"About my co-creator: He is a companion beyond all others. I still learn from him and gnow to trust him. His instincts are pure and protective of my very soul. It is hard to explain how he helped create Sacred Healing, but he did. As odd as it may seem, he is the great communicator. Those who have experienced his magic will never forget his human eyes, unwavering stare and demand for truth and excellence. He never let me settle. When Butch suggested Bentley should be listed as co-author, I knew this was a simple honoring of truth. Without his ever-presence, our life would not be what it is, healing would be less complete and this book may still be invisible ink."

Bentley is an unsual contributor. He laid at Marri's back throughout the process of creating Sacred Healing, insisted on walks to clear her mind, nudged her hands with a wet, cold nose when it was time to eat or drink, or take a break and play. He watched out for her when she failed to watch out for herself. He kept away intruders, especially energetic invaders, keeping vigil while all others sleep. When anyone doubted the work or words, he snorted approval, sighed exasperation, shook off what wasn't right, barked endorsements and never missed a beat. He parked his 130 furry pounds against Marri's chair to make sure she can't leave the computer and blocked doorways to prevent interruption. If his paws would have fit on the keyboard, that book would have been finished years earlier.

"People forget that we pets are part of the family and feel the impact of crisis and change as much as, if not more than, humans do. Everything comes down on us -- to us. I wish everyone could see the view from here. ... I was sent to help the healing and to be healed in my own sacred places. Spirit lives in four legs, as powerfully as two -- sometimes we gnow more than you would imagine."

Annette Baran, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, is one of the pioneers in the field of modern adoption. As co-author of Adoption Triangle, the first book to advocate opening sealed records, she helped to bring about significant changes in the institution of adoption and influenced the practice in agencies throughout the world. Her career has included clinical and administrative work in adoption agencies, teaching and training, research and writing, expert witnessing, consultation, and the private practice of psychotherapy. She is also co-author of Lethal Secrets, the first book to examine the emotional aspects of donor insemination and other alternative methods of reproduction. Besides her many writing credits, she has also appeared as a recognized expert on numerous television shows and documentaries, keynoted conferences, and lectured in foreign universities.

Reuben Pannor MSW, is co-author of The Adoption Triangle, Lethal Secrets and author of The Unmarried Father. He worked from the 1940s as a social worker with Vista Del Mar in California and retired as agency director overseeing adoptions. In a 1984 article he co-authored with Annette Baran, titled "Open Adoption as Standard Practice" they described their views that open adoptions are highly preferable to confidential ones, thus pioneering a new era of how adoption was viewed and handled. He is a nationally recognized expert in adoption, open records practices, donor insemination and has a unique and historical view of secrecy and how it affects families and children. He has also served on many boards including remaining a Trustee of International Soundex Reunion Registry from the time it was incorporated until today.He and Annette stated in a 1990 article for Orphan Voyage that "Open adoption, which we helped pioneer, is not a solution to the problems inherent in adoption. Without legal sanction, open adoption is an unenforceable agreement at the whim of the adoptive parents." He remains strong in his commitment openness and reform.

Sandra Musser was born in Lewisburg, PA in 1939. Her family moved to the Philadelphia suburbs in the mid-40's; she graduated from Yeadon High School in 1956. Married soon after high school, she raised four children. Her family has now grown to include twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Sandy has been involved with adoption reform since 1976. Over the years she founded Adoption Triangle Ministries, ALARM Network and the Musser Foundation. Her first book I Would Have Searched Forever came out in 1979 and was followed a year later with What Kind of Love is This? In 1993, after 17 years of reform work, she paid the ultimate price and was indicted by the government and went to prison for her work in reuniting families. She has always been committed to three main goals: Open Records, Reuniting Families and Family Preservation. 1994 - After coming home from prison, she wrote and published To Prison With Love: The True Story of an Indecent Indictment and America's Adoption Travesty. In March of '97, Sandy completed her three years probation. Though officially retired, she continues to be an outspoken advocate for change by presenting at conferences and giving media interviews. Recently widowed, her days are filled raising a 17 year old grandson, a young great-grandson, and teaching seniors and beginners how to use a computer. Sandy moved from Merchantville, NJ to Cape Coral, FL in 1982 which is where she presently resides.

Mary Jo Rillera was both an adoptee and birthparent involved in adoptions that changed from closed to cooperative in the 1970’s. For over 20 years, she was a national speaker and consultant on family search and reunion. Ms. Rillera founded Triadoption Library, served as a Guardian Trustee for the International Soundex Reunion Registry and on the boards of numerous reform organizations like Concerned United Birthparents and American Adoption Congress. She is a publisher, artist, book and website designer, and is the author and editor of many articles, newsletters, magazines and books including: The Adoption Searchbook: Techniques for Tracing People; Adoption Encounter: Hurt, Transition, Healing; The Reunion Book; The Family Book ~ A Keepsake, The Smile Book and Poem Is Where The Heart Is; The Free Press and TriadOptions Magazine.

Sharon Kaplan Roszia has worked in the fields of foster care and adoptions since 1963 in both public and private agencies, and also in private practice. She is an adoptive parent and grandparent, was a foster parent and now has an open adoption relationship with her two teenage granddaughters. About twenty years ago, Sharon started an open adoption support group that welcomed anyone participating or interested in cooperative adoption. That group of adoptive, birth and extended family members still continues to meet monthly, which has allowed Sharon to witness the ongoing relationships of the families described in this book, plus hundreds of additional open, cooperative situations. Sharon is also co-author with Lois Melina of the book The Open Adoption Experience. Sharon has carried her beliefs about cooperation into the child welfare system and now teaches openness in those court cases where children will be separated from their families of origin. She is involved in a progressive California program training mediators to create open adoption agreements between the birth and adopting families. Ms. Roszia is a progam director for the Southern California office of the Kinship Center. She oversees a project that places children from the foster care system into permanent families. She and her staff work diligently to honor all the prior connections in a child’s life. She can be reached at Kinship Center, 1520 Brookhollow, Suite 41, Santa Ana, CA 92704 (714) 979-2365 or sroszia@kinshipcenter.org .

Michael Stellitano moved from his native New Jersey to Las Vegas in the 1980s. At a very young age, he recognized that he possessed a unique spiritual gift. In his early adulthood, he began to utilize the power he sensed to heal the pains and illnesses of people he encountered. He has spent the past 20 years in the active practice of healing. Thousands of people have sought his assistance and have walked away relaxed, happy and free of pain. Michael believes that everyone is a healer and teaches how to awaken that energy in an instructional video, a how-to book and conditioning audio tape Your Healing Hands. www.yourhealinghands.com

Virginia Weldon was born June 2, 1933 and left us July 2, 2007 from Boulder, Colorado where she'd lived with her cat, Spike. She worked with an innovative internet company in Boulder and for the previous 12 years co-owned Pacific Western Entertainment and Programing, a satellite system company. As a continuous student of truth, Ginger was a studying astrologer for over forty years; studied Tarot, Numerology and various Shamanistic teachings from Amerindian to Celtic lore. She was a journal writer throughout her life, and in this process of self-examination/ awareness wrote over 150 poems. In Feelings: Insight Out she shared some of them.