The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow

Chosen by Barbara Kingsolver for the Bellwether Prize, this coming-of-age story is part mystery, part love story by a writer to watch.

$22.95

Hardcover

When people ask me how long it took to write the book, I answer: " Six years, 12 years, or 39!" Let me explain the 12 years answer--I started the book in 1997 when I left my job as a corporate lawyer. But at the same time, I started acting school and pursued an acting career. It's hard to write--a solitary activity--and act. I was always taking classes, or preparing for an audition, or working out to make sure I was thin enough for the audition. (The one thing the two pursuits had in common was the crushing and repeated rejection!) In any event, I had a good run there for a stretch. I did a few way-way-off Broadway shows, founded and performed with an awesome group of women improvisers called the Mobichicks (see photo left), and I co-starred in an independent feature film, Au Pair Chocolat. I played the spoiled buppie princess, the villian to singer Maya Azucena's sweet Harlem girl. (If you don't know her music, you should!) The family-friendly film made the film festival circuit but never the big time. But I noticed that Amazon is now selling Au Pair Chocolat on DVD. If you chance to see it, let me know what you think of my hair in the smoking scene. The make-up artist and hairdresser quit that day. You can tell. I learned how to blow dry my hair straight all on my own after that!

Check out the whole list of Fun Facts on my Website.  Counting down from one hundred.