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WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, October 15, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Author Sheri M. Baxter announces the release of The Second Bounce: A Middle-Aged Trapeze Artist’s Journey through Life’s Unexpected Landings, a memoir that challenges conventional ideas about resilience and what it means to start over. Published by BookBaby, the book draws on Baxter’s extraordinary life spanning military service, aviation, public service, education, and professional circus arts to explore what happens when life changes the rules and the skills we have relied upon no longer serve us. The Second Bounce is available beginning today, Thursday, October 15, 2026.
In flying trapeze, the second bounce is the moment after the net absorbs a performer’s impact, launching them back into the air before a second and final landing. It is a moment that demands awareness and adaptability—not because something went wrong, but because even a perfect performance can produce an unexpected response.
For Baxter, the metaphor reflects a life marked by unexpected turns. From being abandoned as a young adult just as she was preparing for college to navigating military service, aviation, and public service, she has repeatedly confronted circumstances beyond her control. Along the way, she built a career in high-performance environments, developed expertise in aviation safety and training, and spent more than a decade coaching flying trapeze, acrobatics, and strength conditioning before becoming a professional trapeze artist.
Then an unexpected medical condition took away the physical strength and identity she had relied upon for decades. Faced with rebuilding her life once again, Baxter discovered that resilience isn’t simply about determination, toughness, or getting back up after a fall. Sometimes, it means learning to adapt when the rules change entirely.
Blending humor, self-reflection, and hard-earned perspective, The Second Bounce offers a fresh take on identity, reinvention, and the moments that shape us long after a crisis has passed. Rather than presenting a conventional story of overcoming obstacles, Baxter explores the more complicated reality of learning to live when life refuses to follow the script.
“Resilience is often framed as the ability to bounce back, but life doesn’t always offer a return to the way things were,” said Baxter. “Sometimes, the challenge is figuring out who you are when the things that once defined you are no longer possible—and learning to move forward in a completely different way.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sheri M. Baxter has built a career spanning military service, aviation, public service, emergency response, and academia, alongside extensive community service, work supporting families and children, and the founding of several nonprofit organizations. As a Certified Flight Instructor and airline trainer, she has developed and delivered programs that have influenced hundreds of pilots and contributed to aviation safety on national and global scales. She holds a master’s degree and PhD in Public Policy and Administration.
Alongside her decades-long aviation career, Sheri spent more than 15 years training in the circus arts, including a decade coaching flying trapeze, acrobatics, and strength conditioning. She has also performed flying trapeze professionally and designed Rose Parade floats for nearly 20 years, continuing a lifelong pursuit of physical challenge, creativity, learning, and growth.
A lifelong educator, Sheri has taught across multiple fields in professional, community, and academic settings. Her work includes contributions to aviation safety, public policy, and programs supporting children with special needs and their families. She also volunteers teaching English locally and internationally.
Originally from Southern California, Sheri has lived and worked across the United States including Alaska, New York, and Chicago and around the world. She now lives in Washington, DC, where she focuses on writing, education, and community volunteer work. Outside of work, she can often be found walking long-distance routes in Europe each summer, traveling, volunteering, or continuing her studies in wine, yoga, history, and whatever else catches her curiosity. She holds a Diploma in Medieval English History from the University of Cambridge.
The Second Bounce: A Middle-Aged Trapeze Artist’s Journey through Life’s Unexpected Landings
By Sheri M. Baxter
Memoir
Trade paper | 9798317845926 | $19.99
eBook | 9798317845933| $7.99
Pages: 296
October 15, 2026
Published by BookBaby
About Book Baby:
At BookBaby, we’re more than just a self-publishing company, we’re your partner in turning creative dreams into reality. From professional editing and high-quality book printing to direct-to-reader sales and book distribution, we’re here to help independent authors share their stories.
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