Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Gail grew up in the suburb of Parma. Her mother, an avid moviegoer, took her Friday nights to the local movie theater. That’s where she fell in love with stories of all kinds. Her dream was to be a movie star, a ballerina or a writer.

As luck would have it, she realized two of her three dreams. She was a member of the Cleveland Civic Ballet Company. And she’s the author of five mystery novels, a memoir, a book of poetry, and numerous poems, essays, and short stories.

After earning a PhD and MA in English with a specialization in writing poetry, Gail decided to write a mystery novel at the urging of her son. Destroying Angels, the first book in her Leigh Girard mystery series, was described by Kirkus Reviews as “a riveting debut thriller.” She went on to write two more books in the series, Death’s Door and Peak Season for Murder, which won a Lovey Award for Best Traditional Sleuth. The Lost Artist, her stand-alone mystery, reflected her love of the visual arts and 19th century history.

The Megyn Kelly Today ShowIn 2017 Gail’s memoir, White Like Her: My Family’s Story of Race and Racial Passing, captured national and international attention. The Washington Post named the book one of the most inspiring stories of the year. After she and her “lost” New Orleans family appeared on NBC’s The Today Show, her memoir reached the top 100 book on Amazon and led to her appearing in the short documentary film, History of Memory. The film won a Tribeca Film Award (Amazon Prime). Her section of the film, “The Secret Album,” tells her mother’s story of passing.

Green Room: WGN-TV Morning News Show 
Green Room: WGN-TV Morning News Show
Gail’s many of years of teaching on the university level segued into a vibrant speaking career. She’s given numerous presentations at libraries, books groups, genealogical and historical organizations, and was on BBC World News, WGN-TV Morning News Show, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight and CBC Radio Canada, to name a few.

She’s also lectured on diversity and the writing process at the University of Illinois-Chicago, Kenyon College and Northwestern University. Her articles about coming to terms with her mixed-race identity were published in The Washington Post, Mic.com, Salon.com, Independent.co.uk, Upworthy, Mis. Magazine and The Daily Beast.

Wanting to return to her mystery roots, Gail wrote her fifth mystery, The Darkness Surrounds Us, a Gothic, historical mystery. Two historical events inspired the book—the 1918 Spanish flu and the rise of utopian communities in the 19th century.

Still an avid moviegoer, Gail lives in Libertyville, Illinois with her husband

My guest BARBARA LAMB is a licensed psychotherapist (recently retired) and a current hypnotherapist and regression therapist. She is the co-author of Cosmic Convergence: Journeys of Walk-Ins, Starseeds, and Hybrids and considered one of the world’s leading authorities in the field of UFOlogy and extraterrestrial contact. Since 1991, she has regressed countless numbers of people to some of their past lives. Barbara has been a featured lecturer at dozens of conferences throughout the US and abroad. She has given hundreds of interviews for television programs, including Ancient Aliens and Netflix, and radio interviews on Coast-to-Coast AM Radio, GAIA TV, films, YouTube, the Conscious Awakening Network, and the internet. She has received five Lifetime Achievement Awards from five major conferences for her work in giving help and support to experiencers of ET contact and furthering the field of UFOlogy. She is an author and has co-authored Crop Circles Revealed, Alien Experiences, Meet the Hybrids, Kids’ Adventures with ET Friends in Space and now Cosmic Convergence: Journeys of Walk-Ins, Starseeds, and Hybrids. 

Her new book, Cosmic Convergence can be purchased at Amazon: https://amzn.to/3U1Nlym or Barnes and Noble: https://bit.ly/4h6kcMC

Connie is a highly evidential and respected certified Psychic Medium with a gift for bridging the gap between the physical and spiritual realms. For over two decades, she has been helping people connect with their loved ones on the Other Side. She’s had a fascinating journey, with conscious memories of spirit communication beginning at the age of four. Connie has first-hand knowledge of the Afterlife through three near-death experiences that intensified her connection to the Other Side and led to her soul’s true destiny of becoming a Psychic Medium. 
Connie is certified by the Forever Family Foundation (FFF), a non-profit organization that is featured on the Netflix series “Surviving Death,” and Helping Parents Heal (HPH), an organization that supports parents who have lost children. She is the award-winning author of YOU ARE SOUL BEAUTIFUL A Unique Perspective into the Soul’s Quest for Its Destiny, the Recipient of the 2024 Speak Up Radio Firebird Award and 2024 Global Book Award. Connie has made guest Medium appearances on Signs of Life Radio. 
Connie's work is all about providing meaningful messages from loved ones who have passed, and she is known for her exceptional accuracy and compassionate demeanor. Her readings are truly life-changing, and she’s helped countless people around the world find healing and solace by connecting them with their loved ones in Spirit proving the bonds of love are eternal and unbreakable. Whether it’s through private readings, group mediumship or public speaking events, or in person/online workshops, Connie’s gift is all about spreading love, light and hope and helping people navigate the complexities of the spiritual realm. She looks forward to sharing her gift and a Meaningful Message with you. 

A ten year resident of Arlington, Virginia, Dr. Ben Pearl has been a practicing physician in the Arlington and McLean area since 1992.

Recently selected as one of the Washingtonian Magazine’s top sports doctors, he is a graduate of the Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. He is a consultant at NIH and he is on an advisory board at FDA.

Dr. Pearl was recently featured in the Washington Post Magazine depicting his passion for skiing and teaching. He has had television interviews with Dr. Nancy on MSNBC on barefoot running and provided foot health information for News Channel 8.

Dr. Pearl is a fellow of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine. He is the team podiatrist for the District Track Club, an elite Olympic development track team in Washington DC.He serves as medical director for the SUNY New Paltz high school cross country camp. He offers foot and ankle care to patients of all ages.

He has also been a consultant at the National Institutes of Health and the FDA, and is currently a Fellow of the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine.

Dr. Pearl has a special interest in sports medicine, which is enhanced by his own participation in running, bicycling, and ski instruction.

Dr. Pearl has authored a number of articles on podiatric health. He also blogs regularly on foot care and athletic performance at Docs for Jocks.

Mary Leonard is the co-owner of U.S. Athletic Training Center. She is Director of Marketing and Patient Care at Gary Guerriero P.T., P.C. Before opening U.S.A.T.C., Mary was a professional theater dancer and performer appearing on multiple television shows and performing on Broadway. She has choreographed in many mediums ranging from television to stage. She was named one of the "55 Best Trainers in America" by Vogue magazine. She is a published exercise author and has been featured in national publications, including Vogue, New York Times, Daily News, Glamour, Men's Journal, W, American Health, Bazaar, New York Magazine, Ski, Dancer Magazine, Self, The Red Bulletin, Shape, Fitness Magazine and in Good Housekeeping presented by L'Oréal 50 Inspiring Women Over 50.

She taught dance for the American Dance Machine and Marymount Manhattan College. Mary was also the head of the weight training program and taught fitness aerobics and swimming at Barnard College. She holds a Master's Degree from Columbia University. Mary still trains select clients, usually in the performing arts.

Deb Drummond lives in beautiful Vancouver, Canada.  She is the mother of her two favourite people:  her daughter, Chloae, and her son, Ocean.  With her new title of YaYa, she gets to add to that “favourite list” Brynlee and Kashton.

Deb is a pioneer in the world of entrepreneurship and was one of the first in her country to create companies in the health and wellness sector.  To date, she has built 7 international companies and inspired thousands around the globe.  Deb has been recognized in SUCCESS magazine 48 times, has been given numerous nominations, and has won numerous awards for her accolades in her personal and business achievements.  She has been a judge at the 2024 Stevie® Awards for Women in Business, the world's premiere honors for female entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run.

She is the Founder and Visionary behind the Show Up Stand Up Speak Up, Yes You! movement.  This is a televised, heart-centered project with a reach of over 350 million designed to inspire women, and those that support women, to remember the solidarity of International Women’s Day.  Her book at the center of this movement was featured at the 2024 Emmys Premiere Celebrity Gifting Suite to great acclaim.

Deb’s thirty-year deep dive of study and training in Top Performance has built her reputation in the field as a speaker, mastermind trainer and personal coach.  She has inspired, educated, and motivated audiences of over 20 thousand to stand to their feet.  In her private practice, Deb has personally worked with over 30 thousand clients, moving them to a higher state of optimal health and wealth.

A well-known radio host of the Mission Accepted podcast, Deb interviews dynamic Entrepreneurs, Ultrapreneurs, Creatives, and Media Professionals who share the guts and glory of entrepreneurship.  Also, included in the weekly podcast is the “GenZ Is Us” show where Deb and Ocean interview other ‘Momagers’, ‘Dadagers’, and GenZ entrepreneurs that are creating successful & generational companies, experiences, and wealth.  Deb is the founder of Mission Accepted Media where she creates anthologies and books about people and business.  She is also the creator of the ever so popular Top Performance Day Planner and Tracker.

Deb offers FREE 1-hour classes on the following topic on a regular basis in Q1 2025:

Social media handles:

www.debdrummond.com

LI – https://www.linkedin.com/in/DebDrummond/

FB – https://www.facebook.com/deborahldrummond/

IG – @deborahldrummond; @debdrummond_official; @missionaccepted_media

YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsnh0BsWjHS1aba4cItw4rw

Media:

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Mike Berman writes and performs original songs rooted in the folk and California folk rock traditions.

Mike’s album Ghosts, arriving in April, 2025, contains eight original tracks addressing themes such as growing up amidst gun violence, lost relationships, the dangers of looking back, and the redemption and mercy that love and music can bring to your soul. Produced by Ed Tree and with performances by Mike and outstanding Los Angeles musicians, Ghosts is a sonically and thematically rich addition to Mike’s musical library. Performances in California and in the Northeast (including the Cape May Singer-Songwriter Festival) are coming in 2025.

Mike’s first album Where I’m From, released in January 2023, received excellent reviews and was featured on dozens of folk radio programs across the USA and beyond. He has performed concerts and showcases at venues across Southern California, such as The Coffee Gallery, The Lost Chord, Jeweled Universe, the A-Frame, Universal Bar & Grill, Mission Tile Music, The Harp Inn, Cabin Creek Crystals, Stardust Concerts, the Cambria Center for the Arts, and many other venues, both solo and with his three-piece combo TIMBR. He has appeared at legendary venues McCabe’s Guitar Shop in Los Angeles, the Towne Crier in New York, and Club Passim in Boston. He’s also been a regular performer at on-line showcases including Bruce Swan’s Music My Mother Wouldn’t Like, Jan Seides “Any Sunday Songwriters” series, and his own Social Distance Café. He recently was awarded “Best Performance” at the Songwriters at Play competition in Solvang, California.

Where I’m From was in the top thirty on the NACC charts in January 2023. Produced by Ed Tree, the album featured performances from top musicians including pedal steel legend Jay Dee Maness, 2-time Grammy nominee Guy Davis, and LA blues diva Teresa James. Dave Franklin of Dancing About Architecture wrote that “Where I’m From is a great album… the sound of a modern-day James Taylor… country cool for the modern age.” Legendary songwriter Steve Gillette commented that Mike’s songs “uphold the tradition and are evidence that the California sound is in good hands.” Songwriter Rob Waller, founder of “I See Hawks in LA”, says that “Mike’s songs carry a depth and humanity that stick with you.”

Mike is a veteran musician, having performed in the 80’s with the Hudson River Sloop Singers (associated with Pete Seeger) as well as in his duo The Rusty Lock String Band, including festival gigs at the New Jersey Folk Festival and the Raritan River Festival. After a long layoff to raise a family and build a career as a university administrator and information technology expert, he has dived head-first in songwriting in the last few years. His songwriting his developed through workshops and master classes with the likes of Richard Thompson, Tom Paxton, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Guy Davis, Ellis Paul, Laurie McAllister, Gretchen Peters, Michael McNevin, and many other accomplished songwriters and performers

In 2019, after a devastating spinal cord injury left Tom unable to walk, work, or drive, he found himself
facing a life of anger, sadness, and the loss of everything he once loved as a Hollywood actor and avid
outdoorsman. For three years, he battled severe depression, questioning his purpose and place in the
world.

At his darkest moment, just before calling the Suicide Prevention Hotline, he recalled three words that
had come to him during a meditation a year earlier: “Endurance Through Adversity.” Those words
became a lifeline, reminding him that while his circumstances had changed, his ability to persevere had
not.

With renewed determination, Tom began the difficult process of rebuilding his life. He sought out new
ways to stay creative, find purpose, and keep moving forward.

Never giving up, Tom transformed from someone who had withdrawn from the world into a person
committed to inspiring others. Today, he devotes his life to sharing positive messages with those who
need them most, especially the disabled and anyone seeking a path back to hope and happiness.
Born from what Tom learned on his journey of overcoming hardship, “Parable Philosophies for
Happiness” offers timeless lessons and practical insights to help readers navigate life’s challenges and
rediscover joy.

Through a collection of thoughtful and engaging parables designed to provide guidance, comfort, and
clarity, each chapter delves deep into the meaning of the parable, with an “Interpretation” section
explaining its core message. Next, the “Pause and Ponder” section invites readers to reflect on thought-
provoking questions, while “Living the Lesson” offers practical ideas on how to integrate the wisdom
into daily life. Finally, a “Universal Wisdom” section shows how the parable connects with teachings
from other religions, folklores, and global wisdom traditions.

Whether you’re facing challenges in relationships, career, or personal well-being, this book provides a
gentle nudge toward creating a more joyful and fulfilling life. Each story resonates with everyday
struggles and triumphs, offering a fresh perspective to help you rediscover happiness.

Tom’s journey to reclaim joy, and his passion for helping others do the same, shines through every
page. Whatever your journey, there’s a parable here for you.