WIFE GOES ON, by author, LESLIE LEHR

     Did it ever occur to you that “w-i-f-e” is a four letter word? The first time I cringed at the sound of it, I knew my marriage was over. But I refused to get a divorce. Sure I was miserable, but I made a commitment, dammit.

The truth is, I was afraid to be alone. Then I heard my daughter swear she’d never get married and I realized sticking it out wouldn’t win me Mother of the Year. If I wanted my kids to be happy, I would have to show them how. So I tore off those golden shackles – and found out I wasn’t alone. I had joined a club that I didn’t know existed. Everywhere, there are members who have paid their dues, know the secret handshake, and are reaping the benefits of true friendship…   Welcome to Club Divorce

            When Diane Taylor gives up her dreams of living happily ever after, she meets three women with nothing in common but the end of their marriages – and finds it’s more than enough to be friends. Meet Diane, an MBA hotshot turned PTA president, with a shy son and a troublesome teenage daughter, whose husband’s gambling leads to bankruptcy, humiliation, and a whole new life. Lana is the actress whose marriage to a Hollywood heartthrob ended in a public break-up that made her a national punchline. Now she hides in plain sight at a furniture store in the valley. When Hollywood comes knocking, will she open the door? Bonnie is the young OSU Homecoming Queen with two young children and a football hero husband. Devastated when her Prince Charming storms out of the fairy tale, she has no idea how to make her own dreams come true. Annette is a hard-edged divorce lawyer who knew the odds going in. But when she finds herself working such long hours to support the man who left her for a man, she loses custody of their beloved daughter and is desperately to win her back. Together, they start their second acts and help each other through laughter and tears to live happier ever after. Husbands may come and go, but friends are forever.

            Whether you are among the millions who have been divorced or are friends with someone who is, Wife Goes On will inspire you with humor, heart and hope. As a special gift, download the free companion joke book: Wife Goes on...and Laughs. Because we all deserve to live happier ever after!

"A modern mix of “Sex & the City” and First Wives Club, this is serious fiction wrapped with a chick lit bow. Lehr keeps the plot moving with madcap hijinks and tender moments."    ~ Publishers Weekly

“A celebration of 2nd acts wrapped up in a humorous, heartfelt homage to the

power of friendship.”~ Arianna Huffington, Thrive

“Sexy and fabulous! -Jerrilyn Farmer, The Madeleine Bean mysteries

"Leslie Lehr is a truth teller - a rare writer who untangles the realities of women's lives without flinching, while making you laugh, cry, and nod in understanding with every word."

             --Leslie Morgan Steiner, Crazy Love

Some Q & A's with Leslie: 

Q. What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read! And when you are watching TV or a movie, think about it in story terms. How was it written? How would you have written it differently?

Q. Did you always want to be a writer, or did you start off in a different career?

I always wrote, but just for fun. I loved getting lost in the movies – so I wanted a career in the film business. I ran my high school TV station in Ohio, went to film school at USC, then worked in production until I realized the story was more important to me than the number of cameras we needed. Having children with little access to decent daycare gave me the excuse to focus on writing full time. It also gave me something to write about!

Q. How would you describe your writing style in one word?

True. That’s what I love about fiction that every element - from the structure to the prose - is all there simply to explore the emotional truth.

Q. Is anything in your books based on real life experiences?

Everything in my books is based on real life experiences, though nothing in them really happened.  I did not slap a woman - though I wanted to, I did not have an affair – though I was horribly insecure as a new mom, and I did not kill a teenage boy – though I’d be tempted. I write about the challenges of contemporary women because that’s what inspires me to have a voice. I want to untangle our messy lives from the demands of family and culture, to shine a light on the kind of love that helps us flourish.

Q. Favorite scene or chapter?

My favorite chapter or scene is usually the happy ending. With 66 Laps, after so much wit and angst, the hopefulness makes me cry. Wife Goes On has a gorgeous scene at the end of chapter one where she imagines herself to be a mermaid, then at the end she is truly strong and free. The end of What A Mother Knows was the same through years of rewrites to the page-turning thriller it is today – and I still cry every time I read it. I can feel the love bounce right off the page.

Q. Day job?

My day job is consulting with other writers. I am a structure diva who has followed the Truby Writers Studio story method for every project I ever sold – and combined it with novel techniques to teach at conferences, the Writers Program at UCLA Extension, and in private workshops. Now I am the official Novel Consultant for TWS. I study full manuscripts, have Skype meetings, write query letters, and have a new Jumpstart package to help new writers launch a project. With over twenty-five years of writing and selling scripts, novels and nonfiction books, plus essays from Mommy Wars to the New York Times Modern Love, I know how to save writers a lot of time. I am a big believer in providing solutions that allow the writer to make informed choices to keep their vision.

Q. What are you working on now?

Two years out from Breast Cancer treatment, I am back in action on all fronts. Granted, I’m still drawing in my eyebrows, but I just published a new eBook edition of my first novel, 66 Laps (which started my career at Random House after winning a literary prize). I also am offering a free joke book to go along with Wife Goes On, because, why not? I’m grateful to be alive. And I just got a royalty check from What A Mother Knows, my most recent novel, and I’m still in love with that mother-daughter story. So I’m finally working on a new project and just turned the 80 page proposal in to my agent. I love my job!

Social Media:  

I post about books and writing daily on Facebook at /authorleslielehr
Twitter @Leslielehr1. 
I also play with Pinterest boards. And if you go to my website, Leslielehr.com, you’ll find book deals, writing blogs, and a free gift with sign up for my short monthly newsletter, the LehrList. I run a contest every month as well. Happy reading!