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