Book Review: Pink Slips by Beth Aldrich

categories: Book, Domestic Suspense, Dog Hero, Chicago-Based Thriller, Stalker Novel, Gripping Thriller, Suspense Thriller

Beth Aldrich

about this book: • "Atmospheric and chilling with a feisty and relatable Every-Mom heroine, Pink Slips will keep you in suspense until the gripping climax." — Eve Adamson, nine-time New York Times bestselling collaborator

• "Not since Rosemary's Baby has a book revealed how vulnerable women are when pregnant… Aldrich has Raymond Chandler's (The Lady in the Lake), gift for portraying violent scenes, but has a woman's insight into the especially serious consequences it could have for pregnant women." — 5-Star, Indie Reader Review

As a published, award-winning non-fiction writer, I decided to dip my toe into the fiction pond to see how it would feel. I devoured every class and book on the subject I could find. While reading a famed book on "how to" for fiction writing, I came across a prompt to write for several minutes about an "anonymous note or phone call". After a few minutes, memories from fourteen years ago flooded my mind--about the time I was home alone one night with my two-week-old baby. My husband was out at a hockey game with our other two young sons. While sitting quietly with the baby, someone called our house phone (caller I.D. unknown) and began ranting about bloody details from my recent childbirth. Frantic, I hung up the phone and called the police...Fifteen years later, this horrifying experience was the basis for my debut fiction novel, Pink Slips. When I sat down to write the story, the words flew from my fingertips in three weeks. The next several months were spent editing, reviewing and editing some more.

The easiest part about writing this book was to let my imagination take over and follow my heroine, Betsy Ryan and her extraordinary dog, Barney, through her terrifying experience and to watch her dig deep and grow as a person. The hardest part was to find enough hours in the day to edit, promote, and learn about self-publishing after working with a publisher on my non-fiction title, Real Moms Love to Eat (Penguin/NAL, 2012). I have a new-found respect for all of the hard work and professionalism publishers bring to the table. Knowing that I'm like a dog with a bone, I tackled self-publishing head on. Delightfully, I have made many friends in the Indie world and, too, adore and appreciate the dedication and hard work they put forth every day. I trust you will take the ride through Pink slips, with Betsy Ryan, and find she's every-woman who's ever been harassed, stalked, assaulted, or bullied. A woman who finds love, perseverance, and survival through the transcendental power of friendship and the relationship we share with our pets. Happy Reading!

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Gripping Summer Read

This book will keep you on the end of your beach chair until the page-turning end. I found myself rooting for Betsy Ryan and her hero dog, Barney. Scary, but enough soft spots to balance the thrills. [by Karen Wicks]