Mary Alice Stephens is a creative nonfiction storyteller. As a television writer-producer for HGTV, Food Network, and other media outlets, she shared others’ stories on everything from outdoor adventures to home improvement. In her debut book, Uncorked, Mary shares her own powerful story of alcoholism, recovery, and starting life anew at 45. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Dominican University of California and resides in Northern California. When not writing, she can often be found cyber-stalking her teens, planning her family’s next adventure, or searching for her elusive phone. For more, visit her website

Mary's Memoir: Uncorked: A Memoir of Letting Go and Starting Over  by Mary Alice Stephens

Getting sober is one thing, staying sober another…

 With a glorious bang, alcohol freed Mary Stephens from her lonely, self-critical teenage shell and fueled Fun Mary. For three decades, booze had been her best friend, the reliable spark igniting good times and (she thought) good friendships. But Fun Mary had a dark side: debilitating hangovers, blackouts, and perilous behavior. Not even a three-story fall that left her in a body cast could stop her from drinking. But finally, after putting her young son in danger and her marriage in jeopardy, Fun Mary had to go.

Now sober at age 45, everything Mary once cherished becomes a trigger—date nights with her husband, friendships centered around wine, and a father who expresses his love through alcohol. This new Sober Mary is lonely and vulnerable—feelings she drank to escape. Now what? Told with heart and humor, Uncorked: A Memoir of Letting Go and Starting Over is the powerful, inspiring, and relatable story of a woman's pursuit of a better life through sobriety.

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