The first novel in a captivating three-book series about modern womanhood, in which a young Black woman must rely on courage, laughter, and love—and the support of her two longtime friends—to overcome an unexpected setback that threatens the most precious thing she’s ever wanted.
Tabitha Walker is a black woman with a plan to “have it all.” At 33 years old, the checklist for the life of her dreams is well underway. Education? Check. Good job? Check. Down payment for a nice house? Check. Dating marriage material? Check, check, and check. With a coveted position as a local news reporter, a "paper-perfect" boyfriend, and even a standing Saturday morning appointment with a reliable hairstylist, everything seems to be falling into place.
Then Tabby receives an unexpected diagnosis that brings her picture-perfect life crashing down, jeopardizing the keystone she took for granted: having children. With her dreams at risk of falling through the cracks of her checklist, suddenly she is faced with an impossible choice between her career, her dream home, and a family of her own.
With the help of her best friends, the irreverent and headstrong Laila and Alexis, the mom jeans-wearing former "Sexy Lexi," and the generational wisdom of her grandmother and the nonagenarian firebrand Ms. Gretchen, Tabby explores the reaches of modern medicine and tests the limits of her relationships, hoping to salvage the future she always dreamed of. But the fight is all-consuming, demanding a steep price that forces an honest reckoning for nearly everyone in her life. As Tabby soon learns, her grandmother's age-old adage just might still be true: Black girls must die exhausted. “It’s a good thing that this is only the first book of a trilogy because after getting to know Tabitha, you won’t want to leave her at the end. . . . Written intimately as if you’re peering into the mind of a close friend, this book is a true testament to the stresses on women today and how great girlfriends (and grandmothers) are often the key to our sanity.”
— Good Morning America
Jayne Allen (pen name), in her life outside of writing, is a serial entrepreneur, Harvard-trained attorney, and engineer. She dabbles in standup comedy, tries to learn one new thing a week, and relishes laughter and champagne bubbles with her girlfriends and family.
Originally from Detroit, when not writing "chocolate chick lit with a conscience," she's spending time with her friends and family, keeping one ear open for her next saucy tale. Jayne writes fiction out of life experiences, calling every character "fragments of reality strung together by imagination" and strives to tell stories that stick to your bones. Her series Black Girls Must Die Exhausted she calls "chocolate chick lit with a conscience," touching upon contemporary women's issues such as workplace womanhood, race, fertility, modern relationships and mental health awareness. Her writing echoes her desire to bring both multiculturalism and multidimensionality to contemporary women's fiction with dynamic female protagonists who also happen to be black.
She has authored four non-fiction books, in addition to books one and two in the Black Girls Must Die Exhausted trilogy which has sold over 10,000 copies worldwide. She is most active on Instagram at @JayneAllenWrites, where she hosts a weekly Sunday live writer's workshop.
Jayne is also the founder of Book Genius, an online publishing course opening in Summer 2020.
For newsletter visit: www.JayneAllen.com
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