ℚ♫ Lady and The Tribe - Brenda Billings Ridgley

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with debut author Brenda Billings Ridgley to talk about Lady and The Tribe: How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles (8 September 2021, Whole You Media, 233 pages), a Non-fiction Self-help.

"Ridgley does an impressive job merging personal experiences, her unique thoughts on
friendship, and anecdotes from other women with research and experts’ opinions. She offers a
plethora of useful tips on how to develop, maintain, and enrich friendships, such as encouraging
readers to “emphasize joy and kindness over charisma”; enthusiasm for a friendship, she posits,
enhances the relationship, as does sharing inside jokes and connecting over the “silly things.”" ~ Blue Ink Review

"it’s easy for women to ‘lose themselves’ in their lives. Lady and the Tribe helps you reflect on the importance of friendships and offers great strategies on how to nurture those friendships and 'make it happen'. Lady and the Tribe is a good read for any age." ~ Amazon Customer

|| Synopsis || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

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A very warm welcome to Brenda Billings Ridgley; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Lady and The Tribe, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"My go-to play lists are Alex Rainbird Music.

Here is one of the playlists."

Thank you for sharing that YouTube channel with us!

What was the inspiration for Lady and The Tribe?

"My Tribe, my circle of girlfriends, who helped pull me out of my “what’s the meaning of life” funk a few years back.

Over the previous decade I had “Let myself go” by not pursuing my own interests, activities and friendships. I was only living to be of service to the passions and interests of my children, not feeling connected to my own. When I recognized what was missing for me, I started making my friendships a priority and by deepening those connections, they helped me find myself again."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"My wholeness is reflected in Lady and the Tribe. I think one could find my education, experience as well as research throughout the book. I have been told the book has a nice rhythm to it that “sounds like me”."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for Lady and The Tribe.

"I provide an analogy in the book that our life is represented by the tree of life, and I discuss each element from the roots to the leaves and blossoms. I wanted that image on the front cover so the reader, when the look close, can see the woman in the tree trunk.

As for the colours, these colours make me happy. I wanted it to look like a blossoming beautiful tree at the peak of its growth."

Why should we read Lady and The Tribe and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"Lady and the Tribe is about the woman, her journey through career, marriage, and children, and how it often leads us to “let ourselves go” to include our preferences, hobbies, interests, and friendships. We are left with a full life yet feeling a bit empty.

The book identifies the issue and helps readers create a game plan to rediscover themselves through nurturing friendships. I have not found another book out there that addresses the issue of loneliness as it relates to women lost in their lives of service and offers a blueprint for rediscovering themselves."

When three or more gather, we are Tribe!

Can you tell us something quirky about Lady and The Tribe?

"All of the stories in Lady and the Tribe represent real women. Everyone except two chose to use their real name in their stories.

The stories are very personal, and it was an honour to interview these special women."

Who would you recommend Lady and The Tribe to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I believe that women who identify heavily with the roles in their life like wife, mother, and career woman all would relate to and enjoy Lady and The Tribe.

No warnings come to mind."

If you could / wished to turn Lady and The Tribe into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"There are six incredible women in my own Tribe and I would love to see Jennifer Aniston, Melissa McCarthy, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jennifer Garner, Kate Hudson and my favourite comedian Leanne Morgan play us."

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"This is my first book, but I do plan to write more personal growth books that help people connect, communicate, and build relationships."

What is your writing process?

"I put together a rough outline, really just a list of topics I would like to cover and start writing!"

What is in store next?

"The next two books I am formulating include one for the new bride and another for the career woman and her relationship with other women in the workplace.

I am also considering a guided journal of sorts to accompany Lady and the Tribe."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"How fun, yes. Here is a photo of me and my dog Perry."

What a lovely picture; thank you for sharing it with us! And of course, please give Perry lots of head-scratches and belly-rubs from us all at BooksChatter!

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We can become whole again through the power of connection.
When three or more gather, we are Tribe.

Lady and The Tribe: How to Create Empowering Friendship Circles
Available NOW!

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