Easily Amused

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Easily Amused Pub. Date: 8/23/2011 Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

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Easily Amused Pub. Date: 9/21/2010 Publisher: AmazonEncore
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Easily Amused (MP3 on CD) Pub. Date: 9/11/2012 Publisher: Brilliance Audio

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Overview

When twenty-nine-year-old Lola Watson unexpectedly inherits a rambling house in the suburbs, she thinks her life just couldn’t be more perfect—until her new neighbors make her their “project,” a heartbroken high school friend crashes indefinitely at her house, and her younger sister announces she’s getting married, on Lola’s thirtieth birthday. Suddenly Lola’s not so keen on her newfound domestic bliss. But when she meets handsome, mysterious Ryan Moriarty, Lola dares to hope she’s found the perfect guy to one-up her sister and add a little spice back into her life.

Karen McQuestion deftly blends romance and comedy in this delightful romp where love is discovered in the most unexpected of places.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780547745022
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 8/23/2011
Pages: 304
Sales rank: 341,293
Product dimensions: 5.50 (w) x 8.20 (h) x 0.90 (d)

Meet the Author

Karen McQuestion's essays have appeared in Newsweek , Chicago Tribune , Denver Post , Christian Science Monitor and several anthologies. She is the author of four novels, one children's book, and one collection of humorous essays. She originally self-published A Scattered Life as an e-book for Amazon's Kindle. Within a few weeks, the novel caught the attention of a Los Angeles-based production company and became the first self-published Kindle book to be optioned for film. McQuestion lives with her family in Hartland, Wisconsin.

Read an Excerpt

When I saw a group of my neighbors clustered on the sidewalk in front of Mrs. Cho’s house, I was sure they were talking about me.
It was a sunny spring evening, and I was heading out to meet my friend Piper at a local bar. After work, I’d changed out of my office garb and into a lacy tank top and short skirt, then slipped my feet into a new pair of strappy sandals. A quick look in the mirror to touch up my makeup and I was set.
Despite my efforts, it was a sure thing Piper would look better than me, no matter what she was wearing—ironic considering she’s the one who’s married with a baby, while I, on the other hand, am currently and constantly unattached. Not her fault, of course, but still annoying.
I’d pictured a brisk walk to burn a few calories and hoped I might even collect a few admiring glances on the way, which would have done my poor ego a bit of good. But springtime in Wisconsin doesn’t necessarily mean warm weather; thirty seconds out of the house I realized it was a little too chilly to be without a jacket, and my hair was getting windblown. Worse yet, I sensed I was about to get waylaid by the four neighbors halfway down the block.
As I approached the group, Crazy Myra, who’d been leaning forward to whisper something to Brother Jasper, straightened up abruptly, like she’d been caught snooping in someone’s medicine cabinet. The other two ladies—Belinda, the dog woman,
and Mrs. Cho—took a sudden, suspicious interest in a lilac bush adjacent to where they stood.
My plan was to smile and nod, and then circle around them,
but I was stopped by Mrs. Cho, who grasped the fabric of my top with her bony fingers. “Pretty,” she said. For such a tiny lady,
she had one hell of a grip.
“Mighty fine,” Brother Jasper said. And then he added,
“Lola, you look like springtime.”
Before I could say thanks and press onward, Crazy Myra got into the act. “Where are you headed to, missy, all dressed up?”
“I’m meeting a friend for dinner.” The part about dinner was a lie. We were really meeting for drinks, but I hated to say that because it sounded trashy. I suddenly wished I’d taken Piper up on her offer of a ride. “Don’t be ridiculous,” I’d told her. “It’s like three blocks. I’ll meet you there.” Now I shifted awkwardly and glanced down the street, hoping to spot Piper in her silver minivan so I’d have an excuse to break away from the group.
At the office I’m known for having a take-charge personality,
but socially I’ve always been a little unsure of myself, and these neighbors put me on edge. They were a little too eager and a little too Stepfordish, always stopping by to offer me cookies or invite me to the latest neighborhood gathering, none of which I attended. If they noticed a candy wrapper on my front lawn, they stopped to pick it up. If I struggled with heavy grocery bags, they were right there to help. I’d lived in the house for four months and still wasn’t used to it. Growing up in the suburbs,
we collected mail for vacationing neighbors or exchanged friendly waves as we drove past, but there was no door-knocking or favor-asking. Not that people in the burbs are standoffish. I don’t mean to imply that at all—they just respect boundaries.
“Meeting a friend for dinner,” Brother Jasper said. “How nice.” He was my favorite of the bunch, not too intrusive but still friendly, always with a ready smile, his perfect teeth blindingly white against his mahogany-colored skin. Still I steered clear of him, always fearful he’d try to get me to go to his churchof-
the-folding-chairs with the Styrofoam-cup coffee social they held afterwards. “We were just talking about our annual block party,” he said. “I’m not sure if your aunt mentioned it? We raise money for the shelter.”
“She might have,” I said. I’d inherited the house from my great-aunt May, and everyone on King Street assumed we’d been close. In truth, I hadn’t known her all that well; we’d crossed paths at family weddings and funerals, and that was about it. I was as surprised as anyone else when I found out I was her sole beneficiary. Not that I’d turn down a free house in a great location—
just half an hour from downtown and blocks from the lake.
“It’s quite an event,” Belinda said, gesturing wildly. Without a leash or two to hold on to, her hands moved in spastic jerks, seemingly involuntarily. “We get bands to play and have carnival games,
and there’s lots of food. It’s the high point of my summer.”
Somehow I didn’t doubt that. “How nice.”
“Last year best year ever,” Mrs. Cho said. “Two thousand dollars, we make. All the neighbors work together.”
They looked expectantly at me. I was sure they wanted me to volunteer to make balloon animals or do face painting, but I wasn’t biting. “When is it?” I asked, thinking that the date could exactly coincide with a trip out of town.
“See, that’s the thing,” Brother Jasper said. “We didn’t want to plan it until we’d talked to everyone and made sure they were available.
We don’t like to leave anyone out.” He grinned again, the kind of smile God must give you when he welcomes you into heaven. A person would have a tough time resisting the warmth and goodness of that smile. “Especially,” he added, “since you’re new to our neighborhood family. We want to make sure to include you.”
He patted my arm, and I had to look down or I would have promised anything. I’d wind up running the block party, when in fact all I really wanted to do was extricate myself from the whole damn thing. “That’s really nice,” I said in the direction of my toes. “But I’m still waiting to hear about my vacation time from work. Can I get back to you?”
I peeked upwards and saw all four of them nodding.
“Just let us know as soon as you hear,” Belinda said.
“Once we know,” Mrs. Cho said, “then we plan.”
Apparently the very existence of the block party hinged on my availability.

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Easily Amused

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