Costly, coddled canines are going missing all over the Southland. Sarah, a baking whiz and member of LA's most dynamic women's book club, The Muffia, is a soon-to-be single mom who's about to get foreclosed upon thanks to her philandering ex-husband. Her son, Nathaniel, is being bullied at science camp, his Ls sound like Ws and the only movie he'll watch is The Princess Bride. No wonder she's having trouble getting through the muffs' latest read. Sarah launches a plan to save her house while building a baking goods empire, and before too long, things start looking up--her cookies are a hit, Nathaniel's Ls are improving and she meets a handsome widower who makes her feel sexy for the first time in years. But when she foils a plot to steal the family's adopted French Bulldog and Muff Lauren's Boston Terriers go missing in the middle of her Labor Day barbecue, it's time for The Muffia to mobilize. With the assistance of a Palm Springs Magic Men Live! aficionado, a vengeful Pug owner and three Bichon Frises, the muffs set out to nab the nappers, and discover dog thieves come in surprising guises.
About the Author :
Ann Royal Nicholas is an author (The Muffia, More Muffia, Homegrown: The Terror Within, published under the pseudonym Cialan Haasnic), a journalist (LA Times, Vine Times Magazine), an essayist ("Of Wine and Men," printed in Penguin's In My Mother's Kitchen), an award-winning filmmaker (Univers'l), screenwriter (Big Bang Theory), playwright (The One You Feed, MsRememberment, Ocotillo) and actor. She's a graduate of the UCLA Writers Program, a mediator and single mom. Find out more at annroyalnicholas.com/annanicholas.com
Review :
Praise for Ann Royal Nicholas' THE MUFFIA Series
"Who can resist a book about a book club where the members refer to themselves as "Muffs"? Meet Madeleine Scott-Crane, a savvy 42-year old single mom and mediator as she and her six friends take their monthly meetings to an unconventional--and often shocking level. Nicholas's romp through suburban Los Angeles is sexy, edgy and laugh-out loud funny. With a few of life's lessons thrown in along the way, The Muffia is smart, sassy and simply irresistible--just like her heroine. A must-read.
--Hannah Dennison of The Honeychurch Hall Mysteries & The Vicky Hill Mysteries
"I just loved this book. Such a great read. It really speaks to women of all ages but especially those in their 30's and beyond. What a great surprise from a new author!"
--Ely Pouget, actor & producer. CSI, The Mentalist, The 3Tails Movie: A Mermaid Adventure
"5 Stars. Nicholas deftly walks the tightrope of the sexual landscape unfolding around her--of the young, the older and the in between."
--David Glynn - Artist
"LOVED this book. It's good, not so clean, fun. And 50 Shades of Great Writing. An empowered woman who knows not only what she wants, but who she wants, and how many times a day... I recommend it highly."
--Becca Petersen, Amazon Verified Purchaser
"A great read, couldn't put it down. The Muffia should be required reading for every book club in America. It's fun, sexy and smart. Hope this is the beginning of a series. Loved it."
--Susan Hito Shapiro, artist, filmmaker and attorney
"I didn't know what to expect when I bought my wife this book on the basis of the Godfather style font on the cover. The blurb on the back sounded sort of fun--a story about a bunch of wacky women in a book club (my wife's in a book club). I started reading it on my flight home and I have
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to say it held my attention (I'm usually reading Malcolm Gladwell or the Wall Street Journal). The Muffia is well written and that vibrator shopping chapter cracked me up. Now I'm wondering what else my wife's book club gets up to beyond reading books."
--Jeffrey Malibu, An Amazon Verified Purchaser
"The Muffia Book Club babes may talk like sailors when they meet, but they are sensible, condom-packing ladies. Soon enough, you're reading about vibrators and female sex aids, as discussed by a group of "cliterati" (the author's term, not the reviewer's), as if it were a gardening club comparing the virtues of daisies and sunflowers. The literary proposal is that of a "whodunit?" and both in flavor and presentation, The Muffia is urbane, erudite, and ironic."
--Stephen Siciliano ofSidewalk Smokers Club, Highway Scribery, Vine Voice
"Best serious love/thriller/comfort read ever! Wish I could go back in time and be those women! Their lives are serious and dark and fun!"
--Linda Mohan, Amazon Verified Purchaser
"I live in LA, where The Muffia takes place, and these women are spot on. They're so realistically drawn, that I could swear I even know a few of them personally! Very enjoyable."
--Amazon Kindle Verified Purchaser
"Ann Royal Nicholas writes in a breezy style making this the perfect beach or airplane read when you don't want anything too demanding or heavy. The Muffia is the first in a series and I can't wait to read what the smart and wacky Muff women will get up to next. I also really liked that the author and her book club are giving 10% of sales to women's causes. That's cool!"
