Tag Archives: Becoming a Woman

A few words about my forthcoming psyche and soul novel, The Woman Inside Her . . .

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It’s San Francisco 50 years ago, in the wake of the Summer of Love, at the peak of the 60s Sexual Revolution, and on the cusp of the Women’s Liberation movement. America is at war and in turmoil, and all the rules for sex and relationships have been turned upside down.

In the midst of it all, a beautiful young Midwestern girl is trying to navigate her way to womanhood through an obstacle course of bad luck and bad choices, rampant misogyny, and cultural upheaval for which she isn’t at all prepared.

The lessons learned are sometimes heart-breaking, but over time empowering. For Krista, the journey to love is as raucous—and liberating—as the era she lives in.

Would you like updates on my progress toward publishing The Woman Inside Her? Just “follow” my website or “like” my Facebook page and from time to time (not too often, I promise) I’ll post more about my writing process and also The Woman Inside Her’s themes, plot, characters–who are loaded with sticky issues that are sure to complicate relationships–as well as the times (late 60s) and places (mostly San Francisco) the story is set in.

Girls and Sex: A new book about coming-of-age.

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A new book worth reading! The passage from girlhood to womanhood, particularly around sexuality, should be one of pride and discovery leading to an enhanced sense of one’s self as a woman and genuine capacity for healthy intimacy and meaningful relationships. Too often it is a journey fraught with unnecessary challenges due to ignorance and misinformation or painful wounding, whether of the body, the mind, or the spirit.

My forthcoming novel, The Woman Inside Her, is the story of one young woman’s struggle to find her way through the labyrinth of distorting influences which have–so far in her life–formed only shaky foundations on which to build her selfhood and ability to love and be loved. I chose to write the story of The Woman Inside Her because I believe it is one too seldom told, too readily swept into the dim light of secret places. For far too many girls, coming-of-age sexually means confusion, shame, and physical / psychological / emotional abuse by others, including family, friends, lovers, religious authority, politicians and government institutions, the media and other messengers of culture. As a society, we don’t easily speak openly about girls becoming sexual–even now, in 2017–and frankly, that is both crazy and crazy-making.   

Peggy Orenstein’s new book, Girls and Sex, is a welcome contribution to helping heal this significant handicapping of girls’ and women’s health and happiness. I’m glad to see it on our nation’s bookshelves! Click on the link below to see a full review.

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Girls and Sex, by Peggy Orenstein, reviewed on

Annie Bloom’s Books Shelf-Awareness newsletter March 2017

 (And thanks to the Shelf-Awareness newsletter from Annie Bloom’s Books in Portland OR for bringing Peggy Orenstein’s Girls and Sex to my attention. Support your local bookstore!)

Wonder Woman: UN Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls

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It seems it’s true that wonders never cease, and in this case it is the United Nations naming Wonder Woman as the Honorary UN Ambassador for the Empowerment of Women and Girls around the world. I have no doubt she has and will continue to inspire flying girls to be all that they can be for many years to come. Wherever you women and girls may be and whatever your hopes, dreams, and pursuits, fly high! 

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POW!  BAM!  WHAM!  KAPOW!

People ask me why I write . . .

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Like jazz, stories are meant to be heard, to strike resonant chords in our hearts or rumble down deep in our gut. Soul music. Melodies and words about what matters. When we tell our stories and they are listened to, and when we listen to other people’s stories, we build community, come closer. We grow in understanding of ourselves and others, and hopefully become more curious, suspend old ideas and assumptions … Read more about why I write.

 “I am a bud beginning to unfold, a story waiting to be told.”                                                                       –Sam Keen

Red-orange rosebud on dark background.

The Woman Inside Her is my novel-in-progress. 

As the story begins,

It’s San Francisco 50 years ago, in the wake of the Summer of Love, at the peak of the 60s Sexual Revolution, and on the cusp of the Women’s Liberation movement. America is at war and in turmoil.

In the midst of it all, a young Midwestern girl who dreams of a career singing jazz and pop music is trying to navigate her way to womanhood through an obstacle course of bad luck and bad choices, rampant misogyny, and cultural upheaval for which she isn’t at all prepared. The lessons learned are sometimes heart-breaking, but over time empowering. For Krista Hiatt, the journey to love is as raucous—and transformative—as the era she lives in.

Fascinating, too, are the striking parallels, and surprising differences, between then and now, making The Woman Inside Her a timely novel that speaks to many of the whys as well as remedies for some of today’s most troubling problems around sex, relationships and the treatment of women.

Read more about The Woman Inside Her—the story and characters, the setting and times–as well as a brief excerpt from Chapter One.