About The Write Now! Coach

Author, coach, and spiritual leader Rochelle Melander has helped thousands of people create rich lives, meaningful work, and great books. Rochelle brings to her work a solid education in coaching, therapy, writing, and theology; the practice of life-long learning; years of experience as a writer, speaker, and coach; and a passion for hearing and nurturing the dreams of others.

Professional and Academic Achievements


Rochelle Melander. . .

  • graduated Magna Cum Laude from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, with majors in Theater Arts and Religion.
  • earned two theological Masters degrees from The Lutheran Seminary at Philadelphia.
  • is a certified Coach U graduate.
  • holds a certificate of study from The Center for Family Process where she studied with Dr. Edwin Friedman.
  • has eighteen years of experience as a spiritual leader and visioning consultant.
  • founded LifeRhyme Coaching in 2001, the Write Now! Writing Workshops in 2006, and in 2007 Rochelle launched Right Now! Coaching.
  • has written nine books and hundreds of articles.
  • is an editor who has mentored many authors to success.
  • is a life-long learner. In the past fifteen years she has read more than 1500 books.
  • is a member of the International Coach Federation and the American Society of Journalists and Authors.

 

Personal Achievements and Passions


Life Loves: I am happily married to my soul mate and writing partner, and we have two amazing children. My favorite activity each day is hearing what my family has to say about life!

Generation: I'm vintage Xer.

First Love: I think I was three. It was a book, probably Cat in the Box by Dana Michel or one of the One, Two, Three with Ant and Bee books. Later on, I fell passionately in love with A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. When it comes to books, I'm a polygamist not a serial monogamist—I believe in reading many books at once. (You should see the stacks of books in my house!) Here are some of the books that have changed my life:

  • Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
  • Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
  • Frederick by Leo Lionni
  • Sister Outsider by Audre Lorde
  • Proverbs of Ashes by Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker
  • Writing a Woman's Life by Carolyn G. Heilbrun
  • Composing a Lifeby Mary Catherine Bateson
  • Inspiration Sandwich by SARK
  • The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd
  • Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer
  • Touching Our Strength by Carter Heyward
  • Thirst by Mary Oliver


Next Love: I don't think I've been still more than a minute of my life (except to sleep). I love to dance. We have a room in our house that's nearly bare except for the stereo. It's where we all meet to boogie. I love lots of music but my heart belongs to The Indigo Girls.

Places I Love: I live in Milwaukee, a small city on Lake Michigan. I love to walk by the lake, picking up my beloved heartstones.
I regularly visit San Diego and the Pacific Ocean—a place that makes my heart sing.

Loving to Connect: One of the great joys of my life is getting and staying connected to people. Family, friends, neighbors, colleagues, mentors, clients, and strangers enrich my life beyond measure.

 

Books by The Write Now! Coach

Write-A-Thon:

Write Your Book in 26 Days and Live to Tell About It

by Rochelle Melander 

Write-A-Thon was a 2011 ForeWord Book of the Year Finalist

Write-A-Thon will provide you with the tools you need to write your book fast. From life skills to writing skills, Write-A-Thon is packed with information and inspiration to jumpstart your book! The life skills, performance techniques, and writing tools presented in Write-A-Thon are based on ideas from psychology, inspiration from the world of marathon running, the author’s work as a writing coach, and the author’s personal experience of writing books fast.

 


A Generous Presence:

Spiritual Leadership and the Art of Coaching

by Rochelle Melander

A Generous Presence was named by Frederic and
Mary Ann Brussat to be one of The 50 Best Spiritual
Books of 2006! The Brussats select these books
from the over 300 books they review each year.

A Generous Presence is a collection of story-driven essays about the philosophy, tools, and work of coaching that is designed to support all spiritual leaders in deepening and enriching their personal and professional relationships. By practicing the coaching tools Rochelle Melander offers, spiritual leaders will be better equipped to guide those they work with toward accepting the past, creating a life vision, and setting goals for the future. Additionally, the tools provided in this book will help leaders understand themselves and enable them to strengthen their definitions for healthy living, raise their awareness about their own life and relationship skills, and improve their skills in relating to individuals and groups.

 

 

The Spiritual Leader’s Guide to Self-Care

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

Are you too tired to take proper care of yourself? Are you burned-out by ministry but don't know how to get well? Are you starting out in ministry and want to avoid the pitfalls? This book will coach spiritual leaders like you through fifty-two weeks of exercises that will enable you to be healthy in every area of your life!

 

 

Our Lives Are Not Our Own:

Saying "Yes" to God

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

Does your life matter? How do your choices affect others? What can you do in your community to impact the world? This book of essays tackles the topic of personal stewardship from a holistic point of view. Grounded in solid biblical study and theological reflection, these essays will get you to think about how you use your time, money, and stuff.

 

 

Growing Together:

Spiritual Exercises for Church Committees

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

Dreading your next church meeting? Looking for a way to connect spiritually with others? This handy book offers a solution for turning around committees who have become stuck by the business of running a church. Melander and Eppley have created a simple small group process that you can apply to any committee, task force, or group meeting. Each of the fifty thematic exercises contains a prayer, community building time, bible reading, and questions for reflection. You can also purchase Growing Together here.

Editions of this book have recently been published in Germany (2000) and Great Britain (2001).

 

 

Timeouts with God:

Meditations for Parents

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

Don't have time for devotions? Need a "timeout" from your own children? Tired of those devotional books that make parenting sound like a breeze? This book of short devotions presents an honest, down-to-earth look at the gritty side of parenting and then assures you that God is always willing to meet you in that place. It reminds you that, "Now is not forever and your forever is in Jesus' hands." Each devotion is accompanied by a biblical text and a short prayer.

This book was featured on the national radio program "Decision Today."

 

 

Dancing in the Aisle:

Spiritual Lessons We've Learned from Children

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

In this world of spiritual gurus, some of our best teachers are children. If "we listen closely to children's voices, if we pay attention to their actions and habits, if we reflect on the stories they tell us about their lives, we learn something about our own journey of faith." (Melander and Eppley, p.xiv) This insightful collection of essays will teach you to look at your faith in new ways and challenge you in your own spiritual journey. Each essay is followed by questions for reflection and a spiritual challenge.




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A Generous Presence

by Rochelle Melander

"Easily one of the most thought-provoking books I have read in years."
—Richard J. Leider

"Melander does a fine job presenting an overview of the art of coaching (accepting the past, creating a strong foundation, assessing assets, creating a life vision, and setting goals) and at the same time provides insights into relationship skills, handing change, and dealing with our dreams of a new life. Anyone in a leadership role will find this material to be edifying and inspirational. "
—The Brussats

"This book in an important work in the growing field of creating spiritually alive and aware leaders and congregations."
—N. Graham Standish

The Spiritual Leader's Guide to Self-Care

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

"The authors teach us ways to protect our boundaries, recapture our passion, renew our spirits, and uncover our true strengths."
—Rabbi Naomi Levy

"This is a book to be used, not simply read [for its] practical insights combined with profound spiritual wisdom."
—Prof. Michael Jinkins, Austin Presbyterian Theological seminary

Timeouts with God

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

"Timeouts with God is fresh, touching and thought-provoking. Rather than rely on stereotypical examples, this clergy couple tell some real life stories about the not-so-glamorous, not so stellar, moments as that can make parents discouraged. Their honesty and insights allow a stressed or busy parent to really put the Lord back into the small things of the daily life of the family. Their story about their son's baptism moved me to tears. Many days I found myself thinking about the point they had made in that morning's devotion. Often I found myself reading the same devotion for several days running because I so enjoyed their message. They know how hard parenting and working and maintaining relationships can be, and you cannot fail to benefit from their words and spiritual insights."
—An Amazon.com reader

Dancing in the Aisle

by Rochelle Melander and Harold Eppley

"This is an excellent book with lovely images and thoughtful prose. Brimming with stories from the mouths of children, the book is inspiring and touching, and gently nudges us where we most need it. It would make a wonderful gift."
—Debra Brenegan