Menace in the suburbs and a book giveaway!

In June 2009, Cathryn Grant first came to this blog after I left a comment on hers. I’m glad she did. We’ve been virtual friends since. Next month, I’ll interview Cathryn to coincide with her fantastic giveway. Exciting!

Today, I’m thrilled to tell you a little about Cathryn’s debut novel, The Demise of the Soccer Moms, and give you a chance to win a copy.

This is how Cathryn describes her novel:

A seemingly quiet suburban neighborhood is upended when a provocative single mother saunters onto the school playground for the first time. Her Doc Marten boots, tight T-shirts, and in-your-face attitude stir up buried fears and sexual anxiety.

In the dark corners of her home, a woman battles crippling memories that threaten to destroy the family she wants so desperately to protect. A suspicious death forces her best friend to make a hard choice between marriage and friendship.

Paranoia, jealousy, and maternal instinct collide, leading to the demise of the soccer moms.

Suburban Noir – where the mundane is menacing.

I had read Cathryn’s flash fiction at her Suburban Noir blog, but I knew nothing about her novel until she announced its release. I couldn’t wait to buy a copy, which I did on New Year’s Eve. I finished it less than 48 hours later.  I would have finished sooner, but real life intervened. Here’s my review:

Cathryn Grant’s debut novel works on many levels. If you want suspense, it’s in there. For me, it built until I had to fight to keep from looking ahead for relief. Yet, the author’s story-telling skill made me slow down to savor the reading experience. If you want a look at the possible effects of trauma and emotional abuse of a child, you’ll find that too. If you’re looking for a glimpse into the dark side of suburban life, she serves that up well.

Amy, Rachel, and Charlotte, Grant’s three main characters, are fully-fleshed and memorable. Over, under, around, and through she employs her well-developed use of language to lift this work above the genre level.

I thoroughly enjoyed the read.

And I think you’ll enjoy it too, so I’m giving away one free copy of the Kindle ebook.  If you don’t have a Kindle reader, you can download the free Kindle app for PC, MAC, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Android, or Windows Phone 7 .

To enter your name in the contest, all you have to do is leave a comment below or retweet this post. PLUS, if you do both, you’ll be entered twice! (If you RT, please mention or direct message me at @cassidylewis so I can enter your name.) The contest ends Thursday, 13 January at midnight PST. The winner will be chosen at random and announced here on Friday.

While you wait, visit Cathryn’s blog Suburban Noir where you can read sample chapters of The Demise of the Soccer Moms as well as some of her excellent flash fiction.

[tweetmeme source=”cassidylewis” only_single=false]