Nicky Pellegrino is a best-selling author in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. She writes delicious novels about Italy and her stories are filled with food, friendship, and love. And the kind of people who will feel like they’re your friends. If you’ve never read one of her Italian novels we recommend you do with a full tummy and prepare to have your passport ready. Nicky's also the author of Don’t Sweat It: How To Make ‘The Change’ A Good One. It's a candid, honest and warm guide to perimenopause and menopause. Nicky wrote it after perimenopause crept up on her and threw her usually-together self into turmoil. The empowering book tells the story of Nicky's own experience from rage to missing libidos. It also includes other women's stories and the latest research on perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Nicky’s currently writing her 15th novel which increasingly features women in midlife. Her latest release is P.S. Come To Italy. Born in Liverpool, Nicky’s half Italian, and spent her childhood summers in Italy, hence the Italian flavour of her novels. She’s been based in New Zealand for 30 years after meeting her husband at a wedding. Well known for wisdom and the wit of her storytelling she’s also a former editor and currently a freelance writer on a diverse range of subjects including health. In this episode, we talk about: Writing about a hot flush when you haven't had one (4:08) Coming of age - what is midlife (4.37) Pushing back against invisibility (6:20) Why it's a bad idea to write a book about menopause when you're in peri and why she did (7:25) Stumbling into peri and the beauty of post- (12:00) Imposter syndrome (14:12) Throwing out bras and other body changes (15:15) Wine and coffee - BFF no more (16:10) A missing libido (16:57) Recurring themes in menopause with loss of confidence reigning high (19:01) Lack. of knowledge - are there better ways? (24:00) There aren't any roadmaps (25:00) The importance of self-care, mental health, friends, and laughter (26:00) Laugh more, it's good for you! The Italian Experience and culinary tour (28:36) What she wished she'd known about perimenopause and menopause (32:00) Despite the hype, HRT isn't the be-all and end-all (31:26) Advice to women (36:55) Suggestions for aspiring novelists (41:28) Would you rather see our smiling faces?  Subscribe to our YouTube channel here  Episode Resources: You can follow Nicky Pellegrino on Instagram here And on Facebook here Or visit her website here To find out more about her culinary tours to Italy click here For a manuscript assessment click here Women On Fire® is sponsored by MenoMe® Follow MenoMe® on Instagram here Follow MenoMe® on Facebook here Visit the website here Subscribe to the YouTube channel to watch the interviews here   We're honoured you've joined Women On Fire® and hope you enjoyed this episode. If you did, we would be grateful if you would leave us a 5-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts or subscribe to our YouTube channel. That way, we can reach as many women as possible with Women On Fire®.  Hosted by Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.