My book No More Ugly Girls is the story of Auburn Halverson. On the cusp of realizing she has autonomy over her life. Yet she still carries pain and abuse from her childhood. It began as an exploration of the inner strength I saw in women that allows them to keep their trauma secret while dealing with life.

No More Ugly Girls began as a way to honor that inner strength.  People are judged (especially women) as weak for the choices they make.  But those mistakes are not a sign of weakness, but of staying strong too long.

My research led me to  facts about the subconscious mind. We struggle each day to get better. We follow scripts written by what has happened to us. These scripts are etched into our daily lives by habits. These patterns of behavior are to protect us but result in us telling lies to ourselves. Men and women struggle with this. However, women have the extra burden of the lies our culture tells and the judgment it passes.