YOU TAKE IT FROM HERE

An honest, hilarious and heartbreaking novel that ultimately asks: How much should we actually sacrifice for the ones we love the most?

On the heels of a divorce while juggling the demands of life-coaching L.A.’s craziest families, all Danielle Meyers wants is a vacation with her sassy, Southern, life-long best friend, Smidge—complete with umbrella cocktails by an infinity pool. But it turns out Smidge’s plans involve neither cruise ships nor piña coladas: she’s got an itinerary set for the rest of her life, one that is quickly and unfairly coming to an end. Smidge unexpectedly reveals a diagnosis of terminal cancer, followed by an unusual last request. “After I’m gone, I want you to come in and finish the job, Danielle. Marry my husband. Raise my daughter. But we can never tell them this was the plan. I’m gonna teach you how to be me. You’re gonna be Smidge 2.0.” Smidge’s small town Louisiana world is one in fierce opposition to what Danielle has chosen for herself. Besides the overwhelming responsibility of raising a daughter who just stepped foot into the miserable world of being a teenager, Danielle isn’t one for playing the social butterfly, nor being the center of attention. She can’t even make Smidge’s famous lemon bars! As Danielle wrestles with her decision while keeping Smidge’s secret hidden, she finds herself torn between being true to her best friend’s wishes and being honest with herself. Because the bottom line is: when your best friend is setting you up on a date with her husband, it might be time to step up and become the bossy one for a change. Pamela Ribon has written for several television comedies, most notably the Emmy Award-winning Samantha Who?. A national bestselling author, Pamela has adapted her popular novels for both film and television. She was an Oprah.com contributor and was also a flagship contributor to TelevisionWithoutPity.com. Using her loyal Internet fan base, Ribon sponsors book drives for libraries in need at DeweyDonationSystem.org. Visit her at www.pamie.com.