Category

Non Fiction

Non Fiction, Personal Development, Women's Issues

APR 08: Dr. Tammy Nelson’s When You’re the One Who Cheats

March 19, 2019

Over the last 30 years, infidelity rates have surged.  What we rarely consider is that those who are engaging in an affair are often equally confused about their behavior as the spouse they are cheating on.  Sex therapist Dr. Tammy Nelson returns to Conversations Live with a how-to guide to understanding and navigating an affair.  When You’re the One Who Cheats: 10 Things You Need to Know will help you make sense of unfaithful behavior, offers tips on how to stop, and gives advice for those still involved in an affair.

Tammy Nelson, PhD is a sex and relationship expert, an international speaker, an author and a licensed psychotherapist with almost thirty years of experience working with individuals and couples.  Enjoy her previous CLV appearance here.

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Fiction, Humor, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

MAR 04: Pam Jenoff’s The Lost Girls of Paris & David Morgan’s Monty Python Speaks

February 15, 2019

Many of returning guest Pam Jenoff’s historical novels have been inspired in part by her work in international affairs at the Pentagon and for the State Department. Her latest is set during and right after World War II, exploring the story of a group of young women who risked their lives in the defiance of Nazi oppression.  The Lost Girls of Paris is an essential and timeless story of survival, loyalty, and the power of sisterhood.

Pam is a New York Times bestselling author of specializing in historical fiction.

Monty Python Speaks: The Complete Oral History of Monty Python is a no-holds-barred look at the Pythons’ legendary sketches and films, told through interviews with Monty Python’s founding members, actors, producers, and collaborators.  Author David Morgan reveals the story behind Spamalot: The Musical, the group’s reaction to their resoundingly successful 2014 reunion, and a touching look at the group without Terry Jones after his 2015 diagnosis of dementia.

David is a senior producer for CBSNews.com, and for CBS’ Emmy Award–winning newsmagazine Sunday Morning. He has written about film production and media issues for such publications as the Los Angeles Times, Newsday,  The Hollywood Reporter.

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Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help, Social Issues, Women's Issues

FEB 11: Linda Graham’s Resilience & Alexia Vernon’s Step Into Your Moxie

February 8, 2019

Do you stoically remain calm and together during a traumatic event?  Or are you more likely to fall apart?  Resilience: Powerful Practices for Bouncing Back from Disappointment, Difficulty, and even Disaster by Linda Graham, MFT, examines our brain’s built-in negativity bias, offering ways to improve your ability to withstand hardships and create positive change.

Linda is an experienced psychotherapist who integrates modern neuroscience, mindfulness practices, and relational psychology in her international trainings on resilience and well-being.  She is a past winner of the Books for a Better Life Award.

Recent headlines have proven that women still have a long way to go to overcome patriarchal prejudices. Forget payscale for a moment, and other more obvious gender inequalities. We’re talking about being taken seriously as a valued human being. We’re talking about being heard when we say NO. When we file complaints about abuse or harassment. When we claim the right to express our feelings.

If you have trouble speaking up for yourself, join us and Step Into Your Moxie.

Alexia Vernon, branded “Moxie Maven” by President Obama’s White House Office of Public Engagement, is a leadership coach for Fortune 500 companies and the United Nations. With a  graduate degree in women’s studies, she’s been featured on major networks and in publications such as Forbes Woman and Women’s Health.

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Business, Career, Health & Wellness, Lifestyle, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Women's Issues

JAN 14: Elizabeth Emens’ Life Admin & Dr. Bryan Robinson’s #CHILL

December 31, 2018

Today’s show turns the invisible visible.  Our guests expose the hidden costs of the invisible, often unpaid, and thankless labor you do everyday, and share how to create more sustaining relationships and communication skills while creating more fun time for yourself.

Even with technology (and often because of it) aiding us, most of us are drowning in an endless sea of paperwork, bills, texts, and e-mails, all tedious tasks that become overwhelming if we don’t stay on top of them.  With Life Admin: How I Learned to Do Less, Do Better, and Live More, author Elizabeth Emens offers simple ways to reduce the time and effort we spend on these mundane daily details of life.  Elizabeth is a legal scholar and an Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law at Columbia University.

Next, Psychotherapist Dr. Bryan Robinson says “If you are a workaholic, overachiever, or perfectionist, you have permission to stop working and #CHILL”.  His new book, #CHILL: Turn Off Your Job and Turn On Your Life, explores how to get out of the trap of working non-stop and achieve a healthy work/life balance.  Dr. Robinson is a psychotherapist and Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He has authored thirty nonfiction books and written for over one-hundred professional journals and magazines.

 

 

 

 

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Fiction, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Writers on Writing

JAN 07: Robyn Carr’s The Best of Us & Matthew Dicks’ Storyworthy

December 27, 2018

Robyn Carr began writing novels as a young mother of two, ignoring harsh criticism from a peer suggesting she find another line of work and persevering to become an eleven time New York Times bestselling author.  “There’s a need for positive drama,” she says, “Not just (a) goody-two-shoes, everything-is-beautiful kind of story,  but a kind of story where  characters serve as positive role models for women who read the books.”  Her new book is the latest in her Sullivan’s Crossing series, The Best of Us.

Robyn has written over 40 novels, has received a Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award, and has a scripted drama with Netflix coming soon.

Next, Vicki chats with one of her favorite storytellers, Matthew Dicks, whose book Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling offers tips and techniques to polish your storytelling to hold any audience’s attention, big or small!

Matthew is a 35-time Moth StorySLAM champion and 6-time Moth GrandSLAM champion. He’s an international bestseller, and in addition to his novels he has written musicals, a rock opera, and comic books.

 

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Essays, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Travel & Adventure, Writers on Writing

DEC 31: Anne Lamott on Almost Everything: Notes on Hope & Mary Ann Esposito’s Ciao Italia

December 22, 2018

She’s a writer’s-writer. A reader’s-writer. And with self-effacing humor, and ruthless honesty, Anne Lamott makes us think about what most of us don’t like to think about.

She’s known for writing and speaking about subjects that begin with Big Capital Letters. Today we’ll share her thoughts on Hate, Jealousy, Love, Hope, and preserving one’s Sanity.

A New York Times bestselling author and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Anne Lamott has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. She’s taught at UC Davis, as well as at writing conferences across the country.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Freida Mock, made a documentary on her called Bird by Bird with Annie. Anne Lamott’s latest book of essays is Almost Everything: Notes on Hope.

We’ll end today’s show chatting with the host of Ciao Italia, the longest-running cooking show on television, Mary Ann Esposito.  Find out the secret to the show’s success, her thoughts regarding pairing food and wine, and a few of her all time favorites for those who like to put an Italian spin on Thanksgiving.  Her latest book, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy reads as both a cookbook and a love-letter to Italy.

Mary Ann’s 12 books have helped chefs and foodies understand authentic Italian ingredients and dishes.  She created and has hosted Ciao Italia on PBS since 1989.

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Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help

DEC 17: Patti Dobrowolski’s 9 Tips to Up Your Creative Genius & Books for Holiday Gifts

December 12, 2018

An old friend returns to Conversations Live today as Vicki is joined by Patti Dobrowolski, who last joined us six years ago upon the release of her first book, Drawing Solutions: How Visual Goal Setting Will Change Your Life.

Today, she’ll discuss how you can use visual goal setting to jump start your goals for the new year in a fun and easy way, with some of the tips from Patti’s new book, 9 Tips to Up Your Creative Genius.  She also provides free resources to help you get started — see goal-setting template map and icon guide.

Patti is a TEDx speaker, critically acclaimed comic performer, writer, and business consultant. A multiple business award-winner, and past Broadway performer, she’s a member of the National Speaker’s Association and is known for her innovative visual keynotes.

Also today, Book Suggestions for Holiday Gifts. Vicki’s frequently asked if she has recommendations for stocking fillers, or books that make good stand-alone gifts, and she’ll share six of her favorites — all of which she’s given as gifts over the years. Four of the authors have been guests on past shows. If you’d like a list of Vicki’s Holiday Gift Ideas, or links to the interviews, please email us.

 

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Essays, Humor, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

DEC 03: Sara Ruhl’s Letters From Max & Matt Geiger’s Astonishing Tales

November 9, 2018

Sara Ruhl is a distinguished playwright and author, Tony award nominee, and two time Pulitzer Prize finalist.  In 2012, exuberant and opinionated Max Ritvo took her playwriting class at Yale University, proving himself a highly gifted poet.  Max was also in remission from pediatric cancer.  Over the course of four years, Sara watched Max blossom as his illness returned and his health declined, exchanging a series of letters with him that changed the way she looked at life, death, and the unexpected connections one makes along the way.  She shares these urgency and humor filled exchanges in Letters From Max: A Book of Friendship.

Sara’s plays have won numerous awards, and have been produced all over the country and internationally, including on Broadway.

Matt Geiger, our second guest, says “Anytime I’m able to talk about Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, and Chekhov in a single interview, I’m happy!” So Vicki makes him happy and asks why.  We’ll chat about his latest book Astonishing Tales: Your Astonishment May Vary – a collection of stories and essays.

Matt is a humorist, essayist, and award-winning journalist and author, who lives in Wisconsin with his wife, daughter, ten animals, and several metaphysical questions.

 

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Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Self-help

NOV 26: Ronald J. Frey’s Feeling Better & Melanie Salvatore-August’s Fierce Kindness

November 9, 2018

Ronald J. Frey, PhD., believes the answer to easing stress or depression doesn’t have to come from a bottle of pills.  Along with co-author Cindy Goodman Stulberg, Ronald empowers you to get through periods of depression without relying on pharmaceuticals in Feeling Better: Beat Depression and Improve Your Relationships with Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Ronald is a former acting chief psychologist for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a registered forensic and clinical psychologist, and is codirector of the Institute for Interpersonal Psychotherapy.

Later, the holidays are a time for food, fun, and of course, family.  But for many of us, a little bit of family can go a long ways.  Yogi and Fierce Kindness author Melanie Salvatore-August returns to Conversations Live to share tips on how to remain grounded and sane during family get-togethers.

Melanie is a YogaWork Senior Teacher Trainer and creator of the Fierce Kindness movement, teaching many students and educating hundreds of teachers to be a positive force for change in their own lives and the world.

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Essays, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Travel & Adventure, Writers on Writing

Nov 19: Anne Lamott on Almost Everything: Notes on Hope & Mary Ann Esposito’s Ciao Italia

November 6, 2018

She’s a writer’s-writer. A reader’s-writer. And with self-effacing humor, and ruthless honesty, Anne Lamott makes us think about what most of us don’t like to think about.

She’s known for writing and speaking about subjects that begin with Big Capital Letters. Today we’ll share her thoughts on Hate, Jealousy, Love, Hope, and preserving one’s Sanity.

A New York Times bestselling author and recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship, Anne Lamott has been inducted into the California Hall of Fame. She’s taught at UC Davis, as well as at writing conferences across the country.

Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Freida Mock, made a documentary on her called Bird by Bird with Annie. Anne Lamott’s latest book of essays is Almost Everything: Notes on Hope.

We’ll end today’s show chatting with the host of Ciao Italia, the longest-running cooking show on television, Mary Ann Esposito.  Find out the secret to the show’s success, her thoughts regarding pairing food and wine, and a few of her all time favorites for those who like to put an Italian spin on Thanksgiving.  Her latest book, Ciao Italia: My Lifelong Food Adventures in Italy reads as both a cookbook and a love-letter to Italy.

Mary Ann’s 12 books have helped chefs and foodies understand authentic Italian ingredients and dishes.  She created and has hosted Ciao Italia on PBS since 1989.

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