SAN PEDRO, Calif., January 31, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Small town life is usually portrayed as secure, community-oriented and untroubled. But often, small towns demonstrate the same problems experienced by bigger cities, just on a smaller scale. Septuagenarian author Arlene Spector offers readers a glimpse into the lives of small town residents in her entertaining new book Miranda's Muse (now available from 1stBooks Library).
Protagonist Miranda Lamm is truly a woman of the new millennium, healthy, vibrant, witty and independent. Miranda and her husband, Joseph purchase the rundown Dos Hermanas Diner, renovate it and rename it Miranda's Cafe. It quickly becomes the social center of town. Miranda's excellent and inventive cuisine, combined with her Saturday night story hour creates an irresistible combination.
Miranda feels a keen sense of responsibility to see that her restaurant and storytelling do not end with her retirement. She holds the "Dos Hermanas Story Contest," as a proving ground for possible proteges. Readers hear the voices of the finalists: a Native American woman, a retired kindergarten teacher, a registered nurse and a highway patrolman.
However, some unexpected consequences of the contest raise serious concerns for Miranda and the townsfolk. Two local citizens are wrongfully accused of witchcraft. Skinheads attack Miranda, but, luckily, an unusual ally defends her. But can she find a protege soon enough?
Author Arlene Spector was born in the Bronx and educated at N.Y.U. After teaching for two years, Spector took time off to be a full-time mom. Later, she became a career counselor and co-founder of The Women's Career Center at Middlesex College, developing seminars in effective communication skills for local corporations. Although this is her first novel, Arlene's poetry has been published in three anthologies. She and her husband reside in San Pedro, Calif.
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