“. . . riveting and absorbing . . .”
—Phillip Lopate, author of A Mother’s Tale

“A riveting book that builds ominously.”
—Jerry S. Walden, MD, founder of Physicians for Prevention of Gun Violence

“Fairley scores a bull’s-eye with her rich and complex memoir, Shooting Out the Lights. Fairley’s gift of mesmerizing storytelling and intimately crafted characters make the reader feel as if they are sitting at her kitchen table. Shooting Out the Lights is a compelling memoir that will have the reader thinking about it long after turning the last page.”
—Renee Hodges, author of Saving Bobby

“At its best, the author’s writing is evocative, and her story is both unique and intriguing. . . . this is a book that many readers will find difficult to put down. A captivating family account that delivers compelling, acutely observant writing.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Shooting Out the Lights is an exquisite memoir that analyzes what brought a couple together to face loss and their shattered hopes with enduring love.”
—Foreword Reviews

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“There is nothing better than a murder mystery that keeps you guessing right up until the very end, and Match does exactly that. I loved the way Peele accurately captured the complexity and beauty of paired-exchange transplantation while keeping the reader thoroughly entertained.”
―Carolyn Light, MPA, Executive Director of Transplant, UCSF

“It is so refreshing and entertaining to read a mystery that accurately portrays kidney transplantation and the nuances of the paired-exchange process. A great read!”
―Garet Hil, founder of the National Kidney Registry

“When I first read Cut, I was hooked. Now, with her second book in this series, Match, I have renewed my Amy S. Peele fan club membership! Match will take you on a wild ride of friendship thrust into the world of donor transplants, politics, murder, and survival!”
―Jane Ubell-Meyer, founder of Bedside Reading

“In Match we are plunged back into the unshakable friendship of the characters we met in Cut. Peele offers a story that is straight from the heart and still manages to inform us about the world of organ transplantation. A warm and wonderful read.”
―Betsy Graziani Fasbinder, award-winning author of Filling Her Shoes: A Memoir of an Inherited Family

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“The ABCs of Being Mom is a resource-filled parenting book that stands to work for all parents.”
—Foreword Reviews

“The ABCs of Being Mom is an excellent guide for every new mother! It is such an easy and ‘friendly’ read that you will feel like you are talking to the experienced and trusted mom next door. As the mother of three children and a nurse-midwife who has attended the birth of hundreds of babies over the last 27 years, I have seen the apprehension as parents realize the immense responsibility that comes along with their new little treasure! The ABCs of being Mom will provide you with the comfort and confidence you need to be the best mom possible!”
—Kathleen Dowd Belzer, Certified Nurse-Midwife and Nurse Practitioner; former President of the California Nurse-Midwives Association

“The ABCs of Being Mom is very thoughtfully written and there are so many resource pages. This makes the book very current. There are many books out there to tell us what to expect but this book actually gives you the tools to help us and our children meet those expectations. The resources are excellent.”
—Dr. Eileen Golden, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cleveland Clinic

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“Gibson’s sharp-witted, tenacious personality radiates throughout this spirited book, and her determination should prove contagious, spurring readers to discover a pathway through which they can combat mental illness and discover their true selves. . . . An inspirational, sharp, and disarmingly humorous account about taekwondo and mental health.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“I am left in awe of Melanie’s courage to reveal her darkest struggles in the hope of helping others. Her fight to find the light inside herself and share it with the world is a tale of inspiration for anyone–martial artist or not. Let the breakthrough in these pages be a call to us all to transform from our own worst enemy to our own best friend.”
—Ando Mierzwa, Happy Life Martial Arts

The post Kicking and Screaming appeared first on She Writes Press.

“Shepherd takes us on a literal ride into the not-so-distant past, remembering how naïve we were before we understood there are things you just can’t change—even if you’re destined, even if you’re soulmates, even if you’re willing to risk everything . . . The reader will ache at the forced (and quite salty) sass of the young narrator, desperate to show it doesn’t hurt, and highly enjoy the ironic wit of the mature voice who knows better and goes for it all the same. A story for anyone who can relate to how we cling to a fantasy of the past to avoid committing to the present.”
—Rita Dragonette, author of The Fourteenth of September

“Many of us waste years fantasizing about a lost love, but the feisty heroine in So Happy Together takes to the road to track him down. This compelling novel is about how a smart and lusty drama student in the tumultuous ’60s discovers twenty years later that she’s trapped in a failing marriage. Shepherd’s engaging characters make mistakes, hurt, and lash out, yet ultimately clean up the mess with kindness and humor. Their search for understanding is what ultimately sets them free.”
—Elizabeth Garber, author of Implosion: A Memoir of an Architect’s Daughter

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“Reading Bless the Birds left me awed and shaken. Tweit writes with the fascination of a scientist and the lucidity of a poet. In these pages, her heart swings open wide, opening the rest of ours with her.”
—Craig Childs, author of Virga & Bone

“Bless the Birds is the book for our times. It’s a splendid blend of landscapes, relationships, spirituality—finding meaning in life framed by an awareness of death—and creative work. I have a dozen people I want to share this authentic, honest, hopeful story with. You will too. It’s a treasure.”
—Jane Kirkpatrick, New York Times best-selling author of Something Worth Doing

“There is so much grace in the pages of Bless the Birds. Susan Tweit’s fluid prose lays bare an exquisite honesty regarding the dearest and most difficult of human transitions—from life to death. She does not pretend the journey is easy or affect a posture of transcendent acceptance. Rather, she joins hands with her husband Richard in the face of his diagnosis as they explore together a complex and expansive sense of love, challenge, and transformation, and a shared passion for the wild earth. I will carry the wisdom found in this book with me always.”
—Lyanda Haupt, author of Mozart’s Starling

“I loved this book. I needed this book. I drank it in huge gulps. I shouted at the book, and I hugged it to my chest. Above all, I learned from this book: Courage comes only to those who are afraid. Grief comes only to those who love deeply. Birds come only to those who lift their eyes. Grace comes only to those who give themselves up for lost. Bless the Birds is a rare gift.”
—Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Earth’s Wild Music

“Bless the Birds is spare and precise, and full of love and resilience. It’s the story of two lovers taking a journey that none of us want to take, a journey toward parting. They walk it with eyes and hearts wide open, finding joy in their moments and showing just how much tenderness and grace are possible at life’s endings—so much love that the reader’s heart spills over with it just by accompanying them.”
—Priscilla Stuckey, author of Tamed By a Bear

“It’s such a ripe time for this book about how to meet fear, loss, and sorrow with courage and grace and, most importantly, love.”
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, author of Hush

“Bless the Birds reminds us that dying is entwined with living and we can do both with our hearts outstretched. Tweit shares the deeply personal story of the path she and her late husband walked, illuminating the fear, hope, bewilderment, rage, astonishment, laughter, exhaustion, gratitude, and joy when we open ourselves to life and death and love. This book is a gift for medical, palliative care, and hospice professionals, as well as people navigating illness in their own lives.”
—Elizabeth Holman, PhD, palliative care psychologist

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“A thought-provoking look at heinous crimes and their effects on larger society.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Complex and atmospheric . . . Del Rio is a suspenseful international thriller involving two countries, multiple crimes, and a district attorney driven by the need to succeed.”
—Foreword Clarion Reviews

“Showcasing author Jane Rosenthal’s exceptionally impressive flair for originality and complete mastery of the crime thriller genre, Del Rio is a well-crafted mystery replete with unexpected plot twists right down to the finish.”
—Midwest Book Review

“This story is going to take you on a wild adventurous journey packed with action, thrill, wit, and suspense. Jane Rosenthal’s Del Rio is a must-read for lovers of crime thrillers laced with a gripping tale of dirty secrets, corrupt government officials, drug dealers, human traffickers, money, murder, resentment, vengeance, and so much more.”
—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review

“A page-turner; its final chapters will keep you up until dawn.”
—Debra Thomas, author of the award-winning novel Luz

“Jane Rosenthal joins the small but vital community of authors using fiction to reveal the complexity and heartbreak of the US–Mexico relationship. Del Rio delivers a compelling story rooted in empathy and authenticity. The scope of the plot, breadth of character motives, and clever narrative style resonate long after the last page is turned.”
—Carmen Amato, author of the award-winning Emilia Cruz Mystery Series

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“An engaging, endearing chronicle of a woman’s quest to find her origins.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The award-winning Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging by Julie Ryan McGue is a compelling, poignant memoir about the search for truth and belonging.”
—Readers’ Favorite

“With reverence for mystery, Julie Ryan McGue navigates a silence among family known and unknown to unearth her identity. Twice a Daughter is an act of patience and courage—the courage to confront the past and the patience to endure the path toward revelation. Weaving together humor and pathos, McGue’s tale of redemption offers hope to anyone seeking to know and be known as they truly are.”
—Jonathan Callard, writer and teacher at the University of Pittsburgh

“Rarely does an adoptee rights advocate and legislator have the chance to witness the results of their efforts in such a profound and personal way as in Twice a Daughter. Julie’s success in opening her sealed adoption records did not just gratify and inspire, it lifted me up! Every adoptee deserves to know their identity, the first chapter of their life, and the circumstances of their birth. It is their personal story and a basic human right. Keep up the fight!”
—Sara Feigenholtz, adoptee and Illinois State Senator

“Julie McGue’s quest memoir is an extraordinary account of a woman’s midlife search for her birth parents and the medical history she and her twin sister desperately need. Julie engagingly narrates a roller coaster ride of challenges and triumphs. I was moved by this suspenseful tale that ultimately celebrates the meaning of family in all its forms.”
—Joelle Fraser, author of The Territory of Men and The Forest House

“This book is about lies and secrets, disappointment and loss, and hope and wonder. A true story that details how the pursuit of truth and healing becomes the alchemy that turns pain into gold.”
—Sara Connell, author of Bringing in Finn

“Why didn’t my birth mother keep me? Was I a bad baby? Do I have siblings? What about my medical history? These are some of the universal questions asked by adoptees both young and old. Although a memoir, Twice a Daughter is also the tale of every adoptee’s search for answers, connection, relationship, and family. It’s a must-read for all members of the adoption triad: birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees.”
—Nancy Golden, cofounder of the Midwest Adoption Center

“A masterful storyteller, Julie Ryan McGue probes her inner life as one of an adopted pair of twin sisters who are on a search for biological roots in their big, fun Irish Catholic adoptive family. In Twice a Daughter, the road to genetic connection may be fraught with hidden roadblocks but the destinations open up to the widest horizons of the heart authenticity, courage, wholeness, and compassion.”
—Diane Dewey, author of Fixing the Fates: An Adoptee’s Story of Truth and Lies

“Julie conveys the range of emotions felt by adopted persons who yearn for answers and connection with biological relatives. She allows the reader access to her most private experiences of vulnerability, pain, fear, anger, and joy. This book reminds us that there are losses, both ambiguous and clear, at the foundation of adoption. They are experienced differently by birth parents, adopted persons, adoptive parents, and other family members. There is power in sharing these accounts with others, and much to be gained by learning to listen to someone’s most deeply felt experiences.”
—Lisa Francis, LCSW, Post Adoption Services, Catholic Charities, Chicago

“Julie McGue entered the labyrinth of her adoption search with many questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? What tribe do I belong to? Her memoir is not just another tale of an adoptee’s search for truth; her craft and candor turn this into an inspirational story of perseverance and resiliency, one with well-deserved payoffs. Ultimately, this is a story about the discoveries that searching for the truth reveals—how it sets you free and offers the gift of love.”
—Linda Joy Myers, founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers and author of Don’t Call Me Mother

“Twice a Daughter is an enchanting story about searching and fighting for hidden information and what it means to be adopted—to wrestle with love, pain, rejection, and acceptance. We can all find pieces of our own stories reflected in Julie’s compelling words. This is a must-read for everyone—especially those touched by adoption.”
—Linda Fiore, director of Adoption Center for Family Building

“Twice a Daughter: A Search for Identity, Family, and Belonging is a marvelous book. . . . This memoir will take you on an emotional rollercoaster and move you to tears. A page-turning read that is as affecting as it is superbly written . . .”
—The Book Commentary 

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“Committed is a must-read for anyone struggling with mental illness, especially if, like Paolina, insanity has taken root in your family tree. This raw memoir brings to light the reality of madness—both in terms of what may surround us and that which may lurk within us.”
—Samantha Dunn, author of Failing Paris and Not By Accident

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