Book Title: Degrees of Love: A Novel by Lisa Slabach
Category: Adult Fiction, 344 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction
Publisher: Bookbaby
Release date: Dec 1, 2017
Tour dates: Jan 3 to 31, 2017
Content Rating: PG-13 + M (Adult themes including infidelity, occasional F-word, non-explicit sex scenes)
Book Description:
At thirty-six, Susan Sinclair has it all. She's just been promoted to Senior Vice President of Mobile Banking at her firm, a prestigious position bringing fresh creative challenges and a hefty salary increase. Like the shiny new BMW in the driveway of the Silicon Valley home she shares with her husband, Matt, and their two beautiful boys, Susan exudes confidence and style.
Yet despite her success in juggling the roles of wife, mother, and businesswoman, Susan struggles with a secret dissatisfaction. Matt's work in cutting-edge computer research pays less than her job, and with each advance in her career, he has grown more distant. But Matt refuses to admit there is a problem, and Susan forces herself to play along, determined to give her boys the close-knit family life she never had.
Then she meets her new boss, Reese Kirkpatrick. Working and traveling together, she and Reese become a crackerjack team, but little by little, pleasure mixes with business. For the first time in a long time—maybe ever—Susan feels seen and appreciated for who she is. Certain she would never allow their friendship to cross the line, Susan lets herself stray dangerously close to the edge.
A moment of weakness changes everything. Now, unable to stomach the façade her marriage has become yet unwilling to decimate her family by moving forward with Reese, Susan faces a choice that could cost her everything—including her children . . . but possibly bring her more than she can dream.
A
SOCCER MOM’S BLOG
AUTHOR
INTERVIEW
Tell us about your latest book.
Degrees of Love: A Novel is about a Silicon Valley soccer mom
who on the surface has it all, but internally she struggles with bouts
of unhappiness and unspoken resentment of her success from her husband. When she meets her new boss, she goes through a sort of awakening
and is caught in a moral quagmire after becoming involved with him. In some ways, it is an exploration of the
variations of love, including love of family and self.
Where
did you get the idea for Degrees of Love?
When I was a VP of
sales, I traveled a lot. During a
particularly grueling back-to-back travel period, the idea for the story came
to me while I watched a well-dressed woman jetting through LAX. That night I had dinner by myself in a
Marriott hotel lounge and spent most of the time observing the other business
travelers. I left the lounge, went to my
room, and scrawled out a scene. Most of
that first scene has been cut, but there are snippets of it in Chapter 5.
You
are a former actress and have been a sales leader—how autobiographical is Degrees of Love?
Although I have been asked a few times if the book
is a memoir, having similar work history and love of cooking is where the
similarities end. I met my husband when
we were sophomores in college and have been married for over thirty years. We both pursued theater for a number of years
and jointly decided to exit stage left in order to give our girls a more stable
home environment. I have no regrets. Just like any marriage we’ve had our ups and
downs, but he is the great love of my life and I know I am his.
Does your
family support you in your writing career? How?
Absolutely. Just as
some families are sports families, my family is the artsy family—my oldest
daughter wants to be a screenwriter, my youngest wants to be a concept artist
for film, and my husband used to be an actor/musician and still plays multiple
instruments. They all understand the
urge to create and give me space to write.
My book launch was family event with everyone pitching in and cheering
me on.
In
Degrees of Love, Susan loves to
cook. Do you cook?
Yes, I do.
Since I spend so much of my time either on the phone or in front of a
computer, I find the physical mindfulness of cooking very relaxing. I have a pink kitchen, complete with a pink
stove and refrigerator and a plethora of pink accoutrements. On Sundays, I love pouring myself a glass of
wine and spending the afternoon cooking a big meal for my family. I actually have made all of the dishes
referenced in my stories, except for the casserole prepared by Sarah in Chapter
3!
What is the most courageous thing
you’ve ever done?
When my
husband was in law school, I was the sole support for our young family. At the time, I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue
and made good money as retail goes, but struggled to make ends meet with two
toddlers in daycare and living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I took a risk, quit my salaried position, and
went to work as a straight commission sales person in the financial
industry. I barely had enough banked to
float us until my first commission check.
Thankfully, it worked out, but I did have some serious motivation.
Any
New Year’s resolutions?
Praise for Degrees of Love:
"Slabach crafts a relatable, heartbreakingly real story that will no doubt resonate with those at a similar station in life: women who love their families yet yearn for just a little more—to feel wanted rather than needed, to feel passion rather than complacency. In engaging prose and through skillful storytelling, Slabach captivates with an all-too-familiar story that raises questions with no easy answers."
- Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
"This does not read like a debut author’s book. Slabach shows herself to be adept at portraying the complex emotions of the human condition. Her characters live and breathe on the page in a way that every author strives for, but few actually manage. Susan’s struggles ring true, and the way she handles everything makes her a very likable and relatable character."
- Sarah Perry, San Francisco Book Review, 5 Stars
"Profound, heart wrenching and very emotional, it is hard to believe that Degrees of Love is a debut novel by Lisa Slabach. This is one of the best novels I have read this year."
- Rabia Tanveer, Readers' Favorite
To read more reviews, please visit Lisa Slabach's page on iRead Book Tours.
Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~
Meet the Author:
Connect with the Author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook
Enter the Giveaway!
Ends Feb 7
Thanks for this captivating and compelling feature and giveaway. Love the plot.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Traveler! And many thanks to Charlotte for hosting!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great interview :)
ReplyDeleteMegan @ Ginger Mom & the Kindle Quest