That cover though…

Ten Thousand I Love Yous by Lisa Slabach released in February in the Women’s Fiction genre.

In this humorously touching novel by the critically acclaimed author of Degrees of Love, a woman is blindsided when her high school sweetheart abandons her after eighteen years of marriage.

At sixteen, Kimberly Kirby thought the only thing she needed to be perfectly happy was to spend the rest of her life with Jay Braxton. Twenty years later, she still believes it. As they proudly watch their daughter, Haley, graduate from high school, she imagines her life is as perfect as anyone could reasonably expect. Jay is a formidable attorney, she a freelance writer, and their love as strong as ever. With Haley heading to UC Berkeley in the fall, Kimberly fantasizes about making love on the kitchen table. She has no clue that Jay’s bags are already packed.

Now divorced and determined to squelch her love for Jay, she accepts a gig writing a sex and dating blog for divorcees. As the Virgin Dater, she is on the hunt for love. No-strings-attached nights with a sexy fireman and moving to San Francisco are just what she needs to boost her battered ego and mend her shattered heart.

But just as she falls hard for a talented young chef, Jay fights to win her back. Torn between her bold new life and the comfort of Jay’s strong arms, she questions if there is too much to forgive. The ten thousand I love yous that had passed Jay’s lips can’t be dismissed, but nor can her newfound freedom and the knowledge that her happiness doesn’t depend on Jay.

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Meet the Author:

Ten Thousand I Love Yous is Lisa Slabach’s second novel.

Prior to publication, her first novel, Degrees of Love was recognized as a Best Book of 2014 by Kirkus Review. Degrees of Love made its publishing debuted December 1, 2017 and was nominated for a 2017 Reviewer’s Choice Award by RT Book Reviews.

In addition to writing, Lisa is a Fintech Relationship Executive for a Fortune 500 Company. She is a long-time resident of Northern California and lives with her husband, one-hundred-forty-pound puppy and numerous goldfish. In her free time, she enjoys wine tasting, shopping with her daughters, and cooking in her pink kitchen.

Why I Write About Relationships

Some readers geek out over Historical Fantasy, some love a heart-pounding Thriller, while other people enjoy sleuthing with a Cozy Mystery. Whatever the preference, the commonality is that all readers look to be swept up in a fictious world. In my opinion, Women’s Fiction and Romance readers seek the cathartic experience that comes from emotional stories. 

While I’m an eclectic reader and enjoy a wide range of genres, I’ve always leaned towards stories about romantic relationships because I too look for an emotional experience. I also find the complexities of a long-term commitment fascinating. No one really knows what happens behind closed doors, but in a novel, we get a peek at the other side. When I started writing, it was natural for me to gravitate toward stories about love and marriage. 

Years ago, I read an article in Marie Clare in which Gwyneth Paltrow candidly spoke about her breakup with Chris Martin. She said, “I had built my life on trying to be all things to all people, and I just couldn’t do it anymore. I really had the sense that I wasn’t allowed to have needs, and I had to prove my specialness or self-worth by doing all this stuff and taking care of everybody else.”  It really resonated that here was someone who by all appearances was a lovely person and her husband seemed like a good guy and yet, their marriage ended. Reading the article made me think of Anna Karina, in which Tolstoy famously wrote, “All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.”    

Falling in love is euphoric and most people enter marriage still riding the high, certain they will love their spouse forever. Then life happens. When you have children, you cannot focus on just each other. There are bills to be paid, chores to be done, space to negotiate, in-laws to contend with, careers going different directions, and this whole time, the expectation is that you will continue to love this person you met years ago when your life was completely different. Miraculously and despite everything, marriages do survive and happily so.

The ups and downs and why relationships fail while others survive has endless variations. Why do people fall out and then back in love with the same person? How can you love someone so deeply then hate them with the same passion? These are the themes and questions I love to explore. They make for emotionally compelling stories and are universal to the human condition. My goal is to give readers the catharsis they desire when sitting down to read a work of fiction; the landscape of the heart is fertile ground for just such stories.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ goodread ~ bookbub

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This post is part of a tour. You can find the schedule here: https://www.ireadbooktours.com/blog—current-tours/book-tour-ten-thousand-i-love-yous-by-lisa-slabach

Giveaway

• a $50 Amazon gift card
• one autographed copy of Lisa Slabach’s TEN THOUSAND I LOVE YOUS and DEGREES OF LOVE (one winner/USA only) 

https://gleam.io/ppKqO/ten-thousand-i-love-yous-book-tour-giveaway?l=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ireadbooktours.com%2Fblog—current-tours%2Fbook-tour-ten-thousand-i-love-yous-by-lisa-slabach&r=

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