NEW RELEASE
Stella Makes Good - Lisa Heidke (2012)
Stella, Carly and Jesse are three friends who finally catch up for their new year's drinks at the end of January. Librarian Stella is moving on after ex-husband Terry has moved in with a younger woman. She is on good terms with him but their teenagers and his mother are not happy about his new life. Carly thinks her husband Brett may be having an affair and starts flirting with a group of doctors, including a good-looking divorced school dad called Mike who Stella's got her eye on. Meanwhile Jesse has to leave early because her obnoxious husband has let her down again. As Carly and Stella head off to a party, the night takes an unexpected turn with ramifications for them all. This novel offers an amusing and often touching look into what goes on behind suburban doors, highlighting a range of issues affecting women - from divorce and empty nest syndrome, to anxiety disorders and alcohol problems. You may never look at your neighbours the same way again!
Lisa Heidke's latest novel, Stella Makes Good, sees a mother-of-three trying to forge a new life for herself after the end of her marriage. The summary: "Stella Sparks is on good terms with her ex-husband, Terry, despite the fact he left her for another woman. Stella's philosophical - the marriage had run its course, they remain friends and the wellbeing of their kids is central to both of them. Stella's two closest friends, Carly and Jesse, envy her togetherness and wish they could emulate it. Jesse's husband, Steve, is a control freak who's driving her crazy, but she has two small children and can't see a way out. Carly, meanwhile, suspects her husband is having an affair and isn't sure what to do about it. Stella's life takes a distinctly upward turn when she meets a handsome, apparently single - no ring, anyway - father at her son's school speech night. For Carly and Jesse, however, the search for happiness and fulfilment proves more elusive." Stella Makes Good is out in January. Check out its trailer below.