Early Readers Sing the Praises of THE HAPPY HOUR CHOIR

“Kilpatrick mixes loss and devastation with hope and a little bit of Southern charm. She will leave the reader laughing through tears. This is an incredible start from a promising storyteller.” – RT Book Reviews, 4.5 of 5 Stars

Atlanta, Ga. – On April 28, 2015, Kensington Books will release The Happy Hour Choir, the debut novel of Atlanta author Sally Kilpatrick. The Happy Hour Choir features protagonist Beulah Land, a woman whose past as an unwed teen mother distances her from God and the church located just across the road from her job as a piano player for the town’s only bar. However, circumstances force Beulah to take over the choir at County Line Methodist, putting her at odds with the church’s new minister, Luke Daniels, and certain members of the congregation who disapprove of the motley crew of singers that Beulah has recruited from the bar.

RT Book Reviews writes, “It is hard to believe that this is Kilpatrick’s debut novel. The characters are honest, lively and heartfelt. Beulah deals with a number of relatable challenges. No character is wasted, and they remind the reader that anything worth having is not easy. A good takeaway is that family is what we create, not restricted to bloodlines.” Early versions of The Happy Hour Choir garnered Kilpatrick a number of accolades; she won the River City Romance Writers’ “Duel on the Delta” contest and was a finalist for the Maggie Awards for Excellence and the 2012 Golden Heart® Awards. Kilpatrick, a longtime member of Romance Writers of America (RWA), currently presides over its Georgia Romance Writers chapter.

On Saturday, May 2, 2015, Kilpatrick will celebrate the publication of The Happy Hour Choir with a book launch party from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at Gabriel‘s Desserts. Kilpatrick wrote large portions of the novel over the course of several visits to Gabriel’s for a cup of coffee and a muffin. Another local small business, Book Exchange Marietta, will be selling copies of The Happy Hour Choir, which Kilpatrick will sign at the May 2 event. Anyone pre-ordering the book from Book Exchange Marietta before it releases on April 28 will receive a free The Happy Hour Choir pint glass at the launch party. To pre-order the book or RSVP for the book launch party, call Book Exchange Marietta at 770-427-4848.

Born and raised in West Tennessee, Kilpatrick currently lives with her husband and two children in Marietta. Learn more at her author website: sallykilpatrick.com. She also tweets as @SuperWriterMom.