When Indian activist Rita Banerji asked me to post an excerpt from my memoir on her blog, Gender Equal, I didn’t just feel humbled - I almost felt ashamed. Gender Equal seeks to raise awareness of global gender inequities. The blog is an initiative of the 50 Million Missing campaign, which is fighting female genocide in India. What could my book, about a Western woman professional empowering herself through a solo trek around the world, add to her mission? Then it occurred to me, it might offer hope: I enjoy a kind of freedom many women long for. It also occurred to me that I didn’t start out a fully-realized independent woman. At the start of my book, I was a victim of domestic violence. If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to read the opening excerpt from They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away. Then please read about India’s 50 Million Missing. If we want to empower other women, knowledge is a start.

Most of my friends are adventurous, with active lives, open minds, and generous hearts: they’re travelers, hikers, writers, photographers, dancers, activists, and more. Kim Kircher balances skiing, traveling, and writing - and gets paid for it. She’s on the ski patrol at Crystal Mountain in Washington, so at this time of year she skis, rides in helicopters, and sets off explosives for avalanche control. She’s an Emergency Medical Technician who has saved at least two people’s lives! Her memoir, The Next Fifteen Minutes has just been picked up by Behler Publications. It’s the story of how she applied the lessons learned in a life of adventure to help her husband through a bout with cancer. She’s fascinated with what adventure can teach all of us, and has asked me to offer my take on the subject. I hope you’ll head to her blog to read my guest post: What Adventure Has Taught Me. Then I hope you’ll check out the rest of Kim’s site. She’s amazing!

I’ve recently become a fan of the Mortal Muses, nine exceptional female photographers from the USA, Canada, and Europe. Their blog offers instant inspiration via daily postings of beautiful, moving, and amusing photos. Today they’ve invited me to answer the question: What Inspires You? My answer is a post that considers where inspiration comes from when I don’t feel inspired. Please visit the Mortal Muses blog and leave a comment on my guest post for your chance to win a signed copy of my book, They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away. (If you’d rather guarantee yourself a book, you can order one now at Ghost Road Press.)

As I prepare for the November 15 launch of my book, They Only Eat Their Husbands: A Memoir of Alaskan Love, World Travel, and the Power of Running Away, it seems as if I find authors lurking around every corner. This might sound intimidating, but I find it comforting, connecting with so many people who understand why I’ve chosen the weird, simultaneously secret and public, life of a writer. Mystery novelist Patricia Stoltey is one of those who understands. This fellow-Coloradan is the author of The Prairie Grass Murders (2007) and The Desert Hedge Murders (2009). She’s also a blogger who shares her thoughts on writing and Colorado authors, and today she has kindly invited me to guest post on her blog to share some of the secrets of My Writing Life. I hope you’ll drop by Patricia’s blog to read my writer’s confession. After that, remember, you can now order your own copy of They Only Eat Their Husbands from Ghost Road Press.