Social Fictions
9 primary works
Book 18
Book 20
Book 22
Book 31
Winner of the 2021 NYC Big Book Award—Distinguished Favorite Chick-Lit!
Winner of the 2021 Independent Press Awards—Distinguished Favorite Chick-Lit!
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards—Inspirational Fiction!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Awards—Chick-Lit!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 USA Best Book Awards—Fiction Inspirational!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 International Book Awards—Inspirational Fiction!
Film follows three women who moved to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams. Tash Daniels aspires to be a filmmaker. Her short film was rejected from festivals, she has a stack of rejected grant proposals, and she lost her internship at a studio when her boss harassed her, forcing her to take a job as a personal shopper. Lu K is a hot deejay slowly working her way up the club scene, but no one is doing her any favors. Fiercely independent, she’s at a loss when she meets Paisley, a woman who captures her heart. Monroe Preston is the glamorous wife of a Hollywood studio head. As a teenager she moved to LA in search of a “big” life, but now she wonders if reality measures up to fantasy. When a man in their circle finds sudden fame, each of these women is catapulted on a journey of self-discovery. As the characters’ stories unfold, each is forced to confront how her past has shaped her fears and to choose how she wants to live in the present. Film is a novel about the underside of dreams, the struggle to find internal strength, the power of art, and what it truly means to live a “big” life. Frequently shown bathed in the glow of the silver screen, the characters in Film show us how the arts can reignite the light within. With a tribute to popular culture, set against the backdrop of Tinseltown, Film celebrates how the art we make and consume can shape our stories, scene by scene. Although fictional, Film is loosely grounded in interview research. It can be read entirely for pleasure or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in women’s studies/gender studies, sociology, psychology, communication, popular culture, media studies, or qualitative inquiry. Film can be read as a stand-alone novel or as a sequel to the bestselling novel, Blue.
Winner of the 2021 Independent Press Awards—Distinguished Favorite Chick-Lit!
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards—Inspirational Fiction!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Awards—Chick-Lit!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 USA Best Book Awards—Fiction Inspirational!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 International Book Awards—Inspirational Fiction!
Film follows three women who moved to Los Angeles to pursue their dreams. Tash Daniels aspires to be a filmmaker. Her short film was rejected from festivals, she has a stack of rejected grant proposals, and she lost her internship at a studio when her boss harassed her, forcing her to take a job as a personal shopper. Lu K is a hot deejay slowly working her way up the club scene, but no one is doing her any favors. Fiercely independent, she’s at a loss when she meets Paisley, a woman who captures her heart. Monroe Preston is the glamorous wife of a Hollywood studio head. As a teenager she moved to LA in search of a “big” life, but now she wonders if reality measures up to fantasy. When a man in their circle finds sudden fame, each of these women is catapulted on a journey of self-discovery. As the characters’ stories unfold, each is forced to confront how her past has shaped her fears and to choose how she wants to live in the present. Film is a novel about the underside of dreams, the struggle to find internal strength, the power of art, and what it truly means to live a “big” life. Frequently shown bathed in the glow of the silver screen, the characters in Film show us how the arts can reignite the light within. With a tribute to popular culture, set against the backdrop of Tinseltown, Film celebrates how the art we make and consume can shape our stories, scene by scene. Although fictional, Film is loosely grounded in interview research. It can be read entirely for pleasure or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in women’s studies/gender studies, sociology, psychology, communication, popular culture, media studies, or qualitative inquiry. Film can be read as a stand-alone novel or as a sequel to the bestselling novel, Blue.
Book 32
Winner of the Independent Press Award 2022 Distinguished Favorites – Anthology
Winner of the 2021 NYC Big Book Award—Distinguished Favorite Anthology!
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards—Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 International Book Awards—Fiction Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Awards—Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 USA Best Book Awards—Fiction Anthologies!
Candy Floss Collection is a set of three previously released, bestselling novels: Low-Fat Love, Blue, and Film. Together these novels create an overarching message about what it truly means to live a “big life” and the kinds of relationships we need with others and ourselves along the way. This is not a trilogy. This collection can be understood as installation art. Written with humor, cultural insight, and a wink, we follow each female protagonist and cast of offbeat characters as they search for love, friendship, and a sense of self. The characters must learn to mind the gap between their lives as they are and as they wish them to be, to chase their dreams even as they stumble on their insecurities, and to never settle for low-fat love. Along the way, characters are imaged in the glow of television and movie screens, their own stories shaped and illuminated by the stories in pop culture. Set in contemporary New York and Los Angeles, with special tributes to 1980s pop culture, each book questions and celebrates the ever-changing cultural landscape against which we live our stories, frame by frame. Candy Floss Collection can be read entirely for pleasure or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in women’s studies/gender studies, sociology, psychology, communication, popular culture, media studies, or qualitative inquiry. The book includes further engagement for class or book club use.
Winner of the 2021 NYC Big Book Award—Distinguished Favorite Anthology!
Winner of the 2020 American Fiction Awards—Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 International Book Awards—Fiction Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 National Indie Excellence Awards—Anthologies!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2020 USA Best Book Awards—Fiction Anthologies!
Candy Floss Collection is a set of three previously released, bestselling novels: Low-Fat Love, Blue, and Film. Together these novels create an overarching message about what it truly means to live a “big life” and the kinds of relationships we need with others and ourselves along the way. This is not a trilogy. This collection can be understood as installation art. Written with humor, cultural insight, and a wink, we follow each female protagonist and cast of offbeat characters as they search for love, friendship, and a sense of self. The characters must learn to mind the gap between their lives as they are and as they wish them to be, to chase their dreams even as they stumble on their insecurities, and to never settle for low-fat love. Along the way, characters are imaged in the glow of television and movie screens, their own stories shaped and illuminated by the stories in pop culture. Set in contemporary New York and Los Angeles, with special tributes to 1980s pop culture, each book questions and celebrates the ever-changing cultural landscape against which we live our stories, frame by frame. Candy Floss Collection can be read entirely for pleasure or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in women’s studies/gender studies, sociology, psychology, communication, popular culture, media studies, or qualitative inquiry. The book includes further engagement for class or book club use.
Book 35
Winner 2022 Literary Titan Gold Book Award -- Fiction!
Winner 2021 Independent Press Awards—Distinguished Favorite Contemporary Novel!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 USA Book Awards—Best New Fiction, Fiction-Inspirational, and Fiction-Romance!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 International Book Awards—Fiction-Inspirational and Fiction-Romance!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 American Fiction Awards—Inspirational, Romantic Suspense, and Romance-General
Honorable Mention of the 2021 Readers’ Favorite Awards—Fiction-Drama
Tess Lee is a novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who mysteriously calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend who never fails to lighten the mood. Shooting Stars is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – heals us. Written as unfolding action, Shooting Stars is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Read Patricia Leavy's interview on Shooting Stars with We Are the Real Deal.
Winner 2021 Independent Press Awards—Distinguished Favorite Contemporary Novel!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 USA Book Awards—Best New Fiction, Fiction-Inspirational, and Fiction-Romance!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 International Book Awards—Fiction-Inspirational and Fiction-Romance!
Award-Winning Finalist of the 2021 American Fiction Awards—Inspirational, Romantic Suspense, and Romance-General
Honorable Mention of the 2021 Readers’ Favorite Awards—Fiction-Drama
Tess Lee is a novelist. Her inspirational books explore people’s innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Despite her extraordinary success, she’s been unable to find personal happiness. Jack Miller is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. He’s dedicated everything to his job, leaving nothing for himself. The night Tess and Jack meet, their connection is palpable. She examines the scars on his body and says, “I’ve never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides.” The two embark on an epic love story that asks the questions: What happens when people truly see each other? Can unconditional love change the way we see ourselves? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who mysteriously calls her Butterfly; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend who never fails to lighten the mood. Shooting Stars is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – heals us. Written as unfolding action, Shooting Stars is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Read Patricia Leavy's interview on Shooting Stars with We Are the Real Deal.
Book 39
Award-Winning Finalist! 2022 American Fiction Awards—Inspirational and Mystery/Suspense: Romantic Suspense
Winner, First Place! 2022 The BookFest Awards, Romance Urban, Women’s Thriller & Suspense, and Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Winner! Independent Press Award 2022 Distinguished Favorites – Romantic Suspense
Winner of the 2022 International Impact Book Awards--Women's Fiction and Romance!
Twinkle follows Tess Lee and Jack Miller after two years of marriage. Tess is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. As they both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them true happiness. However, when an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend, who calls her Butterfly; the female president of the United States, who Tess visits regularly to discuss politics and bake cookies; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau, who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend, who never fails to lend a calming presence. Twinkle is a novel about the nature of doubt, the struggle to feel worthy of love, the relationship of the small part to the greater whole, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – can help us move from trauma to healing and redemption. Written as unfolding action, Twinkle is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Winner, First Place! 2022 The BookFest Awards, Romance Urban, Women’s Thriller & Suspense, and Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Winner! Independent Press Award 2022 Distinguished Favorites – Romantic Suspense
Winner of the 2022 International Impact Book Awards--Women's Fiction and Romance!
Twinkle follows Tess Lee and Jack Miller after two years of marriage. Tess is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack is a federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. As they both heal from past trauma, their epic love, fostered by their ability to truly see one another, has brought them true happiness. However, when an anonymous threat is made against Tess’s life, everything changes. Will they learn to lean on each other, or will they fall apart into the darkness? Their friends are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend, who calls her Butterfly; the female president of the United States, who Tess visits regularly to discuss politics and bake cookies; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau, who understands the sacrifices he’s made; and Bobby, Jack’s younger friend, who never fails to lend a calming presence. Twinkle is a novel about the nature of doubt, the struggle to feel worthy of love, the relationship of the small part to the greater whole, and the ways in which love – from lovers, friends, or the art we experience – can help us move from trauma to healing and redemption. Written as unfolding action, Twinkle is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Book 41
Constellations follows Tess Lee and Jack Miller after three years of marriage as they navigate the meaning of love and family over a series of holidays. Tess is a wildly successful and world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore our innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack is a former federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. Both healing from past trauma, together they have finally built the life they wish to live. What will happen to their blissful union when Jack’s childhood family resurfaces? When Tess and Jack visit the Millers for Christmas, how will insecurity, a sense of missed opportunities, and the need for redemption test their relationship? When a terrible accident threatens everything in an instant, will they learn the true meaning of unconditional love? Their loved ones are along for the ride: Omar, Tess’s sarcastic best friend who calls her Butterfly; the female president of the United States, with whom Tess talks politics and bakes cookies; Joe, Jack’s friend from the Bureau who understands the sacrifices he’s made; Bobby and Gina, their younger friends who never fail to lighten the mood; and the Miller family.
Constellations is a novel about family – those into which we’re born and those we create – the human desire to belong and feel connected, the true nature of intimacy, and the power of love to heal and redeem. Written as unfolding action, Constellations is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Constellations is a novel about family – those into which we’re born and those we create – the human desire to belong and feel connected, the true nature of intimacy, and the power of love to heal and redeem. Written as unfolding action, Constellations is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women’s studies/gender studies.
Book 44
Tess Lee is a world-famous novelist. Her inspirational books explore people's innermost struggles and the human need to believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Jack Miller is a former federal agent. After spending decades immersed in a violent world, a residue remains. The night Tess and Jack met, their connection was palpable. She examined the scars on his body and said, "I've never seen anyone whose outsides match my insides." The two embarked on an epic love story. Now in their fourth, blissful year of marriage, one catastrophic event will change everything and push their relationship to the brink. Can Tess move through this new trauma? Will Jack's need for vengeance destroy their relationship? When trust is violated, can there be forgiveness? In order to find their way through to the end, Tess and Jack will need to go back to the beginning.
Supernova is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love-from lovers, friends, or the art we experience-heals us and helps us learn to forgive ourselves and others. Written as unfolding action, Supernova is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women's studies/gender studies.
Supernova is a novel about walking through our past traumas, moving from darkness to light, and the ways in which love-from lovers, friends, or the art we experience-heals us and helps us learn to forgive ourselves and others. Written as unfolding action, Supernova is a poignant novel that moves fluidly between melancholy, humor, and joy. It can be read entirely for pleasure, selected for book clubs, or used as supplemental reading in a variety of courses in communication, psychology, social work, sociology, or women's studies/gender studies.