YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO BE A PART OF READ OUR LIPS A BOOK BY WOMEN, FOR WOMEN 

 

Conceived by me (author Patricia Martin), Read Our Lips is a book project that gives voice to women’s unique personal stories and shared universal experiences and truths that connect us.   The Read Our Lips Project invites women from all over the world and all walks of life to share their stories, heal, and express their experiences and thoughts.   

Together, we’ll share stories of courage, stories of survival and hope, stories of despair and resilience, stories of coping with physical, mental, and emotional abuse, stories of overcoming addiction and processing tragedies, stories of hard-earned successes and rebounding from setbacks. Stories told as only women can, uplifting each other and empowering us through honest, poignant, no-holds-barred sharing.

  
Women are potently feminine with innate powers to rise up and meet any challenges, circumstances, and experiences.  Yet we are also vulnerable to life-altering brutality.  Consider the many celebrities who have shared their own stories of being violently and sexually assaulted…Celebrities like Debbie Harry, Madonna, Rita Moreno, Lady Gaga, Viola Davis, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Roseanna Arquet, Ashley Judd…The list goes on and on, with Rose McGowan inspiring the #MeToo movement when she blew the doors wide open to discussion by exposing mogul Harvey Weinstein as a rapist.  This brave step inspired other women—not just celebrities but women like you and me—to come forward.

There are of course many more stories we can share.  Most recently, in January 2024, Mariska Hargitay opened up and wrote an essay for People magazine about being raped by a friend when she was in her 30s. And while her Law & Order Special Victims Unit TV show has provided strength and comfort for viewers who have experienced rape, Mariska stated that she hopes more people will begin to talk openly about sexual assault, that victims no longer feel shame and guilt, and that sexual violence will no longer be tolerated by society and the system.

​

So, let’s share our untold stories and bring them out of darkness and into the light—lighting the way for all women. 

I invite you all to submit your story to me—beautiful, hopeful, inspiring stories about your life as well as the darker moments that may still be haunting you.  There are endless topics that can be addressed…Such as success, sorrow, and survival; adventure, travel, and heartache; health and heroics; menopause and agism; divorce, grief, and finding love…motherhood and parenting...being the other woman…or simply an essay on why you love gardening.  

Please know your privacy will be maintained as contributions to Read Our Lips will only be attributed by listing a first name (real or pseudonym)  and age (to provide context).   You also have the option of listing your full name, should you wish to do so.  

Please contact me at readourlipsproject@gmail.com for submission details and to arrange for an interview with me…And let’s get the conversation going! 

It’s about the power of stories. The power of sharing.  The power of women. That’s the heart, soul, and spirit of the Read Our Lips project.