A heartrending story about a young mother’s fight to keep her daughter, and the terrible injustice that tears them apart, by the USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things and The Last Year of the War.
California, 1938—When she loses her parents in an accident, sixteen-year-old Rosanne is taken in by the owners of the vineyard where she has lived her whole life as the vinedresser’s daughter. She moves into Celine and Truman Calvert’s spacious house with a secret, however—Rosie sees colors when she hears sound. She promised her mother she’d never reveal her little-understood ability to anyone, but the weight of her isolation and grief prove too much for her. Driven by her loneliness she not only breaks the vow to her mother, but in a desperate moment lets down her guard and ends up pregnant. Banished by the Calverts, Rosanne believes she is bound for a home for unwed mothers. But she soon finds out she is not going to a home of any kind, but to a place that seeks to forcibly take her baby – and the chance for any future babies – from her.
Austria, 1947—After witnessing firsthand Adolf Hitler’s brutal pursuit of hereditary purity—especially with regard to “different children”—Helen Calvert, Truman’s sister, is ready to return to America for good. But when she arrives at her brother’s peaceful vineyard after decades working abroad, she is shocked to learn what really happened nine years earlier to the vinedresser’s daughter, a girl whom Helen had long ago befriended. In her determination to find Rosanne, Helen discovers a shocking American eugenics program—and learns that that while the war had been won in Europe, there are still terrifying battles to be fought at home.
Review
Rosie has lost her parents and she has been taken in by the owners of the vineyard in which her father worked. She is their ward but yet she is treated like a house servant. When she gets pregnant by the owner’s husband, she is sent to a psychiatric hospital. There, she is sterilized and she also has her baby taken away. When Rosie is released at 21 years of age, she changes her name and tries to move on.
It is hard to believe all that happened to Rosie. This girl overcame so much only to be knocked down time and time again. But…and you will need to read this to find out…it takes a good while, but Rosie wins in the end! Thanks to Helen! Helen is Rosie’s baby’s aunt. Helen is determined to make right a wrong done to Rosie.
Wow! Susan Meissner has done it again! I swear, this author can create some of the most heart breaking and beautiful stories. And this one is amazing!
Need a story which will have you mad as fire one minute and jumping for joy the next…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Liz Kitchens would make Erma Bombeck cackle, leave Ann Landers at a loss for words and make Gloria Steinem proud” – Rannah Gray, author of “Familiar Evil”
Orlando, FL – Liz Kitchens’ “Be Brave. Lose the Beige! Finding Your Sass After Sixty” (She Writes Press, May 16, 2023) is a must-have manual for “Lady Boomers” and others cresting toward retirement as they navigate what’s next for them. This candid, tongue-in-cheek manifesto empowers women to take on their third act with confidence and sass.
Meet Beige. Beige is reliable, practical, sensible, and safe. Beige doesn’t put up a fuss; it follows the rules, blends in, doesn’t want to stand out. Now meet Magenta. Magenta is rich, dynamic, loud, sometimes garish, and not easily overlooked. Society has decidedly beige expectations when it comes to aging, but Liz Kitchens explains why Magenta women have more fun!
In these pages, Liz chronicles how creative thinking helped her cope with empty nest syndrome; navigate sex over sixty; transition from being “outtasight” to literally being out of sight, and so much more. The stories and creative techniques outlined in this guide are guaranteed to introduce color, sass, and a lightness of spirit into your later years. Are you ready to defy those beige expectations and start coloring outside the lines, even if a few pesky rules get trampled in the process?
“Be Brave. Lose the Beige!”
Liz Kitchens | May 16, 2023 | She Writes Press | Nonfiction, Self-Help
Paperback | ISBN: 978-1-64742-468-8 | $17.95
Ebook | ISBN: 978-1-64742-469-5 | $9.95
About the Author…
LIZ KITCHENS is a rare and endangered species born and raised in Orlando, Florida. Her memories of the sweet scent of orange blossoms and of the salty scrubbiness of the landscape pre-dates Walt Disney World. This geographical legacy, sandwiched between the frolicking waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf Coast, inspired her playful spirit and informs her writing. She conducts workshops and seminars on creativity and directed a creative arts program for teens in underserved communities. She has also been a market researcher for thirty-five years and is the founder of What’s Next Boomer? a website dedicated to helping boomers navigate retirement options; and of the blog, Be Brave. Lose the Beige, which focuses on issues facing women of the baby boomer generation. She is a contributing writer for the online magazine, Sixty and Me, and has been published in various online and print publications. Liz is married, the mother of three adult children, and the grandmother of three grandchildren. Learn more at http://bebravelosethebeige.com/
How to break away from the “beige” expectations for women over 60
Why creativity is crucial for the aging process
Tips for igniting your creative spirit
Why rule-breaking can be a good thing
Lessons from her own life that taught her how to be brave and find her sass
An Interview with
Liz Kitchens
1. What inspired you to write “Be Brave. Lose the Beige!”?
Be Brave. Lose the Beige began as a blog (https://www.bebravelosethebeige.com) and morphed into stories chronicling how creative thinking helped me cope with Empty Nest Syndrome, navigate sex over 60, and transition from being “outta sight” as they said in the 1960s, to being literally out of sight. The blog and book focus on issues facing Baby Boomer women, and others cresting toward sixty. (I speak with some authority on this topic since I most certainly fit that demographic.) Beige represents the antithesis of creative thinking. I believe creativity and creative thinking are critical for navigating what’s next for Lady Boomers. I use color as a metaphor for creativity and for exploring the challenges we face as we age.
2. Where did the sass go and how do you advise women to find it? Why do you think sass is important?
Our kindergarten teachers’ admonishment to “color inside the lines” has guided many of our life choices. We have followed the rules and done what was expected. We continue to be 911 on our adult kids’ cell phones; we are or have been caregivers for three generations, sometimes simultaneously; we have a pathological propensity to please; and, how are we supposed to maintain our sass when we are characterized in internet search engines as decrepit little old ladies with unattractive hair and canes?! And the labels used to describe our post middle age years, oy vey! Vintage Years (hate it); Act Three (not a fan); Twilight Years (might as well be a reference to the Vampire movie trilogy). In the book, I propose using BBLB years–Be Brave. Lose the Beige!–as the moniker for this time in our lives. BBLB is sassy and pokes fun at societal rules and norms. It says yes when the world keeps saying no, especially when it comes to aging.
There is a BBLB Manual of Maxims at the conclusion of the book. These thirty-five adages are designed to help women get their sass back.
3. How does this book differ from other aging resources?
Well, first of all, it’s fun and funny. The book is filled with honest, self deprecating stories about issues facing Lady Boomers, so it is relatable. I’m a numbers junkie (survey researcher) and have collected data on issues facing Baby Boomer women (many of those statistics are cited in the book). I know what they care about and the book focuses on these concerns.
Our earlier life stages came with guidebooks and mentors to help us navigate dating, marriage, and the pitfalls of parenting. I’ve been underwhelmed by the resources available to help us navigate the issues we face as we age. The examples set by our parents, many of them now long gone, don’t necessarily work for our generation. We’re far more active, living longer, and may not have the financial resources to afford the leisurely retirements some of our parents’ generation enjoyed. So I decided to add my thoughts about this journey and encourage a little creative thinking to help us navigate our BBLB years.
4. Why is creativity so important to the aging process?
Be Brave. Lose the Beige! is really a philosophy, a way of perceiving one’s world as it currently exists. As an avowed creativity evangelist, I know creative thinking is critical in navigating what’s next for Lady Boomers and serves as an excellent co-conspirator in the struggle to regain even a little control as we navigate our aging journeys. Creativity is good for your health. It can help with mobility issues and balance, cognition, promotes feelings of value and self worth, and a sense of community. I directed a creative arts program for under-served youth for eighteen years. Creativity encouraged these middle school students to think bigger about their worlds. Creativity also offers us a lightheartedness our aching joints and clogged arteries keep trying to steal. While creativity is fun, it’s not made of magic. Snapping our fingers to summon creativity is not really a thing. One has to practice, which is why the conclusion of each chapter in the book features creative exercises designed to help people exercise their creative muscles. (Example exercise: Doodle for your Noodle.)
5. Some readers may be surprised to see you condone rule-breaking. Why is it important to take risks, even if rules are broken in the process?
Breaking rules is different from breaking laws. Women have lived a good portion of their lives within the confines of one authority or another, and, as a consequence, learned a whole lot of rules. We internalized certain behavioral edicts and regarded them as laws. Breaking fine print rules or taking small steps that break with convention can feel empowering and give us a sense of control in situations where we may feel we have little to no control.
Family members, and even a few friends, have suggested that I think rules are merely suggestions. I, however, tend to believe some rules have a margin for error and prefer to call rule breaking “creative thinking.” The key to avoiding a beige life is thinking creatively even if a few pesky rules get trampled in the process.
6. What’s next for you? Where can readers go to learn more about you?
I will continue to extol the virtues of creativity through my writing and my workshops. I began this book preaching the importance of creative thinking. I thought I knew what it meant to be brave and poke fun at certain societal rules and expectations. But I underestimated how owning these qualities in myself might further evolve. The writing taught me that. It started out on a linear path but it dipped and curved, just like a creative path, and I felt my writing grow braver with each chapter revision. The process and practice of writing the book helped ease my inhibitions.
And, I can’t stop writing. As Joan Didion said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” I adore blogging and will continue to do so. Several of my blog posts formed the nucleus of this book. To read some of my blogs and find additional information about my book go to https://www.bebravelosethebeige.com.
This program includes a bonus conversation between the author and narrator.
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s No Two Persons is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.”*
That was the beauty of books, wasn’t it? They took you places you didn’t know you needed to go…
Alice has always wanted to be a writer. Her talent is innate, but her stories remain safe and detached, until a devastating event breaks her heart open, and she creates a stunning debut novel. Her words, in turn, find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness, to a free diver pushing himself beyond endurance, an artist furious at the world around her, a bookseller in search of love, a widower rent by grief. Each one is drawn into Alice’s novel; each one discovers something different that alters their perspective, and presents new pathways forward for their lives.
Together, their stories reveal how books can affect us in the most beautiful and unexpected of ways—and how we are all more closely connected to one another than we might think.
“With its beautiful parts that add up to a brilliant whole, No Two Persons made my reader’s heart sing.”—*Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of The Christie Affair
This program is read by a full cast:
Rachel Jacobs as The Writer
Barrie Kreinik as The Assistant
Braden Wright as The Actor
Jesse Vilinsky as The Artist
Max Meyers as The Diver
Gabra Zackman as The Teenager
Stephen Graybill as The Bookseller
George Newbern as The Caretaker
Cassandra Campbell as The Coordinator
Carol Jacobanis as The Agent
Review
Alice has lost her brother and she is having issues processing her grief. She has dropped out of college but her college professor keeps pushing her to write the novel he knows is inside her. And when she finally puts Theo on paper, she doesn’t realize how many lives it will change.
This story follows a book. Yes one book. And it touches so many lives in so many ways. I have never read a book like this. This book melted my heart. This is why I love book blogging. A story means so many different things to so many people. The author nailed this fact with such beautiful prose and meaningful content. To say I loved this book is an understatement! You will have to read this and tell me what it meant to you. This is a novel I want to discuss!
Talk about a production. You can see all the narrators names above. And each and every one did an excellent job. I love when there is a production of narrators. It really makes the story come alive.
Need a novel built just for a reader…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
In the middle of a perilous drought in the Northwest, an arsonist begins setting fires all around. It gives Zoe Penney nightmares about her home—seated right next to tinder-dry woods—rising up in explosions of fire, as well as haunting dreams of a little boy deep in the forest.
Winter brings the longed-for rains but also a cancer diagnosis for Zoe’s husband, Jay, which plunges the family into disbelief and fear. The children lean in close to their parents, can’t stop touching them. As Jay’s treatment begins, nature lets loose with strange and startling encounters, while a shadowy figure hovers about the corners of the house.
First, Zoe’s fear turns to anger: How can I love you if I am to lose you? How can I live in joy when the sky is falling? But she gradually learns that it’s possible to love anything, even terrible things—if you can love them for what they are teaching you.
Review
An arsonist is setting fires and it is terrifying the whole area surrounding Zoë and Jay. No one knows where he will strike next. But, as life tends to turn on a dime…Jay gets a diagnosis which changes their lives forever.
When this story started, it was all over the place. I was a bit lost and there is no character development. That all comes later. I almost did not finish it. But, the further I got into the book the more the characters grew on me, especially Jay.
Jay has been diagnosed with cancer and it has torn his family apart and yet it has brought them together. Their strength, especially from Zoë, holds the family together during one of the worst years of their lives.
This is a tale of danger, trauma, and togetherness. I have lived through a close family member’s tragic bout with cancer and this author nailed all the sickness which goes with the treatments and all the thoughts that go with the diagnosis.
Need a heart-wrenching family drama…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
A beautiful tale of a vulnerable, compassionate woman who finds that, in order to care for others, she must also let herself be cared for.” ––Kirkus (starred review)
What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life?
From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process.
Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story––and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it.
Probing, clever, and hopeful, The Collected Regrets of Clover is perfect for readers of The Midnight Library and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine as it turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life.
Review
Clover is a death doula. She makes sure people have an easy transition from life to death. She keeps a book on people’s regrets that they share on their deathbed. But, she is struggling herself with the death of her grandfather. She has quite a few regrets in her own life and these regrets are keeping her from moving forward and living her life to the fullest.
This tale had me crying and laughing. It is pure enjoyment to read about Clover and her quirkiness. And I don’t think I have ever been more proud of a character in a book in my life as I was at the end of this novel. You will need to read this to find out!
I fluctuated between 4 and 5 stars. I settled on 5 because of all the emotions this story puts the reader through. I swear…my feelings were all over the place! And Clover is one heck of a character and I will be thinking about her for days to come.
Need a story which will have you emotional and reflecting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
The Hating Game meets Beach Read in Katy Birchall’s enemies-to-lovers romcom The Last Word, about a young journalist who puts her career (and her heart) on the line when her former work nemesis is hired in her newsroom.
Harper Jenkins is at the top of her game. A brilliant, determined journalist with a well-known knack for getting tight-lipped Hollywood stars to open up to her, Harper loves her job as Celebrity Editor at a newspaper’s glossy weekend magazine and has the best contacts in the business.
But when her awful boss hires talented reporter Ryan to be the new Features Editor, Harper is furious. Because the two have met before: a decade ago, they were interns at the same publication, where they fell into a whirlwind romance…until Ryan betrayed Harper, and they never spoke again.
Thrown together in a busy newsroom, their dynamic is a disaster from the start. They can’t agree on anything and bicker constantly—Ryan can’t bear how chaotic and messy Harper is; Harper finds Ryan’s condescending nature infuriating. They clash over who’s writing what article, and fight over who’s going to which event.
Yet as they’re forced to spend more and more time together, Harper realizes she may have misjudged Ryan and can’t help but feel a spark growing between them. Long buried feelings start to resurface and, when they’re thrown together on a romantic press trip abroad, their chemistry comes to a head.
But all is fair in love and magazines, and with the news that layoffs across the department are imminent, Harper is left to wonder: who will get the last word?
Review
Harper and Ryan started out as interns together for the same publication. Sparks fly in the form of competition, until they fly in the form of a relationship. Then it all falls apart. Now, they are back working at the same magazine and it is a nightmare. They argue and fight about who is going to do what. Then the connection sparks again and once again, all is not as it seems.
I adored Harper. She is totally unorganized and a hot mess (especially when it comes to her shoes!) but, she is very good at her job. I related so well to this! There are a lot of times I am a hot mess too but I can get the job done in spite of that. So, she has a piece of my heart!
Ryan is a strong silent type and I found him very appealing as well. These two charming characters lit up the pages and kept the story fun and delightful.
We just recently had a very long flight. This was a great book to lose yourself in! It is so entertaining and perfect for that long ride!
Need a quick, cute romance…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
An orphaned boy raised by a survivalist wends his way into the real world in an emotional novel about hope, fears, and found family by New York Timesbestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Out there is chaos, the collapse of society, and so much to be afraid of. All that matters is freedom.
That’s what Remy Blake has been taught by his survivalist father. Raised off the grid in the middle of nowhere, his own survival skills not yet honed, Remy is days shy of his eighth birthday when his father unexpectedly dies. As seasons pass, supplies run out, and fending for himself grows more desperate, Remy sets out on foot, unprepared for the great unknown of civilization.
He is found—near feral, silent, and terrified—in the small rural town of Blaire. To Anne, a nurturing mother of two adopted teenagers who’s still dealing with her own childhood rejections, Remy is not a lost cause. Just a challenging one. As Remy cautiously adapts to his new foster home, his family wants nothing more than to reassure him that he can trust the world. But to do so, they must first reexamine how much they trust the world themselves, and how much they should. As Remy’s journey into the real world begins, figuring out how to navigate it becomes a path they will have to learn to walk together.
Review
Remy’s mother has passed away. His dad has gone off the deep end and has decided the world is a terrible place. He has taken 5 year old Remy to a remote area to live off the land. But, after a few terrible years Remy’s dad dies and leaves him all alone. Remy does all he can to survive but he is eventually tragically injured and he has no idea how to relate to people.
Remy tore my heart out! His struggles to survive at such a young age is horrific. This story is heartbreaking, terrifying and then joyful. I wish I could have taken Remy and just hugged him. And Anne! I swear that woman has an amazing heart. I would love to see a sequel made because I felt there was something more to Anne’s situation. Plus, I would love to see Remy succeed!
This book is incredible, as most of Catherine Ryan Hyde’s books are! I have only read a few of her books but I have loved every one. And I honestly think this is the best one I have read so far.
Talk about strong characters and an amazing tale which will have you crying and jumping for joy!
Need an emotional read…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.
In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days with walks and games to distract her young sister, including one that she creates for her sister and her sister alone—a fairy tale about a magical land, a secret place they can escape to that is all their own.
But the unthinkable happens when young Flora suddenly vanishes while playing near the banks of the river. Shattered, Hazel blames herself for her sister’s disappearance, and she carries that guilt into adulthood as a private burden she feels she deserves.
Twenty years later, Hazel is in London, ready to move on from her job at a cozy rare bookstore to a career at Sotheby’s. With a charming boyfriend and her elegantly timeworn Bloomsbury flat, Hazel’s future seems determined. But her tidy life is turned upside down when she unwraps a package containing an illustrated book called Whisperwood and the River of Stars. Hazel never told a soul about the imaginary world she created just for Flora. Could this book hold the secrets to Flora’s disappearance? Could it be a sign that her beloved sister is still alive after all these years?
As Hazel embarks on a feverish quest, revisiting long-dormant relationships and bravely opening wounds from her past, her career and future hang in the balance. An astonishing twist ultimately reveals the truth in this transporting and refreshingly original novel about the bond between sisters, the complications of conflicted love, and the enduring magic of storytelling.
Review
Hazel is about to start a dream job at Sotheby’s. Just as she is about to say goodbye to everyone at her old job in a rare bookstore, a new, rare book comes across her desk. It throws her life into complete disarray. She actually steals this item and takes it home. She knows she has to find who wrote this because no one knows about this story except her and her long, lost sister.
Hazel has struggled her whole life with the loss of her sister. And now she thinks she has her chance to actually find her! I love the emotion this author creates telling this tale. And Hazel breaks my heart in so many places! Add in the twist at the end and you have a family drama not to be missed.
I love the way this story is formatted. I love the change in time periods. Hazel and her sister were sent away during the bombings in London. So, it fluctuates between the 1940s and the 1960s. You must read this to find out all the drama.
Need a great historical, family mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
Once again…did not do much in April except work two jobs. But one of the jobs had me in Oxford, Ms for the day and, of course, I had to stop by Square Books and I purchased these beauties! And both are signed copies!
It was also my birthday month! And we went out to eat with some friends and just had an amazing time!
Paris, 1922: Zoe Barlow knows the pain of loss. By the age of eighteen, she’d already lost her father to suicide and her reputation to an ill-fated love affair—not to mention other losses, too devastating for words. Exiled from her home and her beloved younger sister by their stepmother, she was unceremoniously dumped in Paris without a friend to help her find her way.
Four years later, Zoe has forged a new life as a painter amidst fellow artists, expats, and revolutionary thinkers struggling to make sense of the world in the aftermath of war. She’s adopted this Lost Generation as her new family, so when her dear friend Hadley Hemingway loses a valise containing all of her husband Ernest’s writings, Zoe happily volunteers to track it down. But her search for the bag keeps leading to murder victims, and Zoe must again face hard losses—this time among her adopted tribe. If she persists in her reckless quest to find the killer, the next life lost may be her own.
Pulsing with the glamour and excitement of the Jazz Age, Lost in Paris explores a young woman’s journey to redeem herself from the heartaches of her past while finding her way forward in tumultuous, unprecedented times.
Review
Zoe has been disowned by her family in Alabama. They have just dropped her off and abandoned her in Paris. But, she makes her way and makes friends with artists and expats. She even becomes friends with Hemingway. And when Hemingway loses his valise with his latest writings, Zoe helps out and chases it down. But, she discovers a double murder and this leads to some hard times with her newfound friends.
Zoe is a sweet girl but she is also tough. And she takes no sass! But, this story is a bit slow in places. I did enjoy when Hemingway had an appearance. He is not really a nice man and the author portrays this very well.
The narrator did a great job especially with the accents. That’s a big trigger for me. But, Hope Newhouse, is splendid!
Need a murder mystery with the fabulous setting of Jazz Age Paris…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
