Framingham Swim Team

Hi - Below is an email from Leanne Neil Reilly, one of our swim team parents. Her debut novel was recently published, and if you decide to buy it, 25% of the list price will go back to our team. Please read below for a message from her, with more detailed information.

Some of you know that my debut novel, The Mermaid’s Pendant, came out this past April. I’ve arranged with Paul Ashton, the owner of Annie’s Book Stop in the Nobscot Shopping Center, to host a fundraising event for the Framingham Frogs. Paul will donate 25% of the list price to the team and I will be at Annie’s on Saturday, July 31 from 2-4 to sign copies. For those of you looking for a summer read—especially during championships—this is a great way to help a local independent bookstore as well as support the Frogs. Since Annie’s generally sells used paperbacks, we’ll need a fairly accurate count of the number of copies to order for the event. Please email me at lnealreilly@gmail.com or call Paul at 508-877-1891 to reserve your copy. Deadline for preordering is next Saturday, July 17 by 6 p.m.

Here’s the copy from the back cover of The Mermaid’s Pendant, which The Midwest Book Review calls “a beautifully crafted fantasy that shows much symbolism and wisdom”: Inspired by the beloved classic The Little Mermaid, THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a modern fairy tale about growing up and discovering who you are -- and what you believe in. At times lyrical, this novel is a fantastic journey filled with magic, myth, romance, and adventure. Four years after John Wilkerson claims the mermaid Tamarind for his wife, they have an idyllic marriage that depends on a talisman that she crafted on their island paradise. But Tamarind learns a painful truth: it takes more than legs to live on land and more than magic to sustain a bond. When the talisman breaks, she and John are forced to rely on themselves instead of magic. Three wise women play key roles in the young lovers' journey to mature love. Ana, Tamarind's aging mentor, casts spells and performs seductions to keep the lovers apart. Valerie, an ex-pat jewelry maker cum fairy godmother, works her own magic to bring them together. Lucy, their widowed neighbor, grounds the couple in the realities of marriage, parenting, and family. THE MERMAID'S PENDANT is a story for anyone who has ever believed in the transforming power of love. ant to know more about The Mermaid’s Pendant? Visit www.nealreilly.com to see a book trailer and videos of me reading or read an excerpt and a longer review from Dan Porter, a GoodReads librarian. I volunteer at the snack bar and will bring a copy for anyone wanting to look at during this week’s home meet against Needham on Tuesday.