Yes, Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy is nonfiction. The stories read like fiction, however. (Truth is funnier than fiction?) Yes, I do write fiction. Rebecca and Heart can be read on Storyrealm.com, and Beth’s Backyard Friends is also on Storyrealm.com. Avery and Gunner, a MG Civil War historical fiction is under consideration with a publisher. Cracks in the Ice, a Y/A fiction has just gone out. Two for young readers, Amanda’s Magic and Walker Hound of Park Avenue, are circulating. Another nonfiction, Bread Upon the Waters, is going into revision. "Marsha Blue," a short story contest winner, is actually a memoir, and Mayor of Ingles’ Parking Lot, a contest finalist, is a true story, too. So, I guess I cover all the bases.
What would you like folks to know about you?
Hmm. I have a pretty ordinary existence. I live in the mountains with my husband. We’ve been married 48 years and have 7 children and 10 grands. We have 2 golden retrievers who are dying to meet you in their therapy dog book. I like to garden, golf, and read. But, mostly I write. All day, every day, I just write. I went back to college last year to take some literature classes and sharpen up my aging brain. I loved it. But, this year I’ll be traveling with my book, so no classes.
Tell us about your family.
My family is great. I have a wonderful husband who is so supportive of everything I’ve ever done, and is currently my business manager for my books. He’s had an extraordinary business career with IBM and is now retired. Sort of. He went into real estate for this phase of his life and he works hard at it. Our grown kids are all married with kids of their own, and are all within a day’s drive, so we’re lucky.
What other nonfiction books have you written?
Other nonfiction is Bread Upon the Water, a teen story of a Vietnamese priest who escaped his country as a boat person in order to be a priest. I’m just beginning a revision. The other nonfiction are short stories. "Marsha Blu"e and" Mayor of Ingles’ Parking Lot" can be read on DreamQuest.com and Scinti facebook. My little chapter book about Walker a walker hound, is based on a true story that happened here in our town.
What is coming up in your writing life?
I’m waiting to hear about Avery and Gunner. I’ve been working hard on the revision of Cracks in the Ice, and I just sent it off on the 4th of July. I’m revising Bread next.
What are your hobbies?
I like to garden and golf, but I don’t do either much. I read a lot and belong to a book club. In the summer, I belong to two. I write all the time. I have a community dog park that I manage. I also spend a lot of time making therapy dog visits with my dogs. I used to spend a lot of time training them in freestyle and agility, but we’re all getting old, so we take it easier now. We make weekly visits to hospitals, nursing homes, and other places, and one dog listens to children in the library, while the other lowers blood pressures at the free dental clinic.
I wrote Just for the Moment: The Remarkable Gift of the Therapy Dog for a few reasons. I saw the difference my dogs made in people’s lives, and I wanted to share that. I hope that it will open more doors for therapy dogs. I wanted to celebrate the wonderful job that all therapy dogs do and say thank you to their handlers. And, because the stories begged me to tell them, I had to write them. I think readers will enjoy the book.
What do you want readers to take away from reading your book?
I can tell by the questions people ask me when I’m out with a dog, that most people don’t really understand what therapy dogs are, what it is they do, how they got to be therapy dogs, and what makes a dog a good candidate. I address all these, but lightly. Most of the book is made up of stories about real moments. But, I hope that readers will laugh and cry and perhaps have an ahha moment or two. Dogs don’t worry about saying the wrong thing or filling quiet space. Dogs show us that the most important thing is to be there in the moment beside the bed or wheelchair. I hope that some administrators, who aren’t into the therapy dog program, might revisit the idea. Perhaps more doors will open for the therapy dogs as a result of these stories.
Where can my readers find you on the Internet?
Readers can find me at http://www.booksbydeanna.com/; http://www.therapydogstories.com/. I’m also on facebook and for personal correspondence, deannaklingel@yahoo.com .
Thank you, Deanna, for spending this time with us.
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