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About Debra

Author, Writing Mentor, Spiritual Teacher

Debra Landwehr Engle’s life has always been about two things: writing and spirituality. For years, she pursued them both on different tracks, but over the years, they’ve gradually merged into one exciting whole. 

Now, as a bestselling author, writing mentor, teacher of A Course in Miracles, retreat facilitator, and executive director of Story Summit, she brings a truly unique perspective on writing and life to her readers and mentees. 

Her passion for story started at an early age, thanks to a houseful of books, parents who read her bedtime stories, and frequent trips to the local library.  

 

 

That love eventually turned into a publishing career, beginning as a newspaper copywriter and Better Homes and Gardens book editor, then starting her own freelance business (much to her father’s chagrin!) just as she was going through a divorce. 

Committed to making a living on her own, she went on to build a thriving business, writing hundreds of articles for such national publications as Better Homes and Gardens, Country Home, Country Gardens and other lifestyle magazines. She also has served as project manager on publications for Fortune 500 companies, sharpening her skills in crafting a story for any audience. 

Debra went back to school for an MFA in Creative Nonfiction just as she got a contract for her first book, Grace from the Garden: Changing the World One Garden at a Time. Simultaneously, she began teaching classes in A Course in Miracles and, with her former boss from The Des Moines Register, founded a program of spiritual and personal growth for women called Tending Your Inner Garden. 

100,000+

Books sold

1,000+

Writers Trained

15+ Years

Writing & Publishing

Debra Landwehr Engle

Author, Writing Mentor, Spiritual Teacher

 

Debra’s other books include...

  • The Only Little Prayer You Need: The Shortest Route to a Life of Joy, Abundance and Peace of Mind (Hampton Roads Publishing), an international bestseller featuring a foreword by His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, and an endorsement by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu.
  • Let Your Spirit Guides Speak, which was published in the U.S. by Hampton Roads and in Germany by Random House. It won a silver award from Nautilus, which recognizes books that build a better world.
  • Be the Light That You Are: 10 Principles for Bringing Peace to a Chaotic World, another award winner, which helps readers apply their spiritual practice in everyday situations, with practical ideas of what to say and do when life throws you challenges.
  • Twenty, her debut novel and Amazon Kindle #1 bestseller, telling a powerful story of loss and redemption at mid-life.

Debra now serves as executive director of Story Summit, an online writing school that builds community and connections for emerging writers with the help of the world’s most successful authors and entertainment professionals. She continues to present classes based on her books and the spiritual teachings of A Course in Miracles, offers one-on-one mentoring, and leads retreats worldwide. 

Debra and her husband Bob live in Madison County, Iowa, the location that inspired the literary and film phenomenon, The Bridges of Madison County.

“I wanted so much to have a book published. Even though I’d worked as a writer for my entire career, I longed to write from my own experience rather than reporting on others’ lives. I wanted to share a point of view, telling stories that I knew would be meaningful.”
- Debra Engle

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