‘One Happy Divorce: Hold the BullS#!t’: How a local author found happiness after ending her marriage

Jen Hurvitz Weintraub never set out to become a writer, but, truth be told, she didn’t set out to get divorced either. In 2012, when these two unexpected paths crossed, she found herself in a beautiful space of loss and turning over a new leaf.

Writing became an unlikely but invaluable outlet for Hurvitz Weintraub’s healing process and, as it turns out, for the healing process of many other people going through a divorce.

With two sons and a new life to herself, she set out to get her thoughts out on paper and tell her story to the world, beginning with her blog, The Truth Hurvitz. Her wildly uncensored tone and unapologetic, real-life content gained a quick following and began to reach broader audiences looking for some insight to such a common occurrence.

Before writing, Hurvitz Weintraub was a professional dancer and Bar Mitzvah DJ (yes, I’m serious) turned stay-at-home mom, but her authenticity allowed her writing to snowball from being simply an outlet into a full-time endeavor.

“After my divorce, I felt lost and alone,” Hurvitz Weintraub said. “But ironically enough, I always had one person by my side — my ex. I learned that divorced couples actually can be kind to each other, but it takes work.

“I got inspired to share my story on how to have a healthy, happy divorce. I thought it was important to spread my message: A happy marriage takes work; so does a happy divorce. You just have to check your egos at the door, and put your kids first.”

This cathartic act of getting her inner most thoughts and feelings in writing was healing and led to where she is now, five years later, with a book deal.

Working on her book, ‘One Happy Divorce: Hold the BullS#!t,’ took hard work, diligence, and a lot of time at Starbucks or curled up on her couch under lots of blankets with lots of wine.

Although writing is a craft done primarily in isolation, getting it printed in a town where you have limited publication contacts is a far different reality.

“This being my first book, I have no connections to the Charlotte writing community,” Hurvitz Weintraub said. “Most of my connections are national; I write for national publications.”

So how does someone so unconnected to the writing world in the Queen City land themselves a book deal out of Ballantyne?

“I got super lucky,” Hurvitz Weintraub said. “I got hooked up with publicist Arden McLaughlin with Definita Marketing who knows everything, and everyone in the book world. And amazingly enough… I got signed with Warren Publishing, which is a local publishing house here in Charlotte.”

Originally, Hurvitz Weintraub had thought to take the route of self-publishing.

“It’s really difficult, but the only way to go if you don’t have a book deal,” she said.

Months after submitting a book query (a formal letter to publishing houses for writing proposals), she heard back from Mindy Kuhn at Warren Publishing. Their unique five-step publishing process, from visualization to publication, allowed Hurvitz Weintraub to maintain creative control of her work, her “baby,” as she calls it.

While her book has tons of advice and stories on how to get through your divorce, Hurvitz Weintraub also offers some advice for writers-to-be.

Her two biggest suggestions? Persevere and get a good editor.

“You cannot give up,” Hurvitz Weintraub said. “Never stop trying, and don’t let people tell you that it’s impossible to publish. Get a good editor. If you are self-publishing, spend your money on the best editor you can afford. Or, submit your manuscript. You never know what could happen.”

This story was originally published November 12, 2017 at 10:00 PM with the headline "‘One Happy Divorce: Hold the BullS#!t’: How a local author found happiness after ending her marriage."