Her Sister's Shoes by Ashley Farley

 Proves the healing power of family . . .

Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and packed with Southern charm and memorable characters, Her Sister’s Shoes is the story of three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.

Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.

 In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.



Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.

In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.

For fans of Dot Frank and Mary Alice Monroe, Her Sister’s Shoes is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Leisure Time Books
Release date: June 24, 2015
Print Length: 380 pages

EXCERPT

One 

Samantha Lovie and Oscar Sweeney had been providing vacationers to the South Carolina coast with fresh-from-the-ocean seafood since opening their doors in May of 1959—and little had changed since then. Not the quality of the service or the layout of the store. The same brass ship’s clock still hung on the wall above the door, ticking away the decades. The customers didn’t mind the outdated decor as long as the knowledgeable staff served superior product with a friendly smile. The creaking floorboards and dusty shelves welcomed them back year after year, just as the pungent odor of the marsh at low tide greeted them upon arrival in the small inlet town of Prospect. 

When it came time to do something about the termites eating away at the floor joists—and to replace the electrical system that was one spark away from a catastrophic fire and the refrigerated display cases that were held together with hope, prayer, and a wad of electrical tape—Samantha Sweeney, the middle daughter of Lovie and Oscar, decided their market was way overdue for an upgrade. Their local customers encouraged Sam to remodel in the same vintage that had brought them success for more than fifty years, but she ignored their advice. Following her gut instincts, Sam had opted for a radically different approach. 

After years of planning and saving, the renovations were nearing completion. With exposed ceiling pipes and pendant lighting, subway tile wainscoting and concrete floors, Sam had envisioned a minimalist style, the seafood being their main event. But as she surveyed the gleaming new showroom, she worried the results were more operating- room sterile than upscale industrial. 

Sam suspected her sisters shared her concerns.

Faith turned in circles, contemplating the empty space. “Once the shelves are stocked and the refrigerated cases filled, the place will come to life.”

“Why don’t we paint the walls?” Jackie whipped her color wheel out of her oversized black patent bag. Sam had hired her older sister, an interior decorator, to offer guidance on trim selections. Jackie thumbed through the color strips, eventually holding out the wheel for Sam to see. “Here we go. I’ve used this linen color many times before. It’s neutral, but at the same time soft and warm.” 

Sam barely glanced at the color. “But the painters have already finished. They’re out back cleaning up.” 

“I’ve never known a painter to turn down more work.” Jackie tucked the paint wheel under her arm, and, like a cheetah in search of her prey, she glided toward the kitchen in the back. With mahogany hair styled in a sleek bob, dressed in a tailored black sleeveless top and white pique cropped pants, Jackie embodied the picture of elegance. 

“Don’t tell her I said so,” Faith whispered to Sam, “but I think she might be right this time.” 

Sam smiled at her younger sister, who was every bit as pretty as Jackie but in a less sophisticated way. 

“She better be. We can’t afford another mistake with only two days left before the grand reopening.” 

Sam took a step back and closed her eyes, trying to imagine the showroom walls washed in linen. She pictured the wooden wine racks stocked with bottles and specialty dry goods arranged neatly on the metal shelves. She envisioned fresh produce overflowing from baskets on the carts in the front of the store, raw seafood on display in the refrigerated cases in the center of the room, and prepared meals filling the merchandisers along the sidewalls. She imagined customers moseying about, sipping wine from little plastic cups while the staff offered advice on the best practices for grilling tuna.

I am a book blogger at Chronicles and author of Saving Ben and Her Sister’s Shoes. I am a community volunteer in Richmond, Virginia, where I live with my husband and two college-aged children.

Visit my website at www.ashleyfarley.net
Follow me on Facebook
Tweet me on Twitter
Friend me on Goodreads
Buy Links
Amazon http://amzn.to/1FH48vw
Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/her-sister-s-shoes
Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1E0cJc0
iTunes http://apple.co/1xh2YE5
ISBN 13 for Paperback: 978-0-9861672-1-8
ISBN 13 for ePub: 978-0-9861672-0-1