Happy Dance for Getting to Happy

I'm doing a happy dance, looking forward to the autumn release of Getting to Happy, Terry McMillan's sequel to Waiting to Exhale.

Terry McMillan, in addition to writing Waiting to Exhale is the author of How Stella Got Her Groove Back and The Interruption of Everything.

Waiting to Exhale, made into the blockbuster 1995 hit film directed by Forest Whitaker and starring Angela Bassett and Whitney Houston, is the tale of four women all waiting for the right man to finally make their lives complete. More importantly, above the desire for a man, the women of Waiting to Exhale rejoice in the strength of female friendship.

Here are 10 reasons, in no particular order, why I am looking forward to the release of Getting to Happy.

1.Terry McMillan actually wrote Getting to Happy, the sequel to Waiting to Exhale. After reading the entire Jason Bourne trilogy by Robert Ludlum, I read Eric Van Lustbader'sThe Bourne Legacy. It was kind of like New Coke - yeah, it looked the same but the taste was kind of flat.

2.I'm a fan of characters. Terry McMillan created such strong women in Waiting to Exhale, that it's hard not to be excited to see how their lives turned out.

3.Gloria finally found true love with Marvin! I know this because Essence magazine has been running exclusive excerpts from Getting to Happy. I got a taste of how Gloria's life has turned out over the last 15 years. She deserves it!

4.True female friendships are a rarity, and Terry McMillan created a set of friends in Waiting to Exhale to be rejoiced. They laugh, they cry, they help each other through the worst. I want to know if the friendship endures the life changes that inevitably happen over 15 years.

5.Robin's daughter is 15 years old! Oh, that's right - I read that in the Essence magazine excerpt. Making the choice to raise a child alone is difficult and I'm interested to see how Robin overcame that obstacle.

6.I love the details! McMillan weaves the little scenery details into the tapestry of her work that make each character unique.

7.I've visited the Phoenix area many times. I enjoy books when I can visualize the setting.

8.I personally know every single woman in Waiting to Exhale - I've been each of them myself. I know how my life has worked out in the last 15 years and I'd like to see how Bernadine, Savannah, Gloria and Robin have fared in comparison.

9.Savannah finally got married! That's right - the exclusive excerpt at Essence. Unfortunately, it seems as though life isn't all sunshine and roses for Savannah.

10.What happened to Bernadine?? I'm impatiently waiting for the tease that Essence will give me shortly before Getting to Happy is released.

Sources: IMdb ; Getting to Happy Excerpt #1 ; Getting to Happy Excerpt #2 ; Getting to Happy Excerpt #3