Chai on Life is Lorie’s newest book. To understand the title, think “High on Life” with a Jewish slant! The book is a compilation of 36 of Lorie’s slice-of-life stories. Each story ends with a one line takeaway and each of those one-liners is illustrated with a full color graphic design created by Lorie. As an example, there is a story called 30 Reasons to Be Grateful at My Granddaughter’s Soccer Game. One of the reasons is that some other granny had her shirt on in-side-out (!!!!) and Lorie was grateful she was not the one making that blunder! The takeaway from the story is simple and profound: There is always something to be grateful for.
Here is the accompanying illustration:
The book is available through Amazon in three formats – Hardback, eBook, and AudioBook
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Click here to listen to Lorie discuss Chai on Life on
The StoryBeat Podcast with Steve Cuden.
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Here is some of the Praise Chai on Life Has received:
“I read Chai on Life on the plane and just finished it at home. I thought it was totally charming and poignant! I laughed out loud a number of times and enjoyed her clever use of words. Plus, there was so much I could relate to. She sounds like someone I would love to have as a friend. The woman behind me on the plane told me as we are getting off that she was peeping at some of the pages I was reading and thought it was a wonderful book! Overall, a really enjoyable and warm-hearted read!”
―Cindy Pailet, co-owner of Bonnie Brae Ice Cream, Denver, CO
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“A joyous, uplifting, and honest handbook for life that, thankfully, is infused with kindness.”
―Simon Van Booy, bestselling author of Sipsworth, eight other books of fiction, and three anthologies of philosophy
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In her Chai on Life, Lorie Kleiner Eckert seems the magical love child of two of my favorite essayists, Michel de Montaigne and Nora Ephron. Her charming, insightful, and unpretentious essays feel personal to us readers because she uses her own life as a lens to explore universal human truths. If you need any further incentive, just open to the Table of Contents, skim through the titles of her essays, and I guarantee you’ll be hooked.
– Michael A. Kahn, the award-winning author of fourteen novels, including Bad Trust and ten others in the Rachel Gold mystery series, and numerous short stories and essays.
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“Chai on Life is a charming and personal book that soothes and offers advice in the spirit of my father, Morrie Schwartz’s, work.”
– Rob Schwartz, editor of The Wisdom of Morrie and Morrie’s son
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Lorie Kleiner Eckert offers her reader fresh perspective and a clearer lens to view one’s life. Her essays flow in conversational style, brief and yet with a nugget of insight to digest and to consider long after finishing each essay. While this collection, Chai on Life, is considered in the genre of self-help, it would be more accurate to say that its essays help the reader to consider one’s attitude, one’s problems, one’s challenges and one’s gifts in refreshing and clarifying new ways.
―Rabbi Lewis H. Kamrass, Immediate Past President of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and Senior Rabbi Isaac M. Wise Temple
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“Lorie Kleiner Eckert’s delicious Chai on Life is certain to give you a burst of thoughts, ideas, visions, and dreams—like a cup of chai, guaranteed to provide a boost of joy and energy that will fuel your day! I’m delighted to recommend it.”
—Kathy Eldon, Author, Filmmaker, and Founder of Creative Visions, Which Supports Creative Activists Who Use Media to Inform, Inspire, and Empower Positive Change
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“Chai on Life is a unique treasure trove of heartfelt essays filled with much-needed inspiration, meaning, and universal appeal. Lorie Kleiner Eckert expertly weaves together keen observations from her personal life experiences and her expertise as an accomplished motivational speaker into a brilliant, relatable tapestry of bite-sized words of wisdom. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book in a single sitting, but more importantly, I know I will turn to it often for meaningful reminders of how to walk through my day, making sense of the senseless and bringing joy to the big and little moments.”
― Geri Kolesar, children’s author known for Dream by Dream: The Story of Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise, a celebrated work introducing young readers to the founder of American Reform Judaism
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“The Hebrew word, chai, means live. Judaism is a way to live in the world. ‘I have put before you life and death, blessing and curse. Choose life….’ (Deuteronomy 30:19), In Chai on Life, Lorie Kleiner Eckert chooses to live. She intimately synthesizes her life lessons with vulnerability, compassion, and practical wisdom as timely as it is timeless. Her positive attitude gives a reader hope across topics from the mundane to the sacred. Each chapter is a little gem to be taken daily with a dose of humility and an open mind.”
―Cantor Alane Katzew and Rabbi Jan Katzew – Cantor Katzew was ordained by the Hebrew Union College and was the first woman to serve as a cantor in Israel. Rabbi Katzew was Associate Professor of Jewish Thought and Education at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, now retired
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“I laughed, I cried, I learned. Chai on Life by Lorie Kleiner Eckert makes the ordinary an extraordinary chance to embrace life’s happenings as moments to contemplate. Her stories demonstrate that life is an adventure from which we can all grow and improve.
This charming, beautifully illustrated book is a perfect gift for birthdays and Mother’s Day. It’s a gift that will give back as it can lead to terrific discussions.”
– Ruth Nemzoff, Ed.D., is the author of Don’t Bite Your Tongue: How to Foster Rewarding Relationships with your Adult Children and Don’t Roll Your Eyes: Making In-Laws into Family, and is a resident scholar at Brandeis Women’s Studies Research Center.
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“An optimistic, useful guide to embracing and improving the everyday. Lorie Kleiner Eckert balances personal stories with tried-and-true advice in essays that read like conversational blog posts. Her vulnerability about her struggles and her celebration of small wins may inspire readers to make changes in their lives and count their blessings. With a self-effacing sense of humor and quirky metaphors like ‘I am going to stop looking at the hole and see the donut instead,’ Eckert offers practical steps for reinvention, finding friendships, and embracing gratitude. This collection provides good-natured encouragement with helpful mantras and motivational insights that uplift and inspire.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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“I’ve read Chai on Life and found it to be deeply inspiring in how I think of my life and how I can be a better me. I highly recommend Chai on Life to you, my podcast audience. CHAI author Lorie Kleiner Eckert has a lovely message. She’s doing what all great writers do: writing in her own unique voice. Her pithy stories are very easy to absorb, easy to read, easy to get through. All of that, believe it or not, is extremely difficult to do well.”
—Steve Cuden, Host and Executive Producer, Story Beat Podcast; Screenwriter; Retired Educator
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“Everyday wisdom served up in an adorable package. This would make such a great gift! It will make you smile, make you think, and definitely be an uplifting gift to anyone needing a boost! Five out of five stars!”
—Teresa Strasser, Emmy-Winning Writer and Bestselling Author of Making It Home and Exploiting My Baby
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“I laughed, I cried, and I loved it. Chai on Life is a cheerful, bright mini coffee-table book that invites you to open it and experience the author’s openness, humor, and personal stories. Lorie Kleiner Eckert takes us right into her living room, unpacking everyday wisdom through 36 essays that help the reader move forward or reach a place of acceptance. Whether you are looking to start your day or get through a tough time, this motivational gem offers a handy roadmap for personal reinvention and happiness. Complete with full-page illustrations and summaries of wisdom, it is the kind of book that will make you chuckle, turn the page, and read the next story, and the next.”
—Mitch Cohen, Book Reviewer, American Israelite
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Love, Loss, and Moving On is part memoir, part unauthorized biography of handsome British actor Bill Nighy, part flight of fancy, and lots of fun! In the book Lorie uses her crush on the actor as a crutch to get over the loss of her significant other.
The book title tells you exactly what your takeaway will be:
- On the topic of LOVE: You will see an exploration of love-the-second-time-around where it is hard for a woman to be a girlfriend and a mom all in the same breath.
- On the topic of LOSS: You will experience a romantic breakup and soon thereafter, the death of the loved one.
- On the topic of MOVING ON: You will witness the author’s methodology for personal reinvention. It includes having a healthy daily routine, sticking to that routine, and making a commitment to take a step a day – even if it is a teeny tiny one – in the direction of a new life.
- As a bonus, the author’s overblown crush on Bill Nighy is not just comic relief, it is a permission slip for the reader. When we go through loss, we may do dumb things. Accept that fact, forgive yourself, and MOVE ON!
Lorie shows how she reinvented herself after her loss with the hope that others will find a blueprint for their own reinvention.
Learn more about the book:
- See the Table of Contents
- Read a Preview Chapter
- Read an excerpt from the book that appeared on the PBS online magazine, Next Avenue.
Listen to these Radio & YouTube Interviews about Love, Loss, and Moving On:
- The Douglas Coleman Show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyMB6oZCEl0
- WGRT Limelight Interview with Shelley Wiegand: https://wgrt.com/limelight-wsg-lorie-kleiner-eckert-love-loss-moving-on/
- KWAY interview with Matt Wray: https://soundcloud.com/kway-radio/lorie-kleiner-eckert-interview
- WGVU interview with Shelley Irwin: https://www.wgvunews.org/post/love-loss-and-moving
- WNRI Author’s Hour with Wayne Barber: http://waynebarbersauthorshour.blogspot.com/2020/11/author-line-up-for-11-10-20.html
Learn more about Lorie:
- This great interview on NFReads.com will tell more about the book and about Lorie.
- Here’s another great interview about the book and Lorie on WritingAndWellness.com.
- This is a terrific review of the book on Rosie Amber’s Blog. Rosie’s blog is #38 in the top 100 book blogs in the U.K.
Buy Now (Available in paperback and eBook):
Available from Amazon
Available from Indiebound.org
Available from the author on Etsy
With This Ring I Journey: As a soon-to-be divorced woman Lorie Kleiner Eckert inherited a ring from her grandfather. As she slipped it on her finger she felt the need to make vows to herself as she started this new portion of her life.
She had no idea what the vows would be, but she had a larger problem at that time. As a displaced homemaker, she needed to find a job! She decided to turn her hobby of quilt making into a paid profession thinking she’d go on the quilt lecture circuit. To make herself stand out among other quilters with the same plan, she designed quilts with words and symbols pieced into the design because no one else was making such quilts. Whethe first dozen quilts were complete she made a startling discovery – the words on the quilts worked together to create the vows she had been hoping to find.
This “adult picture book” features a dozen two-page spreads with a quilt photo on one side and the accompanying vows on the other. It is the perfect book for anyone starting a new phase of life and its short format allows readers to be motivated in minutes!
Want to know more about the book?
- A Testimonial: Best-selling author, Bernie S. Siegel, M.D., author of Love, Medicine & Miracles wrote this about the book: “Life is a difficult journey for all of us. This book can guide you to a more peaceful, healing journey through life. Awaken to the poet and artist you are. Read on.”
- An excerpt: These are the opening lines of the book: “‘I love you’ is the sequel, with acceptance and love of the self the story that must come first. Toward the lofty goal of love I journey forth today making these vows to myself…”
Want to know what you will take away from this book? A sampling of the words on the quilts will tell all:
- I Pledge Allegiance to Me
- Come As You Are You’re Lovely
- Paddle Your Own Canoe
- Make Your Own Luck
- If Not Now, When?
Buy Now:
Available from the author on Etsy
Available from the publisher on Pelican Publishing Co
Available from Amazon
Get Quiet and Listen: It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words and in this book the viewer gets both, essays averaging a thousand words and quilt photographs to illustrate them. Taken together the twelve essays and quilts talk about having the courage to say YES to life and encourage the reader to get in touch with his/her inner voice in order to do so.
The quilts used here have words and symbols pieced into the design. The essays quote a wide variety of sources from Dennis the Menace and Pooh Bear to Wayne Dyer and Taoism. This book is for anyone who recognizes that life is a journey. Such readers will find the author’s words to be motivating and inspiring and every bit as warm as the quilts she makes to illustrate them.
Want to know what you will take away from this book? A sampling of the words on the quilts will tell all:
- You Win, So Do I
- Safe at Home
- Gee You Are You (my way of spelling guru)
- Not All Who Wander Are Lost
- Keep It Simple
- Dare To Be Free, Dare To Be Me
Buy Now:
Available from the author on Etsy
Available from the publisher on Pelican Publishing Company
Available from Amazon
I Need a Man’s Pants to Wash: Lorie Kleiner Eckert had two books in print with Pelican Publishing Company before she realized that she liked writing! Wanting to indulge her new passion she started to write a weekly slice of life column that she syndicated to Jewish newspapers across the United States.
Ostensibly the column was about being single but since she was a forty-eight-year-old woman at the time, a giggly column about guys did not seem appropriate. Instead, she decided to function as a cheerleader with the message: I know you don’t want to be alone, but I am sure that you can handle it. Thus, she began to encourage singles of all ages to be self-sufficient as she told the stories of her life and found the lessons within them. And of course, she giggled about guys on occasion as well. Her publishing company found the essays to be timeless and decided to compile the first 52 columns in book form.
As for that crazy title? Well, you’ll just have to read the book to understand its meaning!
Want to know what readers had to say about the column?
- “I loved your article because it said to me that I am not alone. It was reassuring to read my thoughts, and then some, written by someone else.”
- “Bravo for writing a truly wonderful, down-to-earth column!”
- “I just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your column and look forward to reading it. I am a 54-year-old divorced father of three and I enjoy what you say from a female perspective. You know we guys think we know it all. So it is refreshing to hear it from your side.”
- “Just wanted you to know I enjoy reading your column. I am not a single gal, in fact it may surprise you that I am a grandmother who has been married for 48 years. However, I enjoy the way you write because as I read your words, it always gives me the feeling you are in my den having a conversation with just me. So, my dear, keep up the good work!”
- “I read your words of wisdom weekly. I appreciate your “chin-up” attitude towards life’s woes. Keep on trucking!”
- “I do love the way you write. There is such simplicity and sincerity in your words that I have always felt you were writing to me. Maybe that is just a single guy’s reaction.
- “You know, there are millions of divorced, widowed, and never-married singles of mature years in this country and a column showing a grown woman of humor and warmth, who is living a full social, business, and spiritual life on her own is a GREAT public service.”
A sampling of essay titles will give a clue as to the topics covered in this slice-of-life-singles-style column:
- A Tale of Two Professors
- Love Lessons Cinema Style
- A Recipe for Romance – and for Blintze Soufflé
- After His Goodbye
- Equal but Opposite Prejudices
- More Than Just Single
Buy Now:
Available from the author on Etsy
Available from Amazon
