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WOOD RIVER - Local authors of “Perfectly I’Mperfect” and “Still Perfectly I’Mperfect” will be available for an author meet-and-greet.
From 6–8:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, community members are invited to Rustic Roots in Wood River for the event. Authors featured in both books will be present to speak with attendees and network with each other. Tara Hurst, one of the writers who compiled the books, noted that each book is filled with empowering stories by local women.
“We had amazing authors that really jumped in and worked together, and it’s really a grassroots effort that we all just shared,” Hurst said. “I also know that it has something to do with the first one. We created a movement, and the women just really felt the power of it and the encouragement and motivation, and they saw another one coming out and they jumped in.”
“Perfectly I’Mperfect” was published last year, and its sequel, “Still Perfectly I’Mperfect,” came out in June. Both books are international bestsellers. Hurst said “Still Perfectly I’Mperfect” hit the number one spot in five countries.
While the book clearly resonates with audiences, Hurst said its publication has been empowering for the authors, too. Dr. Jennifer Capler wrote about a health scare and overcoming grief. Stella Webb, owner of Soul Sanctuary, wrote about abuse she experienced in her childhood. Both women were eager to share their stories through the book.
“I knew it was exactly what I was going to write about because all of it led through my grief and healing and processing,” Capler said. “When you’re writing your story, you get to see it from another perspective of, you know what, this is what I’m doing. Oh, that’s right, this is where I need to go. It’s like you’re experiencing a different perspective of your own life when you’re writing it.”
Webb echoed Capler. She noted that she has spent years healing her own wounds so that she can now help other people do the same.
“A lot of times when you find people who are out there helping other people, it’s usually because they grew up in a certain way and they want to be the person that they needed when they were kids or at a different point in their life,” Webb explained. “Allowing that story to come out, it actually felt very cleansing for me.”
Both the writers and the readers have benefited from the books, and Hurst is proud that so many people have been affected. She noted that the books cover many different challenges and experiences, and there’s something for everyone who picks up a copy.
“I am crazy passionate about this project because it does give a platform to allow these women to come together and share their stories,” she added. “I think that for me and others, it’s really coming together to heal at a deeper level because they’re able to be like, ‘Wow, I’m not alone,’ or, ‘It’s not just me,’ or, ‘I can see myself in this, and wow, they had a way out, and not only a way out, they’re all number one international bestselling authors at this point.’ It’s really been an amazing journey.”
She hopes to see many readers at Rustic Roots on Aug. 9, and she looks forward to meeting people who connected with her story. Capler and Hurst will also be at a local authors fair from 12–4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, at the Grafton Visitors Center and Museum. You can purchase your copy of “Still Perfectly I’Mperfect” on Amazon.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
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