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1. Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies! - Interview with Stephen Schochet (Pronounced Show-het) Author Stephen Schochet is a professional tour guide in Hollywood who years ago began collecting little-known, humorous anecdotes to tell to his customers. His new book Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies! The book contains a timeless treasure trove of colorful vignettes featuring an amazing all-star cast of icons including John Wayne, Charlie Chaplin, Walt Disney, Jack Nicholson, Johnny Depp, Shirley Temple, Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Errol Flynn, and many others both past and contemporary. Tim Sika, host of the radio show Celluloid Dreams on KSJS in San Jose has called Stephen, “The best storyteller about Hollywood we have ever heard." "Stephen Schochet gives us Hollywood unveiled in its finest form, telling this narrative of his time as a tour guide with humor, history, and best of all – tidbits about celebrities not known before. He is definitely a listener favorite. One of those rare guests that gets your attention, and keeps it….The book is fantastic, moreover, He is GREAT Radio!" Dawn Raybon Executive Producer The SuperTalk Network of MS The Paul Gallo Show/ The JT Show/The Marshall Ramsey Show/ The Metro Hour supertalk.fm 1. Tell us a bit about yourself and your interest in Hollywood. I'm a tour guide in Hollywood and years ago I started collecting little stories to tell the customers and had the idea that the tales could be told anywhere. I had always been interested in the movies and history so it was kind of a natural fit for me. When I first started I had a study buddy named Ivan. During our breaks we would research information about old Hollywood and share it with each other. I remember one time we met on Hollywood Boulevard and said to me in a low, conspiratorial tone," Steve, man, you what I found out today? That Thomas Edison owned the rights to the movie camera and the early moguls like Mayer, Warner, and Zukor they had to pay him tributes. They why they left the East Coast and came west -- they were outlaws, baby!" The more information we found out, the more fun it was to give the tour. And I've got a good memory for stories so having different material kept it fresh, I think for the customers as well. Anyway, eventually I had the idea that these very short anecdotes could be told anywhere and that's what led, after a few other projects, to the idea for the book. 2. Have you met any of the famous people that you talk about in your book? Jimmy Stewart, George Burns, and Lucille Ball were always friendly and waved. Fred Hayman's boutique on Rodeo Drive was a great store (now defunct) where I used to be able get my customers cappuccinos spiked with Kailua and brandy -- I'll tell you the more people drank the more they enjoyed the tour. A bunch of stars came in there, like Cybil Shepard, Suzanne Pleshette, Vanna White, the one who I really enjoyed meeting was Zsa Zsa Gabor who took pictures with all my customers. The bartender was a beautiful girl named Laura, she looked like Cindy Crawford. Zsa Zsa walked to the bar, complimented Laura and asked how she kept her skin so nice. Before Laura could answer Zsa Zsa suggested that Laura stay away from booze -- then asked her to put some extra brandy in the cappuccino. Then she laughed so she had a good sense of humor. 3. Tell us about Jack Nicholson and Marlon Brando being next-door neighbors and working together. They were next-door neighbors and sometimes Jack would be puttering around in his garden and he would hear this disembodied voice coming over the fence and they would conversations like Tim Allen and his neighbor in Home Improvement. Previously they worked together in the movie The Missouri Breaks. Jack had been looking forward to it, I think at that time Brando and Lawrence Olivier were the two actors everybody wanted to work with, but Marlon by that time was really lazy and never bothered to learn his lines. He'd always be reading cue cards and wouldn't Jack in the eye in their scenes together. Finally Jack got frustrated and asked Marlon to stop doing it so Brando then placed an assistant in his trailer with a radio transmitter who would read the script, which Brando would hear through an earpiece. Unfortunately, the radio transmitter inadvertently picked up police broadcasts. One day Marlon was doing a scene, suddenly looked startled, came out of character and said," Oh my God! There's been a robbery at Woolworths!" 4. What famous star scared tourists at Universal Studios? It's the first story in my book: The Universal Maniac In 1999, an Australian gentleman told me about an interesting experience he and his family had at Universal Studios. They were on the backlot tour passing one of the theme park’s main attractions, the Bates Motel used in the 1960 horror classic Psycho, about a murderous young man named Norman Bates who loved his mother a little too much. As the guide gave out information about how director Alfred Hitchcock shot the picture, a tall man, dressed in drag and carrying a large knife, emerged from behind the old set and charged toward the tram. The narrator seemed to know nothing about the Norman Bates look-alike and clammed up completely. The make-believe killer wore such a convincing maniacal expression that some of the paying customers were frightened and screamed when he raised his weapon. Then the “fiend” pulled off his wig and he turned out to be comic Jim Carrey; the thirty-seven-year-old star was clowning around during a work break. After his laughing “victims” calmed down, Jim was happy to pose for pictures and sign autographs. 5. Why did a close family member ask Walt Disney for his autograph? I have a whole chapter about Walt, he was such a fascinating character: Walt Disney’s Daughters Walt Disney’s two daughters, Sharon and Diane, grew up sheltered from the limelight. The children had no images of Mickey Mouse around their home. Their father didn’t go to many parties, preferring to stay in after a long day of work. Sometimes he would playfully chase the youngsters upstairs, cackling like the evil peddler woman in Snow White. When they behaved badly, Walt would admonish them with a raised eyebrow; his stern demeanor inspired the character of the wise old owl, in the 1942 animated feature Bambi. As toddlers, the brainy Diane and beautiful Sharon stayed blissfully unaware that their parents worried about them being kidnapped and allowed no pictures of the sisters to be publicly circulated. Once in 1939, a curious classmate questioned six-year-old Diane about her family. She went home and said, “Daddy, you never told me you were that Walt Disney,” and asked him for an autograph. 6. What did a former LA police chief have to do with Star Trek? That was Chief William Parker who took over the force in 1950. If people saw the movie Changeling with Angelina Jolie, they know that the LAPD had a corrupt reputation and Parker instituted a lot of reforms, which earned the public's respect. Parker was hard to get know; his personality, was considered to be both logical and taciturn. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry was a former police Sergeant who served under Chief Parker, he wrote speeches for him, really respected him and largely modeled the character of Mr. Spock after him. 7. Why did Steven Spielberg think Jaws would ruin his career and when did he know it was a winner? Jaws was a really fun movie to write about it! It really changed Hollywood; it brought in the blockbuster mentality to the studios. Executives now refer to them as tent pole movies, a film that is a big event and pays for everything else they do. But the mechanical shark didn't work in the water off Martha's Vineyard and every time a Universal executive would fly out to check Spielberg's progress, he assumed, because it was his idea to film the picture in the middle of the ocean he would be fired. But Steven soldiered on, finished the film, and then there was the preview in Dallas. By that time, Steven was so tired of watching and hearing the same material over and over he had no idea if the film was good. Eighteen minutes into the screening, the shark killed a boy in a bloody attack. Suddenly, a man in the front row got up from his seat and ran past Spielberg into the lobby. The startled director followed him and watched in amazement as the invited patron threw up on the carpet, went to the bathroom, cleaned himself up and then returned to his seat. For the first time in months, Spielberg relaxed, figuring correctly that if the movie made people sick and they still wanted to watch, it would be a hit. 8. How did James Cameron try to end the working relationship with Arnold Schwarzenegger before The Terminator? In the book that story is called "Let's Do Lunch": A lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger caused James Cameron to change his opinion about casting for the 1984 sci-fi thriller, The Terminator. The thirty-year –old director disagreed with his bosses that Arnold was the right man to play the film’s hero, who goes up against a homicidal robot. Cameron planned to insult the Austrian bodybuilder and end the work relationship before it started. But the thirty-seven-year-old Schwarzenegger was charming, suggested some great ideas for the movie and had muscles rippling beneath his shirt; might as well be nice or the famed weight lifter could break him like a twig. It was bad enough that James had no money on him and Arnold had to pick up the tab. Maybe Schwarzenegger could play the Terminator; it made more sense than the producers’ other suggestion. The filmmaker wondered how anyone in their right mind could see former football star O.J. Simpson as a killer. 9. Tell us about the Peter O'Toole funeral story. One Late Night in Ireland One very late night in Ireland, Peter O’Toole and Peter Finch shocked a pub owner who wanted to close up. The two inebriated actors offered to buy his establishment for twice as much as it was worth, as long as the alcohol kept coming. A contract was written and signed on a napkin. The next afternoon, the hung-over stars woke up and after some blurry discussions, they recalled what they did the night before. Fearing their business managers would kill them, they raced back to the saloonkeeper and begged for mercy. The man gave them a stern look, then smiled and tore up the agreement. They were so grateful they drank there over the next twenty years, whenever their schedules allowed, till the pub owner died. After downing a few pints, the devastated twosome headed off to the memorial service. Finch and O’Toole delivered long moving eulogies, which drove the mourners to tears, until they realized they were at the wrong funeral. 10. Why didn't Marilyn Monroe want to leave her handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theater? She was a bit mischievous: Marilyn Monroe was thrilled to be immortalized alongside Jane Russell in front of a large crowd at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 1953. As a little girl, raised in Los Angeles’ foster homes, Marilyn had visited the famed cinema often and dreamed of becoming a movie star. And now at the Hollywood premiere of Gentleman Prefer Blondes, it was coming true. Like other movie legends, Monroe’s hands and feet would be enshrined in wet cement. Hey, wait a minute — she had a great idea. The proceedings were held up as the blonde conferred with one of the Twentieth Century Fox executives. What if the two women left imprints of the body parts that people associated them with? How about if Jane leaned over the wet cement and Marilyn sat in it? Her suggestion was rejected, much to the disappointment of some photographers in attendance. 11. Do you have any new stories that aren't in the book? I'm always looking for new stories. When I was writing Hollywood Stories I had to pick a stop date, Oct. 31, 2009 otherwise I never would have finished it! Recently I was listening to an interview with Adam West and he told a story I really enjoyed. On the old Batman TV show Bruce Wayne (Adam West) and Dick Grayson (Burt Ward) would slide down the bat poles about 15 feet and land on mattresses. Later they would be filmed coming down into the Batcave in their full costumes and the two shots were put together. One time West yelled," To the bat poles" and did his famous slide only to be startled when he landed on a sleeping wino. 12. Are you working on another book, if so tell us about it? I have some ideas but nothing concrete yet. Before I wrote Hollywood Stories, I wrote and narrated two audiobooks, which are now available on iTunes, Tales of Hollywood and Fascinating Walt Disney. For me creativity almost seems out of my control, the projects come out when they are ready to. 13. Where can people go to get more information about you and your book? Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes About the Stars and Legends of the Movies! (isbn 9780963897275) Available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon or wherever books are sold. http://www.hollywoodstories.com Thank you and my phone number is 310-876-1400 Stephen Schochet "Stephen really knows Hollywood! In all the times I've had him on my night time Jim Bohannon Show, he ALWAYS surprised me with at least one amazing tidbit of information I'd never have suspected. Usually, it's half a dozen or more." --Jim Bohannon, Host of the Nationally Syndicated Jim Bohannon Show and America in the Morning. "What would you expect from Hollywood's best storyteller? Amazing tales about actors, directors, writers and producers, brought to you with incredible research style and wit by a guy who knows it all, Stephen Schochet!" --Jordan Rich, Host of The Jordan Rich Show, WBZ Radio, Boston. “A WILD, FUN RIDE THROUGH TINSEL TOWN, PAST AND PRESENT!” JAN WAHL, KCBS AM/FM & KRON-TV Winner of the 2012 Global Ebook Awards for Entertainment and Performing Arts (Music/Dance/Film) Non-Fiction
   
2. Fall of the Forgotten by Amanda O’Dell - Born in 1982, Amanda O’Dell currently resides in Virginia with her husband, Frank, and their two cats, Merlin and Baby Kitty. She discovered her love of books at an early age, devouring the works of Richard Adams, Brian Jacques, and Roald Dahl, as well as any manner of mythology she could get her hands on. Later influences include Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, Neil Gaiman, Charles de Lint, and Stephen King. Amanda wrote her first story in 1995, which was awarded first place in SoMIRAC’s Young Authors Contest. Her first publication was an article detailing her research of early Native American ceramic artwork in the peer-reviewed journal The Florida Anthropologist. Fall of the Forgotten is her first fiction publication. When not reading, writing, or drawing, the author enjoys traveling, going to live music shows, and visiting art exhibits. She also acts as a consulting analyst for the archaeology department of the Florida Museum of Natural History.
   
3. Memories by Deanna Lynn Sletten - Deanna Lynn Sletten writes women's fiction and romance novels that dig deeply into the lives of the characters, giving the reader an in-depth look into their hearts and souls. She has also written one middle-grade novel that takes you on the adventure of a lifetime. Deanna's romance novel, Memories, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012. Her novel, Sara's Promise, was a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2013 and a finalist in the 2013 National Indie Excellence Book Awards. Deanna is married and has two grown children. When not writing, she enjoys walking the wooded trails around her northern Minnesota home with her beautiful Australian Shepherd or relaxing in the boat on the lake in the summer.
   
4. The Book of Jane by Susan M. Krauss - I have been an English teacher in small Michigan high schools for thirty years. I often wrote along with my students during our creative writing class. That's where I began a few vignettes about a woman I later named Jane. I started writing about her physical and character traits, beginning in her high school years, and over a period of a few years, I had pretty much created a novel by stringing the episodes together. After my retirement in 2007, I put the writing aside and did other things like playing golf, visiting family, babysitting my grandchildren and generally just plain having fun. After a few years, two friends mentioned my novel and asked to read the manuscript. Then a half dozen more asked. I began to do some editing and started taking the thing seriously, even looking for a literary agent. Then in 2010 I was diagnosed with breast cancer and that turned my life upside down. I lost focus on pretty much everything, except getting well. When I felt better physically, I began to wonder how long before I would suffer a recurrence. Could I wait long enough to publish the novel the conventional way--suffering rejection after rejection before connecting with an agent or publisher that might give me a chance? My niece who works for a religious publisher suggested self publishing. I kept thinking "vanity press," and didn't do it. My friends and family continued to read the manuscript and urged me to pursue it. Finally, I worked up the courage this past summer. Once I started, there was no turning back--and wow! How quickly--in just a matter of days--my novel THE BOOK OF JANE showed up at Amazon.com and the other ebook stores. Pretty exciting!
   
5. Home Wrecker I - Brenda Perlin is an independent adult contemporary fiction author. Brenda evokes emotional responses in her readers by using a provocatively unique writing style. Her latest book, Home Wrecker, captures the soul-wrenching conflicts of a personal struggle for emotional fulfillment. Ever since Brenda was a child, she has been fascinated with writing. She draws her biggest inspiration from Judy Blume. This sparked a passion in Brenda to pursue personal expression through writing. Once she was old enough to go to coffee shops alone, Brenda recalls losing herself in the world of writing, all while documenting her ideas on paper napkins. “There is really no creative process, I just write,” – Brenda Perlin Brenda’s first book, Home Wrecker I (Home Wrecker Chronicles), was published with Master Koda Select Publishing. Within a short time, the book developed a strong fan base and is continuing to grow as it both entertains its readers and leaves them in a state of profound reflection. In the near future, Brenda would like to have Home Wrecker I expanded into a trilogy in order to tell the untold stories of her characters.
   
6. Online Business Productivity: Be Super Productive. Get More Done in Less Time. Make Your Lifestyle Business Soar! - Pooja Lohana is a Human Behavioural Specialist, a writer, an editor, and online marketer and a blogger. She loves mashing up her interests and building things. She lives the “Un-9-5” life where her typical day involves seeing one-on-one clients, speaking at workshops, writing true stories on her personal development blog www.pickyourgoals.com.
   
7. The Immortal Grave: Merlin’s Heir - Scott R Hylton is a fresh author to the literary world. He began his adult life serving in the U.S. Navy before being discovering his knack for telling a good story. Throughout his young adult life, he often pondered what the future holds for society and mankind. His story ideas became the result, and hopes to continue writing stories that are both compelling and emotional.
   
8. Say Not “What If” - I am an attorney and business consultant, with a background in corporate communications, unemployment insurance, and workers' compensation. People unfortunately assign too little value to time. Time is quintessentially valuable because how much anyone has is completely unknown. But we frequently forget or ignore that fact until our time is about to end. And at that point there is often nothing but sadness, regret, and a profound feeling of loss. The best way to spend time is with people not possessions. Try and accumulate memories instead of material goods. Experiences you share with others are your most prized possession. Shared memories will make it easier for you to accept the end when it arrives, and also provide a salve for your loved ones after you are gone. I learned this while caring for my parents for more than ten years. People are a product of their experiences. That was one of mine. Best wishes.
   
9. Trust To A Degree - Horst Christian was born in Berlin, Germany in 1930. His father, a mathematician and a banker, taught him to read and write before the age of 5. He discovered his love for writing by the time he was 10 years old and wrote vacation reports and several articles for the German school periodical “Hilf Mit.” When Horst was 10, he entered the “Jungvolk,” a subdivision of the Hitler Youth, which was mandatory in the Berlin school system. He then entered the Hitler Youth at the age of 14, also mandatory, and continued writing for the Hitler Youth periodicals “Der Pimpf” and “Die Deutsche Jugend Burg.” His favorite pastime was playing in the U-Bahn (subway) tunnels. While other children played soccer, Horst, with a few other likeminded children, explored Berlin by riding the subway trains. Drafted to help defend Berlin against the Soviets at the age of 14 because of his unique knowledge of the subway system, he served as a guide for various SS demolition commandos. In the early 1950s, Horst immigrated to the United States and became a US citizen after the mandatory 5-year waiting period. He loves to travel and has visited all 50 states in the US, most of Europe, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and some Central American countries. He now resides with his wife Jennifer of 41 years, in Northern California, where he has been for the last thirty years.
   
10. One Two Buckle My Shoe by E J Lamprey - Elizabeth Lamprey lives in Scotland, on the Firth of the Forth, within easy distance of Edinburgh. She's the daughter of a Scot, looks like a Scot, dearly loves Scotland, but accepts that with a mere thirteen years residence she is still considered a tourist, albeit a tenacious one. Originally from South Africa, she has been variously a book reviewer on a city paper, a columnist in a national magazine, a copy-editor and critiquer, a commercial blogger, and a reporter on a country newspaper, alongside more conventional, better-paid, jobs. Writing a series of cheerful whodunits set in a Scottish retirement village is definitely her favourite occupation but bills have to be paid, the dog has to be walked, and real life generally keeps intruding. Luckily there's always time to stop for a cup of coffee and a blether.
    
11. The Heart Leads Home by Sydell Voeller - Sydell Voeller grew up in Washington State, but has lived in Oregon for over thirty years. Throughout her twenty-year writing career, her published novels for teens and adults have reflected her love for the Pacific Northwest's ocean beaches, inlets and waterways, evergreen forests, and mountains. Sydell resides in Oregon with her husband. They married in 1972 and have two sons. Pet lovers, the Voellers have provided a home for several cats, a dog, gerbils, hamsters, and a turtle--but not all at the same time! A small rodent cemetary still occupies one corner of their backyard. She and her husband enjoy camping, reading, playing Scrabble, day trips to the Oregon coast, and spending time with their granddaughter and pampered feline. When Sydell isn't writing, she enjoys camping, walking, amateur astronomy, reading, and surfing the web. In 1987 after the publication of her first novel, she was named by the Washington County Mushaw Center, Woman of the Year in Communications. Formerly a registered nurse, Sydell now teaches writing correspondence courses, sponsored by the Long Ridge Writer's Institute (a home study course in writing short stories and articles) in West Redding, Connecticut. Visit Sydell on her website to view her book lists, bio, and family photos: www.sydellvoeller.com
    
12. Raven Boy - I am a dreamer and a restless traveler obsessed with Harry Potter and Irish dancing. In between working in a theater and eating too much sweets, I write songs, poetry and fantasy books. I love forest, long walks, especially on the beach, and reading while having a good cup of tea. I hate strong smelly cheeses and waking up early.
    
13. Tap Your Grief Away: The Emotional Freedom Technique for Finding Love, Peace and Acceptance - Helen Vella specializes in Holistic Health and Wellness using techniques that help each individual overcome challenges, find their purpose, realize their potential, nurture their inner strength and reach their personal goals, to live their best life. With her focus on the well-being of others, she brings hope and healing to children and adults with behavioral and emotional challenges. She is fully qualified in many aspects to gain true Health and Wellness in mind, body and spirit. She was awarded the Jefferson Award for Community Service for Volunteering, by Child Rescue Network. She won the BPW Speak Off Award for representing the State of Florida. Has been nominated at Women Of Distinction, Visionary Award. Nominated by WOAMTEC for Leadership Award for the local community. She has published a multitude of articles on Networking, Emotional Freedom, The Power of Positive Thinking, Stress& Anxiety in the workplace, Emotional Eating to name but a few.
    
14. The Way Home - Nhys Glover is an Australian teacher, historian, international presenter and author, who now lives and writes in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales of England. Here she looks out over Bronte Country, and is inspired to write romantic (and a little bit hot) tales of adventure that feed her Soul and inspire her readers. Please visit www.nhysglover.com to find out more about Nhys, her life and her many books.
    
15. Space, Time Travel, Robots and Aliens: 25 Out of This World Stories - #1 Best-Selling Children's Book Author Uncle Amon began his career with a vision. It was to positively impact the lives today's youth with his children's books. Whether it be a silly tale or an important value and lesson, Uncle Amon uses his creativity and imagination to tell a story that you will remember for a lifetime and cherish. Uncle Amon believes in reader loyalty. He has designed a book club and gives away FREE copies of his books weekly! Some say he is crazy, but he really loves to give back to his readers and fans. For more details, download this book and see the inside cover. I always shoot for the moon. And if I miss? I'll land in the stars. -Uncle Amon
    
16. Panic Attacks: A Proven Plan to Recognize, Treat and Eliminate Panic Attacks without Medication - My Mom still tells this story with great fondness : ) This passion for books developed into an even greater passion for writing. My formal educational pursuits allowed me to delve deeper into writing and I always gravitated toward the writing based courses. As I entered the workforce in my early 20′s, I quickly began receiving writing assignments from my bosses that ranged from white papers to producing submissions to the Board of Directors where millions of dollars in funding was being requested. My ability to write clearly, concisely and under time constraints was a huge confidence booster for me.
    
17. Animals Anonymous – Ami’s Story - Kelly Yuill is a young author from Scotland who has many passions in life including creative writing, animals, music, and videography (to name a few). Her love of writing led her to publish her first series of short stories (Animals Anonymous) at the age of 26 (August 2013) which tell the emotional tales of cruelty as experienced through the eyes of the animals. She shares her home in the west of Scotland with her husband Craig, her bouncy black lab Dexter and her two cuddly cats Nero and Ozzy. Along with her writing, she currently runs the companies YPod Wedding Videos and YPod Media with her husband who also illustrates her book covers.
    
18. Dark Plague: special edition by C. M. Parsons - Born and raise in Columbus, Ohio. Went from drawing his favorite cartoon characters to writing short stories as a new hobby and is now attending Southern New Hampshire University for his BA in Creative Writing in English with a focuse on screenplays in hopes to become a better writer.
    
19. Pomodoro Penguin Visits Italy - Inspired by his nieces and nephews, the "Adventures of Pomodoro Penguin" books mark writer and illustrator Bryce Westervelt's first trip into the realm of children's picture books. While not writing and drawing, Westervelt enjoys a career as a professional, operatic tenor. He has performed as a concert, opera, and recital soloist across the United States and Europe. In 2012, Westervelt released a critically acclaimed debut recording of Franz Schubert's Die schöne Müllerin with pianist R. Timothy McReynolds. The recording is available on Amazon.com, Amazon mp3, and iTunes.
    
20. 20 Delicious Homemade Sausage Recipes for Your Backyard Grill - J.L. Borsberry is a retired I/S Specialist. His first book, published June, 2013 is called 20 Delicious Homemade Sausage Making Recipes for the Grill. It is dedicated to his father-in-law.
    
21. No Sweat Speaking’s How to Avoid the Ten Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes Including How to Use Humor - Allan Kaufman's 30+ years speaking experience includes personal one-on-one coaching, speeches, workshops, training classes, corporate training, and train-the-trainer classes. He specializes in communications skills training with an emphasis on helping people get rid of their fear of public speaking rapidly. He is an innovative seminar and workshop leader. His approach to communications training is unique and exciting, and results in noticeable skills improvement. As one Baltimore newspaper wrote about him, "Allan Kaufman helps people overcome their number-one fear--a fear that may paralyze them and keep them from achieving goals. A fear that's greater than the prospect of death, the fear of speaking in public." Allan Kaufman as quoted in Baltimore Magazine: "Learning to communicate is like taking out an insurance policy. You never know when you'll need it, but it's too late to take it out after you need it." Allan Kaufman is President of Allan and Allan, Inc., a communications consulting company (www.nosweatspeaking.com). The company works with organizations to improve executive, management, marketing and sales communications. It also assists business professionals to rapidly eliminate public speaking fear and hone presentation skills. Allan and Allan, Inc. provides executive speech coaching, seminars, workshops, and speaking programs on rapidly eliminating public speaking fear and enhancing presentation skills. Allan is a member of the faculty at Ner Israel Rabbinical College, where he inspires, motivates and educates students in the art of public speaking so that they have a life-long skill that will benefit them in their personal lives as well as whatever career field(s) they enter. Allan has a B.A. degree from The Johns Hopkins University and an M.B.A. degree from the University of Maryland. He is a former Captain in the United States Army Reserve. He's earned Toastmasters International's most prestigious achievement award--Distinguished Toastmaster (DTM)and has been recognized numerous times by Toastmasters International for his outstanding leadership contributions including being known as one of the leading sponsors of new Toastmasters. Allan has appeared multiple times on Speakeasy--a show about communications--on Comcast Cable Television. Allan is the author of No Sweat Speaking's Public Speaking Humor Guide to Roasting & Toasting. http://amzn.to/117pwoM He is co-author of No Sweat Speaking's How to Avoid the Ten Biggest Public Speaking Mistakes Including How to Use Humor. http://amznly.com/qx He is co-author of No Sweat Speaking's Humor Tips: How to Spice Up Your Presentations. http://amznly.com/rx He is co-author of No Sweat Speaking's Guide to Public Speaking (Presentation) Etiquette--How to Look Like a Professional. http://amznly.com/sy and he is co-author of Presentation Truths Revealed--101 Universal Principles to Propel Your Speaking Success available at . . . http://bit.ly/10WGTn6
    
22. Meltem Y. K - A university graduate in Economic's, this mother of three and foster mother of 24, has been drawn to the world of paranormal since childhood. A devoted reader herself, Meltem Y.K has always had the aspiration to create her own brand of fantasy. While working full-time and raising a family, into the late hours of the night, Meltem Y.K dreamed the fantasies that only she can and created a story that's grown into the Astral Ordinance.
    
23. Kat McGee and The Halloween Costume Caper by Kristin Riddick - Kristin Riddick doesn’t look good in hats, but she seems to wear a lot of them. Her voice has been heard on shows such as One Tree Hill, The OC, Everybody Hates Chris, and Chuck, and on-camera she recently played opposite Megan Mullally on Fox’s Breaking In. She’s written a screenplay, a pilot, a middle-grade book, and a lot of memorable thank you notes… so she’s told. She teaches Pilates and spinning to stay sane, may have a super power or two, and takes a lot of chances riding her bike all over Los Angeles because she gets road rage when driving. A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Kristin graduated from The University of Virginia and currently divides her time between LA and Austin with her multi-talented producer husband David Kirkwood.
    
24. Personal Statement by Jason Odell Williams - Jason Odell Williams is an Emmy Award nominated writer and producer of National Geographic's hit television series "Brain Games," as well as an award-winning playwright. He lives in New York City with his actress-singer-director-producer wife, Charlotte Cohn, and their daughter, Imogen, who is working on her hyphenates as we speak. PERSONAL STATEMENT is his first novel.
    
25. Vee Caught Offside by Andrea Montalbano - Andrea Montalbano grew up on a soccer field in Miami. She continued to play through college, acting as captain for her Harvard University soccer team and eventually being inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame. After college, Andrea pursued a career in journalism, attending Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. She was an English anchor at Vatican Radio, and then worked as a writer and Supervising Producer for NBC News and NBC's TODAY program. Now the mother of two young players, Andrea is coaching, writing, and bringing all her loves together in Soccer Sisters, the follow-up series to Breakaway (2010). Andrea lives outside New York City with her husband, Diron, and two children.
    
26. Discovered - Originally from Forest Hills, New York, E. D. Brady is a wife and mother of two, living in a small town outside Raleigh, NC. Since childhood, she dreamt of writing stories and spent countless hours entertaining her friends by making up romantic tales for them. Giving up the Manhattan business world has allowed her the time to finally put pen to paper.
    
27. Counterpoint - With the Bassett family and their allies in constant peril, the conflict widens in scope as well as geographic distance, and they find themselves battling angels, demons and ancient creatures on all sides. Led by Mary, beloved Irish matriarch of the family, the Bassett’s steady themselves for the onslaught ahead- readying for a battle that will test their fortitude and the survival of the world itself.