Today I’m pleased as punch to be part of the blog tour for Purely Relative, a companion novella for The P.U.R.E. by Claire Gillian, the quirky, freakishly intelligent and snarky author whose quote appears on the cover of NEED.

A self-described “darkly romantic curmudgeon,” her works (under a variety of pen names) are all thoughtful, witty and hilarious. Be on the look-out for her rising star.

Take it away, Claire!

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Thank you for hosting me on my blog tour and giving me the opportunity to natter on about my latest book:  Purely Relative, a follow-up to my debut, The P.U.R.E.

Chronologically, Purely Relative takes place between the next to last chapter and the final or epilogue chapter of The P.U.R.E. The novella explores those first few months of the heroine, Gayle’s unemployment and her rapidly developing romance with Jon, a former co-worker. The theme is family, how totally over the top they can be, but how we love them anyway, despite our reluctant front row seats.

In Purely Relative, we are introduced to the entirety of Jon’s extended family as well as one of Gayle’s brothers. Gayle is again the narrator, and as before in The P.U.R.E., she is somewhat unreliable in that role. We see and interpret other characters’ actions and reactions through her filter, which can range from wryly self-deprecating to aggrandizing. She assumes the worst and the best with such rapidity, it’s almost like watching a ping pong game.

Probably the most fun character in the story, because you never know exactly what she’s going to say, is Sophia Milano, the lifelong best friend of Jon’s mother…and the mother of Jon’s ex-fiancée. She’s not a hateful person, but she lacks a filter or muzzle. Her role is to function as the Greek chorus in the story, the one who utters the awkwardly unspoken. She is also the mirror to a few of Gayle’s worst fears.

Hopefully I’ve tempted you with a few insights into what Gayle’s adventures in meeting the family will be like. Here are the more pertinent details:

Unemployed and living far from home, Gayle Lindley is nevertheless lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping her murderous ex-employer. She’s also thankful to the boyfriend gods for having blessed her with a former co-worker. Jon Cripps is brains, brawn and bedroom-certified, all in one delectable package. Life is finally on the uptick.

…Or so Gayle thinks until Jon pops the big question—no, not marriage, but meeting the rest of his family. What he neglects to mention is his loose familial definition also includes the parents of his ex-fiancée. And too bad Gayle has already met one sibling while engaged in a vigorous mattress inspection with Jon. Everyone will think she’s a man-stealing hussy!

As Gayle tiptoes into the bosom of Jon’s extended family, she is deluged with more secrets than even her curious nature can absorb. But the drama hits hardest when Jon, mysterious as ever, drops a bombshell that threatens to unravel every single stitch of progress she has made with him and his … ‘interesting’ relations.

Buy Purely Relative at these fine booksellers:

Amazon  |  All Romance eBooks  |   Smashwords (use coupon code AU55X until May 15 for 33% off)

About the Author:

Claire Gillian is the pen name for a number-crunching executive by day. By nights and weekends she writes smart, witty stories for smart, witty readers. Her debut novel, The P.U.R.E. released in April 2012 and its sequel, Purely Relative, is hot off the press as of April 30, 2013. She also writes fifty shades of naughtier stuff under the pen name of Lila Shaw, but please don’t tell her mother.  No matter which name she uses, Claire is happiest penning romance drenched in humor with a dash of intrigue and loads of spice.

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