Guest Post, Excerpt & Giveaway ~ SONGS FOR LUCY by Philip Wilson

Songs for Lucy
by: Philip Wilson
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Release Date: March 22, 2018
Publisher: Tellwell Publishing
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

It’s spring, and Allison Connelly has it all – pretty, popular and smart. With a summer job teaching tennis and starting Harvard Law School in the fall, Allison plans on a successful law career, marriage and kids – and dreams of becoming a Supreme Court Justice. When relentless headaches drive her to her doctor, Allison receives a terrifying diagnosis that destroys her plans and imperils her life. Devastated, Allison struggles to accept her shattered dreams and uncertain future. One night, she happens into a small-town pub and, on a whim, takes a job singing, finding solace and a measure of peace in her music. She settles in the town, and from that small beginning finds love, a new life and a new reason for living.

Doctor Mackay spoke for the first time. “Allie, I’ve known you since you were a kid,” he began sadly. “You’re a fighter. Your first reaction is to look for other options, to refuse to accept defeat. But — both Doctors Smythe and Graham are experts in their fields. They’ve conferred with some of the leading oncologists at Johns Hopkins, the Cleveland Clinic, and others; and the response has been unanimous and unequivocal. If I thought there was the remotest chance that something might work, I’d say go for it. You’re young, healthy, and should have your whole life ahead of you. But I just don’t believe there are any legitimate realistic treatment options out there, and I don’t want you spending your remaining time chasing false hopes, only to be disappointed. I’m so terribly sorry.”

Allison looked at him, hearing the pain in his voice and seeing the anguish in his face. Doctor Mackay had known her since she was a baby. He’d watched her grow up; he had been close friends with her father. Now he was telling her she was going to die – and it was tearing him apart.

“How long do I have?” Allison asked quietly.

“Each case is different,” Doctor Graham replied.

“We’d estimate two months. Could be one, conceivably three. We’ll prescribe corticosteroids which reduce the swelling around the tumors. This should also reduce the headaches and any drowsiness you’ve been feeling. You will probably feel fine for a month or so.”

“And then?”

“The headaches and nausea will eventually recur, and will increase in frequency and severity. All we’ll be able to do then is treat the symptoms.”

After writing The Librarian, I wanted to try something totally different – something more introspective and thought provoking, and, hopefully, inspiring. Thinking about possible storylines, the idea of a young woman who is smart, attractive, and just starting law school – with a promising life ahead of her, who becomes confronted with a diagnosis of terminal illness seemed like a good foundation to start with.

Allison’s situation led to some obvious conflicts which could be explored. If your plans and dreams are suddenly destroyed, how do you deal with it? If there is virtually no chance of cure or remission, but only the inexorable progression towards cognitive impairment, physical disability, pain and eventual death, do you give up? Or, do you fight for each day of life, perhaps hoping for a miracle?

As Allison struggles with her situation, she meets people that shape her response – a young woman at the hospice with the same diagnosis who urges her to ‘fight the darkness,’ Jack who owns the pub in the local town and falls in love with her, and Lucy, a young girl searching for the mother she never had.

Slowly, Allison begins to build a new life, very different from the successful Wall Street lawyer she’d planned to be, but somehow more satisfying and fulfilling. The internal conflict she faces when confronted with her diagnosis drives her revised course of action – from the new relationships she develops to the talents and interests she chooses to pursue. Through Songs for Lucy, my goal was to explore and develop Allison’s true, innate passions, which begin to manifest themselves as she copes with the devastating news.

Purchase Songs for Lucy from:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Philip Wilson is a retired financial executive who spends winters in Florida and summers sailing on the Great Lakes in his 32-foot sailboat. Songs for Lucy is his second book. His first, The Librarian, was rated one of the best reviewed books of 2017 by IndieReader and featured in the Huffington Post.

Places to find Philip Wilson:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page

You can follow Songs for Lucy Blog Tour here.

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