Rebecca Wells Returns with The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder On Sale Today!

It's been four years since Rebecca Wells, author of the bestselling book club classic Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, published a new book. Her last book, Ya-Yas in Bloom, looked at the Ya-Yas in their younger days. Now Wells forges all new territory and brings us a new character sure to rival the immortal Vivi Abbot Walker -- Calla Lily Ponder.

The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder is the sweet, sexy, funny journey of Calla Lily's life set in Wells's expanding fictional Louisiana landscape. In the small river town of La Luna, Calla bursts into being, a force of nature as luminous as the flower she is named for. Under the loving light of the Moon Lady, the feminine force that will guide and protect her throughout her life, Calla enjoys a blissful childhood—until it is cut short. Her mother, M'Dear, a woman of rapture and love, teaches Calla compassion, and passes on to her the art of healing through the humble womanly art of "fixing hair." At her mother's side, Calla further learns that this same touch of hands on the human body can quiet her own soul. It is also on the banks of the La Luna River that Calla encounters sweet, succulent first love, with a boy named Tuck.

But when Tuck leaves Calla with a broken heart, she transforms hurt into inspiration and heads for the wild and colorful city of New Orleans to study at L'Académie de Beauté de Crescent. In that extravagant big river city, she finds her destiny—and comes to understand fully the power of her "healing hands" to change lives and soothe pain, including her own. When Tuck reappears years later, he presents her with an offer that is colored by the memories of lost love. But who knows how Calla Lily, a "daughter of the Moon Lady," will respond?

I just love this video where Rebecca, in talking about the novel, talks about how the events, be they illnesses, loss or something else entirely, that knock us down in life are the very things that make us who we are

A tale of family and friendship, tragedy and triumph, loss and love, The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder gives readers an unforgettable new heroine to treasure and features the warmth, humor, soul, and wonder that have made Wells a cherished writer for so many book clubs. Be sure to check out Rebecca Wells' new website, the reading group guide, and this Interview with Rebecca. Friend her on Facebook as well!

To celebrate this brand new Rebecca Wells novel, I have 5 copies to give away. Comment on which Wells novel your book group (or you on your own) read and how it affected you. I'll choose 5 random winners from all comments received by midnight, Friday, July 10th. Tweet this giveaway and you'll get two entries into the drawing (please post a link to your tweet as a separate comment).

Comments

[Melissa C]

I have read ALL of her books! I was so glad to see that she had another one coming out! Reading about the lives of her characters made me feel like my own family was not so dysfunctional! LOL I would love to enter into this drawing!

[Melissa C]

Here is my tweet too:

http://twitter.com/smokeynspike

[Melanie]

I've read all her books, but my book group hasn't done any of them. What a shame.

[Brittany]

Both my mom and grandmother love the Ya-Ya books. We don't always have the same taste in books, so it was a great book that we could share and talk about. I'd love to give her newest book a try!

[Kathy]

The only one of Rebecca Bloom's books I've read is Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Since I'm a vagabond, it made me wish I lived close to friends I'd had my whole life.

[Kathy]

Obviously I meant Rebecca Wells - I must have Shopaholic on my mind this morning.

[bookmark60@hotmail.com]

I read her first one, the Devine Secrets of the Ya-Yas. I don't have a long relationships of friends like they do. But, when I moved to SC, a group of us single women over the age of 20 became very good friends. We don't go anywhere without the other. We all call each other every day. Don't think this is easy. There is alot of rivalry and jealousy, agruments constantly. But at the end of the day we still call are selves the YA-YAS.

[Carolina Gal's Literary Cafe]

the previous post I accidently sent without the info. I am sending it with this comment. Sorry....

[Gail Clark]

I have listened to all the Ya Ya series on audiobook, narrated by the incomparable and delicious Southern voice of Judith Ivey. I have not enjoyed a book as much as I enjoyed these stories of the Ya Yas and their clans in many years. My mother WAS Vivi Abbott Walker, in all her glorious and outrageous and damaged and dysfunctional beauty. It was both painful and cathartic at times to listen to these stories, and honestly, they helped me to understand my mother (deceased for five years now) and to love her a little more and hate her a little less. I, like Sidda, had a love/hate relationship with the larger than life creature that was my mother, and I've spent my whole life trying NOT to be her, with only some success. I am SO excited to find that Rebecca Wells has a new book with another new and delightful character for me to get to know. Cannot wait to read about Calla Lily (what a fantastic name!).

[Kelly C]

Our book club read The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood quite a few years ago and loved it! I can't read a book set in the South without thinking of Vivi (nor without sweating, thinking of the hot humid afternoons pre-AC!).

[Joanna]

I have read all of her books and loved them. Ya Ya definitely reminded me of my best friends and our relationships - even made me understand we were NOT bad moms! Unfortunately my reading group has only been together for a year so we haven't read any of her books. However one of our club members name is Calla Lee - so maybe we will read this one. That should count for an extra chance or two!

[trish]

It's been quite a while since I've read one of Wells' books, but as I recall, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood was my favorite. I think I'll suggest The Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder to my book club!

[Kelly]

We read little Alters Everywhere after reading Ya-Ya and it really upset everyone in the group, changing how they saw the mom in the story. It brought about a lot of interesting discussions.

[Lisamm]

Loved the Ya Ya's but never read Little Alters. Would love to read The Crowning Glory.. thanks for the opportunity!

[Stephanie]

I read the Divine Sisterhood of the Ya-Ya's in 2000, when it was THE book that all my girlfriends were talking about!! Would love to get a copy of this one. Thanks!

[Gina]

I've read all her books but the YA Ya's made me long for my college room mates to be geographically closer.

[Darby Lohrding]

I loved the book "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood", and I am so anxious to read her latest book....I think it sounds terrific, as always!!
Thanks so much,
Darby
darbyscloset at yahoo dot com

[Lisa]

I loved "Divine Secrets;" it made me so wish that I had a group of friends like that. I had such a hard time knowing what to make of Vivi. I'd love to read the new one!

[Lisa]

I've tweeted about the giveaway at:
http://twitter.com/mamashepp

[Claire (Paperback_Reader)]

I found this blog post via twitter!
I enjoyed the Ya-Ya books many years ago but didn't read them with book group but on my own, before the movie.