Struggling playwright Liza Weiler thought that after 10
years of trying, she'd find her place in New York City. She
loses her temp job at a convent after she tells off Sister
Lorraine. Her perpetual graduate student roommate Jeremy
needs her share of the rent, and while she knows her plays
are very good, they aren't paying the bills. Liza is
disappointed that her Aunt Fran, a successful actress,
still hasn't offered to use her connections to help Liza's
career. Liza's best friend, Parrot, is as flighty and
colorful as her name implies. Parrot recommends her own
favorite solution to life's problems -- a hot guy and plenty
of passionate sex. But where is Liza going to find that?
When Liza trips and sprains her ankle outside a nightclub,
George comes to her rescue, whisking her to the emergency
room and keeping her company late into the night. Liza is
highly artistic and principled, and she isn't interested in
a handsome finance whiz who wants to be a millionaire
before he's 30. She sends George away just moments before
her name is finally called at the hospital. Liza's ankle is
treated by Dr. Tim, who she bravely asks out to dinner.
As Liza looks for a job to pay the bills, she reassures
herself that dating staid and steady Dr. Tim is the right
thing to do, even though she keeps running into George in
the most awkward social situations imaginable. Liza's life
is getting more complex. A reality TV show wants to film an
experimental production of her latest play. She's been
hired as a wedding assistant to a woman she despises. When
Aunt Fran finally does pull some strings, the results are
unexpected. Never fear -- sometimes the answers to life's
problems are RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES.
Ellen Shanman's character Liza is headstrong and
loudmouthed, but her misguided emotions and confusion are
right on target. Aunt Fran is a role-model for the ages,
and she begins each chapter with some flippant, irreverent
and stimulating words of personal advice. This funny and
moving story has memorable characters and enviable
relationships. The novel is suitable for lighthearted book
groups, especially focused on career and personal
development discussions. Equal parts chick-lit, romantic-
comedy and coming-of-age story, RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES
should not be missed!
Outspoken playwright Liza Weiler left Yale with everything
she thought she needed to make her mark on the New York
stage. So why, nearly a decade later, is she still waiting
for her “real” life to finally begin? But like any great
drama, Liza’s life only needs one good twist. And that’s
what happens when she turns her ankle on the way out of a
downtown nightspot and falls into the arms of a
suspiciously gallant Wall Street prince and a practically
perfect ER doc. Suddenly Liza not only has a couple of men
in her life, but her play has fallen into the hands of a
über-hip theater director. Now Liza’s about to discover how
much mess she can make of a seemingly good thing…and how
terrifying, slightly tragic, and utterly hilarious a little
success can be.