Midlife Moxie Novel Series: Book 1
Publication Date: February 29, 2023
Is fifty too old to start over and reinvent yourself?
That’s what Rita Reynolds has to decide after a series of unwelcome occurrences arrive in time for her fiftieth birthday. First, she learns that her college-age son would rather spend the summer with his new girlfriend rather than at home with his mother. Then comes the unpleasant news that her part-time job might be ending, which will toss her back into the job market.
Underscoring it all is the realization that since her divorce, she’s been coasting on the highway of life. Now, it’s time to hit the gas and start moving ahead, despite the bumps in the road that keep slowing her down!
A chance to teach a six-week baking class brings Rita’s almost-forgotten dream of becoming a professional baker back to the surface. Can she overcome her fear that it might be too late for a midlife makeover? With the help of two friends—Donna, her employer, and Karen, her ex-husband’s second wife—she’s about to find out.
With her 50th birthday approaching, Rita’s life is way off track. Divorced and not adjusting well to an empty nest, she’s stuck in a job at a design store where she has zero skills in creating beautiful looks for the home.
Author Nancy Christie tackles Rita’s midlife crisis in a delightfully entertaining story titled Reinventing Rita. While acknowledging the rather sad state of affairs, she serves up a main character who puts on her big girl panties and revamps her life.
While “moxie” may seem like an old-fashioned term, it adequately describes Rita’s journey. Moving to the next chapter of life comes with tears and fears, especially since wifehood and motherhood fit her well. Her anxiety resonates with readers who face similar situations.
Her efforts to chart a new course allow her to breathe life into an old dream of running a bakery. Readers will laugh and cheer as Rita finds her groove, with a few stumbles along the way.
Reinventing Rita is a perfect midlife anthem, emphasizing it is never too late to start something new.
Nancy Christie is the award-winning author of the novel, Reinventing Rita (BookBaby), the first in her Midlife Moxie Novel Series; three short story collections: Mistletoe Magic and Other Holiday Tales, Traveling Left of Center and Other Stories and Peripheral Visions and Other Stories (all from Unsolicited Press); two books for writers: Rut-Busting Book for Authors and Rut-Busting Book for Writers (both from BookBaby) and the inspirational book, The Gifts Of Change (Atria/Beyond Words).
Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous print and online publications, with several earning contest placement.
The host of the Living the Writing Life podcast and the founder of the annual “Midlife Moxie” Day and “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day, Christie teaches writing workshops at conferences, libraries, and schools. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA), the Florida Writers Association (FWA) and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association (WFWA).
