With divorce numbers going no place but up, chances are that among a group of women, at least one of them is going to be "the divorced one." And what happens to her when her title officially changes from wife to ex-wife?

The Divorced Girls' Society is the real-life unfolding of what happens to a formerly married thirty-something and how she gets through the end of her marriage . . . with a little help from her girlfriends. Authors and best friends Vicki King and Jennifer O'Connell provide practical advice, tough love, and a touch of empathetic girlfriend humor on topics such as

• Getting through the first 24 hours after the decision to split
• "Going public" with the news to friends and family
• Keeping composure during family gatherings and holidays
• Dating again

The no-holds-barred wit, coupled with a no-nonsense approach to the realities of divorce, cuts through the psychobabble of other divorce books and tells it like it is. So even though a woman's marriage has come and gone, readers can take comfort with Vicki and Jennifer, who demonstrate that friendships are forever.Vicki King is a senior brand manager with a Fortune 200 financial services firm. She lives in Richmond, VA, with her daughter and a one-eyed cat named Wolfie.

Jennifer O'Connell is the author of several novels, including Bachelorette #1. A market strategy consultant, she lives in the Boston area with her husband, two children, and a mouse-catching machine named Midnight. Best friends since they met their freshman year at Smith College, King and O'Connell have endured the trials and tribulations of first loves, first jobs, first marriages, and, now, a first divorce. Visit their Web site, www.divorcedgirlssociety.com.