Suddenly Single

In her page-turning bestseller SUDDENLY SINGLE Sheila O'Flanagan makes readers wonder just what they would do if Alix's situation happened to them... Not to be missed by readers of Marian Keyes and Veronica Henry. What do you do when you find yourself suddenly single? Go suddenly suicidal? Suddenly sex-crazed? Or simply slump into self-pity? Alix Callaghan, who thought she was in control of her busy life, feels like doing all three when her long-term boyfriend insists on settling down to a sensible existence - complete with children, proper meals and early nights - but without her. Little by little, though, Alix begins to think there might be more to the single life than the first shock of rejection suggests... What readers are saying about Suddenly Single: 'Had me enthralled from the start. The kind of story you don't want to put down' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'Sheila O'Flanagan has a gift for making you read on. Her strength lies in strong characters and emotions' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars 'The depth of emotions that [Sheila O'Flanagan] can conjure up is nothing short of stunning' Amazon reviewer, 5 stars

A stressful, protracted divorce. A difficult, painful death of a beloved husband. And suddenly, after age 50, you’re on your own again. Your children have moved out, your parents are aging fast or deceased, your friends’ lives continue onward, seemingly unchanged. Being suddenly single after age 50 can be terrifying, but eventually it can also be liberating. It can be fraught with worry and decisions you’re unprepared initially to make, but it can also be a time to reevaluate, reestablish, and reinvent. It can be financially and emotionally unstable at times, but it can be the start of a new chapter, or the discovery of someone you didn’t know you were, or could become, after the grief of a loss so difficult. Long-time friends and authors Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane have a lot in common. Both lived in the same city for years. Both are writers. Both married their husbands right out of college. Both are mothers of grown children who have left home. And both had aging parents when these difficult journeys began. Both found themselves alone, husbands lost to divorce and death, two separate situations that were equally traumatic— for Barbara, a divorce that took four years to end, and for Margaret, a five-year, gut-wrenching siege of myriad cancers that ended in death. Barbara and Margaret struggled but discovered not only that their new lives were, indeed, worth living, but that the insight gleaned from their experiences could help other people in similar straits. The result is Suddenly Single After 50, an honest and riveting, yet funny and poignant guide that provides advice for those who find themselves divorced, widowed, or otherwise suddenly single just about the time they start getting those AARP cards in the mail and while many of their friends are gleefully discussing retirement plans and toasting milestone wedding anniversaries. Suddenly Single After 50 is told with authenticity, wit, and compassion. They discuss living alone, attending social events alone, eating by themselves, sleeping alone, walking and traveling alone, then how they also came to feel they were not alone, not really, with loyal friends and family. They share how their once right-sized houses suddenly felt empty, too big, and too full of stuff that no longer made sense. They write about all the legal and accounting woes that befell them. And they tell readers what it’s like to be over 50 and dating again—after decades out of that scene, which had changed in unfathomable yet often hilarious ways. Suddenly Single After 50 addresses what life is really like when it’s suddenly shaped as single. It helps readers understand the grief, frustration, and sadness alongside reawakening into the world. Anyone who finds themselves suddenly single in middle age and beyond--or knows someone who is--will find in these pages both advice and reflection, support, and a way forward.

'Suddenly Single' is based on Sallie, a 30-year-old single woman whose 8-year relationship has just ended. She goes through stages of withdrawal, denial and general misery, taking refuge in the supportive comradeship of a group of girlfriends, together with numerous bottles of wine.

Let me take you on my transforming journey from married life to single life as I experience the ups and downs on my sometimes Bumpy road of New Beginnings. The knowledge that I obtain and how I transform intellutually & spirtually in my journey putting the past to sleep and starting all over again.

One moment, they were a happily married couple facing a normal, hectic, work day. The next moment, Ruthann found herself faced with making arrangements for her husband's memorial service. As a means of coping with losing Terry, Ruthann began keeping a record of the events following his death. This journal became "Suddenly Single: A Guide For Rediscovering Life After Tragic Loss," a touching memoir and tribute, which also serves as an inspirational guide to help those who are experiencing a similar loss in their own lives. Within Ruthann's story are her "Ten Survival Steps": a framework to help others work through their grief. She offers tips for answering basic questions, as well as how to learn to laugh again, with one goal in mind: helping others regain their lives after personal loss. Woven through a narrative that is both candid and poignant, "Suddenly Single is a life-affirming gift for those who are ready to embrace the first hopeful steps of healing and recovery from the pain

Vashti Hunter knew that something was wrong when she received her fiancé’s nervous phone call the night before their wedding, but she was too distracted by visions of wedding grandeur to listen to her instincts. Instead, what was supposed to be the happiest day of the 26-year-old’s life quickly turns into the most humiliating, when she is left at the altar. After battling a fierce bout of depression, Vashti regroups and begins dating again. A string of failed relationship attempts help her figure out not only what she does not want in a mate, but who she is. It’s only after she evolves into the person she wants to be that she finds the man who is worthy of her love. Because of their 20-year age difference, Vashti’s new relationship is met with opposition from her family, friends, and especially his daughter, who resents Vashti’s presence in her father’s life. Their relationship is further complicated when Vashti’s long-lost fiancé returns remorsefully. Will Vashti find him worthy of a second chance?

Suddenly Single is a practical guide aimed at women who find themselves experiencing a painful relationship breakup and are struggling to let go and move on. It shares real life stories, including the author's own, of women at each stage of the breakup cycle along with insights to help them make sense of their situation. A range of simple and practical coping strategies are shared to help women successfully navigate their break up journey so they come out the other side feeling optimistic about the future and with confidence to move forward and create their own happy ever after.

This compassionate guide through grief, fears, and the challenges of divorce encourages readers to see this painful time as potentially one of the most powerful. Kathey Batey understands the trauma of going through a divorce. In Suddenly Single, she guides you with compassion and hope in how to Grieve the death of your relationship, expectations, and dreams Develop a network of experts for your legal, financial, spiritual, and emotional needs Navigate parenting decisions Prepare yourself to fulfill your potential as a single, successful person Give yourself structure through boundaries and wise decision-making Divorce can be one of the most painful times of your life. It can also be one of the most powerful. Though you may feel broken in heart and spirit, you can heal and move forward into a life full of possibility.