Zibby Owens, Author, “Blank,” & Owner, Zibby’s Bookshop

Deborah Kobylt Live

Please welcome to our show a woman who appears to have more hours in her day than the rest of us, Zibby Owens. Zibby is an award-winning author who will join us to talk about her latest book, “Blank.” She also hosts an award-winning DAILY podcast, Moms Don’t Have Time To Read Books. In addition, she owns and operates Zibby’s Bookshop in Santa Monica, which is an incredibly inclusive space for writers, authors, and anyone interested in books and learning how to get started as an author.

Want more? The Zibby-verse has become a mini empire, led by Zibby Media, which includes Zibby books publishing house, retreats for authors, book club, writing group, not to mention her bookstore on Montana Ave. and her podcast. She lives in NYC with her husband and FOUR kids under the age of 16, attended Yale and Harvard, and spends a good chunk of time working in LA, too. And she smiles a lot, too, perhaps because she’s truly doing what she loves. But she’s faced a lot of rough patches, too, and we’ll talk about that, because Zibby is an inspiration to many, a woman who has followed her passion for books and reading, and sharing that with the rest of us.

Please join #DeborahKobyltLIVE on all video and audio podcast platforms, and make sure to share with your friends, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I thank you for joining us.

Andrew Cotto, Award-Winning Novelist & Co-Founder, Appetito Magazine

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please join us in welcoming Andrew Cotto, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Appetito Magazine. Andrew is also an award-winning novelist of seven books, a regular contributor to the New York Times, and he loves all things Italy, particularly food and wine. His passion is to write and talk about it, and share his experiences so we can fall in love with the Italian way of living as he has.

Andrew likes to say that “food is his muse.” He draws a comparison between mental health and healthy eating, and talks about how Italians instinctively know how to do that. While he was raised in the states, Andrew fell in love with his ancestral homeland the first time he visited, and decided to plant his own roots there for a time and learn all he could about the Italian lifestyle and good health. He’s been a regular on Good Day New York, and has interviewed some of the top culinary experts in his Appetito magazine, including Rachael Ray. And now he joins us on our #LittleItalyPodcast, #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, and #DeborahKobyltLIVE, to share all he’s learned with us. And there’s a lot.

Please find our show on all video and audio podcast platforms, and invite your friends, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to have you join us today.

Stan Zimmerman, Author. “The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore chronicles”

Deborah Kobylt Live

Please welcome to our show, Stan Zimmerman, author, “The Girls: From Golden to Gilmore. Stories about all the wonderful women I’ve worked with…and Roseanne.” Let’s just say Stan has worked with them all, and is a prime example of someone living his dream by living his truth.

Stan Zimmerman grew up a self-proclaimed gawky Jewish kid from the suburbs of Detroit, who dreamed of becoming a wildly successful actor, rich enough to buy his own mansion in the Hollywood Hills. The actor part didn’t quite work out, but he found success as a writer, producer, director, and playwright on some of the most noteworthy shows in the business.

The book chronicles his days from acting in plays in his basement as a kid, to attending NYU on scholarship, where he met his first serious boyfriend and somehow became Andy Warhol’s photo subject at Studio 54 one evening.

This is a story about friendship, finding one’s sexuality after battling years of homophobia, and honoring the many women in his life who have been supportive through it all. This is about success and thriving in Hollywood. Did he get his big house in the Hills? We’ll ask him about that, too.

Please join our interview on all video and audio platforms or #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to have you join us. Make sure to invite your friends, too.

David Richman, Author, “Cycle of Lives” – a Journey Through the Emotional Chaos of Cancer”

Deborah Kobylt Live

David Richman was once an overweight, sedentary smoker who was jolted into making big changes in his life. Now an entrepreneur, athlete, public speaker, and author, David joins us to discuss his latest book, “Cycle of Lives,” which chronicles the stories of 15 people, five-thousand miles, and the journey through the emotional upheaval of cancer that David and his family endured after his sister was diagnosed with brain cancer, which ultimately claimed her life.

“Cycle of Lives” was created as the result of many years of dedication to raising awareness and funds for cancer research and care, inspired after his sister was initially diagnosed in 2007. Over the past 15 years, David has completed several events including a 104-mile run along the Pacific Coast Highway, 87-miles from Cancun to Tulum, numerous bike rides and other events to raise money for the American Cancer Society and Moffitt Cancer Society. David is also donating profits from his book sales to the cancer organizations he supports.

The book talks about the emotional ride of dealing with loved ones with cancer, and we will talk about the bravery his sister displayed throughout her battle with this disease.

Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, and share with your friends, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s an honor to have you here with us.

Dr. Connie McReynolds, Author, “Solving the ADHD Riddle

Deborah Kobylt Live

Often, some doctors and teachers were advocates of using medicine to quiet the child diagnosed with ADHD, but we now know that may not be the best option. Remember all the talk about how Ritalin could quiet a busy mind? Well, medicine is not longer the first choice to help people with ADHD succeed and lead happy, productive lives, and today we’re talking about it.

Please welcome Dr. Connie McReynolds, author, “Solving the ADHD Riddle, The Real Cause and Lasting Solutions to Your Child’s Struggle to Learn.”

Dr. McReynolds and I will discuss auditory and visual procession issues that very often disguise themselves as “problems” in the classroom for teachers. Essentially, ADHD is about the brain not being able to fully hold or interpret information coming in, so we will talk about some new therapies that have proven successful, in addition to the “gifts” of ADHD, because from my own standpoint, I believe there are gifts associated with ADHD, and instead of having kids feel like failures for not being able to focus, perhaps we can learn to celebrate it with the knowledge that there are therapies to help the mind focus and thrive that are not about taking medicine.

Through years of clinical research, Dr. McReynolds will talk about the success she’s had using neurofeedback. In fact, she says the results have been astonishing. Please find our full conversation on all video and audio platforms of
#DeborahKobyltLIVE, and invite your friends, too.

This is an important topic, and I hope you’ll join me in spreading the word. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt. Thanks for joining us, and please invite your friends.

Amy Riolo and Dr. Simon Poole

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Have you thought of taking weight loss drugs? Seems as though everywhere you turn, people are jumping on the craze, but perhaps there’s another way to control our weight and health, and today we speak with our dear friend, chef and acclaimed author, Amy Riolo, along with her colleague, Dr. Simon Poole, MD, who collaborated on the “Diabetes for Dummies” series which also includes “Diabetes Meal Planning & Nutrition,” along with the “Diabetes Cookbook.”

Amy has written 17 books that include healthy eating and how to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into our daily routines, and Dr. Poole talks about the many health benefits from introducing extra virgin olive oil into our diets. In fact, the two met at a convention speaking about olive oil and healthy living, and have made it their mission to talk and write about how we can all live healthier lives and even turn around type 2 diabetes if we incorporate certain foods into our diets and eliminate others that are essentially “poison” to our bodies.

Our show will be simulcast on #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and also #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast, and we all know that #Italians are experts on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. This is also something Amy has studied much of her life, as her mother was diabetic and she sought ways to help her mom with through food. And she’s been talking and writing about it ever since.

Please find our show LIVE on all video and audio podcast platforms, and invite your friends and family to participate in this important conversation. Thank you for joining us. Deborah

Andria Litto, Filmmaker, “My Father Moves Mountains”

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please welcome to our show the mega-talented writer, producer, and director Andria Litto, who joins us to discuss her magnificent documentary, “My Father Moves Mountains,” about her dad, George Litto, who represented many of Hollywood’s top writers who were black-listed during the McCarthy era and beyond.

This is a fascinating film, with detailed interviews from actors, writers, and agents, with film footage of a time in Hollywood when studios could crush the careers of actors and writers, but George Litto wasn’t afraid of them. Instead, he fought for the rights of people he thought were unfairly blacklisted, and ended up behind some of Hollywood’s most accomplished films from “Mash” and “Midnight Cowboy.” He later went on to produce films directed by Brian DePalma. And Andria, his daughter, had a front row seat to it all and joins us to talk about it.

Please join our show on #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast on all video and audio platforms. And invite your friends and family, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to have you join us.

Bryan & Stephanie Mazzarello, Filmmaker, “Make Me Italian”

Deborah Kobylt Live, Little Italy of LA

Please welcome to our show, Bryan and Stephanie Mazzarello, creators of their brilliant short film, “Make Me Italian,” which follows the story of an Italian-American man attempting to prove his Italian citizenship through ancestry so he can attain an Italian passport.

The story is loosely based on Bryan’s experience of getting his Italian passport, and it’s quite a story. We talk with Bryan about that, and also how he was motivated to do this after a backpacking trip through Europe landed on the very soil where his grandparents lived. Let’s just say he felt the calling. Stephanie was the creative director on the film, and this is so beautifully shot and choreographed, we discuss that with her as well.

Please join our shows on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, #LittleItalyPodcast, and #LittleItalyOfLAPodcast. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and it’s a pleasure to have you join us. Please invite your friends and family, and if you have an Italian story for us, we’d love to hear about it.

Mark Ireland, Author, “The Persistence of the Soul: Mediums, Spirit Visitations

Deborah Kobylt Live

Is there life after our time on Earth? It’s a question most of us have pondered, and today, I’d like to invite you to explore this topic with our guest, Mark Ireland, author, “The Persistence of the Soul: Mediums, Spirit Visitations, and Afterlife Communication.”

In this book, Mark takes a deep dive into exploring, through personal accounts and scientific study, about the possibility of an afterlife and explores psychic/medium phenomena through the many lenses of various religious tradition. This book and study of what lies beyond “here,” is also personal to Mark, and we discuss that, too, along with providing guidelines for those trying to communicate with those who have departed. Skeptical? Listen to our interview and decide for yourself.

Please join us on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt. Thanks for joining us.

Neil Gong, Author, “Sons, Daughters & Sidewalk Psychotics”

Deborah Kobylt Live

It’s rare to go anywhere in Los Angeles and not see the serious implications of drug use, mental illness, and homelessness lining our streets and neighborhoods, and today we speak with Neil Gong, a sociologist and associate professor at UC San Diego, who has studied this phenomenon for years and explains why mental health treatment in LA often fails, what can be done to change that.

Neil will also discuss his latest book, “Sons, Daughters, and Sidewalk Psychotics: Mental Illness and Homelessness in Los Angeles,” and the research he’s compiled regarding community care, successful treatments and recoveries, and he delves into the differences between the rich and poor when it comes to drug and mental health treatment. Finally, he talks about possible solutions to this growing and complicated social dilemma, and yes, it involves politics, too.

Please join our show on all video and audio platforms of #DeborahKobyltLIVE, and invite your friends and colleagues, too. I’m your host, #DeborahZaraKobylt, and I’d like to thank you for joining us.