Deb Kline
What’s your genre?
Memoir
Are you published?
Indie press publisher
What inspired you to become a writer?
I consider myself a free spirit and a healer, and writing is one way I can share my joy and healing with others. Until recently, writing has been a hobby and a college elective because I knew I would lose my love of writing by turning it into a demanding job. In 2020, a book came pouring through me. I finally had a story to tell—my own. I may or may not write another book but I am proud and happy to offer this one to the world.
What author do you admire and how have they inspired your writing?
Diane Glass co-facilitated my spiritual direction training. Friends had taken her writing workshop, “Tending to Your Inner Garden”, and published essays in her book compilation series by the same name. I was impressed that she shared the limelight by showcasing her students’ writings. Then I was mesmerized by Diane’s memoir, This Need To Dance, as she told her personal story of living with spina bifida with unflinching honesty while sharing the painstaking heartbreak it took to create a beautiful life. When my story began to emerge, I thought of Diane. If she could honestly tell the world about her life struggles and be the hero of her own story, so could I. Diane agreed to mentor my completed rough draft and connected me with her publisher.
Name three of your favorite books and their authors
Peace Is Every Step, by Thich Nhat Hanh
An Interrupted Life, by Etty Hillesum
Why I Wake Early, by Mary Oliver
What’s one thing readers should know about you?
While I love to play with words and sounds, by composing guitar and piano music and lyrics, poems, blogs, or books, I also enjoy a space beyond words. In my energy healing work, I reside in a liminal vastness, a place of no thought, and relish the silence. As a spiritual director, holding space and deep listening are essential without my mind noise getting in the way. My favorite moments are the pauses—there are no words.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to a budding writer?
Never let the fact that you have no idea what you are doing stop you. Find those who have done what you want to do in the way that you want to do it and ask for help. Honor those who say no, or do not respond, and go with the yes people. What kept me going was knowing that I was not writing my story for me, but for the one person whose life would be touched for the better.
Author Bio
Deb Kline started Wellspring Wellness, LLC, in 2006, and continues offering energy healing and spiritual direction out of her home office in Ames, Iowa. Through her business, art, music, poetry, and now her book, Forgetting to Remember, she hopes to inspire others to find their own internal healing gifts and zest for life. Deb cherishes downtime with her husband, Kendal, and enjoys perennial flower gardening, feeding the songbirds, and walking the family dogs. Visit her here. On September 13, Deb will read at the Author Spotlight Series from 7 to 8 PM at KHOI Community Radio. Check our calendar for further details.
