Hardcover: 264 pages

Publisher: HCI (September 1, 2010)

“The truth is that we all have felt ugly.  The sin is that we let this word shame us, control us, and define us.”

– Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, LCSW

Have you heard about the Ugly Problem?  Vanity and disgust over our looks, our weight, our inevitable aging have become commonplace-even expected-but their pervasiveness and control over our well being, our decision-making, and our identity have gotten out of control!  Ugly as Sin is a brave and searingly honest exploration of the taboo subject of ugliness and how it affects every one of us in a direct and profound way.

The fear of being ugly has poisoned our minds, impeded our spirits, and sidetracked us from what really matters.  This universal fear, which psychotherapist Toni Raiten-D’Anotonio calls “ugliphobia” affects how we develop as individuals, how we relate to each other, and, most of all, how we feel about ourselves.  Our politics, religion, and cultural development even rely heavily on appearance-based bigotry that acts as the last acceptable form of prejudice.  Ugly as Sin is a provocative and timely call to action to reverse the devastating repurcussions of the Ugly Problem.

Overcoming ugliphobia begins with having the courage to embrace our own ugliness and, in the process, accept our humanity.  That sounds easier said than done, which is why it is with profound empathy and wisdom that Raiten-D’Anotonio ultimately offers readers inspiration, hope, and peace, as well as tools for finding

About Toni Raiten-D’Antonio

Toni Raiten-D’Antonio, LCSW, is a well-known psychotherapist with a thriving private practice in Suffolk County, Long Island. She is a professor of psychology and social work at Empire State College. Prior to becoming a therapist she worked in television and theater as both a performer and producer. She has two daughters and lives in New York with her husband, the Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Michael D’Antonio.

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: HCI (September 1, 2010)

The debate between helicopter parents versus free-range parents causes confusion for parents who want to find the middle ground while raising independent kids, without being wracked with worry and guilt. Somewhere between Free Range Kids and Perfect Madness is the need for a book that addresses how to parent with common sense in our culture of paranoia. The Paranoid Parent’s Guide is that book.

When surveyed by the author Christie Barnes, 75 percent of parents said they worried about “everything” when it came to their kids. Things like: Is this really the right school?  Will that splinter get infected?  Will they get kidnapped playing in the front yard? Or the mall?  Is my fifth-grader ready for sex-ed at school? Do we need a tutor?  Is my child gifted?  How could we forget the sight words we practiced this summer? Do I need to buy organic everything?

Paranoid Parents founder Christie Barnes knows the truth: Most parents are wasting their time and energy worrying about the wrong things. Based on information gleened from years of research, she will give parents a much-needed reality check, opening their eyes to thereal dangers lurking that are more likely to impact their children—and what they can do about them.

She will help paranoid parents to come clean about their biggest fears, reveal the true dangers their kids face at every stage as opposed to the Myth Makers, and offer realistic ways to safeguard their kids without stealing their childhoods.  By rallying against a culture of fear with the facts, the Paranoid Parents Guide will help moms and dads enjoy parenthood more, and allow their kids develop the healthy straits of resiliency, independence, and good decision making that are essential—yet lacking—in today’s society.  So stop worrying about a shark attack…because your child is more likely to be injured by a shopping cart. Think that ice hockey is more dangerous than cheering? Think again. Stop spending sleepless nights worried about stranger danger and learn why child-proofing your house is actually a very bad idea.

As Barnes will prove, it’s easier to enjoy parenthood when you are prepared; not paranoid.

About Christie Barnes

Christie Barnes was happily married to Peter Barnes, the screenwriter of some of America’s most beloved films, including the Oscar-nominated Enchanted April, and popular TV movies Merlin, Arabian Nights, A Christmas Carol, and Alice In Wonderland. One day he was walking in the park with their one-year-old triplets and four-year-old daughter; the next day tragedy struck and he died of a stroke. Suddenly Christie, who had worked with her husband in film and television as a writer, had to take charge of their large young family, guiding them through all the perceived dangers and real fears in life. From her experience as a mother, and speaking to other (over)worried parents, she opened the Paranoid Parents storefront in Denver in 2004 where she sells parenting products and holds workshops. She has been interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle and The New York Post.

Christie writes and blogs at ParanoidParentsGuide.com.

New York Times bestselling authors and internationally acclaimed leaders in the field of new thought, Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, and Marianne Williamson have joined together to share their knowledge on one of the most crucial obstacles to happiness we face – the shadow.  Each author uses their own signature approach to bring to light the part of ourselves we deny but that still directs our lives. For it is only when we embrace our shadow that we discover the gifts of our authentic nature.

About Dr. Deepak Chopra

Dr. Deepak Chopra is the founder of The Chopra Center for well-being in Carlsbad, California, and New York City, and cofounder and president of the Alliance for a New Humanity. Chopra’s Wellness Radio airs weekly on Sirius/XM Stars, Channels 102 and 55, and focuses on the areas of success, love, sexuality and relationships, well-being, and spirituality. The June 1999 issue of Time magazine heralded Dr. Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century, and called him as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine.”

Visit Dr. Chopra’s website at www.chopra.com.

About Debbie Ford

Debbie Ford is the national bestselling author of Dark Side of the Light Chasers, Secret of the Shadow, Spiritual Divorce, The Right Questions, and The Best Year of Your Life. She conducts workshops across the country. She lives in La Jolla, California with her son.

Visit Debbie at her website, www.debbieford.com.

Follow Debbie on Twitter!

About Marianne Williamson

Marianne Williamson is an internationally acclaimed author and lecturer. She has published eight books, four of which — including the megabestseller A Return to Love — have been #1 New York Times bestsellers. Her titles include Illuminata, Everyday Grace, A Woman’s Worth, and Healing the Soul of America.

Visit Marianne’s website at www.marianne.com.

TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for The Shadow Effect:

Thursday, May 20th:  The Minimalist Path

Thursday, May 27th:  Epic Self

Monday, May 31st:  Cynthia Lou

Tuesday, June 1st: Evolution You

Wednesday, June 2nd:  Constantly Evolving

Thursday, June 3rd:  Spiritual Zen

Monday, June 7th:  Positively Present

Tuesday, June 8th:  Communicatrix

Thursday, June 10th:  Natalie Christie

Tuesday, June 15th: Silver and Grace

Wednesday, June 16th:  World’s Strongest Librarian

Thursday, June 17th:  Create a Balance Coaching

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: HCI (May 3, 2010)

For centuries, “nobles” were defined by a mistake of birth; the privileged situations they came from. The nobility of today, however, usually come from ordinary backgrounds but have never been ordinary themselves, even as children. Instead members of the “New Nobility” are defined by where they are headed–into the future.  How do the hardy characters of these modern leaders and innovators develop?  Humanity must answer this question, as these daringly different individuals play a crucial role in the evolution of our shared culture and civilization.   Their ability to break outside the box and find new solutions is increasingly necessary in an era of economic collapse, global warming, international conflict, and a wide array of other serious and growing crises.

The Pursuit of Nobility: Living a Life That Matters speaks directly to the soul of these “bringers of the new”–people who have climbed the ladder of success, found themselves at or near the top, and still hunger for real meaning–as well as those who opted out and have never been able to “mimic” the ideas and customs of the culture.  In either case they are haunted by the thought that they might not ever create real change that leaves a lasting mark on society.  The new nobles ache for nurture, fellowship, and encouragement in their pursuits, and Tim Daniel hits the spot in his incisive and fearless book.

The Pursuit of Nobility shows us how to make the most of the real transformative types already in our midst, to nurture their risky ideas, encourage their dreams, accelerate their development, and bring the full force of their stunning contributions to fruition to secure the future of our species on this planet.

To learn more, visit the website for The Pursuit of Nobility HERE.

About Tim Daniel

Tim Daniel is a senior partner at a thirty-year-old consulting firm based in Sausalito, California. He provides a suite of leadership and organizational development services for executives at companies including NBC, Univision, Comcast, and Cox in the United States, as well as Alliance Atlantis, CTV, and CanWest Global in Canada.

Rock Your Routine and Be the Happiest Mommy on the Block

Moms will concur—routines and creative ideas help your day and save your sanity. And once you’ve established a routine that works, the inclination is to stick with it until the kids are off to college. But sometimes the rigidity of a ‘tight ship’ doesn’t allow much time for good-old fashioned, spur-of-the-moment fun. Well, hang on to your itinerary because here comes Eat, Nap, Play!

Written by moms for moms, this timely guide centers on back-to-basics philosophies: spend quality time with your kids and spend less money. But this is not a guilt trip—it’s a fun-filled adventure. Jam-packed with clever, cost-effective, low-maintenance, often nostalgic ideas you can easily slip into your existing routine, Eat, Nap, Play shows you how to turn everyday mayhem into precious moments to build memories, foster growth, strengthen bonds, and just have fun.

• Simple trips to the mall or grocery store transform into treasure troves of adventure
• Beat boredom in unique and unexpected ways while in the car or on the go
• Find out how to plan the perfect, age-appropriate parties for less
• Get the most out of the latest technology and discover a ton of useful websites along the way
• Plus, unearth cash-free ways for kids to learn, socialize, and grow into independent and resilient people

About the authors:

A woman of impressive literary and media accomplishments, Robyn Spizman is one of the leading how-to and inspirational voices in the gift-giving world.  As a New York Times bestselling author (August, 2008), she is the founder of www.TheGiftionary.com, a gift guide from a to z featuring a galaxy of gifts.  Robyn has written dozens of books and reports weekly on consumer topics, gifts and giving.  She has shared solid how-to tips for moms and creative gift-giving advice for almost three decades on many of America’s leading talk shows, including repeated appearances on NBC’s Today Show, MSNBC, CNN, Home Matters, The Discovery Channel, CNN Headline News, CNNfn, Talk Back Live, Good Day New York, New York One, CNBC and numerous ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox affiliates across the U.S.

Evelyn Sacks is a born communicator who parlayed an early ability to write and speak clearly into a successful 35-year career.  The ghost writer of four works of nonfiction, she is an accomplished lifestyle and business writer who has worked for leading companies including Kimberly-Clark, Coca-Cola and Pfizer.  Whether she is writing on wellness, assisting a celebrity with an autobiographical memoir or crafting a speech for a Fortune 500 CEO, the goal is clean, convincing communication. She and Robyn Spizman have collaborated on a number of projects and enjoy sharing one another’s gifts and talents.

TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS for Eat, Nap, Play:

Monday, April 5th:  Simply Stacie

Monday, April 12th:  lit*chick

Tuesday, April 13th:  Red Headed Book Child

Thursday, April 15th:  Turning the Clock Back

Monday, April 19th:  Devourer of Books

Tuesday, April 20th:  The Activity Mom

Wednesday, April 21st:  There’s a Book

Thursday, April 22nd:  Heir to Blair

Monday, April 26th:  Southern Institute of Domestic Arts & Crafts

Wednesday, April 28th:  It’s a Crazy, Beautiful Life

Date TBD:  JDaniel4′s Mom

Dogs are man’s best friend. But unfortunately, our modern lifestyle is the worst thing for their well being. In fact, almost half of the 75 million dogs in North America are overweight or obese.

As a practicing vet and founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, Dr. Ernie Ward exposes why we as a nation have created a Perfect Storm of Portly Pets: pet food manufacturers have tweaked their foods to the point that they have addicted our dogs to sugar and fat; pet food labels are so confusing that most owners overfeed their pets by 25 percent; some pet food formulas are too high in carbohydrates, causing a burgeoning number of ‘carboholic’ dogs; and our sedentary lifestyle has turned active dogs into couch potatoes. But there are ways for pet owners to break the chow hound cycle, and Dr. Ernie’s prescriptive plan will show them how. He will help dog lovers discover:

• Must-know tips to stock your pet’s pantry: finding pet food without added fat, fillers, sugar, and salt; choosing the right protein/carb mix; and picking the correct diet for your dog’s life stage
• Homemade meals and healthy treats that won’t pack on the pounds
• The good, the bad, and the ugly of nutritional supplements and weight loss formulas
• The best activities to maximize your pet’s fitness

With cutting-edge research and practical tips, Dr. Ernie’s plan can help every pet be in the best shape of their lives..

About Dr. Ernie

Dr. Ernest Ward, DVM, or “Dr. Ernie,” is a practicing veterinarian who is dedicated to helping pets and their humans live healthier lives. He appears regularly on the Rachael Ray Show, and has been featured on Animal Planet, NBC Nightly News, and CNN. He has authored and contributed to over forty-five veterinary journal articles in North America, England, Canada, Japan, and China, and has published two training videos. He lectures extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe, and China, and was awarded the Speaker of the Year award from the North American Veterinary Conference in 2004. An athlete himself, he is an avid racer; he completed the inaugural Ford Ironman World Championships and the 2008 Escape from Alcatraz triathlon.

Dr. Ernie’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, April 5th:  Ready When You Are, CB

Tuesday, April 6th:  Hey, Lady!  Whatcha Readin’?

Thursday, April 8th:  Care’s Online Book Club

Monday, April 12th:  Life of a Busy Wife

Wednesday, April14th:  Life is a Patchwork Quilt

Monday, April 19th:  Savvy Verse and Wit

Wednesday, April 21st:  The Book Lady’s Blog

Thursday, April 22nd:  The Electrical Book Cafe

Tuesday, April 27th:  Caribousmom

Thursday, April 29th:  A Novel Menagerie

Stop Entitlement Issues in Their Tracks and Take Back Your Parental Power

Who’s In Charge? Parents have become afraid to say ‘no’ to their children’s demanding behavior. In Give Me, Get Me, Buy Me, Donna Corwin helps parents take back power by stopping overindulgence, and getting their child’s demanding behavior in check. She uses psychological methods of mirroring children with positive versus indulgent actions, correct versus incorrect responses and techniques. There is a discussion of the media’s role in our lives and its influence over children’s behavior. This book will show parents how to create positive role models—and set limits on self involved children. How to teach kids about values, money and manners. And most important – that entitlement is not synonymous with having money.

About Donna

Donna Corwin is a national parenting spokesperson for Plus Media’s Satellite Media and Live Television tours. She has appeared on over fifty national news and morning shows, including Fox News, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, Newswatch, and the Daily Buzz. Corwin has also appeared as a parenting guest expert on numerous television and radio shows, including Oprah Winfrey’s Oxygen Network, The Rolanda Watts Show, The Other Half, Home and Family, and several times as a parenting expert on The Leeza Show, Good Morning Denver, Good Morning Utah, ABC radio and Parents Journal on NPR. Corwin’s articles on parenting have appeared in several national magazines. She has been a lecturer on parenting issues for the Motion Picture Wellness Program and the Educational Records Bureau (ErB) convention. Corwin has written eight parenting books including the bestselling Time-Out for Toddlers, now in its twentieth printing.

Donna Corwin’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, March 2nd: This Full House

Thursday, March 4th: Overstuffed

Monday, March 8th: Books on the Brain

Tuesday, March 9th: The Book Faery Reviews

Wednesday, March 10th: Joe Taxpayer

Thursday, March 11th: Not That You Asked

Monday, March 15th: Suburb Sanity

Tuesday, March 16th: Trapped Between a Scream and a Hug

Thursday, March 18th: Just SO

Monday, March 22nd: The Sound You Hear is… Living!

Thursday, March 25th: Enemy of Debt

Monday, March 29th: Fiscal Fizzle

She’s back. And quirkier than ever. In her debut narrative, Drunk, Divorced, and Covered in Cat Hair, blogger extraordinaire Laurie Perry gave people a hilarious yet heartfelt glimpse into her misadventures as a recent divorcée with three cats, a slight wine and Cheetos problem, and scores of unfinished—and—uneven knitting projects.

Now, in her second installment, Home is Where the Wine Is (February 2010; HCI), Laurie Perry once again shows how all of us can keep reaching for our bliss while finding the happy in every day.

She’s done drunk-dialing her ex, and has moved on to make the best out of the “extra odd bits”—both in knitting and in life.  As she searches high and low for enlightenment in Los Angeles, she ventures to the most exotic foreign locations; the gym, a therapist’s office, a self-tanning emporium, and the bikini waxer to the stars.

Whether readers are Laurie Perry fans, knitting veterans, glue-gun novices, dating again, cat lovers, or simply looking for a good read, they’ll find more adventures, eclectic projects, and, of course, more cocktails on Laurie’s quest to make the best out of life in a topsy-turvy world.

As an added bonus, Home is Where the Wine Is also includes more than a dozen knitting recipes with patterns, step-by-step instructions, and photos, including:

* Personal Massager Cozy

* Quick Knit Date-Night Bag

* Felted Wine Bottle Cozy

* Wine Glass Flip-Flop Coaster

* Knitted Swiffer Cover

and more!

About Laurie Perry

Laurie Perry knits and writes in Los Angeles, California, where she chronicles her daily life on her online diary, Crazy Aunt Purl. She has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, MSN.com, Vogue Knitting, the Boston Herald, and The Palm Beach Post. Perry has written for the Los Angeles Daily News and the Winter Haven News Chief in Winter Haven, Florida. She is the author of Drunk, Divorced & Covered in Cat Hair.

Follow Laurie on Twitter and check out her blog Crazy Aunt Purl.

Laurie Perry’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, February 1st:  She Just Walks Around With It

Tuesday, February 2nd:  Jenn’s Bookshelf

Wednesday, February 3rd:  She Just Walks Around With It author interview

Wednesday, February 3rd:  One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books

Thursday, February 4th:  Diary of an Eccentric

Monday, February 8th:  Knit and Tonic

Tuesday, February 9th:  You’ve GOTTA Read This

Wednesday, February 10th:  A Novel Menagerie

Thursday, February 11th:  Wendy Knits

Tuesday, February 16th:  Luxury Reading

Wednesday, February 17th:  Rundpinne

Thursday, February 18th:  Knitting Knot

Friday, February 19th:  Knit Read Cats Hockey

Monday, February 22nd:  Bookfoolery and Babble

Tuesday, February 23rd:  Booking Mama

Wednesday, February 24th:  Gaysknits…

Thursday, February 25th:  Stumbling Over Chaos

Friday, February 26th:  Tripping Towards Lucidity

Paperback: 226 pages

Publisher: HCI (November 2, 2009)

THE THERAPY CRISIS – Each year, millions of people enter therapy hoping and believing they’ll be helped—but studies show that many aren’t being helped. In fact, some patients find they are struggling with more emotional problems than before. Too many people end up stuck in therapy year after year, for no good reason at all.

THE REVOLUTION - Richard Zwolinski, a licensed mental health counselor and expert on anxiety and addiction, is a watchdog for professional ethics and patient rights. For more than twenty years he has been helping patients receive the best, most effective care for the least cost in a reasonable amount of time. In Therapy Revolution, Zwolinski puts the therapists on the couch and analyzes their performances. He exposes harmful therapy practices
and shows you exactly what you need to do to find a therapist who is ethical and competent. In this solution-oriented call to action, Zwolinski reveals:

• What some therapists don’t want you to know
• The 2 essential Therapy Tools that every effective therapist must use—
and why you should leave a therapist who refuses to use them
• How you can find, interview, and hire the therapist that’s right for you
• The red flags that indicate therapy isn’t working—and what you need to do
if a therapist breaks the rules
• The 5 fundamental ingredients in the Successful Therapy Formula

THE STEP-BY-STEP SOLUTION – Chock-full of shocking, real-life patient interviews, self-assessment questionnaires, numerous checklists that lead to therapy success, therapist interview questions, and more, Therapy Revolution exposes the pitfalls of bad therapy and shows you what good therapy should look like, all while offering practical solutions for making therapy work for you.

About the authors:

Richard M. Zwolinski, LMHC, is a nationally and internationally licensed psychotherapist and addiction specialist, who has been practicing therapy for more than twenty years. He is a New York State-licensed mental health counselor.

C.R. Zwolinski is a writer and editor.

With a growing reputation as an authority on women’s hormonal and emotional balance, Mia Lundin, R.N.C., N.P.. attributes her success to her own experience and her personal understanding of the physical and emotional effects of hormonal changes and from listening and treating thousands of women suffering from depression, anxiety, and irrational behavior due to hormonal imbalances. These experiences served as the inspiration for Female Brain Gone Insane: An Emergency Guide for Women Who Feel Like They Are Falling Apart (October 2009, HCI Books).

About Female Brain Gone Insane: An Emergency Guide for Women Who Feel Like They Are Falling Apart

Paperback: 248 pages

Publisher: HCI (October 1, 2009)

Four Steps to Sanity –

No doctors, No Antidepressants, No Fuss

Are you one of the millions of women who feel like there is a giant boulder strapped to your back? You are overly exhausted but canít sleep. You find absolutely no joy in anything you do, or in the people around you. You are forgetful and easily confused. You are overwhelmed, anxious, and emotionally bankrupt. In general, you feel like crap. Your doctor has told you it ís all in your head and you feel like you are going insane!

Mia Lundin has heard all of this before and knows exactly how to help. She has treated and cured more than 3,000 women of all ages and stages of life who felt like they were “losing it” and who were initially misdiagnosed and prescribed pointless anti-depressants or one-size-fits-all HRT by busy doctors. After considering the whole woman and the lifestyle that she lives, Mia revealed the culprit in almost all of her cases to be a combination of brain chemistry and hormone imbalance. Never a standardized solution, Female Brain Gone Insane is the first book to tackle the emotional symptoms and issues associated with hormone and brain-chemistry imbalances while providing you the same wisdom, advice, and results that Mia’s patients receive through her private practice.

The easiest and most compassionate program you’ll ever find, Female Brain Gone Insane will guide you step by step through the scary maze of self-doubt and fear. You will learn how to listen to and identify your own symptoms to get started on your emotional rescue plan and take action toward sanity right now.

Click here to check out the Female Brain Gone Insane blog!

Mia Lundin’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Tuesday, January 12th: Hope Springs Internal

Wednesday, January 13th: Quest for Balance

Thursday, January 14th: Family in Shape

Tuesday, January 19th: Truth 2 Being Fit

Wednesday, January 20th: Luxury Reading

Thursday, January 21st: Silver and Grace

Friday, January 22nd: It’s All a Matter of Perspective

Tuesday, January 26th: Patricia’s Wisdom

Thursday, January 28th: Happy Lotus

Monday, February 1st: So Not Zen