Authors Between the Covers: What It Takes to Write Your Heart Out

August 2023: A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, Inkandescent® PR + Publishing Co. — Are you a parent tired of the persistent belief that your child’s moral values, ethical principles, and ability to distinguish between what is right and wrong must come from religion? Do you wonder how you can ever teach your child to think for herself in a culture that values uncritical obedience over critical consideration? Or do you fear what the future holds for your child in a society that views unquestioned faith as a virtue and a questioning mind with suspicion? If so, you are going to enjoy “The Earthbound Parent,” a book by author and father Richard A. Conn, Jr. In it, he argues that the solution is clear, and it rests not only with you but all parents with similar concerns. In this volume, he demonstrates why all parents who value science and reason can help stop the centuries-old practice of religious indoctrination and offers advice on encouraging children to discover the world and their place in it for themselves. “Only by allowing them to learn that we are in this world together, that we have a limited time to live, and that we have only one another on which to rely can we truly enable them to flourish and begin to build a just and peaceful world—not just for their generation but for all future generations,” explains Richard. Nikita and Natalie Conn On this episode: Richard’s daughters, Nikita, 16 and Natalie, 13 (pictured right) interview him about what it was like to be raised by an “Earthbound Parent.” How was their upbringing different from their religious friends? Do they appreciate their dad’s perspective? Will they raise their kids the same way? And so much more! Don’t miss it. Richard Conn Jr., author, “The Earthbound Parent” About Richard Conn Jr.: Richard is the Managing Partner of Eurasia Advisors. He also serves as Managing Partner of Innovate Partners, an emerging company private investment fund, as an affiliate partner in Stonehaven, a global capital raising platform, and as an Independent Trustee of a publicly traded mutual fund. Before founding Eurasia Advisors in 2003, Richard practiced international corporate law for nearly twenty years as an equity partner with the international law firm Latham & Watkins. He founded the firm’s Moscow office in 1992. He served as a key advisor to the Presidential Administration of Russian President Boris Yeltsin and as President of the Moscow-based Foreign Bar Association. A longstanding past member of the Board of Directors of the U.S.-Russia Business Council and of the International Crisis Group’s International Board of Advisors, he regularly consults with the World Bank, Members of Congress, and the Administration regarding C.I.S.-related issues. He Co-Chaired the U.S.-Russia Business Council and American Chamber of Commerce (Moscow) joint initiative to facilitate Russian accession to WTO. Richard delivered the keynote address at the United Nations to open the U.N. conference addressing establishing a worldwide Sovereign Debt Restructuring framework. He frequently publishes on these subjects and recently authored “Towards a Sovereign Debt Restructuring Framework: Less is More,” which appears in Joe Stiglitz’s book Too Little, Too Late: The Quest of Resolving Sovereign Debt Crises, Columbia University Press, New York, 2016. He periodically lectures at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute of Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies and the Institute for New Economic Thinking, the Centre for International Governance Innovation, and Columbia University’s SIPA Center on Global Economic Governance. Richard ran in 2010 for the Deputy Presidency of the World Chess Federation on an international ticket headed by the Twelfth World Champion Anatoly Karpov with the support of the Thirteenth World Champion Garry Kasparov and is an avid chess player. He сhairs the Advisory Committee of a non-profit organization that has already taught chess to over 4 million public school second and third graders in the U.S. A Dartmouth College and Fordham University Law School graduate, Richard clerked for the Honorable Gordon Thompson, Jr., Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. He is the co-author of Collier Labor Law and the Bankruptcy Code, M. Bender (1989). He is also the author of The Earthbound Parent: How (and Why) to Raise Your Little Angels Without Religion, Pitchstone Publishing (2018) , a book that encourages critical thinking and enhanced ethical standards. Richard is fluent in Russian and Spanish. Click here to learn more: eurasiadvisors.com. Don’t miss it! 

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, host, Authors Between the Covers show — We begin a month of celebrating love (why reserve it for just one day?) in an interview with #1 New York Times bestselling author Jay Shetty, author of the new book: The 8 Rules of Love. “During the Coronavirus pandemic, I spent a lot of time thinking about love,” shares the award-winning storyteller, a former monk whose viral videos about peace and purpose have been viewed more than 10 billion times. His first book, Think Like a Monk, was published in September 2020 and distills timeless lessons into practical steps anyone can take to live a less anxious, more meaningful life. His newest tome, 8 Rules of Love, guides us on finding love, keeping it, and letting it go. “So many relationships were challenged or just didn’t make it through lockdown,” observes Shetty, a native of London who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Radhi Devlukia-Shetty. “Some relationships got stronger, sure. But we were all tested.” To discover how to help people have healthier relationships, Shetty started with a Harvard Medical School study that scientists have worked on since the Great Depression. “The scientists gathered information over 80 years, and it showed that how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” explains Shetty, who helps readers seize that power in his insightful hardback. Its four sections offer meditations on solitude, compatibility, healing, and connection. His 8 Rules are born of these concepts, ranging from Letting Yourself Be Alone (Rule 1) to Loving Again and Again (Rule 8). Having spent three years studying the Vedas at a Hindu ashram in Mumbai, Shetty sees life as a series of classrooms. Using a metaphor of connecting ashrams, he teaches us levels of love: Preparing, practicing, protecting, and perfecting it. “The key to a successful, loving relationship is to peel back the layers continuously,” he believes. “You reveal a layer; your partner reveals a layer. From there, you figure it out together. And then you do it again.” We leave you with this parting thought from Jay: “I once read a quote from Muhammad Ali, who said, ‘Service to others is the rent you pay for the room here on earth.’ I hold this dear to my heart because everything we do can be of service. We don’t need to build the biggest charity; we just have to have that spirit and mindset. Any person I meet, I say hello or open the door.” Click here to learn more: 8rulesoflove.com. Click here to read our interview in the Costco Connection. Don’t miss our podcast interview!

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, founder, InkandescentRadio.com: Hello and welcome to this month’s episode of the Authors Between the Covers show on the Inkandescent Radio Network. I’m Hope Katz Gibbs, host of the show and creator of the Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co., thrilled to be here with the amazing award-winning teacher and author Phillip Done! Phil is coming to us from Budapest, Hungary, and I know that you will enjoy today’s podcast interview, where he’ll share insights into his international travels and new book, The Art of Teaching Children. First, I must tell the audience that I have been a huge fan of Phil’s since he published 32 First Graders and One Class Bunny. My kids were in elementary school then, and I was the communications director of the City of Fairfax Schools in Northern VA. I remember reading the book in one sitting – laughing hysterically and alternatively crying at his poignant essays.  Today, we talk about that book, his career, Phil’s well-deserved awards, and most importantly, his newest title, The Art of Teaching Children. You’ll learn: What inspired Phil to write his latest tome, The Art of Teaching Children What inspired him to pen his first bestseller, 32 First Graders and One Class Bunny His career as a teacher His multitude of well-deserved awards His international travels and work as a teacher abroad His own experience as a student What’s next for Phil Done? How can people buy The Art of Teaching Children, on sale now! About The Art of Teaching Children: An essential guide for teachers and parents that’s destined to become a classic, The Art of Teaching Children is one of those rare and masterful books that not only defines a craft but offers a magical reading experience. (more…)

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer and founder, Inkandescent Radio — What an honor it is to interview Olivia Campbell, a journalist and author specializing in medicine and women. Her work has appeared in The Guardian, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, The Cut, and many others.  Her new book is Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine. It is featured in the March 2022 issue of The Costco Connection. I have been writing for this monthly magazine since 1996 and have the privilege of writing this author interview article about Olivia and her book! In our podcast, you’ll learn:  All about Olivia’s career as a journalist and author who specializes in writing about medicine, women, history, and nature How and when she knew she wanted to pursue this topic as a book What in her research surprised her most What delighted her, and what upset her Any misconceptions about early women doctors that she wants to set straight Lessons that contemporary physicians can learn from the three women doctors featured in the book What she wants all of us, as patients, to know about doctors and medicine Click here to learn more about Olivia, our cover story in the March-April 2022 issue of Inkandescent Women magazine! First, a little more about Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine This remarkable story will equally enchant fans of Hidden Figures and Radium Girls. We meet three Victorian women who broke down barriers in the medical field to become the first women doctors. They revolutionized the way women received health care and changed the way women looked at what was possible for themselves, their sisters, and their daughters. In the early 1800s, women were dying in large numbers from treatable diseases because they avoided receiving medical care. Examinations performed by male doctors were often demeaning and even painful. In addition, women faced stigma from illness—a diagnosis could significantly limit their ability to find husbands, jobs, or be received in polite society. Motivated by personal loss and frustration over inadequate medical care, Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, and Sophia Jex-Blake fought for a woman’s place in the male-dominated medical field. For the first time, Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same. Though very different in personality and circumstance, together, these women built women-run hospitals and teaching colleges—creating for the first time medical care for women by women. With gripping storytelling based on extensive research and access to archival documents, Women in White Coats tells the courageous history these women made by becoming doctors, detailing the boundaries they broke of gender and science to reshape how we receive medical care today. About Olivia: “I started writing as a young girl — mysteries fashioned after her beloved Nancy Drew,” noting that as a teen, her passion for ballet saw her train to become a professional dancer. A broken foot prompted Campbell’s pivot to arts journalist. An unplanned pregnancy, complicated birth, and postpartum depression turned her writing interest from the arts to a medic in college. Today, she is an independent journalist, essayist, and author focusing on the intersections of medicine, women, history, and nature. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, New York Magazine/The Cut, HISTORY, The Washington Post, The Guardian, SELF, Aeon, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Literary Hub, Atlas Obscura, Good Housekeeping, Catapult, Parents, and Undark, among others. Visit her journalism portfolio here. Olivia’s first book, Women in White Coats: How the First Women Doctors Changed the World of Medicine, was published in March 2021 by HarperCollins/Park Row Books.  She holds a master’s degree in nonfiction science writing from Johns Hopkins University and an undergraduate degree in journalism from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers. Campbell lives in the Philadelphia suburbs along with her husband, three sons, and two beloved cats. Learn more at ocampbellwriter.com.

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, producer, Inkandescent Radio — What an honor it is to feature this new book by Ellen Harper and Sam Barry, entitled: Always a Song: Singers, Songwriters, Sinners & Saints. A collection of stories from Ellen, a singer, and songwriter, who is the folk matriarch and mother to the Grammy-winning musician Ben Harper. Ellen shares vivid memories of growing up in Los Angeles through the 1960s among famous and small-town musicians raising Ben (pictured below) and the historic Folk Music Center. Jackson Browne says of the book: “An eloquent searching account of a life lived for truth, love, and music.” Roger McGuinn, leader of the Byrds, writes: Ellen Harper is folk music royalty, growing up with Pete Seeger and Joan Baez around the dinner table. Her story is heartrending and a pleasure to read.” Jonathan Lethem, New York Times bestselling author of Chronic City and Motherless Brooklyn, says: “Ellen Harper’s unique vantage as a red-diaper baby, folk connector, counterculture witness, and maven of family and community is matched by her memory, wit, and compassion.” With the help of Sam, an author and musician who is a founding member of the book band The Rock Bottom Remainders (learn more about him below), readers take a ride through folk music history: Harper takes readers on an intimate journey through the folk music revival. The book spans a transformational time in music history and American culture. Covers historical events from the love-ins women’s rights protests and the assassination of John F. Kennedy to the popularization of the sitar and the ukulele. Includes full-color photo insert. Ellen shares: “Growing up, an endless stream of musicians and artists came from across the country to my family’s music store. Bess Lomax Hawes, Joan Baez, Sonny Terry, and Brownie McGee—all the singers, organizers, guitar and banjo pickers and players, songwriters, painters, dancers, their husbands, wives, and children—we were all in it together. And we believed singing could change the world.” Be sure to listen to our interview and watch the video on the April 2021 cover of BeInkandescent Health & Wellness magazine. (more…)

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, creator, Inkandescent PR + Publishing Co. — I am thrilled to host an Inkandescent interview on Sunday, Jan. 16 with authors Stephen Gilliland, a professor at Claremont Graduate University, and his brother Jim Gilliland. They have a big goal, a giant job, and a determination to keep the premise of their new book simple. “We promise to each other to do at least one exercise activity every day. It doesn’t matter if you are sick, traveling, or tired. And to keep each other honest, we share one pic doing our activity every day,” the authors and brothers share on their book website: pushingupbook.com. The dynamic duo embarked upon a journey of crazy workout challenges that increased in intensity as the year progressed; 10,000 push-ups each in March became 30,000 push-ups by December. Authors Stephen Gilliland and Jim GillilandAt the time, they were each searching for something more – more from their relationship as brothers and more from their middle-aged bodies. And as each month passed, they discovered the unexpected gift of what it means to live more fully as connected brothers, fathers, husbands, and successful leaders. I am excited to share their story with you and invite us to join them in the journey. “We hope you  uncover scars you didn’t know you had, grow muscles and inner strength, and find authentic support in connecting more deeply with someone else,” Stephen says, about the tome which will take you on an inner journey of life through lessons on: Taking the “I will” commitment and achieving audacious goals. Asking for help and finding a genuine connection. Recognizing limits and preparing to fail. Embracing “should be fine” as a mantra against doubt. Practicing empathy and reaching out in times of loss. Here’s to Pushing Up! Click here to learn more about the book. Scroll down to check out the introduction. (more…)

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, executive producer and host, Inkandescent Radio — On today’s episode of Authors Between the Covers, you’ll meet New York Times bestselling author Caroline Leavitt, a phenom in the book publishing world. We know you’ll love meeting her as much as we love knowing this truly amazing woman! Backstory: I met Caroline a decade ago when I was hired by the magazine I write for, The Costco Connection, to interview her. She had just stepped into book publishing stardom, but her down-to-earth personality shone through. In the last ten years, she’s found even more fame — but as you’ll learn in the podcast, she’s kept true to her authentic self. Not only does she continue to publish heartwarmingly heartbreaking stories, but she is also an advocate for writers everywhere. In today’s episode, you’ll learn:  All about her current career as an author What she has been doing in the last ten years since I first interviewed her What got her into the writing business What some of her biggest challenges have been What her biggest successes are What she wishes she knew then that she knows now What insight and wisdom she has for aspiring What’s Next for Caroline Leavitt! Who she is: Author of more than a dozen books, including one of her favorites, “Picture” of You.” What she does: “In my books, I delve into difficult situations and work them out. It’s where I put all of the things I’m afraid of and obsess about. This makes me a much happier person in regular life.” Why she does it: “I’m always obsessed with what pulls people together and what tugs them apart, particularly families. I love to try to figure out how people are their best, or their worst, in difficult situations.” Learn more: carolineleavitt.com Don’t miss this interview as a video episode on InkandescentWomen.tv! 

Our spotlight is on: Author, musician, and all-around funnyman Sam Barry. Our hot topic: Why it’s important to write that book already! And how to keep your sense of humor—even when the proverbial poop is hitting the fan. Your host: Hope Katz Gibbs, publisher of Be Inkandescent magazine, and founder & president of The Inkandescent Group, LLC Click here to listen to the podcast. On the "I Got the Music In Me" radio show, we give voice to songbirds, and always ask: “What’s your story?” That will be easy to answer in this episode, thanks to our guest is Sam Barry. He is the author of the humorously inspirational book, “Write That Book Already: The Tough Love You Need to Get Published Now,” which he co-wrote with his wife, author and literary provocateur Kathi Kamen Goldmark. Barry also wrote, “How to Play the Harmonica: and Other Life Lessons,” and currently is a contributing editor at Zyzzyva, the West Coast’s premier literary magazine. For the last 12 years, he was a marketing manager for HarperOne, a division of HarperCollins. If that’s not enough, Barry is equally creative on stage, and plays in and around San Francisco in the band Los Train Wreck. He also tours with the all-author rock band, The Rock Bottom Remainders, with whom he appeared on Good Morning America, and The Craig Ferguson Show. He has also been a regular performer on the national radio show West Coast Live. A gifted music teacher, Barry has helped thousands of people discover the joy of making music on the harmonica and piano (not at the same time). In a previous life he was the co-founder of a nonprofit art gallery and performance space in San Francisco’s Mission District, and a Presbyterian minister in Omaha and Boston.   In this episode of The Inkandescent Radio Show: We talk to Barry about his beloved wife Kathi Kamen Goldmark, who died on May 24, 2012. She was a friend to many, including us at Be Inkandescent, and we were deeply saddened to hear of her passing. Barry was by her side at every step as she battled cancer, and just weeks later after her death, he posted a beautiful tribute to her on his website. We also take a deeper dive in the art of writing books, based on his latest book, “Write That Book Already!” In our 25 Publishing Rules of Thumb From Bestselling Authors, Barry’s advice to other authors was to “Promote, promote, promote.” Does that advice still hold? Barry recalls his fondest memory as a member of The Rock Bottom Remainders. Was it the shows he played with Roger McGuinn, founder of The Byrds? He was once a Presbyterian minister. What inspired him to get into that field, and why did he leave the ministry? What’s he’s working on these days? Any new books in the works? More: • Read our Q&A with Sam here • Find out why it’s time to Write That Book Already! by Sam Barry, and his wife, Kathi Kamen Goldmark • And check out our interview with Sam, and his brother — award-winning humor writer brother Dave Barry — in The Funny Issue: Be Inkandescent magazine of the Month featured on her monthly business magazine, www.BeInkandescent.com — as well as the Truly Amazing Women she has interviewed for her international book project, www.TrulyAmazingWomen.com. Gibbs also interviews the bestselling authors, nationally renowned artists, and expert columnists featured in “Be Inkandescent” magazine, and on her popular networking website, www.InkandescentNetworking.com, which lists hundreds of the best networking events—and the professionals—in 7 East Coast cities. Plus, she’ll be talking to top restaurateurs, chefs, foodies, and hoteliers whom she spotlights in her “From Soup to Nuts” reviews. Promoting, educating, and inspiring entrepreneurs is the mission of The Inkandescent Group, LLC — a PR, marketing, design, and publishing company that helps small businesses get the visibility they need to glow and grow, www.inkandescentpr.com. So, what’s your story? If you’d like to be interviewed on The Inkandescent Radio Show, send Gibbs an email: hope@inkandescentpr.com.

A Note from Hope Katz Gibbs, creator, Inkandescent Radio —Happy 75th anniversary to Highlights for Children, the wonderfully engaging magazine that you likely read as a kid and probably have shared with your own children and grandchildren! This month, we had the privilege of interviewing Christine Cully, Editor-in-Chief and Chief Purpose Officer of Highlights, who talked with us about the history of this fantastic publication that has touched millions of children. Please scroll down to read our Q&A, and be sure to watch our interview on InkandescentRadio.com and Inkandescent.tv. Inkandescent: Chris, start by telling us about the history of Highlights for Children. Christine Cully: Highlights magazine was founded in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, by two lifelong educators who had great respect for children — Garry Cleveland Myers and his wife, Caroline Clark Myers. The husband-wife team had great respect for children and knew from decades of experience as teachers that kids learn best when engaged and having fun. With that foundation in place, the Meyers knew those children would be more likely to grow up to be thoughtful, literate citizens who are sensitive to the needs and ideas of others. They also knew that loving, positive human relationships are the most potent motivator through positive suggestions and positive role models. That belief grew from Garry's experience as a psychologist. He earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University before World War I, then he and Caroline taught illiterate soldiers for the US Army. In fact, she was the first female teacher employed by the Army. This experience led to their becoming pioneers in elementary education, teaching educators and parents at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. Garry then began writing a nationally syndicated column entitled Parent Problems, and the couple co-authored several books. They had become nationally known in education circles and wanted to share their knowledge, so they began to work for Children's Activities. Lecturing across the nation, they informed, discovered, and refined what they knew. Their travels also led to discussions on what would be appropriate for children, and after retiring, and in 1946 they decided to launch Highlights. Click here to read our entire Q&A on Inkandescent Women magazine!

Flora Belle Buckman is 10 years old and hates romance. She prides herself on being a natural-born cynic, and while she wants to believe in superheroes — she just can’t make herself buy into the premise. At least, that’s how she feels during the summer after 5th grade when she’s reading “The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!” With the whoosh of a vacuum cleaner, all that changes. Flora’s neighbor, Mrs. Tickham, while using her new Ulysses Super-Suction, Multi-Terrain 2000X — on the lawn — sucks up an unassuming squirrel — and the incident magically gives him superpowers. From then on, the squirrel is known as (what else?) Ulysses. “Holy bagumba!” shouts Flora, witnessing the scene from her bedroom window. Holy bagumba, indeed. “Flora & Ulysses” is but the latest award-winner by celebrity author Kate DiCamillo, whom we had the privilege of interviewing for our “Authors Between the Covers” Radio Show. In the last two decades, she has written 11 New York Times best-selling titles and sold 18.5 million copies worldwide. Her books have been translated into 39 languages, and two have been turned into major motion picture feature films: “Because of Winn-Dixie” and “The Tale of Despereaux.” In addition to winning the 2014 Newbery Medal, she has won the National Book Award (2001), the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award (2006), and the (Theodor Seuss) Geisel Award (2007, 2011). DiCamillo is also the 2014-2015 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature — which means this celebrity author is making the rounds to meet kids across the country. In this podcast interview, you’ll learn: DiCamillo’s process for writing her best-sellers and tips on how others aspire to her achievement level might get started. Why she is still stunned that any of her books have even made it into print. Why she worked for years at Disney and other theme parks in Florida — but passionately yearned to be a writer. And more! Download our podcast now. And click here to read more about Kate DiCamillo, cover girl of the September 2014 Back to School issue of Be Inkandescent magazine.

Hello and welcome to the Inkandescent Radio show, “Authors Between the Covers.” I’m your host, the founder of the Inkandescent Radio Network, Hope Katz Gibbs. I’m thrilled to be here today with Christine Mangan, author of Tangerine, the Hitchcockian tale of Alice Shipley and Lucy Mason — college roommates who reconnect in the Moroccan city of Tangier, 1956. Drama and intrigue ensue, and indeed this page-turner is incredibly hard to put down. In the last six months, “Tangerine” has gotten tremendous attention — having been a featured in The New Yorker, and reviewed in The New York Times. Also incredibly exciting is that it has been optioned for film by George Clooney’s Smokehouse Pictures, and Scarlett Johansson is set to star. This is the first novel for the woman who has a PhD in English from the University College of Dublin, where her thesis focused on 18th century Gothic literature. She also has an MFA in fiction writing from the University of Southern Maine, and has spent much of her career traveling the world. Welcome to “Authors Between the Covers,” Christine! Before we get into our interview, I want to tell our listeners a little about this engrossing novel: The last person Alice Shipley expected to see since arriving in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the accident at Bennington, the two friends—once inseparable roommates—haven’t spoken in over a year. But there Lucy was, trying to make things right and return to their old rhythms. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy—always fearless and independent—helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice—she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice’s husband, John, goes missing, and Alice starts to question everything around her: her relationship with her enigmatic friend, her decision to ever come to Tangier, and her very own state of mind. Be Inkandescent: That description just makes you want to pick up the book! So, Christine, tell us about the story, your inspiration for it, and the journey you embarked on to take it from an idea to this 388-page hardback. Christine: Sure! The whole novel was inspired by a trip I took to the city of Tangier back in the spring of 2015. I had just finished my PhD at the University College of Dublin, and had a little bit of time left on my visa, so I wanted to travel and see as much as possible before I returned to the states. One of the places I really wanted to go to was Tangier. I had been there once before but for about only 10 minutes when I passed through the city on an overnight train from Marrakesh. I hopped on a ferry and went back to Spain. It was one of those things I regretted, not being able to spend time there. When I finally did go, I discovered that Tangier was, and still is, unlike any place I’ve ever been to. There’s a certain amount of romance to it, which is why a lot of creative people are drawn to live here — artists, writers, and travelers. But Tangier can also be entirely overwhelming. It’s hot and chaotic, and the streets can be a nightmare, ranging from being frustrating to terrifying at moments. There’s no place to stop and take a breath. I think that’s the reason people say, “You cry when you arrive in Tangier, and you cry when you leave.” You have to engage and overcome so many obstacles. But once you get accustomed to the rhythm of the place, you become enamored by it. I find myself still thinking about it, years after leaving. The people I met there, the stories they told me, in particular, the different ways people react to the city — it’s unforgettable. Be Inkandescent: Did you always want to be a novelist? C: I grew up in Metro Detroit, and lived on Long Island and in North Carolina for a bit. I went to Bennington College for a year, left, and went to Chicago where I lived for quite some time. Then I went to Dublin for four years and received my PhD before moving to Dubai to teach for a year. I always wanted to be a writer — but it was something that I never thought could happen — even after going to school for creative writing and receiving an MFA in fiction writing, and getting a PhD. That’s mostly because writing a novel and finding someone like it enough to publish it didn’t seem like a possibility. That’s why I put all of my focus on academia. Be Inkandescent: So how was “Tangerine” born? Christine: It happened when I arrived back in the states, and found myself in the position of not studying or being in school or working. While I was applying for jobs, I took time to finally sit down and write this thing. Memories of Tangier were dancing in my mind, and the story began unfolding. Be Inkandescent: You have accomplished so much, and it seems like you have always trusted your guts to take you where you needed to go. Christine: It’s true. In fact, I loved working on my PhD because I got to spend my time researching 18th Century Gothic novels. I had hoped after graduating that I would be able to teach about these things that I have been studying — but the reality is that in academia it is really hard to find full-time positions, especially ones where you get to teach about your specialty. I was looking at were jobs that would mainly have me teaching composition, which I wasn’t excited about. So I accepted a job in Dubai just as I found an agent. As I was preparing to leave for the United Emirates, the sale of the book happened so I was juggling a new job and the book sale. It was a very chaotic, exiting time. Be Inkandescent: It must have been fascinating! To go from zero to a thousand like that. Christine: Yeah, it was! I worked all day, then stayed up all night talking to people on the east coast. I remember during the auction, I got a terrible cold because I was adapting to being in air conditioning 24/7. It was very surreal, and I’m still processing it. Be Inkandescent: And then George Clooney optioned it as a film starring Scarlett Johansson, right? Congratulations! Christine: Yeah! Thank you! It just kind of added to everything. It seemed like it was happening to somebody else. Be Inkandescent: It is awesome but it happened to you, for it’s every writer’s dream to have that level of success. And, as always, with the highs there come lows, for when I was reading through some of the reviews of “Tangerine,” you got a couple of knocks. How do you handle the rollercoaster ride? Christine: I handle it by trying not to read the reviews. My editor knows not to send me anything, good or bad. It just makes me incredibly anxious. Still, I was aware of the bad ones when they came out in March 2018. It’s really difficult and in the moment I thought to myself, “I don’t want to do this again. I don’t want to write a second novel.” But then I calmed down and realized I have to open myself up to the good and bad because that’s how this business works. I’m a very private person, though, and am still figuring out how to take it in, but not be taken down by the bad reviews. Be Inkandescent: It’s tough for anyone to handle that level of criticism, but the truth is that “Tangerine” is so engrossing, and the characters so layered, that you can’t put it down. So tell us how you thought up the story and those complex characters. Christine: I’m drawn to places that are unique, and to the idea of what it means to be an outsider. This relates to the main characters, Lucy and Alice. Through them, I investigate how being a tourist or visitor or expat, can something exciting, unnerving, and quite lonely. You are in this new country and are very isolated — whether by language or otherwise. Investigating the journey of the outsider appeals to me as a writer, and a reader. Be Inkandescent: Tell us more about Lucy and Alice. Christine: I’ve always been drawn to stories about female friendship, especially those we make during our formative years. There’s something so unique about that time where senses and experiences are heightened and intense. Because of youth, and often, circumstance, this time in a woman’s life seems like the most important in the world. As a result, boundaries are often crossed and identity is blurred. I’m interested in looking at the moments when friendships begin to shift and crumble, and how that changes the people involved. Be Inkandescent: Losing a friend, or feeling betrayed by them, can feel like the end of the world. Christine: Exactly. Plus, when I wrote “Tangerine,” I had just submitted my PhD thesis, so I had the gothic stories of the Blondie sisters and James Hogg and Ann Radcliffe and Eliza Parsons circling in my brain. I love the psychological suspense — in particular, ones that focus on the idea of one character being the other’s dark double. So I wrote about the relationship between Alice and Lucy in a similar vein. Where we see Alice unable to voice concerns and fears she has, Lucy is able to pick that up and deal with it in a way that Alice cannot. Gothic tales also have a strong sense of place, whether it’s Manderley in “Rebecca” or Thornfield in “Jane Eyre.” That was on my mind as well. Tangier was a stand in for a haunted castle motif. In fact, the streets of that city can be just as frightening and threatening and overwhelming in the structure of the walls in those gothic novels. Be Inkandescent: The relationships are so intertwined and twisted, the reader doesn’t don’t know who is sane. What was it like to write a story like that? Did you feel the characters? Did you become them? Christine: I found Lucy to be the more interesting character; she’s the one I had the most fun writing about because she gets things going. She’s the pusher, the doer. In many ways, Alice is simply a response to all of that chaos. It was a lot of fun plotting out what would happen next. And, there was a bit of tracking required to make sure that the story

It was an honor and privilege to be interviewed today by Tyler Wagner, Head Honcho @ Authorsunite.com, for his podcast show, The Business Blast. Be sure to listen to our chat by downloading the podcast now! Scroll down for a transcript of our interview. Tyler: What’s the best story from your life that has an underlying, valuable message? Hope: Oh, there are so many to choose from … my dad was a bookie, I got left at the alter, when I left my husband in 2014 to move to Richmond to grow my business, I proceeded to go on 108 first dates, which is the topic of my new book, Why Divorce? The list goes on. But the theme that strings the stories of my life together is that no matter what challenge I was facing, I listened to my gut and heart and let my intuition pull me like a magnet. Tyler: What’s the most valuable piece of information we should know that’s within your expertise/industry?* Hope: I love telling great stories. And I honestly believe that everyone has at least one great story inside them. It’s often a matter of dragging it out and telling it well. That’s what makes me love being a journalist — and I’ve transferred my storytelling and writing skills to InkandescentPR.com and the books I write, ghostwrite, and publish for others. Tyler: What’s your best piece of overall business advice?* Hope: Have an intimate understanding of what you are selling. Know your business from as many angles as possible. Even if you don’t need to do every aspect of your business — and you shouldn’t because delegation is the key to success — it’s essential that you could jump in and do any job if it was necessary. Tyler: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be? Hope: I want to say that I’d love my younger self to “be kind to yourself.” Alas, I still struggle with that. I am my harshest critic — the one who gets incredibly upset when I feel like I could have / should have done a better job. It’s a conflict in my personal and professional life, and I work on letting myself off the hook. I am far more compassionate with others than I am with myself. And I really am working on it. One day at a time. Tyler: In your opinion, what’s the key to happiness? Hope: Being surrounded by the people you love, who love you. My son recently sent me a pair of sneakers because I bought my last pair the year he was born (in 1999), and he decided that the time had come. My daughter makes sure to make time each week to talk to me about anything and everything going on in her life — she always has. And I am still best friends with my husband, who I am separated from. It’s the love that matters most. And I try to spread it around to as many people as possible — my friends, colleagues, clients, and social media contacts. It’s contagious. Tyler: What’s the best book you’ve read and what was the #1 thing you learned from it? Hope: I have about 2,000 books in my library, maybe more. And every month since January 2010 I have read and promoted at book of the month on my business magazine, BeInkandescent.com. So it’s easier to tell you what I’m reading now: Anne Murrow Lindbergh’s “Gift from the Sea.” I started reading it last month when I moved to Rehoboth Beach, DE to heal my newly broken heart. That’s a story for another day. For me, though, Lindbergh’s courage and ability to heal despite the dramas she faced in her life is truly inspiring. One thing that she wrote really stuck with me: “I find there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before.” Sometimes we just don’t know what lies ahead, and fear it won’t be what we desire. I am holding on to her words of wisdom, sometimes by clutching this perfect book in my hands, as I try to work my way through my current situation. Tyler: What’s your favorite quote and why? Hope: I have actually collected quotes my whole life, and years ago started publishing an article a month filled with notables in InkandescentQuotes.com. I embrace to Lindbergh again because it rang true last week, as I was picking up shells at sunset that were singing out to me — only to realize when I got home that somewhere in the sand my cell phone had fallen from my pocket. It is likely floating out at sea. Although I replaced it with pricier fancier iPhone8, I knew there was a deeper lesson to be learned: “One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. “One can only collect a few. One moon shell is more impressive than three. There is only one moon in the sky.” Tyler: What’s the best way for people to find you online? Hope: You can learn all about my Inkandescent Group offerings by starting at www.InkandescentPR.com. Tabs at the top of that website will take you to: Our business magazine BeInkandescent.com Podcast network InkandescentRadio.com Video channel on YouTube Inkandescent.TV TrulyAmazingWomen.com — which is currently undergoing a refresh and this summer will be a TV show and magazine for women who are making strides and changing lives: InkandescentWomen.com. Also check out our speakers’ bureau for women InkandescentSpeakers.com My journalism website is Powered-by-Hope.com And last but not least, you can learn about my new book — and fill out the questionnaire if you’d like to be interviewed — at www.WhyDivorce.us.

Author Dawn Tripp movingly reveals artist Georgia O’Keeffe as a woman striving to live the life she believes in in her new book, “Georgia,” an imagined story of the life of the infamous artist. The book draws readers in from page 1 as she writes: “I no longer love you as I once did, in the dazzling rush of those early days. Time itself was feverish then, our bodies filled with fire … the metallic scent of the dark room, smells of sweat and linseed oil, a stain of cocoa on the dining room table. It was all smashed together back then — art, sex, life — mixed into the perfect color, every shadow had a substance, shape, and tone … My hands are cool now, the past remade and packed away. Sometimes, though, late at night the air lifts and I feel it — the faint burn of your eyes on my closed lids. Still. That sense of you rushing back in.” The book goes on to describe the passionately complicated relationship that O’Keafe had with the recipient of the note above — her manager and husband, famed photographer Alfred Stieglitz. This is the fourth book by the author of the Boston Globe bestseller, “Game of Secrets,” who is also the winner of the Massachusetts Book Award for fiction for “The Season of Open Water.” *The Harvard grad explains that “Georgia” has been the toughest topic she has tackled — not only because Georgia O’Keeffe was so complex, but because it took nearly a year for her to find the voice of the character. Tripp’s journey into “Georgia” began in the fall of 2009 as she basked in the 125 paintings in the exhibit, “Georgia O’Keeffe: Abstraction,” at the Whitney Museum of Fine Art. “I felt overturned as I moved from piece to piece, and began to draw together an entirely new understanding of O’Keeffe and her art,” Tripp explains, noting it was a century ago in 1915 when O’Keeffe, then 27, began painting abstract art in an era when few artists, much less women, were bold enough to do so. “As I moved past the paintings, I wanted to know who was the woman, the artist, who made these works? Why was she not recognized for her sheer visionary power during her lifetime? And of course, what was her 30-year relationship really like with Alfred Stieglitz, the man who ‘discovered’ her?” For more than a year, Tripp dove into the psyche of the woman who is celebrated as a central figure in 20th century art: “I read five or six biographies about her, and filled notebooks with thoughts and ideas because I still write longhand. I looked at O’Keeffe’s art, Stieglitz’s photographs of her, and the work of other artists in their circle. Then I started taking my own photographs every day because I was trying to see the world the way a visual artist might see the world.” Still, the voice of O’Keeffe wasn’t speaking to her — until one Sunday afternoon in April 2010. “It was an oddly warm spring day in Massachusetts, so I took my sons down to the river to play. They had their jeans rolled up and they were kicking around in the water and I was lying in the sun, when I suddenly ‘heard’ the first words for the novel: ‘I no longer love you as I once did in the dazzling rush of those early days.’ I remember that moment so clearly. I suddenly sat up feeling O’Keeffe’s voice inside of me. I looked around and the whole world was different. I started the book the following day.” A sensuous 316-page work of historical fiction, available February 9, 2016, is the result. “Fiction is a curious tool to get at a different side of the truth,” Tripp insists. “It’s what novelist Vladimir Nabokov called, ‘the shimmering go-between.’ That’s the space that I wanted to write into, the space between what took place in O’Keeffe’s life — and what could have.” Don’t miss this episode of Authors Between the Covers.

“Every month, 5 million people move from the past to the future,” writes Daniel Brook, author of the 2013 tome, “A History of Future Cities.” “Pouring into developing-world ‘instant cities’ like Dubai and Shenzhen, these urban newcomers confront a modern world cobbled together from fragments of a West they have never seen,” he explains, asking: “Do these fantastical boomtowns, where blueprints spring to life overnight on virgin land, represent the dawning of a brave new world? Or is their vaunted newness a mirage?” In a captivating blend of history and reporting, the journalist — whose work has appeared in Harper’s, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and Slate — travels to a series of major metropolitan hubs that were once themselves instant cities: St. Petersburg, Shanghai, and Mumbai. The goal, he says, was to step back and watch their “dress rehearsals for the 21 century” — and help readers do the same. By juxtaposing the stories of the architects and authoritarians, the artists and revolutionaries who seized the reins to transform each of these precociously modern places into avatars of the global future, Brook demonstrates that the drive for modernization was initially conflated with wholesale Westernization. In this podcast interview, Brook tells us: What inspired him to write “A History of Future Cities” How a trip to St. Petersburg as a kid changed his life How he selected the cities he wrote about The most fascinating facts he discovered — that he didn’t expect to find What he thinks the future of cities will be 50 years from today Download the podcast now! And click here to read all about “A History of Future Cities,” in the May 2015 issue of Be Inkandescent magazine. Daniel Brook is a journalist whose work has appeared in publications including The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, Slate, and The Nation. He is the author of The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America. His architecture writing won the 2010 Winterhouse Award for Design Writing and Criticism. To research “A History of Future Cities,” Brook lived for a month each in St. Petersburg, Shanghai, Mumbai, and Dubai and conducted archival research on a semester-long fellowship at the Library of Congress. Originally from New York and educated at Yale University, Brook lives in New Orleans. Learn more at daniel-brook.com.

Jim Barnes is a book editor and director of the IPPY Awards (shorthand for the Independent Publisher Book Awards) — which, for nearly two decades, have rewarded the creativity and innovation of independent authors and publishers who are “changing the face of publishing around the world.” With more than 75 subject categories, regional awards for eight US and two Canadian regions, and a spectacular awards ceremony in New York on the eve of BookExpo America, the IPPY Awards are one of the most effective — and affordable — marketing tools available to authors and publishers today. “In addition to getting a cool medal to wear, and a shiny sticker for your book cover, independent authors gain tremendous credibility for being an award-winning author,” says Barnes (shown here). Just as the judging for the 2015 awards got underway, we took the opportunity to interview Barnes for “Authors Between the Covers,” on the Inkandescent Radio Network. We asked him: Tell us about the upcoming IPPY Awards. What are they, who can enter the contest, and what do you get if you win? You started working with the Jenkins Group more than 15 years ago. Tell us about your career. Have you authored any books? Let’s talk more about independent book publishing. It is an industry that is growing by leaps and bounds. In fact, my company InkandescentPR, last year launched our first two books under our newest service, the Inkandescent Publishing Company — including my book, “PR Rules: The Playbook,” which came out in August 2014. Why are so many people publishing their own books? What is the downside to self-publishing? What is the biggest upside? Are traditional publishers responding? Or do they feel they can keep doing business as usual? I love that your end your bio with, “Stay tuned, and stay independent!” In your opinion, what’s the biggest opportunity for writers when it comes to being an independent in the publishing industry? Download or Stream the podcast now! Click here to learn more about the IPPYs!