Uncorking A Story

There is a rise in anxiety and depression among teens resulting from several factors including increased pressures on kids to succeed, unrealistic expectations set through social media, and, of course, social restrictions due to the pandemic. In this episode, Jay Reid joins me to uncork an intense story about teenage suicides with a personal story about losing his son to suicide. What are the factors that are leading to teenage suicide? How to spot if your child is suffering from anxiety or depression? How can you as a parent try to resolve this issue? Listen in to uncover these answers—and maybe help to save a life. JASON REID Jason Reid is a partner at CEO International, where he coaches CEOs on how to be successful. He is a leader, entrepreneur, and family man. Following the suicide of his 14-year-old son, Jason started the foundation Chooselife.org. The organization’s goal is to end teen suicide by 2030. Jason is on a mission to educate families nationwide and help young people heal and speaks to audien

One of the biggest misnomers in publishing is that there are overnight successes. Being a writer requires hard work, creativity, and persistence. All authors, including new and experienced, will face setbacks and many challenges. Rea Frey was a former boxer who became an Author, and she joined me recently to share the story about how she became a successful author. How did she go from flop to a multiple book deal with St. Martin Press? How did she pivot from writing nonfiction to being a bestselling fiction writer? Why was it not a good idea to get married at 22? Listen in to uncover the answers to these questions as well as her take on what aspiring authors need to know in order to be successful. REA FREY Rea Frey’s passion in life is telling stories, connecting with readers, and helping other aspiring authors tell their stories too. She’s the celebrated author of Not Her Daughter, Because You're Mine, and Until I Find You. She also is the founder and CEO of Writeway, which helps aspiring writers become p

Is it possible to experience healing after having a traumatic childhood characterized by neglect, sexual assault, and crime? The answer is yes, but it takes a brave soul to stare down the trauma of their past only to come out the other side stronger and able to love oneself. Join me and Lauren Dollie Duke as we uncork the story about how writing, therapy, and yoga helped her empowered her to heal the wounds of her past and find her voice. Listen as she tells the tale of how she shed the overwhelming weight of shame that she’d been carrying around since childhood and why it was so important for her to immortalize these experiences in her memoir, Sh!thouse. LAUREN DOLLIE DUKE Lauren Dollie Duke is the author of “Sh!thouse” a memoir, and is also an educator, entrepreneur, and community activist. She’s taught thousands of yoga students over the last 15 years, led dozens of international retreats, and continues to push the edge between yoga, mental health, and trauma. She founded a one-of-a-kind community center

As the daughter of a college professor, Kaira Rouda moved around a lot as a kid. Being constantly thrust into new environments helped her develop the resilience that she’s carried with her throughout her life; which is a good thing because it's a big requirement for becoming an author! Kaira is a USA TODAY, Amazon charts, and international bestselling, multiple award-winning author of contemporary fiction that explores what goes on beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Her domestic suspense novels include Best Day Ever, The Favorite Daughter, All the Difference, and The Next Wife.  How did she go from working two jobs to becoming a bestselling author? How did her third grade teacher impact her career choice? Is Dallas one of the best TV shows ever? Listen in to hear Kaira’s answers to these questions as well as discuss her new novel, Somebody’s Home, which will be released on Tuesday, January 18th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What happens when you skip doing your chemistry homework so that you can read historical romance novels? You might not learn about the substances of which matter is composed, but if you are Jill Shalvis it just might set you up to become a bestselling romance novelist. What proof do I have (and man, I wish proofs were used in Chemistry and not just geometry so I could keep this comparison going)? Well, Jill is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who has written more than fifty acclaimed, award-winning romance novels. She is a three-time winner of the National Reader's Choice Award and has been nominated for the RITA Award and for Romantic Times' Career Achievement Award. Her latest novel, The Family You Make was released on Tuesday, January 11th.  How did she pivot from keeping track of debits and credits to being a bestselling novelist? What’s so inspiring about living in a small town? What happened when her dog had a celebrity death match with a porcupine? What famous rock musician drops in

Authors get to play God when writing a character. We shape them, give them characteristics to make them memorable, and ultimately control their destiny. Elizabeth George knows this well, and takes the role of God seriously when writing her mysteries. If you love a good mystery but aren’t familiar with her work, allow me to introduce you to Elizabeth George. She’s The New York Times and internationally best selling author of twenty British crime novels featuring Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley and his unconventional partner Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers. Her crime novels have been translated into 30 languages and featured on television by the BBC. Her latest novel, Something to Hide, was released on January 11th How did she transform herself from a HS English Teacher to a bestselling author? How does writing and creativity help her in managing depression? What important lessons did she learn from early failures? Listen in as we cover all of this as well as a spine tingling story about the Universe brin

Art is medicine—that’s the core message that poet, musician, and artist Aliana Kann Michals wants to convey with her forthcoming poetry collection entitled In Defense of Science.  What valuable life lessons did a relationship coming to an end during the pandemic teach her ? Why does she believe that vulnerability is her superpower? What words of advice would she give her younger self? Listen in as Aliana answers all of these questions and more in today’s insightful episode of Uncorking a Story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’ve had many different types of storytellers on Uncorking a Story including authors, comedians, and filmmakers. What I haven’t had yet is one of the most popular types of storytellers these days—fellow podcasters! That changes with today’s episode featuring Kathy Kay, the host of Strictly Anonymous.  I came upon her show by accident. Over the past few years I’ve been on a self-improvement kick, part of which involves listening to podcasts by the likes of Lewis Howes, Brene Brown, and Brooke Castillo. While looking for something new to arouse my ears on long runs, I came across Kathy’s show. I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to hear in episode 411, and it’s true what they say—you never forget your first time. The episode’s headline was, “Peter Tried Swinging After His Divorce, and he’s Been Swinging Ever Since.” Now I knew something about “the lifestyle,” as swinging was a key plot point in my novel All the F*ucks I Cannot Give and I had to do some research while writing that story. While the content

Out of the many guests I’ve hosted on Uncorking a Story, Michael Macari may have one of the most varied tales to tell. The son of immigrant parents, he was in Adonis, an up and coming rock band that was just about to feel the sensation of stardom with a record contract until a kidney stone sidelined his musical ambitions and put him on the path to a career in film and television. There’s no way he could have predicted that another medical issue three decades later would put him on the path to publishing a passion project—a book on the birth of Jesus. Inspired by the big budget biblical films of his childhood, Michael started the project over thirty years ago and originally envisioned it as a screenplay. After being sidelined with Covid-19, he found himself with ample free time and dusted off the yellowed pages now close to three decades old and reimagined his story as a novel. The result is a work of fiction entitled The Star of Bethlehem: The Epic Story of the Birth of Christ, recently published by Trilogy

Nadine Crocker survived a suicide attempt when she was 23 years old. After leaving home at 16 to pursue a career in front of the camera, maybe she thought she could leave the intense feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety back in Fresno. Also, really pretty and talented people aren’t supposed to have those kinds of feelings, are they? Well, they do and Nadine wasn’t immune to the feelings that run through her family. She wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Continue as a gift to the world to help us all have better conversations about mental health. Most working actors will tell you that overnight success is a myth. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but there’s a lot of rejection that comes when seeking an on-screen career. Authors tell me the same thing—many of us can line our walls with rejection letters from agents we’ve queried over the years. Just like there are few overnight successes, depression and anxiety are slow burns that, for some, eventually may lead to suicidal ideation, at

Cindy Finch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who specializes in helping people through their darkest times. She trained at the Mayo Clinic and has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, HuffPost, and CURE magazine. A survivor of traumatic life events, Cindy writes and works from lived experiences. She's helped thousands of people through their suffering, encouraging them to move forward and keep enduring to come out invincible. Her latest book, When Grief is Good, was released this past September and, at some point during this interview, we actually talked about it. Before that, though, she turns the tables a few times and puts me in the hot seat. This is definitely one you have to buckle up for and stay to the end because if you do I’ve got two words for you—hot monogamy! You can learn more about Cindy at her website, cindyfinch.com. Additionally, Cindy would love it if you learned more about Love to Pivot, an organization that helps individuals, couples, families, and groups pivot from unhealt

C. Frederic John enjoys a global reputation as a strategic researcher with a career spanning over 40 years. He specializes in melding profound insights into concrete recommendations for clients, and in crafting compelling research deliverables using story-telling techniques. Fred and I have a few things in common; we both worked in the market research industry, we both worked for MasterCard, and we both value the power of storytelling when it comes to presenting findings to clients. In fact, Fred is so passionate about storytelling in market research that he literally wrote a book called Storytelling and Market Research: A Practical User Guide. While the market research industry has gotten better about storytelling with regards to presenting research findings, the need for Fred’s book is undeniable. In it, he discusses the importance of story to keep a reader’s attention and gives practical and tangible advice for transforming mundane reports into page turners. I caught up with my former colleague just a f

In her 30+ year career as an author, Laura Davis has written seven non-fiction books that have changed peoples’ lives. The Courage to Heal paved the way for hundreds of thousands to heal from the trauma of sexual abuse. Becoming the Parent You Want to Be helps parents develop a vision for the families they want to create. And I Thought We’d Never Speak Again: The Road from Estrangement to Reconciliation teaches the skills of reconciliation and peace building to the world, one relationship at a time.  Laura’s ground-breaking books have been translated into 11 languages and sold more than two million copies.  Her new memoir, The Burning Light of Two Stars, tells the story of Laura’s dramatic and tumultuous relationship with her mother, Temme, from the time of Laura’s birth until her mother’s death. This story about “two souls who just wouldn’t quit each other” provides a no-holds-barred peek at the real Laura--the woman behind the teacher, the facilitator, and author. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m

Kris Clink is the author of Goodbye, Lark Lovejoy and Sissie Klein is Completely Normal, which have received praise from Bustle, Midwest Book Review, Kirkus Reviews, Women.com, Lone Star Literary, Brit + Co, Travel and Leisure Magazine, and Entertainment Weekly, among others. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with love, heartbreak, and just enough snark to rock the boat for the relatable characters as they confront transformative challenges. I had a great conversation with Kris about her writing including why she sets her stories in what most would consider “fly over” states, what she loves most about writing, and our mutual appreciation for the movie Hope Floats. We also get into a great conversation about the publishing industry today, how to write characters we hate, and why Hallmark will never adapt any of our stories (their loss). You can learn more about Kris at https://krisclink.com/ and be sure to check out her podcast Kris Clink’s Writing Table on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts

Have you ever wondered why there are so many legal dramas on TV? I know I’m dating myself here but off the top of my head I can think of LA Law, Boston Legal, Law and Order, and Night Court. Okay, so maybe that last one isn’t a drama, but it was damn funny. Maybe it’s because so many authors I’ve interviewed recently have fled the legal profession to follow writing as a career. If you think about it, Lawyers, especially trial attorneys, have all the makings of good writers—good listening and analytical skills are the cost of entry, they have to be creative with how they present cases (hopefully not too creative) and they have to be passionate about their work. Reyna Marder Gentin is no exception. In 2014, after practicing law for over two decades, Reyna decided it was time for something new. She followed a friend to a class on memoir writing at Sarah Lawrence College and got bit by the writing bug. Ever since, writing has become her passion.  Her third novel, Both are True, has her returning to women’s fic

When I was presented with the opportunity to interview J.M. Thompson about his memoir, Running is a Kind of Dreaming, I sprinted to say yes for two reasons; I’m an avid runner and wanted to know what inspired the title and it deals with mental health issues, specifically men’s mental health issues. A few years ago, my twin brother was suffering from anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. I’m not telling tales out of school here, he chronicled all of that in his own memoir. One of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do in my life was check him into the psychiatric hospital where he spent a long week of in-patient treatment followed by multiple weeks of outpatient treatment. It pained me to see this strong man, who I shared so many life experiences with, come to the brink of falling apart.  Even in this day and age, men’s mental health is still very much a taboo subject given our sex’s aversion to vulnerability. I hoped that by interviewing J.M. about his book, I wouldn’t just leave with another powerful sto

Imagine you are a father of two young children going through your morning routine of getting them—and yourself—ready for the day when there’s a knock at the door and the intimidating people right out of central casting on the other side are about to share news that will rock your world. John Vandemoer doesn’t have to imagine that; in fact, I bet he wants to forget it. John is the former Stanford University sailing coach and the first person sentenced in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. He’s now speaking out about what happened. This comes on the heels of the release of his new book: RIGGED JUSTICE. How the College Admissions Scandal Ruined an Innocent Man's Life. Listen in as we discuss not just the day that changed his life forever, but what his life was like in the aftermath. John courageously talks about opening himself up to vulnerability so that he could share his side of the story. We also discuss the importance of community and having a support system to lean on in times of need.  Enjoy

Jay Jay French is an American guitarist, manager, record producer and founding member of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. He is a columnist, author and motivational speaker who oversees licensing and intellectual property rights for the Twisted Sister brand. His new book, Twisted Business, is part memoir and part business book follows French’s adventure-filled life, from growing up in New York City in the sixties, to working as a drug dealer and struggling as an addict before quitting cold-turkey, and finally, to creating and cultivating Twisted Sister and turning it into one of the most successful brands in the world. Twisted Business: Lessons from My Life in Rock ‘N’ Roll can be purchased wherever books are sold. Enjoy the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After a brief hiatus between seasons, I’m happy to report that Uncorking a Story is back for its 5th season. Our first episode features a great conversation I had with Heather Frimmer whose second novel, Better to Trust, will be released on Tuesday, September 21st.  As a young woman, Heather was a bookworm who used to write short stories for her own entertainment. However, she did not write her first novel until after realizing that there was a void in her life that wasn’t being fulfilled in her career as a radiologist. After taking a class on creative writing and hearing some strong words of encouragement from her teacher at the Westport Writer’s Studio, Heather penned her first novel, Bedside Manners, which went on to receive numerous awards as well as high praise from breast cancer survivors. We discussed how being an avid reader is an important ingredient to being a successful author as well as the role curiosity plays in the creative process. We end with some words of advice that Heather offers her you

Dani Klein Modisett is a comedian, actor, and author of the book “Take My Spouse, Please,” about how to create shared laughter to keep your marriage happy and healthy. That book was preceded by 2009’s “Afterbirth...stories you won’t read in Parents magazine.” Additionally, her writing has appeared in AARP, NY Times, LA Times, Parents Magazine and on many websites. In addition to publishing two books, Dani taught Stand-Up at UCLA for 10 years. She has also coached keynote speakers, business leaders, and Congressional candidates to use more humor in their communication. You may have seen her on the show GHOST for Starz where she has a currently recurring role. Dani is a graduate of Dartmouth College.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices