Non Fiction

Business, Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Self-help

JUN 03: Helene Segura’s The Great Escape & Tom Bunn’s Panic Free

May 24, 2019

The most productive people in the world realize the importance of recharging and rebooting. If you are guilty of claiming any of the usual tropes … vacations are too stressful, you will fall behind if you take time off, you end up working on your days off, anyway … it’s time for you to get away from it all. Helene Segura returns to Conversations Live with The Great Escape: A Vacation Planner for Busy People Who Want to Take a Real Break from Work and Life.

Known as The Inefficiency Assassin, productivity expert Helene Segura has authored four books and been the featured organization expert in over 200 media interviews.

Later, now that you’ve decided to take that vacation, there might be one more obstacle … a fear of flying. Captain Tom Bunn, LCSW, is a licensed therapist who spent many years addressing flight panic as an airline pilot. His methods of overcoming your anxiety and stress extend beyond the threshold of the airplane gate to everyday life.

Tom is the author of Panic Free: The 10-Day Program to End Panic, Anxiety, and Claustrophobia, and is a regular contributor to Psychology Today.

Health & Wellness, Memoir, Non Fiction, Social Issues

MAY 20: Jared Yates Sexton’s The Man They Wanted Me To Be, Lauren McDuffie’s Smoke Roots Mountain Harvest, & Jodi Helmer’s Tea Garden

May 15, 2019

Depression. Lower life expectancy. Misogyny. Suicide. These are just the worst of the societal consequences of toxic masculinity, failing both men and women. The Man They Wanted Me to Be doubles as a memoir and cultural analysis, told from the point of view of Jared Yates Sexton, who was raised with strict expectations that are outdated in our current cultural climate.

Jared is a contributing political writer at Salon, and his political writing has appeared in The New York Times, The New Republic, and elsewhere. He has authored three collections of fiction and a crime novel, and is an associate professor of creative writing at Georgia Southern University.

Next, capture the flavors and modern cooking techniques of Appalachia and the Blue Ridge Mountains in Smoke, Roots, Mountain, Harvest. Author Lauren McDuffie joins us to share some tales from Appalachian country and her favorite recipes, including Drunken Short Ribs and Baked Pork Chops with Cran-Apple Moonshine compote.

Lauren admits she is not a chef, but a passionate and curious lover of food, and writes the award-wining food blog Harvest and Honey.

Later, Jodi Helmer has a love of tea that developed as a young child. While her palate and tastes have changed, her passion for tea has remained. In Growing Your Own Tea Garden, she shares tips for turning your garden (or windowsill) into a mini tea plantation..

Jodi’s writing has appeared in publications like Sierra, Entrepreneur, NPR, National Geographic Traveler, AARP, and more, and she has authored six books. She lives on a small homestead in rural North Carolina where she grows flowers and vegetables, keeps bees and raises chickens, goats and one very spoiled donkey.

Health & Wellness, Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Personal Development

MAY 13: Karen Rinaldi’s It’s Great to Suck at Something & Laura Schroff’s An Invisible Thread

May 9, 2019

Today’s first guest will help you find success through embracing failure. Karen Rinaldi joins us to discuss how resilience is born from discovering the freedom of sucking at something. It’s Great to Suck at Something: The Unexpected Joy of Wiping Out and What It Can Teach Us About Patience, Resilience, and the Stuff that Really Matters reveals the joy in the pursuit rather than the goal.

Karen has worked in publishing for over two decades, and is the founder of the imprint Harper Wave at HarperCollins. She has been featured in The New York Times, Oprah.com, Time, LitHub and other publications.

Next, Laura Schroff was a busy sales executive when she befriended an 11 year old homeless boy, both of them embarking on a life-changing journey of hope, kindness, adventure, and love. An Invisible Thread is her memoir, showing how the power of fate can help you find your way.

Laura is a former advertising executive who helped launch three of the most successful start-ups in Time Inc. history— In Style, Teen People, and People Style Watch. She has been a keynote speaker at over 300 schools, libraries, charities and bookstores.

Inspirational, Memoir, Non Fiction, Social Issues, Women's Issues

APR 22: Meredith May’s The Honey Bus & Laurie Halse Anderson’s SHOUT

April 15, 2019

Today’s show kicks off with a buzzworthy guest … literally. Meredith May learned some of life’s most pivotal lessons about community, loyalty and survival from one of nature’s most fragile and important creatures. Raised by her fourth generation beekeeper grandfather while her mother’s mental state slowly deteriorated, Meredith’s found everything she needed to know about family was buzzing right there in the hive. Her new memoir is The Honey Bus: A Memoir of Courage and a Girl Saved by Bees.

Meredith spent sixteen years at the San Francisco Chronicle, where her narrative reporting won the PEN USA Literary Award for Journalism and was shortlisted for the Pulitzer Prize. She is a fifth generation beekeeper.

Later, frustrated by how little has changed in the 20 years since first writing about sexual assault in her groundbreaking, award-winning novel Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson reveals her personal history as a survivor of sexual assault and her journey to healing in her new book SHOUT. Today, she’ll discuss solutions to this ongoing problem, sharing key insights from among the thousands of women she has interviewed over the last two decades.

Laurie’s is a New York Times bestseller whose writing spans young readers, teens, and new adults. In addition to combatting censorship, she regularly speaks about the need for diversity in publishing and is a member of RAINN’s National Leadership Council.

Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Self-help

APR 15: Dr. James Creighton’s Loving Through Your Differences & Dr. Ronald Frederick’s Loving Like You Mean It

March 29, 2019

Even the strongest relationships encounter shaky ground … the key is keeping those tremblors from becoming destructive and devastating relationship earthquakes. Loving Through Your Differences: Building Strong Relationships From Separate Realities explores how your unique emotional reality influences your interactions with the world. Today, Dr. James Creighton offers tips on how to keep combustible situations in check through expressing your feelings while minimizing blame and accusation, and how the five minute rule can improve your relationships.

Dr. Creighton is a psychologist and relationship consultant who has worked with couples and conducted communications training for more than 50 years.

Later, if you’ve ever frustrated yourself by acting (or reacting) in a way that defies your better judgement, take solace in the fact that we are all hardwired in infancy to act the way we do. Dr. Ronald J. Frederick joins us today to reveal how to rewire our brains to achieve healthy, secure relationships. Plus, you’ll learn your attachment style … secure, avoidant, anxious, or fearful-avoidant.

Dr. Frederick has provided innovative and experiential therapy to individuals and couples for over twenty years and actively teaches and trains psychotherapists. His new book is Loving Like You Mean It: Use the Power of Emotional Mindfulness to Transform Your Relationships.

Finally, to eliminate negative behaviors, you have to find the root and extract it. “It is our minds that drive the eating bus,” writes nutritionist Carly Pollack in her new book, Feed Your Soul: Nutritional Wisdom to Lose Weight Permanently and Live Fulfilled. We’ll discuss how to change your story and find the courage to look deep and heal from the inside.

Carly is the founder of Nutritional Wisdom, a thriving private practice based in Austin, Texas. She is a Certified Clinical Nutritionist with a master’s degree in holistic nutrition.

Environment, Lifestyle, Non Fiction, Personal Development, Women's Issues

APR 08: Keep Going with Austin Kleon, National Geographic’s Night Sky Guy, & Dr. Tammy Nelson’s When You’re the One Who Cheats

March 22, 2019

What do the tough do, when the going gets tough? They Keep Going, which just happens to be the name of Austin Kleon‘s new book where he shares 10 ways to stay creative in good times and bad.

We’ll find out why this “writer who draws” describes himself as a mongrel, and how that benefits his work. Why he says life is for art, and not other way around. And, the big question that many have asked over the past few months in light of scandalous celebrity behavior, can you separate the art from the man, and the man from the art?

Austin Kleon’s New York Times bestselling books include Steal Like an Artist, and Show Your Work.

Want a fun, educational, and free activity to enjoy with your kids? Try star gazing. Andrew Fazekas, aka the “Night Sky Guy”, turned his life-long passion into his career. Today, he shares fun science facts such as what causes the elusive “green flash” at sunset. He also discusses his partnership with National Geographic in taking the world’s first open air augmented-reality planetarium to a global audience. Explore the cosmos with him in Backyard Guide to the Night Sky.

A science writer, speaker, and broadcaster Andrew Fazekas writes the StarStruck for National Geographic, and is the author of Star Trek: The Official Guide to Our Universe.

Sex therapist Dr. Tammy Nelson returns to Conversations Live to help unravel confusion and make sense of unfaithful behavior. She’ll offer tips on how to stop cheating, and share advice for those still involved in an affair with When You’re the One Who Cheats: 10 Things You Need to Know.

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 appearance here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

JUN 03: Helene Segura’s The Great Escape & Tom Bunn’s Panic Free

MAY 13: Karen Rinaldi’s It’s Great to Suck at Something & Laura Schroff’s An Invisible Thread

APR 15: Dr. James Creighton’s Loving Through Your Differences & Dr. Ronald Frederick’s Loving Like You Mean It

APR 08: Keep Going with Austin Kleon, National Geographic’s Night Sky Guy, & Dr. Tammy Nelson’s When You’re the One Who Cheats

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

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

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

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