I remember my first pair of designer shoes. I was cutting through Saks Fifth Avenue to get to the mall parking lot and they were on display. Rarely did I look at shoes unless I was on a specific shopping mission. But that day they just hit me. BAM. Look at me. I was made for you.

I tried them on, knowing I would never buy them. Having just started a new job, I was not in the market for a $250 pair of shoes. And would you believe, they were more beautiful on my foot than they were on display. It was a religious experience. The shoe gods had reached down from the heavens and struck me with enlightenment. The earth moved under my feet, literally. I was dizzy for those shoes.

I did not buy them. (I can blog another time about my superior self-control skills). But I talked about them enough that I got them for my birthday. My husband and my mom joke that they each pitched in for one shoe.

As I worked my way up the corporate ladder, my shoe budget worked its way up with me. You can see I have a couple of brand favorites by the color of the boxes in my closet.

Even so, I am no Carrie Bradshaw. I have barely been within inches of a Christian Louboutin and try to stay far away from the Jimmy Choo section. I made the mistake of picking up a Valentino once and almost cried putting it down. I may have been a well-paid corporate suit, but my kids can go to sleep away camp for the price of a pair of those shoes. So no, I am not crazy.

But Violet –the twenty-something heroine of my new novel, Bits of Violet…Well, Violet has no kids, is a true fashionista, and understands the power of a delicious pair of shoes. Violet pins them like crazy (check out her Pinterest board) and her Louboutins are to die for. I can live vicariously through Violet. And so can you…Advanced Review Copies of Bits of Violet available soon!

Happy Spring Shoe Shopping!