Drowning in Paper Flowers: A Novel

THE LIE: Ruby Powell is the epitome of perfect. She is beautiful, prominent, and wealthy. She lives in her dream home in the most affluent neighborhood in Dallas. She's a doting mother, a devoted wife, and a respected member of her community. She takes pride in being the president of both the PTA for her son’s elementary school, and the Booster Club for her daughter’s high school soccer team. Her kids adore her, and her husband is still her best friend after eighteen years of marriage.

THE TRUTH: Ruby Powell is a full-figured, middle-aged housewife, living in a house she’s grown to despise. She’s a subpar mother. She detests her husband. And she’s addicted to anti-anxiety pills due to a recurring nightmare. She volunteers at both of her children’s schools, albeit for appearance’s sake only—because what would it look like if she were a stay-at-home mom who didn’t volunteer? Her teenage daughter loathes her, and her six-year-old son suffers from PTSD, due to being the victim of a kidnapping when he was a toddler.

What happens when Ruby is no longer able to separate the truth from the lie?

A nightmare.

An affair.

A dead body.

A lifelong secret.

And the ending you never saw coming.