7/1/19 @9:45am pst - Vlada Knowlton - Director, Writer, Producer, Editor joined host Janeane to talk about her film The Most Dangerous Year

LISTEN to today's conversation with 

featured guest Vlada Knowlton

THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR - a film that chronicles the fight in Washington over the notorious anti-transgender “bathroom bills” introduced into legislation in 2016 - a year that the Human Rights Campaign called 'the most dangerous year' for transgender Americans. Director Vlada Knowlton humanizes the hot button topic of gender identity as she documents the lives of several trans children and their families, including her own 5 year old daughter. While Knowlton passionately follows the story of anti–transgender legislation, the heart of the film lies in the stories of the families who accept and support their kids for exactly who they are. A brilliant, encouraging story in these challenging times. Take a look at the trailer here.

With the recent White House military trans ban, and this year going on record as surpassing 2016 as the most dangerous years for transgender and gender non-conforming people - the battle for trans rights is on-going, and requires vigilance in demonstrating to the world that trans people are human beings that deserve the same rights as their fellow citizens. THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR aims to contribute to the education of people on this subject to help get us all to the point of understanding and acceptance, while allowing trans people the privilege to simply live as themselves.


The film opens in L.A. Friday, April 26 and on VOD in June - timed to Pride Month


A film by Vlada Knowlton

RT: 90 mins

In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Human Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. In Washington State alone, six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a group of embattled parents as they banded together to fight a deluge of proposed laws that would strip away the rights of their young transgender children. With the help of a coalition of state lawmakers and civil rights activists, these families embarked on an uncharted journey of fighting to protect and preserve their children’s human rights and freedoms in this present-day civil rights movement. As one of these parents, Knowlton presents an intimate portrait of her own struggle to protect her 5-year-old transgender daughter from laws inspired by hate and fear.

From tension-filled Senate hearings in Olympia to intimate household settings of the families involved; from thought provoking conversations with key lawmakers to elucidating facts explained by leading scientists, The Most Dangerous Year explores the transgender civil rights battle in all its richness and complexity. While the film follows the story and outcome of anti-transgender legislation in Washington, the heart of the film lies in the stories of the families who made the decision to accept and support their kids for exactly who they are.

The Most Dangerous Year is directed by Seattle based award-winning filmmaker, Vlada Knowlton. Knowlton’s first documentary feature, Having It All, was selected by Washington’s PBS station, KCTS9, as the anchor program for its “Women Who Inspire” series in August, 2015, and went on to also be broadcast by Oregon Public Broadcasting. The Most Dangerous Year premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival, receiving a runner-up award for Best Documentary, and went on to win a Best Social Issue Documentary award at the Atlanta International Documentary Film Festival. The film is produced by Knowlton, along with Chadd Knowlton and Lulu Gargiulo.

About Vlada Knowlton - Director, Writer, Producer, Editor

Vlada is an award-winning filmmaker based in Seattle. Her debut documentary feature, Having It All, was selected by Washington's PBS station, KCTS9, as the anchor program for its “Women Who Inspire” series in August, 2015, and went on to also be broadcast by Oregon Public Broadcasting. Its online premiere, presented by the organizations Flexjobs and 1 Million For Work Flexibility, was a press-covered event that included a panel discussion with Kelly Wallace of CNN. Her current documentary, The Most Dangerous Year, was awarded the Professional Grant from Women in Film Seattle and an Open 4Culture Grant. Vlada holds a doctorate in Cognitive Science from Brown University and worked at Microsoft prior to her filmmaking career.For more information about the film, visit: www.TheMostDangerousYear.com

Connect with us here:

#TheMostDangerousYear

Facebook: @TheMostDangerousYear

Instagram: @VladaKnowlton



In early 2016, when a dark wave of anti-transgender “bathroom bills” began sweeping across the nation, The Human Rights Campaign published a report identifying 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans. In Washington State six such “bathroom bills” were introduced in the State Legislature. Documentary filmmaker Vlada Knowlton captured the ensuing civil rights battle from the perspective of a small group of embattled parents as they banded together to fight a deluge of proposed laws that would strip away the rights of their young, transgender children. As one of the parents, Knowlton presents an intimate portrait of her own struggle to protect her 5-year-old transgender daughter from laws inspired by ignorance and fear. 

From tension-filled Senate hearings in Olympia to intimate household settings of the families involved; from thought provoking conversations with key lawmakers to elucidating facts explained by leading scientists - The Most Dangerous Year explores the transgender civil rights battle in all its richness and complexity. While the film follows the story and outcome of anti-transgender legislation in Washington, the heart of the film lies in the stories of the families who made the decision to accept and support their kids for exactly who they are.

7/1/19 @9:30am pst - Jen Morilla, The Social Girl Traveler, joined host Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with featured guest Jen Morilla - aka
The Social Girl Traveler
@thesocialgirltraveler

ABOUT JEN MORILLA - from her website

LIFE-LIVER. DREAM GO-GETTER.
DRIVEN BY SOCIAL IMPACT & PURPOSE.


I am an IMPACT TRAVEL INFLUENCER.

I am clean water initiator. Using my influence for GOOD.

I work with Sustainable, Social, and NGO Brands/Companies to create stories and inspire others to change the world. My mission is to create incredible possibilities of transformation for humankind to live lives of impact, purpose, and badassery.

When I travel the world my purpose is to discover humanity, understand a culture and connect emotionally with people… and as I do that, I am tirelessly driven to leave a little something behind that can change a life.

I’m Jen, solo female traveler. I am Cuban-American from New York City. Only 3-years-ago I was working for a marketing agency when I sold my car, some belongings, and bought a one way. I traded my 9-5 for a budget, backpack, and traveling for good. It’s been three years and I haven’t looked back since!

I am a Youtuber, a writer, and a clean water courier. but I really call myself a ‘life-liver’. I dream big and make my dreams happen.

The Social Girl Traveler is an impact travel blog not only about amazing traveling adventures as a solo female traveler but for sharing my experiences as of traveling with a purpose. I am a traveler who likes to immerse herself in a new culture. Learning all the there is to know. The good and the bad! If I am not traveling with water filters I am building homes and/or teach locals.

The Social Girl Traveler is a brand that associates itself with doing good. Being good. Traveling for good.

I carry with me clean water filters (CLEAN WATER COURIER) when I travel to countries in need of clean water. I work with ProjectPurposew4w in association with Waves For Water.
*Each water filter provides clean water to 100 people for 5 years.*

7/1/19 @9:15am pst - Mary Sheeran’s latest book Banished From Memory

LISTEN to today's conversation with featured guest Mary Sheeran.

Mary Sheeran’s latest book Banished From Memory (May 14, 2019, Aquafire Solis) reaches back into Hollywood’s past, commenting on an era of film history frequently overlooked--the years of the Hollywood blacklist.

The daughter of two award-winning actors, 16-year-old Dianna Fletcher fears her inability to live up to her family legacy. Unable to keep up with the rapidly changing roles for women in the industry, Dianna is thrilled to land a role. When she is placed alongside one of Hollywood’s notorious womanizers, Bill Royce, Dianna begins to discover secrets long buried in her family’s past which could destroy their prestige and power.

In her latest novel, Mary Sheeran weaves together disparate strands—a young woman’s coming of age, a changing film industry, the sexual pitfalls of Hollywood still resonating today in the #MeToo movement, a secret spanning three generations, and her relationship with a brooding, brilliant actor—to create a story about the effects of the Hollywood blacklist on two families. In Banished From Memory (Aquafire Sulis, May 14, 2019), Sheeran explores female agency and sheds light on the pitfalls of sexism, nationalism, and beloved American icons.

Sheeran’s novel focuses on 16-year-old Dianna Fletcher, famous for her high-status as the daughter of two award-winning actors. During her coming-of-age, Dianna realizes that the bright lights of 1960’s Hollywood are starting to cast shadows on the secrets of her family’s past.

Dianna fears that she is losing her talent and failing to live up to her family’s legacy. When she does land a part, she finds an unexpected enemy in brilliant actor and womanizer Bill Royce, who not only attacks her confidence but holds a deep grudge against her family. Dianna comes to believe that Bill’s resentment is related to a secret linked to the Hollywood blacklist.

Banished From Memory highlights the conflicted relationship between two legacies of the blacklist, the sunset period of classic Hollywood, the challenges and gifts of acting, and a determination on the part of one generation to exhume the truth of another’s. But at what cost?


MARY SHEERAN has acted in plays, sung in operas, and created and performed in recitals and cabaret shows, all in New York City. She is the author of two novels, Who Have the Power (2006), an exploration of cultural conflict, feminism, and Native American history, and Quest of the Sleeping Princess (2012), set in the midst of George Balanchine’s ballets. She has written theater and dance reviews for show business trade publications and for the blog Life Upon the Sacred Stage. Mary lives in the Bronx, where in conjunction with earning a Master of Divinity degree from New York Theological Seminary, she can also be found giving sermons in Manhattan churches.


In an interview, Mary Sheeran can discuss:


How the Hollywood Blacklist affected families and individuals in the ‘50s- ‘60s


How acting roles for women changed in the 1960s and the larger effect of Hollywood sexualization


How she understands the #MeToo Movement as it relates to Hollywood in the 60s and now


Changes in the production of movies before and after the Blacklist went into effect that most people wouldn’t notice


The thorough research she completed in order to accurately reflect Hollywood’s past


How her background in acting and singing opera has influenced her fiction


MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW: Banished From Memory is an example of 20th century historical fiction at its strongest, and revolves around the relationships and politics of 1960 Hollywood's entertainment industry during an era when blacklisting ran rampant.

7/1/19 @9am pst - freelance writer and speaker Cindy Trane Christeson joined host Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with Cindy Trane Christeson!


ABOUT CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON

Twelve years ago Cindy and Amy were driving a van full of Amy’s and her husband Tyson’s belongings from Northern California to Orange County as part of the move to bring Amy and Tyson closer to family in Newport. A dream come true. An exploding tire catapulted the van through a fence, before it rolled three times. Only Cindy survived. Could Cindy survive losing a child, her worst nightmare? Cindy was driving at the time, what would the repercussions be? Could Cindy’s marriage survive?

Part of Cindy’s therapy has been writing, and she is currently finishing her memoir about the surprises of grief, both bad and good. She is eager to offer help and hope by sharing what she has learned on her journey of grief.

Cindy is a freelance writer and speaker to women’s groups. She wrote the weekly Faith column in the Newport Beach Independent for 11 years and before that wrote a weekly column in the Daily Pilot called “The Moral of the Story” for 12 years.

6/17/19 - Stavroula Toska, an original content creator, writer, director, producer and actor, spoke with host Janeane Bernstein from our KUCI studios

LISTEN to today's conversation
with featured guest Stavroula Toska

Stavroula Toska is an original content creator, writer, director, producer and actor based in New York City by way of Greece. Her debut feature documentary, Beneath the Olive Tree, was narrated and executive produced by Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis. Based on journals found buried beneath an olive tree in Greece the film brings to light the stories of Greek women who were exiled in concentration camps during the Greek civil war with the support of the United States and Great Britain. Beneath the Olive Tree went on to receive multiple awards and recognition in the US and abroad. Toska's most recent project is the multi-award-winning scripted series, SWITCH. Based on her personal experiences as an undercover dominatrix, Toska takes viewers on a journey to the riveting world of BDSM from a deeply benevolent, unorthodox and cerebral POV by following Stella (based on Toska's real life character) and the main characters as they navigate leading a double life, the struggle for power, identity, ambition, love and family. SWITCH is a workplace drama exploring the many aspects of human nature, trauma and conditioning that most people never discuss openly, and follows in the steps of Brene Brown's work on vulnerability and Bessel Van Der Kolk's decades of research focusing on the brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma. 

SWITCH has been taking film festivals by storm winning a record 10 awards in less than 6 months:

- BEST STORY AWARD, Santa Fe Film Festival

- BEST SUSPENSE / ACTION AWARD, New York Women in Film and Television, Go Indie TV, Roku TV Film Festival

- OUTSTANDING ACTRESS AWARD for Stavroula Toska, New York Women in Film and Television , Go Indie TV, Roku TV Film Festival

- BEST PILOT AWARD and BEST NEW SERIES AWARD, Calcutta International Film Festival

- BEST PILOT AWARD and BEST NEW SERIES AWARD, Los Angeles Independent Film Festival

- BEST PILOT AWARD at the 2019 Best Shorts Film Festival

- BEST WEB SERIES AWARD at the Global Shorts Film Festival

- BEST PILOT and BEST WOMEN’S SHORT FILM, Crown Wood International Film Festival

As SWITCH is quickly finding an audience around the globe, Toska is working on a book about the many life lessons she learned while working as a dominatrix and looking to develop SWITCH into long form episodic.

Season 1 of the short form version of SWITCH is now available to watch exclusively on www.switchtheseries.com

Stavroula's other works as a producer and/or director include In The Vice, Pronoia, The Sounding, LIVIN' THE DREAM, Monsters, and The New Abolitionists, a feature documentary on human trafficking. She serves as a mentor for youth interested in filmmaking through the Reel Works Organization, she is on the board of directors at the Hellenic Film Society USA, and serves as the Events Director for the Film Fatales New York Chapter.

SWITCH will be screening at the Dances with Films Festival June 22, 2019.
WEST COAST Premiere

USA, 2018, HD, 24 min.
SCREENS: TV GRP 1, SAT. JUNE 22 @ 12PM
WRITER: Stavroula Toska
DIRS: Stavroula Toska, Cady McClain, Laurie Weltz, Katie Maguire
PRODS: Stavroula Toska, Katie Maguire
CAST: Stavroula Toska, Olympia Dukakis, Andrew Chmelko, Eleni Yiovas, India Ennenga, Cady McClain, Alicia Greene, Jon Lindstrom, Catherine Eaton, Catherine Chadwick, Julian Elfer

Based on the true life story of creator and lead actress Stavroula Toska, SWITCH follows Stella, an immigrant woman with a dark past who begins training as a professional dominatrix in New York City’s most exclusive BDSM Establishment while battling PTSD.

SWITCH takes viewers on a journey to the riveting world of BDSM, from a deeply benevolent, unorthodox and cerebral POV, by following Stella and the main characters as they navigate leading a double life, the struggle for power, identity, ambition, love and family. SWITCH is a work place drama, much like ER but in a dungeon.

6/17/19 @9:30am pst - Amy Collins, President of New Shelves Books, joined Janeane live on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation
with featured guest Amy Collins.

Amy Collins is the President of New Shelves Books, one of the best-known book sales and marketing agencies in the US. Collins is a trusted expert, speaker, and recommended sales consultant for some of the largest book and library retailers and wholesalers in the publishing industry. In the last 20 years, Amy and her team have sold over 40 Million books into the bookstore, library, and Chain store market for small and midsized publishers. She is a columnist for and a board member of several publishing organizations and a trusted teacher in the world of independent publishers.

https://www.newshelves.com

6/17/19 @9:15am pst - Marika Lindholm along with co-editor Domenica Ruta joined host Janeane Bernstein to talk about ‘We Got This,' which marks a social movement with stories from single mothers representing a diverse range of experiences.

LISTEN to today's show featuring
Marika Lindholm and co-editor Domenica Ruta

ABOUT THE EDITORS

Marika Lindholm is one of the editors of a new anthology “We Got This” (Sept. 10, She Writes Press), which chronicles the journey of more than 75 solo moms. It even includes a story from Amy Poehler! They come from a variety of diverse backgrounds, and some are single parents by choice, and some by circumstance.

Domenica Ruta is the author of the New York Times bestseller With or Without You, a memoir about growing up with a heroin-addicted solo mom. Her recently published book, The Last Day, a novel, was written in a postpartum fugue state as a new solo mom to her son. She lives in New York City.

‘We Got This’ marks a social movement with stories from single mothers representing a diverse range of experiences. Lindholm’s new collection features featuring Anne Lamott and Amy Poehler and brings together solo moms with grit, heart, and humor


NEW YORK CITY – In the United States alone, there are 15 million hard-working, diverse, dedicated, and resilient women single mothers. This fall, 75 solo mom’s voices will be featured in the groundbreaking title “We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor” (She Writes Press, September 10, 2019). They unite to break the stigma around single moms, to empower others facing similar situations, and to show the ferocity of the love they feel for their children.

Filled with essays, poems, and inspirational quotes, We Got This features moms connected by a conscious coalition despite age, race, culture, sexual orientation, economic circumstances, and route to single motherhood. We Got This reminds solo moms that they are powerful and important ― and that there’s a whole community of women out there who understand what they are going through.

DR. MARIKA LINDHOLM founded ESME.com to ignite a social movement of solo moms. A trained sociologist, Lindholm taught courses on inequality, diversity, and gender at Northwestern University for over a decade. After a divorce left her parenting two children on her own, she realized solo moms lacked much-needed resources, support, and connection. She built her social platform, Empowering Solo Moms Everywhere, out of this combination of academic and personal experience. In addition to publishing numerous scholarly articles, Lindholm has been a regular contributor to Psychology Today, Working Mother, Mind Body Green, and Talk Space. She has published essays and fiction in the Daily News, Elephant Journal, The Hill, Ms., Silent Voices, and the Southern Indiana Review. Keep up with her at https://esme.com/.


“We Got This:

Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor”


Frank, funny, and unflinchingly real stories by solo moms, for solo moms


In the United States, more than 15 million women are parenting children on their own, either by circumstance or by choice. Too often these moms who do it all have been misrepresented and maligned. Not anymore.


In We Got This, seventy-five solo mom writers tell the truth about their lives—their hopes and fears, their resilience and setbacks, their embarrassments and triumphs.


Some of these writers’ names will sound familiar, like Amy Poehler, Anne Lamott, and Elizabeth Alexander, while others are about to become unforgettable.


Bound together by their strength, pride, and most of all, their dedication to their children, they broadcast a universal and empowering message: You are not alone, solo moms—and your tenacity, courage, and fierce love are worthy of celebration.


Edited by Marika Lindholm, Cheryl Dumesnil, Domenica Ruta, and Katherine Shonk

September 10, 2019 | She Writes Press

Short Stories/Memoirs

In an interview, Dr. Marika Lindholm can discuss:

• The unfair stigmas that single mothers face
• What makes We Got This a necessary book for the Solo Mom community
• How the book can benefit two- parent homes
• The inspiration behind We Got This
• How the collection of stories came together
• The growing trend of being a single parent by choice
• Social truths that bind solo moms regardless of their route to single parenthood

An Interview with Dr. Marika Lindholm
How did you rally 75 single mothers into submitting their unique stories for We Got This?

Our anthology features great writing by well-known, and yet to be discovered, solo moms. We searched for previously published work by Amy Poehler, Audre Lorde, Mary Karr, Anne Lamott, Elizabeth Alexander and other notables, but the real fun was finding lesser known solo mom authors to share their original stories. Fortunately, over the years, I’ve established a network made up of wonderful writers who’ve contributed to ESME. We reached beyond that network as well, posting calls for work in a range of communication channels for women writers. We had a treasure chest of submissions but had to make some hard choices based on our goal to weave an inclusive story that represented a diversity of solo mom experiences. The enthusiastic response by writers hoping to join our collection of solo mom voices was incredibly reaffirming!


What is your definition of a “solo mom”?

A solo mom is any woman who parents alone, whether by choice, circumstance, or surprise. The term solo mom is an intentional dismantling and redefining of the “single mom” stereotypes that have been used to denigrate hard-working moms. Adopting the phrase solo mom allows us to write a new, more accurate definition, one that highlights solo mom’s strength, resilience, intelligence and ingenuity. The term solo mom also has the benefit of including women who are solo due to a variety of circumstances such as a partner’s deployment, incarceration, abandonment, deportation, death or frequent travel for work. The reasons for being solo might differ but all solo moms are united in their fierce love and dedication to their children. As we say at ESME, solo doesn’t mean alone.

What inspired you to put the book together? Why now?
During my own divorce over 15 years ago, I recall looking for, and not finding, books about solo parenting that spoke to my heart, rather than offering practical advice. I was hurting and wanted more than a how-to book. After starting ESME and seeing all the heartfelt writing by our solo mom contributors, I searched the shelves to see if the book I needed, so many years ago, had been written. I found wonderful memoirs and fiction that featured solo moms, but there was still a hole to fill. I’m proud that our book invites the reader into a community of solo moms who lay bare their fears, joys, hopes and challenges, thus inspiring and celebrating anyone raising children, especially on their own.


Why do you think it’s crucial to tell these stories right now?

Our current historical moment, where the gap between the super wealthy and the working class continues to grow, where the cost of living rises but wages don’t, where federal taxes take a deeper cut into paychecks, where our children are practicing “active shooter” drills at school, where educational opportunities come with a steep price tag, where social supports such as healthcare, food assistance, and childcare support are at risk—it's incredibly frightening for solo moms. It’s critical that we show solo moms that they are not alone and that they are worthy of being honored and celebrated for their heroic efforts. Equally important, by sharing their profound stories, we defy the stereotypes that convince voters and politicians that solo moms and their children are a social ill, unworthy of support. I wish We Got This could be required reading for everyone in the Senate and House, because once they got to know the moms in our book, it would be very difficult to vilify and compromise the safety and health of solo mom families.


You are very passionate about making people aware that single moms in the US are a diverse group. How do you think the collection of stories in We Got This represent that?

Yes I’m very proud that we are able to share so many solo mom perspectives in their gorgeous variation. Not only do we feature solo moms who represent diversity in terms of race, culture, sexual orientation and economic situation, we also showcase diversity of experience: moms with special needs children or special needs themselves, women who became solo due to divorce, deployment, incarceration, a husband’s mental illness or death. We feature solo moms by choice, by adoption and by surprise as well as a range of human experiences such as, suffering a heart attack while a spouse is deployed, adopting a baby that lands in the NICU for many weeks, helping a heroin addicted son, pondering how to explain a father’s suicide and many more stories that are certain to resonate whether or not you’ve faced similar challenges.

Why do you think there is a growing solo mom trend? How do you think that will change parenting culture for the next generation of parents?
Divorce rates are dropping but divorce continues to be the main reason women become solo moms. Sadly, the opioid crisis and increased suicide rates have also forced women to parent alone -- in many cases grandmothers have stepped up. However, one of the most dramatic trends is the willingness of women to parent alone when they don’t find a suitable partner. Many women don’t want to wait for their prince or princess to start a family. They are keenly aware that their biological clock is ticking and don’t want to miss the chance at motherhood. The biggest change in parenting culture is that its decidedly more fluid. Increasingly, parents aren’t married or single for the first 18 years of a child’s life - families are in flux - and that’s OK. I hope and believe there will be more acceptance of a variety of family arrangements, such as one home for the children that mom and dad, or mom and mom, rotate in and out of. Or multiple solo mom families sharing a home to help each other manage work and family obligations. These scenarios may sound unstable or threatening to some but we’ve had many generations of solo moms who toiled in invisibility or shame. As long as we continue to put children’s needs front and center, parenting culture in all its permutations and combinations should be supported and accepted.


What stigmas do you hope to break?

In politics, the media and dinner party conversations, single moms are often portrayed as a problem to be solved. According to the stereotypical storyline, they’re clueless, irresponsible, lazy, morally lax, and unable to stop having children. They mooch off of social welfare programs, the persistent stereotype says, and they would rather have more babies than hold down a job. In researching the book, and in my thousands of conversations with solo moms, I can confidently say that the pernicious single mom stereotype is a fabrication. If anything, solo moms are weaving their own safety net by working multiple jobs, sharing homes, bartering services, swapping clothes and helping each other every day. We Got This features their individual stories but also sheds light on one truth that unites all single moms across age, race, class, and culture: children come first.

6/17/19 @9am pst - Author Rea Frey spoke with host Janeane Bernstein about her novel, Not Her Daughter

LISTEN to today's show with featured guest Rea Frey!

Rea Frey's first novel Not Her Daughter (Griffin/St Martin's 8/21/2018) published to great acclaim, just a few to mention being PopSugar naming it one of Summer's Hottest Books, Publishers Weekly including it in their Mysteries and Thrillers 2018 Roundup, Parade included it in list 20 Chilling Thrillers by Women to Read This Year, and Crime Reads listed it in 5 Debut Crime Novels to Read This August.

The mass market paperback version is coming out this June, and we are booking Rea for radio interviews! Would you be interested in chatting with her about crime fiction, kidnapping (and her own scare story...), and this top selling book?

Rea was tapped to do her own script for the major motion picture version of the book, and she can also speak about this and her book to screen journey.

ABOUT THE BOOK - NOT HER DAUGHTER

Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

With a degree in creative writing from Columbia and six traditionally published books under her belt, Rea has helped hundreds of clients refine, hone, and craft their own ideas into full-fledged books. Whether it’s working on a book proposal to sell to a publisher, ghostwriting a memoir, or consulting on a great idea, Rea’s fifteen years in the publishing industry will clarify the message, mission, audience, and ultimately help find a home for a client’s work.

When she’s not promoting her novels, NOT HER DAUGHTER, and her upcoming release, BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE, you can find her creating writing workshops, ogling her sexy husband, homeschooling her incredible daughter, or plotting her next great adventure.
https://reafrey.com/.

6/10/19 @9:45am pst - Suzanne Johnson joined Janeane to talk about her latest film, The World Without You

LISTEN to today's conversation
with featured guest Suzanne Johnson!

About Suzanne C. Johnson - Marilyn / Producer

After years of devoting her life to her family, and to nursing, Suzanne Johnson finally listened to her heart and made the leap from being a mother and nurse to following her dream of an acting career. She began her journey by enrolling in acting classes and combing the internet for casting announcements, gamely submitting herself for every part she thought would be a good fit.

In her first feature film, Empty Space, a powerful drama, she was cast as a waitress in a rural diner trapped in an abusive relationship. After that role, she was hooked. A series of parts followed in several shorts, student films and features. Suzanne played a range of roles, including a mother to a dying girl in a faith-based film, the love interest of a sheriff in a rural town, a hippie psychic, and a Southern socialite with a poker fetish. It was a solid start to her film career but she wanted more. What would be the next big step?


ABOUT THE FILM

The World Without You is a story about the Frankel family who come together in 2005, a year after the death of the youngest son Leo, a journalist, at the hands of Al Qaeda to memorialize him at their summer cabin in the Berkshires. In so doing, they discover that the man they are burying is not quite the golden brother and son they thought, nor are they, as a family, the singular force for all that is helpless and downtrodden in the world that they were raised to be. Stuck in this country house together for the first time in years, each of Leo’s survivors must admit untruths they’ve been holding onto about not only him, but themselves, and finally obliterate the old family mechanism, to have any chance at surviving as “The Frankels,” in the future.

https://theworldwithoutyou.com

6/10/19 @9:30am pst - Speaker, trainer, and consultant Jason Jordan, joined host Janeane to talk about FireStory!

LISTEN to today's conversation
with featured guest
Jason Jordan!

ABOUT JASON JORDAN

Your FireStory is My Passion!

When it comes to business, I live for a moment. It is a special moment in any interaction I have with a new client. We are rolling along. I am asking questions. Then...

BAM!!!!

I find the FireStory. I can see it in my client's face. They lean forward, and their cheeks turn red. Their entire demeanor becomes animated. The client radiates commitment, passion, excitement, and dedication rolled up into a fiery ball! We have arrived!!

In nearly 20 years of work in Field Sales, Product Marketing, and Business Development in a variety of industries, I can tell you that these moments were few and far between. We were almost exclusively involved in things like features, advantages, benefits, vision statements, mission statements, TPS reports, core values, and especially financial reports. These didn't inspire much passion, but they did come in handy when I was having trouble falling asleep some nights...

I completed my MBA in 2004 at Texas A&M, with a focus in Entrepreneurship. I found competing in case competitions (before the rise of "Shark Tank") to be especially exciting! I remember noticing, at the time, that the teams that usually won were expert storytellers, and always had a compelling narrative for the inspiration for their business idea. I would watch as their stories connected with the judges, and their faces would crack into beaming smiles. That was when I first realized how storytelling could impact business.

In 2009, I launched my dream career as a professional speaker and coach, primarily focused on the interaction of the Generations (Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials). I developed programs on Intergenerational Sales Tactics, Leadership Development, and Communications, which were delivered at corporations and events around the country. Giving people tools to help them connect with others outside their generation was immensely satisfying, but the more business leaders, entrepreneurs, and influencers I worked with, the more I pushed them toward sharing their story.

​

This inevitably led me to the stories that matter most: The FireStories!

​

I am committed, for the rest of my career, to helping people discover and share their FireStories. In a world that is overrun with information and people trying to be heard, what we truly need is UNDERSTANDING. We don't need to know what you do or how you do it. We need to know your WHY. Your FireStory provides your WHY.

www.firestory.com

Twiter @yourFirestory

6/10/19 @9:15am pst - Natasha Scripture, author of MAN FAST: a memoir, joined host Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with featured guest
Natasha Scripture!

Her soul-searching journey takes her deep into the wilderness: from meditating in an Ayurvedic ashram in southern India to toiling on a vineyard on Mount Etna to going on a solo-safari in southern Tanzania (where she also marries herself-yes, it's a thing).


​This is a book to inspire readers who also want to discover their truest, wildest, most empowered selves.



ABOUT NATASHA
Natasha Scripture is an author, poet, activist and former aid worker. As a spokesperson for the United Nations, Natasha covered humanitarian crises around the world, including conflicts and natural disasters in Ethiopia, Haiti, Libya, and Pakistan. Before the UN, she worked as a writer, producer and editor for a variety of organizations, including the BBC, CNN, Al Jazeera English, TED, National Geographic and Condé Nast Publications. She has been interviewed by CNN, ABC News, BBC Radio, the Irish Examiner and Women’s Health (Australia), among other news outlets, been published in the New York Times, The Telegraph, Glamour UK, The Sydney Morning Herald, Huffington Post, The Boston Globe, the New York Post and The Atlantic, among other publications, and been featured in Marie Claire and The Sunday Times Style magazine. Natasha has a Masters of Science in Gender and Development Studies from the London School of Economics, and a Bachelors degree from New York University. She is certified in Ayurveda Foundations from the California College of Ayurveda and has studied the Ayurvedic art of health and healing with Dr. Vasant Lad, founder of the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Natasha has lived in several different countries and travels frequently. Yet no matter where she is in the world, she seeks to inspire and empower women with her writing and storytelling.

Natasha Scripture
Author of MAN FAST: A Memoir
www.natashascripture.com
Twitter: @natscript
IG: natashascripture

6/10/19 @9am pst - filmmaker Rashid Kadura joined host Janeane to talk about his first feature-length documentary, A Rugby Story

LISTEN to today's conversation
with featured guest Rashid Kadura

Rashid Kadura was born and raised in the American Midwest. After graduating from Purdue in project management in 2015 and starting a career in the construction industry, he completed his first feature-length documentary, A Rugby Story, in 2019, as a producer and editor. He was also a collegiate athlete in the Big Ten Rugby Conference. Originally from Libya, Kadura’s ideals as an artist are rooted in tradition, and are likewise informed by his upbringing in the heartlands of America.

His first film A Rugby Story earned him a Gold Award from the Queen Palm International Film Festival, as well as a number of selections for other competitions and festivals. 


Here's Broadway world article:


https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwmusic/article/Documentary-A-RUGBY-STORY-To-Make-Los-Angeles-Debut-20190605


PRESS RELEASE
DOCUMENTARY “A RUGBY STORY” TO MAKE LOS ANGELES DEBUT AT 22ND ANNUAL DANCES WITH FILMS



Film tracks the triumphant resilience of a Benghazi- Libyan rugby team set against the background of the 2016 Civil War

Los Angeles, CA …June 5, 2019 A Rugby Story – a new documentary by Rashid Kadura, will premier at Dances With Films on Thursday, June 20th, at 2:45PM at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood. The film takes a heart-wrenching look at a group of rugby players in Benghazi, Libya who cope with the realities of a civil war, as they come together to form Libya’s first national rugby team. The film was produced by Abdulfatah Khabaz, Moh Soliman and Kadura.

"Mainstream media finally has a film in A Rugby Story that authentically represents Libyan culture, and has as well a story centered around the universal love of sport. A Rugby Story follows the lives of four young men in Benghazi, Libya for over a year, and explores the challenges and changes they face with life during a civil war,” says Kadura.

Rashid Kadura was born and raised in the American Midwest. After graduating from Purdue in project management in 2015 and starting a career in the construction industry, he completed his first feature-length documentary, A Rugby Story, in 2019, as a producer and editor. He was also a collegiate athlete in the Big Ten Rugby Conference. Of Libyan descent, Kadura’s ideals as an artist are rooted in tradition, and are likewise informed by his upbringing in the heartlands of America.

A Rugby Story, his first film, earned him a Gold Award from the Queen Palm International Film Festival, as well as a number of selections for other competitions and festivals.

Dances With Films will run June 13th – 23rd at the Chinese 6 in Hollywood. The final lineup will feature more than 200 titles, chosen from a record 2,200 submissions from all over the globe. The juried narrative competition section includes 16 features and more than three-dozen shorts. DWF also has a category for groundbreaking short and feature documentaries, provocative genre fare in the Midnight section, and the most exciting music videos and dance-themed films from the indie scene in the Downbeats section. The Fusion section brings together a multitude of additional features and shorts.



Notable Dances With Films alumni who first gained notice at the festival include Gina Rodriguez, Bryan Cranston, Jesse Eisenberg, and John Hawkes, among many others.



Tickets and passes will be available for sale at https://danceswithfilms.com/a-rugby-story/. Additional screening and ticket information can also be found at https://danceswithfilms.com.

6/3/19 @9:45am pst - accomplished author Amanda Stern shared her latest memoir, Little Panic on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's featured guest Amanda Stern

ABOUT
In the vein of bestselling memoirs about mental illness like Andrew Solomon's Noonday Demon, Sarah Hepola's Blackout, and Daniel Smith's Monkey Mind comes a gorgeously immersive, immediately relatable, and brilliantly funny memoir about living life on the razor's edge of panic.

The world never made any sense to Amanda Stern--how could she trust time to keep flowing, the sun to rise, gravity to hold her feet to the ground, or even her own body to work the way it was supposed to? Deep down, she knows that there's something horribly wrong with her, some defect that her siblings and friends don't have to cope with.

Growing up in the 1970s and 80s in New York, Amanda experiences the magic and madness of life through the filter of unrelenting panic. Plagued with fear that her friends and family will be taken from her if she's not watching-that her mother will die, or forget she has children and just move away-Amanda treats every parting as her last. Shuttled between a barefoot bohemian life with her mother in Greenwich Village, and a sanitized, stricter world of affluence uptown with her father, Amanda has little she can depend on. And when Etan Patz disappears down the block from their MacDougal Street home, she can't help but believe that all her worst fears are about to come true.

Tenderly delivered and expertly structured, Amanda Stern's memoir is a document of the transformation of New York City and a deep, personal, and comedic account of the trials and errors of seeing life through a very unusual lens.


About the Author
Amanda Stern is the author of the novel The Long Haul and the nine book Frankly Frannie middle grade series. Since 2003, she has helmed the Happy Ending Reading series and she's been a NYFA Fiction Fellow and held residencies at the MacDowell Colony and Yaddo. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Salon, Post Road and St. Ann's Review.





Amanda Stern is the author of the novel The Long Haul, eleven books for children under pseudonyms, and most recently the memoir Little Panic: Dispatches from an Anxious Life which was a Barnes and Noble Discover Pick. In 2003, she founded the popular live event series “Happy Ending,” produced at Joe’s Pub and Symphony Space, it welcomed everyone from Zadie Smith to Laurie Anderson, and ended in 2018. She serves on the advisory board of Glenn Close’s mental health organization Bring Change to Mind, will soon be partnering with the JED Foundation, and speaks to schools and organizations about anxiety, sharing her story and offering techniques to manage even the most severe cases.


Website: amandastern.com


Author of Little Panic / Advisory Board, Bring Change to Mind

6/3/19 @9:30am pst - world-renowned songwriting coach Judy Stakee joined host Janeane Bernstein live on KUCI 88.9fm!

LISTEN to today's conversation with
featured guest Judy Stakee!

ABOUT JUDY STAKEE

I am a music publisher, artist/songwriting mentor, author and speaker. It is my mission to help you navigate your way through this ever-changing music industry. I’m based in Los Angeles, but when I’m not working from home, I travel the world searching for songwriters and artists who are ready to take the next step of their journey. If this sounds like you, I’d love to hear from you.
Find out more about me here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy_Stakee
And if you’d like to reach out, visit my website: https://judystakee.com

Biography

Judy Stakee has spent her career helping some of today’s most acclaimed artists find their stories and best utilize their words. Known for her work as Senior VP Of Creative at Warner Chappell Music, Judy has signed and developed notable acts such as Katy Perry, Sheryl Crow, and Gavin DeGraw, and songwriters including Kevin Kaddish (All About That Bass), John Shanks (45 #1 singles), and Julian Bunetta (One Direction).


Her 40+ years of experiences has allowed her to develop a methodology that teaches you how to create a foundation for a better career and life by defining your perspective, understanding the message you’re trying to share, and creating a pathway to do it.


Judy Stakee

The Judy Stakee Company


Judy is on Facebook Live every Sunday from 12-1PM PST to answer questions and advise. Please join her community!


My Retreats
http://www.judystakeeretreats.com

My Book; The Songwriter’s Survival Guide
http://www.judystakee.com/book

My Tedx Talk
https://judystakee.com/tedxtalk/

My Client
JordanRIchmanmusic.com

6/3/19 @9:15am pst - NATALIE SPIRO, President & Founder Drum Cafe North America | TEDx Speaker joined host Janeane Bernstein on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to today's conversation with Natalie Spiro!

ABOUT DRUM CAFE NORTH AMERICA - from Drum Cafe North America

Drum Cafe began in Johannesburg, South Africa, inspired by the experience of communal drumming in Africa and the passion to unite different groups of people together. Natalie Spiro brought this innovative approach to corporate team-building to the United States in 2002. Since then, we’ve traversed the country with hundreds and sometimes thousands of drums in tow. Our programs leverage the stunning power of rhythm to engage people quickly and emotionally, wherever they are situated. We continue to innovate and grow with our clients as we shift attitudes and affect change.


Rhythm Exists Within Us All

Drum Cafe North America presents a unique, hands-on approach to team-building, learning, and new ways of collaborating. We draw parallels between making music as ONE and working together within an organization to achieve a unified goal!

Rhythm resonates so deeply within us all. Music is a universal language, and as such, it transcends all the barriers and boundaries that separate us, whether professional or personal. Drumming is an activity everyone and all cultures can relate to. The first thing you hear when you come into this world is the pulse of your mother’s heartbeat. We use the drum and the pulse as the medium because it unites, it energizes and it inspires the extraordinary, in ways NO other programs can.

Making music together encourages us to be sensitive and intuitive of all “voices” around us. In this way, we use drumming and rhythm as a means to create bonds between us, to build trust incrementally and to demonstrate kinesthetically, that every member of every team or division has a unique contribution to make in achieving overall success.

All of our corporate and educational programming is designed to spark unity and engagement – to enhance and harness the POWER of ONE team. Our programming re-ignites common values, augments ONE collective and impactful voice, and boosts morale and motivation. We’ve seen this to have a ripple back effect that impacts each participant’s workplace and broader community in a positive and powerful way. 

ABOUT NATALIE SPIRO - OWNER/PARTNER

Natalie Spiro came to the USA in 2000 from South Africa where she held positions in top global firms within the financial services and hospitality industries.


When first arriving into the US, she held a senior position at the corporate offices of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. She is an entrepreneur at heart and became an owner/partner in the world-wide Drum Cafe Organisation in 2002. Natalie has personally facilitated interactive drumming programs for multiple thousands of attendees. Her clients are from every sector — Technology, Health, Government, Transportation, Hospitality, Education, Finance, Media, Retail and Telecommunications. She has close ties with some of the most powerful brands in the world including Google, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Microsoft, Johnson’s and Disney. She is a certified Integrative Life-Coach, an Organisation Development Psychologist and has an MBA from a prestigious University in South Africa.

Through her company, Blue Fire Leadership, Natalie and her team offer clients highly interactive and engaging programming that impacts individuals and teams in four main areas: Critical Thinking and Innovative Problem-Solving; Breakthrough Exemplary Communications; Creative Collaborative Leadership and Mindful Engagement.

6/3/19 - Dr. Rick Van Etten, Director of the the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, joined host Janeane at 9 am pst on KUCI 88.9fm to talk about UCI's Anti-Cancer Challenge

LISTEN to today's show with featured guest
Dr. Richard Van Etten!

Dr. Richard Van Etten, director of the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center joins host Janeane Bernstein live on KUCI 88.9fm!


The UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge is coming home to the University of California, Irvine campus on Saturday, June 8. Registration is now open for this third annual ride, run and walk to benefit cancer research at the UCI Health Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.


“We’re grateful to the Orange County community for embracing the Anti-Cancer Challenge, raising more than $1 million for cancer research in the early years of the event,” said Dr. Richard Van Etten, director of the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. “Given the interest we’ve seen to date, we expect the event to break records in 2019. With every participant dollar raised going directly to lifesaving cancer research, each new person who rides, runs or walks brings us closer to achieving breakthroughs for patients.”


The Anti-Cancer Challenge offers many ways to get involved, including 14-, 35-, 60- and 100-mile bicycle rides; 5- and 10K run/walks; and volunteer opportunities. Events will start and finish in Aldrich Park, at the center of the UCI campus. The 60- and 100-mile rides feature some of the nation’s most iconic beaches.


“This year, we’re excited to add a 10K, which offers runners and walkers a new way to support the innovative work of researchers at the Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center,” said Jennifer Sarrail, executive director of the Anti-Cancer Challenge. “The route will take people through the heart of the beautiful UCI campus, making it an enjoyable way to be part of a local movement to end cancer.”



Anti-Cancer Challenge sponsors include Monarch Beach Resort, Monster Energy, Hensel Phelps, Lynn Capouya Inc., the Kay Family Foundation, Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Co., Montessori Schools of Irvine, tk1sc, DPR Construction, Pacific Ventures Management, Metagenics, Kitchell, FPL and Associates, Melissa’s Produce, Hologic and B. Braun Medical.



The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center is at the forefront of discovering new ways to fight cancer. As the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Orange County, it combines leading-edge research, pioneering clinical trials and world-class patient care. In 2018 alone, more than 5,600 new patients benefited from the advanced treatment provided by the center. For further information about the June event or to register, visit Anti-CancerChallenge.org.



About the UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge


5:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
Saturday, June 8, 2019
Aldrich Park, UCI campus, Irvine
Complimentary parking is available in the UCI Student Center Parking Structure, at 311 W. Peltason Drive.



About the UCI Anti-Cancer Challenge: A community movement and annual ride, run and walk, the Anti-Cancer Challenge raises awareness of and funds for innovative cancer research at the UCI Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center. In the event’s short history, participants have raised enough money to enable the pursuit of more than two dozen original research approaches to prevent, diagnose or treat cancer. For more information, visit Anti-CancerChallenge.org.



About UCI Health: Patients can access UCI Health – the clinical enterprise of the University of California, Irvine – at primary and specialty care offices across Orange County and at its main campus, UCI Medical Center in Orange, California. The 417-bed acute care hospital provides tertiary and quaternary care, ambulatory and specialty medical clinics, and behavioral health and rehabilitation services. UCI Medical Center features Orange County’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center, high-risk perinatal/neonatal program, and American College of Surgeons-verified Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and regional burn center. UCI Health serves a region of nearly 4 million people in Orange County, western Riverside County and southeast Los Angeles County. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.



About the @ucirvine University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 222 degree programs. It’s located in one of the world’s safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County’s second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu.