Jolene McQueen Sails Away

QUERYING SOON… Upmarket fiction novel, JOLENE McQUEEN SAILS AWAY (76,000 words)

When a former cult member nearing forty enters a standup contest on a cruise as an excuse to confront the charismatic leader who derailed her life, she risks losing her daughter, her family, and the fragile identity she’s spent years repairing. Complete at 76,000 words, JOLENE McQUEEN SAILS AWAY combines the coarse humor of Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One with the messiness of motherhood in Margo’s Got Money Troubles, and the reckless creative ambition of HBO’s Hacks.

The universe talks to Jolene McQueen. It always has. So, when she’s caught squatting in the mansion where she used to dog-sit on the same day that her ex-cult leader invites her on a Caribbean cruise hosted by their favorite 90s band, she takes it as a sign that her life is about to change. As an amateur stand-up in New Orleans, Jolene is ecstatic to learn of a comedy contest with a $ 1,000 cash prize on the ship, and she rationalizes opening a new line of credit, constructing a web of lies, and ignoring every red flag to secure a ticket and face her fears.

 Leaving her five-year-old daughter in the care of her dependable sister, Jolene embarks on her life-changing adventure full of expectations. The stars seem to align at first, but when she parties too hard and clashes publicly with her former cult leader, Jolene’s comedy dreams are on the rocks. She prays to the goddesses that this contest opportunity will somehow be her big break, but with a sick kid at home and no way to get back, she senses this relentless pursuit of her dreams will finally break her.