Driving Sideways by Jess Riley

DRIVING SIDEWAYS

by Jess Riley

Commercial Fiction
Ballantine Books - 2008
www.JessRiley.com

2 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, Oct. 17th!

Jess Riley talks about her inspiration for Driving Sideways and which parts of the book weren't entirely fictional in this week's exclusive author interview. Listen here!

Synopsis:

Driving Sideways tells the story of Leigh Fielding, a twenty-eight year-old kidney transplant recipient who—six years, hundreds of dialysis sessions, and a million bad poems after being diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease—finally feels strong enough to pursue a few lofty goals she’s been mulling for years: find herself, her kidney donor’s family, and the mother that abandoned her over twenty years ago. And what better way to do just that than a solitary road trip across the country? Well, maybe not entirely solitary, because Leigh suspects she may have inherited more than just an organ from her deceased donor. It’s this sneaking suspicion that takes her trip down some unexpected detours—and the juvenile delinquent who blackmails Leigh into giving her a ride is only the beginning.

Praise for Driving Sideways:

"…embracing both highs and lows, alternately hilarious, humiliating, and heartbreaking, often within the same sentence." -Booklist

"Jess Riley's voice is irreverent and wonderful, and her writing is genius." - Bestselling author, Marian Keyes

About the Author:

Wisconsin native Jess Riley spent much of her childhood sitting at her desk during lunch hour for lying and/or passing notes during class, both of which qualified her for a possible future as a novelist. Jess has been a waitress, a blue cheese packager, and currently, a grant writer for local school districts. Jess graduated from UW-Oshkosh in 1998 with dual degrees in English and history. She now lives in a drafty old house in Oshkosh,Wisconsin with her husband and a neurotic dog that despises public radio. Driving Sideways is her first novel.

Visit Jess's website www.JessRiley.com to find out more and read entries from her hilarious blog.