Love Me Twice

*Love Me Twice* picks up where *Fool Me Once* left off: in part two of Melody Joy's three-part sorta-biography, MJ shares riveting details about the disintegration of her long marriage to Walter in the face of Walter's mid-life crisis and the embodiment of his romantic fantasies. At the end of *Fool Me Once, * Walter made a dramatic exit, walking out on his friends at baby Emily Elizabeth's christening party. Now he is back, in body if not in soul. Forgiving Walter turns out to be a huge challenge for Melody. Their anniversary weekend didn't go anywhere near according to plan, and Walter's one-thousand-and-one fervent apologies can't seem to put their marriage back on track. As life moves along, essential questions arise: Does Walter really want to save their marriage? Does MJ really want to him to try? Melody Joy needs wisdom so she confides in her father, the only man she can trust, even though admitting to him that all is not roses is the same as slamming the door on the life she thought she would live forever. Her father advises her to be patient, let things play out, and take good notes for her tell-all autobiography. "When you finally do tell the story of this odyssey you're on, be sure to tell the truth. Your sisters and brothers, in this family and in the church, need to know they are not alone. It's their story too, especially the parts nobody else will talk about. Tell it all, tell it as fiction if you must." It was good advice, and this story is the result. To protect her loved ones, MJ's saga is written in novel form, using pseudonyms for herself and her family. *Love Me Twice* is part two of the worst and best of her past and the lessons she has learned along the way.** A word from the author: If this story sounds familiar, that's because it is. This is the story of one Mormon couple's married life before #MeToo. I write about Mormons because that's the culture I know best. MJ could have been a member of any church, anywhere. She just happens to be LDS. When I started writing these books, I had no idea the problem of bishops asking sexual questions in worthiness issues was as pervasive as it apparently is. All I knew is what I had experienced personally. Such interviews factor into the story here, and while MJ's experience was not as horrifying as that of many others, it still impacted her life in some significant and damaging ways. This practice needs to stop. No sexual questions, ever, for anyone. #protectLDSchildren MC