Katrina Anne Willis in conversation with Andrew Shayde to launch her memoir Hurricane Lessons
Join us Tuesday, April 7th at 7pm for Joseph-Beth Booksellers for the launch of the memoir Hurricane Lessons! To become herself, she must survive the storm. When Katrina Anne Willis, a 46-year-old Midwestern mother of four, becomes consumed with feelings for her female Pilates instructor, she begins to understand that she is and always has been gay. Her husband suggests they open up their 20+ year marriage, which appears to be a reasonable solution to their dilemma. But when Katrina and her husband have different ideas of what an open marriage should look like, the cracks in their white-picket-fence life are hit with a hurricane-force fury. Willis will be in conversation with Andrew Shayde, a seasoned adventurer, storyteller, and community leader with six reality TV journeys under his belt including The Amazing Race, Buddy Games, and Naked and Afraid. A dynamic emcee and proud LGBTQ+ advocate, he has energized crowds at NYC Pride and hosted both Lexington Pride and Cincinnati Pride. 
ABOUT THE BOOK
To become herself, she must survive the storm
When Katrina, a 46-year-old Midwestern mother of four, becomes consumed with feelings for her female Pilates instructor, she begins to understand that she is and always has been gay. Her husband suggests they open up their 20+ year marriage, which appears to be a reasonable solution to their dilemma. But when Katrina and her husband have different ideas of what an open marriage should look like, the cracks in their white-picket-fence life are hit with a hurricane-force fury. Lies. Threats. Abuse. Gaslighting. An involuntary psych ward commitment. Can their marriage survive so many betrayals? Should it?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Katrina Anne Willis’s debut novel, Parting Gifts, was published in 2016. Her work has
been featured in the New York Times, Huffington Post, YourTango, and Mamalode, as
well as in numerous anthologies. She was named one of six distinguished authors
at the 2016 Indianapolis Book & Author Luncheon, was a BlogHer Voice of the Year
in 2015, and was a 2011 Midwest Writers Fellow. A mother of four quirky and fun
adults and two high-anxiety, special needs rescue dogs, Katrina currently writes @
surrenderingtosappho on Substack and resides with her partner, Julie, in Lexington,
Kentucky.
