Hayley and the Hot Flashes

Once upon a time, Hayley Swift was the queen of country music. But now, at 53, with no hit songs in a long time, she's desperate enough to sign on as the opening act for Cal Taylor's "Retro Rodeo" tour of the South. When an unfortunate encounter with a chicken truck puts her back-up singers out of commission, though, the four friends she sang with in high school come to her rescue. As "The Girls Next Door" become "Hayley and the Hot Flashes," Hayley reclaims her place in the spotlight and Amanda, C. J., Meg, and Sue live out a dream deferred for decades.

Available from booksellers everywhere
ISBN ( Paperback, $17.99): 978-1-7378411-5-9
ISBN ( E-book, $6.99): 978-1-7378411-8-0
Publisher: Small Town Girl, an imprint of Brother Mockingbird
Distributor: Ingram
Audience: Women's fiction/Humor/Women 40+/Friendship/Country music fans

Reviews 

"Poet Ferrer pivots to escapist fiction in an energetic story of reconnected female friendships, road tripping, and navigating the realities of aging without giving up on joie-de-vivre. 35 years after Hayley Swift left her hometown of Skerry, South Carolina—and her four best friends and fellow bandmates—to pursue a solo country music career, she’s headed back home for a last-chance tour. But some bad luck puts her planned backup singers out of commission, and soon her old posse is reunited for a music making group adventure, including more than a little bit of drama—and romance with the men supporting the tour. Ferrer builds this story as a true ensemble with a sitcom aesthetic, giving every character their own unique arc: Hayley’s opportunity to give her friends another chance sits alongside Meg’s romance with the pianist and reemergence as a writer, Amanda’s desperate attempts to redefine herself as more than a mother, C.J.’s navigating a surprise pregnancy, and Sue’s struggling with emerging dementia. Ferrer successfully builds the bulk of the narrative with playful, high-energy banter that evokes a sense of camaraderie among the group, bolstered through plenty of lighthearted conflict, and the men in the story have a quirky sparkle that will resonate with readers."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                – Publishers Weekly's BookLife

"This story exudes human interest. The characters are people you may know. Ferrer has written a novel worth reading. It is funny. It is wise. In the end, the questions it raises and answers will make you stop and think."
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      —Michael Escoubas, Quill & Parchment

“…a charming and heartwarming book about music, love, and friendships. I especially loved the southern accents and expressions …
The women in this book will show you that age is just a number, and it’s never too late to go after what you want.”  – OnlineBookClub.org

"It's the kind of fiction that movies are made of--the kind starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew McConaughey." – Sharon in Arizona

"It was a pleasure to read a book about older women for a change..." – Lori in Los Angeles

"A page turner full of plot twists, clever dialog, action, friendship, love, and heartache told with tenderness and humor." – Ellie in Texas