Get it at Amazon.com

Years ago, I sold skin care and cosmetics for one of those companies that hosts parties at women’s houses. You’ve been to one. I’m sure you have. I’m also sure that you’ve avoided some of those parties, whether they be for fabulous scent burners, toys, cookware, decorative bags, or even clothing. Yeah, admit it. I will.

Granted, I’ve acquired some of my favorite products from these parties. I have two great baking pans that I plan to will to one of my children. Some of the casual clothes I’ve bought through home parties still fit me and are weekend favorites. The gatherings were always fun and usually featured, if not wine, yummy appetizers. These highlight the positive parts of product parties.

On my way out the door to these parties, I would tell my husband that I would only buy one thing, just one. Most of the time, I kept to that promise. Sometimes, the saleslady had just the thing that we’d planned to buy anyway. That meant I got more than one product. I’d go away feeling happy. But, there were always the parties where I wanted nothing offered, where I couldn’t justify buying anything. I was ready to walk out the door, when the saleslady cornered me. This particular one happened to be the pushy kind, the in-yo-face lady.

Y’all, I lied, saying I had to get my checkbook from the car. “I left it in the console. Just a moment.” The woman watched me go to my car, and if I had the guts to drive away, I think she would have followed me. Honest. She would have jogged beside the car shoving a product in the window.

Did you predict that I wasn’t brave? You’d be right. I came back inside, grabbed the catalog and pointed at a page like I’d known all along what I would get. I ended up with a scarf that I never wear, because scarves add bulk, and I don’t like bulk around my neck unless it if below freezing outside. Luckily, I live in New Orleans, so that rarely happens.

That inclination to buy something, anything, is one of the inspirations for Party Favors, except the pressure is an imagined one from the main character’s friends. C’mon! You have to come away from those parties with some favor. Dani certainly did, but the repercussions of buying it led her in a direction she didn’t think she’d take.

This post is in celebration of Party Favors being available on Amazon.com for Kindle readers. Get yourself some Party Favors. I’m pretty sure you’ll like it.