The Key to Circus-Mom Highway
In an attempt to secure an unexpected inheritance—and hopefully find a few answers—two estranged sisters and their newly discovered brother embark on a comically surreal trip through the Deep South to retrace the life of the mother who abandoned them as infants.
On a Tuesday afternoon, sisters Jesse Chasen and Jennifer McMahon receive a phone call notifying them that their birth mother has died, leaving behind a significant inheritance. But in order to obtain it, they must follow a detailed road trip she designed for them to get to know her—and that includes finding a brother they never knew existed.
For the next week, this ill-assorted trio treks across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia to meet their mother’s old friends, from circus performers to a juke joint owner, each of whom delivers a shocking vignette into the life of a young mother traumatized by loss and abuse. Along the way, these three siblings—Jesse, whose fiery exterior disguises a wounded, drifting musician stuck in a rut; Jennifer, whose carefully curated family life is threatened by her husband’s infidelity; and Jack, whose enigmatic Jackie, Oh! persona in the New Orleans drag queen scene helps him escape the nightmares of Afghanistan that haunt him at night—must confront their own demons (and at least one alligator). But in chasing the truth about their real mother, they may all just find their second chance.
This uproarious debut novel is a reminder that sometimes, the family you’d never have chosen may turn out to be exactly what you need.
"This breezy, charming tale incisively shows a family's bittersweet facets.” –Kirkus Reviews
A "feverish, entertaining novel" –Foreward Clarion Reviews
“In this rollicking family dramedy, debut author Rice sends three lovable siblings on a zany yet touching road trip… Rice’s sharp observations of society’s absurdity verge on the satirical… Fans of family drama, road trips, and non-stop laughs will love this cross-country adventure.” –BookLife
Release Date: Paperback: November 27, 2022; Kindle: January 3, 2023
Publisher: The Total Human Press
Soft Cover: 978-0982185544; 270 pages
Amazon:https://amzn.to/3XHsOiU
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway
Target: https://www.target.com/p/the-key-to-circus-mom-highway-by-allyson-rice-paperback/-/A-87939489
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/62003645-the-key-to-circus-mom-highway
Twenty-two-point-four miles, one Bud Light, and a third of a bottle of Fireball later, they had just passed through Alamo and were approaching Glenwood. Jennifer was trying to concentrate on anything other than Sy’s unfortunate singing. She was focused intently on the map on her phone. It was only 113.8 more miles to Savannah, though that wasn’t much comfort to her considering that the relatively short drive from Milan had been the Longest. Twenty-two-point-four-miles. Ever. Sy’s driving had become more “freeform” in direct correlation to his impressive alcohol consumption; and his off-key singing was boring a hole through the temporal lobes in Jennifer’s brain. Especially after he insisted on replaying the theme from Bonanza seven times in a row (for luck).
Some random bits of Allyson trivia: 1) She’s been skydiving, paragliding, bungee jumping, ziplining through a rainforest, and scuba diving with stingrays; 2) she has an extensive PEZ dispenser collection; 3) she played Connor Walsh on As the World Turns for seven years; 4) she’s been in the Oval Office at the White House after hours; 5) she’s related to the Hatfields of the infamous Hatfield/McCoy feud; and 6) her comedic rap music video “Fine, I’ll Write My Own Damn Song” won numerous awards in the film festival circuit and can now be seen on YouTube https://youtu.be/7Xe3nuVDkC4.
Also available from Allyson Rice is her line of women’s coloring books (The Color of Joy, Dancing with Life, and Wonderland), and The Creative Prosperity PlayDeck, an inspirational card deck about unlocking and utilizing your creative energy in the world. She’s currently at work on her second novel and her fourth women’s coloring book. But she is most proud of being mom to musical artist @_zanetaylor.
Website: www.allysonrice.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CircusMomHwy
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Good morning, Amy! I just wanted to thank you for hosting today's PUYB Virtual Book Tour stop for my novel. Much appreciated! :)
ReplyDelete-Allyson