When the Crow Sings: Jacqueline Wales' New Novel about Family Secrets, Shame and a Woman's Courage to Break Free from it All

New York City, NY, April 11, 2007 — When the Crow Sings: A Novel, by Jacqueline Wales, was released in March 2007 and is available through http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com. Wales, the founder of http://www.fearlessfifties.com, is a motivational speaker, coach and author who teaches women in midlife how to move through their fears to live vibrant and energetic lives.

In When the Crow Sings: A Novel, Wales tells one woman's truth about a stigma that has affected countless other women. A story of a family caught up in shame, abuse and denial, it's a powerful account that explores the history of mothers who abandoned their children, until one woman had the courage to break the chains of shame.

When the Crow Sings is based on Wales' own life experiences. Having left school and home at age 15, she found herself unmarried and pregnant by 19. At 20, she gave up her daughter for adoption. Children born out of wedlock, their abandonment, and the accompanying shame and sorrow have touched the lives of women from all corners of the world. In this very personal story, we experience the thoughts, the feelings and the complex family dynamics surrounding this family secret.

"We all live with secrets, many of them planted in our childhood and youth. Within them we harbor sorrows, fears, and oftentimes a sense of shame. From their earliest beginnings, our secrets create lifelong obstacles which keep us from living as the strong women we are," says Wales. "It's important to tell our truths, not only to others, but more importantly to ourselves. When the Crow Sings allowed me to tell my story with the hope it would provide understanding, support, and hope to others who may have shared my experience."

No stranger to life's difficulties, Wales' experiences from childhood to womanhood taught her many life lessons she now draws upon when working with other women. As the founder of Fearless Fifties(TM)(http://www.fearlessfifties.com), she now inspires women from around the world to empower them to move through their fears to claim the thriving, passionate, and joy-filled life that awaits them.

"Secrets are rooted in fear. And, it's fear that keeps us stuck and prevents us from moving forward. Until we can unearth our courage to face our fears, we can't move through them. We need to pull them into the light; we need to hold them up and examine them and appreciate them for their lessons. We must feel them fully for they are a part of who we are. Then, we must let them go. We must understand we always act from what we know at the time," comments Wales. "We must forgive ourselves and understand that life already forgave us long ago. With this acknowledgment comes healing, just as it occurs for the novel's main character, Agnes."

For more information about When The Crow Sings: A Novel, or to schedule a book reading or author interview, please refer to the contact information.

Jacqueline Wales, motivational speaker, author, and coach, works with women to help them step through their fears to live their best life now. She is the author of several books including The Good Enough Mother, the newly released When the Crow Sings, as well as several other compilations. Having discovered her singing voice in her forties, she has graced the stage with her touching, heart-centered music in Los Angeles, Paris, and Amsterdam, producing her first CD entitled Secrets of the Sun. Born in Scotland and having lived and worked in cities around the world, she now resides in New York City living true to Fearless in her Fifties.