Crime Novel "The Badass Widows" Debuts

Author Valerie Saul brings a diverse background to her writing, with degrees in audiology, speech pathology, and psychology, and a career that has taken her to the U.S., New Zealand, South Korea, and Singapore. A two-time cancer survivor, Saul participated in the Stanford Continuing Studies Creative Writing program before penning her debut novel. Saul has stated she was motivated to write "The Badass Widows" out of frustration with the narrow depiction of older women in contemporary fiction. Her goal was to create characters who are more than just caregivers and grandmothers, but also women who can "ride motorcycles, use chainsaws, and rescue people when necessary." The novel, set in the Bay Area, follows a former FBI agent who, along with three other widows, forms a secret society of crime fighters. What begins as a joke with minor capers soon escalates into bolder acts of secret justice. The story is described as a "propulsive romp delivered with warmth and humor" by author Suzy Vitello. The book is published by Sibylline Press, a publisher founded in August 2022 that exclusively publishes the work of women authors over 50. The press is owned by seven women and publishes over 50 titles a year. A book launch event is scheduled for March 7 at Book Passage in Corte Madera, CA, where Saul will be in conversation with Mary Alice Stephens, author of "Uncorked." Another reading is scheduled at the same location on March 14, organized by the Left Coast Writers.