Life throws out some major challenges, and today Vicki’s guests demonstrate inspiring stories of how they stood up and thrived while facing major life transitions. First, Nancy Sharp shares how she and her husband Stood Up to cancer following his diagnosis while she was pregnant with twins. Later, two sprightly ladies in their 80’s who run the Elderchicks.com blog say turning 60 is a great thing as long as you Stand Up and enjoy life! And artist and entrepreneur Becky Blades discusses her book Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone! 

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Be sure to like Conversations Live on Facebook for exclusive updates and contests, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

On the very day Nancy Sharp delivered premature twins, she learned her husband’s brain cancer returned after 18 months in remission. Less than 3 years later, she became a 37 year old widow. Rather than succumbing to the tragic situation life handed her, Nancy used her annate ability to hold life and death in the same moment, and set off for a fresh start, finding a new love in the most unlikeliest of places. Author Ann Hood calls Both Sides Now: A True Story of Love, Loss, and Bold Living “an unflinching of love and loss and hope… essential reading for anyone facing adversity–which is all of us.” Nancy is a writer and keynote speaker who writes regularly for the Huffington Post and numerous other online media, national magazines, and newspapers. Her recent essay on Stand Up 2 Cancer received over 150,000 hits in just a few hours.

This year, and every year until 2030 baby boomers – the 77 million members of the generation that shook up America – will be hitting the milestone age of 65 at a rate of about 8000 a day! Right now across America, millions of women are wondering what to do with, and how to make the best of, the rest of their lives. Recently retired professors Thelma Reese and Barbara M. Fleisher recently grappled with that very question. Their search for answers uncovered a wealth of role models in their own set of peers… women who have mastered the art of life as a senior citizen and live it with flair, dignity, and a continuing sense of accomplishment. Now co-founders and keepers of the trailblazing blog Elderchicks.com, Reese and Fleisher share their delightful discoveries of living senior life in The New Senior Woman: Reinventing the Years Beyond Mid-Life.

Becky Blades is a renowned artist and entrepreneur whose new book, Do Your Laundry or You’ll Die Alone: Advice Your Mom Would Give if She Thought You Were Listening is a warm, witty coming of age combination of Becky’s art and advice, all inspired by a letter she wrote to her daughter.  Becky is in a good position to give advice across a wide spectrum… in addition to her writing and art, she is a business strategist that has served on corporate boards, as a civic advocate for the arts, and as a consultant a mentor.  Her blog is stARTistry.com.

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Today Vicki is joined by Helen Peppe with her memoir Pigs Can’t Swim, Barbara Bonner and her moving collection of stories Inspiring Generosity, and recovering addict Chris Grosso with his powerful story about finding spirituality, Indie Spiritualist.

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs live each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like Conversations Live on Facebook for exclusive content and updates, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Helen Peppe’s debut memoir Pigs Can’t Swim is a hilarious and touching look at childhood by the youngest of 9 children from a very Maine-centric family. Her deadpan humor accentuates absurd but true stories of ferocious sibling rivalry, feral male chauvinism, rock bottom poverty… even sex in the hayloft! Peppe is a professional writer and photographer whose works have received numerous awards and recognition.

Imbued with author Barbara Bonner’s generosity of spirit, Inspiring Generosity is meant to inspire readers with moving stories about contemporary individuals whose lives have been transformed through the power of generosity. She uses poems and quotes spanning different cultures and centuries of time to further celebrate this remarkable quality. Barbara currently serves as a senior advisor to many organizations and has served as deputy director of The Museum of the City of New York and curator and development specialist of The Asia Society.

Chris Grosso is a recovering addict and shares his powerful story about finding spirituality and making it work for you in Indie Spiritualist. He is widely recognized as an emerging voice in alternative spirituality as a tattoed, independent culturalist who loves skateboarding and music. Chris is a self-taught musician who has been writing, recording, and touring since the 90’s, and also serves as a writer for the Huffington Post.

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For a family to function as a unit, everyone must have a role. As parents, it’s easy to get sidetracked by focusing only on the kids and their well-being. In Family Whispering, author Melinda Blau showcases how every member of a family has an important role to fill as everyone ages, matures, and inevitable shifts in relationships occur. But first, Vicki welcomes psychotherapist Marcia Naomi Berger to discuss her book Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love and how a half hour a week can bring you lasting love!

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair comes to you each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook for exclusive updates and content, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

All parents want what’s best for their children. The strategies in Melinda Blau’s new book Family Whispering, co-written with “The Baby Whisperer” the late Tracy Hogg, will improve a couple’s relationship and strengthen the entire family unit, including working wonders for children. 10 years in the making, the book alleviates the parent’s guilt and allows children to take real roles in running the family, increasing their confidence and competence while they grow, nurture, and become well rounded adults. Blau is an award-winning journalist with over 15 books and 100 magazine articles to her credit, and has spent the better part of her 40 year career studying relationships. She uses this real-life experience and stories from the trenches as a mother and grandmother to solidify her work.

In today’s busy world, it’s easy to fall into the “I just don’t have time right now” trap, and it can be difficult to make sure you are spending the right amount of time with your spouse. In Marriage Meetings for Lasting Love, psychotherapist Marcia Naomi Berger delivers a step-by-step guide on how to reconnect every week by holding a short meeting with an agenda that covers all bases with 4 simple points. She also covers other facets of fostering a healthy relationship such as debunking marriage myths, enhancing communication skills, and how to handle conflicts or verbal abuse. In addition to being a psychotherapist, Marcia has been a licensed clinical social worker for over 30 years, working with couples, individuals, families and groups.

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Learn how to attract… and keep… the brightest and best employees as Conversations Live features Roberta Chinsky Matuson joins Vicki to chat about her new book, Talent Magnetism. Find out why Roberta is known worldwide as the Talent Maximizer! We’ll also hear from Sam Bennett on how to go from procrastinating to being lauded as a creative genius with Get It Done. Finally, NYT Bestseller Po Bronson makes his CLV return! Enjoy his first appearance here!

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Enjoy frequent and exclusive updates and show information by liking Conversations Live on Facebook, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Your company is only as good as the talent you keep. With the economy improving and baby boomers retiring or moving into second careers, there is a whole new set of rules for attracting the top talent and getting them to stick around. Fortune 500 consultant Roberta Chinsky Matuson shares tips on how any company — even small to medium sized — can attract and keep the best and brightest employees in her book Talent Magnetism: How to Build a Workplace That Attracts and Keeps the Best. Roberta is known worldwide as the Talent Maximizer, a nickname she has earned as president of Matuson Consulting where she has used her position to help companies ranging in size from small start-up’s to Fortune 500 achieve dramatic growth and market leadership by maximizing their talent.

You KNOW you’re a creative genius. So what’s holding you back? Maybe it’s that daunting to-do list, perhaps you are one of those people that has to get ready to get ready to tackle a project, or it could be your problem is determining just which of those projects comes first. No matter which of these or any other methods of procrastinating your mind has conjured up, Sam Bennett has the solution to overcoming it and unleashing your creative genius on the world in her new book Get It Done! Having worked alongside comics such as Steve Carrell and Stephen Colbert as a Second City alum, Sam brings a fun and engaging tone as she demonstrates innovative exercises and provides inspiring true success stories to guide you over that hump! Check out her website at Theorganizedartistcompany.com!

Now available in paperback, the NYT bestselling Top Dog combines an astonishing blend of science and storytelling to reveal what’s truly in the heart of a champion – the joy of victory and the character building agony of defeat. Po Bronson, along with co-writer Ashley Merryman, upends conventional wisdom, explaining the forces that compel us to compete, and explores a myriad of unique and unorthodox topics that can help you tip the odds in your favor. The writing team of Bronson and Merryman have produced several NYT bestsellers while also racking up 9 national awards for their reporting. As a solo act, Po has written his own NYT bestseller among his 5 books, and his writing has been featured in Time and the Washington Post.

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CBS News calls Rania Batayneh’s 1:1:1 diet plan one of 10 diet trends to watch in 2014. Learn how this ultra-simple program can help you lose pounds fast without sacrificing your favorite foods! Vicki is also joined today by registered dietitian Jill West to discuss her new book 400 Moms, a comprehensive “go-to” guide for busy moms everywhere, and licensed counselor Nathaniel David Smith with his new book Taming Your Temper! 

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Enjoy frequent and exclusive updates and show information by liking Conversations Live on Facebook, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

One One One author and nutritionist Rania Batayneh introduces a new diet plan that only requires remembering the number one: eat one protein, one carb, and one fat at every meal. Rania used this method herself to lose 42 pounds in 6 months after the birth of her son, and has aided over 800 clients to drop thousands of pounds collectively with this simple program. The plan is perfectly adaptable to any lifestyle and allows you to still indulge in the things you love! Known as America’s Eating Strategist, Rania has a master’s in public health nutrition and works with clients nationwide through her consulting firm, Essential Nutrition For You.

The solution to childhood obesity may be found in one four-letter word: Moms! According to Jill West’s new book, 400 Moms: Discover What 400 Nutrition Experts Feed Their Kids, the foods we serve our children not only make a difference in their physical health and fitness, but can also greatly impact their behavior, success in school, and even their own self-esteem. Jill is an accomplished speaker, author, Registered Dietitian, Certified Health Coach, and most importantly, a mother of 3 boys!

Anger is an emotion we all share, and there is an element of danger in the fact that as a society we are becoming numb to incidents involving road rage, violence in schools and malls, even tragic events such as the bombing at the Boston Marathon. With Taming Your Temper, licensed counselor Nathaniel David Smith offers a real-life approach to understanding how angry thoughts translate into behaviors and actions that can destroy relationships, doom a career, or be harmful to the trangressor’s health and the health of those around them. Smith helps to identify triggers and provides ways to cool down before acting in an aggressive or destructive manner. His services have helped the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to rehabilitate offenders with deep rooted anger issues. You can find his book and learn more about his programs at Tempertamersprogram.com.

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Sometimes we need a little help finding ourselves in our own lives. Jennifer Louden has written The Life Organizer to help you stay connected to you! And returning guest NYT Bestseller Carla Neggers takes us back to the lush Swift River Valley with the story of one woman’s quest for treasure and redemption in her upcoming new release Cider Brook! We’ll also hear from John Davidson regarding his haunting new book based on actual events, The Obedient Assassin! 

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Enjoy frequent and exclusive updates and show information by liking Conversations Live on Facebook, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Being rescued by a good-looking, bad-boy firefighter isn’t how Samantha Bennett expected to start her stay in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. Now she has everyone’s attention—especially that of Justin Sloan, her rescuer, who wants to know why she was camped out in an abandoned old New England cider mill. Carla Neggers returns to Swift River Valley to unfold the tale of these unlikely partners in her upcoming release Cider Brook. Carla’s writing career began with a notepad in the branches of her favorite sugar maple tree at the age of eleven, and has led to over 60 novels with translations in 24 languages and several stays on the NYT bestseller list! Find out what keeps this prolific author churning out books after all these years!

Jennifer Louden believes that self-love + world-love = wholeness for all. Her latest book is aptly titled The Life Organizer, and it is designed to guide the reader into saving time by assessing greater sources of knowing than the conscious mind allows, increasing creativity and energy by embracing your own quirky self, trusting and investigating your desires, and perhaps most importantly, live your own life instead of someone else’s. Jennifer has written four other books on well-being and whole living and has also been a national magazine columnist.

A visit to the Trotsky Museum in Coyoacan, Mexico in 2001 began the inspiration for John Davidson to write the novel that eventually became The Obedient Assassin. While the novel is a work of fiction, over a decade of researching the actual events and the conspiracies and cover-up’s created a jigsaw puzzle of intrigue which Davidson has spun into a haunting and fascinating look at one of the more intriguing candidates for crime of the century. Davidson kept as many of the names real as possible, as well as the descriptive details. He is an award-winning writer and has worked as senior editor at several publications as well as teaching english at a university in Puerto Rico.

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The View’s Jenny McCarthy calls Tipping Sacred Cows “…raw, open, honest, and hilarious.” Author Betsey Chasse brings her sharp wit to Conversations Live to discuss the uplifting story of spilt milk, spirituality, and finding your way in a hectic world. Returning guest Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit, shares a 3 step habit loop to trick your brain and make those New Year’s resolutions pay off! But joining Vicki first today is Brian Payton to discuss his gripping new novel The Wind is Not a River. Brian will be in Seattle on 1/29 and 1/30. Click here for details! 

Enjoy Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM and 94.9FM HD. Like our Facebook page for exclusive content and updates and follow Vicki on Twitter!

In a starkly beautiful and forgotten corner of the North Pacific, one of the most fascinating and least known battles of WWII took place on American soil in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. This unsettling series of events was supressed by the government at the time, but several daring journalists infiltrated the territory to attempt to report the story. This is the setting of Brian Payton’s latest novel, The Wind is Not a River. He chronicles two interwined tales… that of a bold journalist whose plane is shot down, finding himself perilously trapped in a battle against starvation, the elements, and Japanese troops behind enemy lines… and that of his distraught wife, who embarks on a bold quest against all odds to bring her husband home, taking her beyond the comfort of safety and into the farthest reaches of the war. Payton is a highly regarded and award-winning fiction and nonfiction writer, who has also written for some of the top media outlets such as the NY Times and Boston Globe. Brian will be appearing for a book signing and Q and A session at Elliott Bay Books on 1/29, and at Third Place Books on 1/30. Both appearances are at 7 PM.

Pulitzer Prize winner Charles Duhigg returns to Conversations Live today to further discuss the topic of his book, the aptly titles The Power of Habit. We have all made New Year’s Resolutions only to find ourselves losing interest or motivation in them, often before we even flip our calendar to February! So whether your resolution is run more, read more, hit the gym, or whatever you strive to accomplish, eat more chocolate. No, you read that right. Today Duhigg will demonstrate how using a cue like eating a piece of chocolate after accomplishing a goal can help to rewire (read: trick) your brain into creating a good new habit! Duhigg is an investigative reporter for the New York Times.
Attention spiritual flailers, those of you lost, wandering along the path to Enlightenment. You’ve meditated, fasted, perhaps even shaved your head… or are considering any of them. Don’t do it until you have read Betsey Chasse’s new book Tipping Sacred Cows! Betsey will help you discover that happiness is a state of mind and you are already there if you are willing to put in a little work to uncover your bliss and your mojo! She will help you reclaim your life and rethink what you “know” about spirituality, reality, and yourself! Betsey is a mom, filmmaker, author, radio host, and blogger, and is the co-creator of the hit film What the Bleep Do We Know?

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Whether or not you consider yourself a writer, journaling can be a powerful way to unlock your inner knowing, heal past hurts, and gain clarity around current challenges. Who better to lead this discussion than someone who’s devoted her life to empowering others through her work. The author of Journaling for Joy, and the Live Your Dream series, Joyce Chapman joins Vicki to help listeners tap into their inner knowing.

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs Mondays at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook to receive exclusive updates and show info, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Joyce Chapman has devoted her life to empowering others, first as a teacher for the California public school system, then as director of an innovative school in San Diego, CA. She’s a consultant, speaker, counselor, coach, and author with a Master’s in counseling psychology. Listen to podcast of Joyce’s Live Your Dream books here.

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In our continuing Healing with the Arts series, we focus on Creating Your Sacred Space with someone who literally painted her way out of severe depression–professor, painter, and nurse Mary Rockwood Lane. Also today, international and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Mireille Guiliano. In French Women Don’t Get Facelifts, Mirielle says she doesn’t believe in aging gracefully … but she does believe in aging with attitude! 

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair is live every Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM or 94.9FM HD. Like us on Facebook for exclusive updates and content and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Co-author of the recently released Healing with the Arts, Mary Rockwood Lane returns today to offer her tips on creating space in our sacred lives, making beautiful environments that are healing spiritually. Mary has written or co-written numerous books on the arts and spirituality and their roles in healing, also lecturing and teaching workshops around the globe. After co-founding and subsequently directing the Shands Arts in Medicine program at University of Florida, Gainesville, she became an Associate Professor of Nursing, teaching creativity and spirituality in healthcare. If you missed it, here is Mary’s first appearance on Conversations Live!

Dubbed by USA Today as the “high priestess of French Lady Wisdom,” Mireille Guliano shares the secrets of aging with grace, style, and attitude in the follow-up to her bestselling French Women Don’t Get Fat. Aptly titled French Women Don’t Get Facelifts, Guliano’s latest book is designed to help women age with dignity, rather than with plastic surgery. From assessing the attitude to take towards gravity, to dressing with fearless style, tips on skin care and makeup, as well as a sensible diet, Guliano proves that while you can’t stop the sands of time, you can look and feel great without resorting to surgery!

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Brave the treacherous elements in one of the most inhospitable environments on Earth as Tim Jarvis, one of the world’s leading explorers, recreates the legendary 1914 expedition to the south pole of Ernest Shackleton. And to inspire getting in shape for such a journey, yoga instructor Meagan McCrary takes an in-depth look at both the physical and spiritual side in her new book, Pick Your Yoga Practice. Find out which form of yoga is right for you! 

Conversations Live with Vicki St. Clair airs each Monday at noon Pacific on KKNW 1150AM and 94.9FM HD. Like Conversations Live us on Facebook to receive exclusive updates and show info, and follow Vicki on Twitter!

Winter, 2013. Using only authentic equipment from the era, Tim Jarvis, veteran of multiple polar expeditions and one of the world’s foremost explorers sets out to re-enact the 1914 treacherous boat voyage and subsequent crossing of South Georgia’s mountainous interior of Ernest Shackleton. If Jarvis and his crew of six succesfully navigate the perilous terrain on this journey they will be the first to do so using traditional gear. The results of this adventure are meticulously documented in Jarvis’ memoir Chasing Shackleton, set to coincide with the 3-part PBS documentary commemorating the 100th anniversary of Shackleton’s original expedition. Jarvis holds the world record for the fastest unsupported journey to the south pole and longest unsupported journey in Antarctica. In addition to his expeditions, he has taken turns as a filmmaker, public speaker, and bestselling author.

On the surface, it may appear that Yoga is simply a trendy form of exercise, or perhaps a way to find some inner spiritual sanctuary for a short time in the middle of our hectic workaday lives. But take a moment and allow Meagan McCrary to delve into what is at the heart of the practice of Yoga: a personal journey that will leave you feeling physically, mentally, and spiritually refreshed, every time. In Pick Your Yoga Practice, Meagan reveals that there are a multitude of different styles of yoga and the goal is to find the one that suits you. She takes an in-depth exploration of the seven most prominent approaches, and even briefly explains 10 of the “best of the rest.” Meagan teaches yoga for Equinox Sports Clubs in Los Angeles, working one-on-one with some of the entertainment industries leading professionals, and holds workshops and retreats nationally and internationally.

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