In the summer of 1975, Samuel Ryder sets off to hitchhike to the Grand Canyon where he realizes life is very good. Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona the road ahead appears to be one neverending smooth ride full of fun, adventure, and pretty women.
Late at night in a vacant hotel lobby in South Florida, decades later Sam finds himself trying to come to peace with the fact that plans do not always work out and the life you imagined is not always the life you end up living. Alone at the front desk, he writes novels and communicates via email with his wife who has left him and now runs a food truck in Colorado. The two of them alone but at the same time together, trying to work things out, trying to hold onto a marriage that has moved just out of reach.
With a sharp eye for the world around him, Sam’s memories wander through the decades of his life as a traveling salesman, husband, and father. His story takes the reader on a journey from 1960’s New Hampshire where he writes letters to his brother in Vietnam, to Boston and New York where he and his wife raise their young family during the tumultuous years at the turn of the century, to South Florida during the Great Recession.
Against the backdrop of the conflicts and anxieties of a changing world, Life Is All This is the story of a modern American family facing life’s hardships with hope, optimism, and humor while discovering that pain, loss, and distance can strengthen their love and enrich their lives.
Sheila Blanchette is the author of three novels, including Take Me Home and The Reverse Commute. All are available here
You can WIN a copy of this book! Just leave a comment below. One winner will be chosen at random and the author will contact you directly. Contest ends one week after publication.
Martha Reynolds Writes 
Sounds like an incredible story of one man’s journey through life.
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Looking forward to reading
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Reblogged this on raykanderson.
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Thank you for the extra promo, Ray.
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Here is a link to my reiview:
https://www.amazon.com/review/RXFA9FE338Q2T/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1511618949&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=283155&store=books
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Thank you for sharing your lovely review. Reviews are so hard to come by and much appreciated.
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I own and have read this marvelous story. Sheila is a remarkable writer and beautiful captures the voice of her male protagonist and his family. This book resonated deeply with me. It is one of those books that, when thinking about it long after reading, brings the emotions to the surface every time. A must read.
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Connie Ciampanelli is the best. I am fortunate to call her my friend. We met at the RI Author expo last year and she her and her husband visited the inn. Happy Thanksgiving, Connie.
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Wow, sounds like a novel about America. I would love to read more.
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It is a novel about my generation in America-seventies to the present.
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I like stories that span multiple time periods & places. Thanks for the chance.
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Thanks for posting. It spans the seventies to the present.
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Come along and enjoy the ride Sheila Blanchette takes us on in her third novel, “Life Is All This.”
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Thanks Paul. The story is a journey through the decades and several places from Florida to Denver. Lots of music too.
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I ordered one and am grateful for having 3 authors contact me for winning their books! Bless you Martha for promoting local writers and reading!
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Thanks Tom!!!! Martha is a doll. This is a wonderful promotion. Happy reading.
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