Meet and Greet: Deanna Klingel

Deanna K. Klingel lives in Sapphire, NC, with her husband and golden retriever. She enjoys family reunions with their seven children and eleven grandchildren. Originally from Michigan, Deanna attended Michigan State University. Though she wrote as a hobby for many years, she turned to writing passionately when all the children had grown and she and her husband retired to the mountains of North Carolina. She enjoys reading, writing, golfing, gardening, and is active in her church. Much of her time is given to therapy dog visitations.

Other works, Rebecca & Heart, and Beth's Backyard Friends can be read as e-books on Storyrealm.com. Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog was released last September. Prize-winning short stories can be found on Deanna's website, www.BooksByDeanna.com. Avery's Battlefield, released March 18 from Journey Forth  Publishing,  the first of a civil war series is for young and young-at-heart readers. Deanna is a member of SCBWI, NCWN, ACFW, CWG.

Dear Reader:

Thanks so much for inviting me. I'm pouring Earl Gray. I'll wait while you get your cup.

I'm Deanna Klingel, writing you from the mountains of Western North Carolina, where spring is creeping up the hillsides, and we'll soon be playing golf. I live here with my husband and our two golden retrievers, Lily and Jessie. Our seven kids are grown and busy raising our eleven grand kids.

I have two books I want to tell you about today. The first is Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog. It came out Sept 24 and has been going gang busters. I've had a lot of fun marketing this book because it has such a wide audience. The book appeals to care givers, hospice volunteers, therapists, as well as dog lovers and lovers of dog stories. So Lily & Jessie and I give seminars at independent living facilities, visit yappie hours, attend dog shows, and address Red Hat Societies, book stores, and hospital luncheons. We've had a ball! We've met some really lovely folks across this country that we would never have met if it weren't for this little book.

The book is nonfiction, but is not a memoir nor is it a training book. It is a collection of moments that have made a difference in someone's life, even if it was only for that moment. If there is a theme, I would have to say it is  every moment, in every life, matters. The book is available at  bookstores or at my website BooksByDeanna. Dogwise and Amazon also carry it. It's $11.95.

Warm up your tea, now, I'm going to tell you about another book. This is Avery's Battlefield, out this month (May) from Journey Forth Publishing, the young reader imprint of BJU Press. This is the first of a middle grade Civil War series. The second book is planned for September. Avery and Gunner, his hound dog, have been the love of my life for about four years, and now they are ready to march out on their exciting journey through the perilous times in Virginia, and what became West Virginia. It's targeted for middle grade, but it won't be the first time adults enjoyed middle grade literature. 

I write because I love to write. I wrote Just for the Moment to answer the questions I'm always asked when I'm working with my dogs. 1)What is a therapy dog, 2) How'd they get to be therapy dogs, 3) Can my dog be a therapy dog, too?  I wanted to bring therapy dogs to the attention of people and hopefully, as a result, open more doors to therapy dog teams. I wrote Avery and Gunner because Avery told me his story and wanted it written. I like the research involved in historical fiction.

My books will never be the "edgy" books, books with strong language and inuendo, popular in today's market. Mine will  be about strong, "square" people struggling to make good decisions and doing the right thing. My kids, my grands, and my mom, and my friends will always be comfortable reading my books. That probably means they'll be difficult to get published. Books that are being "looked at" right now are Cracks in the Ice,  Y/A; Bread Upon the Water, MG historical nonfiction; Rebecca & Heart, MG, which can be read on Storyrealm.com; Walker Hound of Park Avenue, chapter book. Beth's Backyard Friends can be read on Storyrealm.com. I'm currently writing Waiting With Elmer for a teen audience. Two short stories can be read on my website.

Speaking of websites, come visit me at www.BooksByDeanna.com. All posts on my comment page during the month of May will go into a drawing for the brand new Avery and Gunner book. You can also reach me at deannaklingel@yahoo.com. I'd enjoy hearing from you.

Thanks for coming by and sharing a cup of tea. I've enjoyed it, and look forward to hearing from you.


Deanna

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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Whistlestop Book Review: "The Invisible World" by Anthony Destefano

The title of Anthony Destefano's new release, The Invisible World: Understanding Angels, Demons and the Spiritual Realities That Surround Us would seem to make a grandiose claim. Does this book deliver on its promise?

With an undeniably engaging style, the author gives his take on subjects like premonitions, angels, demons, spiritual warfare, grace, suffering, heaven and hell. While on the whole, this book may inform readers who need to be made aware of spiritual realities (and some points of apologetics were well-stated) it raised some concerns for me. First, let me state that my remarks should be taken with the understanding that I don't need convincing of the validity of the spiritual world or the viability of miracles. I agree with Mr. Destefano on these points.

I appreciate the author's intelligence, which is evident in the unique perspective he brings to his subjects. He'll make you think. However, examples are often given without documentation. In the opening chapter, for example, the author cites the case of a little girl who, while ready to undergo risky brain surgery, receives a visit from a pretty nurse who tells her she's all healed. And she is. An MRI shows no trace of the brain tumor the doctors plan to remove. No one knows who the mysterious nurse was. That's an impressive story but it would have been more powerful had the author included documentation.

The reader is asked to embrace some radical ideas. Here's a quote from the chapter entitled "Invisible Helpers." "Right now, as you're reading these words, there is an angel right next to you." The author goes on to state that "throughout sacred Scripture we find it implied that each of us has our own angel watching over us in a highly unique and personal manner." I won't argue for or against the existence of guardian angels here. Rather, I wonder why the author gave no Scriptures to back up his point. In fact, throughout most of the book the reader is asked to accept the author's remarks as fact with little to no substantiation. Am I the only one who finds this a potentially-dangerous practice?

I don't want to cast aspersions on Mr. Destefano's intentions or doctrine, although I don't always agree with what he says. I just wish he would have more clearly labeled his opinions as opinion. He does do this occasionally but not nearly enough. I like that he presented the gospel message in a unique and beautiful way.

If you are spiritually mature and able to measure what you read against Scripture, I think you can benefit from reading The Invisible World. The author's remarks on heaven are worth the purchase price of the book. However, a reader who is uncertain of Biblical truth would be better off to read the Bible itself.

©2011 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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My thanks to the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book given for purposes of review.

Whistlestop Book Review: "On the Road Home" by Terry Burns

Janalyn Voigt

Stories and poems from a genuine cowboy poet grace the pages of On the Road Home, by Terry Burns. Ranging from joyful to somber, these vignettes stay with you and, yes, can even change your thinking. At the least, they provoke thought.

With deep insights into subjects like what makes for a good marriage, longevity, happiness and spiritual health, this book resonates with truth. Terry's unique brand of common sense combined with compassion and good humor are just the prescription for a world of ills. Pick this book up and you'll put it down again the better for having read it.

I highly recommend On the Road Home by Terry Burns to adult and teen readers. This book is teen approved because of its practical wisdom.

©2011 Janalyn Voigt is a Carol Awards judge and the author of novel books

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*My thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of review.


**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when products are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.

Whistlestop Book Review: "Beyond the Brady Bunch" by Ray and Debbie Alsdorf

Authors Ray and Debbie Alsdorf give us a compelling look at what it takes to survive as a member of a blended family in Beyond the Brady Bunch. This powerful book makes no bones about such subjects as the struggle for position in a new family structure, bitterness and financial inequalities. They even offer a courageous look through their children’s eyes at their own imperfections as parents and step-parents in order to offer hope and help to others.

While upholding the traditional nuclear family as the ideal, the Alsdorfs acknowledge that blended households are different. They provide a solid Biblical structure for blended households to follow that addresses sticky issues like discipline and headship of the home. They encourage members of blended families to embrace the special difficulties they face and meet the challenge to love even when it’s hard.

   

I highly recommend Beyond the Brady Bunch for adult readers interested in the subject matter. This book is middle-grade and teen approved for its understanding of the issues children face in blended families.

* Book Readers Central thanks the publishers for a complimentary copy of this book, provided for purposes of review.

** Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased on Amazon.com through links from Book Readers Central.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Highlight: Get-It-Done Guy's 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More

Are you beyond busy? Overwhelmed? Stever Robbins, the Get-It-Done Guy, outlines 9 Steps to Work Less and Do More in his new book. I'll provide a review in a week or two. He describes his book in the video, below.




Read the Introduction and First Chapter




















Note: Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased on Amazon.com through links from Book Readers Central.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: "Good Returns" by George P. Schwartz, CFA

Part apologetics, part political manifesto and part investment advisor, Good Returns: Making Money by Morally Responsible Investing, gives the reader a good return on time invested in reading this book.

Author and Chartered Investment Counselor George P. Schwartz, CFA, distinguishes "Morally Responsible Investing," based on morality that excludes abortion and pornography while reinforcing family values, from "Socially Responsible Investing" which funds a liberal agenda. He gives the Ave Maria Fund's beginnings and details some of the challenges its founders faced. His vision is for Americans to use their investment money to change society.

Schwartz gives an analysis of America's current financial woes and offers projections about the future. He looks at Obama's policies from the perspective of a financial counselor. He also gives sound advice for managing personal investments in easily-grasped terms.

I highly recommend Good Returns for all Americans. This book is teen-approved for its call to responsible morality.
















Note: Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when
books are purchased on Amazon.com through links from Book Readers Central.

Thanks go to the publisher for providing Book Readers Central with a complimentary copy of this book for purposes of review.

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire by C. M. Mayo

The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire recounts the last days of the Empire established under Maximilian von Hapsburg. It is a historical novel based on fact, though embellished with the author's interpretation of events. C. M. Mayo shifts perspective throught a whole cast of characters, although seldom from the perspective of the young Prince.

This book opens a different view of what was happening in Mexico during and after America's Civil War. Even in Mexico, the empire appeared in different lights. Some people welcomed the French and others resented their occupation.

I recommend The Last Prince of the Mexican Empire to anyone curious about the history of Mexico. It is full of wonderful informaion about a vanished or little-known culture that we don't hear a lot about.

© 2010 Robin Armijo
*A copy of this book was provided to me for review by the publisher.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: "The Map" by David Murrow

While genre crossing is common nowadays, it's rare to find a novel crossed with a nonfiction book. David Murrow's The Map begins as a page-turning thriller, takes a corner onto a teaching road introduced by the story, and then merges back into the novel for a cliffhanger ending.

While I enjoyed the thriller and think the teaching important, needed and life changing, I developed a case of literary whiplash due to the hybrid nature of the book. The format might have worked better if it had been clear from the start that the thriller was an illustration. Instead, we have the author opening the teaching portion of the book by stating, "I have a confession to make." We are thus jolted out of an excellent novel into a classroom. Although David Murrow has a wonderful teaching style, the shift jars.

Despite this, I recommend The Map for male readers and the women who love them. Murrow proposes that a valid reason exists for the absence of men in church services. He goes on to explain the Christian walk as three journeys up a mountain. While I differ from him in seeing a separate teaching for men in the passages from Matthew he cites, men will most benefit from his honest insights and call to manliness.

Available at Amazon.com

*A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for purposes of review.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: Stumbling Souls

When Chris meets Larry, an HIV-positive homeless homosexual, he reacts as most of us would: do just enough to ease his conscience and then pretend he doesn’t exist. When Chris feels God leading him to do more, he and his bible study group welcome James into their midst.


Stumbling Souls by Chris Plekenpol is well written and thought provoking. The people in this book are very relatable. Chris does a great job of putting his story on paper and even shares when he doesn’t feel like doing what God asks of him. He uses Scripture in a strong way to reinforce the truth of his message. This is a book I feel comfortable recommending all to read for personal growth.

© 2010 Robin Armijo

Note: A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for purposes of review.

An Interview With the Author

Q: Stumbling Souls tells of the lessons you learned about faith after having met James, a homeless man off the street who attended the newcomers’ meeting at your church one day. Why did you reach out to him? When you saw him walking away from church that day, why did you call after him?

A: For any disciple, there comes a time when learning Christ must become living Christ. As much as I was enjoying learning and being at seminary, the greatness of my seminary experience was complete only when the miraculous intangibles of God’s character became real in me. That day something awakened deep inside of me—maybe in the place where a small filling of the Holy Spirit resides. I couldn’t take my eyes off the figure walking away, and something inside me stirred. I tried to quell the desire to stop him and find out about his life. And before I knew it, my legs started walking after this stranger who had no idea of the welling up of something in my soul.

Q: How did you know God was leading you to reach out to James and serve him in the radical manner that you did?

A: One of the ways God really revealed his leading to me was through the encouragement of others, both friends and strangers. I began blogging about James and one reader contacted me and said he would like to help financially. He literally tracked me down to tell me in order to give something to help James. Not only did he give something for James. He personally encouraged me. There were moments like those when God intervened and let me know he was watching. No, they don’t come every day, but they serve as reminders that he wants me to live by faith.

Q: As readers make their way through Stumbling Souls, they will find themselves rooting for James, wanting him to change and turn his life around, and impatient when it doesn’t happen quickly and he seems to take some wrong turns. Why did you not give up on him?

A: I knew, as I said, that God was calling me to live by faith, but of course that was, at times, so difficult because I wanted to see results. I wanted to see life change, and when that didn’t happen, I got frustrated. But in one of those moments of discouragement this thought hit me. I don’t serve James because of James; I serve James because of God. So James’ actions don’t matter. If James never gets on his feet and I do an exercise in futility, it doesn’t matter, because my God told me to always remember the poor. So here I am doing it. Here I am living this thing called faith.

Q: “Is Love Enough?” is the subtitle of Stumbling Souls. But isn’t that exactly what we’re called by God to do, to love others?

A: Yes, we are. We are called to love and to serve. But I’ve found that our human love isn’t perfect. Selfishness and pride leave much to be desired, and, therefore, our love is never enough. I don’t have the ability to love unconditionally outside of Christ. That is why the only love that will ever be enough is the love of God. He gave his only Son to die on a cross for the sins of the world, and then he gets involved in the mess of ministry, of our working out our salvation with fear and trembling, by using flawed people to piece together another person’s redemption so that only he gets the glory.

Q: How do you believe God changed you through this experience?

A: I went from a Christian ideologue to a person who has an understanding of life on the streets and an understanding of how Christ makes believers righteous on the basis of grace, by means of faith. Through this process I really saw my own growth and I hope that those who read this story will see that too, the way that God used James to change me. I can’t help but notice the difference. I have more compassion. I have a deeper love for the lost. I have a better grasp at how rotten I can be in my own sufficiency. There wasn’t just one stumbling soul in this book; my sins were pretty apparent, and God is still working on my selfishness and pride. I know that with God all things are possible.

http://www.stumblingsouls.com/

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: Medieval Sieges & Siegecraft

Geoffrey Hindley covers the mechanations, psychology, rules, art and finally -- the horror -- of medieval siege warfare in MEDIEVAL SIEGES & SIEGECRAFT. The writing, although sometimes cumbersome, is not dry. Geoffrey's passion for his subject comes through and the text is enlivened with examples and quotes taken straight out of history. Even those who dislike reading about war may find interest in the story of an earl's son forced to swim across a lake in his nightshirt, the woman whose husband refused to take her back after her captives released her, and the invaders who dressed in female garb and followed the town's women from a well located at the edge of town back through the gates.

A chapter covers the various tools of war and provided interesting information. For instance, siege towers were huge and might reach a height of 60 feet. One gigantuan siege tower even capsized the boat meant to transport it. Of interest, too, were the various incindiary weapons, especially Greek fire, which I'll use as an example of the detail in this book. A secret formula of combustibles perfected by the Byzantines ignited upon contact with water. It was used primarily in naval warfare (although it did show up in castle sieges). It burned with ferocity, even as one account claims, beneath the water. One eyewitness account of a lighted barrel catapulted toward a besieging army describes it as a fireball with a long tail that lit up the night as if it were day and roared like a dragon. Not surprisingly, its deployment ended more than one siege. The formula for Greek fire has been lost in the mists of time. While some believe it contained naphtha or petroleum in some form, and also oils and resins, no one today knows for certain what was in it.

The book covers both the strengths and vulnerabilities of castles and names the measures taken by miners and masonry sappers to topple towers and bring down walls. We learn of the formalities, the trickery employed and, yes, even the chivalry found in medieval warfare. Sadly, too, we learn of man's inhumanity to man. A chapter discusses the surprising role of women in medieval warfare. Another chapter deals with the problem of logistics.

Illustrations scatter throughout the book, and a more-organized section of photographs enliven the center pages. Color illustrations and photographs would be preferable than black-and-white, however the scope and execution of this amazing resource redeems this flaw.

I recommend this book for adults who enjoy reading nonfiction historicals written in a personable style.

Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: WILD AT HEART by John Eldredge

This book's premise is that a man needs to be allowed freedom to be wild at heart, to be the warrior God wants him to be -- even if becoming that warrior means dealing with the pain of the past.

This book is aimed mostly at men. While I enjoyed reading WILD AT HEART, I was at times frustrated because as a woman I cannot relate to everything the author talks about. It does make an excellent read for today's Christian man. A man who is not saved or who is just saved would not understand its full message.

I have already recommended WILD AT HEART to many. It is a good choice for a church library and for the personal libraries of Christian men and boys.

* A complimentary copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher for purposes of review.

Whistlestop Wednesday: The Power of Respect

Deborah Norville, anchor of Inside Edition, makes a strong case for treating ourselves and others with respect in her new book, The Power of Respect.

Norville highlights "the most forgotten element of success" not by sermonizing or giving a dry treatise but rather through the lives of real people and individual companies. She cites, among others, a man who blesses his wife each time he introduces her, schools that reward courteous behavior, and a boss who threatens to leave his company if his employees don't start treating each other with respect. Norville doesn't hedge when describing the effects of disrespect either, telling the tale of a company gone bad, a cheerleader beaten by her peers, and a bullied young boy who committed suicide. But it's not just about story, either. Statistics document the truth of Norville's observations. Quotations by teachers, students, restaurant owners, and husbands and wives weigh in alongside those of CEO's and other national leaders.

Subjects include the power of respect at home, in relationships, at school, in business, for leaders, and for self. Each chapter in the book offers suggestions for improvement and concludes with a list of "Respect Reminders" helpful for review.

Well-researched, well-planned and written in an engaging style, The Power of Respect presents a wealth of rewarding, and even life-changing, material.

Meet and Greet Monday: Marlene Anderson

Dear Reader,

I'd like to share a little about myself and my writing.

Eight years ago, my husband died from an aggressive brain tumor that took his life within three months of its diagnosis. To lose my husband, a man in the prime of his life with no health problems of any kind, totally devastated me. It plunged me into a world of grieving. Less than a year after his death my daughter developed breast cancer while still nursing her first born child. My grieving went on hold while I supported her through radiation treatment. (Today she is cancer free.) In the months prior to and following my husband's death I read, meditated and wrote. Journaling is a powerful therapeutic tool. Out of those journals as I walked each morning with my Lord, came my first book, A Love so Great, a Grief so Deep, which is available on Amazon.com. My second book, Healing the Wounded Heart, now under review for possible publication, is a compilation of vignettes from my grief journals. The entries span from my time of acute distress to the peace I found with integration of my loss. Healing the Wounded Heart offers the reader a glimpse into the grieving process.

I have a master’s degree in psychology and counseling. I'm a licensed counselor in the state of Washington and nationally certified. I taught psychology at a two year college in Oregon and a four-year college extension center in Washington. My professional career has included facilitating many groups, designing and implementing workshops within the private sector and medical health education centers, and consulting for a large Northwest HMO. In my position as a consultant, I designed and wrote course material for a ten-week chronic-illness class, assisted in editing ADHD class material and produced a relaxation/visualization tape. I have since, under my own auspices, produced a relaxation CD with original music composed by Ron Jones, an Emmy-awards nominee, that teaches the skill of reducing stress levels.

With all the clinical literature available to me as a counselor, therapist and psychology teacher, I was still unprepared for the depth and intensity of grief, the time span involved in healing and recovery, or all the layers connected to a loss. I found solace in God's word, especially the Psalms, which speak to the heart and soul. My God met me each morning as I grieved my loss, read His Word, and recorded my journey in my journals. He was with me throughout the day and through the long nights. Every day He gave me words of strength and love. He gave me faith to believe in an ending to a journey which started with tears and sorrow but ended with my finding a deeper personal walk with my Lord. Good can and does come from all things, I found, when I allowed God to help me discover it.

Since the death of my husband, I extended my professional training in the area of grief. Grieving is an emotional experience hard to express and define. Yet articulation of that experience is at the heart and soul of healing. It is difficult to share the conflicting emotions one experiences when grieving a major loss. As a result, people who grieve often become isolated, lonely and depressed. Friends and family do not understand why the mourner hasn’t “gotten over” the loss within a prescribed amount of time. Those expectations can cause grief to go underground and remain unaddressed. Healing involves making sense of what happened, integrating it into life and creating a new ongoing reality.

A loss is a wound to the heart, an injury we can’t see but which can be just as lethal and damaging as any acute physical wound. There are no bandages, surgical stitches, splints or casts. Yet, mourners often feel they have been dealt a mortal wound and struggle to recover. Research indicates losses put people at high risk for depression, loneliness, high stress, impaired health and even early death. Losses are not to be taken lightly.

I wrote these two books to share my experience and, in the process, help validate the journey for others. There are a lot of books on the market that speak to this subject. Yet, I believe my books help express the important visceral component of grieving.

Before the death of my husband, I started FOCUS Consulting and Training, a business I maintain today. I chose the company name FOCUS because it exemplifies my conviction that we are defined by where we put our focus in life, and focus energizes and drives our principles and behaviors. Since the death of my husband, I have served my church on its council, written and delivered class material and several sermons and coordinated the Nurture and Care Ministry. I am a member of the Northwest Christian Writers Association and Speakers Bureau and PEO, an international women’s education group.

You can visit my website, http://www.marleneanderson-focus.com/ for more information about what I do and there is a link to Amazon.com to purchase my book. Copies of my relaxation CD may be purchased by contacting me through my website.

**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books are purchased through links from Book Readers Central.