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No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn and Author Guest Post

No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn and Author Guest Post

I received this book for free from Publicist for review consideration, opinions expressed are 100% my own. This post contains affiliate links as indicated by an asterisk. Purchases from these links provides a small commission to me at no extra cost to you.

No Ordinary Life by Suzanne Redfearn
Published by Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: Feb. 2, 2016
Setting: USA - California
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publicist
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three-stars

Suzanne Redfearn delivers another gripping page-turner in her latest novel, a story about a young mother's fight to protect her children from the dangerous world of Hollywood.

Faye Martin never expected her husband to abandon her and her three children . . . or that she'd have to struggle every day to make ends meet. So when her four-year-old daughter is discovered through a YouTube video and offered a starring role on a television series, it seems like her prayers have been answered. But when the reality of their new life settles in, Faye realizes that fame and fortune don't come without a price. And in a world where everyone is an actor and every move is scrutinized by millions, it's impossible to know whom to trust, and Faye finds herself
utterly alone in her struggle to save her family. 

Emotionally riveting and insightful, No Ordinary Life is an unforgettable novel about the preciousness of childhood and the difficult choices a mother needs to make in order to protect this fragile time in her children's lives.

Ok parents, tell me the truth now. Have you ever thought, “I’ve got the cutest kids in the world, they should be in the movies.” You dream of the luxurious and glamorous Hollywood life. Not a care in the world, besides having fun and being pampered. 

 

Well in No Ordinary Life, author Suzanne Redfearn explores what happens when 4-year old, Molly Martin, with the bouncing blonde curls and angelic face, skyrockets into stardom when her YouTube video goes viral. Molly’s mom, Faye, discovers how hard it is for a newbie to navigate Hollywood life and crack into the business.

 

I think Suzanne did an excellent job giving the reader a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into making a TV show. Suzanne weaved the technical details of show production in with the emotional and physical impact the demands of the show bring on the child actor and her family life. 

 

Suzanne was so skillfull at telling the Martin family’s story that I felt a part of the family myself. Don’t you love it when you feel like part of the story? I know I do.  I just wanted to eat up precocious 4 year old Molly. I wanted to hug Faye and reassure her she was doing the best she could by her kids and situation. I could’ve punched Faye’s estranged husband for the way he left and magically reappears into their lives when Molly becomes famous. I would’ve lectured the teenager and tried to talk some sense into her. All my Mama Bear instincts were activated in this book and they weren’t even my kids! 

 

No Ordinary Life took me on an emotional and dramatic journey through the Hollywood lifestyle. Though fictional, No Ordinary Life provides insight into the lives of child actors for anyone whose wondered why child actors often turn into troubled teens and adults or drop out of the business. 

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Since it is also Be Our Guest Fridays, Suzanne is my guest today to tell us how despite being the hare in the Tortoise and the Hare fable, she’s still able to finish the race to write her books. Please give Suzanne a warm welcome to Mom’s Small Victories as my guest today!  

 

Fast and Erratic Finishes the Race

by Suzanne Redfearn, Author of No Ordinary Life

I have always been the hare. Seriously, you know the story, the one where the overly confident, exuberant rabbit takes off and leaves the slow, brooding tortoise in the dust? That’s me, hot out of the starting gate, racing a hundred miles an hour toward some pie-in-the-sky goal, certain I’m going to reach it in record-shattering time, until about a third of the way in, I get distracted, lose interest, run out of energy, or simply get discouraged, leaving dozens of half-started ventures and one-time dreams in my wake, while all the tortoises of the world plod forward, consistently trodding toward their goals.

Writing novels is not for hares. It’s a tortoise’s game. Slow and steady wins the race. You move forward a little at a time, some days not at all, and each night you stumble away brain-numb and flat-assed with very little to show for it. You fall into a twitchy sleep, your brain still wrestling with the intractable beast and placating yourself with platitudes like: Any progress is good progress; One word at a time; What doesn’t kill you makes your stronger; Suicide is for wimps.

For a person who idolizes Bugs Bunny and who has an attention span that is proportionate, it’s positively infuriating. When the going gets tough, the smart go to the bar for a glass of wine, is usually my motto. I have a garage full of half-baked ideas and fledgling businesses to prove it. Yet, somehow, even with my commitment issues, I have managed to make it into the world of published authors. I actually think my hare-brained attitude (get it—hee, hee) is in some ways brilliant for the task. It gives me that adrenaline-pumped kick-start all writers need to jump into a project. And by the time that jolt has petered out, I’m neck deep in the story and can’t stand the idea of not knowing how it ends. Because in addition to being a very impatient rabbit, I am also a pantster, a writer who writes by the seat of her pants and has no idea where the story is going. So, right at the point when I am ready to say, “That’s all folks!” and settle in for a long nap, my curiosity gets the better of me and sends me hurdling forward, anxious to get to the end. Which is a problem for my endings, which tend to, in the earlier drafts, suffer from get-this-over-with syndrome.

So, if you’re like me—hare-y and impatient, love to jump around, and also love a long siesta—don’t despair, writing novels might be better suited for tortoises, but unlike the fable, cottontails can make it to the finish line as well.

 

 

About Be Our Guest Fridays!

Be Our Guest Fridays is a weekly feature where I feature guest posts by my favorite bloggers and authors. I started this feature as a fun way to give back to the blogging community. I am excited to share with you these creative, inspiring and knowledgeable bloggers and authors. If you’d like to be a guest blogger, leave me a comment on this post and I’ll be in touch.

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I’m totally like Suzanne and the Hare in the race scenario. I tackle projects with gusto in the beginning and then my plan and enthusiasm fizzle if it takes too long to get it done. That’s why my One Word for this year is to FOCUS so I can complete my projects. But I couldn’t focus long enough to publish a blog post about it…typical. 

This post linked up with Mommy Monday Blog Hop.

Have you ever dreamed of living the Hollywood life? How do you think you and your family would handle the pressures of being under the constant spotlight? Are you the tortoise or the hare in tackling your projects? 

 

About Suzanne Redfearn

Suzanne Redfearn is the author of Hush Little Baby, which was chosen as a Target Recommends selection and Target’s Emerging Authors program. She graduated summa cum laude from California Polytechnic University and, prior to becoming an author, was an architect. She is an avid surfer, golfer, skier, and Angels fan. She lives with her husband and children in Southern California. No Ordinary Life is her second novel.

26 Comments

  1. This looks like an interesting read. I like that it deals with YouTube and rising to fame which is actually something that could happen in today’s world.

  2. I’ve always thought my little nephew is the cutest kid ever and would make a great kid model. I mentioned that to my sister once and I got one of those looks only a sister can give you – that is not happening in my lifetime. I still think she’s missing out on the big bucks, but oh well. She wants her kid to be a kid.

    1. Lol, my husband is the same and always tells us we need to audition the kids for the Disney Channel and I look at him like he’s nuts. After reading No Ordinary Life, there’s no way I’d consider it. 🙂

  3. Sounds like she gives a peek behind the curtains of Hollywood in this book. It’s hard to wonder how you kids would be affected. I’d love to do a book review for your blog too.

  4. Thanks for the book recommendation! I will definitely have to check it out soon!I don’t think that I’d like to be super famous lol. I would hate the invasion of privacy and everything. Although I wouldnt mind being semi famous, and rich lol

  5. You always introduce your guest posts with such a welcoming touch. In this post, I enjoyed your personal reactions to your guest author’s book (letting the synopsis tell the basic plot, as it should!). I really related to Suzanne Redfearn’s tortoise-hare analogy for writing fiction. I have been put off from trying my hand by the tortoise-like patience I assume it must always require. It’s a little heartening to learn that someone with a more hare-like approach, writing in bursts (or fits!) of energy, can actually make it to the finish line. Great guest post!

    1. Thank you Lucy, I love having bookish conversations with my readers as if we were sitting around having coffee at a book club meeting. I’m totally the hare trying to be a patient tortoise too. Suzanne had a refreshing perspective and honesty that it’s ok to be impulsive and hare-y to reach your goals. Maybe there’s hope for me yet. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us Lucy!!

  6. I’m always looking for new books, thanks for the recommendation! I don’t know how I would do if I was under a microscope all the time – it might drive me batty!

  7. I completely believe I have the cutest kid in the world, but I can’t even begin to imagine trying to live the Hollywood lifestyle. The book sounds like a fascinating read. Thanks so much for sharing!

  8. haha I think everyone believes their children are the cutest and are destined for greatness which is awesome, however, there’s not enough room for everybody to be famous. I always love behind the scenes looks, it sets things into perspective.

  9. Did you change the look of your blog? It seems different, i like it! I haven’t stopped to read a good book in a long time, these look very interesting! We see so many hollywood stories like Lindsay Lohan that don’t share the best outcome, so this is a different perspective!

    1. I did change the design, still working on some elements, so sweet of you to notice. Thanks for the compliment, it’s always nice to hear feedback. Yes, it’s nice to see the Hollywood story from behind the scenes. I must say I have greater respect for celebrities and the pressure they have to endure after reading this book! Thanks for stopping by Colette (that was my name in French class in high school many eons ago) 🙂

  10. Love the insights you pulled from the book! I always think that having your child in positions that will allow them stardom and success but am well aware it will come at the expense of other things!

  11. I LOVE feeling part of the story. It is what draws me in when reading. Otherwise I am lost or disconnected. This looks like an interesting read – I think I’ll check it out!
    Karen | GlamKaren.com

  12. What a great premise to a book. Half my family is behind the scenes in the Hollywood life and I would much prefer the behind the scenes stuff 🙂 As for projects I am more the get it done, but if I leave it, I have trouble coming back to it.

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