“Full of heart and impassioned insight . . . Creatrix Rising empowers and inspires midlife women with the author’s hard-earned wisdom, providing a framework for readers to come into their own revolutionary power as a Creatrix.”
—BookLife

“The disparity between the cultural perception of midlife women and how women actually see themselves has opened the door for a new archetype, the Creatrix. In her new book on the theme of positive aging, Creatrix Rising, Stephanie Raffelock offers a reimagining of midlife as the most powerful and creative time in a woman’s life, celebrating her strengths and redefining her beauty. This is a book that shifts the paradigm of what’s possible as women age and ushers in a much-needed cultural transformation that benefits everyone.”
—Joan Borysenko, PhD, New York Times best-selling author and founding partner of Mind/Body Health Sciences, LLC

“The perfect topic at the perfect time, Stephanie Raffelock’s self-help memoir, Creatrix Rising, identifies a new archetype, the Creatrix, that transcends the old archetype of Crone. Her stories and insights about how far women have come is nothing short of inspirational. A must-read for any woman who wants to embrace the strength and creativity of midlife.”
—Marci Shimoff, #1 New York Times best-selling author of Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul

“Poetic and philosophical, Creatrix Rising will inspire readers to claim the courage and confidence that already lives inside of them. An intimate story of transformation, of journeying through life on your own terms without apology.”
—Richard Blanco, 2013 Presidential Inaugural Poet and author of How to Love a Country

“The new archetype Stephanie Raffelock assigns to midlife women underscores the assets and wisdom older women bring to our culture and to the greater good. Creatrix Rising is an affirmation and celebration of the feminine story taking place in leadership and creativity throughout our country.”
—Gabby Reese, volleyball legend, Nike’s first female spokeswoman, and New York Times best-selling author

“Prompts for reflection, journaling, and action-taking are amply provided in Stephanie Raffelock’s Creatrix Rising—an eclectic, personable, encouraging, deep-pondering, and potentially life-changing ode to ladies coming into their own.”
—IndieReader

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“Heart Radical is a richly absorbing, deeply moving book about one woman’s search for identity, enlightenment, and connection. It’s also a tender travel memoir that takes the reader on an unforgettable and intimate journey with the author as she grapples with being a twentysomething American in China—the country from which her mother immigrated. I loved this book. It’s vulnerable, searching, insightful, riveting and beautifully written.”
—Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild

“In Heart Radical, language becomes a rich metaphor for our own complicated and changing identities. ‘To be radical,’ Anne Liu Kellor tells us, ‘is to be rooted in your essential nature.’ In this soulful memoir, Kellor looks to the many ways language is a means of communication, yes, but can also be a barrier to a full understanding of ourselves and of each other. In following Kellor’s journey to China and back again, we find ourselves searching for what is most radical—most essential—in our own hearts.”
—Brenda Miller, author of An Earlier Life

“A lovely, evocative book about travel and culture and love. And language and teaching and dancing. And intimacy. If you have never been to China and Tibet—or if you have been many times—you’ll enjoy this fresh and honest perspective.”
—Sharman Apt Russell, author of Hunger: An Unnatural History

“Traversing two countries across two decades, Heart Radical gets at the multiple meanings of the heart in word, in practice, in physical and emotional use and evolution. Vivid with sensory experiences, this book offers us the chance to travel not just with Kellor but also within our own interior landscapes to arrive at new and deeper ways of connecting to our hearts’ most fervent and secret wishes.”
—Khadijah Queen, author of I’m So Fine

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“A memoir about seeking romance in midlife, Carolyn Lee Arnold’s Fifty First Dates after Fifty is genuine as it recounts a period of trying out new relationships and investigating spirituality…. Arnold is an accessible and conversational guide.”
—Foreword

“… an uplifting, enjoyable read destined for women who are still open to finding love and being intimate with men until they find the right partner … an inspirational dating book that teaches women how to date and find a long-term equal partner….a well-written, sexy, and easy-to-read memoir that would appeal to women of all ages.”

—Reader’s Favorite, 4 stars

“…an upbeat true story about one woman’s search for love in her fifties. Carolyn Lee Arnold reminds readers they are never too old to find love and happiness, all they have to do is take a chance. It also reminds readers [that] dating can be enjoyable even if it never progresses to a second date.”
—Entrada

“This is no mere memoir, but a handbook on how to date the adult way. By reading Arnold’s entertaining and upbeat story of voracious exploration, Generation X, Y, and Z can learn everything no one ever taught them about effective communication, self-care, emotional responsibility, and joyful sexual freedom. If dating is in your future, this inspirational book is for you.”
—Robin Rinaldi, author of The Wild Oats Project: One Woman’s Midlife Quest for Passion at Any Cost

“This book will have great appeal to other seekers—men and women—especially those who are older or long for a deep sensual connection to others. Carolyn is such a role model for other middle-aged women—unafraid, unabashedly sensual and assertive. I love how brave and brazen she is!!”
—Julia Scheeres, author of the New York Times best-selling memoir Jesus Land

“Carolyn’s goal of fifty dates was a brilliant way to find a partner, and her communication skills, honesty, and appreciative regard for her dates would help anyone – not only in dating, but in all one’s relationships.”
—Chas August, Relationship & Intimacy Coach

“Carolyn Arnold’s dating stories in Fifty First Dates After Fifty will be inspiring for any woman who worries that life has passed her by and that it’s too late to attract a life partner. There will be bad dates, broken hearts and dashed expectations—and some hot fun along the way. Carolyn’s stories of dating resilience and persistence show us that finding a deep love is possible at every age.”
—Sasha Cagen, feminist life coach and author of Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics

“Fifty First Dates after Fifty is not your typical dating book. Carolyn boldly shares the raw vulnerabilities of being a person truly living life on her own terms. You’ll be rooting for Carolyn all the way through as she tries, fails, feels, picks herself up, dusts herself off, and courageously moves forward into her next new adventure.. .. . . funny and engaging . . . I was hooked at the prologue. You will be too.”
—Wendy Newman, author of 121 First Dates: How to Succeed at Online Dating, Fall in Love, and Live Happily Ever After (Really!)

“Fifty First Dates After Fifty is a frolicking, often racy, memoir. … a fast, fun read. Arnold’s prose is clever, engaging, and confident. Arnold is unabashedly sensual and liberated throughout in terms of her approach to sexuality and what constitutes a fulfilling relationship.”
—Story Circle Network

“Blending memoir and self-help, … Arnold offers a quick, refreshing––and surprisingly pro-sex––read about redefining relationships and expectations in a monogamous-normative world.”
—Booklife

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“A moving story of a daughter seeking to understand her mother’s choices.”
—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“The mystery of a mother’s loss and a daughter’s search to reclaim her drive this engaging memoir. Family secrets, conflicting Old and New World traditions, and poignant scenes of intergenerational and cultural struggles bring to life a vivid portrait of Greece. For readers discovering their ancestral roots, this is a must- read; lively, very moving, and inspiring.”
—BRENDA PETERSON, author of Your Life is a Book

“Sophia Kouidou-Giles is a masterful storyteller. Sophia’s Return takes us into a compelling tale of reclaiming the past that speaks profoundly to our need to make sense of our lives’ central mysteries. Nuanced, rich, and evocative, it will keep you up reading late into the night.”
—THEO PAULINE NESTOR, author of Writing Is My Drink

“A deeply considered investigation of family dynamics and the secrets that in many families go unchallenged but in this one find resolution through tenacity and eventual forgiveness.”
—JEAN GILBERTSON, author of Dancing on the Whisper of God

“Sophia Kouidou-Giles has a social scientist’s eye for family systems and a writer’s eye for secrets therein. She exhumes the past with compassion and curiosity, bringing to fore the atmospheric history of Greece . . . Sophia’s Return is a lyrical story and beautiful read, full of sensory detail and cultural richness.”
—RENÉE E. D’AOUST, author of Body of a Dancer

“Sophia’s Return will draw you in. It’ll take you back in time. It reminds us the effects of secret-keeping, and that in our quest to protect children, sometimes we create more problems. After reading this story, I felt like Sophia was an old friend. I experienced her highs and lows with her. This book will tug at your heartstrings and make you rethink keeping family secrets. I can’t wait for her next book.”
—MARIA A. KARAMITSOS, founder of WindyCity Greek

“The author’s power of description invites the reader into her world and I found myself right beside her in sun-washed Thessaloniki, Greece, as she tried to uncover the story of her parents’ divorce at a time—the 1950s—when women had little autonomy and very few rights in a marriage. This is a story about family secrets, searching for answers, but most of all, about the unbreakable bond between mothers and daughters—five stars, and three handkerchiefs.”
—DEBORAH K. SHEPHERD, author of So Happy Together

“The author’s determination to better understand what really happened between her parents and the forces that shaped them takes her back to her childhood home in Greece and prompts a deep dive into patriarchal legal and social systems.”
—HEATHER DIAMOND, author of Rabbit in the Moon

“A memoir that has it all. Lush and vivid descriptions a Greek childhood, the emotional impacts of divorce on a child, the journey to rediscover one’s roots and family secrets . . . all within beautifully written pages. Sophia made me feel like I was with her along every step of her journey of discovery. I could smell the smells of Greek food and hear the music playing in my head.”
—MELISSA HARRIS, author of One Pound, Twelve Ounces

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“Katz captures sudden widowhood in all of its life-shattering, disorientating truth, honestly and vulnerably chronicling the fight that the grieving must wage to settle into this new identity no one ever asked for.”
—Leslie Gray Streeter, author of Black Widow: A Sad-Funny Journey Through Grief for People Who Normally Avoid Books with Words Like “Journey” in the Title

“In this beautifully written memoir, Katz captures the experience of loss and grief in a deeply touching and vulnerable way. Katz does not only focus on the grief experience but also, perhaps drawing on her psychology expertise, teaches the reader so much about what it means to be in, and then look for again, a healthy relationship through courage and honesty.”
—Joanne Davila, PhD, professor of psychology and author of The Thinking Girl’s Guide to the Right Guy: How Knowing Yourself Can Help You Navigate Dating, Hookups, and Love

“Jennifer Katz is a psychology professor who has written a wonderful, thoughtful book. I was moved by her account of her personal experiences after her husband had died, as well as her interactions with her children. Her memoir provides perspectives about love, loss, and hope.”
—Margaret Matlin, PhD, Distinguished Teaching Professor of Psychology Emerita and author of The Psychology of Women

“In this moving and deeply personal narrative chronicling her transition into widowhood, Katz brings us along with her on her amazing journey of self-rediscovery. Part personal narrative and part survival guide for anyone experiencing the transformative loss of one dearly beloved, The Good Widow is filled with wit and wisdom, grief and celebration. Savor this book. You will gain a new perspective on loss, love, marriage, widowhood, parenthood, and just being human.”
—Catherine Johnson Adams, PhD, coauthor of Love of Freedom: Black Women in Colonial and Revolutionary New England

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“A beautifully rendered collection from a writer to watch.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“As its subtitle suggests, these are all California stories, but Linda Feyder’s debut collection covers a great deal of ground. She has a first-rate ear, a noticing eye, and a wide-ranging sympathy; this is a book to savor and a very welcome new voice.”
—Nicholas Delbanco, author of It is Enough and Why Writing Matters

“Linda Feyder is a remarkably attentive and subtle storyteller whose understanding of her characters allows her to honor their complexity in a few deft and graceful strokes. Like all good writers—Alice Munro comes to mind—her sociological insights are embedded rather than spelled out, and that makes her wide view very satisfying.”
—Rosellen Brown, author of Before and After and Half a Heart

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“FitzPatrick keeps the pot stirred nicely, with revelations popping up like whack-a-mole. There is also a nice sense of scene, capturing this idyllic place on the Monterey peninsula. . . . The Artist Colony delivers an escape to gorgeous Carmel and an engaging mystery.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“. . . readers who enjoy an exciting narrative with unexpected twists will find this a diverting and illuminating read.”
—Historical Novels Review

“Bold, creative, and unexpected—all the things nice ladies weren’t supposed to be when they escaped to Carmel-by-the-Sea to make art without criticism. FitzPatrick, a descendant of one of those feisty female pioneers, has honored her family legacy and entertained her fans with a fast-paced whodunit that is equal parts loving tribute and killer thriller.”
—Meredith May, author of The Honey Bus and Loving Edie

“The Artist’s Colony is a sumptuous ride through the Carmel-by-the-Sea as Sarah Cunningham attempts to uncover the truth about her sister’s mysterious death. Atmospheric and delicious, FitzPatrick delivers a thrilling page-turner woven with artistic flourish. This exquisite novel does not disappoint! Highly recommended!”
—Michelle Cox, author of the Henrietta and Inspector Howard series

“It’s 1924 and a young woman journeys to Carmel, California, to learn more about her sister’s sudden death. She soon learns that the bohemian arts colony is anything but idyllic, as she’s confronted by flagrant racism and intimations of murder. Fitzpatrick has written a vivid historical novel with an absorbing mystery at the center of it, and I was riveted.”
—Elizabeth McKenzie, author of The Portable Veblen

“The dramatic landscapes of Carmel, beautifully depicted by FitzPatrick, are central to the plot, whose blow-by-blow story keeps us gripped to the final revelation of Ada’s murderer . . . a must-read novel for anyone who loves historical fiction, art, detective stories, and the West Coast.”
—Maggie Humm, author of Talland House

Praise for FitzPatrick’s Katherine Mansfield:

“FitzPatrick deftly captures Mansfield’s fervent dedication to her craft and her unwavering hope that she will overcome her illness. A well-informed, intuitive account of a singular modernist writer whose life is cut short.”
—Kirkus Reviews

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“Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash exudes atmosphere and intrigue and gripped me from the very first page. . . . The storytelling in this novel is second to none, telling a gripping story of the struggle immigrants faced, whilst keeping twists and turns you won’t see coming that serve to keep the story engaging throughout.”
—Readers’ Favorite 5-star review

“A gripping, immersive story of immigrant grit in early 20th century America. Set against the grim backdrop of Western Pennsylvania’s steel mills and coal mines, Tammy Pasterick weaves an engrossing tale of poverty, desperation, and betrayal. Above all, Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash is a tale of overcoming tragedy, and the transformative power of love. Pasterick’s deftly-wrought prose is nothing short of sublime.”
—Tonya Mitchell, author of A Feigned Madness

“The novel’s structure presents many short chapters from different points of view, giving energy to the complex exposition, which addresses such topics as mental illness, infertility, rape, and postpartum depression.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Drawn from the author’s family archives, this richly-wrought family saga invites readers inside immigrant coal mining communities in early 20th century Western Pennsylvania. Gritty and riveting, Pasterick’s debut novel exposes the depths and lengths humans go to protect honor, family, and love.”
—Ashley E. Sweeney, award-winning author of Answer Creek

“At the turn into the 20th century, immigrants were forced to accept the most dangerous jobs to sustain their families. This is the unforgettable story of one such family, struggling to survive against unimaginable odds and heartbreaking challenges in the cruel mines of Pennsylvania.”
—Kathryn Johnson, author of The Gentleman Poet

“Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash tells the compelling and very human story of working class immigrants in early twentieth century America. Meticulously researched, the author’s compelling account captivates the reader, while also providing insight into the harsh and harrowing experience of immigrants coming to this country. In doing so, the book highlights the enormous strength and sacrifice required of those who came before us.”
—Paul F. Clark, director and professor, School of Labor and Employment Relations, Penn State University

“The novel presents a striking portrait of the constant danger and risks associated with immigrants working in the mines and factories of early 20th century industrial America.”
—Professor Michael Kopanic, Jr., University of Maryland Global Campus

“Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ash is a riveting, graphic etching of the impossible choices and unthinkable consequences forced upon early 20th century immigrant workers by a bigoted society bent on ensuring they had no other options. Pasterick’s vividly empathetic page-turner brings together an ensemble cast by turns relatable and reprehensible, drawn from a family history that could belong to countless American families. Heart wrenching, yes, but don’t turn away from this one. We have to read stories like this to truly know who we are as a nation.”
—Ellen Notbohm, award-winning author of The River by Starlight

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