Happy Sunday everyone! My favorite day of the week because it’s the day I spend with my church family. Family is important, and lately I’ve been thinking about what makes up a family. We all do really, as believers in Christ. Each time I host someone on the blog, I’m honored to call them my brother or sister in Christ. Today I’m excited to have Rosey Lee here talking about her book, Beautiful, Complicated Family!
Beautiful, Complicated Family vol. 1 & vol. 2 by Rosey Lee
Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 1 and Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 2 explore the connections that can hold people together or tear them apart.
The stories in this collection capture struggles that are common in today’s families—secrets, mother-daughter conflicts, coping with aging family members, and a more subtle question of what makes a family.
The issues will seem familiar to you, but there are unexpected twists when you least expect them. The relatable characters and endings may pull at your heartstrings, so don’t be surprised if you laugh or cry along the way.
Like most families, the relationships in this uplifting collection consist of intricate elements. Sometimes things get messy, but it’s always beautiful.
Each volume contains five flash fiction stories (very short stories of 1000 words or less each). Read each story in about 5 minutes and get Volume 2 of the collection for free using a link within Volume 1.
One of the reasons I’ve enjoyed writing the first two books in the Beautiful, Complicated Family series is that it’s allowed me to write about a familiar place. I grew up in a close-knit, Baptist church in the South, and it seems I was always at church. I attended Sunday School, church service, and Baptist Training Union sessions on Sundays and frequently returned during the week for prayer service, Bible study, and meetings of the Junior Usher group. On Saturdays, I worked with my aunt as part of the cleaning staff. During the summers, I also attended Vacation Bible School and volunteered on Wednesdays when lunch was served to people who were experiencing food insecurity.
Even though I moved away years ago, it’s still home. And I refer to the people in my church as my church family. My church helped me to embrace a broad definition of family early in my life. And it’s provided an extended family with deep connections that have allowed us to support each other through everything from health emergencies to natural disasters. Many of those connections were strengthened through volunteer activities and social gatherings that took place at the church. I have many fond memories of events in our church’s kitchen and fellowship hall, including the tea luncheon and Thanksgiving luncheon that the Beautification Ministry hosted each spring and fall, respectively. The food was always delicious, and the decorations were always tastefully elegant. These experiences informed “Christmas Eve Dinner”, a story in Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 2. I don’t want to spoil the story, so I won’t reveal much about the plot here. But I will tell you that it takes place in a church.
Are you curious about my flash fiction collection yet? I hope so. Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 1 is available for free from several ebook retailers. An updated list is available on my website. If you like it, please subscribe to my website or use the link in Volume 1 to get Beautiful, Complicated Family: Volume 2 for free. If you prefer, it’s also available for purchase from ebook retailers.
Rosey Lee writes uplifting fiction stories about family and friendship. A native of the Westbank of New Orleans, Louisiana, Rosey is a fan of good food and a good time. As a child, she dreamed of a career in writing, fashion design, and acting. She uses the pen name Rosey Lee as she pursues her passion for writing. Her alter ego is a physician who has dedicated her career to individual and community-based approaches to health equity. She enjoys cooking, flower arranging, listening to live music, and occasional bursts of fanatical bargain shopping.
Rosey’s flash fiction has appeared in Necessary Fiction, Bending Genres, Barren Magazine, Turnpike Magazine, The Wellington Street Review, and elsewhere. Her work has also been nominated for the 2019 Best of the Net anthology. Connect with her at roseyleebooks.com and @roseyleebooks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Rosey Lee is hosting a giveaway for an Amazon Fire HD 8 Tablet, 16 GB (US only) OR a $50 gift card to a vendor of the winner’s choice (Outside US only). There will be one winner (randomly selected on the last day of the tour via Rafflecopter).
a Rafflecopter giveawayClick above to follow the tour and learn more about Rosey!
Thank you for this wonderful review. I love these books! They really do carry you away. 🙂