About the Book

Do you believe that joy is a choice? Dawn Barton does. She's an upbeat Southerner with good hair and a successful business background, but she's had more heartache than most of us can imagine. Laughing Through the Ugly Cry is a collection of honest and sometimes raw stories. Dawn throws an arm around readers as she brings them along on her journey through the loss of a child, divorce, cancer, rape, the death of her only sibling, her husband's substance abuse, and finding her way back to Jesus in the middle of it all.

Dawn shares her personal story to show readers how to find happiness and purpose even in the darkest of days. By laughing through the ugly cry, you will discover how to:

• Shut down negative feelings causing you to feel inadequate
• Identify the pros despite how challenging the cons may seem
• Embrace joy wherever you can find it
• Learn how to be honest with yourself and process grief in a healthy way

Dawn writes, "If more women were open about just how difficult our lives feel and how hard we are on ourselves, I think we'd learn to relax a little and give ourselves the grace God gives us every day." Laughing Through the Ugly Cry is great for:

• Women of any age seeking comfort, encouragement, and inspiration
• Book clubs and girls' nights--Dawn poses thoughtful group questions to support meaningful conversations about growth and joy

About the Book

Either by choice or by circumstance, we all encounter times of starting over. Seasons of hardships, abundance, seeking, and struggle all have a purpose because growth demands change. Dare to Bloom urges us to be both vulnerable and resilient in new seasons of life as we boldly position ourselves for what God has for us next. Serial entrepreneur and author, Zim Flores (neè Ugochukwu), reveals the challenges she's faced and how even her failures have helped shape her sense of purpose.

Her parents had big plans for her life. The daughter of Nigerian immigrants, Zim Flores was uprooted from her community as a young girl, marking the beginning of her quest for true identity. Though she experienced unprecedented worldly success as a teenager and young adult, Zim declares that even when we feel pressured by the world around us, our true identity is never at risk.

In Dare to Bloom, Zim offers practical and hard-won truths about:

• How to reclaim your true identity
• How to surrender your desired outcomes to God
• How to move forward after broken friendships
• How to find comfort during your darkest hours
• How to navigate new beginnings with hope for whatever is next
• How to joyfully participate in your own story--even when you don't know what the future holds

Dare to Bloom is a powerful gift for readers in times of transition or struggle who need a reminder that their true identity never changes. It empowers those who feel stuck in their current circumstances to follow God obediently into the unknown, finding joy in each new beginning. Inside you'll find:

• An elegant ribbon marker and a gorgeous presentation page for easy gifting
• Breathtaking photography from Zim's travels
• Thoughtful questions for reflection at the end of each chapter
• Zimisms--wisdom-filled phrases from the author

When everything changes around us, it can be easy to think that we're only as good as our last success. Though our identities are challenged day by day, Dare to Bloom encourages us to reclaim our identity in God, who is unchanging through it all.