Widowed Father Pens Honest, Hopeful Guide for Life After Loss in Let's Skip the Bull

Daryl Calfee releases debut book to help his three kids – and others – navigate life

LYNCHBURG, Va., April 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- After losing his wife Johanna to breast cancer, Daryl Calfee – a father of three, brand builder and real estate developer – found himself navigating the impossible: raising three young children without her.

What followed was a period of profound grief, brutal honesty and unexpected clarity. Calfee found himself urgently documenting everything he wished his children would one day know: about love, loss, resilience and the things that truly matter. The result is Let's Skip the Bull: Lessons from Dad After Your Mom Died, Calfee's powerful debut book, available for preorder now at DarylCalfee.com and BlueHatPublishing.com.

Let's Skip the Bull is part memoir, part life manual – a collection of life lessons, memories and hard-earned truths originally written as a future guidebook for Calfee's three children. It weaves together stories about their mother, insights on grief and the real-talk wisdom he and Johanna gathered through two decades of doing life together – failing often, loving deeply and gathering scars along the way. The book offers an honest, experience-driven toolbox for navigating life after loss.

"It hit me," said Calfee. "If something ever happened to me, no one would be left to tell our kids the stories. About their mom. About how we lived. About what we figured out the hard way. So, I wrote it all down.

"I wrote it for them, but I think it might help others, too. This isn't a grief book, but I've realized it may have meaning for others, too. Especially people walking through something hard. Maybe you're dealing with cancer, or maybe you've just lost someone. People send you books and links and articles. This one might feel different. Honest. It skips the bull."

With a background in marketing and design, and a deep love for restoring forgotten spaces through his company Penny Lane (co-founded with Johanna in 2010), Calfee brings the same intentionality and soul to this book that he brings to every building he helps restore in Central Virginia. As a developer, educator, and creative professional, his voice is both grounded and inspiring—offering readers not just lessons but permission to grieve, to laugh, to reflect, and to keep going.

Let's Skip the Bull is published by Blue Hat Publishing and will be released on May 13. Preorder now at DarylCalfee.com and BlueHatPublishing.com. Kindle edition out May 30 on Amazon.

About the Author
Daryl Calfee is a father, writer, marketing leader, and the co-founder of Penny Lane in Lynchburg, Virginia. With a background in design, education, and real estate development, Daryl blends creativity with community in everything he builds—on paper, in business, and at home with his three children. Find out more at DarylCalfee.com.

About Blue Hat Publishing
Blue Hat Publishing simplifies the path to publication for aspiring authors by combining expert guidance with a personal touch. From manuscript to finished book, we provide comprehensive publishing services—including editing, design, layout, and distribution—so authors can focus on sharing their voice with the world. Known for our friendly and professional approach, we build lasting relationships with our authors and pride ourselves on delivering books of the highest quality. At Blue Hat Publishing, your story is our craft. Learn more at www.bluehatpublishing.com.

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SOURCE Daryl Calfee