The P.U.R.E. was released in April 2012. She also writes fifty shades naughtier stuff under the pen name of Lila Shaw, but please don’t tell her mother. No matter which name she uses, Claire is happiest penning romance drenched in humor with a dash of intrigue and loads of spice.

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