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Fay A. Klingler
Fay A. Klingler was born in Mesa, Arizona. Her father was a frugal, school teacher, who wanted to give something special to his family. So he built a summer home in the mountains. There, Fay and her brother and sisters enjoyed the freedom to roam and explore the hills and valleys. They had no television or telephone, so they enjoyed each other’s company and the wonderful outdoors.
Fay’s first inclination to write came when she was in junior high school. Her creative writing teacher’s name was Miss Bell. At the time, she thought her teacher was ancient—white hair, wrinkled skin, slow moving. “But in reality,” says Fay, “she was probably not far from the age I am now! One day Miss Bell walked into class with an overnight bag. She looked incredibly aged and pale. She had no makeup on whatsoever, which was unusual because she always was impeccably groomed. She sat at her desk, opened the bag, and with the aid of the tiny, satin-framed mirror on the inside lid, she proceeded to apply her makeup. The assignment of the day, she said, was to write about what we observed!
“Although I always had trouble diagnosing parts of speech—proper word names for conjunctions, prepositions, adverbs, etc.—writing came naturally. But so did art or any creative expression. Art was my love, however.”
Fay had another favorite teacher. Her name was Mrs. Durham. She taught high school and gave Fay such encouragement in art that she continued in that field until she received her Advertising and Commercial Art degree. She loved blending colors through line on paper and became successful at it.
Eventually, Fay coupled her writing skills with her art, winning awards and recognition for her illustrating and writing.
“I had just finished writing a book about time management when I discovered the depth of my husband’s destructive choices. That time management research and study became invaluable to me later as I was forced to support my family alone as a single mom.” Essentially being a quiet, relatively shy person, Fay was uncomfortable with the assertive role her husband’s betrayal forced her to adopt. “But the plus,” exclaims Fay, “is that I learned to be more self-reliant and outgoing. I became educated about not giving up, valuing one’s self, and having confidence and faith in your abilities to succeed.”
Since her skills and experience as an editor and writer provided more income than the art, she devoted most of her time to the career of writer/editor instead of artist. She worked from 1993 to 1995 as a technical writer/editor and project leader for Shipley & Associates (a division of Franklin Quest Co.), where she wrote about topics ranging from railroad safety to oil refinery procedures, business communications to bank computer software methods. “Making a living as a technical writer demanded continual discipline to meet nearly impossible deadlines,” said Fay. “Many skills were developed and broadened—leadership, teamwork, and forecasting . . . But in that field, creativity stood still. I was so desperate for a creative outlet, one day I asked if I could just redesign the page format for the procedure manuals I prepared!”
Gratefully, in 1995, Fay met Larry through a dating service. It was a perfect match! Now, as an empty nester, Fay focuses on writing materials for children, women, and the family. “I love creating materials about healthy lifestyles, cooking, family fun, and time management. I believe passionately in the positive power of mothers. Because of my experience, I can write to all sizes of traditional families, single-parent families, blended families, multi-cultural families, and grandparents. And I enjoy being asked to speak about writing and editing at writers’ conferences, schools, and organizations dedicated to strengthen the home and family.”
Fay’s work now covers what she knows firsthand. (Her grandparents’ idea book was a bestseller in its market.) Although she generally prefers to stay at home, cooking or preparing gifts and treats for her family, wanting to share the secrets of healing she has discovered forces her to meet and talk with people that she would never run across otherwise. “People need people,” acknowledges Fay. “We need to help each other heal and grow, to feel assured about our potential.”
Fay and her husband, Larry N. Klingler, have twelve children, forty grandchildren, and forty great-grandchildren in their blended family.
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