Guest Post - Inspirational Author Fay Klingler

I have a special guest today, Fay Klingler, with an interview and explanation about two spiritual books for mothers and daughters. 

Welcome, Fay!

I have two new books. One is fiction—I Am Strong! I Am Smart! The second is non-fiction—We Are Strong! Mothers and Daughters Stand Together. Both of these books revolve around the influence one generation has on another—grandmothers/grandchildren, mothers/daughters.

I Am Strong! I Am Smart! for ages 8 to 12 is fully illustrated (Christian, national). It is the product of my wonderful mother’s example. As a child, my mother taught me 100 ways to play Solitaire and Double Solitaire. She is still the life of the party when we play cards, whether there are two, four, or up to eight or so playing at once on each others’ cards. In this book I wanted to show how, no matter our age, we not only can learn from each other, but we can build each other up and help through the crises that come our way.

To my delight, I Am Strong! I Am Smart! received 23 endorsements before it even went to press. I hope mothers, grandmothers, and granddaughters, in particular, feel the “warmth” of this book and gain from it.

We Are Strong! Mothers and Daughters Stand Together started out as a non-fiction way to teach the same principles as I Am Strong! I Am Smart! But the book grew with amazing real-life stories and a clear mission to teach all women how important it is to truly live the Young Women values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This book not only teaches, it brings hope and encouragement and reminds us what an honor it is to be a woman.

I’m told by some reviewers that We Are Strong! Mothers and Daughters Stand Together is their first pick for Mother’s Day gift giving. I’m happy about that. But this book is meant for much more than that. The principles in this book are meant to be absorbed, committed to, and lived every day of our lives, forever.

The Books

 Every girl needs a mentor, someone she can trust to show her the way home to Heavenly Father. The stakes are high—as women of influence, how we live and how we teach Heavenly Father’s daughters will change the course of their lives forever.

Using compelling real-life stories from women of all ages, award-winning author Fay A. Klingler clearly defines how and why we must continue to live and teach the Young Women values.

We Are Strong! beautifully illustrates how powerful a faithful woman’s example can be.

AMAZON

Luisa May, known to her family and friends as Lu, loves to play games with her grandma. When she’s bullied at school, Grandma has a special puzzle for Lu to help her see how valuable she is—no matter what others say, or how much doubt she feels within herself. Soon after, Grandma has to go to the hospital, and Lu finds out Grandma needs help recovering. Then it’s Lu’s turn to help Grandma see how valuable she is—no matter how much doubt she feels within herself. It’s a beautiful parallel for young and old alike, as each age learns from the other.

Written and illustrated with loving hands, this delightful children’s story offers a heartfelt message that unites and bonds generations. From the award-winning pen of Fay A. Klingler, I Am Strong! I Am Smart! provides to women of all ages a reminder of the tremendous gift of “girl power.”

AMAZON

About the author
Fay A. Klingler, author and illustrator, is an award-winning creative and technical writer, as well as a sought-after motivational speaker for women’s groups. Her expertise includes successful patterns for life, betrayal recovery, and effective grandparenting. Her previous publications include A Woman’s Power: Threads that Bind Us to God; Shattered: Six Steps from Betrayal to Recovery; Daughters of God, You Have What It Takes; The LDS Grandparents’ Idea Book; My Magnificent Mountain; The Complete Guide to Woman’s Time; Our New Baby; and A Mother’s Journal.

The Klinglers have twelve children and thirty-five grandchildren in their blended family. They reside in Draper, Utah.

Webpage | Facebook | Amazon Author Page

Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan . . . Giveaway!

Gaze Into Heaven is a collection of true near-death experiences from the lives of early-day Latter-day Saints. These accounts date back to the early 1800s and relate what Saints experienced when they visited the Spirit World. These accounts have been carefully researched and are interspersed with scriptures, insights, and quotes from latter-day prophets and other Church leaders. After reading this book you will never be able to think of life or death in the same way.

I asked author Marlene Bateman Sullivan if she'd share some information about the kind of research she had to do for this nonfiction work:

Researching means spending a lot of time in libraries, so make sure that is something you enjoy before delving into nonfiction.  I did most of my research at the Church History Library, the Church Archives, BYU Library, and at Utah State University. I also checked out the University of Utah and local libraries. 

I was researching for my first book, Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines, (true stories about people who risked their life for the gospel) when I came across a few near-death experiences.  I was fascinated by these stories, as most people are. I jotted down the references and put them aside, thinking I would come back to them after I finished up my other projects. Many writers do the same thing—come across stories that give you ideas for future books. Be sure and write these down in a file some place!

I got sidetracked as I researched because I found amazing stories about angels coming to comfort, inspire, or direct early latter-day Saints.  I then decided to do a book (which expanded into three) on angels. So for the next few years, I did research and wrote about angelic visitations for my next three books; And There Were Angels Among them, Visits from Beyond the Veil, and By the Ministering of Angels. There were so many experiences that I had to limit the experiences in the book to people who had either seen or heard an angel. These experiences all came from the lives of early Latter-day Saints.

Finally, I thought I would be able to start researching near-death experiences, but once again, got sidetracked and decided to finish up a novel I’d been writing for some time: Light on Fire Island. 

After that, I started researching near-death experiences in earnest to see if I could find enough to fill a book. I found more than enough.  So many, in fact, that I’d like to write a sequel.

A person could spend years in the library, so aspiring writers need to decide on a topic before going to do research. 

Computer searches are wonderful, but they are limited.  Make sure that you choose a search that pulls up information from ALL sources, not just search one collection.

Another thing that helped me is to type in different words in my searches. Of course I typed in near-death experiences.  Watch out for hyphens, though.  I also typed in near death experiences and got a different list.  Go through your thesaurus if you need to and come up with different words to describe what you are looking for.  For example, I didn’t just type in “heaven” I also typed in “Spirit World” and “next life.”  Also “death.”  You never know what word might bring up information that you can use.

Be sure to check out related subjects—these usually appear either at the side of the computer screen or at the bottom. They may lead you to rich new sources of material.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. The people at libraries are happy to assist you. During your first visit, ask them to explain the layout of the library. They will give you great advice. It really helps to get their expertise on how to use the computer to navigate their particular system.  Asking for their help will save you a lot of time! 

Anyone who writes nonfiction must love to research, and I do. I especially loved researching near-death experiences and was amazed at how similar they were to modern-day experiences. There were a few differences. For instance, many early Latter-day Saints who visited the Spirit World saw LDS Church leaders.  A number also saw the gospel being preached.  But most elements seen in modern day experiences were the same; such as being met by a guide or family member who escorts the person to heaven, experiencing feelings of great love and joy, being reunited with deceased family members and friends, and also the incredible beauty of the Spirit World. Every experience I found while researching was a testimony to me that God lives and loves us, that the Church is true, that life continues on, and that mortality is a time of testing and a time for us to gain knowledge.

Good luck and happy researching!

I have a copy of this inspirational read to give away--U.S. only. All you have to do is comment below indicating that you're interested--please provide your email address. I'll do the drawing on Monday.

It's available online or in physical bookstores (yes, they still have a few of those, here and there).

Amazon     Deseret Book     Seagull Books

What do you think of near-death experiences? My hubby had one once. Fell 32-feet out of a tree (before we were married). Bounced his spirit right out of his body. He watched from above as everyone came running to where he was on the ground. *shivers*

Book Review - "A Woman's Power - Threads That Bind Us to God" by Fay A. Klinger

Fay's Website and Facebook

Book Description:
For any woman who's ever felt like she's hanging on by a single thread, this inspiring book reveals the truth: you're surrounded by threads of strength and power that can bring you safety, peace, and lasting happiness. All you have to do is grab hold of them. Uplifting and empowering, this book offers women everywhere a message of hope.

I don't read a lot of nonfiction. It's not that I don't enjoy it; I do. Fiction just tends to have a stronger pull for me.

But I appreciate being inspired by the struggles of real live people--especially women. Fay shares the stories of several as she takes the reader through the chapters, each of which is a tool women can use to help them get through the rough spots of life--and several of them are her own trials and tribulations. I found myself uplifted and encouraged while reading this book.

I tend to collect inspirational quotes, so I thought I'd share a couple from the book.

People who see mistakes as opportunities for learning can keep going as challenges appear.

Our identity--who and what we are, the foundation we work from in making decisions and facing life--must not be based on any title or season in life.