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Women Owning Their Lives
The Unabridged Life of Missy Kinkaid follows a middle-aged woman coping with complicated relationships both past and present. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Missy was first introduced to readers in my book Finding Scarlet. She radiated such energy that I wanted to explore what her full story might look like. I wanted to write a story of women owning their lives in all their imperfect ways, being unapologetic, which isn’t always easy.
What experience in your life has had the biggest impact on your writing?
In the last several years, it’s been divorce. But intertwined within those books are stories of family, romance, friendships, and second chances. The recognition that we don’t just roll over and cease to exist as vibrant women has been a big driving force.
What character did you enjoy writing for? Was there one that was more challenging to write for?
I loved writing Missy. She is strong, but flawed. Trying to capture her imperfections in a meaningful way was a joy. I also really loved Scarlet (obviously, she has a whole book!).Margo’s imperfections made her story heartbreaking to write at times, but also deeply rewarding. Writing Charlotte as a ghost who weaves herself into Missy’s thoughts required some creative stretching.
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have a couple of other projects I have started. They are not divorce fiction. One is women’s fiction and the other historical fiction with romance. I’ll see which one takes over in the process and go from there. I do hope readers will consider reading Finding Scarlet to get a flavor for the characters in The Unabridged Life of Missy Kinkaid. And the ending will be so much more rewarding that way.
Author Links: GoodReads | X | Facebook | Website
Missy Kinkaid has always been the light of Sullivan’s Island—bold, unapologetic, and the beating heart of her family, friends, and Scarlet’s Harlots, the renegade divorced women changing the narrative. But when the death of her estranged mother sends her spiraling into a breakdown in the cereal aisle, Missy is forced to confront the pain of past loves, fractured family ties, and the weight of expectations she’s spent a lifetime defying.
With her closest friends—and a cousin carrying secrets of her own—Missy embarks on a journey of reckoning that tests the limits of forgiveness, resilience, and self-discovery. Along the way, she learns that true empowerment isn’t about posturing but the courage to own your story, scars and all.
Witty, raw, and emotionally layered, The Unabridged Life of Missy Kinkaid is a fiercely uplifting novel about friendship, loss, reinvention, and the strength it takes to become wholly yourself.
First introduced in Kirsten Pursell’s Finding Scarlet, Missy now steps into her own unforgettable story—one of heartbreak and humor, loss and resilience, and the enduring bonds that tether us home.
The Unabridged Life of Missy Kinkaid
The book follows Missy Kinkaid, a fifty-something woman navigating the mess of family baggage, complicated friendships, and the ghosts of old loves. It digs into her rocky relationship with her mother, who spent most of her life institutionalized, her bond with her late father, who adored her, and her often-fractured but deeply entwined connection with her cousin Margo. Around her orbit, other women, like Scarlet and Amber, form her circle of truth-telling, wine-drinking allies. What unfolds is not a neat story but a layered patch.
Reading it felt like sitting across from a friend who doesn’t sugarcoat anything. I laughed out loud at Missy’s breakdown in the cereal aisle, and then I teared up when she admitted how much her mother’s coldness still cut into her. The writing had this strange magic. At times, it was witty and biting, other times, it felt like someone opening an old wound right in front of me. Some parts rambled, but even then, I didn’t want to look away. It felt messy in the best way, like life itself.
I found myself torn between wanting to hug Missy and wanting to shake her. Her bitterness toward Margo stung, but I understood it, and the honesty of that relationship was one of my favorite parts. The book isn’t afraid to show women being selfish, being cruel, and being brave, sometimes all at once. That’s what hooked me most, the refusal to paint anyone as simply good or bad. The emotional swings kept me on my toes. One page I was chuckling at sarcastic banter, the next I was heavy with grief. It felt real in a way most novels don’t.
I was left thinking about how family shapes us, even when we try to escape it, and how friendship can carry us through the darkest corners of memory. I’d recommend this book to readers who like character-driven stories that don’t flinch away from uncomfortable truths. It’s especially for women who have lived through complicated families, failed relationships, and the ache of trying to start over. If you want something tidy, this isn’t it. But if you want to feel like you’ve lived a whole other life, then Missy Kinkaid’s story is worth your time.
Pages: 288 | ASIN : B0FPYKKFTP
Gray Divorce
The Scarlet D follows a recently divorced woman who travels across the country to start a new life in South Carolina. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Long Enough to Love You (a Literary Titan Gold Book Award winner) was my last book. It delves into a marriage ending on a raw and emotional level and introduces love later in life. I heard a common theme from readers: there are not enough stories about “older” women protagonists writing their own narratives in life and love. The Scarlet D continues that theme but on a lighter note. She’s a woman wanting a fresh start in life even though conventional wisdom and societal stereotypes would say she’s too old and should be grateful for her life. Moving across the country was symbolic of owning her destiny. She’s also different in that she’s the anti-woman scorned. So often, women are portrayed as victims. She isn’t and refuses to wear the label. It’s a lighter telling of love, sex, desire, and finding a place to call yours.
Is there anything from your own life included in your characters and their experiences?
Of course, there is! I was going through a divorce when I started writing it and was a divorcee when I finished it. The feelings and emotions are real for me. I discovered love again along the way, too. I was able to take snippets of my old life and parts of my new life, sometimes giving voice or perspective to situations. But really, these are entirely fabricated characters with morsels of my own life baked in. It is fun to have people ask what parts are real or not!
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The myth that we roll over and die in our fifties is so wrong! Gray divorce is front and center. Women are taking ownership of their lives. They are open to doing scary things like starting over on their own after marriages that lasted decades. We are allowed to challenge societal stereotypes and norms. Friendships are different as we age. Finding new friends is a challenging task. Scarlet is often uncomfortable in her own skin and finds herself in some awkward predicaments but finds a way to rise above it all. She is writing her own narrative, and that is huge! Everyone will not agree with how she does it, but we all have a path, and recognizing we have choices in the road we travel is a pivotal theme. I love being this age, knowing what I want and what I need, and no longer having to pretend to fit some mold. It’s liberating to come-of-middle-age!
Can we look forward to more work from you soon? What are you currently working on?
I have several books in the concept phase. I have considered making The Scarlet D a series. Some fun, quirky characters deserve their own stories. I know I should stay true to one genre, but I have too many stories to tell. I will likely write historical fiction based on my uncle’s family memoir next. My mom is German and their family story is remarkable. She is in her eighties now, and I’d like for her to be able to read it. The story is of a boy who turned ten on the day World War II ended. I look forward to having the creative license to write that story.
Author Links: X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
Who said starting over in your fifties wasn’t complicated?
Fueled by the unrealistic expectations of Nicholas Sparks’ novels, Scarlet sets her sights on South Carolina as the backdrop for her new beginning. After a thirty-year marriage, divorce offers her a chance to start over, far from the reminders of a past life.
Scarlet begins life on Sullivan’s Island, seeking like-minded women as she joins a divorced women’s book club. She finds herself in a world of unexpected complexities. When she reveals her past, judgment is harsh.
On Sullivan’s Island, Scarlet’s dormant desires are awakened as she meets Ben, an attractive younger man. However, a chance encounter with the self-assured, age-appropriate Beau opens her heart to the possibility of love. But will the unexpected arrival of the man who nearly broke her make her reconsider her choices?
As Scarlet settles into her new life, she dissects her past, embraces second chances, and finds herself open to the complications of starting over in her fifties.
From award-winning author Kirsten Pursell, follow Scarlet as she navigates self-discovery, love, and friendship later in life in this coming-of-middle-age romance.
The Scarlet D
The Scarlet D, by Kirsten Pursell, is an uplifting story of rediscovery and second-chance romance. Recently divorced after a 30-year marriage, Scarlet, the main character, embarks on a cross-country journey to start over and find herself anew. Reflecting on her past while traveling to her new home on Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, Scarlet arrives ready to build a fresh chapter. She quickly settles into her new life, meeting new friends along the way, including Missy, who has a similar divorce story, and two intriguing love interests, Ben and Beau. Watching Scarlet navigate love and friendship in a new town made for an enjoyable, heartfelt journey.
Pursell does an exceptional job of crafting a story filled with unexpected twists and relatable characters, keeping the reader engaged from start to finish. Each character serves a unique purpose, making every interaction feel meaningful, with no filler personalities or unnecessary subplots. The novel beautifully captures Scarlet’s exploration of her past, balanced with her drive to embrace her future. This journey of reinvention is both inspiring and relatable, especially for readers who have experienced fresh starts in their own lives. Scarlet’s determination to live authentically and fully, without settling for a life of mere contentment, is powerful and inspiring.
One aspect I particularly appreciated was how Pursell wrote Scarlet as a strong, mature character who knows what she wants and refuses to compromise her happiness. There’s a refreshing message here for women of all ages: that love and fulfillment can blossom at any stage in life. Scarlet’s strength and resilience make her a truly admirable protagonist. The only element I found a bit far-fetched was the storyline involving Ben and Beau. Their circumstances occasionally stretched believability, which slightly detracted from the grounded realism of Scarlet’s journey.
The Scarlet D is an inspiring read, especially for women navigating new beginnings. Pursell’s storytelling is both entertaining and uplifting, creating a romance that highlights the power of resilience, self-discovery, and the excitement of finding love on one’s own terms. This novel is a must-read for anyone embracing change and open to the endless possibilities that come with it.
Pages: 218 | ISBN : 978-1737770589
What Many Women Experience
Long Enough to Love You follows a middle-aged woman who feels like something is missing in her life and must decide on a safe or fulfilling life. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
A story with this much raw emotion can only come from personal experiences and feelings. I had given so much of myself to raising my family, but as the nest started to empty, I found myself reflecting on my own life. I questioned my marriage. I questioned what I wanted the rest of my life to look like. Talking to friends who were in similar situations, I was comforted by the reality that so many of us go through this process. I wanted to tell a story that mirrors what many women experience emotionally.
I also needed the character to really challenge her convictions by facing unexpected challenges. My own diaries gave me the fuel for the first love part of the story. I had forgotten so much of that first love and was reminded of it when I rediscovered my diaries. You get one first love, and imagining what the range of emotions of reconnecting might be like decades later was intense. How crazy, beautiful, painful might it be to reunite with that first love and be reminded of the person you were once when you could love with all your heart without walls or pretenses? Reliving those moments was a rush of emotions and I was able to incorporate that into the story. I think it added to Jenn’s difficult decision of choosing safe or fulfilling. It added layers to the already raw and emotional journey Jenn was going on as she was figuring out how to be true to herself. Like most women, making that kind of decision is hard without the added reminders of the past. Those emotions are real for so many women, just as I imagine Jenn could be so many women. Society says we’re too old to start new. It says be good with what you have. Starting over in your fifties is a brutal thought to most any of us.
Was there anything from your own life that you put into the characters in your novel?
While this story is fiction, it is predicated on real emotions. I think it’s what has resonated with readers. I knew the beginning and end long before I ever started writing the book. And I knew I wanted it to be about second chances much later in life. My diaries gave me the idea for Tripp. My mom got sick when I started this book and I found myself spending a lot of one-on-one time with my dad. I cherished that so much and it inspired the dad in the story. My mom, however, is nothing like the mom in the book! Hard conversations in my own marriage definitely found their way into parts of the story. And animated conversations with friends did too.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I wanted this to be an honest look at a marriage from the woman’s perspective. I wanted her issues to be front and center as she figured out their importance. I wanted it to be okay for her to not choose safe even if society said that’s what we should all want. There is such a stigma as we age that we’re too old or incapable of wanting or needing more and that’s so wrong. We should be allowed to ask for things in a marriage. Even little things go a long way and Jenn was missing that. I think, too, it’s easy to forget that women, as we age, still want to be seen as sexy and beautiful and we like the idea of a man challenging us. Jenn was open to all that, even if it meant being uncomfortable and sometimes awkward while trying to figure it out. In the end, I wanted to write a story that was fair to the process of being true to yourself even if it hurts.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when is that book due out?
I am in the early phases, but the ideas and words are coming to me faster than I have time to sit down and write them. It’s called The Scarlet D. D standing for divorcee. And it takes the perspective that not all women are the ones scorned in a marriage; we aren’t always the victim. I enjoyed writing Long Enough to Love You and tackling the whole later in life love and second chances thing that I wanted to continue to build on that. I think women are often just as culpable in marriages ending; owning it in settings where the others you’re with were the victims presents a new set of challenges too. The book will also serve as a reminder that women are sexual humans regardless their age. I have been so busy promoting Long Enough to Love You that this book is happening in spurts. But I’m hoping that I can have a rough draft done in the next six months.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
A love story of self, of past, of present, of future. One woman’s journey to put the pieces of her life together in the most meaningful way – at times chaotic, at times cathartic, but ultimately beautiful in all its imperfect pieces.
Jenn, fifty-something and empty-nesting, feels like a donut: whole on the outside but missing the middle. The deafening sound of silence in the picture-perfect, oversized home she shares with a husband who does not see her makes the voices arguing in her head hard to ignore. One voice tells her to stay because safe and simple is good; another says leave so you can be the version of yourself not defined by others. The thought of ever after without happily feels like purgatory.
The chance discovery of her long-forgotten diaries unearths memories of a first love long buried, reminders that the most beautiful love is sometimes wasted on the young. Her words become a very real reminder of everything first love had been when she reconnects with Tripp in unexpected ways.
Long Enough to Love You by Kirsten Pursell follows Jenn – a courageous yet vulnerable protagonist – as she dissects and unpacks her marriage in an emotional journey to stay true to herself despite societal norms and middle-age stereotypes that would suggest otherwise.
Long Enough to Love You
Long Enough to Love You by Kirsten Pursell is the story of Jenn, an empty nester who realizes she’s not happy in her marriage to her husband, Mark. Constantly racked with wanting to cut loose or stay safe, the pair begin marriage counseling with marginal results. However, Jenn still feels unappreciated by her husband and wants to break free. She eventually reconnects with her first love, a man called Tripp, and he makes her feel desired again. The two begin an affair that starts with flirty texts and ends in a passionate weekend, but they both know it could never be more. Will Jenn find what makes her feel whole again, or will she stay safe?
Author Kirsten Pursell brings to life the emotions of what a woman feels when she becomes an empty nester and soon realizes that she is in a loveless marriage. Making this read all too relatable for many women. It shows that moment when you have to adjust to a new life stage and think about what really makes you happy. Pursell highlights the journey one takes to rediscover themselves without kids or a husband to define who they are.
This gripping book delivered a good message: beauty is in every age, not just youth, and you can find love at any age. I felt a lot of bombshells were dropped on the reader at the beginning making this one read that I couldn’t put down. I was taken on an emotional rollercoaster alongside Jenn and her journey to self-discovery. I connected with Jenn because she shared with readers what she feels and misses, and I felt her loneliness. I feel many readers will be able to relate to Jenn, and you will begin to care for her and want to know if she finds her happiness or not.
Long Enough to Love, You is a captivating romance and self-discovery story. If you are looking for a contemporary romance that is for older lovers, I recommend this heartfelt book. It redefines beauty and love for all ages so that youth doesn’t have all the fun.
Pages: 248 | ASIN : B0BSRFTWF1
LITERARY TITAN 