L L Lee

L.L. Lee's Humorous Books, Etc. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Leona Lipari Lee, MA, RN is a native of South Louisiana and resides on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She holds a BA degree in psychology and an MA degree in English from LSUNO. Ms. Lee is the author of the nonfiction book, How to Survive Menopause without Going Crazy and a contributor to several nonfiction books including, Chicken Soup for the Sisters Soul and Women’s Health: A Resource Guide for Nurses. She is the author of four humorous mystery/romantic novels featuring the “Sisters” from Louisiana: Taxing Tallula, The Sisters: Lost in Brooklyn, The Sisters: Found in San Antonio and The Sisters: Murder by the Bayou. Her last book, Jude’s Bench, is an autobiographical novel that deals with a woman trying to make it on her own after the sudden loss of her spouse. You can contact Ms. Lee by visiting her at http://lllee.homestead.com or email her at Lee3731@bellsouth.net.
	A Good Catch $9.95 or Order by U.S. Mail The seven women in the Bay St. Louis, Mississippi grief support group have been meeting for four years in an effort to comfort each other. Now, tired of grieving and feeling sorry for themselves, some are ready to get on with their lives and look for new love. Even the woman in the throes of menopause who vows at first to stay single, and the 90ish member who has lost three husbands join the fishing party. That’s when the trolling and fun begin. In spite of their hilarious, inept attempts at finding love, they are successful in landing their catches, the good as well as the bad. Now what do they do with them? Do they throw them back in or are they keepers? Are they really ready to let go of their former loves? Go fishing with these strong Southern women and catch a good laugh.
	Jude's Bench $11.95 or Order by U.S. Mail Jude returns after a four-year absence to caution his wife, Chris, against remarrying. Chris is not too happy with Jude’s sudden reappearance and pushy interference with her engagement to the new man in her life. Especially since he has been gone for such a long time without her ever hearing from him. This moving novel, a blend of fact and fiction, is interspersed with many of the author’s written works, some published, some not. Jude’s Bench is about a couple whose long marriage filled with love, laughter, loss, good and bad times, comes to an abrupt end. Above all, Jude’s Bench, is the story of love’s endurance.
	The Sisters: Lost in Brooklyn $11.95 or Order by U.S. Mail A hilarious comedy about four sisters from Louisiana who are involved in a stolen diamond caper in New York City.
	Taxing Tallula $12.95 or Order by U.S. Mail A romantic comedy of errors set in New Orleans and south Louisiana where T.J. Marino is pursued by three mafia types amid a small-town tax revolt.
	The Sisters: Found in San Antonio $14.95 or Order by U.S. Mail The sisters visit San Antonio, Texas where they are involved in an almost-murder case when they come to the aid of their niece who is being pursued by the Santa Clause Killer.
	The Sisters: Murder by the Bayou $9.95 or Order by U.S. Mail In the last of the Sisters novels, L.L. Lee introduces Nadine Guliano, the youngest of the Sisters, a thirty-something psychiatrist who has been exiled to Waco, Texas for the past nineteen years.
	How To Survive Menopause Without Going Crazy $10.95 or Order by U.S. Mail A well researched, yet anecdotal and very humorous account of the journey to the "other side of menopause."
Book Reviews L.L. Lee departs from norm with new book Jude's Bench By NAN PATTON EHRBRIGHT SUN HERALD Fans of Bay St. Louis resident L.L. Lee’s earlier books (“Taxing Tallula,” “The Sisters: Lost in Brooklyn,” “The Sisters: Found in San Antonio” and “The Sisters: Murder by the Bayou”) will find a significant departure in her new book, “Jude’s Bench.” This book is part fiction, part fact, interspersed with many of the author’s written works, some published, some not. Jude, the husband of the protagonist, Chris, left her four years ago, leaving her feeling not only bereft but helpless to cope with everyday life. The couple had been married for nearly 40 years. It was he who mowed the grass, filled the gas tank and ironed his clothes. Yes, ironed his clothes. “Who needs to iron these days?“ Chris asks. Chris was a whiz at using the computer, but has to rely on her husband to connect all those cables and wires to set one up. She handles the telemarketers, hangs the toilet tissue (Men simply do not know how to do that, you know.), cooks — sometimes — and, most important, helps her husband with his driving. Now, that’s a chore all wives understand. “He tells me we’d never get where we’re going if I didn’t step on the pretend brake on the passenger side,” Chris explains. After their marriage and Jude’s graduation from Tulane University with a master’s in social work, the couple spends eight years running a residential treatment center for emotionally disturbed boys. Then they move on, to new jobs and new lives in Arkansas and Texas. They rear two children and they buy a house in Bay St. Louis where they plan to retire. Then Jude leaves Chris — suddenly, unexpectedly. “I still don’t understand why,” Chris writes. They had enjoyed a wonderful marriage and loved each other dearly. “He was my whole life. I was devastated.” The book begins four years later, when Jude, just as unexpectedly, returns. Chris has begun to heal. There’s even a new man in her life. A man that Jude says is not right for her and should not be trusted. Whereupon Chris brings Jude up to date on what her life has been like without him — learning to reconnect with life, mourning over good friends who die, dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, all without him to support and sustain her. Coast residents will recognize many landmarks in Lee’s book — a noted bread-and-breakfast, restaurants — and some astute readers many recognize people whose names Lee has changed. There’s a lot of humor in “Jude’s Bench,” as there is in all of Lee’s earlier books. There’s also considerable pain. But the primary message of this book will resonate with everyone. The human condition is such that everyone suffers loss, everyone mourns that loss and everyone learns to deal with it somehow. This is a story about survival and learning that life goes on despite those losses. In a word, this is a story of hope and new beginnings. Bittersweet passages By NAN PATTON EHRBRIGHT SUN HERALD There's no scarcity of suspects when Sheriff Andy Washington investigates the murder of James Boudreaux after his body is found lying among the vegetables in the garden at his Tallula, La., home. Who hated the S.O.B. enough to kill him? Everyone in town. Including his widow and her sisters. Including his mother-in-law. Including Nadine, who was cast out of the family at age 15 when Mama Guliano discovered Boudreaux kissing her youngest daughter on the very day that he and Lucie Galiano announced their engagement. Nadine, disguised as a nun, returns home after a 19-year absence to "make sure he's actually put in the ground," she says at the beginning of "The Sisters: Murder by the Bayou," a mystery/comedy/romance by L.L. Lee. Lee, a Bay St. Louis resident and a former registered nurse turned author, has done it again. Faithful readers will relish the return of the crazy Guliano women whose adventures were previously described in "Taxing Tallula," "The Sisters: Lost in Brooklyn" and "The Sisters: Found in San Antonio." New readers will make haste to catch up with the earlier books. Annie has a new husband, but her crucifix remains her most constant companion. Fran, the man-crazy, wild sister, is sporting flaming red hair. The sisters - and Mama, when one of them remembers to pick her up - still gather for morning coffee klatches at Diana's, where Cora, the long-time housekeeper, serves up delicious meals and regales them with complaints about their behavior. Mama has aged. She uses a walker now, but her staccato tongue's still strong enough to knock down bricks. Her first words to Nadine: "Madeline told me you were a doctor. When did you become a nun? Never mind. I've had so many heart attacks, I don't think you'd do me much good as a doctor. Much better if you prayed for me, since it won't be long now, you know." Aside from worrying that someone she loves has slain her hated brother-in-law, Nadine is confused about her sudden passionate feelings for Dr. Steve Rose, former fiance of her niece, T.J. Marino. Is he really, as rumor has long had it, a hit man for the mob? Despite her misgivings, Nadine follows Steve on two occasions to Bay St. Louis, where he practices medicine. The first time, they eat boiled crabs and drink Barq's root beer at a picnic table at Lil Ray's. The second time, Nadine walks to Old Town, examines a plaque on a bench outside Bay Town Inn, then goes across the street to enjoy a bowl of Melva's gumbo on the deck at Dock of the Bay. There are several families on the beach, and Nadine thinks that they are locals since most tourists visit the bigger beach at Da Beach House in Waveland. After her meal, Nadine walks by Trapani's, stops to admire the old Hancock Bank at Beach Boulevard and Main Street, then stops in at Serenity Gallery. Lee wrote this book before Hurricane Katrina battered the Coast and destroyed or severely damaged these landmarks. So these are bittersweet passages for many South Mississippians. But not, I assure readers, bittersweet enough to deter them from a thoroughly fun read.
● Use Pay Pal to purchase on-line or purchase by US Mail
Return to Books by GCWA Authors