The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

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David Baldacci was welcomed into our 5-Timers Club as we discussed his newest book, The Edge: A 6:20 Man Thriller.

Monica Mohindra joined me to discuss the Library of Congress Veterans Day Outreach for History Preservation Project.


David Baldacci is a global #1 bestselling author, and one of the world’s favorite storytellers. His books are published in over 45 languages and in more than 80 countries, with 150 million copies sold worldwide. His works have been adapted for both feature film and television. David Baldacci is also the cofounder, along with his wife, of the Wish You Well Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting literacy efforts across America. Still a resident of his native Virginia, he invites you to visit him at DavidBaldacci.com and his foundation at WishYouWellFoundation.org.

Monica Mohindra is the director of the Veterans History Project. She has worked for more than 15 years with the Project. She has coordinated major initiatives with Members of Congress, the National Museum of the American Indian, the National Endowment for the Humanities, PBS, Ken Burns/ Florentine Films, the HISTORY Channel, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.  Energized by the large collections development initiatives which enable exploring new audiences and new participation in the Project, the most meaningful part of her work is helping uncover and shed light on the individual personal stories of US veterans. 

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Lifestyle expert Jeannette Kaplun returned to the show to share some insights and holiday shopping and the best way to navigate Black Friday.

Dr. Mona Amin discussed a problem facing many parents (including me) as we gear up for holiday travel: how to deal with queasy kids in the car.

Jeannette Kaplun is an on-air TV personality, author, lifestyle expert, parenting writer, a Latina blogger, and public speaker. She covers parenting, travel, social good, beauty, technology, work-life balance, safety in the home and all things Disney.Aside from being Hispana Global’s CEO and editor in chief, Jeannette has written for Babble, mom.me, Today’s parenting team, Ser Padres and other outlets. She lives in Miami, FL with her family, including her dog Snoopy. Follow along with her latest adventure on her blog at Hispana Global. Email her at [email protected]

 Dr. Mona Amin is a Board-Certified General Pediatrician, IBCLC, Parenting coach, social media star, and mother. She has been featured on Parents.com, The New York Times, Good Morning America, ABC Nightly News, Romper, Condé Nast Traveler, VeryWell Family, and NBC News. She works in private practice and is passionate about educating parents and caretakers on better care for their children. On her Instagram account (@pedsdoctalk), her podcast (pedsdoctalk.com), and YouTube channel (PedsDocTalk TV), she shares educational information on parent's most common concerns.

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Celebrity chef and author Erin McDowell joined the show for fun recipes and entertaining tips to host a successful "Friendsgiving." Erin was joined by Ice Cream Scientist (amazing job!) Ian Moppert

ERIN MCDOWELL is a NY Times bestselling author and pastry chef who has taught baking classes for Food Network Kitchen and currently hosts the award-winning series “Bake it Up a Notch” for Food52. In her books and on her social channels, Erin loves share ideas, recipes, and techniques with other baker, she especially loves sharing about baking beyond sweets - for breakfast, dinner, and everything in between.

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Veena Crownholm is the former Miss California and co-founder of the popular "Millennial Mamas" blog.  We discussed holiday entertaining and dining, especially sweet potatoes and pancakes (???).

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Shannon Messenger returned to the show to talk about a new graphic novel edition of her #1 Bestseller "Keeper of the Lost Cities."

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Dr. John Stutts is the Pediatric Medical Director at Abbott, a global healthcare company.  Dr. Stutts visited the show for a special public service segment on preparing for cold and flu season.

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From July 19, 2016: Laura Vandervoort made a return appearance to talk about Bitten: The Final Season, airing on Syfy and now available on DVD.

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From July 11, 2018: Former WWE Superstar Greg "The Hammer" Valentine called in to promote a new movie, 350 Days.  Always fun to chat with one of the superstars from my childhood whose action figure I played with.

ABOUT 350 DAYS:
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional wresting featuring interviews and photographs with legendary wrestlers and rare in-ring footage! Starring former world champions Bret Hart and Billy Graham, it is a true look behind the curtains at the grueling life they led on the road 350 days a year and the effect that lifestyle had on their marriages, family, physical and mental health.

Featuring Greg Valentine, Tito Santana, Paul “Mr. Wonderful” Orndorff, Abdullah The Butcher, Wendi Richter, Bill Eadie, Nikolai Volkoff, Stan Hansen, Angelo Mosca, Lex Luger, and more, the event also includes some of the last interviews ever done with George “The Animal” Steele, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, Ox Baker, The Wolfman, Don Fargo, and 99-year-old Angelo Savoldi.

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Eoin Colfer joins our 3-Timers Club as we have an entertaining chat about his new book Juniper's Christmas.

You know Eoin Colfer as the mega-bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series. The recipient of many awards and “master storyteller” Colfer, who lives in Ireland, is making a trip to the US in November to talk about his new book: Juniper’s Christmas, a heartwarming, adventurous Christmas classic-in-the-making. It is an unpredictable journey bursting with Eoin Colfer’s signature exuberance and merriment.

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On this episode we once again open The Big Wakeup Call Vault (TM) and listen to some of my Halloween-related interviews!

First, from  9/27/21: Cassandra Peterson AKA Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, made her second visit to the show when she called in to discuss her memoir "Yours Cruelly, Elvira."

From 10/30/2014: Tyler Mane, who donned the mask of Michael Myers in "Halloween" and "H2," talked about his movie "Compound Fracture."

From 1/29/2018: Kane Hodder, who played Jason in the "Friday the 13th" series, chatted about his movie "Victor Crowley."

From 10/20/2021: Deborah Vorhees, actress from the "Friday the 13th" series, talked about her new movie and directorial debut, "13 Fanboy."

From 10/27/2017: "Count" Dominick Dicce discussed his book "You're a Vampire - That Sucks!"

And from 10/20/2015: We revisit Elvira's first appearance on the show, talking about her stint as a guest judge on Food Network's "Halloween Wars."

Happy Halloween!