"PJ Colando writes with uncommon heart, humor and pathos to artfully reveal the foibles and the dignity of the human spirit." - Baron R. Birtcher, LA Times best-selling author of A Fistful of Rain and the forthcoming title, Reckoning,
“The Winner’s Circle by PJ Colando is a delight. Three women, one more quirky than the next, negotiate a humorous setup that pays off in the most satisfying ways possible. Like the old maxim says, ‘Writing drama is easy; Writing humor is hard’, but Colando pulls it off with aplomb and panache. In these dark times, it helps to have writers like PJ Colando letting some of the light back into life.” ~Jeff Lyons, Author, Anatomy of a Premise Line: How to Master Premise and Story Development for Writing Success
“Everything PJ writes in funny!” –Amy Wallen, author of When We Were Ghouls, Moonpies and Movie Stars, Associate Director of the New York State Summer Writers Institute
“As tasty as apple pie, this slice of Americana is sumptuous! And, the pie is stuffed with oodles of cash! Read The Winner’s Circle and ponder how you’d spend a half-billion bucks…” -Holly Kammier, best-selling author of Kingston Court
“Motivated by faith, lust, and money (lotto money), three kick-ass church ladies from the land of Hellman’s and Velveeta head ‘Down Under’ for a high-octane pursuit of life, liberty, and pursuit of the Americana dream. In The Winner’s Circle, PJ Colando combines her Midwestern roots with her keen wit for a heady cocktail of hilarity, sin, and redemption.” - Maddie Margarita, organizer of LIT-UP OC and author of the forthcoming book, Hit Me!
“Heartfelt and delightful! Prepare to become addicted to funny, funny prose, Like the heroine, you’ll win the lottery with The Winner’s Circle.”- Chris Lentz, author of My Friend Marilyn
“The Baby Boomer generation rides in THE WINNER’S CIRCLE, a funny, observant, and poignant romp from gifted author PJ Colando. A Boffo Lotto windfall, in the mega millions, results in Vegas nuptials, high-end globetrotting, and money grabbers galore, as well as time-honored life lessons. Loved this book! 5 stars!” -Laura Taylor, six-time Romantic Times award winner and editorial consultant.
“Witty and fun! Get ready for an adventure…” - Jessica Therrien, best-selling author of the Children of the Gods series
“Join the endearing, intrepid folks from Michigan for the trip of a lifetime. The Winner's Circle is a riotous romp."-Larry Porricelli, President of the Southern California Writers Association
2019-02-03
Colando (Hashes & Bashes, 2016, etc.) tells the story of three friends, one of whom has just won the lottery, in the third novel in her Faith, Family, Frenzy! series.
Fran Blackstone Rankin recently married a pastor named Paul. One night, she gets a nighttime call from her friend Bonnie Voss asking her to watch the lottery results on TV to see if Bonnie's numbers won; she can't watch it herself because she's currently driving to Las Vegas to elope with her boyfriend, Carl Edwards. When Fran informs Bonnie that she has, in fact, won $536 million, Carl convinces her to head back to Michigan to get legal advice and come up with a plan. On the way, Bonnie calls Jackie Breeden, her responsible friend. She's been married to Carl's half brother, Steve, since they were both just out of high school—although she's getting a bit bored of life on the dairy farm that they operate with their 31-year-old son, Brandon. Jackie convinces Bonnie to think bigger; after a wedding in Vegas (with her dear friends present), she and the group will head off to Hawaii to enjoy some of her money, far from the confines of their Midwestern lives. As it turns out, however, the riches and travels may disrupt a lot more than their small-town boredom. Throughout this novel, Colando's prose is energetic in style and often musical in tone, displaying a keen awareness of image and rhythm: "Virtual snapshots shuffled, blackjack fast, and whizzed past Jackie's visual field." However, it can get a bit too cute at times, as when Jackie contemplates telling her husband about Bonnie's win: "How to share this world-tilting news with Steve would come to her while she peeled potatoes. A spud-bred plan for my stud." Overall, though, the novel proves to be fun and low-stakes in a way that makes it a perfectly suitable read for a relaxing weekend.
A stylish, comic tale about unexpected changes in life.
