Audrey Beane is a New York has lost
balance in her life.  She's
overbearing.  She yells, and she's
defensive.  Confused about who she is
at age thirty-four, Audrey begins to
self-reflect, wondering - what
happened to the carefree girl she used
to be?  She wants to paint, feel the sun
on her face, and enjoy life more.

When an unexpected phone call from
Audrey's sister begs her to come back
home to Florida to tend to a family
emergency, Audrey is given a chance
to see another side of life she could
have had, including a relationship with
her one love.  Old wounds open.  
Meanwhile, her corporate account is in
chaos.  And what’s working against
Audrey behind the scenes in New York
City challenges her integrity and ethics.

Ah, but the Big Apple is a hypnotic
place, and the power and money is
good.  When Audrey’s career and
personal life collide, she is faced with
tough decisions about her future and
balancing it all.

With this funny and poignant novel,
Doreen Lewis chronicles the path of an
overworked woman who begins to take
charge of her own destiny.


    Amazon.com Top Reviewer
    A sound message of how to prioritize ones life, May 28, 2005
    By  Michael Erisman (Seattle, WA)

    In her first published book Doreen Lewis has written a story about
    how a New York advertising VP has to face the reality of her life,
    and what is important to her. What is compelling about the story is
    how accurately it depicts the "hamster-on-a-wheel" existence that
    plagues most executives. I was personally drawn to the story as I
    too find myself at times trying to better balance my life.

    worlds is exceptionally well done.
    worlds is exceptionally well done.


    When a tragedy strikes the lead character she is forced to step off
    the wheel so to speak, and this pause allows her to see a glimpse
    of the simpler life she once had, and could have again. The book
    captures the longing for meaning and purpose, and emptiness of
    climbing the ladder, with remarkable insight.

    The story is written in a novel format, and there are areas that I
    would caution readers, especially men, on. First, while I have never
    actually read one, the book at times seems to fit the caricature of
    what I imagine a "romance novel" would be like. So men be
    forewarned. The other issue is that some of the foul language
    seems a bit gratuitous, and although I imagine it's there to provide
    a dose of realism, I found some to be unnecessary.

    Overall, I would recommend this highly to anyone who enjoys
    reading quick novels, and has also struggled with trying to balance
    the demanding schedules and tempting payoffs of corporate
    America with the child inside of them that wants to really be alive
    again.

    *************************************************************************************
    ***********************************
    5 Out of 5 Stars
    Exceptional, May 21, 2005
    By  Shirley Priscilla Johnson "Author/Reviewer"


    In this outstanding work, we meet Audrey Beane. Audrey lives and
    works in New York; her life centers around her work, her
    achievements and advancements and leaves little time for lives
    small pleasures, but this is about to change.
    Faced with a family emergency, Audrey must leave her work zone
    and head to Florida where the heart of true living is about to hit her
    square in the face.
    As she struggles to deal with heartbreaking circumstances in
    Florida, a love she thought was gone forever, and a drawing within
    her she didn't know existed; her corporate world in New York is
    moving like a ticking bomb about to explode and shatter her world.
    She is soon faced with decisions that will be life-changing, will she
    make the right ones?

    Author Doreen Lewis definitely opens up the often hidden world of
    a workaholic, who buries their heart and soul in their work, often
    forgetting what life is about.
    In her storyline, she shakes this world with real life circumstances,
    heart-felt relationships and raw emotions as our main character
    collides with life, bringing her to a abrupt stop.
    This is a wonderful read, that is certainly true to life with an ending
    that will leave you with a smile. Recommended.

    *************************************************************************************
    ****************************************
    4 out of 5 Stars
    Emotional and heart-felt, May 4, 2005
    By  booksforabuck "BooksForABuck.com" (Dallas)



    When her father takes a turn for the worse, Audrey's plans to head
    back to New York immediately are put on hold. Meanwhile, in her
    office, politics, illicit love, and greed continue. And Audrey spends
    time with Roger--falling in love with him all over again. But has
    anything really changed? Aren't their needs just as divergent as
    ever?

    Audrey can't get Roger out of her mind when she returns to New
    York--and tries to clean up the mess that her absence created.
    Still, can she give up everything just to return to her man?

    Author Doreen Lewis writes an emotional and heart-felt story of a
    woman coming of age. The death of her father and the recovery of
    her long-lost love force her to confront the choices she made years
    before and question them. I would have liked to see a bit more of
    Audrey actually painting and exploring alternatives to the
    advertising world, and would really have liked to see more of Roger
    being willing to make some sacrifices of his own rather than simply
    demanding that Audrey give up her life if she wanted to spend time
    with him (couldn't he have offered to move to New York? It wasn't
    as if he had major attachments to Florida). Also, I found the
    multiple arguments between Audrey and Roger to be off-putting.

    In HER BACKYARD, Lewis explores questions that everyone must
    ask as they grow in maturity. Lewis's answers, as expressed
    through Audrey, ring true in a world where pursuit of stuff often
    seems to take priority over pursuit of joy.

    *************************************************************************************
    ********************************************
    4 out of 5 Stars
    A Great Debut Novel, June 1, 2005
    By  Rian Montgomery "ChickLitBooks.com" (Nashua, NH United
    States)


    If you have ever gotten so involved with your present life and job
    that you wake up one day and realize that you have become a
    completely different person than you ever wanted to be, you will be
    able to identify with this novel.

    When the book starts out, Audrey is living in the great city of New
    York. She has a tiny but tastefully decorated apartment, and a
    tough, demanding but well-paying job as a business manager,
    complete with hellish hours and rude boss. Audrey is generally
    happy, but discontent at her corporate life gnaws at her from time
    to time. One night, at a company dinner party she is hosting,
    Audrey discovers that her coworkers think she is cold and kind of
    mean. Audrey gets pretty upset, knowing this isn't the life for her.
    What has she become? And what can she do? Then a phone call
    from her sister Ava back home in Florida comes through - it turns
    out their father is very ill, and Audrey needs to fly home immediately.

    Audrey puts her New York life on hold and flies home. She is
    immediately absorbed into her sister's wonderful family and the
    sadness of her father's condition. Audrey soon discovers that
    maybe she shouldn't have left so many things behind... Such as her
    loving sister, her ex-boyfriend (an old flame that is still burning),
    and her father, who doesn't seem to have long. She also finds that
    she has been missing the peace of mind she gets in the beautiful,
    quiet place she grew up in. And when eventually she is faced with a
    difficult choice, she has to decide what she truly wants... either to
    continue clawing her way up the corporate ladder (complete with
    the high salary and status it comes with), or the love of her life and
    the simplicity she has so long craved.

    Her Backyard was a great read. It was absorbing, touching at
    times, funny and sometimes uplifting, and just plain a darn good
    read. Audrey was a wonderful main heroine - she had flaws that
    many will be able to identify with, but at the same time had a
    definite strength.

    Her Backyard has all the ingredients of an outstanding chick lit
    book: a character going through job angst, uncertainty in life,
    romance, and family issues. The only downside to this book was
    that it seemed to be drawn out longer than it needed to be.

    Overall, I recommend this book. It left me with a smile on my face,
    and I don't doubt it will do the same to others!
Read an Excerpt!
Click Here
BOOK REVIEWS:
Her Backard by Doreen Lewis.
doreenlewis.com