Author Event! Leslie Harter-Berg & Kayla Stoecklein

Schedule

Tue Mar 31 2026 at 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm

UTC-07:00

Location

1113 Montana Ave | Santa Monica, CA

Advertisement
In person author event with Leslie Harter-Berg & Kayla Stoecklein at Zibby's Bookshop, 1113 Montana Ave, Santa Monica 90403!
About this Event

About the book:

Meanwhile, you're standing in the middle of your living room, staring at a mountain of grown-man Legos, wondering if it's disrespectful to donate them or insane to keep them.

You're on hold with AT&T for the third time this week, trying to explain to a stranger that the account holder doesn't need unlimited data anymore because he's dead. You are holding it together on the outside, but on the inside, you are navigating a map that no one gave you, for a terrain you never wanted to visit.

Leslie Harter-Berg knows too well the absurdity of the "admin of death"--the paperwork, the passwords, the phone calls that punctuate the grief. She knows what it's like to have a life that was "pretty darn good" implode into a reality of solo parenting and widowhood at the age of thirty. She knows exactly what it feels like to have to do school drop-off when simply getting out of bed seems insurmountable.

In this relatable, poignant, and funny memoir-meets-grief-guide, Leslie shares her many attempts at conquering the stages of grief and her ultimate acceptance that no one is actually grading her in Coping 101. In this deeply honest account of life after loss, Leslie learns the hard way that surviving is often more profound and beautiful than thriving.

If you're exhausted by the well-meaning but empty promises that this is a "blessing in disguise," that "now you have a guardian angel" or "everything happens for a reason," come sit next to Leslie as she discovers that there's not a magic prayer for moving on, and that it's time to lay down the mantle of "doing grief right."

About the authors:

Leslie Harter-Berg is a speaker, writer, owner of video production company Harter Creative, and founder of the nonprofit Vids for Wids, which creates grief content aimed at helping widows feel less alone. After the sudden death of her husband in 2019, she became a young widow, single mom and solo business owner with a newfound passion to learn and share more about grief and the mess of rebuilding. When she’s not
chasing her children or on a TV commercial set, she’s connecting with other widows around the globe about life after loss. For more information, visit leslieharterberg.com.

Kayla Stoeklein is the best-selling author of Fear Gone Wild and Rebuilding Beautiful and a mental health advocate, spreading awareness and offering hope. She is also a widowed mom to three boys.

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

1113 Montana Ave, 1113 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica, United States

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0.00

Icon
Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.
Zibby's Bookshop

Host or Publisher Zibby's Bookshop

Ask AI if this event suits you:

Discover More Events in Santa Monica

USC Trojans at UCLA Bruins Baseball at Jackie Robinson Stadium
Fri, 03 Apr at 06:00 pm USC Trojans at UCLA Bruins Baseball at Jackie Robinson Stadium

Jackie Robinson Stadium

CONTESTS TRIPS-ADVENTURES
Ethel Tan Presents Tricks & Giggles: A Night of Comedy & Magic
Fri, 03 Apr at 08:00 pm Ethel Tan Presents Tricks & Giggles: A Night of Comedy & Magic

The Crow

COMEDY ENTERTAINMENT
Good Cause Comedy
Fri, 03 Apr at 08:00 pm Good Cause Comedy

The Crow

COMEDY NONPROFIT
Water is a Currency Exhibition Opening
Sat, 04 Apr at 01:00 pm Water is a Currency Exhibition Opening

Annenberg Community Beach House

EXHIBITIONS ART
Santa Monica Public Library presents Jacob Soboroff
Wed, 04 Mar at 06:00 pm Santa Monica Public Library presents Jacob Soboroff

Santa Monica Public Library

Red Flag! A dive into romantic mishaps with Alexandra Potter & Yue Xu!
Thu, 05 Mar at 06:00 pm Red Flag! A dive into romantic mishaps with Alexandra Potter & Yue Xu!

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Library Girl Presents: Catching Fire\/The Los Angeles Wildfires\u2014Anthology Celebration
Sun, 08 Mar at 07:00 pm Library Girl Presents: Catching Fire/The Los Angeles Wildfires—Anthology Celebration

Ruskin Group Theatre

ART THEATRE
Author Event! Kalina Silverman & Tamara Schweitzer
Tue, 10 Mar at 06:00 pm Author Event! Kalina Silverman & Tamara Schweitzer

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Zibby's Bookshop March Book Club
Wed, 11 Mar at 07:00 pm Zibby's Bookshop March Book Club

1113 Montana Ave

MEETUPS
Join Us for the Special Launch of THE END OF MY LIFE IS KILLING ME!
Tue, 17 Mar at 06:00 pm Join Us for the Special Launch of THE END OF MY LIFE IS KILLING ME!

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Unlikely Collaborators Spark Salon with Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger, PhD
Tue, 17 Mar at 06:00 pm Unlikely Collaborators Spark Salon with Dr. Lisa Kaltenegger, PhD

1520 2nd St

ART LITERARY-ART
Author Event! Leslie Harter-Berg & Kayla Stoecklein
Tue, 31 Mar at 06:00 pm Author Event! Leslie Harter-Berg & Kayla Stoecklein

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Totally Booked with Zibby: Live with Wade Rouse!
Thu, 02 Apr at 06:00 pm Totally Booked with Zibby: Live with Wade Rouse!

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
An Evening with Charles Duhigg
Tue, 07 Apr at 08:00 pm An Evening with Charles Duhigg

The Ann and Jerry Moss Theater--New Roads School

ART LITERARY-ART
Author event! Marie Benedict & Susan Walter
Wed, 08 Apr at 06:00 pm Author event! Marie Benedict & Susan Walter

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Author Event! Matt Fogelson and Lizzy Weiss
Thu, 16 Apr at 06:00 pm Author Event! Matt Fogelson and Lizzy Weiss

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
Aussie Author Night with Bestsellers Emma Grey and Sally Hepworth!
Mon, 20 Apr at 06:00 pm Aussie Author Night with Bestsellers Emma Grey and Sally Hepworth!

Zibby's Bookshop

ART LITERARY-ART
Thriller Night! Danielle Girard and Kate Brody
Wed, 22 Apr at 06:00 pm Thriller Night! Danielle Girard and Kate Brody

1113 Montana Ave

ART LITERARY-ART
DYE-I-Y: A Natural Dye Workshop
Sat, 25 Apr at 12:00 pm DYE-I-Y: A Natural Dye Workshop

Santa Monica High School

WORKSHOPS FESTIVALS
Kate Bowler with Rainn Wilson
Sun, 26 Apr at 04:00 pm Kate Bowler with Rainn Wilson

The Ann and Jerry Moss Theater--New Roads School

ART THEATRE

What's Happening Next in Santa Monica?

Discover Santa Monica Events