Tag: #book

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.

Gigi Langer – “Love More Now”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

On this episode we are interviewing Gigi Langer, PhD.

As of February 2023, Gigi has completed her new book, “Love More Now: Facing Life’s Challenges with an Open Heart.” You may remember this author from her previous offering, “50 Ways to Worry Less Now.”

Both titles are very recovery-related in their approach to the subject matter.

The book covers how to dissolve the negative beliefs restricting love for yourself and others. With your true self liberated, you’ll be able to handle difficult relationships and other challenges with wisdom, strength, and serenity. Gigi Langer, author of award-winner, “50 Ways to Worry Less Now,” illustrates how she overcame alcoholism, codependency, and trauma to discover the love at her center.

Drawing on ideas from A Course in Miracles, the Twelve Steps, and positive psychology, Gigi shows you how to become a loving, open-hearted person (with firm boundaries).

Langer holds a PhD from Stanford University and has been sober for over 35 years.

You can find out more about Gigi at her website gigilanger.com.

Twitter @gigi_langer

For your convenience, the entire podcast interview is available below as well as the videocast.

“Sleeping between Giants Book 2, Ask a Terrier: Professional Advice from a Licensed Dog” by Dave Jaffe

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

“Sleeping between Giants Book 2, Ask a Terrier: Professional Advice from a Licensed Dog” by Dave Jaffe

This title was released in December 2022 from Cray-Cray Publishing in association with HumorOutcasts Press.

The first edition was titled, “Sleeping between Giants Book 1: Life, If You Could Call It That, With a Terrier.”

  • 2021 International Book Awards Winner: Humor
  • Indies Today 2019 Best Humor Book Award Winner

In “Sleeping between Giants Book 2,” Budleigh, the Terrier with ‘Tude, is back; this time dispensing crucial advice to Giants and Canines on everything from space travel and sniffing Covid, to giving a TED Talk and shopping for purses.

Dave Jaffe

Through essays and cartoons created by Dave Jaffe, learn what’s going on in the mind of your Canine and why it’s just as odd as what going on in yours.

During the podcast we discuss with Dave where his ideas come from, the discipline of writing, and his own style of humor.

You can find this episode below in this post or on your favorite platform under the Billy Dees Podcast. Also below, is the webcam version of the interview.

Kitt O’Malley Author “Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast
Kitt O’Malley

Kitt O’Malley, author of “Balancing Act: Writing Through a Bipolar Life,” is a mental health advocate, public speaker, and former psychotherapist who lives with bipolar disorder. Her personal experience and clinical background inform her advocacy and enable her to help herself and guide others toward mental health recovery.

Over the years, Kitt has struggled with bipolar, experiencing depression so deep that it was a living hell and mania so severe that she was psychotic.

However, there is help. Psychotherapy, medication, and coping skills have enabled her to live a full life.

Acceptance has been key to her mental health recovery. Acceptance is essentially a spiritual experience.

To accept yourself is to love yourself. There is hope.

You are enough.

You can visit Kitt’s website for more detailed information KittOMalley.com and on Twitter @KittOMalley.

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. For your convenience the full episode is embedded below and the webcam version is below that.

Dorothy Rosby – Humor Writer and Author – Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate…

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Media, Podcast

Dorothy Rosby is an author, speaker and syndicated humor columnist whose work appears in publications throughout the West and Midwest. We are happy to have her on this episode talking about writing humor and the pressure of the holidays.

Her new book is:

‘Tis the Season to Feel Inadequate: Holidays, Special Occasions and Other Times Our Celebrations Get Out of Hand

Dorothy Rosby

The book is described on her website “as a collection of humorous essays about holidays, special occasions and other times our celebrations make us feel not-so-celebratory. It’s understanding for those who think Christmas form letters can be honest—or they can be interesting. And it’s empathy for anyone who’s ever gotten poison ivy during Nude Recreation Week or eaten all their Halloween candy and had to hand out instant oatmeal packets to their trick-or-treaters.”

You can find out where to find her on her website DorothyRosby.com.

You can find Dorothy on Twitter: @DorothyRosby

You can find the Billy Dees Podcast on your favorite podcasting platform. For your convenience we have the episode below on Spotify. You may also view the webcam version below the podcast on YouTube.

“Walking with Fay – My Mother’s Uncharted Path Into Dementia” by Carolyn Birrell

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast
Carolyn Birrell

Carolyn Birrell retired to Bonners Ferry, ID, in 2006, after living in Atlanta, GA, for 20 years where she worked for the American Cancer Society National Headquarters and then as a real estate agent and a new home builder. She began caring for her aging mother shortly after her move and started chronicling her journey.

What began as a written collection of her mother’s difficult behaviors during dementia’s earliest stages quickly turned into a comprehensive book that she continued to update until the inevitable end of her mother’s disease.

In this interview, Carolyn talks about her years long journey with her mother and Alzheimer’s dementia, and how her journals turned into a book.

An estimated 6.2 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia in 2021.

You can find Carolyn Birrell’s website here carolynbirrell.com.

You can find the full interview on your favorite podcasting platform on the Billy Dees Podcast. For your convenience the full interview is here along with the webcam version.

Jerry Zezima “One for the Ageless How to Stay Young and Immature Even If You’re Really Old”

by Billy Dees, posted in Books, Podcast

Jerry writes a humor column for Tribune News Service, which distributes it to papers nationwide and abroad. Jerry is also the author of six books, “Leave It to Boomer,” “The Empty Nest Chronicles,” “Grandfather Knows Best,” “Nini and Poppie’s Excellent Adventures,” “Every Day Is Saturday” and “One for the Ageless.”

Jerry Zezima

Jerry has won many awards including seven for humorous writing from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Jerry maintains a social media presence, has made many TV and radio appearances, is a popular public speaker, and is currently writing a sitcom.

You can find out more about Jerry on his blog or follow him on Twitter.

You can find our podcast interview with Jerry on your favorite podcast platform. For your convenience the Spotify podcast is playable in this post. We also have the videocast version available on YouTube.