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Dec 06: What it Means to Be a Twin with Helena De Bres

December 6, 2023

How to Be Multiple: The Philosophy of Twins Explores Twinhood & What It Can Tell Us About Being Human

How to be Multiple with author Helena De Bres

Wait, which twin are you? Who is the evil twin? Have you ever switched partners? Can you read each other’s mind?

Twins get asked the weirdest questions by strangers, loved ones, even themselves.

As a twin and professor of philosophy, Helena De Bres takes an indepth look at what it means to be a twin from personal and philosophical perspectives, including positive and negative stereotypes.

About Helena De Bres

Helena De Bres is Professor in the Wellesley College Department of Philosophy. Currently, she is researching the nature and value of memoir, and the question of what makes life meaningful. Earlier work in philosophy was on distributive justice in global politics. She has a major interest in creative writing, public philosophy and the intersection between the two. Lisa De Bres, Helena’s twin, drew all of the illustrations for How To Be Multiple.

Fiction, Short Stories, Writers on Writing

Nov 29: Kelly Sather Award Winning Author of Small in Real Life

November 29, 2023

Winner of 2023 Drue Heinz Literature Prize – Short Story Debut Author

Small In Real Life with author Kelly Sather

Some say short-story formats are impossible to publish. Kelly Sather proves that wrong with her first book: A beautiful collection of nine stories – and winner of the 2023 Drue Heinz Literature Prize – Small In Real Life.

Kelly Sather’s characters face desire, regret, betrayal. They make false choices. Look for love and belonging with the wrong people. And ultimately face the consequences of the unsavory business of being human.

Kelly discusses her work, compiling the stories for this collection, and the challenges involved in the writer’s life.

About Kelly Sather

Kelly Sather is a writer, former entertainment lawyer, and screenwriter. Her stories and reviews have appeared in Santa Monica Review, J Journal, Pembroke Magazine, PANK, ZYZZYVA, and elsewhere. She grew up in Los Angeles and lives in Northern California.

Essays, Memoir, Non Fiction, Writers on Writing

Books, Stories, Poems, Writers, & Life with Best American Short Stories Author, Peter Orner

November 22, 2023

Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin

Podcast with author Peter Orner

Peter Orner is a storyteller. He’s a writer’s writer … a novelist, short story master, and prolific essayist. What he really wants to accomplish with his writing, is to connect — especially with readers who can’t not read.

In Peter’s seventh book, Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin, he shares intimate stories from a life of living and reading. We discover how Peter’s stories are often built around small moments that may otherwise seem insignificant. We discuss how he identifies moments that will make a great story. What it means to live the writer’s life, and the challenges that presents.

About Peter Orner

The author of two novels and several story collections, Peter Orner‘s work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories, The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and more. His previous essay collection, Am I Alone Here? Notes on Living to Read and Reading to Live, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism. Peter Orner is a 3-time recipient of the Pushcart Prize and has received numerous awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a Fulbright in Namibia. He is currently the director of creative writing at Dartmouth College.

Health & Wellness, Memoir, Non Fiction

Roll Back The World: A Sister’s Memoir with Deborah Kasdan

November 8, 2023

A Family Living with an Eldest Child’s Mental Illness, Searching for Answers and Forgiveness

Roll Back the World with author Deborah Kasdan

When her eldest sister Rachel was hospitalized for the first time, young Deborah Kasdan had no idea what was happening. While her parents didn’t discuss Rachel’s problems, or why they occurred, Deborah certainly felt the stigma, shame, trauma, and depression around the diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Today Deborah Kasdan discusses her search for the truth, examining how each family member reacted and coped as family dynamics were impacted. What Deborah learned after Rachel died. Family dynamics and how her perspective on her own relationship with her mother changed while writing Roll Back The World. And what Deborah wishes she’d known when her sister was first “sent away”.

About Deborah Kasdan

Deborah Kasdan had a 35-year career writing about business and technology before retiring and joining Westport Writer’s Workshop to make her personal stories come alive. She served on the board of directors of Under One Roof, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for Southwest CT.

Health & Wellness, Non Fiction

Better Sex, Better Health, Better You with Dr. Nita Landry

November 1, 2023

Dr. Nita’s Crash Course for Women

Dr. Nita Landry answers the questions women don’t always want to ask. Questions about female sexuality, orgasms, what the orgasm gap means, and why it’s good to focus less on orgasms and more on just having fun.

She also shares what we need to know about STDs — at any age! Plus we look at the latest medical guidance on health screenings for cancer of the breast and cervix.

About Dr. Nita Landry

Nita Landry is an MD, OB-GYN. In addition to cohosting The Doctors, she served as a medical expert on other TV programs including Good Morning America, Today, Dr. Phil, CBS national news, and Black Entertainment Television. And served as an ambassador for National Women’s Health Week from 2018 through 2021. Dr. Nita Landry’s book is Crash Course for Women: Better Sex, Better Health, Better you.

Health & Wellness, Non Fiction, Self-help

The Food-Mood Connection with Mary Beth Albright

October 25, 2023

Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being

Podcast with Mary Beth Albright

Drawing on the most recent science, food expert Mary Beth Albright shares how food has the power to nourish your mind and support emotional wellness. Eat & Flourish is not a diet book. It’s a whole system, whole living explanation of how nutrition, environment, psychology, biology — and even pleasure — work together to alleviate depression, anxiety, and stress.

Mary Beth redefines emotional eating and discusses the food-mood connection. The power of the gut microbiome. And the importance of understanding your gut-brain connection.

About Mary Beth Albright

Mary Beth Albright began her research while working at the Surgeon General’s office, with Surgeon General C. Everett Koop. She’s now a correspondent and editor at The Washington Post, writing for Health/Science, Food, Travel, and Book World (as she says – the things that make life good). She’s also a public health attorney with two award-winning video series, including Secret Table and Teach Dave to Cook. Her latest book, Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-being.

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

Help for Sensitive People in Today’s Turbulent World with Dr. Judith Orloff

October 18, 2023

The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies

If you find yourself turning off the news, avoiding certain people, or declining events simply because you can’t cope with one more thing, Dr. Judith Orloff gets you.

Speaking personally as a high-empath, and professionally as a licensed psychiatrist, Dr. Orloff feels your pain and understands firsthand how being sensitive can lead to anxiety, stress, and feelings of being overwhelmed.

Today we share how to tell what kind of empath you are and what that means. Dr. Orloff highlights the different experiences between introvert and extrovert empaths. We discuss the neuroscience behind empaths that shows why some people feel things more than others. How to rise above self-medication (think, food, alchohol, and other substances}. And we share easy solutions to help combat toxic energy.

About Judith Orloff, MD

Dr Judith Orloff is the New York Times bestselling author of The Empath’s Survival Guide and Thriving as an Empath. A psychiatrist in private practice, and a member of the psychiatric clinical faculty at UCLA where she specializes in treating highly sensitive people and empaths, Dr. Orloff’s work has been featured by The Today Show, Oprah Magazine, and The New York Times.

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

H ersch 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.

Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

PJ McIlvaine Introduces The Good Man

October 2, 2023

New Psychological Mystery Thriller – He Wants to Remember, He’ll Wish He Could Forget

A Good Man with author PJ McIlvaine

PJ McIlvaine has successfully jumped genres more than once — from screenplay to children’s books, young adult, and now her debut thriller A Good Man.

How did this author do what many say you can’t or shouldn’t? Today we discuss her writing journey and PJ’s publishing experiences. She also shares personal details of how her brother’s death helped inspire her protagonist.

We discuss character development, some of PJ’s research. The types of scenes that thrill and challenge her as a writer. And how PJ juggles multiple projects, since she just had two books published within two months!

About PJ McIlvaine

PJ McILVAINE is the author of A GOOD MAN and THE CONUNDRUM OF CHARLEMAGNE CROSSE. Her Showtime original movie My Horrible Year was nominated for a Daytime Emmy. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Newsday, and elsewhere. She lives on Eastern Long Island with her family and Luna, a pampered French Bulldog. Find PJ online at pjmacwriter.com.

Fiction, Suspense, Thriller, Writers on Writing

Best Selling Author Robert Dugoni: Her Deadly Game

September 27, 2023

Her Deadly Game with Author Robert Dugoni

Seattle Author Introduces New Protagonist, Prosecutor Keera Duggan

Robert Dugoni’s new character, Keera Duggan, worked hard to build an impressive reputation as Seattle prosecutor. When she makes a major life change, she gets more than she bargained for, and is immediately thrown into the middle of mayhem.

We discuss why and how Robert developed a host of new characters for Her Deadly Game. What the author did to ensure realism in his tense courtroom drama, and how he uses dialogue to develop the story. Robert also shares his favorite type of scenes to write, and why he keeps sex scenes to a minimum. Robert also shares his elixir for managing stress and keeping life balanced in these crazy times.

About Robert Dugoni

Robert Dugoni is the critically acclaimed New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post and #1 Amazon bestselling author of the Tracy Crosswhite police series set in Seattle, which has sold more than 8 million books worldwide. He is also the author of The Charles Jenkins espionage series, the David Sloane legal thriller series, and several stand-alone novels. Dugoni is the recipient of the Nancy Pearl Award for Fiction and a three-time winner of the Friends of Mystery Spotted Owl Award for best novel set in the Pacific Northwest.

Dec 06: What it Means to Be a Twin with Helena De Bres

How to Be Multiple: The Philosophy of Twins Explores Twinhood & What It Can Tell Us About Being Human

About Helena De Bres

Nov 29: Kelly Sather Award Winning Author of Small in Real Life

Winner of 2023 Drue Heinz Literature Prize – Short Story Debut Author

About Kelly Sather

Books, Stories, Poems, Writers, & Life with Best American Short Stories Author, Peter Orner

Still No Word from You: Notes in the Margin

About Peter Orner

Roll Back The World: A Sister’s Memoir with Deborah Kasdan

A Family Living with an Eldest Child’s Mental Illness, Searching for Answers and Forgiveness

About Deborah Kasdan

Better Sex, Better Health, Better You with Dr. Nita Landry

Dr. Nita’s Crash Course for Women

About Dr. Nita Landry

The Food-Mood Connection with Mary Beth Albright

Eat & Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being

About Mary Beth Albright

Help for Sensitive People in Today’s Turbulent World with Dr. Judith Orloff

The Empath’s Survival Guide: Life Strategies

About Judith Orloff, MD

What Can Dogs Teach Us? Plenty Says Hersch Wilson

Dog Lessons: Learning the Important Stuff from Our Best Friends

Hersch Wilson

PJ McIlvaine Introduces The Good Man

New Psychological Mystery Thriller – He Wants to Remember, He’ll Wish He Could Forget

About PJ McIlvaine

Best Selling Author Robert Dugoni: Her Deadly Game

Seattle Author Introduces New Protagonist, Prosecutor Keera Duggan

About Robert Dugoni

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