The ALL NEW Big Wakeup Call with Ryan Gatenby

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Antonia Deignan visited the show to talk about her debut book, Underwater Daughter: A Memoir of Surviving and Healing.

About the Author:

Antonia Deignan is a mother of five children by choice, a dancer by calling, and a writer by necessity. She was born on the East Coast but spent most of her life in the Midwest, where she danced with multiple dance companies and raised her children. She opened her own dance studio and directed a pre-professional dance company before a bike accident wish-boned her path, and her identity. Her work has been published in print magazines and online. Now retired, she resides in a beloved island home in Martha’s Vineyard, where she continues to be inspired and write. This is her first book. https://antoniadeignan.com

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Renovation experts and hosts of “Fixer to Fabulous”, Dave and Jenny Marrs, along with Daikin Comfort Technologies, have announced the launch of a new initiative called the “Sustainability Series” to highlight ways we can perfect the air we share. This 6-part miniseries will be aired on HGTV during prime time, starting in October.

Dave and Jenny joined us from their family home  to share some simple and lasting solutions that we can all get on board with to be part of the movement. They’ve got the scoop on incorporating daily positive changes, big and small, to make an environmental impact in our homes, our communities, and for the health of our entire planet.

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You know Rachel Renée Russell as the author of The Dork Diaries, the bestselling blockbuster series chronicling the life and misadventures of middle school students, Nikki Maxwell, and her best friends, Chloe and Zoey. With humor and wit, Rachel’s books encourage tweens to embrace their individuality and always let their inner Dork shine through. The illustrator is Rachel’s daughter Nikki Russell and together they’ve had 19 consecutive NYT bestsellers! We discussed their latest collaboration, DORK DIARIES #15: TALES FROM A NOT-SO POSH PARIS ADVENTURE.

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 Peter H. Reynolds is New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of many books for children, including Happy Dreamer, The Word Collector, Say Something!, Be You!, and Our Table. He is also the illustrator of When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left by Marc Colagiovanni.  His newest picture book is co-authored by his 12- year-old son, Henry Rocket Reynolds.  All We Need is Love and a Really Soft Pillow is a tender and timeless tale about what matters most: love.

Peter H. Reynolds went for a walk with his son, Henry Rocket, and declared “This is it; this is all we need! Love.” Henry Rocket listened and added, “...and a really soft pillow.” Peter nodded, “Okay. Love, and a really soft pillow.” Henry thought about this, “What about chocolate?” he asked. His father replied, “Right, Love, chocolate, and a really soft pillow.” On they went. And after playing this game, Peter and Henry agreed that when they boiled it down, all they really needed was love... and a pen and paper to write it all down, before they forgot this rather fantastic idea!

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October is National Eczema Awareness Month, which provides a timely reminder of the many people who have dry and sensitive skin issues. We visited with nationally renowned dermatologist, and skincare influencer Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky to share simple ways to help manage serious skin issues. What many people don’t realize is that everything from lotions to sunscreens to the laundry detergent someone uses can create serious skin issues. In fact, more than 31 million Americans live with eczema, a chronic, systematic disease that results in annual economic burden of five billion dollars. 

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We continue our series of returning guests with author Joanna Ho discussing her newest children's book Say My Name.

Joanna Ho is the New York Times bestselling author of Eyes that Kiss in the Corners, Eyes that Speak to the Stars, Playing at the Border: A Story of Yo-Yo Ma, The Silence that Binds Us, and One Day. She has been an English teacher, a dean, a vice principal, and a professional development mastermind. Her passion for equity in books and education is matched only by her love of homemade chocolate chip cookies, outdoor adventures, and dance parties with her kids. Visit her at www.joannahowrites.com.

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Ariane Szu-Tu, Senior Editor at National Geographic Kids Books, returned to the show to talk about a delightful new book for kids and adults alike, Weird but True DISNEY: 300 Wonderful Facts to Celebrate the Magic of Disney.

ARIANE SZU-TU is a senior editor for National Geographic Kids Books. In her time at Nat Geo Kids, she's edited a range of children's books on a variety of fun topics, specializing in books for ages 8-12. Books she's worked on include the 100 Things series, Weird But True Know-It-All series, Not-So-Common Cents, Pirate Queens, Ultimate Book of Reptiles, Kids vs. Plastic, How to Survive in the Age of Dinosaurs, and many more. She lives in Falls Church, Virginia, with her husband, daughter, and dog.

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Brian Abrams returned to the show for a fun conversation about his new book “You Talkin’ to Me?”: The Definitive Guide to Iconic Movie Quotes ."

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian Abrams is the author of many best-selling oral histories, tackling the subjects of Late Night with David Letterman, Gawker, Die Hard, and the Obama presidency. He was dubbed “the Ken Burns of presidential alcoholism” upon publication of his first book, Party Like a President: True Tales of Inebriation, Lechery, and Mischief from the Oval Office.

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October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and Mike Caralis, 
nationally renowned cybersecurity expert with Verizon, shared important information on how individuals and small businesses can keep their information safe from criminals.

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Anne Gudger visited the show for a chat about her new book The Fifth Chamber.

About the Author

Anne Gudger is an autobiographical essayist who writes hard and loves harder. She’s been published in Real Simple, Cutbank, Cutthroat, The Los Angeles Review, The Normal School, The Rumpus, and the Columbia Journal, among others, and has been a Best of the Net nominee twice. She is also the co-founder of Coffee and Grief, a reading series that’s been thriving since March 2020 and hosts five curated readers every month reading on grief. Anne lives in Banks, Oregon with her beloved husband. The Fifth Chamber is her first book.