Swinging Bridge

by Debra Shiveley Welch

This is the story of my swinging bridge, summed up in a collection of poems, essays, writing exercises some of you may recognize, short stories and excerpts from my memoir Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher. Some have been fictionalized, but are taken from actual events of my life as I walk to the end of the bridge – to my destiny.

226 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 16, 2016

About the author

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to write. As a child, I was always scribbling away on themes and vignettes drawn from life around me. At eleven I began to write poems, and later essays. I worked on my high school newspaper and the writing bug, which had bitten me at such a young age, became ravenous. It was then that I realized that I wanted to be an author.

In my early twenties, I wrote my own newspaper column in "The Fairfield Leader," and later for various newsletters, one of which I created, wrote and edited for the League Against Child Abuse titled "The Parent Connection." It consisted of various safety articles, such as “Halloween Safety,” and information about the various festivals and activities in Ohio, which parents and their children could attend for free or very little cost. I also worked on a coloring book and slide show, complete with a hand puppet for the story of a very special cat with a beautiful tail that everyone wanted to pet. In the story, he learns how to tell people not to touch his tail without his permission.

In my thirties I began working for American Electric Power, and there I wrote various safety articles and scripted and acted in two safety films.

I retired early, at age 38 in order to adopt. After many failed adoptions, we were finally blessed with a beautiful baby boy whom we named Christopher. As a stay at home mother, I was able to indulge myself even more with what I now knew was a multi-generation talent, descended, I found out, from generations of writers and poets. It was then that I wrote the article “Your Son is Incapable of Learning,” which was picked up by" USA Today," an excerpt from my memoir "Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher." Since then, I have written nine novels (and still counting) and have won many awards of which I am proud.

I live in central Ohio with my husband Mark, a retired attorney, and my son Christopher, 25, who is majoring in Digital Photography. Chris is the light of my and Mark’s lives. As an interesting twist, upon DNA analysis in 2011, it was discovered that Chris and I are, not only 4th, but 7th cousins as well. How’s that for irony!

Thank you for visiting my profile page. I wish you a long and love-filled life. Happy reading!

Amazon Author's Page: http://www.amazon.com/Debra-Shiveley-...

Debra can be reached at DebraSWelch@aol.com.

Reviews

[Bonnye Reed · Rating 3 out of 5]

ABGN I received an electronic copy of this memoir from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, folks, for sharing your hard work with me.

Swinging Bridge is an extraordinary collection of essays, poetry and free verse, for the most part honoring the love and devotion that form the family unit. I feel blessed to have shared in this bond of generations.

[Jessyca Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the book “Swinging Bridge” by Debra Shiveley Welch. In the book Welch shares both good and bad memories about her life. She also includes some of her poetry and photos throughout the book.
From the very beginning Welch captured my attention with her stories. I understood how she felt at being the forgotten child. I also understood too well that she used her first marriage as an escape from her unhappy family life. I loved the pictures she included of her family throughout “Swinging Bridge”. The pictures made the stories seem more personal and real to me. I felt as if Welch was sitting next to me telling me all of her secrets. I usually have mixed feelings about poetry but I really enjoyed Welch’s. My favorite poem of hers was the one she wrote at age 14 about the dove flying past her window. That poem made me remember how I felt at age 14, which was oddly similar to Welch’s feelings. I taught that Welch being able to communicate with her loved ones that have passed away was pretty cool. Sometimes I wish I could do that too. I was so glad that Welch’s son Chris proved the doctors wrong about learning. It shows that doctors do not know everything. I can see this story giving hope to parents that have been told the same news. I really admire Welch for not saying anything really negative about the people that have disappointed her in her life in these stories. I also never thought of life as a swing bridge before. But now after reading why life reminds Welch of a swinging bridge, I completely agree that life is like a swinging bridge.
*I reviewed this book for Readers' Favorite

[Joyce McPherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of poems and prose touched my heart. The author shares her journey from an abusive childhood through healing as an adult. This memoir would furnish useful insights to those in social work who want to understand the emotional viewpoint of a child caught in abuse. The process of healing is a testimony to the power of relationships and the resilience of the human spirit. The joys of adoption are also shared in rich prose. A deep and encouraging read.

[InD'tale Magazine]

CNF ~ Could Not Finish

This book is a collection of stories told in an epistolary style, using with diary entries, photos and poetry. This is a genre that InD’tale does not review.