Arlene Gibbs Publishes A Novel

When last we heard from Arlene Gibbs, she was walking the red carpet as the co-writer of  the Sony Pictures movie “Jumping the Broom” and living in Italy. The climate in Rome must be good for creative thinking, because the one-time Verona resident has just published her first novel, “The Rebirth of Mrs. Tracey Higgins”.

It’s a story about starting over, and it’s set largely in Montclair. The protagonist,  Tracey Fitzgerald Higgins, has been married to the leader of Atlanta’s most powerful church. But her perfect life crumbles  when her husband leaves her for a younger woman. The nice “church lady” moves to her brother’s home in Montclair and tries to rebuild her life in an economic climate that is not all that nice. Here’s the story teaser, via Gibbs:

“Tracey uproots her life and tries to rebuild it from the well-appointed guest room of her brother’s home in Montclair New Jersey. It won’t be easy. Tracey is entering the job market during the worst economic crisis since the Depression. Her Trinidadian-American sister-in-law, Victoria Lake Fitzgerald, is a powerhouse attorney who resents Tracey judging her parenting skills. Victoria is not happy the “Church Lady” is staying in her home. Shelby Smith Barnett, Tracey’s best friend from childhood, has her own issues regarding being a stay-at-home mom and her husband’s wish to quit his high paying job. And then there’s Harry, the love of Tracey’s life.

BTW, carrot cake has a starring role in the story and it sounds as if we might have to get that recipe. Gibbs published the book herself as an e-book and is selling it on Amazon.com for just $4.99.  If you don’t have a Kindle, you can still purchase the book with the free Kindle app that will let you read it on your Android, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Windows phone, Mac or PC. If you like paper better, Gibbs is working on a print-on-demand version that should be available soon. Check her blog for details.