A Surprise Launch for the Novel MRS. LIEUTENANT

Imagine my surprise when I walked into a friend’s home for a dinner party on April 13^th to be greeted by a large crowd of guests for my 60^th birthday and launch of MRS. LIEUTENANT. And there on a table waiting to be signed were several stacks of my novel – and this when April, my publisher’s rep, had told me a few days before that there were no books printed yet!

My older daughter Rachel – the producer – had produced this surprise birthday party and launch. And she and April had worked together to deceive me about the books.

And the surprise got better. My 83-year-old mother, who doesn’t like to fly, had flown in from Chicago with my sister. My youngest brother, who lives in LA, was there with his wife, two daughters and mother-in-law. My dear friend had driven in from Palm Springs.

And another former Mrs. Lieutenant and her husband had driven in from Phoenix. (They had been stationed with us in Munich, Germany.)

Along with my younger daughter Yael and my husband Mitch, there were many other wonderful guests (some of whom baked their special desserts). And the fabulous hostess had the opportunity to show off her new yoga studio.

It was a wonderful launch of a book that has been almost 20 years in the making. MRS. LIEUTENANT started as an option from two women producers for a movie about the story. When they couldn’t “sell” the idea, they told me I had to write a book. By the time the first draft of the book was written, the producers had moved on. And that started the many long years of rewriting and rewriting and rewriting.

Now I’m confident that this book is the story I’ve wanted to tell since the spring of 1970.

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