Interview With Women's Author Janelle Alexis

 

 

1. What inspired you to write this book? My own body staged a mutiny and nobody warned me. One day I’m fine, the next I’ve got chin hairs, itchy ears, and rage over how someone is breathing. I’m behind the chair every day at my salon, and my clients were whispering the same things to me. I figured if we’re all going through it, somebody needs to say it out loud, and make it funny.

 

2. What exactly is it about and who is it written for? Meno Posse is a girlfriend’s guide to perimenopause and menopause, told through my own very unglamorous stories. Hot flashes, brain fog, hormone pellets, reading glasses, giving up my heels for orthotic shoes. It’s for every woman who has wondered, “Is this normal or am I dying?” And for the people who love her and would like to survive it.

 

3. What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book? I want her to laugh so hard she forgets she’s sweating. Then I want her to feel less alone, and less crazy. And I want her to walk away knowing where to get help, because there’s a whole chapter on that. Laughing is the medicine, but information is the cure.

 

4. How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design? “Meno” is for menopause, and “posse” is because nobody should go through this alone. You need your girls, the ones who love you enough to say, “Honey, you’ve got a chin hair, and it’s waving at me.” For the cover, I wanted two things on it: me and a martini. Me, because it’s my story and I earned every hot flash in it. The martini, because I love them, and frankly it’s the only thing in this book that’s supposed to be dirty. I wanted a cover that makes you stop, look twice, and laugh, and still be beautiful. Funny and gorgeous at the same time, which is my goal for this whole stage of life.

 

5. What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!? Write it the way you’d tell it to your best friend. The minute I stopped trying to sound like an author and started sounding like me, the pages came alive. And tell the truth, especially the embarrassing parts. That’s the part readers remember.

 

6. What trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading? Women are done being quiet about midlife, and the book world is finally catching up. Readers want honesty over polish. I also see authors building their own audiences. I talk to my readers every day on social media, so by the time the book comes out, we’re already friends.

 

7. Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book? All of it. A salon chair is a confessional, and I’ve spent years hearing what women really go

through. So, these stories are a mix of mine, my girlfriends’, and my clients’. The hysterectomy chapter belongs to one of my best friends, and the mommy makeover consultation belongs to one of my clients. But the colonoscopy, the ayahuasca ceremony in Peru, and “The Wand Doesn’t Care”? Those are all me, unfortunately. And I know there are so many more women out there living these same stories. The material doesn’t stop, either. Right after the book was published, I was sitting in my doctor’s office talking about vaginal cream. So, there is plenty more to come. Maybe the next one will be called P.S. From My Girl Parts. But this one is definitely a keeper, and it’s the perfect gift for every woman in your posse.

 

8. How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to? Direct, darkly funny, and unsparing, mostly with myself. If you like Chelsea Handler, Jenny

Lawson, Samantha Irby, or Jen Mann, you’ll feel at home. And like my first two books, every

chapter ends with an original quote, so you get a laugh and something to take with you. 

 

9. What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book? Brain fog, for one. Writing a book about menopause while in it is a special kind of irony. The bigger challenge was being that honest. It’s one thing to laugh about this with a client and another to put it in print with my name on it. I did it anyway, because that’s the whole point. 

 

10. If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours? Because you or someone you love is going through this right now, and nobody handed her a manual. This is the manual, with punchlines. You’ll laugh, you’ll feel seen, and you’ll finally have something to hand your husband.

 

About The Author: Janelle Alexis is a Houston-based entrepreneur, international beauty educator, and author. She is the founder of Janelle Alexis Salon, Janelle Alexis Cosmetics, and the jewelry line Authentically Beautiful, and is known across Houston as a blonde specialist and makeup artist. Her books include the memoirs Rose Colored Glasses and Was It Worth It? and her newest, Meno Posse, a laugh-out-loud girlfriend’s guide to perimenopause and menopause. A content creator and spokeswoman for women, Janelle uses humor and her own life experiences to talk about resilience, reinvention, and everything nobody warns you about in midlife. She lives in Houston, where she is a wife, a mom, and a dog mom of five. For more info, please see: www.janellealexisofficial.com

 

Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator! 

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 11 million page views. With over 5,700+ posts over the past 15 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2026, 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2026.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully) and (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/10-things-my-dog-taught-me-about-marketing-books). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, three times at BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association, Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, five times at Morgan James Publishing Red Carpet, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum