Interview with Author Ellen F. Feld

Award-winning author Ellen Feld began writing about horses more than twenty years ago. Her articles have appeared in 8 publications including Young Rider, Just About Horses, and The Appaloosa Journal. Ms. Feld's stories are noted for their realistic portrayal of horses, their behaviors, and the experiences of young riders. To attain this believability, Ms. Feld uses her horses as the basis for the animal characters within her books.

Hello Ellen. Welcome to my blog. This novel is for ages 9-12 and has won the Children's Choice Award. Please tell us about your new book.

“Frosty” is the second book in my ‘Morgan Horse’ series. In the first book, the protagonist, Heather, was very successful showing a Morgan named Blackjack. “Frosty” picks up with Heather going to an auction with a friend and falling in love with a gray Morgan. She is able to buy the horse and has visions of more blue ribbons with Frosty. But Frosty has other ideas and hates ring-work / showing. Heather is disappointed but doesn’t give up. Instead she takes up trail riding and discovers it’s a blast. A friend convinces Heather to take Frosty on a 3-day organized trail ride in Vermont. Heather is quite excited and the trail ride proves to be loads of fun. But on the morning of the second day, Heather and Frosty are up and exploring the camp area well before others have started to get ready. It’s very foggy out. As they explore, they stumble across a deer grazing in a nearby field. Heather gets carried away and asks Frosty to follow the deer. The horse and deer are soon racing through the woods. But once the deer disappears in the fog, Heather realizes that she and Frosty are lost…

Your book sounds like it has suspense. Where did you get your inspiration for this novel?

While my books are all fiction, much of each tale is based on experiences that I, or friends, have had with our horses. All the horses are based on real horses and in fact, my illustrator uses pictures of each when she’s working on the cover art.

In “Frosty,” Heather gets lost in the woods. Thankfully, that never happened to me but I did have a friend who once got lost. I asked her what happened and she told me, “Well, there was this deer…. and it was very foggy…” so I used that in my book. Also, Frosty gets bitten by a snake while in the woods. Again, it didn’t happen to any of my horses, but I have another friend who had a horse get bitten on the nose by a snake. She gave me every little detail of that experience and I took that information and wrapped it into the story. Finally, there’s a sub-plot in “Frosty” where Blackjack gets ill with all these really strange symptoms. The vet in the book is stumped. Well, the real Blackjack did get very sick (he’s fine now!) and the vet couldn’t figure it out. He had to call in a specialist. So I again used that in the book. I condensed the time – the whole event spanned over 6 months – and replaced technical jargon with much easier text that young readers would understand, but otherwise it was true to life. It turned into a nice little mystery plot. I’ve had numerous vets read the book because of the case – it was quite unusual.

Wow! You’ve certainly got my interest. I read Black Beauty as a young girl and thoroughly enjoyed it. The author wanted her readers to understand the importance of treating an animal right…to treat them with love and respect. Did you have anything in mind that you wanted your readers to learn as you wrote this book?

Yes, absolutely. There are so many horse books on the market today that anthropomorphize horses; stories where a young girl befriends a wild stallion and he helps her with some crises. Well, horses don’t do that! It really bothers me to have kids read that sort of story and think it’s real. So all my horse stories are true to life. I have a veterinarian consultant who fact checks all my stories. I’ve used trainers as consultants and I even have a medical doctor who checks my human action. Have you ever read a story/seen a movie where a character gets injured and is up and doing fine in the next scene when you know that’s just not possible? If a character falls off a horse and breaks her wrist, I don’t want her riding the next day. Of course, having said all this, the story must first and foremost be a lot of fun to read! Without a fun story, everything else is irrelevant.

I agree with you. What does your family think about your writing?

They’re used to it and don’t get terribly excited. I’ve been writing for horse magazines for about 30 years so my kids have grown up with a mother who has always written. They do, however, get excited when one of their horses is featured in a book.

It’s so nice getting to know you in this interview. Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

Um…. How about that I have an Amazon Gray (parrot) named Razzy who is terribly neurotic and has a nervous head twitch? But he talks up a storm and makes everybody laugh.

I love it. I wish I could listen to him talk. Thanks for your time, Ellen.

FREE shipping on any size order of books from the 'Morgan Horse' series when you order during this tour! Just enter code 1717 in the online order form http://willowbendpublishing.com/order_form.htm or mail-in form http://willowbendpublishing.com/paypal.htm.

Interview with Historical Fiction Author Jeff Foltz

 Jeff Foltz received a B. A. in history from Marietta College and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Southern Maine. He lives with his wife, Sue, in Camden, Maine and has three grown children and seven grandchildren. Jeff loves writing and Birkebeiner is his first novel.

Hello Jeff. Your novel is “A story of Motherhood and War.” Please tell us about your new book.

Norway, 1203. A mother’s compulsion to protect her children is timeless and primal. War is insidious and ageless. Birkebeiner is a story of both.

Two years after her son Hakon’s birth, Inga, wife of the Birkebeiner leader, King Hakon, realizes that the Crozier army will overrun her home, the fortress of Lillehammer. Inga is certain the Croziers will kill her child because he is the prince who may ascend the throne and unite the country. To save little Hakon, King Hakon asks his two best warriors to flee with his son for the safety of Nidaros (present-day Trondheim). It’s a long and dangerous journey on skis through two treacherous winter valleys and over a 7,000-foot snow-blown mountain. Willing to risk everything for her son, Inga insists on going with them. For eight harrowing, exhausting days, they’re pursued by a cadre of enemy soldiers bent on killing her child. Magnus, the Crozier’s military leader whom the church and the bishop call King -- and who has lost his own wife and two-year-old son -- must lead the chase.

What an intense novel! Where did you get your inspiration?

The cover of the book is a portrait painted by Knud Larsen Bergslien in 1869. Its title is Skiing Birchlegs Crossing the Mountain with the Royal Child (Norwegian: Birkebeinerne pa Ski over Fjeldet met Kongbarnet).

I’m an avid cross country skier. The first time I skied in the largest cross-country ski race in North America, The American Birkebeiner (8,000 skiers), I saw this portrait. It more than intrigued me. It dragged me in. “These guys are not babysitters,” I said. “Who are they and what are they doing with that kid?”

Inga, the two soldiers in the portrait, Torstein Skevla and Skjervald Skrukka, and the event are revered by modern Norwegians, as are the Birkebeiner. The name Birkebeiner was used by the bishop’s army, called the Croziers, as a term of derision. It means “Birch Legs”. In the early part of the war, the army that opposed the bishop was made up of poor farmers who couldn’t afford horses, mail coats, good weapons, or adequate clothing. The farmers would wrap their lower legs with birch bark to keep the snow out. The Croziers would yell “Run Birkebeiner, run Birch legs”, chiding them as their inept opposition turned tail. But the Birkebeiner army gained experience and got better and, when they started to win their share of the battles, started to call themselves Birkebeiner. They turned a derisive epithet into a proud hallmark that endures in Norway to this day. Some of you may recall that the stadium at the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, was called Birkebeiner Stadium.

Roland Merullo said, “Brilliantly researched, fully imagined, and finely written, this story examines both the tenderness of family relationships and the viciousness of war--a mix of human extremes that is achingly timely.” What kind of research did you do?

I traveled to Norway to ski terrain my main characters skied, to see the countryside they saw and to experience the kind of arctic weather they endured. I also researched with Cornell University’s Nordic History Library, spent hours in the Oslo National Library and in the Holmenkollen Ski Museum in Oslo, Norway. I enjoyed every second of it.

What a wonderful story to read! Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I love my workouts. They’re part of my lifestyle. In the spring, summer and fall, I scull (row) at 6 AM on beautiful Lake Megunticook in Camden, Maine and in the winter, what else, I wax up the boards and head for the ski trails. 

What an awesome thing to do! Sounds fun! Thank you so much for this interview. It was fun getting to know you and learn about your book.

Interview with Author Anne Bradshaw

Anne Bradshaw was born in Caernarvon, Wales, and grew up in England. She has lived in the United States for thirteen years, and is the author of six published books—Terracotta Summer, Chamomile Winter; Please, No Zits! (YA short stories); Famous Family Nights; DINGO (a teen YA mystery adventure); and True Miracles with Genealogy~Help from Beyond the Veil. Anne has also written countless articles in magazines and on the Internet, and co-authored an award-winning screenplay, and two non-fiction books on writing: Writing Secrets, and Publishing Secrets.

Hello Anne. I’m so glad to have you on my blog again. Dingo is a teen mystery/adventure/fantasy novel. Please tell us about your new book.

The title, DINGO, is actually an acronym for Delivers Information, Navigates, Goes Overseas, which is the name given to a perky little gizmo that works in combination with a black box known as Kahuna Black, to accomplish some pretty amazing stunts.

Fifteen-year-old Zack Novak and three friends, Joel, Erin, and Libby, are introduced to Dingo by a strange English inventor, Hunter MacMurray. The whacky gadget transports them from Connecticut, USA to Cornwall, England, with only a few hours to prevent a bomb attack on Yankee Stadium. The question is—can Zack unravel a mystifying clue fast enough? Or will the impossible task end in disaster? Many lives depend on the toughest decisions Zack and his friends will ever make.

You say that Dingo is a gizmo that transports them from the USA to England. How does it work?

Ah! I'm glad you asked me that question. I wish I knew the whole answer. If I did, I could make a fortune selling Dingos. All I know is that the mechanism Hunter employs to work his Dingo gizmo has something to do with a condition called Carotenemia (a skin problem that comes from eating too many carrots). Dingo has sensors that react to the Carotenemia. It's called the carrot skin factor. Carotene in carrots is a lipochrome that adds yellow color to the skin, but those with dark pigmentation hide it well, as readers will find out when they read the book. The yellow coloring in certain people's skin triggers Dingo sensors into action, allowing them to receive signals from Kahuna Black, which in turn bring about strange and powerful illusions, such as Dingograms, and more.

Wow! Now that’s quite a description. Emma Parker from Ireland, said, "From the very first page Dingo had my attention. It is a cleverly written novel that will captivate all ages. The creativity and the idea behind the book are so unusual and new that I found myself excited about what was coming next.” In other words, this book is a “page turner.” Is it very difficult to come up with new ideas to keep the story moving? Do you lie awake at nights, trying to figure out what the characters are going to do next?

If I do wake up in the night with an idea, I immediately reach out for pen and paper and scribble notes in the dark. It's sometimes difficult to read what I've written in the morning, but I can usually make enough sense out of it to remember. I usually find that ideas for new situations bounce into my head from each previous dilemma faced by my characters. It's almost as if they write the story in some parts. Other times, I struggle to find a way for them to dig themselves out of an impossible situation. 

I understand completely. When I was writing my mystery series, sometimes I wondered how my characters were going to get out of a dangerous situation. Where did you get your inspiration for this novel? Do you get any ideas from real life?

All the ideas came from my imagination, although some of the settings are fictitious versions of places I knew in Connecticut and England. Our family loved to visit a place called Bigbury Island, and Bantham Bay in Devon, England. In the book, those places combine and become Goodrich Island and Livingston Bay, Cornwall.

The weird and puzzling clue, Crying the Neck, that Zack and his friends have to decipher, comes from an ancient Cornish tradition, but I can't tell any more about that without giving too much away.

A little secret makes me grin whenever I remember it. Whenever I could fit them in throughout the book, I used surnames of people I know, not necessarily for person names, but towns, and roads, and other such things. Some of my former Sunday School class in Spanish Fork ward are in there, as are many of our grand-children. Names such as Bryce Woods, and Livingston Bay for example. Those who read can discover the rest. 

I love the idea of taking names of people you know and give them to streets and towns. That is so clever. What kind of research did you do for this book?

I Googled plenty of information about Connecticut and England—things I'd half forgotten and wanted to make sure were accurate. I did a lot of research about Cornish traditions, and contacted a member of a society in Cornwall who kindly agreed to letting me use one of her photographs in the book trailer. I'm not saying which photo. Readers should be able to work it out after reading the book. If not, let me know and I'll whisper the answer. 

Thank you, Anne. It was fun learning about your new book.

For those interested, you can buy a paperback on Amazon - $8.49, shipping $3.99 and Kindle - $1.99.

Interview with Author Liz Parrish

Liz Parrish had three goals: train her own dog sled team, complete the Iditarod for her 50th birthday, and have fun! Liz and her team finished the 2008 Iditarod in 14 days with 14 dogs, despite being “Iditarod’s Littlest Musher.”

“Read ‘Be the Lead Dog’ and take it to heart! Everything is here that you need to accomplish the impossible in your life. Then go hug your own dog if you are lucky enough to have one and tell them thanks, you now get it.” – Brian Tracy

Hello Liz. You wrote a children’s book called Crimp! On-By!! Please tell us about it.

The full title of Crimp's book is Crimp! On-By!! The True Story of a Most Unlikely Iditarod Lead Dog, and that pretty well sums it up. Crimp is an incredible soul who is named for the crimp in his nose, resulting from a horrific injury when he was only 4 weeks old. When I first met him about 3 weeks later, it was a miracle he was still alive, but clearly so disfigured that he couldn't be a sled dog. Except we all forgot to tell him that. So the book chronicles his life, adventures and coming of age and achieving his destiny to be a lead dog in Iditarod.

I actually wrote this book first, because Crimp was such an inspiration to me as I worked toward my Iditarod dream. He demonstrates that you don't have to be perfect to accomplish your dreams, particularly important to me as I struggled with a bad scoliosis resulting from cancer treatments I received as a child. I felt his message was so important to get out to youngsters today who need inspiration, good role models and to see the results of determination and following your dreams.

Since the book is a true story, it is illustrated with photos, and our book designer did a wonderful job of weaving it all together. The book is told from Crimp's perspective, and his narrative is structured such that 3rd - 5th graders can read it on their own. Younger children love having the book read to them while they look at the pictures, and older youth and adults can go more in depth with sidebars of sled dog and racing information. 

You have two books published. Be The Lead Dog was co-authored with Barb Schaefer. Will you please tell us about this self-help book?

Be the Lead Dog distills the essence of decades of experiential teachings that Barb and I have received...from our amazing sled dogs! The dogs have had a profound impact on both our lives -- myself in preparing for and accomplishing and completing the Iditarod to celebrate my first half-century, Barb in preparing her to support her husband's successful battle with stage IV throat cancer. The dogs can do this because their gifts make them perfect teachers for humans: they mirror without judgment, how we are living our lives and the congruency (or lack thereof) between our thoughts, words and actions. Once we realized that the book practically wrote itself. The hard part was picking the stories with which to illustrate the lessons, because there were so many to choose from.

There are “7 Life-Changing Lessons Taught By Sled Dogs.” Will you please share these lessons with us?

Linda, the seven lessons are Trust, Drive, Focus, Patience, Transparency, Self-Assurance, and Perseverance. Let me use Trust as an example. Each lesson is defined, described with both the benefits as well as how the sled dogs embody that lesson, and then Action Tips are provided for the reader to engage with the lesson and apply it to their own life. Barb and I also each provide a story demonstrating the power of the Lesson. My story of Trust is as follows:

The very first year I had my team, I had nine young dogs that I was training from scratch. One of the more experienced dogs was a 3-year-old named Oslo. Oslo was your typical team/wheel dog, always willing to go but lacking the confidence to lead. In fact, Oslo was not a very confident dog at all, either with other dogs or with people. He paid attention to me because I brought his food and his harness, but if I had neither, he was not too interested in me or what I was doing. Since I did not spend any time teaching him to lead, our relationship was limited at best.

That first winter we ran out of snow early, and I did not want to stop training, so I thought up different things to teach the dogs in their dog yard. One of these was learning to jump up on their doghouses. Some dogs loved getting on their houses and lived up there; others thought they would die if their feet left the ground. Oslo was one of those dogs, and you could see the fear in his eyes and body. With nothing else to do, we worked on it daily. I bribed, coaxed, commanded, cajoled, and even physically put him on top of his house. I lured him with treats to no avail (this was the dog who would have easily won the kennel gluttony award). For days, weeks, and months we worked on his fear. Finally, after three months, one day I said “Hup!” and he took the literal leap of faith…and lived! He was so very happy and proud of himself, and I gave him all sorts of praise and treats.

The truly marvelous outcome was the new relationship he and I developed out of this exercise. Oslo had worked it out in his own mind to Trust me, and once he did, I was now somebody important in his life. He relished my attention and praise. He came running when I called. It was amazing to see the change that simply breaking through the fear had made. A few years later when I placed him with a recreational team, he took another huge step, and now leads their team, with gusto and confidence, and is having the time of his life!

What a wonderful example! Can you tell us one of your most interesting adventures with sled dogs?

Picking just one...wow, that's a hard call! OK, well one that comes to mind was earlier in my training. Crimp had by then worn me down and insisted on being a sled dog, and a leader, and we were in our first 200 mile race. We were in some very rugged, high and incredibly mountainous country, and an incredible blizzard blew in -- wind howling, snow swirling, and Crimp was having a blast up front. Problem was, I couldn't find another dog on the team willing to run up front with him, into the teeth of the storm. The dogs were willing to put their heads down and go, so long as someone else did the heavy lifting of facing the storm and picking the trail.

Since the dogs are hooking to the sled in pairs, one pair behind the other, I had no extra spots -- SOMEBODY had to run up front as co-leader with Crimp. I went through all my leaders on the team, one after another, and they all would be fine back in the team, and wilt when I put them up in lead beside Crimp. The storm continued to intensify, more snow fell, blew and drifted, and we weren't making much progress. I ran out of trained leaders and so one of the ways to apply the “Lessons” is to be willing to try something new. So I tried the other dogs on the team too.

Finally, the last dog on the team to try was a little girl named Sandy. I'd occasionally tried her up in lead, but she was sort of an ADHD dog...much better as a cheerleader back in the team rather than shouldering the responsibility of leading, so I didn't really have any expectations she would do it. But I was out of options. So I put Sandy up front -- and it was as if she, and the team, transformed before my eyes. She was as gung-ho to drive into the storm as Crimp was -- kept looking back and smiling as if to say "Can it really be this much fun?" We started moving again, and it was hard work breaking trail through all the drifted soft snow. We finally got through the worst of it up in the mountains, and started to descend to the half-way checkpoint. Since we had broken trail, teams behind us had a much easier time, and one of them caught up with us, passed us, and then stopped when they had to work their way through the soft drifted unbroken trail in front of us. Literally stopped a few feet in front of us -- mutinied on their musher and there was nothing he could do to get them to go. So I called out to Crimp and Sandy "Alright! On-By!!", and we chugged around them and continued on our way, and his dogs gladly fell in right behind my sled. He avoided the embarrassment of having that happen again, and didn't try to pass me all the way to the checkpoint. ;-)

Thanks, Liz. This has been an enlightening interview. I learned so much. I was impressed when I read that you wanted to train your own “sled dog” team and complete the Iditarod for your 50th birthday. You are an example of fortitude. Way to go! Since the Iditarod Sled Dog Race started the first Saturday in March, this week the Iditarod will still be going and the finisher's banquet will be in Nome on March 20th.

To learn more, you may click on the following websites:
Liz Parrish, Iditarod's Littlest Musher
Life...Through Dogs
Showing people of any age how to live their full potential by sharing the life lessons taught by sled dogs
www.LifeThroughDogs.com

Crimp! On-By!! The True Story of a Most Unlikely Iditarod Lead Dog
www.CrimpOnBy.com, an Amazon Bestseller

Be the Lead Dog, 7 Life-Changing Lessons Taught by Sled Dogs
www.BeTheLeadDogBook.com, an Amazon Bestseller

Interview with Fantasy Author Laura Sepesi

Laura Sepesi is the author of a fantasy series for young readers, ages 8 and up. While in high school, she imagined the story of the Kelmar Trilogy. She began drafting The Guardian of Kelmar the summer she graduated, and continued writing as she worked toward a degree in elementary education. Laura completed this novel at age twenty-one.

Hello Laura. The Guardian of Kelmar is the first of the Kelmar Trilogy. Please tell us about your book.

The Guardian of Kelmar is a fantasy novel that follows the adventures of fifteen-year-old orphan, Carmen Fox, as she journeys through a magical world called Kelmar. Carmen learns to master her powers as a young sorceress as she battles a dark sorcerer named Desorkhan, and his army of followers, who are fighting to take control of Kelmar. The story is fast-paced and action-packed.

From the back cover: Carmen Fox’s life is lonely and insignificant—that is, until the day she stumbles upon an ancient book and a key engraved with five mysterious letters. Suddenly, Carmen is thrust into Kelmar—an amazing new world of magic, where she finds herself at the center of a century’s old war between good and evil. Carmen must undertake sorcerer training if she is to survive the challenges that await her. Can Carmen master her powers and defeat the villainous Magicon alliance? With the help of a fascinating creature named Blaze and unforgettable friends, Carmen begins an incredible journey to discover her destiny.

I know this book will do well because fantasy is so popular. Where did you get the inspiration for your novel?

The initial inspiration for Guardian came from a dream that I had when I was thirteen. In the dream, I was walking through the most beautiful green meadow you could imagine, and there, I met a golden creature named Blaze. We spoke briefly, and then we walked together through this perfect, pure, and magical place that would come to be called Kelmar. The events from the dream became an early scene that plays out between two of the main characters in the book.

Wow! I’ve heard from a few authors that some of their best works came from a dream. The Secrets of Kelmar is the second book in the trilogy. What is it about?

The Secrets of Kelmar continues to follow the journey of Carmen Fox and her friends. In this installment, the world of Kelmar is experiencing dangerous storms and a rise in violence that no one can explain. As the Guardian of Kelmar, Carmen is called upon to restore harmony in the realm.

Best Children’s Books Reviews wrote, “Timeless, magical, brilliantly descriptive and so very much alive. I have a great respect for Laura and the power of her words that flow through her pen. I firmly believe we have an award-winning author here.” Tell us your thoughts about this review.

This was one of the most thoughtful, positive reviews I’ve ever received. The full review, which can be found here: http://ladyd-books.blogspot.com/2010/01/book-review-guardian-of-kelmar-by-laura.html, provides a brilliant overview of the plot without giving away the ending of the story. It’s wonderful to receive such great feedback on my work. As an author, the best compliment you can get is when someone tells you how much he or she enjoyed reading your book and look forward to your next one. It makes the long and difficult process of writing a book worth every moment.

I can totally relate. Whenever I receive positive feedback that comes straight from the heart, I want to shout for joy.  Okay, it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

When I was in elementary school, I wrote a small book with two other students in my class about a haunted pet shop. We were each responsible for writing so many pages of the story, and then we worked together on the illustrations. One of my tasks was to name the two male owners of the pet shop. I named them Frank and Stein. I should have known then that I would be a fiction writer when I grew up.

Frank and Stein? That is so clever. And you were only in elementary? I love it. That took a lot of imagination to come up with that. Yes, you were meant to write fantasy. Thanks for the wonderful interview, Laura. Watch her video below and enjoy!

For more information, please visit Laura’s website at http://www.laurasepesi.com.

Interview with Author Kitty Gogins

Kitty Gogins has been fascinated from an early age with her parents’ journey to become Americans. As a school board director for her local school district, Kitty has long been intrigued by her parents’ efforts to shed the prejudicial upbringing of their childhood and believes their journey is relevant to our changing times.

“Olga Wagner and Tibor Zoltai were teenagers in Hungary near the end of World War II. Homeland destroyed, they each fled Hungary carrying only a rucksack.”

Hello Kitty. I really love the title of your book. It takes place during World War II and is about your own parents’ escape from Hungary. Tell us about their story.

My Flag Grew Stars: World War II Refugees’ Journey to America is the story of Olga and Tibor and how they adapted to life-altering changes. Their world destroyed in World War II, they fled Hungary as teenagers. Olga just minutes ahead of advancing Russian troops and Tibor conscripted into the German Army almost died as an American POW. Their experiences on the losing side provide a unique perspective of war, the actions of Americans, and the daily fight of refugees to survive. Immigrating as indentured agricultural servants, they united and embarked on a cultural journey to become Americans. Through perseverance and creativity, they learned how to thrive, Tibor as a world-renowned professor and Olga counseling refugees, earning the title “area immigrants’ patron saint.”

My Flag Grew Stars looks to history to provide an inspiring story on adapting to major upheaval, something many of us face in these challenging economic times. 

After arriving in America, was the transition difficult for your parents?

Olga and Tibor came to North America via Canada as indentured agricultural servants. Hoeing sugar beets was backbreaking work, but they considered the opportunity a godsend. It provided a country to call home, a land away from war-torn Europe where food and jobs were scarce, and another war was expected to erupt anytime.

While delighted to be in a new world, they found everything foreign ― the culture, the language, the buildings, the land, and even the food. They knew everyone would speak a different language, but didn’t expect to live in flat, treeless countryside with distances vast beyond their imagination; for buildings to be constructed of flimsy wood, not brick and plaster; for even women to wear trousers, something Olga had never seen before.

Over time, Olga and Tibor began to understand and adjust to deeper differences, like Americans need more personal space, less touch. One difference that particularly impressed them was the U.S. founding principle of ‘all men are created equal.’ Coming from a society that discriminated against Jews and others who were different, this was a new and powerful concept.

This is the first time I’ve interviewed someone who has written their own parents’ biography and I’m so excited about what you have done. This book will be a treasure to your children and grandchildren yet to come. How much research did you do for your book?

My book, while it reads like a novel, bringing history to life, is non-fiction. I spent over a thousand hours on research. I was lucky to have lots of original material: Tibor’s diary, a thousand pages of love letters, and multitudes of official documents and pictures. I supplemented these with dozens of interviews and digging into historical events, so I could recreate their lives ― the events, the atmosphere, the feeling, the tone of conversations.

All events really occurred: Olga’s family crossed the Alps with no supplies, steps ahead of Russian troops; Tibor almost perished from starvation; Olga scared away a car hijacker in Minnesota by yelling at him in her native tongue.

Wow! When I was writing my parents’ biography, I had many love letters written between them and also letters that he wrote to his parents as a missionary. I also had his autobiography so I was able to write their story in story form like you have done. Those letters made his story come to life. I’m impressed with what you have done. Since this story is about your parents, what does your family think about your novel?

My family has been very supportive, contributing documents and memories. They too have been fascinated by the story and want it captured. My father, Tibor, passed away before I began writing, however he would have been ecstatic to see his story published. My mother, Olga, while honored and delighted to help with research, is a little uncomfortable with having her life so public.

What a wonderful legacy! This book is a treasure. Okay, now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I’m always game for visiting a new place, eating new food ― even if it can still stare up at me ― or trying a new activity. When I turned forty-five, I knew just how to celebrate. I jumped out of an airplane. Granted I did it tandem, strapped to the front of an expert like a baby kangaroo, but I got to feel the air rushing by, the freedom of zigzagging through the clouds, the sensation of dropping at racing speeds. After two weeks of saying, “Could you please repeat that,” since my ears were still plugged from the dive, I acknowledged that I wasn’t likely to do it again. But it was worth it. 

Oh my gosh! Now we know the real you! The audacious and daring author who will try new things, including jumping out of a plane and becoming an author! By the way, it seems like nothing could be scarier than being a first time author.

Interview with Author Sally B. Watkins

Sally B. Watkins has a master’s degree in social work and is a psychotherapist and life coach. She lives in northern California and enjoys camping, sailing, hiking, and cooking healthy food. She is happily married and has two grown sons. Based on her twenty-year psychotherapy practice this book shows women how to create a full happy life with their “normally flawed and imperfect partner.”

“From girlhood we have subscribed to the happily-ever-after myth from Sleeping Beauty, to Barbies, to romance novels, but men have not been socialized to fulfill these fantasies. I’m a big advocate of acceptance and teach women how to change the only one they can change—themselves!” –Sally Watkins

Hello Sally. Your philosophy is: Learn to love what’s right instead of trying to fix what’s wrong. Please tell us about your new book.

I’ve discovered in my own life and those of the many clients I’ve seen in my twenty year psychotherapy practice that our focus on trying to find and create a perfect relationship is the cause of much of our unhappiness. We come by this idea honestly because it is everywhere reflected in our culture—the idea that the perfect partner is out there and if we find our soul mate the relationship will be blissful. This is of course a delusion and we can spend a lot of time being miserable searching and discarding normally flawed guys or trying to perfect the guy we have.

My book is actually about how to develop and empower yourself, something many women don’t think about because their focus is on attracting a man. It helps women understand what it takes to develop a strong inner self and become mature and grounded to be able to weather the normal ups and downs of life and love. Just like the clients who come to me for help, I spell out for the reader how to think about their relationship and themselves and look at what they have in a positive hopeful way. It’s full of exercises that show women how their childhood wounding may be interfering with their current relationship, how they can reactivate their own dreams, and tools for communicating and empathizing with their guy to strengthen the connection between them.

Often when a woman changes her perspective and discovers how to make her life happier her partner is charged by this new energy and the relationship can be improved. Conversely, when a woman focuses on the negative and complains and cries or enlists the help of a counselor to fix him, the relationship can get worse.

What wonderful counsel! Sally wrote, “The purpose of a relationship is not to make you happy—no one person can or should be expected to do that—but rather to help you evolve and grow in character and strength and support your being in the world.” What a wonderful thought! This book will help women solve a wide range of problems. The secret is by changing your mindset. You said that we “will experience a decrease in anger and disappointment” as we learn to understand our self more fully. Sally, where did you get the inspiration for your novel?

I grew up in a home with terrible violence and deprivation and didn’t see a good relationship modeled for me. As a young woman I desperately wanted a prince to save me and looked long and hard for one, and struggled to figure out who I was. I had a lot of therapy, went to many groups, and read hundreds of self-help books. It’s what made me want to be a therapist and go back to school to get an education. I’m grateful for those early problems because I really understand from my own life what women are going through. A college education is important but overcoming my own childhood wounding is what makes me a more credible therapist and now author.

You wrote: Women can help a man be more relational when she realizes that being attuned to her feelings and needs does not come naturally to him. She can remind him of the things that matter to her, prepare him to handle emotional conversations, and not take it personally when he tunes out or shuts down. Do you find this is one of the greatest problems in marriage?

It really is for the simple reason that women want relationship security above all else, more even than financial security. It’s our nature to want reassurance on a daily basis that our guy is still into us and will stay. This is why we read into what he does to decide if he loves us or not. Unfortunately these signs don’t convey love to a guy and he doesn’t come by them naturally. Men were trained to ignore their feelings and not ask for help, and to be tough. Often guys want to please us but need help to know how. It’s a wise woman who helps him be successful in this regard.

The mistake men make is to not understand that talking about everything is how women connect. He sometimes hears her as complaining or criticizing him or their life. He may not get it that she’s trying to bring him into her day and her life and her feelings as a way of getting closer.

You are so right about that. I have six daughters and “talking about everything” is how they connect with one another. My husband has learned that about his girls. Sally, you use examples from your own life in your book. What does your husband think of that?

Warren and I have been married for almost 13 years. Most of the examples in the book predate our relationship. By the time we were married I had learned from all of my mistakes and was in the very best place to make things work out well with us. He is very proud of my book but doesn’t recognize the girl and woman I once was. 

Thank you so much, Sally. I have gotten to know you much better in this interview. Now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

My dear husband and I share an office and when I was writing my book I needed to really concentrate. Idle conversation was hugely distracting to me and I would lose my train of thought. So, I made a very special hat out of green fabric and printed many words on it that made it an inspirational writing hat—words like “inspire”, “create”, “imagination”, “enlighten”, “develop” etc. Then when I had my funny green hat on, my husband recognized that I was deep in thought and didn’t say anything to interrupt me. He tiptoed into the office and took his phone calls in another room. Then when I took off my hat I was available for us to talk. It worked like a charm. The hat actually helped me to settle into my writing and it alerted him without words to what I needed from him.

Wow! I love your idea about the green hat. Your husband was so sweet to recognize the fact that you needed time alone, tiptoeing here and there. He sounds like a real sweetheart.

Change Your Mindset, Not Your Man

Book Review by Linda Weaver Clarke

This book is full of wonderful ideas to help a marriage become stronger, to help bond two people with two different backgrounds and ideas. Even if a couple is raised similarly, there is one factor to take into account. A woman is completely different than a man with different needs. Sally Watkins says, “Many women feel that the way to fix a problem is to confront their man, reveal their feelings, and ask for what they want to change.” This simply doesn’t work. We tend to believe in the “happily ever after” stories, believing there is a perfect man out there for us, and that life will be wonderful. Where did this idea come from? Fairytales, romantic novels, and romantic movies! Sally’s first chapter is called: Fairytale Fantasy—Busted.

I love what Sally said in her book. “The purpose of a relationship is not to make you happy—no one person can or should be expected to do that—but rather to help you evolve and grow in character and strength and support your being in the world.” What a wonderful thought! This book will help women solve a wide range of problems. The secret is by changing your mindset, not your man. You “will experience a decrease in anger and disappointment” as you learn to understand yourself more fully.

Interview with Fantasy Authors Donna and Ken Waters

Donna is from Pennsylvania. She majored in natural resources and environmental studies at the University of New Hampshire, is a ten-year veteran of the Coast Guard, and has taught forestry and environmental science. Ken is from Fort Worth, Texas. He is a computer science specialist, worked for many years as a consultant and taught business accounting. Ken and Donna are happily married and live in New Hampshire. They read mostly fantasy and science fiction.

Hello Donna and Ken. Fantasy is so popular now days. Please tell us about your new series: The Gnome Chronicles: Bracken and the Crystal Cave and The Dragons of Middle-Earth.

Our series: The Gnome Chronicles are specifically designed as easy read chapter books, for teens and adults. We wanted to create inspirational books that were clean, witty and entertaining. They have short chapters with snappy titles and plenty of action. The characters are very engaging. We have a claustrophobic gnome, a group of magic bees, an evil druid with malevolent minions galore, outrageous bats in the Laurel Caverns and a host of fairy creatures; which inhabit the realm of Upper-Earth, accessible through the crystal henge portal.

The second book in the series: The Dragons of Middle Earth also includes eye catching chapter graphics, all drawn by yours truly. Many of the characters have real-life problems and fears, which they must face in the course of their adventures. There are also moral lessons to be gleaned from these books: such as how to cope with evil, responsibility to family, abandonment, lying, stealing and one of the most difficult of subjects – war.

We keep the atmosphere light and fun. But don’t be deceived. These books are extensively well researched. They include real scientific terms, facts, historical and mythological background, gemology and geology; as well as colorful Pennsylvania Dutch cultural references.

Wow! That’s so interesting. I didn’t realize that so much research goes into fantasy. Where did you get your inspiration for your novels?

I have always liked gnomes. It occurred to me one day that gnomes are the underdogs of the fantasy world. They seem to get honorable mention, but they never seem to be the main character. Then the idea of a claustrophobic gnome struck me as funny and Bracken was born. Of course I needed to have some interaction, so I chose a couple of teenagers; Drew and Holly (my favorite names) and included my real grandparents (Elmer and Lottie).

As for the setting, I chose my grandparents’ cottage in Majorsville, WV. They lived in the most enchanting place, with a giant stream running by their house that my brother’s and I delighted in exploring. My greatest inspiration was the happy memories of my childhood. The joyous remembrance of the adventures shared with my brothers, catching fish and discovering the magic of the great outdoors.

I love what you once said, “Magic keeps you young at heart. It has wrought miracles in our lives, and brings us ever closer to our dreams and to each other.” Please expound on this intriguing subject.

My husband taught me the true meaning of magic. I had spent thirteen years of my life studying and struggling to get a Ph.D. in science. All the magic had been trained out of me, as I was taught to be a skeptical, analytical machine. Then one day, I noticed the type of books my husband was reading. They were all fantasy novels and I asked him why? Did he not think they were a bit juvenile and perhaps foolish? To which he replied: “There is not enough magic in the world. The news is full of very limited reality and it is depressing. We have forgotten how to be happy. There is joy in magic. I choose to believe that the universe is based on happiness and the fulfillment of dreams. Magic happens all the time, but first we must believe and dare to dream.”

I realized that my husband was right. Then the reason for my lack of success in life hit me - like a ton of bricks. I have a romantic nature and life without magic was so uninspiring. Perhaps, I just wasn’t meant to be a scientist. Suddenly, all the pieces of the cosmic puzzle started to fall into place. As a writer, I have found my niche. I have finally found where I belong, professionally. Magic will ever be a part of my life now.

I love your husband’s answer to your question. You write fantasies as a couple. How do you go about it? Do both of you come up with ideas but only one writes it down or what? This is very interesting to me.

Excellent question! Ken and I have very different writing styles. It became apparent from the start that one of us would need to be the primary author. Therefore, I wrote the books. But Ken and I are partners in every sense of the word. He has contributed ideas, brainstormed with me about plot lines and characters, done marketing and research, scanned pictures, proofread and published. In essence, he has worked every bit as hard as I have. I do intend to list him as a co-author on all my books. We are ever partners in print.

That’s wonderful. Partners in marriage and partners in print! Okay, now tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

Ken: There have been many astonishing things that have happened in my life. As a child, I’d gone swimming and thought I’d seen a light in the depths of the pond. I dove deep and swam hard towards it, only to realize that I was way too deep. I panicked and struggled frantically to thrash my way back to the surface. Out of breath and exhausted, I was about to give up, knowing that I really wasn’t ready to die so far beneath the water’s surface, when I felt like some massive hand grabbed me and pushed me the distance to the surface.

As a young adult, I was walking through a noisy foundry with steel filled crates stacked over twenty feet high along all of the paths around me. A forklift overloaded with steel, barreled around a corner and should have hit me, but a force that I could not see, pushed me firmly against one of the steel crates. When I turned around, I realized that I and the fork lift driver were the only people in the area.

My life has been filled with miracles and guidance, on how to get to where the miracle will be waiting for me. I’ve watched people and I know that there are miracles waiting for everyone. Will you go to where your next miracle is waiting or be patient enough to let it come to you?

Thank you, Ken. Your experiences show what kind of man you are: a man of faith who believes in small miracles. I appreciate both of you sharing your time with us today.

Interview with Author Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick

Haleh Rabizadeh Resnick was born in Philadelphia. She graduated from Rutgers College and then later Rutgers Law School. After practicing law for several years, it was time to focus on her family. She has taught religious school part time for about twenty years and is the mother of five.

“The book moves so fast, what an interesting story and so much to learn. I love the quick reference tips throughout the book.”

Hello Haleh. Your book is supposed to help parents partner more effectively with their doctors and not be in the dark. Please tell us about your new book.

I have two children, one with severe multiple allergies who actually was still on formula when he was two years old, and another who was diagnosed at birth with a severe hearing loss. As it turns out, my child with allergies eats all kinds of food now and is doing wonderfully and my other son’s hearing was misdiagnosed and he does not even need hearing aids. The book reads like a short novel and is engaging from the start. But since Little Patient Big Doctor is written with the aim of helping others navigate any medical crisis, there are a number of sections throughout the book dedicated to helpful tips of partnering with doctors and incorporating alternative strategies of care.

Yes, that happens. Many times our children can be misdiagnosed. What inspired you to write this book?

I wrote Little Patient Big Doctor because of the challenges I faced working with my medical doctors. I truly believe that were it not for my background as an attorney and teacher and the approach that I had toward their medical care, my children would not be where they are today. It breaks my heart when I speak to individuals who are dealing with a health crisis and think they could be handling the situation in such a way so as to have a better result.

I was impressed with what one reviewer said about your book: “We had our hands full with our son, who was born premature. We completely relate to Little Patient Big Doctor.” Tell us what you think about this review.

My eyes have filled with tears many times as I speak to people who have read Little Patient Big Doctor. The story resonates with parents and gives them support. I’ve been hearing many stories of medical success beyond doctor’s expectations since I wrote the book. 

Are there any Tips in the Book you would like to share with us?

The most important message is to have a vision of health that you want and be unrelenting. Question and advocate. This is the basic formula. There are specific tips on organization, searching for alternative remedies, and communicating with your doctor - such as making sure that your doctor has a list of your concerns even before an appointment. 

Thank you, Haleh. I appreciate this interview. If anyone has questions to ask Haleh at this time, please ask away. Okay, tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

It’s interesting as a woman to have worked so hard for my graduate degree and then turn my back on it - at least for a while - to give hair cuts to my sons along with the bald spot that comes with it, to cook for a large family and trigger the fire alarm so often that the local firefighters know me by name, and to decorate my entire kitchen with my children’s art – so that it is literally wallpapered in every spot. Before kids? Right now I just can’t remember.

That was great! I could picture every detail as you listed them. And yes, it seems as if we can’t remember what it was like before kids. Now we know the real you! Haleh: a lawyer, mother, barber, cook, an art decorator, chauffeur, and an author who literally attracts firefighters! Whew! Now that’s quite a list.

Interview with Christian Author Cary Franklin Smith

Cary has been a pastor to several Baptist Churches in Texas, California and Nevada. He has done construction, worked for a crop duster, made bricks, stuffed turkeys into bags, cleaned out chicken coops, played in a rock band, pumped gas, sacked groceries, stocked shelves, packaged nursing home supplies, sold windows, drove a school bus, delivered fertilizer, fixed cars, delivered printing, taught school and co-hosted a radio program. Cary has a loving wife, is the father of 3 sons and the grandfather of 5 (plus 1 more in February).

Hello Cary. Whew! That’s quite a list. I’ve never known anyone with so much background. It seems like you’ve done it all. Okay, it’s time to tell us about your new book.

The Year of Leland Thomson tells the story of a sixteen year old boy who had a dream. For most of his life he had heard something calling to him from the distance. He was willing to follow but, after all, he was a poor, sawmill boy whose future lay in the mill, as had his father’s and grandfather’s before him. Along with the dream, Leland also had the gift. He played the cello with incredible passion and sensitivity, demonstrating a skill that far outstretched his age and circumstances. His family believed God had gifted him to play.

When he is discovered by Ralph Watkins, a Regent at The New York Conservatory of Music, a plan is laid to have Leland play at Carnegie Hall. But Leland prays each time he plays, giving honor to the One who gave him the gift. Ralph can’t accept Leland’s spiritual connection and tries to separate him from that which gives him his identity and ability.

Leland’s story is one of accepting ones culture, ones beliefs, ones dreams. These themes are also woven around side stories of other characters. The Year of Leland Thomson is a captivating story full of country charm and wit. It is appropriate for all ages but will have special meaning to those trying to find their place in the world.

What an inspirational story! J. Reuben Clark once said, “We get nearer to the Lord through music than perhaps through any other thing except prayer.” I believe it. Where did you get the inspiration for your novel?

There are actually two sources for inspiration. My dad grew up in and around sawmills in Southeast Texas. His dad was a foreman at many of them and actually owned a planer mill. During his latter days, my dad spoke a lot about his old sawmill life and about the stigma of being “sawmill trash.” Though I moved the story to Arkansas, his past history gave me the backdrop.

Musically, my youngest son, Jody, is our Leland. He began playing cello when he was ten or eleven and learned quickly. He became quite an accomplished cellist. It was as though he had a natural gift to play. I hear Jody when I describe Leland playing.

My mother believed that music was an important part of life, so she made sure all four of her kids had music lessons. Many people refer to those who play an instrument as having a gift. You said, “God gave Leland the gift.” Please expound your feeling about this statement.

We had the same beliefs. My wife teaches music at a Christian school and I play guitar and bass. We decided early on that our boys would be able to play an instrument. We told them they could pick out whatever instrument they wanted (except drums and accordion) and we would buy it for them and provide lessons. Their job would be to practice. (I secretly told them they would also learn to play the guitar.) Cory picked the bass guitar, Josh the violin (at age 4) and Jody wanted a cello. Not long afterwards they each added guitar and keyboard. What we noticed was the unique connection each boy had to his instrument. They learned with little struggle and played very well. It was as though they came equipped with this ability. They just needed the opportunity. I believe God gifts us for life: first with faith and then the ability to live out that faith. He then grants us grace to accomplish things that bring great fulfillment to Him, us and others. For Leland, that was in music.

I agree. David O. McKay said, “Music is truly the universal language, and when it is excellently expressed how deeply it moves our souls!” Yes, good music does affect us. This novel is called the Sawmill Series. What is this series about?

From the setting in the Ozarks, we discover good, simple, honest people struggling with the same issues most folks struggle with: family, society, race, faith and crisis. The question is not whether we will face difficult challenges in life; it is how we will deal with them. There is not an “in your face” tone to dealing with issues in this series, just the natural flow of faith and family. I wanted the Christian life being lived out to be genuine, not sterile and especially not artificial. The first book of the series, The Year of Leland Thomson, introduces us to a family whose beliefs are a natural expression of who they are, even when challenged by others. The second book, As Embers Fly, will deal with a secondary character in the first story, Frank Massey, and his dad, Claude. Claude is a detached, alcoholic father whose wife leaves him. They travel to California to find her and bring her back. It’s a story of self-discovery and choices. The third will deal with tragedy, loss and God’s ability to give beauty for ashes. I already wrote a portion of it and found myself weeping as I wrote. 

Your series sounds so touching to me. It’s about real people in real life situations who need faith and a loving Heavenly Father to help them through their trials. Okay, now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

Let’s see: I cut the tail off of my cat when he came home with it nearly severed, because it was going to cost nearly $300 for the vet to do it. I shot my mom’s favorite variety of bird when I was a kid and tried to get my cat to eat it to transfer the blame; he wouldn’t. I heard a noise in our attic and put my cat up there to see if it was anything that might get me when I went up…just in case.

Man! You were a mischievous little boy. Once my dad told his friends that he could make his cat eat a pickle. They didn’t believe him so he brought them home to prove it. He got a nice plump pickle and his pet cat. When it let out a disgruntled meow, dad stuffed the pickle in his mouth. The cat began chewing like crazy and dad won the bet. I asked him how he did it. He said he pinched the cat’s tail and made him mad enough to eat the pickle. Little boys can be so mischievous at times, but my dad grew to be a gentle man and a spiritual giant in my eyes. Okay, tell us more, Cary.

I came up with a great idea of how I could install my pull-down attic stairs in my garage by myself. I lifted the unit into the attic and screwed on support boards across the opening from below. Then I got up in the attic and set the stairs in place and secured it. Everything was perfect until I realized I couldn’t get down. My support boards blocked the stairs from opening. Fortunately I had my cell phone and called my son to come and get me down. Additional problem: I had the screw gun with me and he had to go find a screwdriver and unscrew the boards manually, which left me in the hot attic way too long. My writing career began soon afterwards.

This is just too hilarious!!! Now we know the real you! A Carpenter at heart, a Pastor, and an Author all rolled into one. Hey, now that’s quite a combination.

Interview with Author Cherie Burbach

Cherie Burbach loves football and is obsessed with anything having to do with the Green Bay Packers or Tudor history. She enjoys crocheting and has been a blogger with a 20-year background in marketing and business. Cherie is an author of six books and a poet of three poetry books, including Father’s Eyes, which received the 2008 Editor’s Choice Award by Allbooks Review.

Hello Cherie. This book involves helping others to cope with diabetes. Tell us about your new book.

My latest published book is 21 Simple Things You Can Do To Help Someone With Diabetes. It's a part etiquette/part guidebook on the personal side of diabetes. It's meant to start a dialog between diabetics and their families on things like what to say, how to provide support, and which foods to have in the house.

I didn’t realize that dialog would be an issue. Where did you get your inspiration for your book?

I've been a Type 1 diabetic for 20 years, and over time I've noticed that many of my friends and family say and do some really dumb (and sometimes hurtful) things in relation to my disease. Things like commenting on what I have on my plate, telling me how I "gave" diabetes to myself, or even just refusing to have sugar-free beverages around because they don't drink them. I don't think people mean to be hurtful, I just think if you don't have the disease, you view it from the assumptions and misinformation you've heard.

I wanted to write a really short, simple book (much shorter than the space I'm taking here to explain myself! LOL!) that people could breeze through quickly and yet still find a nugget that would change their perception about diabetes. 

Wow! You have really opened my eyes. You include stories based on your own experiences to illustrate your point. Can you briefly share with us one of these stories?

Sure. One woman I worked with used to comment every day at lunch at the amount of fruit I ate. I'd typically have a piece in the morning and then a piece of fruit at lunch. She'd scream for the whole office to hear, "I'm telling! You're diabetic and you're not allowed to have fruit! My niece is diabetic so I know better."

Obviously she didn't. Diabetics can, and should, eat fruit. For that matter, diabetics should eat a balanced diet like everyone else. Balanced is the key. Bottom line, though, this woman heard somewhere that diabetics couldn't have fruit, and she decided to become "the food police" with me. It was not only rude, but incorrect.

That must have been difficult to handle. A Reviewer wrote, “Often writers say if they can touch just one life or change one person for the better by telling their story, that their mission is accomplished… I was a prime target for this book; one of the guilty uneducated and judgmental non-diabetics with a friend who has diabetes.” Tell us what you think about this review.

I was really touched at this comment. It's true, if even one reader gets the point you're trying to make, it was worth writing the book. I loved that the reviewer was honest in admitting that even though she had a diabetic friend, she really had no idea what the disease was all about. Those kind of reviews make it all worthwhile as an author!

I understand completely what you mean. What a wonderful review! Now it’s time for the not-so-serious question. Tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I met my husband through online dating, and on one of our first dates he made me dinner. I thought this was so sweet, and I started to think "Hey, I am really falling for this guy." I even let the thought "he's the one" float into my mind as we ate his delicious (albeit rich) meal of ribs, Texas toast, and macaroni and cheese.

A few hours after the meal, I started to feel bad. I had lots of pain that got worse and worse, to the point where I couldn't stand any longer. We were still on our date, and he was very concerned. I kept trying to shake it off, but he had to call an ambulance and follow me to the hospital! I kept thinking, "This guy is so going to dump me after this date!" LOL!

Turns out his rich meal helped set off a gallbladder attack. I had to have surgery and have it removed. From now on, we call his ribs "Emergency Room Ribs" because of that story.

Oh my gosh! Well, there’s one thing I can say. You have found a real gem of a man, a person who cooks delicious ribs. Not everyone is so lucky to find a man who cooks. Yum! I like the new name, “Emergency Room Ribs.” By the way, that happened to me, too. I fixed this luscious casserole for my husband and I promptly took him to the hospital that evening and found out that he had gallstones. The casserole was very rich and clashed with his system, setting off a gall bladder attack. So my husband sympathizes and understands completely.

Dreaming of Books

Follow your dream! 

Jenny Roberts has many dreams, but will she be able to fulfill them all? She says, “Dreams are an important part of life, and without them, life would be dull. If we can envision it, then I believe it can be accomplished.” Jenny Roberts yearns to escape her small hometown of Paris, Idaho and accomplish many dreams. Her dreams include falling in love. After she realizes that Will means more to her than she thought, she must now choose which dream to follow. Jenny soon finds herself in the middle of drama, adventure, and romance as she struggles to gain the power of forgiveness and the ability to face new possibilities.

Allison King, from Allison’s Attic, wrote, “Linda Weaver Clarke has captured the essence of reaching for your dreams, no matter what happens to throw you off the path of getting there. Jenny’s Dream is a book for all ages that can wrap you up and make you feel all warm inside with the love and hope that dreams can come true if you believe hard enough.”

The Enchanted Meadow

As Jenny rose from the grassy meadow, she laid her book and straw hat on the grass, kicked her shoes off and then curtsied to an imaginary person. She smiled a charming smile and said, “Did you say you’d like to dance with me? You have chosen me out of all these lovely women?” Her hand gestured toward some imaginary ladies. “Of course, I’d like to dance with you.”

Jenny gracefully placed her arms in a semi-circle and began dancing. As she danced and twirled with the breeze, in the arms of her imaginary prince, all worries and cares disappeared and she felt exhilarated. She was dancing to the music of her dreams and each step she took brought joy to her soul. Jenny’s charming and delightful laughter rang through the meadow as she danced to the imaginary music in her heart.

Little did she know that she was being watched. Will had passed by on his way home and saw movement through the branches of the trees. When he stopped to peek through, he noticed an imaginary person asking Jenny for a dance. When he heard what she had said, he grinned and tried to stifle a chuckle as he watched in secret. As she danced, Jenny looked as light as a feather with each movement she made. Her charm and gracefulness seemed like fairy-gifts from heaven. She had purity about her that he could not describe, such that you would imagine in a child. Her large blue eyes seemed to bring out her innocence and charm. Even from his distant hiding place, he could see they were the color of the clearest blue sky he had ever seen.

As Will watched, he realized that each movement seemed to have confidence and purpose, as if she were revealing her emotions through her dancing. Each step she took was full of grace and elegance. As she danced, the combs that held her hair in place fell to the ground and her long wavy tresses softly cascaded to her shoulders and floated with the breeze. Will’s eyes widened with delight as he saw the beauty of this young woman. He could not tell which was the greater pleasure to watch—her graceful movements or her natural beauty. She was absolutely charming!

He noticed this field had an enchantment about it, one that she was clearly a part of. He watched her pale blue dress as it floated gently around her ankles with every movement she made. Her throat was long and slender and her dark eyelashes seemed to flirt with the breeze. When he looked at her eyes, they seemed to be far away in a dreamland.

They had never been formally introduced but he had heard plenty about Jenny from Melinda. She had told him that Jenny just returned from college and this impressed him a great deal since most young women did not consider college as an option. Will had seen her in passing and was interested in meeting her, but had not had a chance as of yet. Maybe he could take the opportunity to meet her now.

When Jenny stopped dancing, she held her skirts with her fingers and curtsied. With a charming smile, she said, “Thank you, my prince.”

Will smiled at her gesture. He was about thirty feet away from her when he stepped out from his hiding place and took a chance to speak to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Jenny saw movement from the thicket. She was startled and gasped. She whirled around to see who had trespassed upon her reverie. When their eyes met, her hand flew to her mouth and her eyes widened with surprise. She was instantly embarrassed and her face flushed a rosy color. There was an awkward pause, and then she quickly grabbed her shoes and dashed out from the meadow leaving her book and hat behind.

Will felt terrible. He didn’t mean to startle her and wanted to call out to her. But it was to no avail because she was out of sight before he had a chance to get his senses about him. He had intruded on her privacy and embarrassed her. He felt awful. It had not dawned on him how she might react to his presence. Why had he been so bold as to step into her solitude and disturb her, especially right after dancing with an imaginary person? Will looked down and noticed that she had forgotten some of her belongings. He picked the book up, looked at the title, and then he placed it on a large flat rock for Jenny to retrieve later. Then he went to the field and picked up her combs and put them with her book, placing the hat on top of them. This would protect them from the damp dew of the night. Will knew that she would be back tomorrow to regain her possessions.

Jenny ran all the way home without stopping and was out of breath when she burst through the door. Melinda looked up from the salad she was preparing and was instantly concerned. “Is anything wrong, Jenny?”

Jenny shrugged her shoulders and walked toward her room to get washed up. She didn’t want to tell anyone about the encounter. In fact, she was not quite sure what had happened. She didn’t know why she ran away, but that man had invaded her privacy unnoticed and uninvited. How embarrassed she felt!

Interview with Arthur Bradley

Arthur T. Bradley, Ph.D., is a father of four, Army veteran, homeschooler, and NASA engineer. Like so many others, Arthur was deeply affected by the tragedy of 9/11. Rather than be consumed with worry, he decided to prepare his family for our world's many dangers. He began by reading nearly every disaster preparedness book on the market. When he didn't find a single book that met his family's needs, he put together a 540-page handbook that he hopes readers will find to be a “complete, well-reasoned approach to practical preparedness.”

Arthur defines a "disaster" as: “A calamitous event, especially one occurring suddenly and causing great loss of life, damage, or hardship.” This broad definition encompasses many potential threats, including hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics, financial collapse, and even more personal events such as the loss of a job. 

Hello Arthur. I love your website and how every few seconds the picture at the top of the site changes to a new disaster. I sat watching each picture, mesmerized by each photo. For those interested, visit his website. Your book teaches us to prepare for disasters. Please tell us about it.

Thanks! The website is kind of cool. The images at the top are meant to reflect just how many different types of disasters we face. When people hear disasters, they tend to think of the biggies: hurricanes, tornados, floods, and earthquakes. But there are many other equally destructive threats, including flu pandemics, food shortages, riots, and nuclear accidents.

The Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family is just that, a family preparedness guide. It is not written to scare anyone. I firmly believe that preparedness should be motivated out of love, not fear. The book outlines the fourteen basic human needs that every family must meet during any crisis. The most obvious ones include food, water, and shelter, but there are many others, including transportation, communication, and financial security.

I never thought about flu pandemics or riots before. Where did you get the inspiration for your book?

I was a Boy Scout and Army infantry soldier, so I've had the importance of preparedness drilled into me for many years. However, it wasn't until I became a father that I truly felt the need to get ready for hard times. There's something about having others, especially young children, depending on you to push you into action. Now that I've become an official "prepper," I can't see living any other way. Having the supplies and skills necessary to survive dangerous events really gives my family a sense of security.

Some of the most recent major events that come to mind are the Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, earthquake in Haiti, Gulf oil spill, and floods in Pakistan. The sad truth is that disasters occur on almost a daily basis all over the world. Most people don't realize that the US experiences more severe weather events than any other country on Earth! This is in part due to its large size, the abundance of oceanfront property, the direction of the ocean currents, and our general geographic conditions.

I didn’t know that. Interesting! Are there any “Basic Steps” to getting started?

Absolutely! Everyone likes top 10 lists, so here's mine for basic preparedness:
1. Stock up on consumables, such as food, water, candles, batteries, fuel, etc. But don't think that throwing money at the problem will get you prepared. You can prepare on a shoestring budget if necessary.
2. Start paying attention. Get a weather radio. Monitor local and national events. Be more aware of your surroundings and things that may affect your family. I live by the simple rule: Stay Alert = Stay Alive!
3. Shore up your shelter. Take time to inspect your dwelling to make sure it is in good repair.
4. Put together a small emergency kit for your automobile (see the Auto Kits page on my website http://disasterpreparer.com).
5. Review your insurance policies, and adjust or supplement them as needed.
6. Build up an emergency fund. Most experts recommend a fund capable of carrying your family for three to six months. Yes, this is tough to do, but so very important!
7. Learn first aid and put together a well-stocked kit that you know how to use.
8. Maintain a minimum 30-day supply of important medications and supplies.
9. Create (or join) a network of like-minded individuals committed to working together to survive dangerous events. There is strength in numbers.
10. Consider the special needs of children, the elderly, and pets within your household

What are “Just the Basics” for a roadside emergency kit?

The "Just the Basics" roadside emergency kit is a list of items that every family should keep in their automobile to be better prepared. The list includes: a cell phone and charger, small gas can, folding shovel, battery booster (or cables), flashlight, roadside triangle reflectors or flares, small tool kit, first aid kit, tow strap, notepad and pen, ResQme device, duct tape, windshield scraper, spare tire and jack, warm blankets, comfortable walking shoes, maps or GPS unit, and a few bottles of water.

Now that’s quite a list. I never thought about being that prepared while traveling somewhere. In fact, I travel a lot to teach my workshops. I guess I had better put my “Just the Basics” together before my next trip. Okay, now it’s time to tell us something about the real you that we’ll never forget.

I'll tell you about how I met my wife, Lalia. It's a story that I love to share. On my first day at Auburn University, I walked into the classroom with a group of buddies. We were a little late in arriving and had to scan the room for available seats. Everyone headed to the back, but I took a moment to consider my options. Little did I know that the moment of indecision would shape my life. There were 32 students, 30 of which were guys (such is the life of an engineering student). Of the two girls, one was drop dead gorgeous, long blonde hair, tall and beautiful, and remarkably sitting all alone. I decided to take the seat right behind her and politely introduce myself. It being her first day also, she was incredibly shy, but also seemed happy to be making friends. Once class started, I realized that I'd forgotten to bring my book. Not knowing what else to do, I asked if I could scoot up beside her and share her book. She gave me that million-dollar smile, and said, "sure." And so our love was born. All these years later, I frequently wonder how different my life would be if I hadn't made that simple choice. I should mention that my wife still doesn't believe that I forgot my book. *grin*

What a wonderfully romantic story! I love it. It’s about time I heard something romantic from this question. And it came from a man, of all things!!! Okay, now we know the real you! You’re a romantic at heart, a man of indecision, and sneaky but smart! Why? Because you won the heart of a lady simply by forgetting your book and choosing the right seat!