A Book and a Chat with Lauren Roedy Vaughn

“There are good books, and there are great books, and then there are books with characters you’ll never forget”. So writes one reviewer about Lauren Roedy Vaughn’s book “OCD, The Dude, and Me”. I would like to add, it is a book that can be read and enjoyed by all. Making the fact that Lauren was the guest on tonight’s “A Book and a Chat” a show I had been looking forward to, and I wasn’t disappointed.

In a way Lauren is especially equipped, even picked out, to write Danielle’s story in “OCD, The Dude, and Me”. She has been a special education teacher and a writer for nearly 20 years. In 2005, she received the Walk of Hearts Teaching Award, and she serves on the Board of the International Dyslexia Association’s Los Angeles Branch.

The mentioned being picked out for that in a way is what seemed to happen to Lauren, the story just chose her to be the author, and a great job she did. As Lauren described…

“One day when I was teaching and thinking about how difficult it is to be a high school student, especially one with learning challenges or psychological issues. I have great respect and compassion for these students. They are warriors. I was moved to write about a fictional one of these high school students to illuminate the courage I see in so many of them”

The result is a story that is smart, funny, touching, and has a strong voiced main character, it is written in a format that employs various formats including emails, diary entries and school essays.

About “OCD, The Dude, and Me” (taken from Amazon):

With frizzy orange hair, a plus-sized body, sarcastic demeanor, and “unique learning profile,” Danielle Levine doesn’t fit in even at her alternative high school. While navigating her doomed social life, she writes scathing, self-aware, and sometimes downright raunchy essays for English class.

As a result of her unfiltered writing style, she is forced to see the school psychologist and enroll in a “social skills” class. But when she meets Daniel, another social misfit who is obsessed with the cult classic film The Big Lebowski, Danielle’s resolve to keep everyone at arm’s length starts to crumble.

“OCD, The Dude, and Me” is one of those books I highly recommend for people of all ages.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Lauren Roedy Vaughn

Barry

Direct link to the show

A Book and a Chat with Lauren Roedy Vaughn

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from

“Lauren Roedy Vaughn”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:

“Lauren Roedy Vaughn – OCD, the Dude & Me”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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A Book and a Chat with Robert Henry

On Today’s “A Book and a Chat” I have a guest that will help many of us slightly older readers, whose doctor might have told them “You’re not getting any younger”.

Robert Henry, age 56, is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, a Certified Personal Trainer, a Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition, and a Certified Wellness Coach. His awareness of fitness and nutrition began at the age of 29. When he first started to exercise, it was mostly for the purpose of increasing body weight through the addition of lean muscle mass. However, more than 20 years later, at the age of 52, after years of being lean and enjoying good health, Robert’s experienced an undesired increase in body fat and his health profile changed in the wrong direction

The loss of that body fat and the reversal of new and undesirable trends in his health profile became Robert’s new exercise goals. By re-booting his exercise regimen and further “tweaking” his nutrition, he successfully accomplished his new goals and, as he likes to say, discovered his “inner athlete”.

Robert has now shares his own success and information in his health/fitness how-to book, Age Re-Defined.

About”Age Re-Defined” (taken from Amazon)

Your state of health, how you feel, and how you look are more within your control than you think – even in your forties and fifties (and beyond). This book addresses exercise, fitness, nutrition, wellness, and the mind-body connection. Its purpose is not to promote any particular exercise program or diet plan – although its coverage of exercise, fitness, and nutrition is extensive – but rather to inform, educate, and motivate the reader on the importance of being proactive in one’s own health, fitness, and wellness. Even if you are already physically active, this book can assist you in evaluating the effectiveness of your current exercise efforts. Not only does the book cite to other authorities, but it also conveys the author’s own journey and his own positive results achieved through exercise, nutrition, and the mind-body connection.

The importance of nutrition is explained and heavily stressed. One comes away with an increased or renewed awareness of the importance of quality nutrition in optimal health, fitness, and wellness. Other apsects of wellness – apart from exercise and nutrition – are also addressed. A foundational background in exercise and fitness concepts is provided. The author shares his own philosophy of exercise and his own health and fitness journey, with particular emphasis on the challenges faced by him in his early fifties and the favorable health and fitness results he obtained at that age by “re-booting” his commitment to health and fitness.

As stated in the book’s Introduction: This book is about believing in yourself, maintaining inner strength, and understanding exercise, fitness, nutrition, and wellness. This book is also about getting younger instead of getting older, discovering your inner athlete, and becoming and remaining healthy and fit in both body and mind. This book is for people who have never exercised but would like to start; for people who would like to know more about good nutrition; for people who exercise but have not seen results; for people whose fitness level has declined and who want to re-ignite their fitness quest; for people who choose to be proactive about their own health, fitness and wellness; for people interested in the mind-body connection; and for people who reject negative self-talk and self-limiting stereotypes about life after the age of 50. All ages are welcome.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Robert Henry

Barry

Direct link to the show
A Book and a Chat with Robert Henry

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“Robert Henry”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“Robert Henry – Age Re-Defined”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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A Book and a Chat with N.M.Singel

Nadine Singel writing under “N.M Singel” is another author who I came across when hopping around “The Next Big Thing” blog sites. I was really impressed when reading about her book “The Wicked Passage“.

Nadine is an award winning author who studied at Warwick, one of the best universities in England. She has written two plays and several short stories as well as well as being the recipient of the Iren Ryan acting scholarship for her performance at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

Taking her love for literature along with a passion for Star Wars and Star Trek, Nadine has been able to produce “The Wicked Passage” the first in what I believe will be a much read and loved series about “Blake Wyatt”

About “The Wicked Passage”: (taken from Amazon)

Thirteen year old Blake Wyatt dug his bloodied fingers into the splintered railing of the ancient ship, struggling for footing in the violent storm. He wants desperately to wake from this nightmare…but he isn’t sleeping. The mutiny is real and the great Christopher Columbus is about to be murdered-Dagonblud’s latest victim in his quest to erase the world’s history by stealing its past, with control of the future as his ultimate reward.

It’s up to Blake, the youngest in his family of sapphire travelers, to master his incredible new powers so he can sneak through time, find, and destroy the Tolucan leader. But Dagonblud has other plans.

Will Blake ever see his family again? or will Dagonblud eliminate the last sapphire traveler standing between him and world supremacy? Strap yourself in to see how a bizarre assignment from a substitute teacher quickly turns deadly in this epic thrill-ride through time. The only thing that is certain is that Blake’s life, and the world around him, will never be the same.

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The second book as we learned will have Blake meeting Albert Einstein and who know where else the travels of Blake Wyatt will take him. A great first book sure to be enjoyed by all ages.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with N. M. Singel

Barry

Direct link to the show
“A Book and a Chat with N. M. Singel”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from
“N. M. Singel”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:
“N. M. Singel – The Wicked Passage”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

Facebook Link: A Book and a Chat on Facebook

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

 

Sometimes
during the over 500 shows I have introduced there is a guest that my family,
mainly my children pick up on and follow. When Amy Fellner Dominy previously
appeared on the show as one of the Class of 2K11 YA authors with her debut book
“OyMG”, not only was the hour spent with Amy a totally fun show, but
her book has become a firm favorite with my whole family, who have been waiting
and perhaps pestering Amy for a follow up novel now with her new book
“Audition & Subtraction”, there wish has been granted, my
daughter was also lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Amy’s new book…
WHICH THEY LOVED!

For those
who do not remember “OyMG” here is a brief synopsis.

Ellie Taylor loves nothing better than a good argument.
After all, she’s been arguing with her Zeydeh (that’s grandfather in Yiddish)
since she could talk. So when she gets accepted to the Christian Society Speech
and Performing Arts summer camp, she’s sure she can win the final tournament
and a scholarship to the best speech school in the country. Unfortunately, the
competition at CSSPA is hot—literally. His name is Devon and whether she likes
it or not, being near him makes her sizzle. Luckily she’s up for the
challenge—until she begins to suspect that the private scholarship’s benefactor
has negative feelings toward Jews. Will hiding her true identity be worth a
shot at her dream?

While Amy’s books fit between middle grade and YA I can tell
you from my own reading and from numerous other reviews that Amy’s books are
for all ages.

About “Audition
& Subtraction” (Taken from Amy’s web site)

Best friends Tatum and Lori are used to doing everything
together—including a clarinet/flute duet for District Honor Band auditions. But
all that changes when Michael transfers to their middle school, and into their
band. Suddenly, not only is he competition for Tatum’s spot on stage, but he’s
stealing Lori, too. Tatum is determined to stop him, and hold on to what she’s
got. 

She enlists the help of her good friend, Aaron, but now he seems to
believe her fib that they’re boyfriend and girlfriend. And her mom, to cope
with a separation from her dad, is performing in Community Theater, of all
things! Amy Fellner Dominy composes an equally heartwarming and hilarious story
of how holding tight to what you have can keep you from reaching for your
dreams—and how oftentimes the best way to move forward is by going solo.

While I can’t hear about band camp without thinking of the
American Pie “One time at band camp…” it is a pleasure to see the people in
this new book are “normal” not “Band Geeks” to them it’s just a another subject
that is taught at school. Also it is great to see that though the parents are separated
there is no, good or evil parent, it is like most divorced families that though
separated the main aim of the parents was to support their children.  

The book covers many issues  from friendship to standing on your own two
feet and being by Amy there is always humor, it is certainly a book that not
just myself but my whole family can recommend.

So listen now and share an interesting, and entertaining show as I chat with my special guest today on A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy

Barry

Direct link to the show

“A Book and a Chat with Amy Fellner Dominy”

or you can download the mp3 file of the show from

“Amy Fellner Dominy”

You can find out more about my guest and their books at:

“Amy Fellner Dominy – Audition and Subtraction”

Barry Eva (Storyheart)

My Blogs:

Book Information and Things UK – Across the Pond

Book and a Chat Radio Show Guests – A Book and a Chat

Funny, Weird Or Just Interesting News From Around the World – Laugh I Thought My Trousers Would Never dry

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Views, Reviews and Weird News

Tuesdays blog is normally the time I get to update people about up and coming radio show guests, some of the latest interviews and reviews and some weird news from Across the Pond.

NEWS:

I have started the last few weeks to make my Monday blog an interview with one of the young bloggers or as I now call them the “Sham Wow” of Teen/Ya fiction. After a wonderful, radio interview with “Greenbeanteenqueen” last Saturday Mondays blog guest was Zoe from “Zoe’s Book Reviews”. I already have several more bloggers signed up either for radio of blog interviews.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) on “A BOOK AND CHAT” I have Soap star turned author Luise Shaffer as my guest 6:30pm EST at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Across-the-Pond

I have also just signed an option that will now allow my POD books to be sold with “bye back” which means they can now be available in “normal book stores” not just online.

REVIEWS:

A fresh review on Amazon taking my total there to 69.. even as I check to post the interview I find another fresh arrival taking my total up to 70!!!!!

“Across the Pond by the author Storyheart was an enjoyable book and I found it a pleasure to read. It was fun and entertaining to read. Fred had lots to learn about the different words and expressions in the American English language which was kind of funny to read. This is a perfect novel for the young adult and teen genres who will enjoy the book as much as I have as an adult reading the book. I look forward to reading more of Storyheart’s books.”

“This was a very pleasant book to read, I enjoyed the budding romance between the two characters and tip my hat to the author for keeping their romance sweet and touching and resisting the urge to make it too grownup.

Obviously the book is aimed at a junior high to high school audience, but I found my 30 year old self laughing and sighing at the two main characters as their feelings for each other developed.

The author does a great job of building a romance while maintaining a lighthearted vibe with plenty of laughs at the differences between us Americans and our cousins “across the pond.”

I would happily recommed this book to family and friends and encourage my local school’s library to add it to their shelves! “

WEIRD NEWS:

This week there are two peices of news from China, both related and showing you just how quickly news can change.

Sunday last is was announced.

China is building what is billed as its first sex theme park, aimed at improving both the sex education and the sex life of its visitors.

Due to open in Chongqing in October, Love Land will include displays of giant genitalia, naked bodies and an exhibition on the history of sex…
Among the attractions is a giant rotating statue of the lower part of a nearly naked woman.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8053596.stm

Then on Monday, the very next day new headlines…

China Sex Theme Park Demolished

China’s first sex theme park, aimed at improving both the sex education and the sex life of its visitors, has been torn down before it even opened.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8054893.stm

Talk about ever changing news

That’s it for this week, more weird news next Tuesday

Author of Young Adult Romance/Fiction book
“Across the Pond”

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