Boomer Lit Friday – July 26

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from PARALLEL LIVES, the follow up to THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX. In this book, Leah Gold is given an opportunity to explore what might have happened if she had made different decisions earlier in her life.

Continuing from the Boomer Lit Friday excerpts on July 5 and July 12, and July 19, Leah finds herself mysteriously transported from her own home to her daughter's home while looking at pictures of her granddaughter on her cell phone. In this last excerpt for the Boomer Lit Friday Blog Hop series, we join Leah as she continues to try to figure out what is happening to her.

Once she got the baby all settled in the swing with the music and mobile going, Leah looked around the room for clues to what was going on. She spied a purse and computer case on the dining room table and decided those must be hers. She sat at the table and spilled out the contents of the purse. 

Opening the wallet, she found the credit cards and driver’s license compartments. Staring back at her on the license was a photo of the person she saw before in the mirror. The woman with Leah’s face, but different hair and clothes. Then she saw the name: Leah Goldman. What was going on? She had shortened her name to Gold after the divorce. She quickly checked the credit cards. They had the name Leah Goldman, and some were joint accounts with Richard Goldman.

Leah was glad she hadn’t eaten anything yet because she would have thrown up. She was still married to Richard! “This is a fucking nightmare, all right. Let me wake up, or beam me up, Scottie, now!”

Have you ever wondered what your life would be life if you had made other choices—gone on a backtracking trip across Europe instead of attending college right out of high school, or married someone else, or taken a different job... Poor Leah is just getting started on learning about what her alternate path looks like. PARALLEL LIVES will be available late 2013.

If you haven't read THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX yet and want to know more about the life Leah just left, you can purchase the first book in the series as an ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday – July 19

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from PARALLEL LIVES, the follow up to THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX. In this book, Leah Gold is given an opportunity to explore what might have happened in her life if she had made different decisions earlier in her life.

Continuing from the Boomer Lit Friday excerpts on July 5 and July 12, Leah finds herself mysteriously transported to from her own home to her daughter's home while looking at pictures of her granddaughter on her cell phone. While everyone else seems the same, she feels different—especially after running her hands through hair. She goes into the powder room to check herself out.

Leah turned on the light and caught sight of her reflection. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it. This was a dream, it was. She stepped forward and leaned her hands on the vanity. That wasn’t her in the mirror. It looked like her, but it was definitely someone else. This person’s hair was cut short, just below the chin with bangs across her forehead. Leah pushed the hair back with her fingers. Where was her hair that reached her shoulders without layers or bangs?

Leah’s eyes traveled down to her body. Whose clothes was she wearing? Red knit pants and a striped top? Not something Leah would wear in a million years.

“Time to wake up, time to wake up.” Leah could hear her voice say the words, but nothing happened. She tried clapping her hands and pinching her arm, but still nothing.

Leah thought her heart would burst out of her chest, it was beating so loudly. She hadn’t had a nightmare in years, not since she and Jonathan moved in together. And, bad dreams were never like this. In her dreams, she would be frozen or unable to talk. This was just plain weird.

Next week will be the conclusion of the Boomer Lit Friday excerpts, and Leah will start to get some clues as to what is going on.


PARALLEL LIVES is still a Work in Progress (WIP). If you haven't read THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX yet and want to know more about the life Leah just left, you can purchase the first book in the series as an ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday – July 12

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from PARALLEL LIVES, the follow up to THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX. In this book, Leah Gold is given an opportunity to explore what might have happened in her life if she had made different decisions earlier in her life.

Today, we join Leah as she tries to recover from a startling—and possibly unreal— experience. She had been relaxing on the couch, looking at photos of her granddaughter on her cell phone. Closing her eyes to imagine being with Zoey, she hears and smells the baby...it all seemed so real. When she opened her eyes, she was holding her granddaughter.

Leah’s eyes opened so wide she thought they’d pop out. Where was she? Instinctively, she put her hands around Zoey and sat up straight. She looked around in awe. She was in Zoey’s room. Was she dreaming? 

Ali poked her head into the room. “Mom, what are you doing? You’d better get her fed and dressed if you want to get to the class on time.” She was gone so quickly, Leah wasn’t sure if she imagined the reprimand. Zoey started to whimper, and was building up to a wail.

Leah heard Ali’s voice down the hall. “Mom, her bottle is on the kitchen counter. What’s with you this morning?” 

PARALLEL LIVES is still a Work in Progress (WIP). If you haven't read THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX yet and want to know more about the life Leah just left, you can purchase the first book in the series as an ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday – July 5

Boomer Lit Friday Blog Hop is Back!! Today marks the return of the weekly event. When you're finished here, be sure to hop on over and read the posts from other boomer lit authors here.

Do you ever wonder, What if...? What if you had taken the other job, married a different guy, gone on a backpacking tour of Europe instead of leaving for college right after high school?

I'm fascinated with the possibilities of how life could be different if only I had... Or, would it be different at all? Does everything end up being the way it's supposed to be, even if we take a different route to get there?

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from PARALLEL LIVES, the follow up to THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX. In this book, Leah Gold is given an opportunity to explore what might have happened in her life if she had made different decisions earlier in her life.

Today, we join Leah as she relaxes on the couch, looking at pictures of her baby granddaughter sent via her cell phone by the other grandma.

Leah kissed the baby’s face on the screen again and placed her cell phone flat on her chest as she closed her eyes to imagine what it would be like to walk in at 6:30 in the morning and find that little bundle of joy waiting for her with outstretched arms. She’d pick that baby up and give her a big hug and special grandma kiss. Then she’d bring Zoey over to the futon on the other side of the room and spend some morning love time playing peek-a-boo and other fun games that delight nine-month-old babies. 

Leah could smell Zoey’s sweet baby smell and feel the softness of her smooth face. She could even hear the soft baby gurgley laugh. It sounded so real! 

Leah opened her eyes, and there was Zoey on her chest, poking her, wanting to play more.

And a new adventure begins...

PARALLEL LIVES is still a Work in Progress (WIP). If you haven't read THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX yet and want to know more about the life Leah just left, you can purchase the first book in the series as an ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday – April 26

This will be my last Boomer Lit Friday excerpt for a while. I'm concentrating on finishing the second book in this series and an exciting new project that I'm going to reveal soon. But for now, this week's excerpt is from THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX, the story of best friends Leah Gold and Roxanne Stein, two boomer women trying to break free of the “happily ever after” fairy tale myth of their childhoods.

We're joining Leah and Roxie mid-conversation in Chapter 6.

Roxie paused, like she was deciding what to say next. “Look, I have to say this,” she finally blurted out. “I’m sorry you have a broken heart. But I am happy you’re not moving, and I’m especially happy that’s over between you and 3D.”

“Please don’t start. I’ve been trying to avoid thinking about him at all.”

Roxie squinted her eyes. “Let me just say this about Douglas D. Dowling. A man who cheats on his wife with you is going to cheat on you with someone else one day. He probably already has.”

“Rox, we’ve been through this before. He didn’t do that to me.”

“Oh really? And what do you think he did on those long trips to Paris, London, and Athens?”

“It’s different. Doug loves me.”

“Love, schmuv, Leah. Men were given two working body parts—a brain and a dick. Unfortunately, they can’t use both at the same time.”

“Roxie, you don’t understand. Doug’s not like that.”

“Leah, you read too many romance novels. It just so happens, all men are like that—go ahead and ask one. They don’t even think there’s anything wrong with that scenario.”

Leah stared at her friend. Was there a grain of truth in Roxie’s crude words? She shook her head. “Look, I can’t think about this now.”

Once again, Leah puts off 'til tomorrow what she doesn't want to think about today. Does she ever wise up? Find out...

Purchase the ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday - April 5

Today's "excerpt" marks a departure from the usual format of Boomer Lit Friday posts. Elyse & I are pleased to tell you that THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX has been selected as as the featured read for the Weekly BookClub Webinar with Angela Harris tomorrow, Saturday, April 6 at 2:30pm ET.

So, instead of the usual short snippet from the book, a special three-chapter excerpt from THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX has been created and is available for download here. Please join Angie Harris at the BookClub Webinar for a fun interview with Elyse & me and an opportunity to ask us questions! At 2:30pm ET on Saturday, you can join the webinar online or call 213-416-1560 to participate by phone (may incur long distance charges).

You can still enjoy the usual round of fun reading from other boomer lit authors at Boomer Lit Friday.

(Please note time for the event has been corrected. The webinar begins at 2:30pm ET.)

Boomer Lit Friday – March 29

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from Chapter 4 of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX, the story of best friends Leah Gold and Roxanne Stein, two boomer women trying to break free of the “happily ever after” fairy tale myth of their childhoods.

We're joining Leah in Chapter 4, which takes place a little later on the same morning as the previous Boomer Lit Friday excerpt.

Leah's gaze traveled to the shelf above her desk. “Doug, how could you do this to me?” she glared at his photo. “I trusted you, and you betrayed me.”

She grabbed the picture frame and threw it inside the top drawer of her file cabinet that held all the mementos of their times together. The drawer was brimming with ticket stubs, postcards Doug sent her from his international business travel, press clippings, and more. Leah slammed the drawer shut, but didn’t feel better.

“That’s not far enough away from me, you prick.” She grabbed a carton and scooped out the contents of the drawer, dumping it all into the box.

Leah was momentarily tempted to rummage through the pile of photos, handwritten love notes, matchbooks from restaurants, hotel room keycards, and maps from cities where they had traveled together. But she resisted the urge, knowing it would only make her feel worse. Instead, she stood up and kicked the box.

“That’s it? That’s what our whole time together amounts to? I can fit it all in one stinking box,” she said as she sealed the top.

Can getting over a betrayal be as easy as packing your memories up in a box? Find out...

Purchase the ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday – March 22

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is from Chapter 2 of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX, the story of best friends Leah Gold and Roxanne Stein, two boomer women trying to break free of the “happily ever after” fairy tale myth of their childhoods.

The phone woke her. Leah reached for the receiver. “Hello,” she whispered as she lifted her head to see the clock.

“Good morning! Did I wake you?”

“Yes. No. I don’t know…Doug?”

“I’m in a cab on my way to the airport, and I don’t know when I’ll get a chance to call you later. I wanted to tell you how good it was to see you last night.”

Leah sat up.

“Leah, are you there?”

“Yeah. I just don’t know what to say.”

“I really enjoyed seeing you.”

“You did?”

“Of course!”

“Well, I didn’t enjoy it.”

“You didn't?”

“Maybe you and I were sitting at different tables, but the guy I was with told me he wasn’t ready to leave his wife and kids. What happened at your table?”

“Leah, you knew from the beginning that this was a difficult situation. I told you—”

“And I told you that I don’t share.” Her voice rose and Leah began to shake. “Did you think we could go on this way?”

“Leah, you’re breaking up. I’m at the airport. I’ll call you later as soon as I can.”

“I’m breaking up all right. Good-bye, Doug.” She slammed the receiver down.

Will this really be the end of something Leah never should have started? Find out...

Purchase the ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday March 15

Today's Boomer Lit Friday excerpt is a continuation of the story where I left off in the previous post, which you may want to read first :-)

We're joining Roxie and D.J. in Chapter 7 of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX, and D.J. has just selected the hooker-style dress Roxie wore for a costume party as what he wants her to wear on their date, but he won't tell her where they're going. Roxie is frustrated with his secretive ways.

“Why are you always so mysterious, D.J.?”

“It’s a Georgia thing. Southern boys aren’t accustomed to answering so many questions from women.”

Roxie sauntered up to D.J. and rubbed his crotch. “If you keep fucking me like you did yesterday, I may just stop asking questions.”

He leaned over and kissed her, pulling her tightly against him.

“Are you always hard?” Roxie breathed heavily, intoxicated by him.

“Lady, when you walk out in that dress, there isn’t going to be one limp dick in South Florida tonight! Let’s go, before I carry you off to the bedroom now.”

Will this turn out to be a night to remember, or regret? Find out...

Purchase the ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday - 2

Welcome to Week 2 of Boomer Lit Friday. Ever wonder how divorced boomer moms meet men in the suburbs? Sometimes, it's in the most unexpected places. Let's join Leah Gold while she waits for her daughter, Ali, in Chapter 12 of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX.

Leah was seated in the school bleachers one late afternoon, working on a press release for a client while waiting for Ali’s cheerleading practice to end. “Is this seat taken?” a deep male voice asked.

Leah was absorbed in her copy and jumped, dropping her pen. She leaned down to retrieve it, then looked over to the spot next to her on the bleachers. She raised her eyebrow as she looked up at him and said, “This seat?”

“Yes, is anyone sitting there?”

Leah had to grin. The bleachers were practically empty. He could have sat anywhere. She looked more carefully at him. She guessed he was about fifty years old and not quite six feet tall. He had thinning hair and wore jeans, sneakers, and a University of Florida sweatshirt.

“No, no one is sitting there now. I guess you’d better hurry and grab the seat before they’re all taken.” 

He smiled. “Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Will Mr. University of Florida turn out to be Leah's Prince Charming or get on her "meet and delete" list? Find out...Purchase the ebook or paperback at

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.

Boomer Lit Friday

Welcome to Week 1 of Boomer Lit Friday. Ever wonder if girl talk is different for boomers? Let's join Leah and Roxie in conversation...from Chapter 20 of THE PRINCE CHARMING HOAX.

Roxie described in detail her evening from the moment she stepped through D.J.’s front door to when Nicky started to get very familiar with Belle on the chaise.

Up to that point, Leah was only mildly interested. They frequently exchanged the intimate details of their sex lives, but this was certainly something new. Suddenly, Roxie’s story became much more exciting. “You’re kidding. You actually saw him put his fingers inside her while they were sitting next to you?”

“Absolutely.”

“What did you do?”

“D.J. suggested I help in the kitchen with dinner, so we sort of exited. Not that it would have made a difference to them.”

“I guess not. Now, that’s something most couples don’t do in front of people they just met. In fact, most couples don’t do that in front of people they’ve known for years! So, what happened next?”

This is one great conversation for eavesdroppers...

Purchase the ebook or paperback at
Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords

Read more Boomer Lit snippets here.