Category: Books

“Making It Home – Life Lessons from a Season of Little League” By Teresa Strasser

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

Teresa Strasser is an Emmy-winning writer for her work at Comedy Central and Emmy-nominated television host regarding her talents at TLC.

Teresa has been a contributor to the Los Angeles Times, USA Today, the Arizona Republic, The Jewish Journal, HuffPost, and The Today Show. Her first-person essays have garnered three Los Angeles Press Club Awards, including Columnist of the Year. Teresa has appeared on The View, CNN, Good Morning America, The Talk, and Dr. Phil.

Radio and podcast audiences know Teresa Strasser as Adam Carolla’s co-host.

Media Personality/Author Teresa Strasser

Her first memoir, “Exploiting My Baby: Because It’s Exploiting Me” was a Los Angeles Times bestseller and optioned by ABC.

On this episode Teresa is talking about her book, “Making It Home – Life Lessons from a Season of Little League.”

After the deaths of her brother and mother just months apart, Teresa explains how baseball helped with her grief and to renew a relationship with her father. Even for readers who are not necessarily big baseball fans, the book is an excellent manual for navigating their way through loss.

The book is available as of June 6, 2023 wherever you buy books.

Teresa’s website TeresaStrasser.com

Teresa Strasser on Twitter @teresastrasser

Author Kimber Silver “Broken Rhodes” Talks About Writing and Story Development

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

Our guest on this episode is Kimber Silver, the author of “Broken Rhodes,” published August 16th, 2022.

Kimber Silver

During this interview Kimber discusses her early life and how it impacted her writing, as well as some of her writing techniques. Kimber is a believer in sticking with a schedule to maintain progress as a writer.

You can visit Kimber’s website for short stories, book reviews, interviews, and photos here KimberSilver.com.

The Billy Dees Podcast is available on your favorite podcast platform. For your convenience the episode is below.

Melissa M. Monroe “Mom’s Search for Meaning: Grief and Growth After Child Loss”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast

This podcast contains content that some viewers may find triggering.

Our guest on this episode is Melissa M. Monroe, author of, “Mom’s Search for Meaning: Grief and Growth After Child Loss.”

Paralyzed by guilt, grief, and PTSD after her 2-year-old daughter Alice died in her sleep of unknown causes, Melissa Monroe was determined not to become a victim in the story of her life. While taking the advice she had given to many grief and trauma patients throughout the years, hoping she could create a meaningful life without closure, she took notes throughout her healing process.

Melissa M. Monroe

Struggling to advance her timeline beyond that of her daughter’s – and still eager to be the keeper of Alice’s stories – Melissa began to write about Alice’s life and the impact of her death. She became her own lab rat, trying various approaches to healing with the hope that her experience might be helpful to others stuck in a trauma time loop.

During this interview Melissa talks about her experience with child loss, her career, and the process of writing.

You can find out more about her at MelissaMarieMonroe.com.

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. The audio podcast and the videocast are both below.

Christian Feraria – The Mediocre Student’s Guide to Graduating College

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

Christian Feraria is an author, publicist, public speaker, and YouTuber! His screen name is qtc_christian on various platforms including YouTube.

Christian’s book, “The Mediocre Student’s Guide to Graduating College,” is a book for struggling or unmotivated students who wish to navigate college successfully. Growing up, Christian’s sisters were both stellar students who went to elite colleges and medical school. Christian felt mediocre in comparison to them having been, at times, a more insecure student academically.

Shortly after graduating college, Christian was inspired by the Toni Morison quote, “Write the book you would want to read.” After hearing the quote, Christian immediately thought of a book for mediocre students because that’s the book he would have killed for!

Christian Feraria

Throughout his book, Christian elaborates on how to succeed academically and socially on a college campus. He writes about picking professors and the presence of drugs, sex, etc.

Since his book was released, Christian Feraria has been doing public speaking at schools to get struggling students to believe in themselves. He also has been doing interviews like this one, not only to promote his book but to also raise awareness that the challenges many of us face in school are not that unique.

You can find the full interview wherever you find podcasts. For your convenience you can listen below.

Barbara Legere – “Keven’s Choice – A Mother’s Journey Through Her Son’s Mental Illness, Addiction, and Suicide”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

This episode contains discussion that some listeners may find triggering.

Author Barbara Legere

“Keven’s Choice: A Mother’s Journey Through Her Son’s Mental Illness, Addiction and Suicide”

Keven had spent half his life struggling with addiction while his single mom battled courts, health care companies, rehab facilities and mental health professionals to protect him. As their relationship strained and his drug use progressed, Legere was forced to accept and love Keven as he was in their limited time together—two years before his suicide.

In Keven’s Choice, Legere tells the story of trying to navigate the dark worlds of her son’s substance use and depression while also addressing her complicated guilt and regret over how she handled it. In the process, she shines a light on the hidden anguish of countless parents who are taking care of children that society tells them to abandon.

For parents who have borne witness to overdoses, arrests, addiction treatment and incarceration and even death, Keven’s Choice is a raw and intimate memoir of a mother’s grief that shows it’s possible and necessary to go on, even amidst the unimaginable.

You can find out more about the author’s story at her website www.barbaralegere.com.

M.K. McDaniel – “Misfit in Hell to Heaven Expat”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

M.K. McDaniel

#1 Best Selling Author of “MISFIT IN HELL TO HEAVEN EXPAT”

We have all heard stories of someone’s account of a near death experience. There is almost always a description of a brilliant white light and euphoric sensation.

However, not all near death experiences are pleasant, in fact, some are traumatic.

What would you do if you found yourself in “the other place?”

Our guest on this episode is author, M.K. McDaniel. Her book, “MISFIT IN HELL TO HEAVEN EXPAT,” chronicles such a journey. Her story is hopeful and has given her insights into a realm that we do not need to fear.

You can find the author’s website misfitinhelltoheavenexpat.com.

and you can find her on Twitter @MKMcDaniel3

Disclaimer – The host, Billy Dees, was experiencing an allergic reaction at the time of the interview that affected his voice.