Extraordinarily educated and quick-witted, she is being groomed by her uncle to become an abbess in the service of God. But with one encounter, her destiny changes forever. Pierre Abelard, headmaster at the Notre-Dame Cloister School, is acclaimed as one of the greatest philosophers in France. His controversial reputation only adds to his allure, yet despite the legions of women swooning over his poetry and dashing looks, he is captivated by the brilliant Heloise alone.
As their relationship blossoms from a meeting of the minds to a forbidden love affair, both Heloise and Abelard must choose between love, duty, and ambition. Sherry Jones weaves the lovers' own words into an evocative account of desire and sacrifice. As intimate as it is erotic, as devastating as it is beautiful, The Sharp Hook of Love is a poignant, tender tribute to one of history's greatest romances, and to love's power to transform and endure.
Her induction made her the first black woman to receive this honor. She would have been thrilled! She changed the world, making it a more equitable place for all -- even when it cost her her castle. In she was the only woman to speak at Dr. Martin Luther King's March on Washington. Josephine Baker is only the latest of kick-ass women in history whose stories I've told in my fiction. Others include:. My next novel, in progress, tells the story of transgender jazz musician Billy Tipton and his five wives, many of whom never knew that he was biologically female.
He dressed as a man in to audition for a gig with a jazz band after being turned down as a female -- and got the job. Billy led a music- and passion-filled life for the next 55 years, but the stresses and anxieties over having his secret discovered took their toll in tragic ways. Billy's story, like all the stories I've written, explore women's struggles through the ages to realize our dreams and reach our full potential and power in a patriarchal world.
It's a battle I fight daily for myself, my sisters, and all our daughters -- as well as our sons, who also suffer as a result of the toxic masculinity patriarchy imposes on them. Originally from North Carolina, then Philadelphia, then Montana, I now live in Spokane, Washington where I love to cook, play classical piano not very well , drink champagne, dance with friends, and read great fiction.
