BOOKS BY MY FRIENDS
Marriage Minded: An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love by MARCIA NAOMI BERGER
Welcome to Books By My Friends, Marcia Naomi! Wonderful to have a nonfiction title on for today. Let’s tell readers about your book!
JH: What’s the blurb for Marriage Minded: An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love?
MNB: Marriage Minded: An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love Marcia Naomi Berger has written a clear, witty, and positive guide to help women (and men too) who feel defeated in their efforts to find not just a decent date, or even a mate, but a true life partner. The format is a literal A-Z primer – A is for Ambivalence (but also for Anxiety and Awesome); B is for Balance (as well as Boundaries and Be yourself); C is for Character (as well as Clarity and Curiosity) – you get the idea. Under each heading, she identifies the underlying issues affecting our behaviors and actions and suggests steps to change them. Though a practicing psychotherapist and clinical social worker, this book is anything but stuffy. The writing is direct and thoroughly readable. It is NOT a heavy psychological textbook, but a practical self-help primer divided into easily digestible, bite-sized sections. Besides identifying issues and excuses, the book Is also full of helpful charts and exercises to turn advice into action plans. “Marriage Minded thus is recommended reading for a wide audience of women (and men, too): daters of any age, and also those who are already married and who want to make better choices and decisions that support the relationship.” — Diane Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
JH: What inspired you to write this book?
MNB: I believe in marriage. Many singles are conflicted about marrying because of the high divorce rate. Maybe they've been married and disappointed or their parents divorced, as mine did when I was thirteen. I've been happily married for 34 years but had stayed single and dated for decades before I'd learned to trust I could have a successful, lasting marriage. I've had wonderful mentors along the way and wanted to pay it forward by writing about how to succeed in marriage. I want people to know what's getting in their way and how to get past it, choose a partner wisely, and learn to keep their relationship thriving.
JH: What one thing do you love most about writing?
MNB: I love the way I get lost in the flow as I write and forget about everything else while creating content that will help people create lasting, emotionally and spiritually fulfilling marriages and other great relationships.
JH: What’s next for you in the way of writing/publishing?
MNB: I'm working on a memoir that focuses on how I overcame my conflict about marriage and co-created a successful one with my husband. The memoir includes related topics: recovery from mental (bipolar) illness over 35 years ago, returning to my Jewish roots, and similarities in the journeys of three generations of women -- my maternal grandmother's, my mother's, and mine --and how they've affected one another.
JH: How can readers contact you?
MNB:
website: marriagemeetings.com
email: mnaomiberger.com
BIO:
Marcia Naomi Berger is a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist with a private practice in San Rafael, California. Her new book is Marriage Minded: An A to Z Dating Guide for Lasting Love. Her first book is Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love: 30 Minutes a Week to the Relationship You’ve Always Wanted. She held senior-level positions in child welfare, alcoholism treatment, and psychiatry. She also served as a lecturer on the clinical faculty at the University of California School of Medicine and as executive director of Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the East Bay. Her missions include helping people create marriages that fulfill them emotionally, spiritually, physically, and materially; and helping reverse the stigma experienced by people with mental health challenges. She lives in Marin County, California, with her husband of 34 years, David Berger. You can reach her at mnaomiberger@gmail.com or via www.marriagemeetings.com
JH: Thanks, Marcia Naomi! Please come back when your memoir is ready to share with us.
All good things,
Joy
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This is a challenging time in which to approach marriage. It seems both partners must work to have any kind of home. It takes sacrifice and cooperation. Not a voyage for those who are self-centered. Marriage can make people better than they started as they strive to be worthy of each other.
Barb Miller, a romance writer