Tag

Humor

Essays, Non Fiction, Personal Development

What Can Dogs Teach Us? Plenty Says Hersch Wilson

October 11, 2023

Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Stuff from Our Best Friends

Podcast with Hersch Wilson author of Dog Lessons

Firefighter, writer, and speaker Hersh Wilson joins us today with his latest delight — Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Stuff from our Best Friends.

It’s not a training book for dogs; it’s about what we can learn from them. In fact, while researching Dog Lessons, Hersch found himself changing his mind on a couple of things he thought he already understood.

Part memoir, part humor, with a lot of love, Dog Lessons is packed full of insight into the powerful presence of dogs in our lives and the transformative lessons they can teach us about love, loyalty, zoomies, grief, and more.

Hersch Wilson

Hersch Wilson‘s diverse background includes paid jobs as a corn pollinator, a Ferris wheel operator, a short-order cook, ballet dancer, outdoor educator, soccer coach, leadership consultant, pilot, and writer. He says his job as a Ferris wheel operator was by far the strangest — lots of physics involved in that. Hersch was a volunteer firefighter-EMT for 33 years which culminated in the awarding winning book, “Firefighter Zen, A Field Guide for Thriving in Tough Times. He sees his most important roles as that of partner/husband, father, and dog guardian. 

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Arts, Creativity, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Aug 09: A Creative Guide to Stir Inspiration in Any Creator

August 9, 2023

Ruta Sepetys Seeker of Lost Stories

Podcast: You the Story with author Ruta Sepetys

Do you know the number one question that writers, musicians, artists, and designers are asked?

Where does your inspiration come from?

In her powerful how-to book, You The Story: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory, Ruta Sepetys shares tools and resources that any artist can adapt to reach a higher level of creativity.

Ruta knows from extensive research – and her own experience writing five award-winning historical novels – that the secret to strong creative writing can be found in your own life experiences … no matter how boring you think your life may be.

We discuss ways to tap into your emotions and leverage humor. Why finding rhythm is key. Why biographical references matter. Why so many artists struggle to find their voice, and why discovering vision may be even more important. And how to draw on your own roots, memories, and creativity to spark inspiration.

About Ruta Sepetys

An internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over 60 countries and 40 languages, Ruta Sepetys is also the winner of the Carnegie Medal. Her books have won or been shortlisted for over 40 awards, are included on over 30 state reading lists, and are currently in development for film and television. You The Story: A Writer’s Guide to Craft Through Memory is her first nonfiction book.

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

AUG 19: NYT Bestselling Novelist Heather Gudenkauf Shares Summer Reads

August 19, 2021

5 books to read & authors to look out for

Heather Gudenkauf takes a break from her busy schedule to share four of her summer reading recommendations with us — from laugh-out-loud funny to darker suspense, crime, and mystery.

And to complete the list we’re adding Heather’s most recent thriller, This is How I Lied.

Grab a pen and notepad, and listen up!

About Heather Gudenkauf

Heather Gudenkauf is the Edgar Award nominated, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Weight of Silence, These Things Hidden, Not A Sound, and This is How I Lied. Heather has worked with students of all ages during her career and continues to work in education as a Title I Reading Coordinator.

 

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Fiction, Writers on Writing

MAY 26: Joani Elliott with The Audacity of Sara Grayson

May 26, 2021

“Do that thing that makes you feel alive.”

JOANI ELLIOTT believes in the magic of stories, a good cup of tea, and the power of living a creative life. So maybe it’s no surprise that her debut novel is about a writer who’s just landed the toughest assignment of her life.

Joani shares great insight into her creative journey, and some of the challenges she faced, while writing her debut novel. Like her willingness as a writer to step into the unknown. Why this former academic had to learn to tap into her own emotions, to gain the truth of her emotional scenes. How she came to terms with the messy process of writing…and more.

About Joani Elliott

Joani Elliott taught writing at the University of Maryland and Brigham Young University. The Audacity of Sara Grayson is her first novel. Find book club resources, virtual author chats, and more at joanielliott.com.

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Memoir, Travel & Adventure

Sep 25: One of These Things First & Razor Clams, Buried Treasure of the PNW

September 8, 2017

From his grandparent’s bra and girdle store, to a stint in one of the most fashionable psychiatric hospitals after a suicide attempt, Steven Gaines takes us on the tragically joyous ride of a 15-year-old Jewish boy in 1960’s Brooklyn.

One of These Things First includes conversion therapy and Broadway dreams, and an array of eccentric characters he met along the way. Steven is a noted journalist, bestselling novelist and biographer, whose work has appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times, the New York Observer, and New York magazine, where he was a contributing editor for 12 years.

Also today, what has the power to draw thousands of people of all ages to the often blustery shores of Washington’s coastal beaches every year?

Seattle Times contributor and author David Berger shares the secrets of our regional razor clam phenomenon in Razor Clams:  Buried Treasure of the Pacific Northwest.  David Berger has worked as a visual arts critic for The Seattle Times, and started razor clamming when he moved to Washington.  You can see him at Third Place Books on October 5, at 7 PM.

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Memoir

May 29: Driving Miss Norma & Death Need Not Be Fatal

May 15, 2017

Norma Jean Bauerschmidt lived a quiet northern Michigan life for 90 years, never even crossing a state line.  It took the death of her husband of 67 years, followed by her own diagnosis of a terminal illness two days later, for Norma to stop existing and start living. Refusing a hospital bed, she told her doctor, “I’m 90-years-old. I’m hitting the road.”

Driving Miss Norma: One Family’s Journey Saying “Yes” to Living chronicles the year-long road trip with son and daughter-in-law, Tim Bauerschmidt and Ramie Liddle. Both are professional nomads who travel cross-country full-time in their Airstream trailer, along with Ringo the dog.

Also today, being the last remaining child of Angela of Angela’s Ashes fame, coupled with being Irish, Malachy McCourt has a certain expertise on death.  His latest book, Death Need Not Be Fatal, is of course about the rituals of death … for instance, why do we keep our lights on in funeral processions … but it also is about laughing, tears, brotherhood, poverty, the famous, and living life to the fullest.

Malachy McCourt is an actor, writer, politician, and younger brother of famed writer Frank McCourt.  He was the 2006 Green Party candidate for Governor of New York, has appeared in numerous television shows and movies, and authored several books.

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Personal Development

May 15: F*ck Love 2 & The Worry-Free Mind

May 13, 2017

F*ck Love: One Shrink’s Sensible Advice for Finding a Lasting Relationship is not a typical relationship book.

As the authors say, it “might not help you find the person of your dreams, but it will provide you the roadmap to avoiding the kind of nightmare relationships that probably caused you to buy books like this in the first place.” Sarah Bennett uses her professional sense of humor as a comic, to ground the real-life advice of her psychiatrist dad and coauthor Michael Bennett, MD.

At 3:30 am the hamster wheel in your head is going 90 mph. You toss. You turn. And finally your alarm clock goes off and you face another exhausting day, only to repeat the cycle over and over. again. But life can be different!

Pyschotherapist Bill Wade shares some of the powerful tools from The Worry Free Mind: Train Your Brain, Calm the Stress Spin Cycle, and Discover a Happier, More Productive You. Dr. Wade is licensed as a professional counselor, and marriage and family therapist, and has maintained a therapy practice for more than 30 years. Both he and his coauthor, Carol Kershaw EdD, have presented workshops throughout the United States and abroad in clinical hypnosis, brain-based transformation, and meditation.

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Personal Development

Feb 13: 1] F*ck Love 2] The Worry-Free Mind

February 13, 2017

F*ck Love: One Shrink’s Sensible Advice for Finding a Lasting Relationship is not a typical relationship book.

As the authors say, it “might not help you find the person of your dreams, but it will provide you the roadmap to avoiding the kind of nightmare relationships that probably caused you to buy books like this in the first place.” Sarah Bennett uses her professional sense of humor as a comic, to ground the real-life advice of her psychiatrist dad and coauthor Michael Bennett, MD.

At 3:30 am the hamster wheel in your head is going 90 mph. You toss. You turn. And finally your alarm clock goes off and you face another exhausting day, only to repeat the cycle over and over. again. But life can be different!

Pyschotherapist Bill Wade shares some of the powerful tools from The Worry Free Mind: Train Your Brain, Calm the Stress Spin Cycle, and Discover a Happier, More Productive You. Dr. Wade is licensed as a professional counselor, and marriage and family therapist, and has maintained a therapy practice for more than 30 years. Both he and his coauthor, Carol Kershaw EdD, have presented workshops throughout the United States and abroad in clinical hypnosis, brain-based transformation, and meditation.

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Memoir

Jan 09: 1] The Wrong Dog 2] The Seventh Plague

January 9, 2017

From NY Times Bestselling author David Elliot Cohen comes the heartwarming and often hilarious tale of Simba II, a mischevious white labrador retriever puppy bought home by accident. Included in The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love is the author’s 3300 mile cross-country odyssey that chronicles the unbreakable bond between a dog and it’s people.

Bestselling mastermind James Rollins joins Vicki today to discuss the latest entry in his popular Sigma Series. The Seventh Plague blends scientific intrigue with historical mystery, and reveals an ancient threat hidden within the pages of the Bible that has a puzzling connection to Mark Twain’s travels, the genius of Nikola Tesla, and the adventures of explorer Henry Morgan Stanley.

Listen to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. For exclusive updates throughout the rest of the week, like us on Facebook, and follow Vicki St. Clair on Twitter!

David Elliot Cohen demonstrates with great precision the vast and benevolent role dogs play in American family life in his latest effort, The Wrong Dog: An Unlikely Tale of Unconditional Love. As the accidentally adopted new family member grows from an energetic puppy into an enormous ninety-pound dog with a huge personality, Simba cements the bond between two families and enriches their lives in countless ways. A Yale graduate, David has produced numerous titles for Barnes & Noble’s in-house publishing division including four presidential photo-biographies and a book about the power of socially-conscious photojournalism. As an editor and author, he has created books that have sold over 6 million copies worldwide, including 4 NY Times bestsellers.

Featuring an ‘Elon Musk’ like character and a unique perspective on the friendship between Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla, The Seventh Plague by James Rollins weaves several relevant themesthroughout including Trump, Tesla and a secret energy source; whether or not a virus could cause one of the biblical plagues, and the frightening reality of electric-eating bacteria. James Rollins is a New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers, translated into more than forty languages. In each novel, James unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets…and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight.

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Fiction, Health & Wellness, Social Issues

Oct 03: 1] Nine Island 2] Your Best Healthcare Now

October 3, 2016

Jane Alison’s new release Nine Island is a smart, darkly funny, and decidedly feminist examination of middle age sexuality and romantic love in which the narrator struggles with what it means to feel desire and crave romantic love.

With healthcare costs at a premium and insurance being a confusing and frustrating nightmare of details and fine print, Your Best Health Care Now: Get Doctor Discounts, Save With Better Health Insurance, Find Affordable Prescriptions by prize-winning investigative journalist Frank Lalli comes to the rescue as a guide to crack the system and make sure you are getting the right treatments and prescriptions at the right cost.

Listen to Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. For exclusive updates throughout the rest of the week, like us on Facebook, and follow Vicki St. Clair on Twitter!

Jane Alison, aided by the advice of her friends and the poetic philosophies she studies, struggles with what it means to feel desire and crave romantic love in her new autobiographical novel Nine Island. Jane has authored a memoir and three novels and was the translator of Ovid’s stories of sexual transformation, Change Me. She is Professor and Director of Creative Writing at the University of Virginia.

When Frank Lalli was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a potentially terminal blood cancer, he put his reporter’s instincts to work and ultimately got the lifesaving $571-a-day drug he needed…for free. Learn how to crack the system in his new book, Your Best Health Care Now: Get Doctor Discounts, Save With Better Health Insurance, Find Affordable Prescriptions. Frank is the former editor of Money, George, and Readers Digest International magazines and worked as an investigative reporter for Forbes. Currently the special health correspondent for Parade, he has devoted his career to getting to the bottom of a good story.

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