Dawn Reno Langley

Mrs. G’s Adventures in Dating by Dawn Reno Langley

It’s one thing to be dumped by your husband of 20 years, but when the other woman is only 5 years older than your oldest child and is named Petunia Birdsong, it’s enough to make any sane Southern woman think twice about ever dating again.

Chance Goodstone, a high school history teacher from Wake Forest, North Carolina, re-enters the dating world with the help of middle daughter, Cara.  Together they craft a snappy online persona and Chance becomes “Beachwalker.” She takes the ride with a sense of humor and one eyebrow askance, meeting dates that range from the sports star impressed with his own mirror image to the man who posts photos with all the fish he’s ever caught.

Chance’s family, friends and students often demand her attention and interfere in her relationships, but after some “frog dates,” Chance meets Reed Banfield, a handsome, grey-eyed college chemistry instructor and father to a Down’s syndrome teen. She’s convinced she’s found “the one,” until a tragic double suicide, her father’s heart attack, and a military accident bring Chance’s world tumbling down and force her to care for those she loves.

Mrs. G’s explores the world of mid-life dating when a woman’s need for love conflicts with her responsibilities and family life.  Chance’s strong persona and wicked sense of humor will tug at the heartstrings of anyone who has fought to start anew.

 

Arielle and David: The southern fried feeling to this pitch is wonderful, and we love the names: Petunia Birdsong, Chance Goodstone.  Really fun. We think the story of a woman being dumped for someone much younger, and reentering the world of dating, in this new cyber generation, would have a lot of interest to a lot of readers.  Love the specificity of stuff like the man who posts photos with all the fish he’s ever caught, we want more of that!  What can be improved?  This story is going along so nicely, and all of a sudden we have tragic double suicide, father’s heart attack, military accident, it seems like we’re in a different story all of a sudden.  It was very jarring.  And we need more of the sense of the arc of our main character.  We have a great beginning, not much middle, then this crazy ending.  And please, don’t tell us about the wicked sense of humor.  In fact you mention a sense of humor twice in this pitch.  This is for everyone.  Don’t tell us something is funny, make us laugh.  Don’t tell us something is thrilling, make our heart pound faster.  Don’t tell us something is sad, make us cry.  Again, there are no comparable titles here.  That would be very helpful.