Gotta Keep on Tryin'

From the bestselling authors of Tryin' to Sleep in the Bed You Made comes a heartwarming tale of how true friendship can overcome life's obstacles.

Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid have been lifelong friends, as close as sisters. When they were teens their dreams led them down separate paths and away from each other. But they reunited as adults, drawn back together by a bond of friendship that stood the test of time.

Now Pat and Gayle co-own the Ell & Me Company, a business they founded based on a character Gayle created years ago for her daughter. Things are going well, but real-life dramas ensue as each must face issues from the past in order to protect the future.

Pat and Marcus look like the perfect twenty-first-century couple — smart, talented, each at the helm of a high-profile enterprise and at the top of their game. But behind closed doors their marriage is challenged by the stresses of a two-entrepreneur household. Will their professional pursuits leave them time for each other and a family, or carry them into the arms of others? Will a paternity claim prove to be too much of an obstacle to overcome?

Gayle faces her own family drama and struggles to maintain control of her life. Despite dating other men, has she ever really gotten over her ex-husband, Ramsey, the gambler who left her and their daughter, Vanessa, in financial ruin? Gayle bends over backward to provide a stable, comfortable home for Vanessa, and support her dream of becoming a dancer. And Vanessa, a rebellious and hurtful teen, seems just as devoted to making Gayle pay for every mistake she has ever made. And what ever happened to Ramsey?

In Gotta Keep on Tryin', Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant bring us heroines who remind you, for better and worse, of women everywhere — women who know that true friendship keeps us grounded. And when things get rough the bond between women can be stronger than any trials we face.

A Heartwarming Tale of How True Friendship Can Overcome Life's Obstacles

Gayle Saunders and Patricia Reid have been lifelong friends, as close as sisters. When they were teens their dreams led them down separate paths and away from each other. But they reunited as adults, drawn back together by a bond of friendship that stood the test of time.

Now Pat and Gayle co-own the Ell & Me Company, a business they founded based on a character Gayle created years ago for her daughter. Things are going well, but real-life dramas ensue as each must face issues from the past in order to protect the future.

Pat and Marcus look like the perfect twenty-first-century couple smart, talented, each at the helm of a high-profile enterprise and at the top of their game. but will their professional pursuits leave them time for each other and a family, or carry them into the arms of others? Will a paternity claim prover to be too much of an obstacle to overcome?

Gayle faces her own family drama and struggles to maintain control of her life. Despite dating other men, has she ever really gotten over her ex-husband, Ramsey the gambler who left her and their daughter, Vanessa, in financial ruin? Gayle bends over backward to provide a stable, comfortable home for Vanessa, who seems just as devoted to making Gayle pay for every mistake she has ever made. And what ever happened to Ramsey?

Laurie A. Cavanaugh - Library Journal

DeBerry and Grant, Essencebest-selling coauthors and self-described best friends for 25 years, have written a sequel to Tryin' To Sleep in the Bed You Made(1997), picking up the story of best friends Patricia Reid and Gayle Saunders ten years later. Financially successful and running a company together, Pat and Gayle now struggle with personal issues they're ashamed to tell each other. Goal-oriented Pat realizes she and busy husband Marcus are living parallel lives; she's toying with the idea of an affair. Secretly binging and purging to relieve anxiety, Gayle worries most about her headstrong teenage daughter, Vanessa. The novel's main characters are African American, but universal issues of family, self, pride, and shame-rather than race-are the focus. Frequent references to events of the first book will refresh readers' memories and catch up newcomers. With no graphic sex scenes or swearing, this tale about girlfriends going through tough times will likely appeal most to women aged 30 and over. Recommended for women's fiction collections, especially where Pearl Cleage is popular.

Virginia DeBerry and Donna Grant met while working as models. Virginia went on to become editor in chief for Maxima, a fashion and lifestyle magazine for plus-size women, and Donna was the magazine's managing editor. They moved on together to become novelists. Virginia lives in New Jersey. Donna and her husband live in Brooklyn.