Bedside Reading's AUTHORS THAT THRIVE

Jessica Mead is the girl next door, your best friend, a passionate educator, and a fearless business woman. As the CEO of Brandlync, a 30 million dollar marketing agency, Jessica also sits on the board of several companies, and is an angel investor – all while homeschooling her two children and traveling the world.  Her mission is to help women all over make more, do more, and live more!”   Jessica speaks with Lou about her book "FIREWORK HUMANS" and how she continues to thrive in her life, her businesses and her passions.

Pamela (Pam) McCord got a late start in writing, but has made up for it with several published novels and at least one more on the way.  A serendipitous conversation with a writer friend launched her literary career, and the fact that she might never have had that particular conversation is enough to make her believe that fate played a hand in sending her down her best path. She's lived in Southern California most of her life and is thankful to have a loving family and supportive friends.  ​Spending time at home during the COVID pandemic has advanced both Pam's writing and her relationship with her My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable. Listen to Pamela share her personal story on becoming a writer, her love of writing about ghosts and her writing process with Lou Diamond on Authors That Thrive.

He writes non-fiction as Ian Bull, and nonfiction essays as Donald Ian Bull.  He'll be the first to tell you he has a split personality! He has written five books of fiction as Ian Bull so far -- an action-adventure trilogy, THE QUINTANA ADVENTURES, and two noir romance books under the CALIFORNIA NOIR banner.  As Donald Ian Bull he's written essays about swimming, a TV production guidebook, and he published a book of the early posts from his blog, CaliforniaBull.com. His family is originally from Ontario, Canada. he grew up in San Francisco, graduated from UC Berkeley, worked at KQED in San Francisco, then moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA Film School and stayed for a career in documentaries and reality television. He lives in Studio City with his wife, Robin, and daughter, Lily. Donald loves living in California and telling stories and he takes time to share his on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

In author Ora Nadrich's stunning new book, Mindfulness and Mysticism, she brings together the practice of Mindfulness with a spiritual understanding of becoming one with a higher consciousness, which can be called God, a supreme being, source, unity consciousness, or oneness. Ora takes the reader into a non-religious experience of mysticism by giving them what she calls "sacred truths", which are universal principles, or divine laws every human being can live by if they choose to be present with the mystery of life. With Mindfulness as the ever-present guiding escort, the greater purpose is to become more present, mindful and aware. The reader will embark upon the path of mystical self-transformation and divine inspiration to awaken to one's highest potential by getting a better understanding of how being in the present moment can raise our states of consciousness so that awakening and self-realization can be achieved. Ora has done a masterful job at bringing the practice of Mindfulness into the real world where we all live that is undeniably user-friendly. She makes it clear that we don't have to be mystics to have a deep, authentic connection to the present moment while at the same time showing that, in truth, we already are mystics in training. Ora's book reveals this truth to us very beautifully, and invites us, if we are willing to mindfully step into the present moment with absolutely no hidden agenda wherein the mystery of a mystical life awaits our arrival. At a time when chaos in our culture is staggeringly upsetting, and millions are sensing there must be something 'more' but have no idea what it is, a book like Mindfulness and Mysticism paves a path beyond confusion. It speaks to the mind as well as to the heart, both explaining the mystical and leading us into it where we can realize a connection to something greater - the divine within us. Ora Nadrich provides a traveler's companion from the delusional maze of a desacralized world, to the calm and inner peace that Mindfulness can offer. Mindfulness and Mysticism is a beautiful road map to assist one's soul on the journey of awakening, self-discovery, and mystical illumination.

Kevin Pereau is a leading digital health expert and author of the The Digital Health Revolution. He spent the early part of his career managing strategy and management consulting firms with a specialty focus on technology. His first health technology company was a consumer health scoring firm who's mission was to provide longitudinal context around how what we do and how we feel affects who we are. “You can't manage, what you don't measure” is something Pereau is fond of saying and for that, you need a scoring system. From there, Pereau founded one of the most influential boutique consulting firms in healthcare. He serves on the advisory boards of LifeData and HealthSaaS and speaks at healthcare conferences where he also moderates panel discussions. Pereau is probably one of the most connected people in healthcare. He has consulted to variety of digital health companies ranging from population health & tele-health solutions, marketplace and consumer transparency tools to predictive analytics engines. He likes to describe the industry as being on the cusp of the most exciting time ever; a world of connected health where sick-care, meets healthcare and data can be shared with any stakeholder in our healthcare value chain. His latest book , IT TAKES A VILLAGE, continues the conversation of digitally connecting healthcare and patients. Listen in as Kevin connects with Lou Diamond in this engaging episode about emerging healthcare tech and Kevin's latest book.

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Vivian, a RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier, and her books have been translated into 17 languages. As a born storyteller, Darynda grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, certain they went away the better for it. She penned the international bestselling Charley Davidson series and is currently working on several beloved projects, most notably the Sunshine Vicram Mystery Series with St. Martin's Press and the Betwixt and Between Series of paranormal women's fiction. She lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. Listen in to this engaging conversation as Darynda talks about her latest book Bad Day for Sunshine on Bedside Readings Authors That Thrive.  

S.G. was born in a faraway land of castles, monarchies and fallen dictatorships (aka Hungary). Hollywood movies were forbidden under Soviet oppression during her childhood, but her dad smuggled them anyway, risking his life not for profit but for his children to experience the magic and hope inherent in those stories. Listen in to hear her amazing journey towards becoming an author and learn about her first novel, The Last Lumenian, on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

Growing up in a village with a population of three hundred and six, there were more books in the local library than people in town. A.M. Caplan used to concoct increasingly elaborate schemes to “borrow” the thriller titles she wasn’t allowed to read. Eventually she gave up her life of crime and went straight, putting all her ill-gotten knowledge to use, resulting in Echoes, Reverberation, and Dead Quiet, the page-turning Echoes Trilogy. Listen to A.M Caplan connect with Lou Diamond on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children's books. Whether it's pirates, princesses, and spies, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children.  She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author's Monthly.  Her best selling -- The big book of silly jokes for kids now has a sequel...and we’ll chat about it today. She also writes adult books under the name Brit Lunden and she is thriving on all cylinders    Please welcome Carol P. Roman to Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

IVAN OBOLENSKY grew up regaled by tales of his aristocratic and trailblazing ancestors while surrounded by high society. He was inspired at an early age by intrigue, mystery and adventure. He brings his love of storytelling to his writing. Eye of the Moon is his first novel.

Wendy Wilkins is an award winning actress, writer, filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Wendy is honored to have recently become an American citizen having lived here for years via London, originally from Australia. After being a young cop, Wendy became one of the most successful real estate agents in Australia, personally selling over a billion dollars in sales. Her creative passions kept calling her since she put shows on for her grandfather in her garage, when she was a little girl. The joy on his face still resonates with Wendy today. Wendy has won awards on the festival circuit, and been delighted to act in a number of award winning films and TV shows alongside many household names. Wendy also has a number of screenplays in various forms of development.  From acting in award winning films and tv shows to writing screenplays to writing her memoir -- Sex, Love & Cops, which is about her five years as a young cop in Melbourne, Australia where she discovered her first arrest, first love, first murder, cop culture, cops and guns, and a even a #metoo moment. Wendy connects with Lou Diamond on an episode pulled from the Bedside Reading Authors That Thrive podcast.

Raised in Los Angeles, Carla Malden began her career working in motion picture production and development before becoming a screenwriter. Along with her father, Academy Award–winning actor Karl Malden, she coauthored his critically acclaimed memoir, When Do I Start?. More recently, Malden published AfterImage: A Brokenhearted Memoir of A Charmed Life, a fiercely personal account of battling the before and surviving the after of losing her first husband to cancer. Carla’s feature writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, highlighting the marvels and foibles of Southern California and Hollywood. Search Heartache is her first novel. Carla Malden lives in Brentwood with her husband and ten minutes (depending on traffic) from her daughter.

Award-winning author Derik Cavignano revisits his popular character Detective Ray Hanley in The Art of Dying (Dark Corners Press, September 20, 2019). A native of Boston and a writer since high school, Derik Cavignano currently lives in Florida with his wife, children, and an angry cat who won’t stop biting him. He writes character-driven thrillers in a variety of genres, including horror, sci-fi, and crime. His novels include “The Righteous and the Wicked” and “Colony of the Lost” (a 2016 Silver Falchion Award finalist for best horror). His upcoming crime thriller, The Art of Dying, he chats with Lou Diamond about on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.  

After 18 years of practicing law in Seattle, Karen Treiger felt an unmistakable call to explore the story of her in-laws, Sam and Esther Goldberg. Educated at Barnard College and New York University Law School --where she was editor-in-chief of NYU Law Review -- Treiger made the momentous decision to retire from her law practice and pull together the threads of a family story she had heard for many years.   The result of her three-year inquiry is the widely praised book, My Soul is Filled with Joy: A Holocaust Story. In it, Treiger chronicles both Sam and Esther Goldberg's journey, including Sam’s escape from the death camp Treblinka, as well as her family’s experiences in Poland when they retraced the path from Treblinka to the pit in the Polish forest where they hid until their liberation.  As Treiger became invigorated and inspired by the people she encountered, Sam and Esther’s story became her story too.   

Partners in business and in life, Scott Cullather & Kristina McCoobery launched INVNT™, the global live brand storytelling agency™ in 2008 – at the height of the global recession – with the aim of challenging the live event industry with a new kind of agency model, attitude, agency culture and results-driven approach. They are the co-authors of Challenge Everything™: The Battle Cry That Blew Sh*t Up And INVNTd Live Brand Storytelling™ The dynamic duo share share their story of launching a scrappy start-up – and evolving it into a fully fledged global agency business, discuss the power of live brand storytelling and provide tactics for incorporating it into wider marketing strategies, and reveal the next frontier of business success: predictive analytics. Enjoy listening to Scott and Kristina on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive  

Sharon Ann Ziegler is a mother of three grown children and a lawyer licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania, North Carolina and her home state of Tennessee. She has been practicing law and writing legal briefs, motions and appeals for more than 25 years. In her debut, self-published, 2018 work of fiction, The Association, Ms. Ziegler tells a dynamic cerebral tale that describes some unusual and rarely discussed aspects of the American legal system and she explains how a woman fits into the male dominated profession. Set in small town America, The Association is told through the eyes of a young female attorney. The story mixes thrills with an intriguing plot and exceptionally spectacular characters to achieve a telling glimpse into the legalities of the Covington Commons Home Owners Association, a truly American institution patterned after the hundreds of thousands institutions under which tens of millons of Americans presently live. The young heroine of the story learns that the Association was a microcosm of bureaucratic corruption that developed under influences of a downtrodden economy, entrenchment, greed, dishonesty and deceit. The lead character is no shrinking violet and she must find it within herself to navigate and succeed in a world where grossly confident men grandstand in gold jewelry, private investigators are always listening, and judges are not honorable . , . a world where people aren't at all who they

From the outside looking in, author MaryBob Straub was living the American Dream until she realized Life was insisting she travel an alternate route. Over time she sought to understand both her own choices and those of her loved ones. This led her on a path to discovering her own personal sovereignty as well as compassion for the world she walked away from.  Do you ever wonder what it might be like to look out of someone else's eyes? Do you think life might be calling you in a different direction? If so, you might just see yourself in "SOMEONE ELSE'S SHOES" MaryBob is a wife, mother and grandmother.  Her studies in Mexico, Spain and Costa Rica inspired the storyteller in her. After two decades as a High School teacher she decided it was time to tell her story. Life itself has been her muse. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with her husband Billy and her dog Blue.  

Jo Giese is an award-winning radio journalist, author, teacher, community activist, and former TV reporter.  As a special correspondent, she was part of the Peabody Award–winning team at Marketplace, the most popular business program in America garnering numerous other awards in Radio as well. At Marketplace she won an EMMA for Exceptional Radio Story from the National Women’s Political Caucus and a GRACIE from the Foundation of American Women in Radio. She has contributed to Ira Glass’s This American Life and is the author of A Woman’s Path (St. Martin’s Press) and The Good Food Compendium (Doubleday). She has written for many top publications, including The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Vogue, the LA Weekly, European Travel & Life, BARK, Montana Outdoors, and The Malibu Times. An intrepid and enthusiastic world traveler, Jo has visited more than 50 plus countries, including India, China, Africa, Finland, Vietnam, Patagonia, Bhutan, New Zealand, Iceland, Brazil, Argentina, and Norway. She lives in Southern California and Bozeman, Montana, with her husband, Ed Warren. She connects with Lou Diamond to talk about her latest book "Never Sit If You Can Dance: Lessons from My Mother"

Ora Nadrich is the founder and president of the Institute for Transformational Thinking and author of Live True: A Mindfulness Guide to Authenticity, named in the 100 Best Mindfulness Books of All Time by BookAuthority. She is a certified life coach and Mindfulness teacher, specializing in transformational thinking, self-discovery and mentoring new coaches as they develop their careers. Her  rare combination of insight, intuition, compassion and charisma has made her one of the most effective and sought-after coaches. Enjoy this conversation between Ora and Lou on the Bedside Reading Authors That Thrive podcast.

Gary Dickson is an inveterate traveler and a Francophile sans merci. Educated in Switzerland in history, literature, and the classics, he has written two very well regarded novels: An Improbable Pairing a historical romance that chronicles the enduring themes of a young man's coming of age and the rebellious love of the mismatched. AND A Spy with Scruples  which plunges readers into the complicated political world of Cold War Europe. From neutral Switzerland to the aristocratic salons of Paris to bombed-out Berlin. Gary chats with Lou Diamond on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.  

Michelle Cox is the author of the multiple award-winning Henrietta and Inspector Howard series as well as “Novel Notes of Local Lore,” a weekly blog dedicated to Chicago’s forgotten residents. She suspects she may have once lived in the 1930s and, having yet to discover a handy time machine lying around, has resorted to writing about the era as a way of getting herself back there.  Coincidentally, her books have been praised by Kirkus, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Booklist and many others, so she might be on to something.  Unbeknownst to most, Michelle hoards board games she doesn’t have time to play and is, not surprisingly, addicted to period dramas and big band music.  Also marmalade. Michelle 5th book -- comes out in Late April 2020… A CHILD LOST - which she talks about with Lou Diamond in a special episode of Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

Vincent Chiappetta is the co-founder and the fourth president of New York Road Runners, and has been running for over 71 years.   He was the Yin to Fred Lebow’s Yang when they co-founded New York Road Runners and the New York City Marathon.    During his heyday, he ran a total of 114 marathons, 50 of them under 2:40. Flirting with his 90s, he still teaches at Yeshiva University. He is the author of New York As We Know It...   Very few people have been around the New York City running scene longer than this man.  Hear his story and more about his book on this engaging episode with a true New York Legend on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.  

Success magazine calls Simon T. Bailey one of the Top 25 people that will help you reach your business and life goals. He joins a list that includes Oprah Winfrey & Dr. Brene Brown. His viral video posted by Goalcast to Facebook has over 87 million views. Simon is a Breakthrough Strategist who goes beyond feel-good content and provides real-life deliverables that impact lives. He is the author of ten books and in his latest, "Be The Spark", Simon shares how you have the opportunity to Be the Spark for your company, customers, and employees, and this book will teach you how. Enjoy this conversation between Lou Diamond and Hall of Fame speaker Simon T Bailey.  

Geoffrey Cooper is a former cancer researcher and scientific administrator, having held positions at Harvard Medical School and Boston University, who is now writing medical fiction.  He is the author of the cell biology text, The Cell, as well as several books on cancer. His first novel, The Prize, dealt with scientific fraud. His second, Nondisclosure, follows a case of sexual harassment that progresses to rape and murder. Coming to you from Ogunquit, Maine you'll enjoy hearing Geoffrey Cooper connect with Lou Diamond on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.

Danielle Girard is the USA Today and Amazon #1 bestselling author of Chasing Darkness, The Rookie Club series, and the Dr. Schwartzman Series—Exhume, Excise, Expose, and Expire, featuring San Francisco medical examiner Dr. Annabelle Schwartzman. Danielle’s books have won the Barry Award and the RT Reviewers’ Choice Award, and two of her titles have been optioned for movies. A graduate of Cornell University, Danielle received her MFA at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She, her husband, and their two children split their time between San Francisco and the Northern Rockies. White Out, the first book in her new series, will be out July 7, 2020. Taken from the Bedside Reading Authors That Thrive podcast, Danielle connects with Lou Diamond and takes us behind the scenes into her creative works and process.

Deke Copenhaver currently serves as Principal of Copenhaver Consulting, LLC, a niche consulting firm in Augusta, Georgia serving the needs of businesses, nonprofits and local governments. In May of 2019 he published his first book “The Changemaker: the Art of Building Better Leaders” with Advantage|Forbesbooks. Deke served as Mayor of Augusta, Georgia from 2005 through 2014. Since leaving office Deke has served as the host of “There it is With Deke Copenhaver”, a daily call-in radio show on WGAC New Talk Radio, as well as Managing Consultant for the Augusta Economic Development Authority. Deke became the first American mayor to complete all three legs of a sanctioned Ironman event and has subsequently completed four more Ironman 70.3’s. Enjoy this conversation between Deke and Lou Diamond on the Bedside Reading’s Authors That Thrive podcast.

Dr. Ivy Ge is a professor who writes for women wanting to take charge of their lives. From an aspiring actress to working for airline executives, to becoming a pharmacy professor and a multi-genre author, she has transformed her life while being a full-time working mom. She is the author of The Art of Good Enough - The Working Mom's Guilt-Free Guide to Thriving While Being Perfectly Imperfect. Enjoy this fun conversation with Dr. Ivy Ge on Authors That Thrive.

Kim Sakwa is the best selling author of the time travel romances THE PROPHECY and NEVER SAY GOODBYE.  Hoping on occasion to fall through time herself, she settled on creating these stories instead. When not writing, you can find her with coffee in hand, walking the hills of Michigan subdivision, listening to the soundtracks that she creates for her novels.  Hopeless romantic hooked on happily ever after. Enjoy listening to KIM SAKWA on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive

Jeanne Blasberg is a novelist, travel writer, and adventurer.  She is an award-winning, bestselling author of Eden and The Nine. She has won the the Beverly Hills Book Awards for Women’s Fiction and has been a finalist for both the Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice in Fiction and the Sarton Women’s Book Award for Historical Fiction.   Jeanne is the founder of the Westerly Memoir Project as well as a board member of the Boston Book Festival. She is a student and board member of Grub Street, one of the country’s pre-eminent creative writing centers, where she wrote and revised The Nine and is currently developing her next novel.  Jeanne shares her story and how she comes up with her stories with Lou Diamond on Bedside Reading's Authors That Thrive.  

David Crow spent his early years on the Navajo Indian Reservation in Arizona and New Mexico.  Through grit, resilience, and a thirst for learning, he managed to escape his abusive childhood, graduate from college, and build a successful lobbying firm in Washington, DC. Today, David is a sought-after speaker, giving talks to various businesses and trade organizations around the world. Throughout the years, he has mentored over 200 college interns, performed pro bono service for the charitable organization Save the Children, and participated in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. An advocate for women, he is donating a percentage of his royalties from The Pale-Faced Lie to Barrett House, a homeless shelter for women in Albuquerque. David and his wife, Patty, live in the suburbs of DC. Enjoy listening to David as he shares his personal journey on Bedside Reading's AUTHORS THAT THRIVE.

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is on-air investigative reporter for Boston's WHDH-TV, winning 36 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors. Nationally bestselling author of 11 thrillers, Ryan's also an award-winner in her second profession—with five Agathas, three Anthonys, the Daphne, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. Critics call her "a master of suspense." Her novels are Library Journal's Best of 2014, 2015 and 2016, and her highly-acclaimed TRUST ME was chosen for numerous prestigious Best of 2018 lists. Hank's newest book is THE MURDER LIST. The Library Journal starred review says, "Masterly plotted—with a twisted ending—a riveting, character-driven story." Enjoy listening to Hank Phillippi Ryan as she shares her love for her two careers on Bedside Reading's AUTHORS THAT THRIVE.