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Virginia’s Year In Books

Virginia’s 2025 Year in Books

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Virginia Heslinga

Goodreads Author

Born

in Newark, The United States

June 19

Website

https://time2create.info

Genre

Memoir, Historical Fiction, Fiction

Influences

Member Since

December 2008

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/vheslinga

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I have written educational articles based on best teaching strategies, curricula for churches schools, and college classes, and done presentations at conferences national and international on cross-cultural communication and teaching. In eight different years, I trained teachers of English in remote areas of China. A series based on a common first question in northern China for a visitor is, Did You Eat? The first book in the series, China Sweet and Sour is out in 2025 spring. The second book China Spicy and Salty will be out in Nov. 2025.

I am on FB as Author Virginia Heslinga and also on a Business page, time2create.info and an individual page Virginia Heslinga.

Grace Interlaced, presents a memoir of a fire that happened at night in a hou I have written educational articles based on best teaching strategies, curricula for churches schools, and college classes, and done presentations at conferences national and international on cross-cultural communication and teaching. In eight different years, I trained teachers of English in remote areas of China. A series based on a common first question in northern China for a visitor is, Did You Eat? The first book in the series, China Sweet and Sour is out in 2025 spring. The second book China Spicy and Salty will be out in Nov. 2025.

I am on FB as Author Virginia Heslinga and also on a Business page, time2create.info and an individual page Virginia Heslinga.

Grace Interlaced, presents a memoir of a fire that happened at night in a house where a 12-year-old babysitter (me) took care of 3 boys, 8, 7, and 2. We might all have died. 3 survived.
My historical novel, Wounded Dove, reveals the turn of the century, 19th to 20th struggles of a young family from Denmark who settled in Worcester, MA. The polio epidemic of the early 1900s hit their family hard. Overcoming is a way of life, but even when life seems to even out and offer safety, heartbreaks and a predator require courageous action.
The Did You Eat series first book, China Sweet and Sour: 2004, invited readers to journey with an American teacher who is unhappy in job changes, angry at God, and looking for a constructive outlet, the wilder the better so she signs up to teach in a remote area of China. Beyond the Great Wall are stories of missteps, laughter, and transformation.
Virginia Heslinga serves as an Associate professor of Humanities for Anna Maria College of Paxton, Massachusetts in their online programs. She has worked for more than four decades teaching students, ranging from pre-school to grad school, alternative schools to home schools, from Appalachia to Inner Mongolia, Monterrey to Istanbul, face-to-face, hybrid, and online, ASL to ESOL, research, and creative writing. She has also mentored teachers around the United States and globe. ...more

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Virginia Heslinga’s books

Average rating: 4.71 · 105 ratings · 89 reviews · 9 distinct works • Similar authors

	China Sweet and Sour 4.66 avg rating — 76 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Grace Interlaced 4.90 avg rating — 20 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wounded Dove 4.50 avg rating — 4 ratings — published 2008 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wounded Dove 2nd edition it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	China Spicy and Salty it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Story Your Story: Memoirs it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Wounded Dove: A true story of courage, hope, faith, and love 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Gracia entrelazada: Una memoria 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — published 2023	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Story Your Story : Memoirs 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Virginia Heslinga…

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An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story

by Rachel Billups

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Jan 17, 2026 06:31AM

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Theo of Golden

by Allen Levi (Goodreads Author)

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Jan 14, 2026 05:25AM

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Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer

by Eugene H. Peterson

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Dec 28, 2025 04:56AM

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Virginia Heslinga is currently reading An Unlikely Lent: Extraordinary People of the Easter Story by Rachel Billups	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 17, 2026 06:31AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of An Unlikely Lent by Rachel Billups. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — An Unlikely Lent by Rachel Billups <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Virginia Heslinga is currently reading Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jan 14, 2026 05:25AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Theo of Golden by Allen Levi <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Virginia Heslinga liked a quote “You reap what you sow, and if you reap kindness it is because of the seeds of greater kindness you’ve sown so broadly.” Dean Koontz
Jan 04, 2026 05:30PM · like · more quotes by Dean Koontz
Virginia Heslinga rated a book it was amazing Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump by Molly Worthen	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Informative, insightful, discouraging Worthern shows records and reasons why there are always people who will ignore facts and choose to follow a charismatic leader. Though the charisma may fade, humans cling to what they want to believe.
Jan 04, 2026 05:02AM · like · see review
Virginia Heslinga is currently reading Answering God: The Psalms as Tools for Prayer by Eugene H. Peterson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 28, 2025 04:56AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Answering God by Eugene H. Peterson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Answering God by Eugene H. Peterson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Virginia Heslinga rated a book it was amazing 107 Days by Kamala Harris	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Inspiring and Maddening Knowing the outcome of the election made every detail in this book more poignant and frustrating, and yet she gives hope. Kamala has more hope than I feel right now. Perhaps I can regain it. The conclusion of this book does hel ...more
Dec 26, 2025 06:36AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of 107 Days by Kamala Harris. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — 107 Days by Kamala Harris <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Virginia Heslinga rated a book it was amazing Somehow: Thoughts on Love by Anne Lamott (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Though every life has some trauma and confusion, Anne Lamott's openness about what she has experienced, chosen, confronted, and continues to try presents challenges to a reader. Addressing feelings of discouragement and fears, past negative choices a ...more
Dec 17, 2025 03:19PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Somehow by Anne Lamott. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Somehow by Anne Lamott <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Virginia Heslinga rated a book it was amazing China Spicy and Salty by Virginia Heslinga (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
What makes this unique in my series of memoirs on China is the ten-year-old son of one of the teachers that China and Amity allowed to go with us to the remote rural area that was our assignment. Having him along in this unique area edging the Gobi m ...more
Dec 17, 2025 03:15PM · like · see review
Virginia Heslinga rated a book liked it Gutter to the Stars: Memories of a Post Grunge Drifter (Gen X Memoir) by Latimer Redlance	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
From childhood neglect to teen addiction, terrible adult role-models to traumatic adulting, successful drug dealing to demented near death, spewing to cursing, Shamanism to Success, absolutely dire to authorship endeavors, loneliness to near fatal fr ...more
Dec 13, 2025 08:13AM · like · see review
Virginia Heslinga is currently reading China Spicy and Salty by Virginia Heslinga (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 12, 2025 02:28PM · like

More of Virginia's books…

Quotes by Virginia Heslinga (?)

“I often squashed my emotions; most times it was too painful to reflect on happiness.”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: emotions, happiness, painful, reflect, squashed

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“I loved the feel of the keys beneath my fingertips and my power to create music.”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: create, feel, music, piano-keys, power

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“If the future would have been revealed to me, at that moment, if I could have seen what was ahead for me in that house, would I have changed my mind?”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: change, future, my-mind

0 likes

See all Virginia Heslinga's quotes »

Virginia’s Quotes

“If the future would have been revealed to me, at that moment, if I could have seen what was ahead for me in that house, would I have changed my mind?”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: change, future, my-mind

0 likes

“I loved the feel of the keys beneath my fingertips and my power to create music.”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: create, feel, music, piano-keys, power

0 likes

“I often squashed my emotions; most times it was too painful to reflect on happiness.”
― Virginia Heslinga, Wounded Dove

tags: emotions, happiness, painful, reflect, squashed

0 likes

“Every moment of every day my love for you will grow.
How it started I will never know,
but of one thing I can be sure,
I will be loving you forever more.
Was it because you’re pretty or was it just your smile,
I think it was your kindness that touched my heart a while.”
― Gordon Saunders

1 likes

“Sunday is the golden clasp that binds together the volume of the week.”
― Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

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