Lucy Venier changes careers and boyfriends as often as she changes her socks. Although gifted with wit and creativity, the one thing Lucy lacks is focus. While being someone she’s not, be it crime reporter or sleep-deprived law student, Lucy’s one constant is art. Her insatiable desire to create is fueled by her offbeat life experiences. But unfortunately by day Lucy must hide her creativity under her business suit.

As if figuring out her life isn’t hard enough, all of Lucy’s friends are getting married. But Lucy’s not sure if she’s capable of living happily ever after. With a string of loser former flames, giving up seems to be the best option. But then there’s Ben—Lucy’s Mr. Right who comes at completely the wrong time. But is he truly The One? Did Lucy miss her chance?

In the tradition of The Girls’ Guide to Hunting and Fishing, The Hard Way is a scrapbook of stories from Lucy’s life. As she discovers more about the people around her, will she finally begin to understand herself?

"After college, Lucy Venier's search for happiness takes her on a bumpy but ultimately fulfilling ride in Luongo's witty debut. Should Lucy be a Philly crime reporter, a Web content writer, an advertising whiz, or should she follow in her sister's footsteps and go to law school? Or should she embrace her gifted inner artist? Although Lucy's amazingly adjusted in some ways, she's woefully behind in others. Sometimes her boyfriends — an older newspaperman who uses her for sex; an abusive recovering alcoholic and a boorish store manager who talks like a wasted rapper — lead her down some unfortunate paths. But Lucy's irrepressible spirit helps her survive, while surprise reconnections with her sister and a former fianc support her realization that life is an act of art-in-progress. Though it has the trappings of chick lit, this is much wiser and frequently funnier; it reads like a novel-in-stories, each piece contributing to the overall effect of a young woman coming — often roughly — into her own. (June)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Lucy Venier doesn't know what she wants or how to get it...

JULIE LUONGO has worked as a university instructor, freelance writer, researcher, editor, reporter, and business consultant. She’s written about theater, fishing, and entertainment. Luongo lives in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.  This is her first novel.