Play & Book Excerpts
Find exclusive excerpts from books written by bestselling and first-time authors as well as experts in particular fields of interest. Excerpts from community plays are also available here. Thanks to all who shared their work. Click on image to view excerpt.
Please support our "excerpts page & annual giveaway" sponsors. Click their ads below for more information.
|
|
|
|
NEW! Excerpt from: Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory (Koehler Books) by Lyn Barrett. This unforgettable memoir explores how the author was knocked off course by a family crisis that triggered her inner world to crumble. Her diagnosis of multiple personality disorder, now known as dissociative identity disorder, threatened her life as she knew it, her family, and her future. With the knowledge that DID is a coping strategy young children use to protect themselves from chronic trauma, Lyn embarked on a journey to discover her true self.
|
|
NEW! Excerpt from: Blooming in Winter (She Writes Press) by Pam Valois. When Pam Valois met her in the 1970s, Jacomena (Jackie) Maybeck was a model of zestful, hands-on living and aging, still tarring roofs and splitting logs in her seventies, and Pam was a young working mother trying to carve out time for creative projects. Jackie became her mentor. Decades later, when Pam and her husband bought Jackie’s home, she realized that she knew little about her mentor’s fascinating life. What had shaped and supported Jackie in living “at full tilt” until her death at ninety-five?
|
Book Excerpts: 2021
|
Excerpt from: Venus Genius: The Female Prescription for Innovation (New Degree Press) by Fabienne Jacquet. This book explores innovation from different perspectives: historical, scientific, sociological, cultural and practical — all through the feminine lens. It addresses the shortage of women in innovation and how important it is to address this as a first step to inclusion. Fabienne created INNOVEVE®, a consultancy in innovation with a mission to transform innovation by embracing feminine energy.
|
|
Excerpt from: Messenger (Warren Publishing, Inc.) by Liz Keller Whitehurst. This book tells the story of twenty-something journalist, Alana Peterson, who is convinced she's found her big break when she meets Messenger, a mysterious old woman who delivers life-changing messages to seemingly random people all over New York City. Liz is also author/creator of the serial podcast MESSENGER: A NOVEL IN 16 EPISODES, which she launched in 2020.
|
|
Excerpt from: Creatrix Rising: Unlocking the Power of Midlife Women (She Writes Press) by Stephanie Raffelock. Through personal stories and essays, Stephanie highlights the past fifty years in which women have gone from a quiet strength to a resounding voice. She invites us along on her own transformational journey by providing probing questions for reflection so that we can flesh out and bring to life this new archetype within ourselves. She is a popular guest on podcasts, where she inspires women to embrace the strength and passion of their personal story.
|
|
Excerpt from: Love in Any Language: A Memoir of Cross-Cultural Marriage (She Writes Press) by Evelyn Kohl LaTorre. This memoir illustrates the trials and joys in the blending of two cultures. Evelyn relates how her early life in Montana prepared her for living in Peru, but not for marriage to someone who must learn a new language and employable skill before he can support his family. However, she had learned how to be strong and determined to meet most challenges and opportunities that came her way. This is the second of two memoirs Evelyn has written.
|
|
Excerpt from: Fierce and Delicate: Essays on Dance and Illness (West Virginia University Press) by Renée K. Nicholson. Renée's professional training in ballet had both moments of magnificence and moments of torment. In this book, Renée looks back on the often confused and driven self she had been shaped into and finds beauty in the small roles she performed. Moving on due to illness, she discovered that she retained the lyricism and narrative of ballet itself as she negotiated life with rheumatoid arthritis. This is a book about the world of professional dance and living with chronic disease. It's about being shattered yet realizing the power to assemble oneself again in a new way.
|
|
Excerpt from: Reading the Signs: A Schoolhouse Mystery (DIO Press Inc.) by Bette Ann Moskowitz. This is a gripping mystery about betrayal and love, truth and lies, abuse and power, sound and silence. What are we to do when words push their way past our own determination not to speak them? Taking place in a small beach town on Long Island, New York, Sylvie Fried, an expert reading teacher, comes up against challenges in her personal life and in the work she does in Rose Elementary School and her customary confidence is suddenly not there, yet finding solutions may be a matter of life and death.
|
|
Excerpt from: Stand: A Memoir on Activism. A Manual for Progress. What really happens when we stand on the front lines of change. (New Shelf Press) by Kathryn Bertine. As a former ESPN columnist and professional cyclist, activism wasn't even on her radar in 2008 because she was busy trying to get to the Beijing Olympic Games. She pondered, "Why aren't women allowed at the Tour de France?" With unabashed honesty, irreverence, vulnerability, history, humor and authenticity, Kathryn's memoir-turned-manual on activism takes us behind the scenes of what really happens when we stand up and fight for what we believe.
|
|
Excerpt from: The Sudden Caregiver (Tangible Group) by Karen Warner Schueler. Karen became a sudden caregiver when her late husband was diagnosed out of the blue with stage IV cancer. In this book, she enters the complicated world of the informal, unpaid, sudden caregiver, offering guidance, resilience, and, yes, a roadmap – a rational approach for planning what is, essentially, unplannable. Karen is also president of Tangible Group, a coaching and consulting firm which focuses on leadership development and caregiver well-being.
|
|
Excerpt from: Joyful, Delicious, Vegan: Life Without Heart Disease (She Writes Press) by Sherra Aguirre. In this empowering guide to healthy eating, Sherra shares her own story of reversing hypertension and other heart disease symptoms, despite a long family history. She presents current knowledge about the effectiveness of a plant-based diet in reversing disease, and she offers up recommendations from two world-renowned cardiologists who have demonstrated results with patients for many years.
|
|
Excerpt from: Flipping the Bird (Self Published) by Margarita Meyendorff. This is an anthology of 30 short pieces and one screenplay - stories of defiance and impudence in the face of injustice, both public and private. "Reading Flipping the Bird is like a good long sit-down with a fascinating friend. Meyendorff has a light touch, yet her fearlessness extends into deeper waters like mother/daughter alienation and connection and social justice. ~ Ann Craig, Bluestone Press
|
|
Excerpt from: Fortunate Daughter: A Memoir of Reconciliation (She Writes Press) by Rosie McMahan. This is a story about how the author begins to heal after experiencing childhood sexual abuse. This first-person narrative offers the reader a portrait of misery, abuse and hurt, followed by an examination of the difficult and painful task of healing - a journey that, in the end, reveals the complicated and nuanced nature of true reconciliation.
|
|
Excerpt from: What to Say Next: Successful Communication in Work, Life and Love with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Tiller Press) by Sarah and Larry Nannery. Sarah reflects on her personal experience living as a professional woman with autism spectrum disorder. This guide offers timely advice for anyone on the autism spectrum looking to successfully navigate work, life and love. However, the advice and tips, particularly those concerning the workplace, may be applied by anyone struggling with office politics, protocol and communication difficulties.
|
|
Excerpt from: The Red Kitchen: A Memoir (She Writes Press) by Barbara Clarke. This memoir describes the journeys of the author and her mother who ultimately, and in very different ways, come of age, find the loving parts of their early relationship, and start living their best lives. Barbara has been a member of several literary organizations. She lives in Bellingham, WA.
|
|
Excerpt from: Kicking and Screaming: A Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts (She Writes Press) by Melanie Gibson. This memoir shares Melanie's life-changing journey from troubled, lost soul to confident taekwondo black belt. Readers who are interested in learning more can find Melanie's blog at Little Black Belt where she shares life lessons. This is Melanie's first book.
|
|
Excerpt from: Sorry I Haven't Texted You Back (Andrews McMeel Publishing) by bestselling author and award-winning activist Alicia Cook. This is a poetic mixtape dedicated to those who struggle or have struggled with their mental health. Divided into two parts, "Side A" holds 92 poems, titled as "tracks," and "Side B" holds the "remixes," or blackout-poetry versions, of those 92 poems. The book includes the evergreen themes of love, grief and hope. Alicia was a guest on the February episode of Sanctuary's Coffee & Conversation.
|
|
Excerpt from: Young People of the Pandemic (Independently Published) by Nancy S. Nelson. This book presents an intimate glimpse into the psyche of American youth living through the COVID-19 pandemic. A diverse group of young writers from across the country illustrates what it is to be a member of Gen Z in a divided country attempting to conquer the greatest crises of our time. With resilience, bravery, wisdom, honesty, and humor, these young writers tell their stories.
|
|
Excerpt from: Talent: A Novel (Koehler Books) by award-winning author B. Lynn Goodwin. While struggling with the news that her older brother had been listed as MIA in Afghanistan, Lynn's teen protagonist desperately tries to find a way to stand out and fit in while simultaneously dealing with grief. This coming-of-age story takes you through a journey filled with universal challenges and dilemmas that many teens face, no matter what their particular situation has in store.
|
|
Excerpt from: The Positive Mindset Journal: Conquer the Stress of Self-Quarantine (Independently Published) by Camille Hoheb. A daily journaling practice can help you see the best in others, yourself and your world during challenging situations. This journal provides a guided self-discovery journey with thought-provoking prompts and creative exercises to help see your life in a positive light.
|
