Introducing Jennifer Lieberman
Where did the idea for the story come from?
The book was originally a one-woman stage play I wrote as a showcase piece for my writing and performance ability. After winning the audience choice award for the play at a festival in New York City some colleagues (and strangers) suggested I adapt the story into a novel…so I did.
Give a quote from the books, one that says little but speaks volumes.
“My first Hollywood party and I ended up in a scene out of a Quentin Tarantino film.”
Summarise your book in ten words.
Heartbroken Dana embarks on an unexpected dating adventure in NYC.
Give a short summary of what the book is about.
Heartbroken and lonely in New York City Dana embarks on an outrageous adventure of sexual discovery while looking for love… ultimately finding her power and confidence.
What genre is it?
It’s Chicklit with a racy edge.
How many pages is it?
214 pages
Why do you think the readers will want to read it?
I think readers will want to read “Year of the What?” because the book is raw and relatable, it’s funny and heartbreaking and has all the feels while taking the audience on a wild ride of empowering sexual discovery and coming of age.
Where are you located?
I’m in Maple, Canada.
Description
Six months after Dana’s first break-up she is single and heartbroken in New York City. At 25 she is a virgin once removed and navigating the Manhattan dating world is daunting. Having only been intimate with one man, Dana feels ashamed of her desires and keeps trying to squash them in order to be a ‘good girl’. With the help of Kelly, her unabashedly promiscuous roommate, Dana embarks on an outrageous adventure of sexual discovery while looking for love, ultimately finding her power and confidence.
Excerpt
Curled up, naked on the bed, soggy and drained. Alone in a cramped, dimly lit, boutique hotel room in Manhattan, I sobbed. My stomach tight in knots, throat closed and skin clammy. Mascara running down my face, staining the crumpled white linens as the painted tear drops fell. I was still covered with Russell and strangled by one thought, choking on it, nauseous and gasping…my insides at a crossroads between implosion and volcanic eruption. My body shook as my thoughts wailed…“Who the fuck is Candice!”
I crawled over to the mini-bar and swallowed a mini-bottle of vodka. I relished the sting as it went down and quickly reached for another. As the mini-bottles of poison swam through my veins I pulled myself together and called Kelly. She would be over in twenty minutes. I took another bottle, I think it was rum that time, sucked it back slowly, desperate to put out the fire that was burning my insides. I stumbled into the shower to wash the past hour away. To wash Russell off of me.
Kelly arrived as I was getting out of the shower. I answered the door naked. She wrapped her arms around me, then rolled in the room with two large suitcases. I gazed at them as I collapsed onto the bed, whining, with another mini bottle in hand.
As always, Kelly didn’t hold back, despite my fragile and naked state. “I’m actually happy this happened,” she said with a smile as she opened one of the suitcases, which happened to be empty. She filled it with items from the room: pillows, alarm clock, lamp, towels, toilet paper, basically anything that would fit in the suitcases. “Now you can finally move on from Russell. For good. You’ve wasted over four years on the guy,
Karen J. Mossman 