Hi, I’m Alice The Hard Way. I was named after my author Julie Luongo’s mom, an excellent person. The Hard Way is actually dedicated to her in its fancy pants version from the publisher (Tor/Forge). I’m not bitter that I’m just an early bound copy. It’s just that I remember when I was exciting and new. And then the “real books” came out. Since I’ve been replaced, I’ve been traveling. My namesake would approve as she spent a good part of her life as the world’s greatest travel agent.
In the comments below, you can read where I’ve been, who I’ve met, and how I got into your hands. If you wouldn’t mind recording my whereabouts and passing me along, I’d appreciate it. My author is really curious about my journey. You can then leave me somewhere to catch a lift, send me away to a faraway land, or just pass me along to someone you know who you think would enjoy hosting a novel.
Also, if you’re a reader, please feel free to read me. If you like the story, go ahead and review it at Amazon. That would be really cool of you. Thanks!
I got The Hard Way directly from Julie. She’s my third and last child, so will always be “my baby”. I can honestly tell anyone who’s interested, that I could not put this book down. Many times, I found myself laughing out loud even though I was the only one who could hear me. Other times, I was impressed by the way she analyzed the curves life tosses us. It’s compiled in such a way that if you have to put it down (to be continued later), you can resume at any spot and not have to reread past chapters just to remember where you were. That’s a real gift. Needless to say, even if she weren’t “my baby”, I would love this book. You will too.
I’m sending this book to Anne Fetherman. May she enjoy it as much as I did.
I’m Julie’s Aunt Anne, her mother’s sister, and I was eager to get my hands on “The Hard Way.” I had read bits and pieces of it before so I knew I would enjoy it. But I much more than enjoyed it, I laughed out loud and read paragraphs to my husband who can hardly wait for his turn now. Lucy is so real, both introspective, impulsive, analytic after the fact, and able to catch glimpses of herself as she works at making sense of herself and her life. I’m already watching for a sequel!
I’m Julie’s cousin, Alice. (also Alice’s niece and Anne’s daughter) Our family is full of strong, smart, interesting women – Lucy would fit right in. In fact, while I was reading, I really pictured her as an amalgamation of the women in our family. At the end, I felt she was someone I would choose to have as a friend or, possibly, a family member. I agree with Lyd’s comment about “braided genre,” Alice’s comment about laughing out loud, and Anne’s description of Lucy and her journey. Alice the Hard Way is on her way to her next adventure. Bon Voyage!
Wouldn’t it be fun if more people named Alice read Alice-the-book?