Friday on Kitchen Chat: Jennifer Degler and Madeline Robison

Welcome to this week's Kitchen Chat - we're thrilled to be interviewing two fascinating people. Be sure to tune in on Friday at 11:00AM Central!

Don't miss this diverse show on Friday. Jennifer is the author of No More Christian Nice Girl and Madeline is the founder of Madeline Hymns and a child ambassador for World Vision.

About Jennifer: Jennifer Degler, Ph.D., is a licensed psychologist and life coach with degrees in clinical psychology and business administration. A frequent speaker at women's events and marriage retreats, Jennifer is known for her entertaining and engaging presentations that make audiences laugh while they learn. Her extensive background in theater and teaching, coupled with her quick wit and willingness to "get real" with audiences, make her a dynamic speaker. She also maintains a counseling practice in Lexington, Kentucky, seeing adults, children, and couples for psychotherapy. She has served as the Ethics Chair for the Kentucky Psychological Association and is also a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.

Jennifer is the founder of Creating Christian Change, a life coaching enterprise that works with clients across the United States helping them to create lives they love. She has been interviewed by Psychotherapy Finances, the Lexington Herald-Leader, and local NBC and CBS affiliates as an expert in life coaching and mental health issues. Jennifer and her husband, Jeff, live in Lexington, Kentucky, with their two teenage children. For more about Jennifer and her work, please visit her website: http://www.creatingchristianchange.com

About No More Christian Nice Girl: When passivity and false niceness don't bring the abundant life Jesus promised, some Christian women try even harder to hide behind a fragile façade of pleasant perfection. Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler give women the empowering message that they have options far beyond simply acting nice or being mean--if they will emulate the real Jesus Christ and face their fears of conflict, rejection, and criticism. Brimming with enlightening information, thought-provoking questionnaires, real-life stories, and biblically based teaching from both the male author of the pioneering No More Christian Nice Guy and a female clinical psychologist, this book will motivate women to allow God to transform them into authentic, powerful women of loving faith.

From the Back Cover

Be the Strong, Confident, and Caring Woman You Were Meant to Be Tired of doing all you can for others while your relationships remain stuck in neutral--or headed in reverse? Paul Coughlin and psychologist Jennifer Degler show how being nice can harm you and drain the life out of your relationships. They explore the keys to fulfillment at home, work, church, and even in the bedroom. You'll discover that emulating the real Jesus is the key to transforming from a Christian Nice Girl into an authentic, powerful woman of loving faith.

"What's wrong with being nice? Paul Coughlin and Jennifer Degler make a strong case that women need to be bold and assertive rather than people pleasers who try to do too much. I recommend this book to you." --Dr. Kevin Leman, Author of The Birth Order Book and Have a New Kid by Friday

"This refreshingly practical book is a must for any woman who yearns to move from the entanglements of being nice to the freedom of being real." --Georgia Shaffer, PA Licensed Psychologist, Certified Life Coach, and Author of Taking Out Your Emotional Trash

"As a Christian counselor, I see many women paying the high price of being too nice: depression, anxiety, stress-related physical ailments, as well as difficult and destructive relationship patterns. Finally there is a book I can recommend that gives women the reasons why nice isn't always good and the tools to help them stop." Leslie Vernick, Licensed Counselor, Speaker, and Author of The Emotionally Destructive Relationship and Lord, I Just Want to Be Happy.

About Madeline: Madeline Robison is a singer, writer, and public speaker. She is the founder and owner of Madeline Hymns Music, a 501(c)(3) whose mission is to use the power of hymns to minister to believers and to fund charitable, life-saving projects world-wide through established, respected Christian humanitarian organizations. She is also a wife and a stay-at-home mother of four who is actively involved in her church and community.For more about Madeline, please visit her website: http://www.madelinehymns.org

About her music project: Hymns are sung prayers, and they have gripped me and caught my attention since early childhood. From Christmas songs that remind us of the majesty and mystery and origin of the season to perennial favorites for children like “Jesus Loves Me,” many of the best-loved Christian songs are actually hymns. It brings me pleasure beyond words that this CD will be placing into the ears of its listeners the beauty, praise, and vulnerability of these hymns … AND that with the sale of each CD, we will be funding clean water wells in Africa (as we partner with World Vision) and the freeing of young girls from brothels in India (as we partner with International Justice Mission).

Friday on Kitchen Chat; Stacey Kannenberg and James Janega

Welcome to this week's Kitchen Chat - we're thrilled to be interviewing two fascinating people. Be sure to tune in on Friday at 11:00AM Central!

About our guests:

Stacey Kannenberg: Stacey Kannenberg is an author, publisher, motivator, consultant, spokesperson and MOM. As the "Get Ready to Learn Mom", Stacey is a nationally renowned education expert and award winning author with an expertise in children’s education, and “Mom-entrepreneurship”. She is the co-author of the award winning and state approved, Let's Get Ready series with Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! and Let’s Get Ready For First Grade! Stacey is the Founder/CEO of two publishing companies: Cedar Valley Publishing and Stacey Kannenberg Unlimited, an imprint of Cedar Valley Publishing. Stacey will be releasing the highly anticipated Spanish/English Bilingual Edition of Let’s Get Ready For Kindergarten! in April.

Stacey is a media favorite with numerous television appearances along with hundreds of radio, magazine and newspaper stories to her credit from Radio Disney to Toy Tips Magazine to the Dallas Daily News. During Back to School, she was featured in 22 Parenting Magazines from Indy Parent to Houston Parent to OC Parent to Metro Parent as well as numerous television shows from FOX 6 News to Milwaukee’s Morning Blend to WEAUTV to the WB’s Daily Buzz.

Stacey is a frequent presenter at Early Learning and Head Start Conferences where she holds workshops for teachers and educators entitled: Empowering Parents 101. Stacey is a favorite

presenter at schools where she helps parents, kids and teachers get ready for Kindergarten. She also presents at Book Publishing Conferences with her sessions on Book Publishing 101 & Book Marketing 101. Stacey also presents Empowering Mom 101 and Mom-entrepreneurship to mom groups, playgroups, MOPS and book clubs.

Stacey is a successful blogger and many of her blog posts have lead to television segments. An October blog post entitled: Tips on Getting Kids Ready for Kindergarten lead to a national segment on Better TV/Parents TV. Another October blog post on Let’s Get Ready For Parent Teacher Conferences lead to a Milwaukee’s Morning Blend and Fox 6 News television segments. A November blog post entitled, Let’s Get Ready For Cold and Flu Season: Tips to Motivate Your Kids to Wash Those Hands, was quoted in an AP story and lead to a television segment on Milwaukee’s Morning Blend that was later syndicated and picked up by the Meredith’s National Television show, Better TV/Parents TV. Stacey’s blog success was highlighted in a Milwaukee Journal Story in January.

Stacey is a Principal in Mom Central Consulting were she helps brands reach mom through a viral grassroots approach. Some of her clients include: PBS’s Word World, Frooze, Cranium Bloom, Mamasource, Cozi, Airborne, Kellogg’s, General Mills, East Side Entrees Breakfast Breaks, Scholastic Bob Books, Imbee and Mattel Barbie, We Believe in Girls.

Stacey is wife to Michael and Mom to Heidi, 8 and Megan, 6. More about Stacey here.

James Janega: James is the manager for Trib Nation - the blog for the Chicago Tribune. Good stuff! James in a talented journalist and an amazing individual. James Janega is a staff reporter in the Chicagoland section of the Chicago Tribune. He has reported from the Gulf Coast, the Midwest and the Middle East. He lives with his family in Chicago.

Follow him on twitter here.

Friday on Kitchen Chat: Authors Deb Kalmbach and Kristin Andress!

I love that here on Kitchen Chat I am privileged to interview such a diverse group of people. Friday I have two authors who both write non-fiction, but on very different topics. The first half hour will feature author Deb Kalmbach who writes about living with an alcoholic spouse. We'll hear her touching story and how she found the grace to love her husband through his illness and how her husband was able to stop drinking. Neat story. The second half hour will feature Kristin Andress. Kristin is an amazing women with a super successful business (she lists Graham Stedman as one of her clients) and hear all about her new book, Imagine Being: In a Life You Love. Don't miss these terrific ladies, Friday at 11:00am.

About Deb: Deb is the author of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage (co-authored with Heather Kopp) and the author of a book for children, Corey’s Dad Drinks Too Much. She has been a contributor to many books, including The New Women’s Devotional Bible and Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace. She has written for Focus on the Family, Christian Parenting Today, and many other publications.

Deb married Randy Kalmbach at 19. They thought all they needed was love—and the possessions they could fit in their metallic blue VW bug! What they didn’t realize was how much it would take to live with adversity, disappointment and heartache. They never imagined their journey taking them into the depths of addiction with Randy battling alcoholism for almost 30 years before he experienced the miracle of sobriety.

Deb isn’t just theorizing when she gives hope and practical solutions to those who struggle with difficult relationships. Her own brokenness has given her great compassion and insight for others who are hurting. With her vibrant and engaging manner, she speaks profoundly about God’s faithfulness and how to embrace a God-honoring life in the midst of almost unbearable circumstances. Deb and Randy are grateful beyond words for their almost 40 years of “not-so-perfect” marriage. (They celebrate their 40th anniversary next month!) For more about Deb, please visit her website: www.debkalmbach.com

They make their home in rural Washington state with their two lively Jack Russell Terriers, Kramer and Kosmo (yep - they even have their own blog!). Their grown sons, Chris and Jeremy, and a daughter-in-law, Jen, live on the Seattle side of the North Cascades Mountains.

About Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So-Perfect Marriage: A recent study indicates that Christian marriages don't fail as often as secular marriages -- they fail more! Debbie Kalmbach, the wife of a recovering alcoholic, understands the longing to leave but offers Christian wives solid reasons to stay in a difficult marriage. This is not a "how to save your marriage" but more a guidebook for wives on how to save their ability to love, to honor their commitment to their husbands, and to maintain their faith in God while in marriages that may never live up to their dreams. Debbie tackles tough questions such as "Why won't he go to counseling?" "Can I change him?" and "What do I do when I don't feel in love anymore?" with a warm, compassionate approach sure to encourage and inspire every struggling wife.

Purchase a copy of Because I Said Forever here.

Check out the DELISH recipe Deb provided here! Chocolate Revel Bars.

About Kristin: A bit about Kristin Andress: Kristin is the CEO of Andress Consulting, based in Solana Beach, California. Andress Consulting has been in business since 2002 and brings to clients the value proposition of exploring their ideas, passions, or visions—and exploding them to the possibilities. Kristin consults with authors, businesses, and entrepreneurs to create business, marketing, and promotional strategies; and craft key messages and the collateral to describe and position the person, product, or service offerings. She specializes in getting into the fabric of her clients’ lives, work, or businesses, and simplifies what is seemingly complex. In doing so, her clients become laser-focused and clear, which leads to creating the connections with complementary businesses, media, and distribution avenues required to generate scale.

Prior to launching Andress Consulting, Kristin enjoyed a ten-year career with Arthur Andersen, serving as Director of Tax and Legal–Performance and Learning. She led global operations of a fifty-two person team in the United States and had coordination oversight of twenty-five people in Cambridge, England, and Asia/Pacific, with responsibility for a multi-million dollar budget.

Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Communication/Human Relations from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in Organizational Communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

Kristin enjoyed growing up in the small town of Pittsfield, Illinois, and regularly returns to visit family. Short stays are coupled with the niggling need to rub in her return to the ocean air and golf courses of Solana Beach, California, where she resides. Kristin can be reached at Kristin@ImagineBeing.com.

For more info, please visit the Imagine Being website: www.imaginebeing.com

About Imagine Being: So, how is life going for you? Is it going in the direction you imagined it would? Are your dreams in motion or have they left you feeling incomplete? Have you reached the point where you are taking inventory of what you have and have not achieved? Do you imagine being more content or happier with your life? If so, this is the book for you! Top business consultant Kristin Andress and internationally recognized executive coach Jaqui Jeanes-Lowry have compiled the proven principles for creating and living a life you love. In Imagine Being, they explain how to strengthen the areas within you that give power to your dreams, and show you how to harness that power to design a future of your choice. What will make you happy? Sometimes all we need is a little help in understanding that we are the creators of our catalysts . . . as well as our chaos. What if you had access to the tools for identifying the opportunities available to you and the skills necessary for mastering the setbacks? Well now you do! Imagine Being offers all you need to start fulfilling your intentions and navigating through life's ups and downs to create the life you imagine. You'll find guidance for:

* Defining who you are and where you want to be
* Living a life with purpose and on purpose
* Developing an unshakable belief system
* Using your personal power to achieve goals
* Creating a life by design rather than by chance
* Being a light and contribution in the lives of others

So, are you ready to imagine being?

Buy a copy of Kristin's SUPER helpful book, Imagine Being!

And don't miss Kristin's recipe: Poor Man's Lobster

Tomorrow on Kitchen Chat: Kathleen Schmidt

Better known as @bookgirl96 - I'm an avid follower of Kathleen's funny quips, odd news bits and publishing advice and you should be too. Join us on Kitchen Chat, Friday at 11:00 am central, for the inside sccop on the publishing, publicity and Kathleen's story.

Kathleen Schmidt has worked in publishing for 15 years and joined Shreve Williams Public Relations as the director of publicity and digital media in 2010. She started her career in publicity at Carol Publishing in 1995 and in 1998 joined Penguin Group (USA), where she worked until 2006. As director of publicity for Dutton and Gotham Books she managed publicity campaigns for such authors as Eric Jerome Dickey, John Jakes, John Lescroart, and Diane Johnson.

In 2006 Schmidt joined Atria Books, a division of Simon & Schuster as vice president, director of publicity. During her tenure there she oversaw the publicity campaigns for bestselling authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Weiner and the international bestseller, The Secret. She also helped launch the careers of Diane Setterfield, whose novel The Thirteenth Tale was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller, and Kate Morton, whose novels The House at Riverton and The Forgotten Garden were both New York Times bestsellers. In 2009 Kathleen had the honor of working on The Time of My Life, a memoir by the late Patrick Swayze and his wife Lisa Niemi.

Kathleen is a graduate of Rutgers University-Newark, and lives in Northern New Jersey.

Follow her on twitter: http://twitter.com/Bookgirl96

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!

Friday on Kitchen Chat: Stephen Bruce

I'm so excited for Friday's guest. I had the extreme honor of interviewing Mr. Bruce in person last year. What a delight! You won't want to miss Kitchen Chat this week! Be sure to call in with your questions 1-877-864-4869. Or leave them them HERE!

About Stephen: Stephen Bruce, owner/founder of Serendipity 3 restaurant/general store. Serendipity 3 has been providing a sweet escape to a loyal following of New Yorkers and celebrities for almost 56 years. Known for their famous, oxymoronic drink, Frrrozen Hot Chocolate, Serendipity and Stephen Bruce continue to entice generation after generation. He studied at the New York School of Interior Design but met his future business partners in dance class. For over five decades Serendipity 3 has been a factory and showroom for his fashion designs, pieces of which are part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute collection. Fifty-three years after starting Serendipity, Bruce is still a welcoming presence in the restaurant each day.

Wow - look at this amazing menu! http://www.serendipity3.com/food.htm

And he'll be sharing a wonderful recipe with us - stay tuned!

Join Margaret every Friday at 11:00 CST for Kitchen Chat!