Chasing Rainbows - Kathleen Long

Includes Reader's Guide for book club discussions

Chocolate. Tattered robe. Wedding video. Wine.

Things aren't looking so good for Bernadette Murphy.

With the breakup of her marriage, the sudden death of her father, and the announcement of her best friend's pregnancy, Bernadette finds herself careening toward rock bottom. So why stop short? She quits her job, gets herself banned-for life-from the mall, and goes on a late-night-infomercial spending spree. To top it all off, her dog gets kicked out of obedience school-again.

Just when she thinks there's nothing left for the universe to throw at her, she discovers the one thing she needs the most: a reminder of her father's love. In the book of cryptograms he left behind, Bernie's father helps guide her through the pain that's consuming her. With each solved puzzle, her father's encoded lessons give Bernie the courage to face life head-on. And as her father always said, "In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't."

For Bernie, the singing is about to begin.

A long time ago, in an elementary school far, far away, a very young Kathleen Long scribbled a story idea in her journal. Then she wrote another, and another. She added several poems, the lyrics to a song or two, a love letter to David Cassidy, and so on and so on.While her early writings never saw the light of day, many of her later works did. And while she didn't end up with David Cassidy, Kathleen did marry her own Prince Charming. Together, they are raising one drama queen and one obedience-challenged border collie mix in a kingdom divided between suburban Philadelphia and the Jersey Shore.The author of thirteen novels, Kathleen has been nominated for a RITA and has won a RIO Award and two Gayle Wilson Awards of Excellence. Her additional honors include National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, and Booksellers Best award nominations. She spends her time plotting her next book, bribing her little one to pick up her toys, and begging the dog to heel.