**eFestival of Words 2012 Women's Fiction Winner**
Orphaned at a young age, Hallie Mediate was raised by
her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of
the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie dreamed of escaping her
hometown and never looking back. After putting herself
through college, landing her dream job in Chicago, and
starting a romance with her handsome running partner Bo
Pompillio, life is finally exactly as she wants it.
That is, until she's transferred back to the hometown.
Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie
puts her relationship with Bo on hold.
When she arrives in town, Hallie finds crazy Aunt Grace
rummaging through a dumpster looking for the "perfect"
welcome home gift for her niece. That's just the beginning.
After that, Aunt Grace stays busy by dying her stolen
poodle's hair pink and leaving the dog on her apartment roof
to pee, throwing bricks out the window at passing neighbors,
and climbing every flag pole to kiss the ornamental eagle.
Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry–making
class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading. When
her talent is discovered by a major department store jewelry
buyer, Hallie realizes that what she had in Chicago might
not have been her dream life after all.
When faced with the choice of moving back to Chicago and
Bo or taking a leap of faith to start her own jewelry
company (with Aunt Grace in tow), Hallie has
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