February 17, 2010 by iinadia
What you’ll find here besides snippets and soundbytes of my life as a writer and publisher: interviews (including radio podcasts) with some of the extraordinary women with whom I’ve come into contact; women who dare to embody their vision, have changed their lives, and are making a difference in the world.
To interact directly with me, go to Extraordinary Women: Let’s Talk. All you need do is sign up and sign in to be part of the inner circle. It’s a semi-private membership that is free of charge and I’m online there regularly.
If you’re more interested in how I lost nearly half my body weight and want to apply what I learned to your own weight program, go straight to ThinkingSkinny.com (all about the book that started the Thinking Skinny movement).
Posted in weight loss | Tagged before and after, Minnesota Author | Comments Off
February 16, 2010 by iinadia
Click the image to listen as host Nadia Giordana interviews extraordinary women living extraordinary lives. Among them: authors, entrepreneurs, survivors, artists, writers, inventors, performers and more.
Posted in Nadia Giordana, Radio, women's issues | Tagged blog talk radio, interviews | Comments Off
March 17, 2010 by iinadia
For us, the idea of relocating to New Mexico grew legs in January and hasn’t waned. We can get an all-adobe, gorgeous 4+ bedroom home with a guest wing that has its own carport and private entry (for the folks). And the property is offered at less that our Minnesota home is worth. For Chuck and I, the work we do is via Citrix and Internet connections, so this is not a pipe dream, it’s doable! The art community and concentration of creative venues make that part of the country especially attractive to us. Another plus: daughter and family hope to make the move too; we’re all on the same page. Still, it may take a year or so to work it all out. I won’t miss the below-zero temperatures or the relentless summer mosquitoes one bit!
Posted in The Art World, journal entry | Tagged New Mexico, relocation | Leave a Comment »
March 14, 2010 by iinadia
It’s been a monumental task transcribing 27 years of the daily journal entries my father made while living in Alaska. So much so that I wasn’t sure book two would ever happen. Book one (available at Amazon.com) was 528 pages and book two will be closer to 600. But after bringing in an assistant, we are back on track. She has been a godsend for a number of reasons. Perhaps one day I’ll share the poignant back story.
Norman is an active participant in this process. He’s a stickler for the truth and wants to be sure these journals are complete and accurate. This is more than his legacy. It’s a piece of Alaskan history (not unlike the well-known Dick Proenneke books) documenting daily life along the Glenn Highway at Nelchina (including dozens of families who were friends of Norman and Sylvia). His style is abbreviated and cryptic, writing almost exclusively in sentence fragments–but then, that’s the way he talks for the most part, and we made the decision early on to preserve his unique voice for this documentary journal.
Posted in books | Tagged 000 Days In Alaska, 10, Norman Wilkins | Leave a Comment »
Sexty Something is the story of Basia Fuller. Her parents were WWII spies. She was raised in a refugee camp. She was abused as a teenager. She broke through the glass ceiling in the British Business world. She went to America and made a fortune. She was shot at and kidnapped. She was broken and bankrupt. She rose to walk the red carpet. She built a real estate fortune which crashed when her health and mind succumbed to the travails of her life. Once more she pulled herself up by her bootstraps and rebuilt her life. In her fifties she found the man of her dreams. Finally, in her sixties she risked it all one more time and came out a winner in business and in life. This is the story of Basia Fuller, living proof that it is never too late to live your life to the utmost. Her stirring story will inspire you to look at age as nothing more than a number. She’s defied tradition and broken through glass ceilings in business, as well as outdated taboos in her personal life. Available at Amazon.com.
Sound exciting? Tune in March 25th 4:00 pm Central Time and listen to Basia in person as she tells her story to Nadia Giordana at Interviews with Extraordinary Women.
Note: A link to a print transcription of this interview will be available here on March 26, 2010 after the program airs.
Posted in Radio, books | Tagged Basia Fuller, interview, Sexty Something | Leave a Comment »
You won’t find these beauties at any garden center–not even Bachman’s. They are available only from enthusuasts like me. Voodoo lily, snake palm, umbrella palm, and other names, Amorphophallus Rivieri (a hydrosme) is an exotic and exciting plant to grow. Look it up online, see my notes on Facebook, or do a search here at this blog for more information (I’ve written about these wonders before).
I have 2-3 of the small corms I can part with, and I will share them with you if you like the idea of having something in your garden deck or patio that no one else has. Message me if you live in the twin cities and want to stop by and pick one up. They are crazy-easy to grow. Mostly, you must care for the corms correctly and then the plant will take care of itself. I want them to go to good homes, they’re my babies.
You must be dedicated. It took me 4 years to grow this nearly 2-lb., grapefruit-sized corm from the original dime-sized “baby” corm I had originally. Each year, the plant gets larger (usually doubles), in turn producing a larger corm (along with several satellite corms) that will grow into an even larger plant. Corms can get up to 25 lbs. Imagine the plant from one like that! I’ll have one in a few years.
UPDATE: 3-08-10 ALL GIVEAWAY CORMS ARE SPOKEN FOR–SORRY, TRY ME NEXT YEAR.
Posted in Gardening | Tagged corms, snake palm, umbrella palm, voodoo lily | Leave a Comment »
February 28, 2010 by iinadia
I’ve been a writer and publisher since the early 1990’s and over the years a lot has changed. Independent publishing has grown up and come into its own. I have to think that the Internet has helped spread the word and made it possible for legitimate independent publishers to reach the right clients. In addition to that, the Internet has served to educate and raise the sophistication level of the writers and authors themselves. (I’m talking about the predatory, pseudo-publishers that have been taking advantage of naive writers for decades.) It’s not so easy for them anymore. Today’s writer’s are savvy and when they need to check a company out, they know where to find that information. Print on Demand technology has revolutionized the publishing industry as a whole, and there is a fast-growing, vital and exciting community of talented people finding new and viable ways to see their books published and made available literally worldwide. At the same time, we are seeing more and more big publishing houses flounder and cut corners (that’s another article altogether).
One of the best ways for a writer/author to keep a solid footing, is to become involved in local and national conferences and networking organizations. Example: this weekend, I participated in the Bloomington Writer’s Conference and Book Fair in Minneapolis. It was a great experience, though I wish I could have attended more workshops. I did however, have the opportunity to give a 10-minute, televised reading from my book, Thinking Skinny. (I’m not sure when or where it will be aired, but if I can get the clip, I will post it here at the blogsite.) Overall, I learned a lot and loved the one-on-one interaction with the public, talking about my book, and especially getting to know dozens of local writers and publishers.
–Nadia Giordana
Two organizations I can suggest: Midwest Independent Publisher’s Association (MIPA) and the Independent Publisher (IPPY) Book Awards.
Posted in Publishing, Success | Tagged changes in independent publishing | 1 Comment »
February 16, 2010 by iinadia
Show time: Thursday, February 18th at 4:00 p.m. CST. LISTEN HERE at airtime, or anytime after 2-18-10. This program will remain available on demand for your convenience.
Mary Deal is the award-winning author of four published novels, The Tropics, The Ka, River Bones, and her
newest, Down to the Needle. All are available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. She has written numerous stories and articles and her website, www.writeanygenre.com is a valuable resource for writers. Mary was a 2009 Pushcart Prize nominee, and she is the Associate Editor for Mississippi Crow magazine. She lives on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.
Mary talks with Nadia live on Interviews with Extraordianry Women about each of her books. She will also share some of the ins and outs of POD publishing–good information for other authors considering their options.
Posted in Publishing, Radio, Success | Tagged BlogTalkRadio, interview, Mary Deal | Comments Off
February 14, 2010 by iinadia
THINKING SKINNY eCoach Newsletter
February 2010 featured articles: 
Move to Beat the Blues
Glorious Fiber
Stretch Your Food Budget
Butter-Bean Burgers
Rev up Your Metabolism
Posted in Food, journal entry, weight loss | Tagged eCoach newsletter | Comments Off
February 12, 2010 by iinadia
By Liv Lane
Searching for the Fountain of Youth is costing us a pretty penny. In the United States, the billions of dollars we spend annually on anti-aging products increases by nearly 9% every year. Count me in: I’ve paid for my fair share for eye creams, age-defying moisturizers, even laser treatments. But I’ve come to discover a far less expensive, much more enjoyable solution. READ MORE…
Posted in health, women's issues | Tagged aging gracefully | Comments Off
February 5, 2010 by iinadia
February 5, 2010 at 3:00 p.m. CST. Nadia talked to Wendy Brown-Báez on BlogTalkRadio about some of her most exciting endeavors. Wendy also performd some of her poetry for the audience. To listen to the broadcast, CLICK HERE.
About Wendy: Among other things, she has facilitated writing groups, mana
ged shelters for the homeless, visited penitentiaries and half-way homes and worked as a hospice volunteer. She studied alternative healing, ceremony, and spiritual traditions and is a member of a woman’s Moon lodge. Wendy has performed nationally (and in Mexico) in cafes, bars, galleries, bookstores, schools, cultural centers, peace centers, writers groups, art festivals, and women’s retreats. In 2008, she received a McKnight grant to teach a bilingual writing workshop with at risk youth and in 2009, a McKnight grant to develop a writing workshop with impoverished youth into an art installation, both provided through COMPAS Community art program. She is the author of Ceremonies of the Spirit, a full-length collection of love poems published by Plain View Press in 2009. For more info, go to Wendy’s website, Writing Circles for Healing. To read a transcript of the broadcast, click here.
Posted in Radio | Tagged interview, performance poet, Wendy Brown-Baez | Comments Off
February 3, 2010 by iinadia
I’m usually the one conducting the interviews, so when I was asked recently to answer questions about my book, Thinking Skinny, I said, “Absolutely, I’ll do it!” It’s fun when the tables are turned, and I’m pleased to share it with you. Follow this link to listen to the podcast, or to read a transcript, CLICK HERE.
Posted in Nadia Giordana, Radio, publicity | Tagged interview, Thinking Skinny | Comments Off
January 31, 2010 by iinadia
February 27, 2010 (all day). Nadia will be reading from Thinking Skinny, signing copies and talking to visitors at the Bloomington Writer’s Festival and Book Fair. Author readings will be recorded and cablecast throughout the year. Listeners are welcome. Details at the Thinking Skinny website: CLICK HERE.
Special Note: If you’re interested in being a guest co-host on Interviews with Extraordinary Women, stop in at the Writer’s Festival and see me–we can talk after the event.
Posted in Nadia Giordana, publicity | Tagged book fair, book signings, writer's festival | Comments Off
January 31, 2010 by iinadia
Friday night reading series at Banfill-Locke Center for the Arts (BLCA):
Sit in every second Friday of the month at 7:30 PM for a stimulating sample of Twin Cities’ vibrant literary art. Through a partnership with Minneapolis’ Intermedia Arts, curator and award-winning poet Anna Meek, hosts this free event in Minneapolis, MN.
Posted in The Art World, poetry | Tagged Banfill-Locke | Comments Off
January 28, 2010 by iinadia
From Ireland: Interview with Martine Brennan, author of Happiness, it’s jus
t a habit.
If you are tired of feeling dissatisfied, and tired of complicated books that make happiness feel like hard work, and would like to have a pocket-sized book which will slip the “happy” habit into your life as easily as it slips in your pocket, then Happiness, it’s just a habit is the book for YOU!
Happiness it’s just a habit takes you on a one month journey of daily exercises and suggestions that makes it easy for you to discover what makes you feel good and encourages you to begin making your life more and more enjoyable. Click here to read the transcript.
To listen to this interview on BlogTalkRadio, Click here.
Posted in Radio | Tagged happiness, interview, Ireland, Martine Brennan | Comments Off
January 12, 2010 by iinadia
Lucille Hansen, young professional
This slide show (see journal) was to be part of Lucille Kasun’s upcoming 100th birthday celebration,
"Stubby" Hansen, athlete
but true to her unique and indomitable spirit, my mom-in-law, Lucy, decided not to wait for that event. She went home to be with Jesus, January 12, 2010 with son Chuck by her side and Mike close at hand.
A female athlete long before it was fashionable, Lucy was an extraordinary woman in her own right. She was a speed skater, golfer, tennis player, basketball player, bowler, wilderness enthusiast (canoing, fishing, camping, and horseback riding). We’ll be missing her for a long time.
DETAILS… All my appointments, interviews and luncheons are postponed until after January 25.
Posted in Chuck Kasun, Family | Tagged 100th birthday, Lucille Kasun | Comments Off
January 9, 2010 by iinadia
Nadia’s Introduction: The guest we have with us today is a multi-talented writer and artist from Joliet, Illinois. Sue Midlock has always had a natural gift for drawing. From an early age, she would draw at recess in school rather than go outside and play. She also drew pictures as gifts for family and friends and in her early years, her artistic endeavors were a hobby. But now, Sue gets work as an illustrator. To help describe what she does, Sue coined the name, “Zentacular Art”. MORE…
Posted in Radio, journal entry | Tagged interview, Sue Midlck | Comments Off
January 6, 2010 by iinadia
Posted in Radio, journal entry | Tagged BlogTalkRadio | Comments Off
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