Review + Giveaway: The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns by Elizabeth Leiknes

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns
by: Elizabeth Leiknes

Hardcover: 167 pages
Publisher: Bancroft Press (June 15, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1890862622
ISBN-13: 978-1890862626
Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns - just the title, alone, provokes whirlwinds of images to twist through the mind! Once you crack open the binding of the book, that mind will be thankful and completely lost within the realm of Lucy Burns, I have no doubt.

First of all, I have to admit that something happened while reading The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, that has not happened in, literally, years - I read the entire book in one sitting. Of course it helps that I had the entire house to myself for an evening, which occurs once a year, if that. So, yes, I spent my nice quiet evening at home, alone, with none other than Lucy Burns and her delightfully sinful life. I have to say that it was a satisfying evening and left me with a smile upon my face.

You may ask - just how did Lucy get wrapped up in a sinful life? Well, it all starts when her beloved older sister, Ellen, gets in a horrific car accident - she gets hit while her and Lucy are out riding bikes. While Ellen lay in a deep coma, with little hope of survival, Lucy goes home and writes a "To Whom It May Concern" letter, asking for her sister to get well again. She places her letter in a makeshift mailbox in front of their playhouse and is met with a huge surprise the next morning. Not only is her sister out of her coma and doing wonderfully, there is a letter of reply in the mailbox stating that Lucy "has a deal."

It is not until years later that Lucy discovers exactly what she unknowingly agreed to - she is to take up a position as Facilitator to Hell. Her job is to escort the sinful to their rightful resting place. Now, this job has some great perks - beautiful ageless body, glamor, wishes granted and best of all - she can eat all the chocolate she wants and never gain an ounce. Sounds like heaven rather than hell, right? Well, there is one little glitch - or actually two. Lucy can never make contact with her family again and she can never develop a relationship of her own or have a "boyfriend". It seems that once Lucy "does the deed" with a guy, the sight of the guy causes her to become exceedingly ill, with lots of vomit involved. Not the greatest way to continue a relationship.

So, it is with that in mind, Lucy decides that she wants out of this whole business. She has no idea how to go about it, however, until one fateful night when she gets to meet her singing idol Teddy Nightingale. It is through him that she discovers a loophole in the "contract" with the devil and decides she must do everything in her power to get out. If she succeeds, she will be able to pursue love, happiness and once again be reunited with her family. However, if she fails in her mission - she won't ever have to worry about being chilly again!

The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns is tons of witty fun that will leave the reader chuckling throughout. It is also a story where the leading character is delightful and so incredibly likable. You will cheer for her, feel for her, and become quickly involved with her and her adventure. This was just such a wonderfully enjoyable book that enabled the cares of the day to just rush out the window, as I became quickly and easily engrossed within the book's pages. I truly truly cannot wait for more by the author and quite simply loved her style of writing. Ms. Leiknes writes in a way that easily captivates the reader and just makes for a fun time. I highly recommend The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns for a fun and carefree romp from the stress of real life!

*overall rating 4.5/5

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A bit about The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns:

Lucy Burns wants a normal life: friends, love, and a family of her own. And she could have it all if only she could break free from the job she hates.

That job? Facilitator to hell.

And her boss is a real devil.

At the age of eleven, to save her sister's life, Lucy writes a desperate letter to "To Whom It May Concern", but when He writes back, Lucy is bound for life. There are perks: sure she's ageless, she's beautiful, and she can eat as much chocolate as she wants and never get fat, but there are also consequences.

She can never see her family again.

She can never have a boyfriend.

She must spend her life leading sinners to their demise.

After nineteen years of doing the Devil s dirty work, Lucy wants out, but it all seems hopeless until Teddy Nightingale, her easy listening music idol, gives her the answer: a little-known loophole.

If she succeeds, Lucy gets love, happiness, and everything she ever really wanted. But the consequences? They're considerably worse than death. To make it through, Lucy must decide what is evil and what is good, what is right and what is wrong, and if, in the end, there's ever any way to truly know.

Smart, sassy, fun, and wickedly funny, "The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns" is a fast and stunning read perfect for any occasion. Elizabeth Leiknes's fresh writing and comic wit will stick with you long after you've put the book down.

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A bit about Elizabeth Leiknes:

Elizabeth Leiknes grew up in rural Iowa and can make thirty-seven different
dishes featuring corn. She attended The University of Iowa as an undergrad, and The University of Nevada, Reno for her Masters. Her most recent accomplishments include publishing an article entitled “Writing Spaces: Expanding the One Story House” in The Quarterly, and completing two other novels, Black-Eyed Susan, and The Understory. Lucy Burns was “born” somewhere between a third and fourth helping of Captain Crunch in Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy with her first child, but the majority of Lucy’s story was written during her maternity leave somewhere between debilitating bouts of new-mother panic attacks, and squirting milk in various inappropriate locations about town. Elizabeth has a love/hate relationship with great white sharks, and a slight penchant for speaking in hyperbole, which she says she never does. She now lives and teaches English near Lake Tahoe with her husband, two sons, and mentally ill cat.

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Excerpt:

Prologue

July 1976

“Your blood looks funny.”

“Shut up, Lucy. We’re from the same bloodline, retard. Insulting my
blood’s like insulting yours.”

Ellen and I had read about becoming Blood Sisters in Superteen
Magazine, so we smudged our combined blood on page 37 and repeated
the oath, customizing it to give it some personal flair:

I, Ellen/Lucy, promise to be a good Blood Sister (and a
good Real Sister) by always telling the other if she has
a booger hanging from her nose, by letting her borrow
my jeans and/or roller skates at a moment’s notice, and
by doing anything, ANYTHING, necessary to keep her
from harm.

With one last pinky swear, it was official.

“I promise.”

“I promise.”

Three months later, the night before my eleventh birthday, Ellen was
hit by a big red truck on Highway 71 during our after-dinner bike ride.
She died for exactly two minutes, thirty-three seconds, and then was
revived.

“Coma.”

That word, somehow dirtier than death itself, hung in the sterile air
as uniformed people with sorry faces scurried down the hospital hall.

“Honey,” my mother said with a forced smile and tearful eyes,”we’re
staying with your sister while she sleeps. Carol here is going to take
you home and stay with you tonight.” (Carol was our next door neighbor.)

Later that night, I snuck outside in my flannel nightgown to make
a wish in the backyard. A harvest moon flooded the October sky as I
tiptoed down the sidewalk, past our big oak to our pretend mailbox,
which stuck out of the Indiana soil in front of our playhouse.

We had a real mailbox in the front yard, but this one was for kids.
It was a monstrosity of donated parts—a dented, metal body from the
Johnsons; a wooden post from Mrs. Clark; and a red signal flag from
the abandoned school.

We delivered “Dear Santa” letters every Christmas to our magic
mailbox, which transcended space and time. Deep down, I doubted the
validity of our special delivery system, but Ellen believed in it. “You
never know,” she said.

So while she lay in the hospital, I stared in hope at the metal box
perched on a crooked post and read my letter one last time.

To Whom It May Concern:

I know I’ve asked for things in the past that I said
were really important, but this time I’m not lying. I
swear I’ll never ask for anything else if you make this
one wish come true. Make Ellen wake up and I’ll be
forever in your debt.

Sincerely,
Lucy Burns

All I heard that night was wind sweeping through the oak tree
branches outside my bedroom window.

I tried to sleep while keeping my fingers crossed.

When I awoke the next morning, I heard my parents in the kitchen
telling Carol the incredible news. Ellen had woken in the night asking
for two things: butter-brickle ice cream and me.

Mother cried and hugged me tight. “It’s a miracle, Lucy. God’s
given us back our Ellen.”

Embarrassed that I’d chosen to put my faith elsewhere, I ran to
destroy any evidence of my desperation. I opened the dilapidated mailbox,
but the letter was gone. In its place was a small folded note.

Dear Lucy,

It’s a deal. Happy birthday. I’ll be in touch.

Sincerely,

“To Whom It May Concern”

To continue reading Chapter 1, (click here)

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Okay, now that you are at the edge of your seat and itching to read your very own copy of The Sinful Life of Lucy Burns, I am thrilled to be able to offer 1 copy to 1 lucky reader! I promise you, you will love it and rave about it to all your friends! Entering is pretty painless - nope, you don't have to sign your soul to the devil, just me! LOL, kidding, all you have to do is leave a comment below with your email address. Contest ends July 24th.