Better World Books Podcast: Daniel Pinchbeck

Posted by Dana on 10.30.2010 at 11:14 am

Daniel Pinchbeck is out there.  Maybe even way out there, depending on where you are, but he is also most definitely a man of action.  As a young man living in New York City and working as a journalist, Daniel faced what he calls a spiritual crisis.  Many people in his situation might have just weathered the storm, maybe taken up yoga or found a hobby like bungee jumping.  But not Daniel.  He wanted answers.

So he went on a journey – both physically and psychically.  The journey led him to Shamanism, psychedelic drugs, Mayan culture and more – and led him to believe (to know – in his words) that these things had meaning, were real and tangible and should and could be applied to the economic and environmental challenges of today . Read more…

Host Dana Barrett interviews Daniel Pinchbeck [ 28:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (4696)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, dana barrett, Daniel Pinchbeck, David Lynch, Ellen Page, Notes from the Edge Times, Sting

Better World Books Podcast: Gin Phillips

Posted by Dana on 09.30.2010 at 2:30 pm

THE WELL AND THE MINE is the story of a family living in an Alabama coal mining town in the 1930s.  The story begins when nine-year-old Tess watches from the darkness of her back porch as an unknown woman lifts the cover off the family well and tosses a baby in without a word.

As Tess struggles at first to be believed and then later to find the “Well Woman” the family and the town struggle to survive the difficult and complex time they live in.

The book tackles the racism and sexism of the time period as well as the immensely difficult lives of coal miners and their families.  It does all this with a grace and fluidity that make it feel like more of a classic than a debut novel.

Read more…

Host Dana Barrett interviews Gin Philli[s [ 22:08 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1150)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Author Podcast, dana barrett, Gin Phillips, The Well and the Mine

Better World Books Podcast: Eric Jerome Dickey

Posted by Dana on 08.31.2010 at 3:24 pm

NY Times Bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey and I are kindred spirits.  While I am not a NY Times Bestselling author, we both started out in IT and ended up in books and we both had stops along the way that included acting and stand-up comedy.  A couple of years ago I actually interviewed Eric on the phone for the radio show I was doing at the time, but this was the first time I was going to meet Eric in person, so I was pretty excited to meet him.

And I was not the only one.  Eric had some adoring fans in our office who were happy to get to meet him too (and unhappy with me – because I gave them no advance warning so they didn’t have their books with them to get an autograph!)

From Left: Kimeke Armstrong, Eric Jerome Dickey and Curtis Hoosier

Read more…

Host Dana Barrett interviews Eric Jerome Dickey [ 32:56 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1229)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Author Podcast, Curtis Hoosier, dana barrett, Eric Jerome Dickey, Kimeke Armstrong, Tempted by Trouble

Better World Books Podcast: Garth Stein

Posted by Dana on 06.30.2010 at 3:07 pm

When an author hits the New York  Times Bestseller List things change.  He or she can become intoxicated by their new found fame… begin to demand a special kind of bottled water in his or her dressing room, and… oh wait… that doesn’t usually happen with authors.  In fact, they rarely have dressing rooms.

But one thing that does happen is that all the new found readers rush right back to the bookstore looking for everything this writer had previously written.  And that is exactly what is happening with Garth Stein.  THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN has been a smash hit and has practically made Garth a household name.  (Well, he might not be as well known as Kleenex, but he’s close.)  Anyway, the point is all of this hub-bub has brought about the re-release of Garth’s first book, RAVEN STOLE THE MOON.

Read more…

Interview with author Garth Stein [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1222)

1 Comment » | Tagged Author Podcast, dana barrett, Garth Stein, Raven Stole the Moon, The Art of Racing in the Rain

Better World Books Podcast: Juliet Gael

Posted by admin on 06.21.2010 at 4:06 pm

Juliet Gael is living a life that most of us can only dream about.  She lives in Florence, Italy where she researches her favorite topics and writes novels about them.  Pretty great, right?  I know I’m all sorts of jealous.  That said, Juliet works hard.  Her debut novel ROMANCING MISS BRONTË is incredibly well researched and as close to the real thing as humanly possible.

The book is the story of the lives of the Brontë sisters, whose novels have made them famous characters in history.  The novel brings to life early nineteenth century England where life for women was far different than it is today and the kind of success Charlotte and her sisters achieved was quite rare.  In fact, their books were originally published under male pseudonyms.

Read more…

Interview with Juliet Gael [ 0:01 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1309)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, dana barrett, Juliet Gael, podcast, Romancing Miss Bronte, Summer Sale

BookExpo America: Barbra Streisand does not like orange.

Posted by Dana on 05.26.2010 at 6:08 pm

The BookExpo America conference in NY started yesterday with pre-conference seminars and the keynote last night.  First let me say Wooo hoooo!!!  I know I’m a book nerd, but this is like the superbowl of books… it is Mecca for book nerds everywhere and I am finally here!  I’ve been wanting to come to BEA since 2003 when I first got into the biz, and seven years later, here I am.

Yesterday was filled with animated discussions about the state of the industry, where eBooks fit in and how the economy has hurt sales.  There were talks on social networking and plenty of FBing and Tweeting going on.  And then there was Barbra.

The keynote address was ticketed and the room was packed.  The publisher did the introductions and out comes Oprah’s friend Gayle King to interview Barbra.  Right behind her is the legend herself Barbra Streisand.  Of course a standing ovation ensues.  And can I just say – it was cool just be in the room with Barbra Streisand.  (I had good seats, too – which didn’t hurt!)

Alas the very private Ms. Streisand was there to talk about her new book MY PASSION FOR DESIGN which comes out this November.  The book is a look at all of the work Barbra has put into designing the multiple homes she has on her California property (and of course the beautiful results).  But the conversation was also personal.   She talked about her childhood and told some stories about her movie making and singing and admits she has some “strong” feelings about color, both positive and negative.

To put it bluntly – Barbra does not like orange, and is not to fond of yellow either (certain yellows, anyway).  Like really.  She means it.  Rumor has it that BEA had special versions of their logo made up that didn’t include the orange just for her.  No, really.

The conversation was intimate – though dare I say a teensy bit boring, and it seemed like Barbra had brought along a bunch of slides that she wanted to show that Gayle never let her get around to.  Which was too bad… that would have been fun.  Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to buy the book.

The good news, I now know what my Mom is getting this holiday season!

PS – We’ll have the book available for pre-sale shortly.  Will keep you posted!

PPS – I think I could’ve given Gayle a run for her money (as an interviewer that is!) and I want to prove it.  I’m trying to get a show all about books picked up for Oprah’s new network.  Your votes can help!  Check it out.

1 Comment » | Tagged Book & Author News, Barbra Streisand, BookExpo America, dana barrett, Gayle King, My Passion for Design

Better World Books Podcast: Norris Church Mailer

Posted by admin on 05.05.2010 at 3:20 pm

Norris Church Mailer is a real person.  That may seem like an odd way to start a blog post but her memoir and her life could be the stuff of great fiction.  A beautiful girl, a much older famous man, his former wives, his large brood of children, a modeling career, famous friends, attendance at historical events, and the list goes on.  But what makes A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS so readable is that it’s real and Norris doesn’t hold back.

She shares the good, the bad and the ugly.  There were affairs, there were arguments, there was sickness and death – but there was also love and family and art and humor.  After reading  A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS, meeting Norris was like meeting someone I’ve always known.  She was unapologetic about her life choices (as she should be) not in the least bit braggy and totally brave.  She admits her health is not good (she’s living with a cancer that should’ve killed her years ago) and yet she is still living her life to the fullest.  Read more…

Better World Books Author Podcast [ 19:06 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1058)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, A Ticket to the Circus, dana barrett, Norris Church Mailer, podcast

Better World Books Podcast: Todd Johnson

Posted by Dana on 04.22.2010 at 2:18 pm

THE SWEET BY AND BY is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve put it down.   Debut author Todd Johnson has drawn the characters so vividly and with so much love that, for me, they have become woven into the fabric of my own memories.   I know when I think of a true caretaker,  the person I’ll imagine is Lorraine, and when I am talking about women in their twilight years, I’ll think not only of my own grandmothers, but of Margaret and Bernice.

Now, I’m not usually someone who signs up for books (or movies) that are meant to make me cry, but I think I’ve actually had an epiphany here about the difference between a tear-jerker and a genuinely touching and emotional story.  Todd Johnson achieves the latter with THE SWEET BY AND BY because he didn’t set out to jerk your tears, he set out to tell a story about people Read more…

Better World Books Author Podcast [ 22:59 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (3571)

2 Comments » | Tagged Author Podcast, Better World Books Podcast, dana barrett, The Sweet By and By, Todd Johnson

Better World Books Podcast: Patricia Sprinkle

Posted by Dana on 03.16.2010 at 3:49 pm

Patricia Sprinkle has written almost thirty books in her writing career.  Most of them are mysteries but she takes a break from all that for her latest work Hold Up the Sky.

Hold Up the Sky is a story about 4 women relying on each other through some fairly difficult times.  It takes place during a drought in a small Georgia farming town and though not the kind of book I would normally be interested in, I was drawn in.

The characters Patricia creates have heart and though the dilemmas they face may not directly be facing us all, they do force us to question how we would behave in similar circumstances.

When Patricia and I sat down for the interview we focused on where the story comes from and some of the situations the characters found themselves in.  But we also dealt with the idea of looking deeper into “genre” fiction for the issues the book is handling.  For example, in Hold Up the Sky, Patricia humanizes US immigration through the character of Emerita.  She doesn’t have the answer for us, but she does put a human face on it.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

– Dana

Better World Books Author Podcast [ 18:36 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1521)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Author Podcast, dana barrett, Hold Up the Sky, Patricia Sprinkle

Better World Books Podcast: Wendy Wax

Posted by Dana on 03.03.2010 at 7:01 pm

I met Wendy Wax, author of Magnolia Wednesdays and The Accidental Bestseller several years ago through work and we became friends.  Good friends.  The kind of friends that know each others families and drink wine together whenever possible.

So, reading a book by a friend has an interesting quality to it, as does interviewing them.  When reading, I think “Hmmm.  That living room she is describing sounds a lot like her living room” or better yet ” I think I might know who she based that character on!”.  While interviewing Wendy I struggled not to lapse into our usual chit chat about the struggles of the day – and I didn’t jump in to admit that indeed I was the friend who went ballroom dancing with her in the name of research.

Read more…

Standard Podcast [ 20:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1433)

Have your say » | Tagged Author Podcast, Author Interview Podcast, dana barrett, Magnolia Wednesdays, The Accidental Bestseller, Wendy Wax