Hello! I’m Barb Geiger. This site is dedicated to my memoir, Paddle for a Purpose. Feel free to browse around. If you enjoy what you see, check out my author site, www.barbgeiger.com. There you can get to know me better and contact me easily. You can also learn about my other projects, including my poem collection, Mississippi Meanderings, which has recently been accepted for publication as a poetry chapbook by Finishing Line Press. I’ll let you know when it will be available for pre-purchase online. Stay tuned for updates!
My husband, Gene, is a dreamer. Maybe you know someone like that – someone who has grand ideas of epic adventures. Maybe you are a little like that yourself. Or maybe, you’re more like me; you’d need a pretty good reason to hop into a twenty-foot boat for five months. Either way, my memoir, Paddle for a Purpose, has something for you. I hope you’ll join us for an amazing adventure!
“You want to WHAT?” I ask, when Gene suggests, after one practice run in the tandem wooden kayak we built ourselves, that we take her down the Mississippi. The WHOLE Mississippi. Our search for a meaningful journey leads to a faith-inspired paddle down one of the most scenic and powerful waterways in the United States, stopping in quaint river towns along the way to volunteer with 26 different charity organizations. Overcoming obstacles like stump fields, poison ivy, boating accidents and equipment failures, a sense of humor, love and trust in God help us remain committed to the service purpose of our journey.
This book will appeal to anyone who dreams of taking an epic journey and those who are inspired by stories of God working in the world today. Campers, boaters, and nature lovers will enjoy the picturesque settings, the wildlife and the river’s changing moods. Readers looking for inspiration will find hope in the people we meet along the way and the touching stories of everyday heroes who donate their time and talents to offer compassion, care and opportunity to others.
Paddle for a Purpose was released by eLectio Publishing, a small faith-based press, on April 3, 2018. I admire the work they do, and am delighted to join the eLectio family of authors! On this website, you can find a link to eLectio Publishing, where you can purchase the book for yourself or for your friends. We will post current information about appearances and signings. But even more, you can visit here to see photo galleries of our trip – the rivers, the wildlife, and the amazing people we met. You’ll also find an interactive map of the towns along the river where we stopped to work with charity organizations. Pop-ups explain about each organization and link you to their websites, where you can learn more, volunteer, or donate to their missions if you wish. Feel free to visit us often, as you read your way down the river!
One hundred percent of the author profits of the sale of this memoir, after taxes and expenses, will be donated to charities including, but not limited to, the organizations highlighted in this book. We hope you will enjoy our adventure as much as we did!
Gratefully,
Barb and Gene Geiger
Paddle for a Purpose 