Cicada Summer - Release Day Review & Giveaway

Review by Darcie Czajkowski

Alex Proctor sees the beauty in the ugly, rundown, and abandoned. Through this lens, she is able to renovate dilapidated houses and turn them into warm, lively homes. As Alex tackles her latest project, a century-old house along tranquil Lake Geneva, she finds herself revisiting her past and addressing buried feelings of loss from her marriage that she hasn’t been able to release herself from. Four years ago, when her marriage was falling apart, Alex could only see its brokenness. But was it actually worth saving?

Throughout the remodel process, Alex grapples with the stress of uncertainty that attends renovation projects while she investigates the history of the former residents of the house, one of whom is connected with the house’s elderly neighbor, Elsie.

Will Alex find a satisfying resolution to her personal life along the journey of restoring this historical property?

In “Cicada Summer,” Maureen Leurck explores some common challenges that individuals face after going through a divorce, including custody arrangements, unresolved feelings, and new love interests. A central theme in this story is rejuvenation and rebirth. These concepts are logical when one thinks of remodeling a house. But they be applicable in life as well. This book will resonate with lovers of HGTV programs as well as readers who can relate to the struggle to reconcile past loss with his or her vision for the future.

Purchase the book at:

Amazon * Barnes&Noble

12 Things About Maureen Leurck

1.      Like Alex in Cicada Summer, I believe in second chances.

2.     Restoring and renovating an old house is one of my bucket list items. I have the show Rehab Addict to thank for that.

3.     I grew up vacationing in the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin area and it’s my happy place. There is simply nothing better than sitting on a pier, looking out onto the water on a beautiful summer day.

4.    I went to Australia for my honeymoon, where I almost got my finger bitten off by a wallaby. (I would still love to go back!)

5.     My favorite book is Beach Music by Pat Conroy.

6.    My favorite movie is Sixteen Candles. Without even realizing the connection, I named my sons Jake and Ryan. The pull of the John Hughes vortex is apparently very, very strong.

7.     The last time we had a cicada summer in Chicago, I was eight months pregnant with my first child and less than thrilled about the bugs flying all over in the summer heat.

8.    I wrote Cicada Summer right after I had my third child, often typing scenes while nursing at three in the morning.

9.    I have a black thumb and unwittingly kill almost every green thing I come into contact with, including the “impossible-to-destroy” vinca in my front yard.

10. I love scary movies, and my favorite is the original Halloween with Jamie Lee Curtis.

11.  I learned every curse word from going to Blackhawks hockey games as a child.

12. I have a seventeen year old cat named Tinkerbell who still steals my breakfast every morning. 

About the author:

Maureen Leurck graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and three children. She escapes up to Wisconsin for a good fish fry as often as possible.

Connect with the author at:

Website * Facebook * Twitter

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Cicada Summer by Maureen Leurck

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