Author Unveils Novel Based on Song by Neo-Soul Artist Erykah Badu

ANTIOCH, IL – May 9, 2006 — What do you get when the theme of Erykah Badu’s song, Bag Lady, encounters the imagination of author, Alethea Pascascio? Bag Lady, the novel (Queen Publications, $14.95). And any novel named after an Erykah Badu song must be good.

This novel as well as the song addresses the difficult task of moving beyond the pain of our past into the positive possibilities of our future.

Badu’s song starts by telling women to hold on to themselves instead of their baggage. She goes on to inform them they can’t get anywhere because too much stuff is weighing them down. Then in no uncertain terms Ms. Badu’s melodious voice emphatically resounds that women’s baggage acts as a man repellent- it causes them to take off running.

In Pascascio’s novel, Faith Donnovan is a woman at the mercy of her past. Haunted by the dysfunction of her childhood, Faith finds that her compulsive behavior lands her in a series of bad relationships. It will take her almost three decades to begin the self-healing process that brings not only strength but the ability to make better choices. The story demonstrates how the affects of baggage from the past serves to destroy or hinder positive progression into the future.

“After writing the novel,” Pascascio said today, “I changed the title at least three times but I still wasn’t satisfied. I wanted the title to accurately depict the story. Then one day, some of the lyrics to Erykah Badu’s Bag Lady came to mind and I became elated. I couldn’t believe that the theme of her song fit my main character so perfectly. I knew immediately what the title had to be. Although, the song was released in 2000, the message is timeless. It’s as applicable today as it was six years ago.”

This novel will touch the lives of men and women who are still coping with issues from the past and provide insight into the freedom and well-being that will be experienced after unloading the ruinous baggage that has held them down.

"Bag Lady" can be ordered from Amazon.com and bookstores everywhere.

Alethea Pascascio, an Illinois resident, is available for book events or speaking engagements. For more information, an interview or press review copies, contact: Alethea Pascascio (214)274-7745 Email: Alethea@queenpublications.com.

For more information, visit www.queenpublications.com
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