The Queen Gene

They're back!In a follow-up to Tales From the Crib, Jennifer Coburn brings readers into the wacky world of Lucy Klein and her hilariously dysfunctional family. After selling her home in the suburbs, Lucy decides to pursue her lifelong dream of starting an arts community in the Berkshire Mountains. She envisions a creative oasis where struggling painters, sculptors and musicians visit from around the world. But the dream soon becomes a nightmare when the artists arrive and not a single one can create anything -- except trouble, that is. To make matters worse, Lucy's ultra-high-maintenance mother, Anjoli is singularly focused on finding a holistic cure for her teacup Chihuahua's obsessive compulsive, hair-pulling disorder. Rebirthing, acupuncture and white light therapy just aren't helping poor little Paz. But Anjoli soon has new problems to contend with, like the NYU sorority house going up across the street from her.Then there's Lucy's gorgeous cousin Kimmy who recently married herself in a dress made of disco ball mirrors, and now wants to get pregnant with Ivy League sperm. Deciding sperm banks have too many rules, she decides to go about things the old fashion way -- with a roundtrip train ticket to Princeton and a change of panties in her designer purse.Lest we forget about Lucy's 84-year-old Aunt Bernice who is grieving the loss of her sister who recently died at Red Lobster. Though she misses her Floridian counterpart, Bernice is not going to let anything stand in her way of exploring brave new worlds -- and Brazilian bikini waxes.Between Lucy's relatives and the artists from hell, it's a wonder she can focus on her own life. Enjoy a wild ride through the world of way over-the-top kiddie birthday parties, puppy psychotherapy and "performance art" weddings with a family so nutty, it will make you appreciate your own!