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Sneak Peak: Lee Child’s PERSONAL

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Today we sat down with Lee Child, the bestselling author of the sensational thriller series about a former military policeman Jack Reacher. Child has had tremendous success with this suspenseful thriller series. The mysterious and intriguing nature of Jack’s sharp analytical intellect and physical strength has been captivating readers for the past seventeen years. The latest installment, PERSONAL was published on August 28th 2014.

Lee Child shared with us the surprising story of how he came up with the main character’s name. In the beginning of his writing career, Child was struggling to find a name for his leading character, and looked for inspiration everywhere. One day, while grocery shopping with his wife, he was approached by an elderly woman, who asked him to reach for a can of beans off the top shelf. The two started talking, and the woman suggested he become a reacher in a grocery store in case his writing career falls through. Haunted by the idea, Child named his leading man Jack Reacher.

Check out this behind-the-scene photo, and stay tuned for the whole interview with Child, where he talks about PERSONAL, Jack Reacher and much more.

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Veronica Roth releases FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION

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Veronica Roth’s debut novel Divergent (2011) was an instant bestseller, immediately embraced by both teen readers and adults alike. Buzz of this new series spread quickly and the release of Insurgent in May 2012 solidified Veronica Roth as a new voice in Young Adult fiction; the book debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller’s list where the series has remained ever since. With massive critical and commercial appeal and unstoppable international buzz, the series skyrocketed in popularity. As fans geared up for the release of Veronica Roth’s highly-anticipated Allegiant in October 2013, SUMMIT Entertainment announced plans to make the popular series into a major motion picture much to delight of Veronica Roth’s loyal fan base. The DIVERGENT film starring Shailene Woodley, Theo James, and Academy Award-winner Kate Winslet debuted on March 21, 2014, and grossed $56 million in its opening weekend. Wowing audiences across the country and enchanting fans of Roth’s action-packed series, the subsequent movies based on the books are set to release in coming years.

The DIVERGENT trilogy has become a major pop culture phenomenon and now fans have a chance to go back to the beginning with Tobias “Four” Eaton. With the release of FOUR: A DIVERGENT COLLECTION, readers and movie-goers can finally get inside of Four’s head and find out what makes him tick. FOUR is a collection of short stories set in Roth’s dystopian Chicago told from Tobias “Four” Eaton’s point of view. Each story gives readers a glimpse into Four’s past, his deepest thoughts and most profound moments, and the decisions of loyalty-and love- that he makes in the weeks after he meets Tris Prior. Also included are 3 exclusive scenes from DIVERGENT, except this time, they are told by Four.

Here, Veronica talks to us, during her integrated media tour in Boston, about her inspiration for DIVERGENT and how she was able to turn that small idea into a phenomenon.

 

Check out her interview here!

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Honey Brings the Energy with Mitzi Dulan

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Mitzi Dulan shows viewers how to use honey as an all-natural energy booster.

Mitzi Dulan discusses how she uses honey as an all-natural energy booster.

September is not just back to school, but back to routine for the millions of Americans who have said goodbye to the carefree days of summer and are returning to the daily grind.  From that second or third snooze in the morning to that long yawn during your afternoon meeting, getting energized for the day and keeping that energy is, well, exhausting!

America’s Nutrition Expert Mitzi Dulan, RD, CSSD, has inspired millions to lose weight, get fit and keep energized.  As the current team nutritionist for the Kansas City Royals baseball team and former team nutritionist for the Kansas City Chiefs football team, Mitzi knows one secret ingredient for a quick, natural energy booster—honey.  Whether it’s at the office, at school or after a workout, many Americans experience that mid-afternoon energy slump, and the majority crave something less than nutritious and binge on candy, sodas and other high-calorie foods. Mitzi was in the studio with us this week discussing how honey can play an important role in your day:

 

 

  • Morning wake-up:  what you choose to eat sets the tone for the day ahead.
  • Keep hydrated throughout the day.
  • Mid-morning crash: mix nut butter and honey as a dip for fruits or vegetables.
  • Maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day by consuming adequate amounts of protein.
  • 3 p.m. slump and afterschool doldrums: try Mitzi’s personal favorites (wink, you’ll have to interview her to find out!).
  • Pre-, mid- or post-workout: Learn to make your own budget-friendly drink and the perfect post-workout meal.

David Baldacci’s THE FORGOTTEN

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From #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci comes the next blockbuster thriller featuring Army Special Agent John Puller. A combat veteran, Puller is the man the U.S. Army relies on to investigate the toughest crimes facing the nation. In THE FORGOTTEN Puller is back on the case…but this time it’s personal.

When his aunt is found dead in the picturesque town of Paradise, Florida, the local police rule her death a tragic accident. But a letter she sent to Puller’s father just before she died indicates there may be something sinister behind the town’s beautiful veneer.

What Puller finds convinces him that his aunt’s death was no accident. As he searches for answers, Puller comes face-to-face with people willing to go to unthinkable lengths to make sure the truth is never revealed.

THE FORGOTTEN’s palpable suspense, gutsy protagonist, and inventive plotting deliver the “edge-of-your-seat” thrills readers have come to expect from Baldacci.

360 Sound – The Story of Columbia Records

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Columbia Records is celebrating its 125th anniversary with the release of 360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story on the great American record label and its role in initiating recorded music, cultivating great artists, and igniting cultural change. Written by Pulitzer Prize-and Grammy nominated author and historian Sean Wilentz, the book provides a journey through Columbia Records’ storied past and its contributions to entertainment from the invention of commercial recording through the present day.

We will be in the studio with Sean Wilentz tomorrow, Nov 15th, 2012 to discuss this amazing book and cd that takes us from the beginnings of recorded music to the commercial success of the industry today.

360 Sound includes 300 rare and intimate photographs from the Columbia archives and sidebar discussions of crucial developments and performers written by eminent music historians Dave Marsh and Colin Escott. The book offers a virtual history of the music industry from its infancy, tracing Columbia’s pivotal technological as well as business innovations, not least its invention of the LP. It also reflects on the connection between Columbia’s artists and music and sweeping cultural and political changes, from the emergence of mass commercial culture to the rise of the civil rights movement and beyond.

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Columbia’s list of major performers, past and present, is unsurpassed and includes much of the most important, and beloved music in all genres, including pop, rock, country, show tunes, classical, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and blues. Artists recorded by Columbia and its subsidiaries have included Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Miles Davis, Leonard Bernstein, Johnny Cash, Beyonce, Adele, Billy Joel, Al Jolson, Frank Sinatra, Duke Ellington, Robert Johnson, Bing Crosby, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Tony Bennett, Simon and Garfunkel, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Aerosmith, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson, Yo-Yo Ma, LL Cool J, James Taylor, Philip Glass, Mariah Carey, Lauryn Hill, Dixie Chicks, John Mayer, Jack White, and more.

CROSS ROADS by Wm. Paul Young

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In 2009, William Paul Young was juggling three jobs. Each day he hauled himself and his troubles (financial worries that led to bankruptcy, guilt from an affair that strained his marriage, memories of three devastating family deaths) on the commuter train between his rental home in Gresham, Oregon and Portland. Sometimes he scribbled bits of dialogue on napkins and receipts to help ease his pain. Since then, Young has undergone a major reversal of fortune. The Shack, a novel he started in 2005 to explain to his six kids how he coped with tragedy, has become an astonishing hit selling 18 million copies and landing on the New York Times Best Seller list for 50 consecutive weeks as #1. Paul originally wrote it as a Christmas gift for his children and printed 15 copies at the local office supply store; it was never intended for broad publication. However, friends passed it to friends and eventually he teamed up with a couple of guys to print it and the rest is a publishing phenomenon.

In Cross Roads, Young tells the story of a driven man who falls into a coma and experiences relational entanglements that allow him to revisit choices he made during his life. In ICU after a cerebral hemorrhage, powerful businessman Anthony Spencer awakens to find himself in a surreal world. Literally able to see through the eyes and experiences of others, he is faced with the consequences of his own choices. Despite his great material accomplishments, he is confronted by how his life was ultimately empty and meaningless. He meets God and faces a decision. Will he have the courage to make a choice that can undo a major injustice he set in motion before falling into a coma?

LIVE BY NIGHT by Dennis Lehane

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Dennis Lehane is a force to be reckoned with. His bestselling novels include Gone, Baby Gone, Mystic River, Shutter Island, The Given Day, and Moonlight Mile, and big-screen adaptations have been helmed by Ben Affleck, Clint Eastwood, and Martin Scorsese. Called “as much social historian as mystery writer,” by The Chicago Tribune, Lehane once again showcases his ability to create suspenseful historical fiction with his first stand-alone novel in four years. The popularity of HBO’s Boardwalk Empire and Ken Burns’ Prohibition mini-series have set the stage for LIVE BY NIGHT, a Prohibition-era tale that catapults readers between 1920s Boston and Florida, introducing a cast of hard-living gangsters, petty criminals, and two unforgettable dames. This novel released just two weeks ago is already on the New York Times Bestseller List.

Jamie Lee Curtis – Brave Year of Firsts

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New York Times bestselling duo Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell present their tenth picture book collaboration in the Books to Grow By series: MY BRAVE YEAR OF FIRSTS.
It’s a celebration of first times…the key moments in a child’s life that shape who they are. Funny yet heartfelt, Jamie Lee Curtis emphasizes that first times are about trying hard, being brave, strong, and true to yourself.

About the book:
While our spunky heroine, Frankie, learns to ride a bike, tie her shoes, make new friends, love her first dog, borrow a book from the library, say when she’s wrong, try yucky food and work with her dad, she also learns that trying new things is how she grows—and that being brave enough to do so is what growing up is all about.

Gluten Free and Taste Full!

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Breads, pastas and cookies, oh my! Surrounded by these common, every day foods, the average person can’t look left or right without spotting foods containing gluten. But with gluten-free diets becoming much more common, and even preferred, the ordinary recipes most people enjoy need to be given a delicious culinary make-over. enter Jessie & Jilly Lagasse.

Imagine growing up with a father known for his rich, Creole-style cooking, who instilled a love and appreciation of food from the very start. Now imagine not being able to eat most of his dishes anymore. That’s what happened to Jessie and Jilly Lagasse when they were diagnosed with gluten allergies in 2001 and 2004, respectively. As a result, they learned to adjust, changing the ways they cooked, ate, and used ingredients.

THE GLUTEN-FREE TABLE provides a well-balanced base of recipes that can add flavor and enjoyment to the menus of even the most demanding of gluten-free eaters. Featuring family favorites, Southern classics, and a few of Jessie and Jilly’s own culinary anecdotes thrown in, THE GLUTEN-FREE TABLE includes delicious, easy-to-prepare recipes such as Sweet ‘n’ Sticky Chicken Wingettes, Hearty Lima Bean and Ham Soup, Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread, Slow-Cooked Rosemary Chicken with Apples and Fennel, Maple Syrup Johnnycakes with Ice Cream, and more. Emeril Lagasse has also contributed ten of his own original gluten-free recipes!

The Gluten Free Lagasse Girls

The Power of Habit

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In the New York Times bestseller (19 weeks and counting) THE POWER OF HABIT, we discover how habits were crucial to the success of Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, the growth of Starbucks, and the momentum of the civil-rights movement. We go inside Target superstores, Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church, NFL locker rooms, top 40 radio stations, and the nation’s largest hospitals to see how implementing so-called keystone habits can earn billions and mean the difference between failure and success, even life and death. Here is Charles Duhigg discussing habits and their wiley ways…