The Regulator Bookshop

Tomorrow is a night I'm looking forward to because there is nothing quite like a book event at the cozy Regulator Bookshop on Ninth Street in Durham. I like being able to stand up on the podium with a mic and address my audience. I hope many can join me tomorrow for a fun discussion of getting away from it all, how you were named, favorite cake recipes and the power of journaling/writing through pain.

Review of How Sweet It Is --The Herald Sun

Review: Wisler's second a lesson in writing through pain

BY DAWN BAUMGARTNER VAUGHAN : The Herald-Sun
dvaughan@heraldsun.com
Jun 21, 2009

"How Sweet It Is"

By Alice Wisler

(Bethany House, 309 pages, softcover, $13.99)

Deena Livingston can't move on. Or get past it. She's just trying to get through it. What other option is there when your fiance almost kills you in a car wreck, then never visits you in the hospital, where you find out he's dating someone else. Deena is left with multiple scars -- deep rivers on her arms and emotional damage that won't seem to heal.

Enter the opportunity to move away from Atlanta to the mountains of Bryson City. The bad memories follow, but new memories are created, thanks to her late grandfather. Deena teaches cooking classes to troubled middle school students at her grandfather's behest, and she starts her own cake business.

"How Sweet It Is" is the second novel of Durham author Alice J. Wisler -- herself a baker of cakes.

There are pieces of Wisler in the novel, in terms of circumstance. Her 4-year-old son died, and she teaches a class in writing through pain. Deena writes through her own pain in a journal. Wisler once ran a cake business from home like Deena. And Wisler has a bachelor's degree in social work and worked with emotionally challenged children.

Her last novel, "Rain Song," also had personal elements. The setting is Mt. Olive, which Wisler had passed through, and the main character also lived in Japan, as did Wisler. She has spent the past 21 years in Durham and has three children.

Wisler's publisher, Bethany House, is a Christian fiction imprint. Religion is woven into the story in location and Deena's thoughts. The youth center where Deena teaches is in her church, and Bible verses posted throughout serve as reminders to Deena as well as the kids. And in Deena's own thoughts, she thinks how she is all the things she shouldn't be -- angry, jealous, unforgiving. Yet she also prays for things both trivial and serious about herself and reaches out to God for strength.

Faith is an undercurrent that bubbles up here and there throughout the novel as Deena deals with her new life. She constantly doubts herself. The words outside of quotes are her real self, while what she says aloud is guarded and cautious. She has flaws, which readers might find appealing in the sense that Deena isn't so different from the rest of the world. Everyone has negative thoughts. Everyone has a hard time getting through difficult times. Everyone jumps to conclusions about others until they get to know them better. Wisler shares these ideas in a casual way, a natural way as Deena's story unfolds. It is light and easy reading, but it deals with serious topics most of us face at some point in our lives.

Deena takes comfort in food, and in the faint presence of her grandfather. She didn't know him much at all, but learns about him through what he has given her -- his cabin, a job at the youth center, a letter about life, and a sense of home. She also gains family that isn't so guarded. Her aunt -- her dad's sister -- welcomes her openly and knits a family bond with her. That is new to Deena, whose mother kept her from her in-laws and urged her to keep her emotions bottled up. That makes it even harder for Deena to consider a new life, with a potential new love, a social worker she meets at the center. He tries to draw her out, but she is most relaxed around the local plumber, Jonas, who has his own mental challenges but keen insight.

Wisler gives readers the story of a woman who tries to find her way to recovery and forgiveness, with sweetness that is subtle but real.

Saturday Afternoon Webinar Fun

Have you ever been part of a webinar? Well, if you haven't, it's not
too late to try it out.

Carly and I will be part of an afternoon of webinar fun as she
interviews me on Saturday, June 27th at at 2 PM EST. This is going
to be a state of the art production, thanks to Carly's webinar
master, also known as Del, her husband.

In addition to my novels, we will be talking about Avon, getting away
from it all, and all things Southern. You have the opportunity to
call in and chat with us, if you'd like.

Sign up is easy! Reserve your space today
by going to this site

Once at the site, you'll be registered. It's that simple! Then just be sure to listen in on the 27th from 2 until 3 PM.

Questions? Feel free to email me at: info@alicewisler.com

Meet some quirky characters!

Join us Friday, June 12 at 7:30 PM at the New Hope
Commons Barnes and Noble in Durham for a fun How Sweet It Is book event! How Sweet It Is takes place in Bryson City, NC and is filled with characters you will be amused to meet.

A Peek at Deena's Bookshelf

Deena Peterson posted a great review of How Sweet It Is!

Check out her blog at A Peek at My
Bookshelf Book Reviews.

Book Club

Thanks to Susan, and women in her neighborhood, we
had a fun evening last night discussing my novel,
How Sweet It Is. Susan's cake from Foster's
was an instant hit.

Review of How Sweet It Is

Thanks to Carla for writing a review of How Sweet It Is and for posting it at Carla's Writing Cafe

If anyone has an extra moment or two, please consider posting
a review of How Sweet It Is on Amazon.

Traditions are made at Kanki

We went out to eat at Kanki to celebrate my newest two-book deal with Bethany House.
What a good time the five of us had!

Today's Broadcast

What an honor to be on Gloria and Heidi's show, Healing the Grieving
Heart. If you missed the show, aired on Voice America, you may click here and it will take you directly to the program. Turn on your speakers and you can listen to the entire hour show.

Isn't technology wonderful?

Writing Into the Night

Special thanks to Jayne Newton for posting this on the
Atlanta Compassionate Friend's FaceBook site. I'd forgotten
that I'd written this, but then again, I forgot what
I ate for breakfast yesterday, too.

Writing into the Night

It's eleven p.m. and the rest of your household has slipped into bed, but your mind is bombarded and you can't sleep. You pick up a book, but the words are too lengthy to decipher at this hour.

As bereaved parents, and especially as newly bereaved, our minds have trouble concentrating and staying focused. It takes an enormous amount of energy just to get out of bed in the morning. So to have to read lengthy paragraphs and figure out what the author is saying can be too consuming. We want bite-size pieces to chew on, we want healing in easy-to-swallow capsules.

While reading the books on surviving life after the death of a child, are essential, so is something else--writing.

Writing's benefits are vast. Putting pen to paper releases pent-up feelings, some good, some nasty, but all honest. When you let your pain over the death of your loved one flow out on the paper, you are providing therapy. Your blood pressure is lowered, your pulse rate slows, and you give your heart an all-around healthy work-out.

Buy a notebook, spiral or bound. Set aside some time each day or night to write freely for ten to fifteen minutes. Write how you feel. Your notebook will not judge you. This is a friend who will hold all your secrets.

Let your mind remember as you write the memories of your child. View a photo of him at the beach and recall what the water and sun felt like that day. Remember a summer picnic at grandma's. What did your child eat? What did she wear? What were the expressions she used?

What did your child do that made you laugh? Sing in the bathtub? At the top of one of your notebook or journal pages write the word "Funny" and record those things that your child did that were funny to you.

We often think we will forget our child-- not his life, but pieces to his life. Sometimes a photo or a video can trigger a good memory. When these are brought to mind, write them down. Carry a notepad in our purse or in the car's glove compartment. I have written many of my son Daniel's antics in my notepad while sitting at a red light.

Studies have proven that writing through the pain is therapeutic. Give it a try! After pouring out your pain, you may even be able to find something else you need -- sleep.

~ Alice J. Wisler
~reprinted from Tributes June 2005

Radio Event

If you can, please tune in to Drs. Gloria and Heidi Horsley's Healing the Grieving Heart radio show this Thursday, May 28th at 9:20 PST or 12:20 EST. The topic is The Power of Grief and I look forward
to being a guest on the show.

**UPDATE**
Since the first guest is unable to make the show, I've been asked
to "appear" as a guest at 9 AM PST which is noon EST.

Thanks for a great time!

Last Saturday at LifeWay Store was a wonderful event for me as
I signed copies of my two novels, Rain Song and How Sweet It Is.

I got to meet one of my FaceBook friends for the first time.
Missy joined me at my book signing table to purchase Rain Song.

My good friend, Katharine, was also there to support me.

I appreciate all who listened to me talk about my novels
and then am grateful for those who were kind enough to buy
them.

Thanks, to LifeWay's staff for being so welcoming.