"Debra Shiveley
Welch is a master storyteller. I find her writing to be
very much on the order of what is considered, in old
terms, a true storyteller, one that takes the nucleus and
expands it to take on all the senses -- I can see what she
sees, hear what she hears, smell and taste what she
smells and tastes. Most importantly, though, I feel
what she feels." Linda J. Alexander - Books
for the Thinking Reader:
For those of
you visiting who wish to try your hand at writing, scroll down. I have a gift for you. Listed you will see two links to
essays written about becoming an author. I offer these to
you free with gladness. I ask only that you credit me
should you reproduce these essays or share them with others.
There are
also links to some of my and my son's writings. Grab a cup
of coffee and relax for a while. I hope we take you away
from the stress of the world while you are here visiting.
In addition,
I am pleased to present to you my books. Listed are:
Son
of My Soul - The Adoption of Christopher, my latest work and
winner of the AllBook Reviews Editor's Choice 2010, Books & Author's Award For Literary
Excellence, Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2007
and FaithWriter's Gold Seal of Approval - Outstanding Read.
A
Very Special Child, my first book and very dear to my heart.
I was overjoyed when I heard that I was given the FaithWriter's
Gold Seal of Approval - Outstanding Read for my children's
book which addresses adoption in a spiritual way.
Jesus
Gandhi Oma Mae Adams is my only novel so far, co-authored
with my cousin Linda Lee Greene. The writing of this book
taught me that I could write a novel and was an important
learning experience in my writing career. Check it out;
it's very intriguing.
Christopher Bullfrog Catcher. How I love this book!
Written by my son at age eleven, it was scribed by me.
That is, I typed while my son dictated this entrancing book.
My son has learning differences, one of which is dysgraphia,
which causes problems with lining up numbers (for addition,
subtraction, etc.) but also makes the physical act of writing
difficult. By scribing for him, I was able to become a
part of his imaginary world. It was great fun.
Just Chris
is an endearing memoir written by my son, Christopher Shiveley
Welch. A companion book to Son of My Soul - The
Adoption of Christopher, it chronicles Chris' life and his
feelings regarding being born with cleft lip and palate, his
various learning differences, his life on his beloved lake and
his joy in being adopted.
Currently, my
son, Chris, and I are working on our cookbook Christopher's
Family Table - Inheriting Recipes from Adopted Kin and Klan, and I am venturing forth on my own in the
writing of Cedar Woman, my first romance novel about a
Lakota Sioux holy woman and Heads Are Gonna Roll, which
combines reincarnation, revenge and murder. I'm excited about
these projects and look forward to a productive summer.
So, there you
are. Dig in, relax, get comfy, take your time, and have
fun.
Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher
is the story of a woman’s journey through loneliness, poverty and
neglect, her triumph over a turbulent past, and the joy of
mothering her adopted child.
Ms.
Welch’s autobiography begins with her uncle’s prophecy of her birth, and
soon turns to a story of sorrow and abuse. A vow made at
fourteen-years-of-age to save a child through adoption gives her new
purpose, as she strives to survive a life of neglect and abandonment.
Breaking free from her past, she thinks of her childhood as “boot camp,”
and applies the lessons she learned as an example of how not to
mother her future child.
Her joy
is finally manifested in the form of an infant boy born with cleft lip
and palate. She realizes that her vow has indeed come to fruition, and
that she has finally found “The Son of Her Soul.” Read the reviews
here:
http://www.debrashiveleywelch.net/soms.htm
Son of My Soul
The Adoption of Christopher
Best Seller at Amazon
Son of My Soul - The
Adoption of Christopher has been awarded AllBooks Review's
Editor's Choice 2010, Books & Authors Best
Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award for 2007 and FairthWriter's
Gold Seal of Approval - Outstanding Read
In
this warm and tender story, Debra Shiveley Welch lovingly tells of the Lord
giving attributes to a yet unborn child while in the womb
of a frightened, young girl. God takes some
sweetness from the Cherubs, sweet music from the birds,
laughter from the dolphins, and wraps them in love from
the mother, placing it all carefully into the spirit of the
unborn babe. A beautiful gift of life waiting to be
unwrapped and cherished and placed in the arms of a loving
mother and father.
In this special keepsake edition, a collection of essays and poems are
also included.
I
firmly believe that I have received the same child I was meant to
receive, whether I gave birth or adopted. The same soul, the same
entity, was meant to be mine, from the beginning of time. Debra
Shiveley Welch "A Very Special Child"
In their novel
Jesus Gandhi Oma Mae Adams, co-authors and cousins
Linda Lee Greene and Debra Shiveley Welch explore the dark
depths of the human soul in a thrilling murder mystery
mixing supernatural elements and intriguing suspense,
spiced with history, romance, and unpredictable twists and
turns.
Oma Mae Adams, an
African American Televangelist whose philanthropic works
endear her to the world, is beloved by many. Gunned down
in front of the television station where she tapes her
popular religious program, her shocking death leaves a
bereft world with two questions: who killed Oma Mae
Adams ---and why?
Transplanted from a reservation in South Dakota to the
rolling fields of Southern Ohio, Lena Catcher must
make a life for her family after her father's debilitating
accident.
Renamed Cedar
Woman after an extraordinary incident which occurred in
the small village of May Hill, Ohio, Cedar Woman exhibits the
strength and fortitude prophesied by her maternal
grandmother as she builds a life for herself and those she
loves.
Follow her to
Columbus, Ohio as she rebuilds her life and those of her
parents, finds love and works toward her goal of
establishing the first Central Ohio Native American restaurant in the
nearby suburb of Westerville.
Coming Soon to Saga
Books
Christopher's
Family Table - InheritingFamily Recipes & Traditions
From Adopted Kin & Clan
Adoption comes in
many forms. We marry and adopt our spouse's family and they
adopt us. We make special friends and adopt them into our
lives. We adopt through husband to wife, parent to child, and
friend to friend.
In Christopher's
Family Table - InheritingFamily Recipes & Traditions
From Adopted Kin & Clan we celebrate the coming together
to celebrate and remember our heritage through a collection of
recipes of family and friends adopted through love.
Coming Soon to Saga
Books
Well
Done, Christopher!
There are times when a book will capture your heart; it
can happen in many ways, but each time it is fresh and
new. This is the case as I read this delightful work by
13-year-old Christopher Welch as scribed by his mother,
Debra Welch. Christopher has learning differences but
this has not quenched the fire of life within this
special young man, nor his desire to share adventures of
his life with others. We begin this read with a poem, a
simple one, yet one whose words say volumes because they
shine forth with the love of one young boy for his lake
and the activity that awaits him there. Shirley
Johnson - MidWest Book Review, Senior Reviewer
Read Christopher's Interview With the Ezine
"Flip Side to Music"
Christopher
Bullfrog Catcher
is a fun way to teach your
child how to write. The reader is taught how to
follow a simple formula in order to create their own
special story. Add to that a guide on how to catch
bullfrogs, and a message regarding the care and respect
of these fascinating creatures, and you have a book that
your child will want to pass on to their own children.
Born with cleft lip and palate,
Christopher waited for six days until an adoptive family was found
for him. Finally placed in the loving arms of his joyous parents,
he now faced a new challenged: multiple surgeries.
Read in his own words his memories of
growing up with a deformity, his fight to overcome several
learning differences, his delight in being adopted, and his
incredible love for the lake on which he was raised.
Just Chris is more than just a
book. It is a journey through a young man’s memories of growing
up and being simply, and beautifully...
Just Chris
All kids should
follow their dreams, and don’t let others tell you that you
can’t do it, even if you have learning differences. Focus,
work hard, and say to yourself “There’s nothing you can do to
stop me.”
Just
Chris
by: Christopher Shiveley Welch
ISBN#
1897512120
page count: 66
Publisher: Saga Books
It isn't often that I am
privileged to review a book written by a youth, and I was very honored
to be asked to review his latest book. Just Chris, is a work
that will capture your heart, and certainly give you more than the
title implies. In this book you will meet Christopher Shiveley Welch,
who is one remarkable young boy. Christopher came into this world with
physical problems, born to a mom who just was not able to care for
this new soul. However, there was a couple who had been believing for
the child of their heart, and as Christopher writes in his book, God
gave him to them.
Christopher takes us on his
journey from settling into his new home to his present time. He opens
his heart to the reader. He tells of the love that covered him, the
struggles he encountered in his schooling, the pain of his many
surgeries to make him acceptable in the eyes of our society, and life
in general. Chris speaks of friendships, mentors in his life,
emotional struggles and miraculous victories. His story is simple, but
complex. It is heart tugging and at times amusing, yet always laced
with innocence and truth. I liked that.
I believe after reading
his story there were several things impressed upon me. One, Chris is
a young boy who faced many insurmountable obstacles in life, but
through each one he found new hope, and determination to continue
on. If I was watching this unfold in a movie, there certainly would
have been times that I would have given him a standing ovation.
I also feel that he knows
how special he is. He understands that every person comes from the
heart of God and has their own purpose on this earth. No one is a
throw away person, and because of his wonderful upbringing, and what
he has already overcome, he sees the world and those in it as very
special. That in itself is a rare gift.
Just Chris, is more than
a boy telling of his life. It is a story that surely will bring
encouragement to many who face challenges, feel worthless due to some
physical handicap, or face rejection in any way. It is a story of
hope, courage and steadfast love. I believe Christopher has an
exciting life ahead of him, and he will fly to heights that even he
cannot imagine at this time. A great read, from a great young
man.
Someone you love has suffered a brain injury. The doctors can
not yet make a prognosis. Every brain injury is unique and
unpredictable, they say. You have been told to hope for the
best, but prepare for the worst. What do you do now?
Successfully Surviving a Brain Injury is an easy-to-read
guidebook for families suddenly thrust into the painful and
confusing world of brain injury. It teaches readers the basics
of brain trauma. It guides them step-by-step through the
recovery process. It provides the practical information they
need to handle the insurance, financial, legal, emotional,
family, and personal issues that accompany a brain injury. It
also describes the wide range of impairments caused by brain
trauma and the factors that influence how well someone
recovers. This book is not only a practical and essential
roadmap to a successful recovery, it also is an inspirational
story of how one couple overcame profound changes in their
relationship and created a fulfilling new life.
