Category: News

Active Living for Savvy Seniors

BY SHARYN ALDEN
SPECIAL TO ACTIVE LIVING

Author and renowned speaker, Larry Cockerel, has surmounted extraordinary challenges, including homelessness, debt and cancer. His new book, Your Life Matters– How to Get out of the Life You Don’t Want and Live the Life You Do Want, Helps Change Your Thinking, and Change Your Future. No one has the answers to the full meaning of life, but sometimes, when you’ve overcome numerous hurdles, the answers appear far clearer. A few years ago, if you asked Larry Cockerel, Wisconsin author and motivational keynote speaker and member of the National Speakers Association if he thought he’d become known as an author, he probably would have said it wasn’t in his game plan. In addition to his latest book, Your Life Matters, he also has written It’s Not About Cancer, It’s About You –Six Reasons to Keep Living and Enjoy Your Gift of Life. But as life enfolded and he faced several adversities, including cancer, he says, “I learned to believe in myself and become a person of significance and value.” He also decided cancer had delivered a message. He became determined to share that message —to never give up — through his books and motivational talks. Cockerel is a survivor of head and neck cancer, and his wife Debbie, is a survivor of colon and rectal cancer. Consequently, he has the unique ability to thoroughly empathize with others. He’s been successful at encouraging people to get out and support the American Cancer Society (ACS) events — he and Debbie have been involved in numerous events including kicking off the UW-Madison ACS rally to support cancer research and survivors this past spring.

Your Life Matters
On the back cover of his new book (published in September ’18), Cockerel is standing at the end of Cedarburg, Wisconsin’s famous covered bridge. The photo could be a metaphor for “coming into the light.”

“My life only matters if I can help others to live a life of significance,” he says. Those words ring true with readers who have followed Cockerel’s (larrycockerel.com) personal journey. If you feel afraid of letting go of a life not well lived or feel stuck, angry, and afraid to face the future Cockerel understands. In a recent article he wrote, “Finding Meaning through the Cancer Journey” in Coping with Cancer magazine, he talks about choosing to conquer your dreams. He says whatever your challenge you can learn how to change your thinking and see life full of gifts.

“No matter what mountain you face, whether it’s cancer or something else, there’s always hope,” Cockerel says. “Life is a series of choices. How we choose to react or respond to life’s events can make all the difference.”

In the recent Coping magazine article, Cockerel explains how his journey with cancer opened his eyes to new beginnings. In an excerpt he writes, “Looking back, the cancer diagnosis could have been a negative experience; it has turned out to be positive on many different levels. I learned so much about myself, recognized my strong drive to survive, and today, my most sincere desire is to use this experience to positively influence the lives of others in whatever way I can.” The slogan on his website, “Making a Difference on Purpose,” perfectly sums up the idea that a positive attitude can change your world. It all starts with deciding to take that first step forward.

Active Living for Savvy Seniors

BY SHARYN ALDEN
SPECIAL TO ACTIVE LIVING

As a history buff and storyteller, author Rex Owens weaves together fictional stories around actual events in Northern Ireland. His “Irish Troubles Series’ includes his latest book, Dead Reckoning, and his previous books, Murphy’s Troubles and Out of Darkness. The series focuses on intriguing characters that face life-changing decisions and emotional burdens during the “Irish Troubles.” Readers identify with Owen’s fictional characters because everyone faces decisions of varying magnitude during their life. Owens points out, “I write about themes. Murphy’s Troubles is about how betrayal can be a two edged sword. Out of Darkness is about how both an individual and Ireland search for atonement following the end of The Troubles. Dead Reckoning is about how self-discovery through art (writing) and an act of contrition.”

Preparing to Write
When Owens grew up in Northwest Indiana he never thought about a writing career. He worked with the State of Wisconsin for most of his career and later in assisted living and managed care implementing Family Care in Wisconsin. In 1997 when he attended his first Wisconsin Writer’s Institute he says he was hooked.

He prepared for a writing life by taking writing classes such as Write by the Lake and Weekend with Your Novel. “I also joined a critique group and studied various books such as How Fiction Works by J. Woods, Take Your Characters to Dinner by L. Yourke, Building Believable Characters by M. McCutchen, and Creating Plot by J. Davis.” After his son visited Ireland in 1997 and brought back newspapers, Owens says. “I read stories about lingering IRA activities, and in particular, I read a story about a 12 year old girl being injured while playing in a Peace Zone in Belfast. That became the inciting incident for my first novel, Murphy’s Troubles.”

In addition to writing, Owens hosts a popular radio program, “My World and Welcome to It” on 103.5 FM The Sun Radio at: http://sunprairiemediacenter.com with archived shows at http://sunprairiemediacenter.com. He offers suggestions for first-time authors. “Today’s authors need to understand that writing and publishing is only half of the task. The other half is to find your readers, which means marketing and promoting,” says Owens. “The reality is that the skills needed to write and publish are completely different from those you need to promote your work and yourself. Authors need editors, cover designers, book layout, beta readers and those with marketing and promotion skills to bring a book into the world.

Research Surprises
While researching his books he learned surprising facts. “I was surprised to learn that after voting for the 1998 Good Friday Agreement more walls were built in Belfast separating Catholics and Protestants,” he says. “I was also surprised that after the referendum for the Good Friday Agreement passed in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, a renegade group formed calling themselves the Real IRA and they continued bombing public buildings. The Real IRA claim the Good Friday Agreement was a sham and would not abide by the terms of the agreement. The Good Friday Agreement required the IRA to turn in all their arms. I was surprised to learn they never fully complied with this requirement.” Owens adds, “Finally, the Good Friday Agreement required Gaelic or Irish be taught in schools in Northern Ireland. To this day this has not been implemented.”

Featured on Fox11 News

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Jim Stingl

Carla Ernst didn’t think of herself as an activist, though she’s realizing it comes with the territory when you write a book about becoming a transgender woman.

Speaking engagements have followed, and she attended her first rally last weekend on the lakefront, joining others pushing back against a leaked Trump administration memo saying your genitalia at birth locks in your gender.

“They can say I don’t exist. That’s what this whole thing is about,” Ernst told me when I visited her Wauwatosa home on Monday. “It’s horrible. It takes the human dignity away from 1.4 million Americans for no good reason.”

And it erodes their rights in matters of housing, jobs, medical care, insurance and other aspects of life, reversing Obama-era policies granting federal recognition to transgender people.

“It’s one more assault on the transgender community,” Ernst said.

Read the rest of the article….

Three Point Wisdom blog

David has a unique story – it’s a basketball story that goes far beyond the court.  In Getting Undressed: From Paralysis to Purpose, David describes his journey to move beyond a medical obstacle during his high school years, and one learns very quickly that Coach Cooks has a unique outlook on life.  Why would any of us complain about our own circumstances or why would we limit our thinking or joy for life when we realize that each of us has our own obstacles and our own journey?  Getting Undressed helps each of us to look beyond our own circumstances to strive for success and purpose in anything we do, including basketball. Read more…

Beloit Daily News
By Hillary Gavan

BELOIT – Ezi Adesi knows the way to connect with his adult students is to reach them where they are at. He walks their neighborhoods, visits their bus stops and grocery stores and isn’t afraid to show his softer side.

“There’s times I call it ‘taking off my tie.’ I always build in a small moment of informality when I sit down with a student,” Adesi said. “I share my expertise, but in a very humanistic way.”

Adesi, a director of adult basic education (ABE) in Madison, has published his first book, “12 Methods to Make Your ABE Students Comfortable Even Before the Learning Starts: A Handbook for ABE Administrators.”

Beloit native Adesi graduated from Beloit Memorial High School in 2002, and attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he obtained a sociology degree. He fell in love with teaching adults as every student’s story was unique. Some didn’t have high school diplomas while others would have a graduate degree but lacked basic skills such as reading, writing or computer literacy. Read more…

By Sharyn Alden
The Chicago Tribune

Life Lessons from the Heart–
In Her New Memoir The Mystic Chaplain -My Story, Wisconsin Author Kathy Collins, Cancer Survivor, and Hospital Chaplain Writes About Her Experiences with Healing & Happiness by Connecting with Renowned Naperville Artist, Joanne Koenig-Macko.

Sometimes, even when a life well-lived takes unexpected diversions, an extraordinary painting can be instrumental in a person’s healing process.

In a compelling new book, Kathy Collins writes about a life-changing season of her life when she was bedridden for six months fighting a fast-growing cancer.

This journey led her to be of service to others as a hospital chaplain at Meriter Hospital, Madison. Her healing journey also led to Naperville where she found great comfort and joy since knowing international artist, Joanne Koenig-Macko of Naperville.

The artist’s illuminating painting “World Peace” has been presented at the United Nations and purchased by several world leaders, ambassadors, heads of states, and former presidents from around the world. Read more…

Ezi Adesi, author of 12 Methods to Make Your ABE Students Comfortable—Even Before the Learning Starts appeared on Talk of the Town, WI57, on Sept 11th, 2o18. Watch the segment here:

Waupaca County News
By Angie Landsverk

Carla Ernst is a writer, musician, composer, volunteer and consultant.

She is also a transgender woman.

“I always remember feeling I was a woman since birth,” Ernst said.

Growing up in suburban Chicago in the late 1950s and early 1960s, she was the oldest of seven children in what she describes as a happy, Catholic family.

For years, Ernst tried to suppress her feelings and conform to a gender she did not believe she was. She married and divorced twice.

“I’ve known my whole life,” Ernst said. “It just took a long time to getting here.”

The 67-year-old has been living fully as a woman for years and is visiting Waupaca this month to share her story.

She is the author of “Life Without Pockets: My Long Journey into Womanhood.”

The book was published this past spring by HenschelHAUS Publishing, of Milwaukee.

Ernst lives and works in that area, but has a local connection.

Her family has had a cottage near Wild Rose for several generations.

During the summer, she plays in the Waupaca City Band.

She is speaking about her book at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9, in the Waupaca Area Public Library’s meeting rooms.

The meeting rooms are located in the library’s lower level.

Locally, Ernst’s book is being sold at The Bookcellar, in downtown Waupaca.

Those who attend her Aug. 9 talk will also be able to buy copies of it at the event.

There will be a book signing as well.

She worked on the book over the course of four years.

It is the result of someone struggling to understand and accept her, referring to it as a “choice” she made.

Ernst prepared to respond to the person by email, but never sent the message.

It turned into a 200-some page book instead.

“I’ve never met someone who decided to become a women, gay, etc.,” she said.

Ernst describes it as the “realization to becoming your authentic self” and said her journey was an imperfect, challenging process.

Read the rest…

Book Critique created by Readers’ Favorite

Hot Chocolate Happiness: Happy Cuz I Said So
Jeoffrey R. Hutcherson

Genre: Non-Fiction – Inspirational

Development
Rating: 4/5

Development refers to how effectively you told your story or discussed your topic. The dialogue should be realistic, the descriptions should be vivid, and the material should be concise and coherent. Organization is also a key factor, especially for informative books — those without plot and characters. The order in which you tell your story or explain your topic and how smoothly it flows can have a huge impact on the reader’s understanding and enjoyment of the material.

Formatting
Rating: 4/5

Formatting is the single most overlooked area by authors. The way in which you describe scenes, display dialogue, and shift point of view can make or break your story. In addition, excessive grammatical errors and typos can give your book an amateurish feel and even put off readers completely.

Marketability
Rating: 4/5

Marketability refers to how effectively you wrote your book for your target audience. Authors may include content that is above or below the understanding of their target reader, or include concepts, opinions or language that can accidentally confuse or alienate some readers. Although by its nature this rating is very subjective, a very low rating here and poor reviews may indicate an issue with your book in this area.

Overall Opinion
Rating: 4/5

Overall Opinion: The overall starred rating takes into account all these elements and describes the overall reading experience of your reviewer. This is 4 the official Readers’ Favorite review rating for your book

Author Rex Owens discussed his book Elsie’s Story: Chasing a Family Mystery with mystery blogger Doris Green. The show aired on “My World and Welcome to It,”  Sun Prairie Community Radio 103.5 FM The Sun at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, July 31. The date marks the 58th anniversary of my Aunt Elsie’s mysterious death in a northern Wisconsin tavern–the event that inspired the book and a decades-long quest for answers.

Chronicle staff

Sam Gingold, a Holocaust survivor who made an underground escape to raise a family on the West Side and Glendale, died July 14, 2018. He was 84.

Gingold, of Shorewood, was the subject of “Tunnel, Smuggle, Collect: A Holocaust Boy,” a book by his son Jeffrey N. Gingold.

Young Sam Gingold helped his family survive by smuggling food and medicine by tunnel under the Warsaw Ghetto, and as the war continued, was forced to work under Nazi rule there. After the family’s underground escape by tunnel, when Sam was 7 or 8, the Gestapo pursued them across the Polish countryside.

Interviewing his father for the book over three years, three times a week, Jeffrey sometimes asked, how did you survive? “One day at a time,” Sam would say, or “Just to the next day.”

It was painful for Sam to talk about the Holocaust, but he understood the importance of Holocaust education. “He made it his mission, once he shared his story and it became a book, to make sure people learned about what had happened and we could never forget,” Jeffrey said.

Sam spoke at schools where students asked for selfies. He’d never say no.

“He would always embrace and smile at people who wanted to learn more,” Jeffrey said. “They were impressed and stunned by a Holocaust survivor they were meeting in person.”

Sam continued to speak on the Holocaust while undergoing chemotherapy, walking with a four-pronged cane, but he didn’t talk about his cancer at the events. Most of the speaking engagements were arranged by the Nathan and Esther Pelz Holocaust Education Resource Center of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Jeffrey has 100 percent of royalties from the book going straight to HERC.

Sam worked locally as a purchasing agent for a number of companies including Hy-Hoe and Harley-Davidson. He later became a health and life insurance salesman until retirement.

Beloved husband of Jill Gingold (nee Bentley). Loving father of Jeffrey Neil (Terri) Gingold, Elaine “Lainie” Sheila (Robert) DeJong and the late Bruce Edward Gingold. Proud grandfather of Lauren Gingold, Meredith Gingold and Jacob DeJong and step-grandfather of Jackson DeJong. Dear brother of William (Phyllis) Gingold and the late Jacob Gingold. Preceded in death by dear parents, David and Lillian Gingold. Further survived by other loving relatives and friends. Sam served in the United States Army.

Graveside services with military honors were July 17 at Temple Menorah Ever-Rest Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, 200 S. Executive Dr., # 203, Brookfield, WI 53005 appreciated.  Hazzan Jeremy Stein officiated and Goodman-Bensman Funeral Home assisted the family.

About Glorious

“Marshall Cook has created a glorious cast of characters inhabiting a small Wisconsin town, from the joke-cracking radio DJ to the married owners of a diner. Beneath the surface of a town known for its Polar Plunge and Cow Chip Toss, readers will discover love and heartbreak, secrets from the past, the battle between the sexes, and even a dog named Frederick Douglass. With echoes of Sherwood Anderson and William Faulkner, Marshall Cook gives us America—and ourselves.” – Emily Auerbach

About Marshall Cook

Creative writing professor at UW-Madison, Marshall Cook is the author of several nonfiction books on various topics, and a new series of light mysteries, the Monona Quinn mysteries. Marshall J. Cook taught for the University of Wisconsin-Madison for thirty years and often speaks at conferences nationwide. He has published several books on stress management and has been a guest on Oprah to discuss the topic. Marshall edits Extra Innings, an online newsletter for writers. He has authored thirty books and hundreds of magazine articles. Marshall holds his BA in creative writing and his MA in communications from Stanford University. He has been married to Ellen since 1968, and they have one son, Jeremiah. When not writing, Marshall likes to read, jog, lift weights, and talk back to the television (not all at the same time). He is a passionate minor league baseball fan, drives the back roads, and eats in small town cafes.

Watch an interview with writer and speaker Kathy Collins onher just-published book, The Mystic Chaplain.

This memoir is a whirlwind journey that takes you through the throes of fighting cancer to an awakening of the metaphysical world, messages, visions, self-healing and synchronized events of people put on Kathy’s path to understanding the oneness through the energy of the heart.

Find out Kathy’s synchronistic event with an emergency room doctor and how the author and cancer survivor communicates through colors and numbers.

To learn more about her book or to purchase The Mystic Chaplain, visit: KathyCollinsWriter.com

Interview available here.