Showing posts with label book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book. Show all posts

Fran Capo Hopeville The City of Light

The Fantastic Fran Capo!
This week my Celebrity friend the fabulous Fran Capo is back at Celebrity English with a fantastic new book that will change your life for the better! 

Fran Capo's Hopeville "The City of Light" is out!  This is one 5 STAR BOOK you don't want to miss!   Just wait until you find out how this book came to life, "Literally"!  






INTERVIEW
"Hopeville: The City of Light" 

Alex Graham:  Fran Capo has a fantastic new book out called "Hopeville: The City of Light".  Fran can you tell us a bit about Hopeville. 


Fran Capo:  Hopeville is a very simple story about 4 people, a mother, a little boy, and old man and a successful business man who one night all pray for the same thing. They are having a tough time in lives at the moment and are praying for help. An Angel of light comes to all of them with the same message and they are each asked to carry out their part. Each of thinks they are not capable of such a big task but in the end they all do it in their own way. The efforts of each person (no matter how small it may seem at the time) transforms the energy of the whole small town they live in.
It's a story of hope, love, inspiration, never giving up and following your dream and living life to the fullest. It shows how what one person does has a ripple effect on a whole community and can make people come together and re-evaluate and realize the important things in life.



Alex: 
Fran you have authored quite a few books on a variety of topics and genres such as "It Happened in New York", "Adrenaline Adventures: Dream it, Read it, Do it!", "Almost a Wise Guy", "Humor in Business Speaking and How to Break into Voice Overs" and more!

These are all excellent books, but as I understand Hopeville is very very special.  Can you elaborate on that?
Fran: 

"Hopeville is the ONLY book that I did not plan to write."

I had not even the slightest thought about the book and then one morning at 4 a.m. I was awoken by a voice telling me I had to write this book. I actually thought I was dreaming and arguing with the voice. But the voice (and I could not tell if it was male or female, was very persistent.) It insisted I get up and write the name of the book down. So at 4 a.m. I got up, turned on the light write the name down and then went back to sleep. But it did not stop there. I was in the middle of writing my book, Adrenaline adventures and was on  deadline, and I have never had writers block, that was the only day in my ENTIRE writing career that I couldn't write what I planned to do. So then I opened up a new document and typed the title: Hopeville the City of light. For the next three hours, I don't remember what happened. I just typed. When it was done, I had no idea what I had written or even if it made sense. 

"Months later I read it and realized it had a great message and story and that it was a gift given to me to spread this message from above. So now hopefully it will happen."


Alex:
  Also Monday, July 29th is your Birthday!  Congratulations!  


What is your special birthday wish this year? How can we make your wish come true?

Fran:  I've written 18 books, and while they have been successful and many of them have gone into 2nd edition (which is great for a book) none of them have been viral or best sellers. It is my dream to have this book be the book to go to best seller status on amazon. That can happen if everyone who is interested buys it ON THE SAME DAY.
A book doesn't become a best seller by how many are sold overall, but by how many are sold in one day. 



I'm am asking if anyone in your Celebrity English audience is interested in buying it that they do it on Sat. July 27 and if for some reason they  miss that date that they do it  on my real birthday Monday. July 29th. 


MAKE A WISH COME TRUE!

Alex:   Absolutely!!!!  I will be there buying on Monday July 29th to make your birthday wish come true.  And to all my Celebrity English friends, please help me to make this amazing lady's wish come true!   And Of course, for those of you reading this article now and missed the birthday wish, please by this great book now! We can create a stellar birthday year for Fran Capo and her book Hopeville! 


Let's 'pay it forward'! Just click on the link above and let Amazon do its magic!  
Less than a coffee and done in under 2 minutes! 

Alex:  By the way, that was a 'nugget of gold' about Amazon and selling books, Fran as a professional author, writer and columnist, what other advice would you give to authors just starting out?

Fran:  Write about topics you love and interest you. Write every day. Don't just sit in front of your computer staring at it, if you can't decide what to write, write anything to get the creative juices flowing. My method is I just free style write. Then I wait a day, go back in and fix it up. Then I go back in again and add the humor. 

"Start by writing articles, then work you're way up to a book."

It's easier that way so you have a track record of things you have published. To be considered a  professional you need to have gotten paid for your work. So pick a copy or go on line and order a copy of Writers Market and find out who is buying the type of stories you want to sell.
Also, blog and build up a fan base.


Alex:  Excellent advice! Fran Capo always makes me smile and laugh in amazement with that Guinness Book of World Records voice! Here is Fran Capo 'speed talking' the first pagefrom her book "Hopeville", really really fast! Like only Fran Capo can do!






Thank you very much Fran Capo! 
That was excellent!   In case you didn't catch all that the first, second, or third time, here is the first page from Hopeville The City of Light

Everyone in Hopeville was born with a candle. It was not just an ordinary candle but a candle filled with magic. The candle was lit from the day you were born and went out on the day that you died.  The candle was an external measure of life. Everyone could see how bright it shined.
        Hopeville wasn’t always a town of light. In fact, it wasn’t always named Hopeville. Long ago it was just an ordinary town, filled with ordinary people living ordinary lives. Back then the town was called Acceptanceville. It was a place filled with all the human emotions: love, hate, joy, sorrow, happiness, fear, jealousy, and mistrust. Unfortunately, as time went on mistrust overtook the town. Those good souls who worked hard and tried to bring joy and happiness were shot down.
        Then one night, a small boy, a widowed mother, a successful businessman, and an old man kneeled by their beds and prayed. Their prayers were all the same, “Dear heavens up above, I am trying my best. I work hard each day, try to be good to my friends, and yet I am not happy. It seems I have lost faith. I can’t tell those who are good from those who are bad. I am lost, and I need some kind of light to help me find the way.”
        An angel of light appeared to each of them that night. “Your prayers have been heard and answered. You are not alone. From this day forth everyone in this town and everyone born in this village shall have a candle. The candle will reflect the person’s inner soul. If it is burning brightly you will know this is a person of kindness and happiness and you can trust this person. If the candle has a dark red hue, you will know that person is hiding something. You will know this is a person’s whose heart has been turned away from the true light, and you will know to keep away from this person, or at least to be careful when talking with this person so he does not lead you down the wrong path.”



And if that wasn't enough to get you to buy her book on Saturday or Monday - JULY 29th, then maybe these fantastic testimonials will! And if you don't have a Kindle No Problem! Out of the country No Problem!
#Screenshot - I bought Fran's book using Kindle Cloud. Excellent and Easy!





Testimonials for Hopeville

HOPEVILLE!


Hopeville is the next Alchemist! It shows that no matter who you are or where you are in life you can light up another person's life and in the process transform your own.  And, trust me, transformation is what it’s all about.  This book is a must have for anyone looking to brighten their lives.

Janette Barber

6 Time Emmy Award Winner, Best Selling Author, Sirius-XM Radio Host.

_______________
______________


As a forth stage cancer survivor I learned how precious life is. I practice everyday the art of gratitude and giving with my Comedy Cures Foundation. This book teaches you through parable how to give, how to love, how to follow your dreams. It's a simple beautiful book that was given to Fran from above. I hope the world embraces it. I love it.


Saranne Rothberg

Forth stage cancer survivor, CEO of Comedy Cures Foundation

______________________________

 

I enjoyed "Hopeville: The City of Light" immensely.  First this wonderful and talented author, Fran Capo, peaks your interest
with great stories illustrating the "the light" which can shine in all of our lives; then she caps off these inspiring accounts with a "how to" guide containing simple but very effective ways for infusing you life with the warmth of this magical light.  Once you read this book you will never forget it!  You'll take the light with you wherever you go!  Thank you Fran!

Ted Isaacson, Master Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marine Corps, Retired


______________________________


I’ve been following a spiritual path and meditating for more than 30 years, and I want to thank you because after reading Hopeville, I felt
so inspired and so full of joy. It made me want to live in my heart,
connect with the Divine who lives within us all, brighten my inner flame and go out and do good things for people.  And that was after reading just the first chapter!  Your story is a brilliant reminder
that true happiness comes from within and that we all belong to one big family. I pray that millions of others in our world family will read your book so they can get the same inspiration that I did.

In gratitude


Ashrita Furman

Holder of the most Guinness World Records – 444 official Guinness Records



More About Fran Capo!
More about Fran Capo
http://www.francapo.com/

Fran Capo is a keynote motivational speaker, 18 time author, comedienne, TV show host, spokesperson, adventurer and six time world record holder, most known as the Guinness Book of World Records fastest talking female. She has appeared on over 350 television and 4500 radio shows worldwide including; Entertainment Tonight, Fox & Friends, The Late Show, Martha Stewart, Larry King Live and the Discovery Channel and a whole lot more! Check out Fran Capo's website for a great Great Adventures, inspiration, and a great Cuppa Capo! 

Celebrity English_Alex Graham


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Dragon!


Dragon by Joe E Legend and Kristal McKerrington
 by Kristal McKerrington and Joe E Legend

Dragon's being hunted by the dark magic shifters. 
She's got one hope. Knox's school
of shape shifting, only she's setup to be far more. 
She might have lost everything, 
but she has the chance to set everything right. 

Can she?...…


Celebrity Power!  Joe E Legend and Kristal McKerrington are once again teamed up and creating a soon to be bestseller Dragon!  Let’s get the early scoop on this up and coming book series and the prolific writers behind the words.

Interview
Calling You Home_book
Kristal McKerrington Newest Release!
Kristal McKerrington magazine & screen writer, best selling author, and has been featured on TMZ!

Alex Graham:
  Please tell me a bit about yourself and how you got into writing.
Kristal McKerrington:  I'm Scottish. 24 years old and I'm an advert reader. I wrote my first short story when my Auntie came to see me and I didn't have anything to give her so I wrote her a story. Been writing ever since. 


Alex:
 You and Joe E. Legend have been working on a fantasy, action adventure called  “Dragon”. Can you give the Celebrity English readership an early scoop on this soon to be bestseller?
Kristal:  Dragon is set to be published with Media Aria. It's as Joe my co-author refers to it as the martial arts version to Harry Potter. It's a lot darker though. It's good a lot of pressure resting on the heroine's shoulders. Especially when she suspects there to be evil in the school. Some of it is with the teachers. 


Alex:
 Kristal, you have a lot of experience in the writing field, and you have been a best selling author before.  In your opinion, what is the hardest part about getting published?
Kristal:  The sending the submissions. It twists your guts up into a little ball. It's the worse feeling because you enter into limbo from that moment on.


Alex:
 Thank you for the insight!  What books have most influenced you in your life?
Kristal:  Catherine Cookson is my huge influence and Rachel Caine's work with Morganville Vampires is the other. 

Alex:  Excellent and thank you Kristal!  Now we are going to turn the interview over to Joe E Legend. 

 

Joe E Legend world famous wrestler,
TV & film star, and author!

Alex:  You have quite a diverse and fascinating background, can you tell Celebrity English about yourself.

Joe E Legend:  I'm a 23 year veteran of pro wrestling and before that I achieved 4 black belts in Karate and Kung fu in my home town of Toronto, Canada (I now live in Hannover, Germany with my wife, twin 5 year old son's and rabbit).

I've wrestled in 43 countries around the world, had 2 TV series in the UK, been the lead villain in a graphic novel in the USA, appeared in films in Canada, France and the UK and now I've signed off to co-author several series of books as well as star in 6 films in various countries (Italy, France, Canada, USA, England, Scotland, Caribbean) all before the end of 2013.  

I've also signed a deal for a 3 book series for my autobiography.


Alex:  Fantastic!  We already heard from Kristal about “Dragon”, latest novel you coauthored, how did you two or why did you two decide to start working together?

Joe:  I was sending out my resume everywhere and it wound up in Kristal's E-mails and she got in touch. She was talking about a possible movie or TV series (we're in the planning stages for those as well) and the subject turned to her being an author. Since wrestling is such a "story telling" form of entertainment, I wanted to have a crack at it and she was kind enough to bring me along.

Alex:  I think it is fantastic that 2 very prolific writers have coauthored this new thriller.  What are the benefits of working with another writer or author on a project?

Joe:  Sometimes things seem REALLY cool in your head but once you try to explain them to others, you find it really doesn't make a lot of overall sense. Having someone invested in the same constructed reality you're invested in can ensure your ideas will land on others in the way you intended.

Alex:   Great point!  Do you have any advice for writers just starting out?

Joe:  Find someone already doing it and learn, learn, learn.
Success leaves a trail and all you really need to do is follow it. Find 3 people very successful in your chosen field (or genre) and find out what they all did in common.

Do those things as well and you're almost certain to achieve a certain degree of success.

Also... write. Everyday. Take the time to write your ideas down and see where they take you. A blank page will get you nowhere but a few ideas written down can inspire a great story.

Alex:   Absolutely!  Excellent advice from Joe E Legend!


Alex:   These questions are for Kristal or Joe.  What else do you two have on the way?

Kristal and Joe:

For novels:
Marie's World -  1st book, June 27th (a series, following books periodically)
Charlie's Journal - 1st book, September 2013 (a series, following books periodically)
My autobiography (title still pending) -  1st book August 2013, 2nd and 3rd book dates still pending.
Vamp and the Wrestler - December 2013
Layla's World - January 2014 (a series, following books periodically)
Edward - 1st book March 2014 (a series, following books periodically)
Dragon - 2015 (a series, following books periodically)

For films:
1)The Second Chance - Shooting summer/autumn 2013 (Italy/France)
2)Vampire Soul - Shooting autumn 2013 (USA)
3) Broken Nation - Shooting Autumn 2013 (England/Scotland)
4) Pandemonium - Shooting Autumn/winter 2013-2014 (Caribbean)
5) Untitled Zombie Film - Shooting Autumn/winter 2013-2014 (Germany)
6) Untitled Slasher Film - Shooting Autumn/winter 2013/2014 (Canada)

I also have many international wrestling tours in places such as India, South Africa, Hong Kong, Nepal and more.

Alex:  Wow! You 2 are keeping busy!  Where can we buy your novels?

Kristal:  I believe Barnes and Noble will be having them available. Also WH Smith, Waterstones, and Amazon worldwide. Apparently libraries all over the UK are meant to be stocking it as well. There will be announcements closer to release dates on all the stores to buy and sites to order from.


Alex:   Kristal McKerrington and Joe E Legend, thank you very much for your time this week!  I look forward to seeing Dragon on the bestsellers list!  And you can quote me on that!

Kristal and Joe: Thank you Alex and thank you very much to the reader’s of Celebrity English.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Alex:  You too! All the best! And until Dragon is released, check out this other fantastic book Marie's World by Joe E Legend and Kristal McKerrington!  You won't be able to put it down!  Awesome!


An Unwanted Triangle
A Simple Job
Love, Dance, Wrestling

Marie's World_book
Marie's World Joe E Legend and Kristal McKerrington!


And I hope everyone had a great Canada Day and a fantastic US Independence Day!    

 

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Language Learning Section 
Natural Language - Vocabulary Boost!

Vocabulary Theme: Writing and Publishing


Instructions: Write down the meaning to all of the words and expressions below.  For the words you don’t know, try to guess the meaning from the context.  Next week I will post the answers but if you can’t wait until then, there is always the Internet.  Enjoy! Write down the meaning to all of the words and expressions below.  For the words you don’t know, try to guess the meaning from the context.  Answers below.


Vocabulary from the Dragon Interview

Dragon =

bestseller =

scoop =

book series =

author =

co-author =

published =

heroine =

submissions =

enter into limbo =

huge =

influence =

lead villain =

graphic novel =

I've signed off to co-author several series of books =

I've also signed a deal for a 3 book series =

autobiography =

resume =

she got in touch =

entertainment =

to have a crack at it =

prolific writers =

just starting out =

genre =

achieve =

novels =

Amazon = 




 Vocabulary Definitions from the Dragon Interview


Dragon = a mythical animal usually represented as a monstrous winged and scaly serpent or saurian with a crested head and enormous claws (see book cover picture above).

bestseller = an article (as a book) whose sales are among the highest of its class

scoop = information especially of immediate interest.A news story that is reported before other
           news reporters know about it. 

book series = A book series is a sequence of books having certain characteristics in common that are formally identified together as a group. Book series can be organized in different ways, such as written by the same author, or marketed as a group by their publisher.

author = a person who has written something.  The writer of a literary work (as a book).

co-author = A collaborating or joint author.

published = to prepare and produce (a book, magazine, etc.) for sale.

heroine = the main female character in a story, play, movie, etc.

submissions = an act or instance of submitting. An act of giving a document, proposal, piece of writing, etc., to someone so that it can be considered or approved : an act of submitting something [noncount].

enter into limbo = go into a state of uncertainty. On hold;not moving or neglected.

huge = very large.

influence = : the power to change or affect someone or something : the power to cause changes without directly forcing them to happen [noncount].

lead villain = A character in a story, movie, etc., who does bad things; main bad person.

graphic novel = A graphic novel is a book made up of comics content. Although the word "novel" normally refers to long fictional works, the term "graphic novel" is applied broadly, and includes fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work. It is distinguished from the term "comic book", which is used for comics periodicals.

I've signed off to co-author several series of books = to sign off on something = to sign a paper, indicating that one has finished with something or agrees with the state of something.

I've also signed a deal for a 3 book series = signed a deal Having a signature affixed: a signed document that creates a legal contract for a 3 book series.

autobiography = a biography written by the person it is about.

resume = a short document describing your education, work history, etc., that you give an employer when you are applying for a job.

she got in touch = to connect or contact someone.

entertainment = amusement or pleasure that comes from watching a performer, playing a game, etc. [noncount].

to have a crack at it = to try to do something although you are not certain that you will succeed.

prolific writers = authors producing a large amount of writing.

just starting out = just beginning; now starting or recently started.

genre = is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or entertainment, e.g. music, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time as new genres are invented and the use of old ones are discontinued. Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions.

achieve = to get or reach (something) by working hard.

novels = an invented prose narrative that is usually long and complex and deals especially with human experience through a usually connected sequence of events.

Amazon =  company Link http://www.amazon.com/








See the week of July 15th with more great stuff! 

Always happy to meet new people!











You have read this article Action / author / bestseller / book / Celebrity / Dragon / English / fantasy / films / Harry Potter / Interview / Joe E Legend / Kristal McKerrington / novel / style / TMZ / TV / vocabulary / wrestler / writer with the title book. You can bookmark this page URL https://celebrityunitedking.blogspot.com/2013/07/dragon.html. Thanks!

Waking Darkness


 Zondra Mae at Celebrity English

From the creator of the Ghost Venture Crew, Investigator Zondra Mae has just released an exciting, “heart pumping” novel Waking Darkness. This fiction original, crime-based supernatural thriller will be one of the novels to read this summer!  This book has already caught the eye of Hollywood!

Celebrity English caught up with this fascinating, Wisconsin based novelist last week to do an interview on Waking Darkness Book One.


Interview

Alex Graham:  What inspired you to write your first book Waking Darkness?

Zondra Mae:  Well, I started training as a screenwriter because, to be honest with you, I didn’t believe I could ever write a novel.  So, ummh...basically because there are not much descriptions and it is only 120 pages for a screenplay. So I figured I could do that far better than I could do a novel.  So I started training as a screenwriter.  About 6 years ago now I started writing this screenplay, which has now become the novel Waking Darkness. I kind of got half way through it and I kind of got scared of writing it.  For some reason it bothered the hell out of me.  And then last August I picked up the screenplay again and I started writing it, working with it, and then I started getting flooded with so much more information. I just had to clarify the script. I just had to write the detailed parts of it to give myself more insight into it anyway.  So with that foundation of the script I had the novel already.  It was the logical next step.


Alex:
  What is Waking Darkness about?

Waking Darkness Poster_Zondra mae


Zondra:  Waking Darkness is about a woman who loses everything.  Jennifer Lynn is in a physical, psychological, and supernatural struggle!  Through the horrific loss of her family, her darkest part emerges to hunt for the killer Joshua Krane. Krane a cunning and ruthless serial killer has terrorized the city and holds a key piece to the Jennifer Lynn puzzle.  To fight this inhuman psychopath, she joins forces with local detective Johnathon Irish.  Both bearing past scars from this bloodthirsty monster they unite to fight and save other families from the same fate. Through twists and turns, we learn the true secret of Jennifer Lynn…

Alex: Excellent!  Personally, I was hooked from the moment I started reading it.  I loved that it is a faced-paced drama with original supernatural elements at play in the story.

Zondra:  Thank you.

Alex:  Who designed the cover of the book and what does it mean?

Amazon
  
Zondra:  I designed it.  It is an upside down tree in a mountain range.  It depicts the Veil, which is a realm on the other side.  This realm or the Veil is an intricate, supernatural element to the storyline of Waking Darkness.   The tree itself is the Elävä puu, which is Finnish for living tree.  It is a life-giving tree, which transcends all other realms and dimensions. 

Alex: I thought the color scheme was wonderful.  It really caught my attention.

Alex:   Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Zondra:  I am HUGE Stephen King fan.  HUGE! To be honest with you, I will read other authors but he is the only one I will just go and get a book and read it and have it done in 3 days no matter how thick the book is.  I can’t put them down.  He strikes me as being as warped in the brain as I am. Ha ha ha..

Alex:  hahhaha.

Zondra:  No reading his books is better than watching movies. I know people always say that the book or novel is better than the movie anyway but the imagery, because he writes in images.
 
Alex: Right.

Zondra:  And I relate to that because I am very visual person.  And I can really see what he is writing.  I have that movie going through my head, you know, exactly what the book is saying.

Alex: Yes those are great points. Excellent.

Zondra:  I just love him! I would love to meet him. 

Alex:  What can we look forward to from Zondra Mae in the future?

Zondra:  Well I have 2 more books for Waking Darkness coming out.  The sequel Return of the Shade King is going to come out next May and do a yearly thing there.  In between there, I have started a new para normal called The Soul Contract which is set in the Victorian time period and I should be done with the first draft in July if everything works out.  I love the Victorian time period!
 
Alex: Sounds fantastic!

Zondra:
  Thank you.

Alex:  To find this fantastic new Book Waking Darkness just go to:




Zondra on Social Media
Alex:  Thank you Zondra Mae for sharing with us your fantastic new "heart pumping" supernatural thriller Waking Darkness!  We look forward to the sequel The Return of the Shade King and The Soul Contract next year!

Zondra:  Thank you Alex.  I had a great time!


 
Alex:  See you soon! And drop in next week to meet a spectacular Guinness Book of World Record pioneer who was featured on the wildly popular shows Britain’s Just Amazing and Britain’s Got Talent!  You will be amazed!



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Kevin Sorbo An Extraordinary Man!

Kevin Sorbo An Extraordinary Man at Celebrity English!

 Kevin Sorbo is an Extraordinary Actor 
on an Extraordinary Journey!

Hollywood Actor, Author, Director, Family man and whole lot more!  Celebrity English is truly excited to present a 3-Part Feature on Kevin Sorbo!   

Kevin talks to Celebrity English about his inspirational book TRUE STRENGTH, “THE REAL HOLLYWOOD”, the critically acclaimed film ABEL’S FIELD, and his wonderful charity foundation A WORLD FIT FOR KIDS. 


Part One
Kevin Sorbo Talks about True Strength
True Strength Book
True Strength by Kevin Sorbo!


 Interview

Alex Graham: Good morning Kevin Sorbo!

Kevin Sorbo:  Hello Alex.  Whenever you are ready!

Alex Graham: Great! I am just going to dive into it!  Today we are talking about Kevin Sorbo’s inspirational book

In part of the title for your inspirational and motivational book you wrote,

…“and - How Nearly Dying Saved My Life”.

Can you tell us more about that time in your life?

Kevin Sorbo:  It was the end of season five. You know I lived in New Zealand for 7 years filming Hercules for a 7thseason. But they edited out a lot of season five because I was having all kinds of problems with my left arm. I couldn’t figure out what was going on.  And I was coming back to America to do a movie in Atlanta. So I stopped in LA and I was actually going to do a press tour for Kull the Conqueror which was my first big feature film of the prequel of Conan the Barbarian.  And umh. I went to see my doctor and he found a lump in my left shoulder.  And he wanted to do a biopsy on it. But before they could do a biopsy on it. That lump ended up being an aneurism in my left shoulder clavicle, which opened up and sent half of the clots to my left arm and I was told they might have to amputate by someone at the hospital. And then those 3 clots unfortunately went up into the brain and I suffered 3 stokes. So it was a …a bit of drag.  

It was a long road to fight back to get to a place in my life where things were going to be 'ok'.  
The title True Strength really comes from, all of us are going to hit that roadblock.  And we all have that one common denominator death for all of us and we just don’t know when or how it is going to come to us.  So you react to that when it happens.   So it is sort of a play on words with Hercules.  Hercules, you know… on Hercules they had a bunch of stunt guys making me look good.  But I did do most of my own stunts but still I can’t throw a guy a 100 meters.  The True Strength title really came from defining the own true strength within your own life. When bad things happen to you, how do you react, how do you deal with it?  And in terms of saving my life… you know…it made me realize what was important in life.  I was pretty self-absorbed. I have never really considered myself a jerk, I am pretty out going with people but it made me realize what is important.  And what is important is family, friends, and your health!  Those are the most important things.  Everything else, you know, if you like what you do for a living and I hope everyone does but I know a lot of people don’t. But you know if you do then you are blessed and fortunate.  Just enjoy what you have!

Alex:  You really open up to the readers about life in Hollywood, and your excruciating mental and physical health challenges during this time in your life.  You basically lived through a nightmare!  What kept you going in your darkest days?

Kevin:  You know what, part of it was, I have a very strong will. I am a very strong willed person. When I moved to Hollywood I didn’t know a person out here.  I knew nothing about Hollywood. I just knew that I wanted to be in the movies and television. I had every door slammed in my face over and over again but I learned early in life from my father and people I met that were successful people were saying, “Failure is a positive thing! Always look at failure as a positive thing. You can always learn from failures!” And that is the biggest thing that holds people back.  I am a big proponent like FDR (American President Franklin Delano Roosevelt) when he said,

“The biggest thing to fear is fear itself.”

That’s what holds people back in their lives.  And for me, you gotta keep pushing on.  And that is what I did.  I just kept pushing on.  And my wife was certainly by my side pushing me on as well.   


Alex:  I noticed in the book, and I thought it was brilliant, that you let some other people tell your life story. Where there any surprises when you saw what these people had written?

Kevin:  I was very honored. My wife started saying things to me and has better recall memories for me on a few things.  And I said,

“You know what, why don’t you write a chapter?”

“Why don’t you write your perspective 
of what I was going through?”

You know the before and after. And right then I decided to further and include Michael Hurst who played Iolaus, Eric Gruendemann who was one of my best friends down their and the only American producing the whole time with me, and John Mahaffie, and my mom. I thought why not have people put these things in there.  So people can really get a sense of this is the voice of other people telling you:  

“This is what I had to overcome.” 
“This is what happened to me”.  
Kevin Sorbo as Hercules
 Playing a guy who is supposed to be the strongest guy in the world in his thirties. And I knew I was in better shape then most athletes, most college athletes. I was in great shape!  And this still happened to me. And you are like going: wow!” You know. And it has been amazing the reception from this book. I get so many people coming up to me at these book signings. All walks of life and have suffered not just strokes maybe whatever cancer, leukemia, car crash, heart attack, all survivors saying my book motivated them to push themselves harder to better recovery.  And that is really what I wanted the book to be about for other people. 

Alex:  That’s so fantastic you can help and inspire people!  And your book True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal–and How Nearly Dying Saved My Life is just flying off the shelves!  I checked on Amazon earlier today and there was only one left in stock.  Extraordinary!


Kevin Sorbo on Hollywood   The biggest misconception about Hollywood is...


Part Two of The KEVIN SORBO feature at Celebrity English.  Kevin talks about “The Real Hollywood”, and the critically acclaimed film Abel’s Field!
 
Language Learning Section

Natural Language

Vocabulary Boost!  Medical Theme
               
Here are some high frequency medical words from the Kevin Sorbo interview!

First, try to write down the meanings or ideas for each word.  Next, try to guess the meaning from the context of the words you didn't understand. Then ask a friend or classmate about the words that where difficult.  Finally, check out the expressions on the Internet. However, the answers are posted below. Just scroll your mouse over the black area under Vocabulary Definitions. Also, check out the LISTENING BONUS BELOW!


New Vocabulary

From Kevin Sorbo's Answers: 
Answer 1
doctor =
shoulder =
arm =
lump =
aneurism =
clavicle =
clots =
amputate =
hospital =
brain =
saving my life =

Answer 3
in great shape =
cancer =
leukemia  =
heart attack =
survivors =
recovery =
  
 Vocabulary Definitions

 
doctor = a person licensed to practice medicine, as a physician, surgeon, dentist, or veterinarian.
shoulder = the laterally projecting part of the human body formed of the bones and joints with their covering tissue by which the arm is connected with the trunk.
arm = the upper limb of the human body, especially the part extending from the shoulder to the wrist.
lump = a piece or mass of indefinite size and shape; protuberance; especially : an abnormal swelling.
aneurism = an abnormal blood-filled bulge of a blood vessel and especially an artery resulting from weakening (as from disease) of the vessel wall.
clavicle = a bone of the vertebrate pectoral girdle typically serving to link the scapula and sternum —called also collarbone.
clots = plural form of clot.  A coagulated mass produced by clotting of blood.
amputate = to remove by or as if by cutting; especially : to cut (as a limb) from the body.
hospital = a place where sick or injured people are given care or treatment and where children are often born.
brain = the organ of the body in the head that controls functions, movements, sensations, and thoughts.
saving my life = to stop someone from dying; to rescue or protect from or deliver from death or harm. 
Answer 3
in great shape = in good/excellent physical health; in good condition physically and functionally sound and sturdy (Used for both people and things).
cancer = a serious disease that is caused when cells in the body grow in a way that is uncontrolled and not normal, killing normal cells and often causing death.
leukemia  = a serious disease in which the body produces too many white blood cells.
heart attack = a serious medical condition in which the heart does not get enough blood, causing great pain and often leading to death.
survivors = plural form of survivor.  a person who continues to live, despite nearly dying.  A person who is able to continue living their life successfully despite experiencing difficulties.
recovery = the process of getting back something lost, especially health, ability, possessions, etc.


BONUS! Listen to Kevin Sorbo's video (below) where he talks about his book True Strength. You can hear a lot of the vocabulary that you just learned.  Enjoy!






 
OFFICIAL  KEVIN SORBO WEBSITE!
http://www.kevinsorbo.net/
 LINK:


KEVIN SORBO Update! Sept  ~ Oct 2013 
Learn about Movie Making!
Kevin Sorbo Chronology film


@ksorbs Fantastic Opportunity to #Work & #Learn with Kevin Sorbo on a #Film project Chronology  http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1933428003/chronology


 Have a great week and see you on the weekend!  Keep trying to use all the new vocabulary you picked up from this great Celebrity Interview!

Alex Graham


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