FIERCE, FUNNY, AND FEMALE
A Journey Through Middle America,
the Texas Oil Field, and Standup Comedy
by
MARTI MacGIBBON
Genre: Memoir / Drama / Humor
Publisher: Stay Strong Publishing
Publication Date: March 20, 2017
Number of Pages: 412 pages
SCROLL DOWN FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
This book is the celebrated prequel to the critically acclaimed, nationally award-winning and bestselling memoir, Never Give in to Fear. In her raw, vivid, and unabashed style, author Marti MacGibbon delivers a sometimes heartbreaking, often hilarious, always engaging account of her passage through trauma, betrayal, and loss in adolescence and young adulthood to discover her inner badass self. As one of the first women to work as a laborer in the Texas oil field, she set off explosives and staked oil wells before realizing her childhood dream of becoming a successful standup comic. Marti introduces readers to a wide range of characters in her life: from sleazy authority figures, wannabe Sixties musicians and crazed Corn Belt cult leaders, to Texas oil billionaires and wildcatters, to wild-eyed redneck coworkers who robbed banks on their lunch hour―in the company truck. The book includes scenes with iconic comedians, Hollywood entertainment industry moguls, and a legendary bluesman, and offers insights into resiliency, courage, and self-empowerment.
WINNER, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in Humor
WINNER, 2017 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Awards in Women’s Studies
WINNER, 2017 National Indie Excellence Awards in Women’s Health
WINNER, 2017 Beverly Hills Book Awards in Women’s Issues
WINNER, 2018 Independent Press Award in Humor
WINNER, 2018 Independent Press Award in Women’s Studies
WINNER, 2018 New York City Book Book Award, Women’s Studies
FINALIST, 2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Memoir (Overcoming Adversity)
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PRAISE FOR FIERCE, FUNNY, AND FEMALE:
“Being funny is a survival skill. Fierce, Funny, and Female is not only a survivor’s tale but an inspirational story of overcoming the unthinkable, again and again…Her courage and comedy make Fierce, Funny, and Female a winner.” — Foreword Clarion Reviews
“An effervescently witty…chronicle of perseverance and the power to overcome the darkest of days…Perhaps the most rewarding chapter in this chatty, affecting book is the concluding one, where MacGibbon lists the tried-and-true pearls of wisdom that continue to sustain her…” — Kirkus Reviews
“Fierce, Funny, and Female is a thoroughly engaging memoir packed with witty observations, high adventure, and a glimpse of behind-the-scenes Hollywood. Highly recommended!” — Midwest Book Review
“MacGibbon is a natural storyteller, and her life story is a most interesting one. The characters she has run across during her life journey are well-drawn and absolutely fascinating, particularly the good ol’ boys in the Texas oilfields.” — San Francisco Book Review
“I will forever thank Texas—its wild, rowdy weather extremes and its resilient, eccentric native citizens—for teaching me how to adapt, survive, and discover my inner strength by thinking for myself.”
In Fierce, Funny, and Female, Marti MacGibbon shows us just how badass she is. But her bravado, ferocity, and true grit are more than just a part of her persona; they are part of her defense mechanism, her survival instincts, and her way of coping and trying desperately to stay the course.
This story is rife with hard truths about a young girl coming of age in the 1960s and 1970s, when free love and sex, drugs, and rock and roll reigned supreme. Marti doesn’t hold back in telling her readers about everything she experienced during her formative years and beyond. Fierce, Funny, and Female is not for the squeamish or the easily offended. The pages are filled with foul language, misogyny, sexual promiscuity and rape, violence, and a smorgasbord of drugs and alcohol. Amidst all this turmoil is a woman who gets knocked down more times than she can count but gets back up again, always stronger, braver, and wiser.
Marti MacGibbon’s story is difficult to read, but it is also enlightening, truly inspiring, and often quite hilarious, mostly because she is a determined woman who has battled her way through hardship, poor choices, helplessness, heartache, and incessant harassment from men threatened by her audacity to stand her ground and infiltrate their domain at every turn.
In Fierce, Funny, and Female, Marti takes the reader on a fascinating journey, from her adolescence in the 1960s to her emergence into standup comedy in the early-to-mid 1980s. But while this particular book ends on a high note, Marti’s heartbreaking yet inspiring story is far from over. Find out more from Terri Gorski’s blog post here and by reading Marti’s other book, Never Give in to Fear.
An entertaining aspect of Fierce, Funny, and Female is that the reader gains a unique view of Texas during the oil boom of the 1970s. Marti was right there on the front lines, holding her own as one of the first women to breach the testosterone-laden Texas oil fields, all with tremendous success, a “man-sized” paycheck, and a fair amount of fodder for her standup comedy routine later on. Even though Marti has encountered more than her fair share of trouble from an early age, she keeps moving forward, she keeps fighting and working and laughing. And she makes us laugh as well, even when the story is anything but funny.
As a side note, because this story ends in the 1980s, Marti’s fight with her ex-husband over their daughter is not over at the end of Fierce, Funny, and Female, so don’t be surprised to find that the fate of her relationship with her daughter remains a frustrating loose end.
Check out Marti MacGibbon’s Website here and her Blog here.
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win some exciting prizes!
A compelling speaker and storyteller, Marti MacGibbon delivers high-energy presentations and writes books on overcoming adversity, addiction and recovery, and inspiration, with humor and a genuine, down-to-earth style. She’s experienced critical situations that no human being should have to face. In the past, she hit rock bottom in every possible way as a hard-core drug addict, was homeless, and was trafficked to Tokyo and held prisoner by Japanese organized crime. Her story of triumph is testimony to the power of the human spirit. Marti lives her message. She reveals simple, effective strategies that anyone can use to get back on track, build resiliency, reduce stress, and cultivate a sense of humor.
Marti is a bestselling author, inspirational speaker, certified addiction treatment professional, Gorski certified relapse-prevention specialist, and member of the National Speakers Association. She’s been interviewed in Entrepreneur, Investor’s Business Daily, on ABC-TV, CBS-TV, and numerous radio shows. And she’s funny: Marti traveled all over the U.S. as a professional standup comic and performed at the Hollywood Improv and Comedy Store. She is founder, producer and host of Laff-aholics Comedy Benefit for Recovery, an annual charity fundraiser in Indianapolis featuring nationally headlining comedians. She also serves on the outreach committee of IPATH, Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Task Force.
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║ Goodreads ║ Amazon Author Page ║ YouTube ║
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
Each of Three Winners Gets a Signed Copy of the Book PLUS:
FIRST PRIZE:
$100 Spa Finder gift card + $25 Starbucks gift card + Moroccan oil sample collection
SECOND PRIZE:
Estee Lauder Limited Edition Gift Set + $25 Starbucks gift card
THIRD PRIZE:
$25 Starbucks gift card.
DECEMBER 12-21, 2018
(U.S. Only)
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
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12/12/18 |
Excerpt |
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12/12/18 |
Author Interview |
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12/13/18 |
Review |
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12/14/18 |
Playlist |
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12/14/18 |
Guest Post |
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12/15/18 |
Review |
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12/15/18 |
Excerpt |
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12/16/18 |
Review |
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12/17/18 |
Guest Post |
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12/17/18 |
Scrapbook Page |
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12/18/18 |
Review |
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12/19/18 |
Excerpt |
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12/19/18 |
Guest Post |
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12/20/18 |
Review |
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12/21/18 |
Review |
It is incredible that this author went through such awful things and still is alive, and thriving — and on top of that, she can make us laugh! Great review. Thank you.
Thanks! We often think we have it hard, but then we realize others suffer so much more. I love Marti MacGibbon’s grit and determination to just keep trying and moving forward!
Ruthie Jones, I am both honored and grateful to see my memoir, Fierce, Funny, and Female, featured and reviewed on your very cool blog! I’m deeply impressed with your insight, eloquence, and writing skill, and your generosity in mentioning the other memoir in the series, Never Give in to Fear! Wow! I am a fan. Happy Holidays to you! And thank you for supporting book lovers, writers and readers.