AuthorViews Video Podcast

Kids today are rediscovering the 1960s and Mike Tanner is helping them program their iPods with the proper soundtrack. Flat-Out Rock is a visually stunning guide to rock music from the '60s and early '70s. Gorgeous graphic design and rare, exquisite photographs place the musicians in the context of hippies, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and other '60s happenings. Flat-Out Rock covers ten important bands or musicians and illustrates each artist's significance by describing a pivotal moment in their careers. Artists covered include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and Neil Young with Crosby, Stills, and Nash. In this 2-minute video, enjoy Tanner's luxurious voice and rock-star good looks as he describes how his background as a touring and recording musician contributed to Flat-Out Rock.

We are pleased to bring you the author of one of the most decorated books in recent memory: Allan Stratton and his breakout novel, Chanda's Secrets. Chanda's Secrets tells the story of a teen girl in Africa whose mother is afflicted with HIV/AIDS and travels north to spare her family the shame of her illness. The book puts "a human face to the AIDS pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa," says the author. The list of awards Chanda's Secrets has won is too long to recount here -- you'll find an up-to-date tally at publisher Annick Press' web site. The accolades include Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year Award, the American Library Association's Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in young adult literature, and "Editor's Choice" plus "Top 10 Black History Book" from Booklist. In this 2-minute video, filmed at Annick Press's Toronto offices last fall, erudite author Allan Stratton describes how he created characters so real he has to remind people the book is fiction.

We are delighted that the first author video in our Annick Press series is with the endearing Loris Lesynski. If you have read any of Loris' books (Boy Soup, Dirty Dog Boogie, Cabbagehead, Nothing Beats A Pizza and Zigzag, among others), you will appreciate this glimpse into the source of that rich humor. Loris lights up for the camera, with mischief in her eyes and poetry on her lips. In this video, Loris Lesynski talks mostly about her new book, I Did It Because.... Students always ask Loris where her stories and language come from. This is her response, an instructional book for young authors that teaches in a delightful way "how a poem happens." Watch this 2-minute video, filmed at the offices of children's book publisher Annick Press in Toronto last November, to see the lovey Loris Lesynski bring some of her works to life!

We are very pleased to share with you today, not an author's video, but a publisher's video. Rick Wilks is co-founder, with Anne Millyard, of Annick Press, a company whose name is synonymous with excellence and innovation in children's books. Since 1975, Annick has been publishing breakthrough books, such as Chanda's Secrets, and breakout authors, such as Robert Munsch. In this 2-minute clip, Wilks speaks passionately about what Annick Press looks for in a book and where the company's publishing mission is headed. It's refreshing to see a publisher with such a strong commitment to content and packaging -- both hallmarks of Canadian publishing. Annick is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, where this video was filmed.

Jocelyn Elder's The Cancer Wheel focuses on the three dimensions of life: the physical, the psychological, and the spiritual. Elder says that the audience for her book are both medical professionals as well as cancer patients themselves. As both a cancer survivor and a Registered Nurse, she has unique perspectives to add to the book, which deals with prevention, assessment, and treatment of the disease. Elder has been in the medical industry for over 25 years, in various fields. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Santa Fe, she describes how working in health service at the Zuni Pueblo inspired part of her book.

Ningay Sing believes that she was called upon to write Conversations with Gaia. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Santa Fe, she describes the moment that she heard a voice instructing her to write the book. She considers her book to be the feminine response to Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch. Sing is passionate about rediscovering the forgotten feminine wisdom of the Earth. She ponders the possibilities of partnering that "deep, old feminine wisdom" with the power of modern technology. Watch the video to hear Sing’s ideas for how we can all get away from our self-centeredness and become more global-centered instead.

The New Mexico Book Association is an organization that extends membership to anyone involved with the book industry in that state. Last summer, during our visit to Santa Fe, we spoke with the Association’s president, Richard Harris. In this 2-minute video, Harris explains how organizations like the NMBA are a boon to self-publishers and small publishers. He uses Sankara Saranama’s book God Without Religion as an example of a successful title that came about because of the Association’s network. Harris also compares the opportunities for contemporary self-publishers to the limited capabilities of the past. Watch the video to hear his simple rule that small publishers must follow to be as successful as big publishing houses.

In addition to her book on baby showers, which we recently featured on AuthorViews, Jennifer Adams has also written a guide to hosting spectacular wedding showers. Wedding Showers includes themes, games, and 50 recipes. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Salt Lake City, Adams gives some tips on how to make your shower favors stand out. By keeping both of her shower books under $10, Adams has provided wonderful guides at very low cost for future brides and mothers.

With John Rolfe of Virginia, James Tormey is the first to publish an account of the Jamestown colonization from Rolfe's point of view. The tale is usually told from the perspective of John Smith or Pocahontas. Tormey's historical novel begins in the year 1609 and covers a 13-year period until Rolfe's death in 1622 at the age of 37. Rolfe's life was "crammed full of adventure," Tormey says, including shipwreck, mutiny, and death. It also covers Rolfe's cultivation of tobacco and his marriage to Pocahontas, which brought a blessing of peace to the colony. In this 2-minute video, appropriately filmed at the 2006 Virginia Festival of the Book, Tormey describes some of the things he learned during his research for this novel.

Jennifer Adams' book, Baby Showers, "gives you everything you need to know to throw the perfect baby shower," according to the author. The book includes ideas for invitations, decorations, activities, and favors, as well as 50 recipes for snacks. "The little things make a big difference," says Adams. She also includes a timeline for planning a shower and a list of children's books that make appropriate gifts for the expectant mother. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Salt Lake City, the charming Ms. Adams describes her idea of a perfect baby shower.

If you've seen the movie You've Got Mail, you're familiar with the plight of the independent bookstore in contemporary times. Betsy Burton has written The King's English about her own experiences and obstacles running a community bookstore -- called "The King's English" -- over the past 29 years. Burton shares tales about the authors and customers who have come through her doors, along with stories about the booksellers who work there and insights into the books themselves. The King's English also describes the obstacles –- financial, legal and otherwise -- independent bookstores face to stay afloat. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Salt Lake City where The King's English is located, Burton describes a life-and-death battle for her store and how it led to a renaissance for both The King's English and the community. This book demonstrates the importance of an independent bookstore to any community. "I really believe what we do is very important," says Burton. We heartily agree!

Sam is a young boy who is scared of everything, even things other people couldn't imagine. Sam's Thunder Mountain Solution tells the tale of how Sam overcomes those fears. At the beginning of the story, he adopts Randolph Coyote the Third, a canine whose special powers enable Sam to travel to worlds beyond this one. In this 2-minute video, filmed in Santa Fe during the 2006 AuthorViews Summer Tour, author Andrew Connan brings to life one of the most difficult characters that Sam and Randolph encounter on their journey: The Grumpy Old Man.

Culinary Mexico is a "regional exploration of the cooking of Mexico," according to author, Chef Daniel Hoyer. With this cookbook, Hoyer excludes the Americanized version of what Mexican food is and instead gives a gastronomical survey of authentic cuisine from various geographical regions of Mexico. In addition to recipes for these dishes, Hoyer also gives adaptation instructions for modern approaches to traditional Mexican cooking methods, such as making your own tortillas. He describes one of his favorite recipes from the book, Cochinita Pibil, or Pit-Roasted Pork, in this 2-minute video filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico. WARNING: If you watch this clip when you're hungry, it could cause panic.

"I think families are so scattered and our lives are pretty hectic and fast-paced," says Janet Peterson, author of the new cookbook, Family Dinners: Easy Ways to Feed Your Kids and Get Them Talking at the Table. That's why she's written two cookbooks focusing on simple, tasty recipes along with techniques to promote family interaction. Family Dinners has recipes for standards such as lasagna and sloppy joes, and also includes activities and conversation starters designed to get your family eating together and enjoying that dinnertime. In this 2-minute video, Peterson extolls the virtues of family dinners for not only the emotional and mental health benefits, but for your physical health as well.

Today's video is the first in a series of Salt Lake City authors filmed at the offices of Gibbs Smith, Publisher, during our 2006 Summer Tour. Gibbs Smith is a leading publisher of lifestyle books. Janet Eyring is a slow cooker enthusiast. She’s the co-author of a cookbook called 101 Things To Do With A Slow Cooker that includes instructions for entrees, as well as atypical recipes such as appetizers and desserts. Eyring is the mother of a toddler, so she understands the time crunch that many families face when trying to fix a good meal. She believes that we’re in the middle of a slow cooker revival. In this 2-minute video, Eyring briefly describes one of her favorite recipes in the cookbook, something you probably wouldn’t think you could prepare in a crockpot!