L. Allison Heller knows the "Laws of Attraction"...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by
Miriam Plotinsky

**Giveaway is now closed**

Having recently read L. Alison Heller's The Love Wars (reviewed here), I was surprised when her author bio revealed that this novel is her first. Heller's voice is so seasoned that I was counting on more offerings from her to read right away. Instead, we all have to wait until 2014, when her next book is scheduled to come out.

In the meantime, Heller keeps herself quite busy. She runs her own firm specializing in family law, and when she's not working her day job or writing novels, she's raising children. As a busy, multi-tasking working mother, I feel both empathy and admiration for Heller's ability to juggle so many areas of her life with such evident skill. Here is a woman who not only weaves a good story, but who can also do it with humor. After all, if we couldn't laugh about our daily struggles, how would we survive?

I know you will enjoy The Love Wars, a fantastic first novel from a promising new talent. As it turns out, the world of divorce law can be unexpectedly fun and romantic! 

Alison is here to tell us which songs would make a great soundtrack for The Love Wars. And thanks to BookSparks PR, we have one copy of this novel for a lucky US reader!

You can find Alison at her website, Facebook and Twitter.

(Please note that this post contains potential spoilers for the novel.)

"Two Points for Honesty" by Guster. The most obvious selection for two reasons: First, Molly and Henry hear—and discuss—the song in Chapter 31 (which is itself not so coincidentally named Two Points for Honesty) right before their big fight. Second, the song is, in my interpretation, about the gulf between your dreams and your reality—the constant ebb and flow of yearning and self-criticism that Molly and her clients grapple with throughout the story.

"You Dropped a Bomb on Me" by The Gap Band. This would be the perfect number to close out Chapter 8 (the Bacon Payne Christmas Party). It could come on right before the scene fades out, late at night, inspiring initial squeals of delight in all the tipsy office workers crowding the dance floor. Then those same workers would do some drunken twirling and Travolta-style finger pointing and perhaps even sneak in a completely inappropriate pelvic thrust (or two). When I close my eyes, I can watch it all on the movie reel in my head!

"Love Cats" by The Cure. Any soundtrack to THE LOVE WARS would be incomplete without a musical homage to Stewart and Liesel’s feline custody battle. I’m smiling at the thought of the slightly sinister percussion and howls kicking in just as the lawyers prepare to argue the fate of Pepe Le Mew, Pickles von Ketchup and Princess Fifi.

"Big Time" by Peter Gabriel. “When I show them 'round my house to my bed/ I had it made like a mountain range with a snow white pillow for my big fat head.” Is there a better theme song for media mogul and villain Robert Walker than this tongue-in-cheek ‘80s hit? If so, I can’t think of one.

"Promises" by Eric Clapton. Divorce (and Life) 101. Plus, I’ve always loved that sad plaintive truth of the final lyric: “I’d still love you if you’d just love me.”

Special thanks to Alison for sharing her soundtrack with us and BookSparks PR for sharing the book with our readers!

How to win The Love Wars:

Please comment below with your e-mail address. (Please note: Entries without an e-mail address will NOT be counted. You can use AT and DOT to avoid spam. Or provide a link to your Facebook page or blog if you can receive messages there.)

1. Please tell us: What is your favorite movie (or scene from a movie) involving a divorce or break-up?
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US only. Giveaway ends May 12th at midnight EST.