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Whitney Gaskell (born 1972) is an American author of eight comedic novels published by
Bantam Books Bantam Books is an American publishing house owned entirely by parent company Random House, a subsidiary of Penguin Random House; it is an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. It was formed in 1945 by Walter B. Pitkin, Jr., Sidney B. ...
.


Biography

Whitney Gaskell was born on February 8, 1972 in
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy *Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' *Province of Syracuse United States * Syracuse, New York ** East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
. She attended
Jamesville-DeWitt High School Jamesville-DeWitt High School (JDHS) is a New York state public education facility located in the town of DeWitt, serving high school students (grades 9–12) in the Jamesville-Dewitt Central School District. Notable alumni * Buddy Boeheim, p ...
, and earned her
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four yea ...
degree from
Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...
in 1994. She then attended
Tulane Law School Tulane University Law School is the law school of Tulane University. It is located on Tulane's Uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Established in 1847, it is the 12th oldest law school in the United States. In addition to the usual comm ...
, where she was a member of the ''
Tulane Law Review The ''Tulane Law Review'', a publication of the Tulane University Law School, was founded in 1916, and is currently published five times annually. The Law Review has an international circulation and is one of few American law reviews carried by ...
''. She served for two years as a law clerk to Paul Womack of the
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals (CCA) is the court of last resort for all criminal matters in Texas. The Court, which is based in the Supreme Court Building in Downtown Austin, is composed of a Presiding Judge and eight judges. Article V of ...
, and practiced briefly as a litigator before publishing her first novel, ''Pushing 30'', in 2003. Gaskell is represented by the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Gaskell is also the author of the ''Geek High'' series of
young adult novels Young adult fiction (YA) is a category of fiction written for readers from 12 to 18 years of age. While the genre is primarily targeted at adolescents, approximately half of YA readers are adults. The subject matter and genres of YA correlate ...
published by
Penguin Books Penguin Books is a British publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.

''True Love (and Other Lies)'' (2004)

Travel writer Claire Spencer is seated next to an attractive man, Jack, on a flight from New York to London. She is surprised when he asks her out on a date, since she considers herself to be unattractive because of her unusual height. She is skeptical, but soon finds herself happy at how fast their relationship is moving. While in London, on assignment for ''Sassy Seniors!'' magazine, Claire is also looking forward to seeing her best friend, Maddy, whom men have always found to be extremely attractive. For the first time in Maddy's trouble-free life, she has just been dumped. Claire then discovers that Maddy's ex-boyfriend is Jack. Claire struggles with the moral dilemma of finally having met what seems to be the perfect guy, but betraying her best friend.


''She Myself & I'' (2005)

The three Cassel sisters have little in common. Paige, the oldest, is a divorce attorney reeling from her own failed marriage. Middle sister Sophie is having trouble adjusting to life as a wife and expectant mother. Mickey, the youngest, is a medical student has an unorthodox plan for her future that will upset her family. The novel also concerns the sisters' parents who, despite their bitter divorce, have begun dating each other again. The novel follows the relationship and career difficulties of each of the three sisters, and their ultimate reconciliation as a family.


''Testing Kate'' (2006)

Kate Bennett has played by the rules her whole life, but has been troubled by extraordinary bad luck. Orphaned while in college, Kate handled her loss by graduating with honors and acquiring a secure job and a dependable boyfriend. But as her thirtieth birthday approaches, Kate makes the unexpected and atypical decision to take a risk—she quits her job, breaks up with her long-term boyfriend, and drives across the country for her first year at Tulane Law School. Kate finds her life turned upside down by a sadistic law professor. She also finds that, for the first time in her life, there are two men who want to marry her. The novel follows Kate's decision to change her lifelong pattern of playing it safe.


''Mommy Tracked'' (2007)

''Mommy Tracked'' concerns four women—Anna, Grace, Juliet, and Chloe—who, despite their comfortable lives in the idyllic town of Orange Cove, Florida, struggle with balancing the challenges of motherhood. Anna is a divorced mother of a two-year-old son, and a career as a restaurant critic, but is afraid of reentering the dating scene. Grace has three beautiful daughters and the perfect husband, but becomes increasingly obsessed with her excess weight. Juliet is an ambitious lawyer eager to make partner at her law firm, while her husband stays home with their twins. Juliet finds herself attracted to a colleague. Chloe is a new mother, but her husband seems indifferent to parenting their son. Chloe is so overwhelmed that she begins compulsively shoplifting.
Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is av ...
described ''Mommy Tracked'' as "poignant, funny, and peppered with snappy dialogue."


''Good Luck'' (2008)

Lucy Parker wins the lottery on the worst day of her life—she discovers that her boyfriend is cheating on her, and that her career as a high school teacher is derailed by a false allegation of sexual impropriety with a student. The lottery winnings and allegation of misconduct combine to put Lucy in the center of a media frenzy. Lucy escapes her chaotic life by fleeing to Palm Beach and staying with an old friend from college. While living in a tropical paradise with other millionaires, Lucy acquires a new hair color, a new social set, and enough anonymity to put her notoriety behind her. Soon she's courted by two men who don’t know her history. As Lucy begins to envision a new life for herself, the tabloid press catches up with her. The novel follows Lucy's struggles to return to a normal life and rediscover her values.


''When You Least Expect It'' (2010)

The novel concerns India and Jeremy Halloway, a young happily married couple with creative careers, living a remodeled bohemian cottage in a historic West Palm Beach neighborhood. Despite their comfortable lives, they desperately want to start a family. After two years of failed fertility treatments, they are cash-strapped and no closer to parenthood. They begin to look into adoption. Lainey Walker dreams of moving to Los Angeles and becoming a reality-TV star. But when she has an unexpected pregnancy, she finds herself homeless and alone when her unsupportive boyfriend kicks her out of their apartment. The Halloways and Lainey are matched through an adoption agency, but Lainey's lack of stable housing poses a problem. India proposes an unorthodox solution—that for the duration of her pregnancy, Lainey will move into the small back-house that serves as Jeremy's home office. The novel follows the difficulties of the planned adoption as the three live in close quarters with one another.


''Table for Seven'' (2013)

''Table for Seven'' is a novel about a group of friends who take turns hosting the Table for Seven Dinner Party Club—a monthly lavish dinner party. Founding members Fran and Will Parrish face the possibility that their comfortable marriage may not be as infallible as they once thought. Audrey is a young widow struggling with the difficulties of moving on. Jaime is a perfectionist who suspects that her husband, Mark, might be having an affair. Coop is a flirtatious bachelor who unexpectedly falls in love for the first time in his life. Leland, an elderly widower, is a retired judge who offers the younger members the benefit of his experience. The novel is divided into 12 chapters, each concerning one meeting of the monthly club. Over the course of a year, each of the seven main characters faces a life-altering challenge.


References


Sources


Profile of Whitney Gaskell at Syracuse.com

Whitney Gaskell at Random House

Author Page for Whitney Gaskell at Goodreads.com



Interview at Bookreporter.com

Interview at Chicklitbooks.com


External links


Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaskell, Whitney 1972 births Living people 21st-century American novelists American women novelists American chick lit writers American women lawyers Tulane University Law School alumni Writers from Syracuse, New York 21st-century American women writers People from DeWitt, New York Novelists from New York (state) Lawyers from Syracuse, New York