title: Roar Softly and Carry a Great Lipstick: 28 Women Writers on Life, Sex, and Survival
author:  Autumn Stephens 
description: In contrast to the derring-do of man vs. mountain stories, this collection (whose title riffs on Theodore Roosevelts macho injunction to "carry a big stick") lauds the feats of women who have battled personal demons like marriage, divorce, pregnancy, motherhood, lesbianism, anorexia and breast cancer. But theres more to this anthology than struggle and strife. The 28 contributors chronicle their own soul-searching with an equally diverse range of tones, from incisive wit to spare elegance to unabashed frankness. Several selections address the rift between domestic bliss and free-spirited singledom. In "Without Me, Im Nothing," Bonnie Wach wrestles with postpartum depression, admitting her anger at her bodys "failure to deliver the euphoria thats promised... to every mother at childbirth." And Cynthia Kaplans wry yet forthcoming essay, "Foreign Correspondent," describes the mixed blessing of being ensconced in a "snow globe," living with the husband and children she has always wanted yet passively observing the adventures of her friends. Other essays share the joy of reaping blessing from calamity, like Autumn Stephenss tale of how her mastectomy rekindled her faith in her marriage, and some, like Mary Roachs comic riff on aging, simply point out the humor in the unavoidable (On having dark under-eye circles, she writes: "Many athletes apply black grease-paint to this area to reduce glare and improve their game. You dont ever have to do this. Thats a savings right there"). Though several authors address serious issues with this sort of lighthearted pluck, readers will sense the emotion that lies beneath. Both reflective and unflinching, these accounts will resonate with women from all walks of life.<br />Copyright  Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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  Praise for
  
  
  Bared to You
  
  
  “Full of emotional angst, scorching love scenes, and a compelling story line.”
  
  
  > — _Dear Author_
  
  
  “I love the writing, the sexual tension, and the intricate dance the
  characters do as they get together.”
  
  
  > —Carly Phillips, _New York Times_ bestselling author
  
  
  “So hot it practically sizzles, _Bared to You_ charts the life of Manhattan
  newbie Eva and her steamy romance with the unspeakably dashing Gideon. Move
  over Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins, this is the dawn of a new Day.”
  
  
  > — _Amuse_
  
  
  “The secondary characters are just as flawed as Eva and Gideon, which makes
  _Bared to You_ richer and more real to me than many of the contemporary books
  I’ve read in a while.”
  
  
  > — _Romance Junkies_
  
  
  “Day writes indulgent fantasy at its most enjoyable, in a story populated by
  high-society beauties and rakes, all of them hiding dark passions and darker
  secrets behind their glittering facades . . . Filled with catty socialite
  drama, dysf