I firmly believe that I have received the same child I was meant to receive whether I gave birth or adopted.  The same soul, the same entity was meant to be mine from the beginning of time. Debra Shiveley Welch "A Very Special Child"

Best Selling and Award winning Author, Debra Shiveley Welch was born in Columbus, Ohio and has lived in the Greater Columbus area all of her life. She now resides in Westerville with her husband, Mark, and her adopted son, Christopher, also a published author.

A third generation poet, Debra has been writing since age nine. In her early twenties she had her own column in the Baltimore Eagle Gazette.  Later, she worked as editor for several newsletters, including as development editor for The Parent Connection for The League Against Child Abuse. 

“The defining moment in my life is the day that I became a mother, and our attorney placed my son in my arms.  I drew him to me, breathed him in, memorizing his unique scent, imprinting his essence into my very being.  It brought me full circle.  I knew that this was a very special calling in my life, to be with this soul, and to share my life with this child.  To this day, I revel in his unique perfume.”

Written while waiting to pick up her son from pre-school, A Very Special Child was born.  Debra wanted to tell the story in a spiritual way, and in such a manner that would make a child proud to be adopted. She also felt that it was important to reinforce the fact that he or she was loved from the very beginning. These feelings, therefore, were her muse, and A Very Special Child sprang from her heart, virtually complete with the first writing.

Debra is the author of three books: Son of My Soul – The Adoption of Christopher, released during November, National Adoption Month, in 2007 and a Best Seller on Amazon within the first week of its release and is the winner of Books & Authors Non-Fiction Book of the Year - 2007 and the FaithWriter's Gold Seal of Approval - Outstanding Read Award, A Very Special Child, a Best Sellers in English at Amazon Japan was also awarded the FaithWriter's Gold Seal of Approval - Outstanding Read Award, and Jesus Gandhi Oma Mae Adams, Debra’s first novel, co-authored with Linda Lee Greene, an Amazon Best Seller as well.  Christopher Bullfrog Catcher, written by her son at eleven-years-of-age, and scribed by Debra, who wrote its introduction, will soon be followed by his second book Just Chris, an autobiography documenting his memories of growing up with a deformity, his fight to overcome several learning differences, his delight in being adopted, and his incredible love for the lake on which he was raised.  All are available through Saga Books http://www.sagabooks.net/ at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/. and at Barns and Noble www.barnsandnoble.com.

Currently Debra is working on Christopher’s Family Table, a companion cook book to Son of My Soul - The Adoption of Christopher, which she is co-authoring with her son, Cedar Woman, a romance recounting the adventurous life of a Lakota Sioux holy woman, and a thriller, Heads Are Gonna Roll, an ambitious tale weaving English history, reincarnation and murder.

Debra is a member of Amazon Authors Den http://www.authorsden.com/debrashiveleywelch

the Baby Boomer Diva Web of Fame http://www.enjoyyourmenopause.com/web_of_fame.htm,

and can be reached at http://www.DebraShiveleyWelch.net/.