When I picked up Sere Prince Halverson’s The Underside of Joy, I immediately felt connected with Ella, the MC whose world is about to be turned upside down. See, things aren’t perfect in her marriage, yet, this smart woman ignores some of the telltale signs of trouble signaling her world is about to unravel.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow…”

But what happens when tomorrow never comes for one of the parties in that discussion? Ella’s husband, Joe, dies in a freak accident, leaving her to raise her two stepchildren. Who shows up at the funeral? Paige, Joe’s ex-wife, who abandoned her family a few short years earlier. Paige insinuates herself back into her children’s lives, threatening to take custody of Annie and Zach, leaving Ella with an empty nest and heart.

As Ella discovers a mountain of debt and a handful of half-truths, she questions her marriage and the motives of the man she loved. Can she save the family business? Will she lose the children she loves as her own? Will Ella forgive her husband?

As I began reading, I could not believe many of the parallels between the book and my life. I, too, lost my husband when he died of complications from a stroke. We, too, had a floundering business. We amassed nearly $250,000 in business and personal debt. And we were a blended family, each bringing three children to the marriage. His kids lived with his ex-wife; mine, with us.

I understand what it’s like to be a mother and a stepmother, trying to find balance between being the parent figure and the other mother. It’s a fine line, a tightrope that stretches until you teeter off, maybe never finding your way back.

While I appreciate Halverson’s resolution, I’m not sure real life works that way. Sure, in my life, the animosity from the insecure ex was present, but she never would have admitted her failings, nor would she have let me raise her – and his - children.

I’m not sure I would have wanted to.

Beautifully written, with fantastic descriptions of setting. Imagine looking at a photograph and stepping into it. You can, when reading this.

Want to join in the discussion? Visit BlogHer Book Club!

I received a copy of this book, as well as payment, for participating in this review as part of BHBC.

Today, over at The Muffin, I talk about Twitter chats and hashtags, and if participating in a Twitter chat can help your writing career. Yes! And, it wouldn’t hurt if you’d start your own Twitter chat! C’mon by and check it out.

When Project Gutenburg debuted 4o years ago, today’s use of digital publishing never could have been predicted. I talk with a screenwriter, a fiction author, a YA and YA non-fiction author, a publisher and an emerging technologies librarian about specifics in their fields and the direction they see digital publishing headed. Read the 20 Questions segment in Issue 46 of WOW! Women on Writing.

This week

Last week, I watched three movies from Netflix. I also realized I’m more than likely not going to hit 30 movies by the end of July. Maybe half that amount. Life’s busy!

First, I watched Grindhouse: Death Proof, a 2007 movie with Rosario Dawson and Kurt Russell. It’s billed as an action/horror movie. I guess I didn’t view it as a horror flick, although a few scenes are a bit graphic. I really liked the cinematography. It had this “old movie” feel to it. Definitely has that Quentin Tarantino essence. Some parts are funny. Some parts are creepy. But the ending car chase is amazing. I’d give it 4 of 5 stars. Tagline: “It’s going to be a wild ride.” Yes, yes it is.

Next, I watched Vantage Point. I wanted to see this when it debuted in 2008 because I like Dennis Quaid and Forest Whitaker and because this is my kind of movie. Action-adventure told from varying points of view. It’s good, but I had it figured out as soon as the first “incident” occurred. I’d still give it 4 of 5 stars because I did enjoy it. Sigourney Weaver is way underused though. Tagline: “8 Strangers. 8 points of view. 1 Truth.” Perspective is everything.

Finally, I added this next movie to the list based on a recommendation from a Twitter friend. When Zachary Beaver Came to Town  is a heartwarming story about growing up and being accepted. Filming took place in 2003 and then it went on the film festival circuit and didn’t hit theaters until 2005. It will appeal to kids, maybe more than adults. It’s based on a YA novel, and very seldom do books translate to the screen and hold their magic. Unless it’s Harry Potter (which this isn’t). I’d give it 3.5 of 5 stars.