New Breed of Homo Sapiens Lou Baron Exclusive Featured on the Cover of Hollywood Weekly Magazine

Celebrating Diversity In The Entertainment Industry

® VANESSA WILLIAMS GRACE, BEAUTY AND GRIT

BICHLIEN NGUYEN

MRS. ASIA USA

INTERNATIONAL

BEDSIDE READING

BOOKS TO DEVOUR

LOU BARON Photo credit: Khiem Nguyen HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 1

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HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

W

elcome readers to our Film Festival edition of Hollywood Weekly Magazine. This Issue of HWM is celebrating our 6th Annual HW Film Festival that took place on November 2nd at Warner Bros. Studio. With brilliant short films, animation and feature length masterpieces from Akon, Andy Kindler and Zachary Quinto, this year’s HWM Film Festival went down in Jackson Publishing history as our GREATEST Film Festival to date. We send out a Special Thank You to Warner Bros. Studio for their graciousness and hospitality in hosting our 6th Annual Film Festival.

One of the most beautiful moments of our Film Festival came at the very end, when Eric Zuley was honoring his father, Jim Zuley. Everyone got out of their seats and approached the podium in front of the stage, trying to get near this great man. One of our esteemed guests, Nigerian Director Jeta Amata, our Film Festival Winner for Best Feature (“Road to Redemption”), threaded his way through a crowd of guests and landed right in front of the podium. Jeta Amata and Jim Zuley are from two different parts of the world, and they probably would have never come together if it hadn’t been for our HWM Film Festival. But Jeta and Jim Zuley were there together. And they discovered they have a lot of respect for each other. At the podium, Jeta reached out his hand to Jim Zuley.

Seeing Jeta’s extended hand, Jim Zuley immediately moved toward Jeta, shaking his hand vigorously, and these two men shared an incredible moment of artistic support, compassion and humanity.

But this Issue of Hollywood Weekly Magazine features Lou Baron, Author of two award-winning books, namely “Scripted in Heaven” and “I Called Myself Cassandra”, an actress, filmmaker, director and internationallyrecognized recording artist, Lou Baron, at 72 years of age, is an energetic, vibrant and youthful lady who defies her age and still breaking new grounds.

She credits all this to stem cells.

In her new book titled, “New Breed of Homo Sapiens”, award-winning and internationally recognized author Lou Baron delves into one of the most innovative and cutting-edge therapies available today: the stem cell-based therapy.

As always, we thank you, our readers, for your continuing support. We are who we are because of YOU. Wishing you all peace and happiness!

Anthony Ewart Associate Editor

@ANTHONYEWART @ALEXANDRINEPOET

CALL: (424)371-9900 EMAIL: HollywoodWeekly@gmail.com

PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF Prather Jackson VICE PRESIDENT Bernice Harris Michael D. Coxson SENIOR BOOK CURATOR Jane Ubell-Meyer ASSOCIATE EDITOR Anthony Ewart DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE SERVICES & ASST TO THE PUBLISHER Jordan O'Quinn-Campbell MARKETING & SALES Launy Rhem CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Alex A. Kecskes Allison Kugel Carmelita Pittman Jordan O’Quinn-Campbell Rebecca Miller BEAUTY EDITOR Adrienne Papp ART DIRECTOR Damian Aragon PRODUCTION DESIGNER Denise Chavez VIDEO EDITOR/ PRODUCER Israel Aleman CHINA OPERATIONS Victor Migalchan victor@hollywoodweeklymagazine.com (213) 220-3052 (424) 371-9900 INDIA OPERATION Ike Sinha Country Director Art4Peace Awards Hollywood Weekly Magazine B1/1565 Vasantkunj New Delhi-110 070 Mobile +919599068592 ASIA OPERATION Joyce Penas Pilarsky HWM Asia Ambassador Email: info@joycepilarsky.com Bench Bello HWM Asia Operations hollywoodmagazineusa@gmail.com Mobile +639273895559 DISTRIBUTORS CoMag MADER NEWS

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The Yanfan Foundation

12 New Breed of Homosapiens VANESSA WILLIAMS 18 NATALIE BANKS 26 SEYMOUR UBELL 30 KEN COMER 38 BICHLIEN NGUYEN 40 LOU BARON Grace, Beauty and Grit

Award-Winning Author

Retirement is Not an Option

Brings “Reality” to Screenplay Lena’s Rule

Mrs. Asia USA International

Lou Baron I Photo credit: Khiem Nguyen

6 ANNUAL HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY FILM FESTIVAL STELLAR GALA TH

BY JORDAN O’QUINN-CAMPBELL On November 2, 2019 Hollywood Weekly Magazine hosted its 6th annual Film Festival at the historic Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank. The event attracted people from around the world including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, and China. There were several foreign dignitaries and talented actors, producers, and screenwriters in attendance. Some of the special guests included: President Goodluck Jonathan, Zik Zulu Okafor, Ejike Asiegbu, Producer/Writer Egor Efiok, Director Jeta Amata, Vanessa Martini, Joan Brown McCarthy, Producer Tess Cacciatore, Akon, Reno Omokri (“Most Outstanding Humanitarian Cause” Award Recipient), Regina Daniels (“Most Outstanding Child Star Outside of the USA” Award Recipient”, and several other stars.

Awards were given to the best shorts, features, screenplays, comedies, thrillers, dramas, and science fiction films. The festival was hosted by Eric Zuley and Dante.

Eric Zuley, as you know now from our HWM Cover, is the son of Jim Zuley, who is featured on the Cover of

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this HWM edition. Jim and Eric created eZWay Promotions, which is a company that prides itself in being the top ten social media influencers in the world. They are well on their way to becoming major International Promoters.

Our Hollywood Weekly Film Festival began with a red carpet and lunch at nearby Claim Jumpers in the TNT building, near Warner Bros. Studio in Burbank.

Everyone arrived, chatting over lunch and drinks.

Networking and business connections were the buzz of conversations; everyone talking about their upcoming film and television projects. People were also able to rub shoulders with foreign dignitaries and international stars. Everyone was in high anticipation for the award ceremony. Actors, producers, and screenwriters were interviewed about their films and photographed on our TWO Red Carpets! One red carpet and stepand-repeat was located at our pre-Award lunch and another Red Carpet and step-and-repeat continued at Warner Bros. Studios.

Larry & Marsha Covin grace the red carpet with a music icon

Once the red carpet and interviews were over everyone made their way into the lavish main theatre venue of Warner Bros. Studio. The theatre contained a huge screen with seating accommodations for over 200 guests -- and we SOLD OUT! There were 30-minute panels that included a Q&A by Film Festival Winners like Writer/Director Alycia Cooper and the cast for her Award-winning short film “Trade,” and Director Jeta Amata and Producers Egor Efiok and Tess Cacciatore for their Best Feature Film Winner “Road to Redemption.” The amazing night ended with Host Eric Zuley Honoring his father, Jim Zuley, with a Special Award from Hollywood Weekly for all the work he’s done in helping his son, Eric, build his eZWay Empire, and being the kind of Father we can all love and admire. This was a night of Film, Fun and Love, which was our goal at Hollywood Weekly Magazine right from the start.

Mission Accomplished!

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 7 Photos

By Daler Olimjanov

The Yanfan Foundation Title Sponsor 6th Annual Hollywood Weekly Fiilm Festival November 2, 2019

The first Westerner Branded at the Legendary Shaolin Temple of China in Henan Province, the main temple of the Shaolin school of Buddhism to this day and the birth place of Kung Fu. Born in the southern port town of Brindisi, Italy, Franco Testini, whose official title is His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan, acrossed the Mediterranean into the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China, and became the Shaolin Temple’s first ever appointed Western Ambassador.

Held by the Chinese government with the approval of the National Religious Affairs Administration and the China Buddhist Association, Shaolin Temple in Henan partially revived an ancient ceremony that had not been practiced for over 300 years.

His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was at the helm of a long and grueling ceremony, after which he was officially anointed with the title of an Abbot. On May 24, 2007, many highly respected and honorary Abbots were called to witness this historical event. On the last day of the ceremony His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was chosen to become the first ever non-Asian to receive the ancient ceremonial branding signs that consisted of searing nine circles on the top of the head with sticks of incense - called the Jieba.

Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the 2,500 year old Shaolin Temple in Henan Province, China has unveiled its secrets that help promote natural self-healing of the body, increase inner strength, and reduce stress and pain. An unprecedented tribute to the most ancient martial arts and Eastern philosophy in the world.

Today, in order to spread the legendary Shaolin Culture around the world His Majesty Abbot Shi Yanfan was commissioned to be the Cultural Ambassador of Songshan Shaolin Temple Henan Province, China’s to promote the understanding, the revival, and preservation of legendary Shaolin heritaDge on a global scale.

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“NEW BREED OF HOMO SAPIENS”, A NEW BOOK BY LOU BARON, MHA, MSG

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RISQUÉ @ 72? WHY NOT? I have stem cells. I am 32!

LOURDES DUQUE BARON, MHA, MSG

RELEASING her 3rd book entitled “NEW BREED OF HOMO SAPIENS” – February 1, 2020 in Hollywood

T

he human body is a complex biological structure composed of trillions if molecules, cells, tissues, organs and organelles, each one endowed with unique capabilities and performs specific roles and functions but works in harmony with one another. Understanding the human body is as challenging as unlocking the mysteries of the universe, which scientists have been trying to unravel for centuries.

day, scientists believe they have unlocked the mysteries of aging and now hold the key to retard the process, to enable humans to enjoy a longer lifespan free of debilitating disorders and diseases. The answer: STEM CELLS.

Aging is one facet of human existence that has baffled even the greatest minds in the scientific world. A process through which the body undergoes with the passage of time, aging is characterized not only by the decline of the body’s physical make-up but also deceleration of biological processes and diminished body functions.

Could stem cells then be the Holy Grail of medicine?

Stem cells offer huge potentials for therapies, which had led to increasing development and scientific knowledge. Not only do they represent an interesting option to understand the dynamics that explain both the persistence and change of diseases in tissues and organisms, but also because of their potential to develop into a broad range of cells, scientists believe that longer and healthier lifespan is no longer a pipe dream.

How do we age? Why do we age? Is there a way to slow down the aging process? Is it possible to reverse it? Or are we condemned to live to our old age suffering from various disorders and diseases that come with aging?

Years ago we have accepted the concept that aging is an inevitable and irreversible process – but not anymore! To-

Stem cell therapies hold the promise to treat degenerative diseases and repair damaged tissues for which there are currently none or limited therapeutic options.

In her new book titled, “New Breed of Homo Sapiens”, award-winning and internationally recognized author Lou Baron delves into one of the most innovative and cutting-edge therapies available today: the stem cell-based therapy.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 13

The book, the first of its kind outside the academia, discusses a range of topics that analyze and explain human aging and the various disorders that are associated with this complex natural biological process. The book is the product of long and painstaking hours of research on the Hallmarks of Aging as identified by Carlos Lopez Otin in 2013 and wealth of information and recent discoveries and groundbreaking stem cell-based therapies.

While dealing with a highly scientific topic, Lou Baron deviated from scholarly discourse and instead opted to write in clear, easy to understand language presented in a simple, straightforward style.

“I want my readers to fully understand and grasp the importance of this medical breakthrough,” she said. “We are talking about the future generations and the new breed of humans, and I want to bring this knowledge to the public’s doorsteps.”

Author of two award-winning books, namely “Scripted in Heaven” and “I Called Myself Cassandra”, an actress, filmmaker, director and internationally-recognized recording artist, Lou Baron, at 72 years of age, is an energetic, vibrant and youthful lady who defies her age and still breaking new grounds. She credits all this to stem cells.

“I am a living proof that stem cell-based therapy works,” she said, explaining that this was the inspiration that made her decide to write “New Breed of Homo Sapiens”.

Ms. Baron stressed that her book aims to inform and educate the people about the benefits of stem cell-based therapies, and eventually be able to help in making these therapies accessible and affordable to most number of people.

Visibly youthful, healthy and vibrant even when devoid of make-up, 72-year old Lourdes Duque Baron is indeed a living proof that stem cell treatments can reverse the signs of aging and the possibility of extending life expectancy.

Could stem cell-based therapies be the answer to the elusive fountain of youth? Find the answer in Ms. Baron’s book “New Breed of Homo Sapiens”, which is scheduled for launching in February 2020. ***

Excerpts from “New Breed of Homo Sapiens”.

Stem Cells Determine Man’s Biological Age Aging is a biological process that affects all living organisms. However, while the questions of why and how we age have baffled scientists for decades, the field of aging and longevity research have stayed in the backburner for many years until not too long ago when it attracted the attention of some of the world’s most serious scientists. Today, medicines and therapies aimed at slowing down the process of aging and targeting age-related diseases are being developed, with some already launched in clinical trials in humans.

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Aging is associated with decline of all the physical and biological processes and functions over time. With the aim of slowing down the aging process, scientists have turned to studying stem cells for their regenerative abilities. However, while stem cells offer potential solutions to retard or reverse aging process, they also appear to be either the cause or part of the problem that cause aging. Stem cells, which are essential parts of the body’s repair system due to their ability to differentiate into many other cell types, lose their regenerative potency as our body ages. Additionally, their self-renewing ability triggers mutations that affect every cell in the body. And once these mutations accumulate they can lead to diseases.

With money and investments continuously pouring in, the field of stem cell biology is still developing. However, focus has veered away from what scientists thought was stem cells’ greatest promise: that is their ability to grow replacement organs and tissues that are damaged due to diseases or injuries. Today, focus has shifted dramatically and researchers are now harnessing stem cells for their potentially powerful uses in modeling disease for drug discovery as well as in targeting treatment for personalized medicine. Using easily accessible cells – such as skin or blood -- from the sick, researchers are reprogramming them into the affected tissue types and using them as models to study the disease and test interventions on major disorders, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer, as well as rare conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

In addition, knowledge of stem cell biology is continuously evolving. Previous understanding was that once embryonic stem cells has differentiated into stem cells for muscle, skin, blood, and other tissue, those stem cells maintain their flexibility to further develop into various cells within the tissue, when required. Recent works, however, indicate that this ability may be more limited, with different stem cells possessing different capabilities, and or their capabilities diminished with age. If this were the case, then this would probably explain why aging varies from person to person. But the science of stem cell research is evolving, disease profiles are changing, and the tools and knowledge of physicians are readily at their disposal, more powerful and targeted. It would not be a far-fetched idea that one day the full potential of stem cell science will transform our biological landscape and the way humans develop and grow old.

Anti-Aging and Stem Cells A little over two decades ago, Dr. Michael West, stumbled upon a major scientific breakthrough when his lab scientists successfully isolated the active component for the gene that confers immortality to cells: the telomerase. Fast forward to today, when a new field has emerged: the science of longevity and healthspan, when people can live longer free of age-related diseases. Backed with substantial investments from some of the world’s largest companies, numerous pre-clinical researches are developing and various clinical trials are underway, with the aim of developing therapeutics to target human aging and age-related disorders.

While the biggest challenge for the field is the complexity of the aging process, scientists are making great progress in the context of individual aspects of aging with some of the most promising areas of research and discoveries in aging, which we are highlighting below: 1. Pluripotent stem cells have paved the way to manufacture young cells and tissue of any kind. Twenty years after the isolation of the first human embryonic stem cells, there is an explosion of research and applications all aimed at making different cell types of the human body.

2. Early human development could be the key that will unlock the mystery of aging. Cells possess not only the ability to replicate, but to regenerate. There are animals in nature whose regenerative ability is never turned off – like the flatworm, which can grow back its head if it gets cut off, and it doesn’t show signs of aging either. Discovering and understanding how the cells’ regeneration ability gets turned on or off may unlock the mystery of aging. And medical research has the power to unlock this mystery.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 15

1. Companies are pouring in their resources into anti-aging research. Major companies are investing heavily in anti-aging research with the aim of devising interventions to slow down the aging process. Some of these companies are AgeX, a subsidiary of BioTime, Calico, AbbVie Inc., Unity Biotechnology, Samumed, Human Longevity Inc., RestorBio, Rejuvenate Bio, and Juvenescence, among others.

2. The majority of clinical applications will not be happening soon. However, despite the mad rush to develop potentially beneficial interventions, majority of these applications will require years of clinical trials before they can be made available to the populace.

3. There are very few medical interventions that are proven to slow the aging process available today. Because there is a huge marketplace out there, there are companies with claims of stem cell products that will extend your life. However, it is important to understand that they are likely not based on pluripotent stem cell technology or are products which are not approved by the FDA. 4. Ethical issues still hounds this new science.

Could genetic engineering be used one day to program longer lifespans by modifying or reprogramming human embryos? Despite advances in technologies, people should take note that there remain major ethical issues regarding interventions aimed to prolong life. Dr. Michael West said that while it is entirely possible to engineer babies, but when you make modifications, it is an experiment, and you put a human life at risk.

5. Interventions in human aging face major cultural challenge. While aging affects all people of all races, we humans have adapted to the fact that death is part and the end of life, which people generally see as inevitable. This precept is anchored on different belief systems based on one’s culture and traditions.

6. Healthy children born today could enjoy a lifespan never before seen in human history. It is highly possible that in the foreseeable future, people will live up to at least 150 years of age. And as more advances and powerful therapies are designed and developed, the prospect of people enjoying longer and healthier lifespan is highly possible. *** For more information and to reserve your copy, email: timelessentinc1@gmail.com

Photos by Khiem Nguyen 16 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

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THE GRACE, BEAUTY AND GRIT OF

VANESSA WILLIAMS

By Allison Kugel

V

anessa Williams is a creature unlike any other. It’s as though she came here to impart the ins and outs of living life on one’s own terms. From unwitting societal lightning rod during the 1980s to multi-platinum selling recording artist; and Broadway, film and television star, Vanessa Williams slayed the male-dominated Hollywood dragon long before the #MeToo movement happened. You can tell from talking to her that, both, the scars of past judgment she endured, and the fruits of her sweet success have made their impact. Both created indelible imprints.

In more recent years, Williams stunned audiences with sultry scene-stealing characters on hit series like Desperate Housewives and Ugly Betty. Her recent film starring Orange is the New Black’s Uzo Aduba, Miss Virginia, tackles the socio-economic and educational inequities that urban students of color endure, showcasing a more socially conscious film portrayal.

Vanessa Williams’ exotic beauty strikes you dead on arrival, but Williams does not lead with her looks. She prefers to enter a conversation with intellect, boldness and strength.

Williams is now preparing to take her Broadway-honed stage skills across the pond to London’s West End, where she will be starring in a production of City of Angels, opening at the Garrick Theatre in 2020. She’s also added fashion designer to her packed resume, launching the sexy and sophisticated Vanessa Williams collection for HSN, and fresh on the heels of a multi-album deal with BMG, Williams is working on new music to reflect a collection of musical genres she is currently passionate about.

A renaissance woman for the ages, Vanessa Williams’ life is nothing if not purposeful.

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Allison Kugel: Something told me to read your 2012 memoir, You Have No Idea, which I read cover to cover yesterday. I’m so glad I read your book, because it was the missing piece to really understanding you. The one constant theme throughout your life, it seems, is that you are a natural born rebel!

Vanessa Williams: (Laughs) Yeah.

Allison Kugel: That quality plays out in one way when we’re young, but changes as we get older. How do you express that side of yourself now?

Vanessa Williams: It’s now about being unafraid to take chances. In terms of my career, I just signed on to do City of Angels on the West End [of London]. It’s not a lot of money, but it is an opportunity to work on the West End. It’s always been a dream of mine to live overseas, and to study in London.

I’ll be working at the Garrick Theatre. We start rehearsals in January, we open in March, and the show will be running until the end of July. There are no guarantees, in terms of leaving my life in the states behind, but it’s something that excites me. At this stage of my life it’s all about asking myself what I want to do that I’ve never done. The challenge of it excites me, and doing the same thing bores me.

Allison Kugel: When nude photos of you surfaced during your 1984 reign as Miss America and you were forced to relinquish your crown ten and a half months into your year-long reign, you were counted out there for a while in your twenties.

Do you ever pat yourself on the back these days and say, “I did it!”? Broadway, films, television, platinum-selling recording artist and on and on… do you feel vindicated?

Vanessa Williams: No, I really don’t. I don’t think that, because there’s always that next goal, like, “but I want to originate a role on Broadway;” “but I want to do a movie musical.”

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There is always something yet to be done. It’s not that I’m never satisfied, but there is always another goal on the horizon. When you’re an actor, it’s like being a gypsy. You jump into another circle of players, and it’s great. Then when it’s over, it’s heartbreaking, but then you’re ready to move on to the next circle. That’s what excites me and that’s what will always propel me to say, “Ok, what’s next?”

Allison Kugel: Clearly, you value adventure over routine.

Vanessa Williams: Well, I look at some people who have been on the same show for eleven or twelve seasons, and it’s a great cash cow. It’s great to have that kind of consistent salary where you can budget and put money away. God bless everyone who has had a series on the air for ten years, but there is an energy that keeps you kind of hungry when you are always looking for the next thing and you don’t know what that next thing is.

Allison Kugel: I want to go back a bit and talk about the beginning. I think people may forget because it was so long ago, but you broke through a pretty significant glass ceiling in your twenties by being crowned the first African American Miss America. You became this societal lightning rod at the time. In 2008, when President Obama was elected as our first African American president, did you feel a connection or kind of kinship with him, since he broke a barrier in a similar way?

Vanessa Williams: Oh, absolutely, in terms of his safety, and his presence was worldwide. But there is an expectation that comes with that honor of breaking barriers. It’s also a tremendous fear, not only for yourself, but for family members; because there is such division, which doesn’t seem to leave us. I thought it was over in the 1980s and it wasn’t; I thought it was over in the 2000s and it wasn’t; and, obviously, it’s still apparent now. So, there is a specific fear and uncertainty that you have, but you have to be brave and you have to continue to do what you were chosen to do, and the job that is before you.

Allison Kugel: Had you ever had that conversation

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with President Obama about that?

Vanessa Williams: I met him right before he began his run for president. I’ve been on the Special Olympics international board for years, and I was on Capitol Hill with the Special Olympics meeting people and trying to raise money for our group. I met him right off the heels of that wonderful speech he’d given at the Democratic National Convention, and word was out that he was someone to watch. I gave my little spiel about how we needed more funding for the Special Olympics. I could see the appeal, and then he announced. When he announced that he was going to run for president, I was definitely in his corner. My mother was coming from the perspective of having lived through Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. being assassinated, and Kennedy being assassinated, and she was fearful for his life. That’s the generation that she grew up in. I felt that it could happen, and she also, of course, had some issues with it. It just showed the fear that was due to where my mother’s generation had come from.

Allison Kugel: What have you learned about love? What’s been your greatest love lesson?

Vanessa Williams: I’m lucky to have four children, and there is nothing like that love; a love like that never ends. Once they’re out of the house, you’re still, as a mom, always available. You’re still always worried (laughs) and concerned. And you’re still always extremely proud, no matter their age or what they are doing.

Allison Kugel: How do you take care of your body, mind and spirit; and what’s your feel-good routine?

Vanessa Williams: My feel good is waking up with a good cup of coffee and doing a crossword puzzle in the sun. That starts my day off perfectly. And when I get a chance to explore and travel, I love to horseback ride, wherever I am, and go to the stables and find a horse and go on an adventure and explore the terrain on horseback. Spending time at home is also a joy for me. I’m on the road traveling so much, so my happy place is kicking off my shoes and hanging out at home.

Allison Kugel: You’re a practicing Catholic and you attend Church regularly, but in your most quiet and intimate moments, whom or what do you pray to, and what do you pray for?

Vanessa Williams: Hmm... it depends on what it is. I pray to God and my ancestors and my guides, and everyone who has been with me along my journey. As far as what I pray for, it depends on what I want or need at that particular moment; whether it’s guidance, whether it’s “show me the way,” or whether it’s protection for one of my children. It depends on what my particular need is at that moment.

Allison Kugel: What do you think you are here in this life as Vanessa Williams to learn, and what do you think you are here to teach?

Vanessa Williams: I absolutely love to teach, in the literal sense, and I’ve done it for three years in a row at NYU (New York University). I’ve taught Master Classes at Syracuse University, where I went for musical theatre. I also teach women’s groups. It’s teaching strength and to be aware, because you never know when and where something is going to happen for you. Whether that’s your talent, whether it’s an opportunity… just be open to who comes into your life and what they can bring.

offer help. I think I’m here to learn to keep moving ahead.

On this earth we have setbacks, struggles and obstacles. You have to be able to say, “What is this teaching me?” so you can move through it and move ahead in your life. Avoiding something or trying to deny it won’t get you anywhere.

Allison Kugel: Speaking of giving advice to other women, back in 2011 and 2012 you worked on Tyler Perry’s film Temptation with Kim Kardashian while she was going through the separation from her ex-husband, Kris Humphries. The two of you spent some time together during filming. Did she seek your advice about weathering scandal and a media firestorm?

Vanessa Williams: She’d just broken up with Kris [Humphries] and the press was all over the place, so Tyler made it very easy for her to hide from the press on set. Basically, it worked on the set, keeping the press away.

Then we flew back to LA together.

I just needed to be the sounding board for her at that point. Sometimes you don’t need to talk. You just have to let them talk, and you have to listen. She talked To be continued page 24

Allison Kugel: And you’re here to learn?

Vanessa Williams: That as women, for sure, we are a community, and to ask for help. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice or for help. Look for a mentor.

I’ve learned that there are many people that are willing to be teachers and to help you along in your life, so don’t be afraid to ask because there will always be somebody there to HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 21

Photo by Wayne Hoggatt

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about all the stuff that was happening and her fear of being judged, but that it was something she felt she needed to do.

My advice to her was that you go through the storm, but the dust will settle, and you’ll get an opportunity to see clearly, and it will be a different day; and you’ll feel better and you can move on.

Allison Kugel: Do you consider yourself a trailblazer for women?

Vanessa Williams: I think my history has made me a trailblazer, unknowingly. I’ve always just been myself and that’s how it played itself out.

Allison Kugel: What makes you feel most beautiful?

Vanessa Williams: The sun and the warmth makes me feel beautiful. Every time I land someplace that’s warm, it makes me feel like I’m connected to nature. And that’s without hair and makeup and wardrobe, and all that stuff. It’s just the breeze, the water, and heat that makes me feel like my most natural self. And then being around children. Whether it’s my children who are all grown up… there’s a connection that I have with kids. Maybe because both of my parents were elementary school music teachers, but there is a connection that me and my kids have with young kids that I absolutely love. My connection with children makes me feel so alive.

way, where I’ve worked with incredible costume designers and been exposed to fantastic fashion through stylists. And I’ve settled into what my own personal style is, along with what resonates with other people. When I design, I keep my eighty-year-old mother in mind, and then my children; my girls are from age 19 to 32. Everyone’s got their own sensibility, and there’s one piece for everyone to enjoy.

Allison Kugel: When will you be recording your next album?

Vanessa Williams: Now! I just finished recording a children’s album, which will be out next spring. And I’m working on a new album for BMG that will be out next year. We’re leaning towards mood and tropical music for this next album, and there will be more projects to come.

Allison Kugel: Let’s circle back to your upcoming show on London’s West End, City of Angels. You’re a Broadway veteran, but this will be your West End debut!

Vanessa Williams: This will be my “junior year abroad” that I never got the chance to do! In college, I was supposed to go to London and then I became famous that September. So, it’s my delayed junior year abroad, thirty-six years later (laughs). And it’s getting a chance to show my stage talent on another respected stage. My children are not at home, so it’s an opportunity to tick another thing off the bucket list.

Allison Kugel: You recently launched your own clothing Shop the Vanessa Williams line, Vanessa Williams, which collection at HSN and pre-oris available through HSN. der tickets to see Vanessa WilThe collection is versatile, imaginative and sexy, yet un- liams star in City of Angels at the Garrick Theatre in derstated. And I love how you incorporate animal prints London’s West end. Visit VanessaWilliams.com. and patterns with different looks.

Allison Kugel is a syndicated entertainment columnist, Vanessa Williams: Thank you. It’s another opportunity to author of the memoir, Journaling Fame: A memoir of a be creative and I’ve got a great manufacturer, so the quality life unhinged and on the record, and owner of communiis fantastic. It’s an extension of what I love, which is putting cations firm, Full Scale Media. Follow her on Instagram my stamp on things. I love fashion, and I’ve been fortunate @theallisonkugel and at AllisonKugel.com. to work on amazing shows, both on television and on Broad- Photo Credits: Rod Spicer, Mike Ruiz, Gilles Toucas 24 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Editor’s Choice of the Best, America’s Most Promising Anti-Aging Specialists,

By Adrienne Papp The Power of Passion

D

r. Marlene Roberts has developed a thriving practice as a nurse practitioner in Los Angeles, combining training as a doctor of clinical psychology and anti-aging medicine that gives her the tools to view a patient’s health from all angles.

Rachael Cabreira Offering Innovative Longevity in Sexual Health

R

D

achel Cabreira is part of a r. Joy Kong is one of a multiorganizational groups of new generation of medical experts at Innovative Wellness who specialists who has learned to provide a variety of services to men incorporate many disciplines to and women suffering with pelvic help her patients. and sexual disease issues.

“My goal is to provide resources, education and health services for an cancer ward. A lot of young people were optimum quality of life,” Cabreira says. being treated for a variety of cancers. I “That outcome is the result of a multiknew then I would need to acquire more discipline, holistic approach that can keep knowledge to deal with both patient and people healthier, longer.

In the medical family,” Roberts says. industry we’re good at keeping people alive, From Roberts’ point of view, a but we’re not so good at keeping people comprehensive patient overview is the healthy. What we try to do is to connect best way to start with anti-aging medicines the physical, emotional and the spiritual and therapies. “I look at the internal to support optimum health and have our components that reflect our physical health, patients embracing life.” including an emphasis on the psychological Recent studies show that 45% of women profile,” Roberts explains. “I’m passionate have some form of sexual dysfunction, about the mind/body connection. Wellness and 60-80% of women have sexual issues starts in the head. In the next ten years I related to menopause.

80% of these cases believe we’ll see a whole new approach can be solved with a holistic approach to to medicine, one more focused on the problem. combining medical science and the mind/ body connection. I’d call it ‘preventative “We need to get to know our bodies wellness.’” intimately again,” Cabreira says. “We are dedicated to helping patients find that To contact Dr. Roberts: vitality, that passion for life again.”

Dr. Marlene Roberts is 424 285 5188 cell.

“Early in my career, I was working in the

Anti.agingphys@gmail.com Westwood office: 310-441-2000 1752 Westwood Blvd #110/Los Angeles, CA 90024 Redondo Beach: 310-214-8000 2850 Artesia Blvd #105/Redondo Beach, CA 90278

The Extraordinary and Beautiful Dr. Joy Kong: The Anti-Aging Queen

Innovative Wellness 2255 Ygnacio Valley Road, Suite Y Walnut Creek, CA. 94596 Web: www.innovativewellnessinc.com PH: 925-954-8209 E-mail: info@innovativewellnessinc.com

With an education that includes stops at San Francisco State University, NYU and UCLA, Dr. Kong also grew up understanding the benefits of Eastern medicine and the healing effects it can have on even seriously ill patients.

“I was always looking for an opportunity to combine different disciplines and treatment methods,” explains Dr. Kong. “I believe in rejuvenating a person from the inside out. That’s a very powerful approach to healing and applies to chronic conditions as well as anti-aging techniques.”

Dr. Kong applies a “big picture” approach to her patients, looking at their health from many points of view - physically, psychologically and spiritually. “Most of my treatments involve IV therapies,” says Dr. Kong, “but I have also become specialized in the use of stem cells. The potential for the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine is immense.”

THEA Center for Regenerative Wellness 9572 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Chatsworth, CA 91311 Web: theacrm.com PH: (888) 906-4550 E-mail: info@theacrm.com HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 25

NATALIE BANKS TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT: y name is Natalie Banks and I am a best selling and award-winning author of three domestic suspense novels. My novels are being read in over twenty different countries all over the world and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Writing is my passion and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. Writing is my gift to the world.

I am also the founder of The Writing Champions Project. It is a group created to help support writers of all types, from novelists, bloggers, and screenwriters to journalists.

TELL US WHAT YOUR BOOKS ARE ABOUT AND WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL: My books are what they call an escape read. A book that sweeps you away and one that you just can’t put down until you’ve found out what happens in the end. My stories are centered around the lives of women who are going through or have gone through some sort of life challenge and in the end, overcome these challenges in their unique ways. I try to write stories that are relatable and give the reader a first-hand experience. They experience all of the emotions, ups and downs, that my characters go through.

I write my characters as if they were my friends, actual people I know. I want them to be that way for my readers too.

It is fun to read stories about untouchable people but the stories that touch our hearts, that stick with us long after the book is over, are the ones with people that we cared about, even loved.

The ones who we felt we were walking beside on their journey.

M

WHAT DO YOU THINK READERS WANT FROM BOOKS THESE DAYS? Honestly, readers just want a great story and they want to feel emotionally invested in it. They want to be part of something that feels so real that it takes them away from where they are.

A sort of escape from reality. There’s still nothing like reading a good book on a sunny afternoon.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU? What motivates me is multi-faceted.

First of all, there’s my love for writing.

The love affair with writing started for me when I was just twelve years old.

That desire to tell a story. To submerge readers into a story that enraptures them, drives me to keep writing. To keep telling my stories. Stories that have never been told. I pride myself on unique plot lines. I love surprising the readers!

Secondly, my reviews motivate me quite a bit. I get such beautiful and positive reviews and have a 4.5-star rating across all three of my novels. I consistently hear things like, “drew me in from page 1” and “I couldn’t put it down.” These-type-of-reviews drive me to keep going even on the hard days.

Last, but not least, I stay motivated by having great self-care. I do this by taking good care of my body. Eating well, drinking lots of water and exercising. Because if you don’t feel good, you’re not going to be motivated to do anything.

I also spend a lot of time watching inspirational and motivational videos on YouTube and on Instagram. One of my favorites is a pure soul by the name of Ashely Ducey. She gives such incredible advice and support on both

YouTube and Instagram on being authentic and going for your dreams. Her posts have inspired me and helped me to stay my authentic self. Her Instagram handle is @ashleyhallart if you want to check her out.

I find that listening to like minded people helps keep me motivated. You know the old adage of “You are who you hang around.”

WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS THAT YOU’VE HAD? There’s a lot that has gone into my success. Success takes a lot of work and patience. It’s not something that most people can achieve overnight.

I have been so blessed that word of mouth has gone a long way to help me achieve my goals. People love my books, so they naturally talk about them.

I have also put in a lot of effort into my Instagram account and I think that has done a lot for me, as well. Being able to connect with readers in real time has a huge impact on authors and their book sales.

I have invested in numerous marketing methods and only found that one really stood out from the rest and that was when I had the great honor of having my book accepted into the Bedside Reading program. They were able to coordinate getting my books in some high-end hotels. These hotels put my book on the bedside table of every guest room. This was incredible in helping spread word of mouth. I also got a lot of media exposure with them.

Any authors with recent book releases that are reading this, should check out their website and apply to have their book put into this prestigious program. www.bedsidereading.com

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 27

I am offering my coaching services on Fiverr and Upwork if anyone is interested in learning more from me.

The link is on my website.

TELL US ABOUT THE WRITING CHAMPIONS PROJECT: I founded The Writing Champions Project back in January in order to get some much needed support out there for writers. We support all types of writers, from bloggers, novelists, poets, and screenplay writers. If you are a writer of any kind, you will find a home with us.

Writing is such a solitary activity and a lot of times we end up feeling very alone. That’s why I created the project, in order to build a community that writers could go to get encouragement and even some learning. Our motto is: Stronger together-because writers need community.

We have a lot of things still in the works and are partnering with some great people to give our members opportunities for networking and growth that they may not find anywhere else.

We also are working on a literacy project that I am super excited about! I can’t wait to see what is next for TWCP! SPEAKING OF WHAT IS NEXT, WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOU AS AN AUTHOR? I am in the process of finalizing the last steps to release my fourth novel set to come out December 15, 2019.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 28

The title is THE MOMENTS BETWEEN. It’s an incredible story about a woman who dreamed her husband was going to die, only to find out later that the events from her dream are actually coming to pass. She realizes she only has a limited time before the dream would fully come to pass and she is desperately working against the clock to try to save him.

I am also working on my fifth novel, as well. I always have one or more in the works! For me, it’s all about the books and writing something that gives value to my readers. That is my main focus and always my next step.

LASTLY, WHERE CAN WE READERS FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU, YOUR BOOKS, AND THE WRITING CHAMPIONS PROJECT? For my author pages, they can go to: www.nataliebanks.net to sign up for my newsletter and be the first to know about new releases. @nataliebanksnovels (Facebook) and @officialnataliebanks (Instagram) For The Writing Champions Project: www.thewritingchampionsproject.com @thewritingchampionsproject on both Facebook and Instagram All of my books are available on Amazon in 15 countries and Barnes & Noble in the US.

COMING DECEMBER 2019 to all major book retailers.

T

ragedy strikes the life of Claire DuPont when her husband of nine years is killed in a train accident on his way home from work, leaving her alone with two small children.

One morning, six months later, she awakes to find him alive and there with her in the house, like he had never been gone. With her head spinning she picks up her phone only to see the date is actually three months before the accident ever occurred. Bewildered but grateful, she writes it off as a very vivid, bad dream. But as time goes on, she realizes that events are unfolding exactly the way they did in her dream. Racing against time, she desperately tries to change the inevitable but finds herself helpless to change anything. Unwilling to give up, she vows to stop at nothing to save her husband before it’s too late.

www.NatalieBanks.net

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 29

Retirement is not an option.

A Conversation with Seymour Ubell, first time novelist at 88 years old.

Hollywood Weekly: The title of your book, The Birth Mother is intriguing. Tell us a little bit about the story.

throughout children’s young lives. Including the dramatic chance meeting by the adoptive father with the actual Chinese Birth Mother.

Seymour Ubell: A middle-aged New York couple with a ten-year-old son, decide to adopt twin girls, as a result of totally circumstantial events. Daryl and Maxine Landsman go through the complex labyrinth of adoption in China. The couple brings the twins home.

The children grow up in New York surrounded by a complex family environment. The story, both tragic and filled with joy, is filled with twists and turns

HW: Where does your inspiration foryour story come from in this book?

SU: The story tumbled into my lap from a personal experience between my wife and me. Very early in my career in China, one of my partners brought me to an orphanage. He was a benefactor at the institution. I saw the children and fell in love. As a result of the meeting, we had an opportunity to adopt the twins. We reluctantly decided not to. Because of a time in life when I was in my early sixties, just a bit too old to take on the responsibility of two infant children. As the years passed, my wife would mention, “The girls would have been five years old now and nursery school age.” Once again, eight years later, Marsha said, “it would have been time for their Bat-Mitzvah and years later my wife would remind me; “Our twins would have been off to go to college. At that moment I decided to write a novel that we did, in fact, adopt the children.

What I learned from that experience is, women never forget anything.

Men hardly remember anything.

HW: Where does the theme God is a woman come from?

SU: Let me begin by stating, I am an atheist. However, I do believe in kindness, caring and accepting all people into my life, regardless of religion, race or politics. My wife is a very wise and the kindest, most loving person I have ever been with. She is my partner; I trust her the most. For more than three decades, I learned that women are much smarter, more sensitive and more creative than man is. As I wrote, the story; the tale began to have a life of its own and it took over. It guided me down the path, that if, there is a God, that God must, without question, be a woman. And so, I argue, if God is a man; Why do women have the power to perpetuate the species?

Why do women have the power to feed the species if there is no food? Adam never ate the apple; he was nursed on Eve’s breast. Why do women have the power to give a man his most significant pleasure? Why do they call Earth, ‘Mother Earth”? Why is nature is called ‘Mother Nature or that beautiful statue welcoming emigrants, Miss Liberty? All good things are a “She” never a “He”. I recite biblical stories where women save the day and the lives of both Judeo and Christian moments in history. When reading this book you will discover the power and gifts that women, in all their sensitivity, intellect and caring, have.

HW: Tell us about your early careers.

SU: I never went to college. My father died when I seventeen. It was vital that I go to work to earn money, helping

the family. We were very poor. We lived on a widow’s pension and the $42.50 a week I earned as a stock clerk in a men’s clothing company. At the age of nineteen, I was promoted to work in the company showroom. Shortly after, in my early twenties, the VP of Sales at the company gave me another promotion; to go “on-the-road” as a salesman.

At the age of twenty-eight, I started my own printing brokerage company. It was very successful. Shortly thereafter, I simultaneously started a messenger

people who read my story, approache me, consistently sharing the honesty they experienced.They mentioned in detail their feelings regarding descriptions of World War II days in Brooklyn.

And all the firsts in my life; including sex, love, marriage, children, and money. Readers enjoyed my account of the old neighborhood, the stores, the trolley cars racing on the main streets of Brooklyn; including descriptions of the neighbors, their gossiping, the simple apartment buildings. Their response

I enjoyed the creative experience very much. I wanted to continue writing.

In truth, I needed to continue writing.

as the author, much power. If I like someone, I reward them. If I don’t, they suffer, or they die. I can make it snow or rain. Or sunshine. I am the master, in total control of life and death, success and failure. I am satisfied that I finished The Birth Mother. I wrote every single day. Perhaps an hour or more. I had to do research. A learning process. I have my own personal handicap about not attending college. However, I have become my own college professor, learning every day. In the saga, I had to learn. I am self-taught about Buddhism, Leukemia, Genetics and the use of a dictionary, a thesaurus and the research of how twins live and grow up.

HW: What is a typical day like for you?

was a much-welcomed experience. It SU: I awake early, 6:15 AM. By 7:00 was most gratifying. A memoir is inter- AM, at the gym. A trainer works estingly restrictive. You must be truth- with me three days each week. I go to Equinox five, sometimes, often six ful. Truth has power and it works.

My father died at the age of 44. I have days each week. I am on my Gym little memory of him. All I have is my bicycle, riding three to four miles each day. imagination and the feeling of my love for him. In my own life with the blessing of three especially talented children, whom I love totally, it was important for me to leave them the story of my life. I hoped to document my energy, my being, and the joy I treasured from my family, my HW: What inspired you to write a successes as well as the pain and novel? the struggles I encountered in failure. It was a wish to give my heirs SU: After I wrote my first book, a mem- the pleasure of remembering me oir. “A Life of Risks Taken”, I enjoyed as a man of multiple talents and the creative experience very much. I skills. At the same time explain wanted to continue writing. In truth, I how I overcame life’s reversals. needed to continue writing. I learned so And equally, my achievements. much about myself and the people in And just perhaps my grandchilmy life. When I write, it’s a rare time in dren and great-grandchildren my life, I am not in charge. The story might be a bit curious about takes over. The computer becomes the their heritage. boss.

What about this book are HW: What did you learn while you most proud of ? writing your memoir?

Seymour at 18 SU: My most poignant exSU: Writing my memoir was an educa- perience with the novel is, tion. I learned, when telling the story of writing the fiction gives me, your life, the truth always works. Many service company, a tennis racket company, and an advertising agency. At the age of sixty-two, I retired. Two years later, I discovered, I hated retirement.

It was important for me to return to the business world. I decided to go to China. I envisioned the future; seeking a business opportunity Asia. The one place in the world I believed would be the future economic global competitor to the USA. When most people are retiring at the age of 64, I went back to work. I do not regret a single moment.

From the gym, I take a cab to my office where my son Ed, who is the CEO is running the company. I just sign the checks. By 3:30 PM, I am at home. I take a nap and write for an hour or more. Often dinner with friends, or my children or just Marsha and me. By 9 pm I am in bed listening to both classical folk music I grew up with; including Sinatra. Simultaneously reading the NY Times or listening to my audiobooks. My children, Lynn, Jane, and Ed speak to me almost every day. A special blessing for any parent.

Before my eyes close, I turn to my left and see the love of my life.

We kiss and whisper, “Goodnight.”

Before my eyes close, I turn to my left and see the love of my life. We kiss and whisper, “Goodnight.”

Earl, Alvin & Seymour Ubell

HW: What is next on your list? What are you planning to write about next?

SU: I am working on two books at the same time. One is a fictionalized story about our family business that began in Europe with my grandfather and continued with my father here in America. The story includes their meetings with the Mafia families that existed in those days. My other book is about people who have another opportunity in life after the death of a wife or husband. And those couples who go through divorce and find a “second love”. And in most cases a happy life.

But not always.

32 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Seymour and his wife Marsha Tosk

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 33

Our 2nd Annual D 2019 Holiday Books Gift Guide

by Jane Ubell-Meyer

ecember is the time to treat ourselves and our friends and families to a journey of discovery.

Treat yourself to murder, memoirs and megatrends. Our 2nd annual children’s book gift list is here. We have a gift for you, like us on instagram and mention #HollywoodWeekly and we will send you a free e-book.

Instagram: #bedsidereading

❄ Happy Holidays to all ❄

and please be kind to yourself.

in your career and in your social circles.

Author and entrepreneur, Robin Richter, former golf pro, has been playing golf for over four decades. In The Golf Course Millionaire, she shares how a great hobby can lead to fulfillment both on the course and off; in business and developing lasting friendships and alliances. If you’re an avid golfer, this book will help you to use the sport to improve your life.

mother and violent father, an ex-con from San Quentin who groomed him to be his partner in crime. When David ultimately found the courage to change his life, he unwittingly triggered a plot of revenge that forced him into a deadly showdown with his father. Raw and palpable, The Pale-Faced Lie is an unforgettable testament to the power of forgiveness and the strength of the human spirit.

The Storm Beyond the Tides

by Jonathan Cullen

A

story of the unlikely romance between a small-town girl and a German on the eve of the Second World War. The novel explores a frightening time in America’s past—when U-Boats prowled the East Coast and placed small, coastal communities on the frontline of a global conflict.

❄ The Golf Course Millionaire

by Robin Richter

G

olf has the amazing power to introduce you to interesting and influential people; to establish lasting relationships with movers and shakers; and to help you reach your full potential

34 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

❄

❄

I

The Pale-Faced Lie

by David Crow

n this riveting memoir, David Crow presents a searing account of his experience growing up on the Navajo Indian Reservation with a mentally ill

A

Lost Tomorrows

by Matt Coyle

ward-winning author, Matt Coyle does it again. A phone call thrusts Private Investigator Rick Cahill’s past and all its tragic consequences into his present. Krista Landingham, his former

partner on the Santa Barbara PD, is dead.

When Rick goes to the funeral in the city where his wife was murdered and where he is seen as guilty for her death in the eyes of the police, he discovers hat Krista’s death may not have been a tragic accident, but murder.

cret truth—the desire she harbors for her guardian. Liam North got custody of her six years ago. She’s all grown up now, but he still treats her like a child. No matter how much he wants her. Her sweet overtures break down the ex-soldier’s defenses, but there’s more at stake than her body. The closer she gets, the more exposed his darkest secret. She’s one step away from finding out hat happened the night she lost her family. One step away from leaving him forever.

Non-Obvious Megatrends

by Rohit Bhargava

T ❄ ❄

he future belongs to non-obvious thinkers. This book is your guide to becoming one. For the past ten years, Rohit Bhargava’s signature annual Non-Obvious Trend Report has helped over a million readers discover more than 100 trends changing our culture and how business is done. Now for the first time after a decade of publishing more than 100 trend predictions, for the first time to identify ten revolutionary new Megatrends that are transforming how we work, play and live.

❄

Bulwark

by Brit Lundren

S

heriff Clay Finnes has to admit that the fantastical stories, told by an accident victim as well as unusual sightings of wolves, things are getting a bit strange. A visit to the ominous Gingerbread House makes him realize that his life as he knows it will never be the same.

❄

T

Overture

by Skye Warren

he world knows Samantha Brooks as the violin prodigy. She guards her se-

T

The Price of Time

by Tim Tigner

here’s a secret in Silicon Valley. A discovery. An invention. One so startling and surprisingly sinister that it needs to be kept—at any price. Tim Tigner introduces Zachary Chase and Skylar Fawkes in a fresh standalone novel that’s bound to keep you glued and guessing. The Price of Time is packed with fast-paced action and first-class intellectual intrigue. Propelling the thrills and perched at the middle of the mystery is one of humanity’s great questions: Would finding the Fountain of Youth be a blessing?

Good Authority: How to Become the Leader Your Team Is Waiting For

by Jonathan Raymond

C

reating a company culture like that is not a dream. Through personal stories and real-life conversations, Jonathan HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 35

takes you into the room with managers and employees where real culture change happens and shows you a new kind of employee mentoring where each person gets the real-time feedback, support, and clear boundaries we all need to get beyond the patterns that hold us back.

❄

A

Staying Bothered

by Jamie C. Amelio

melio describes what “being bothered” really means, a term she coined to explain the uncomfortable feeling we all get when we learn about a terrible wrong--maybe in our neighborhood, maybe across the world. Staying Bothered tells the story of how Jamie overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles to positively change her world and the lives of thousands of children and in doing so sparked a movement!

❄

M

Vivid Vision

by Cameron Herold

any corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way, and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. Vivid Vision is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and

36 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies.

Children’s Books to Treasure

Pufferfish Adventures Mike Saves the Day

by JT Hobbs

Does your little one feel “uncool” sometimes?

So does Mike, because blowing up like a balloon doesn’t exactly give you points for popularity… However... it turns out that “weird” can become a blessing! Start reading Mike Saves the Day to your little one today so that they can: Increase their self-confidence; Learn to turn adversities into strengths; Uncover new ways to make friends; Build their self-esteem; Increase their self acceptance; Recognize their strengths; Appreciate their uniqueness... and much more!

Captain No Beard

by Carole P. Roman A young boy named Alexander, his cousin Hallie, and three stuffed animals, once they board his bed their world is transformed into a magical vessel, sailing the seven seas on dangerous and exciting adventures!

Bedside Reading places books by the bedsides in luxury hotels. | BedsideReading.com

❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄ ❄

Q&A Author of the Month

Sweta Srivastava Vikram, author of Louisiana Catch

Q: What inspired you to write Louisiana Catch?

A: I write about identity, multiculturalism and women’s issues and how the different healing modalities can help.

Louisiana Catch represents the frailty of human relationships and touches upon all of the above-mentioned themes.

Honestly, breaking stereotypes surrounding South Asian stories was central to writing of this book. I got tired of others defining what Indian women look like, behave, do, or feel. I could not find stories of my generation and women like myself, so I created Ahana. Mind you, Ahana is nothing like me, emotionally or physically. But she does represent the conflict a section of odern Indian women, including myself face: successful and confident yet unsure and dominated in their own unique ways. Another reason I wrote Louisiana Catch: to raise awareness about survivors of sexual assault. I teach yoga to female survivors of rape and domestic violence. Every woman who shows up on the yoga mat in my class looks and behaves differently. How can we judge and criticize survivors or what they look like or what clothes they had on at the time of assault? How dare we assume that all survivors fit a certain socio-economic type!

Lastly, I also wanted to highlight grief and vulnerability—how they can

help reveal our strength and core.

Q: How did you come up with the title?

A: “Catfishing” is rampant. I have interviewed psychotherapists and psychologists who confirmed that many of their clients are in therapy because they got duped by someone they met online and fell in love, and sometimes even married them, without realizing this person had a whole other life. Also, both the male protagonist and male antagonist in the book are from Louisiana. The title Louisiana Catch symbolizes catfishing as well as the man whom the female protagonist, Ahana, eventually ‘catches’ as a partner—it’s revealed as the book progresses.

Q: Who should read this book? For whom was it written?

A: This book is for anyone interested in reading about real human relationships, social issues plaguing our world,a journey with identity, strong women, hybridization of cultures, the role of grief and healing in shaping our lives, and the impact of social media networking on all of these aspects. It has exciting plot twists, a romantic angle, and pertinent social messages.

HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY • 37

W

hether Ernest Hemingway was

obsessed with the idea that writers had to experience life before they could write, or he just believed it as an artistic truth, that school of thought, unfortunately for young writers, is correct. The longer you live in this world, the more varied your interests and experiences are while you are here, makes you a better writer. It’s just a fact. Even the great, multitalented Steven Spielberg, who was a cinematic prodigy by anyone’s standards, famously admitted that if he made “Close Encounters of the

Third Kind” as a mature man, the ending may have been different. As a young man in his 20’s Spielberg felt no qualms about sending Richard Dreyfuss’ character “Roy Neary” off to space to live with aliens instead of staying on Earth with his family.

But now, as a husband and a father, an artistic decision like that for Spielberg would require more thought... Life is the ultimate teacher.

Mark Twain said never let school get in the way of your education. The school of life, where the worst that can happen won’t be suspension from school...though you will “exit the campus,” as it were.

Ken Comer is a twenty year

veteran of the New York City Police Department.A seasoned Detective who retired in 2005. Early in his career he was recognized as one of the top officers in his percent. Young Officer Comer was reassigned to the Organized Crime Control Bureau -- he became an undercover Narcotics Investigator. The operative word to sum up Mr. Comer’s life with the NYPD would be gritty -- and that is a pleasant way to describe the world Ken Comer worked in and somehow made it to the other side...but he didn’t come back to us empty-handed, he brought stories. Lots of them.

Screenwriter, Retired N.Y.P.D.

Detective Ken Comer, brings

“Reality” to his fictional Screenplay Masterpiece

“Lena’s Rules” 38 • HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY

Of course, Ken knew what

to do with all those stories and the memories of all the characters he encountered in his 20 years with the NYPD. Life for came began with the dream of acting. He even did some modeling early in his career before he decided that he wanted to live the life of those famous

Detectives he read about in novels or saw in films. Reading Ken Comer’s screenplay “Lena’s Rules” was like reading a new novel by Michael Connely -- except, (and I love Michael Connely), Ken Comer has walked the walk. The things his characters say and the emotions and feelings and dire strait situations they find themselves in all come from an organic place of creative, artistic truth. I don’t know what kind of writer Ken Comer would have been had he not spent two decades working with the NYPD, but I do know that the screenplay “Lena’s Rules” could not have been written without the life experiences Ken Comer lived through.

Not surprisingly Ken Comer

is now working as a full-time screenwriter. And, as an added benefit for all that life experience Hemingway loved writers to have, Ken has also found a new career as a law enforcement consultant in Hollywood. But it’s Ken’s characters.

Ken’s words. The colorful, vivid, dangerous worlds that Ken Comer creates that is truly fascinating -- and where we, movie audiences, will benefit from his talent the most.

KEN COMER SCREENWRITER, RETIRED N.Y.P.D. DETECTIVE com904@aol.com 917-734-5977

by Anthony Ewart

BICHLIEN NGUYEN

MRS. ASIA USA INTERNATIONAL

BY CARMELITA PITTMAN

F

ollowing the footsteps of Bichlien Nguyen, one is amazed at her journey to America from Vietnam. She hails from Hue City, in central Vietnam, the nation’s former capital during the Nguyen Dynasty, the last ruling monarchial family. Although her name ties her to royalty, she has overcome the odds of surviving the repressive Communist reign which took over the country. In 1975, at the end of Vietnam war, her family moved to Saigon, the capital of South Viet Nam, known as “Pearl of the Far East.”

V

ietnam is a country that has had a history of invasion from the French, the Japanese, the Chinese, and the division of the North and South. With the presence of the restrictive government, after several attempts, she and her family fled the region and became part of the escaped Boat People by way of the Pacific Ocean to other Southeast countries to seek freedom. The exodus was huge, between 1975 and 1995, hundreds of thousands people involved, many did not survive the passage, losing their lives at the hands of Pirates, lack of food, and the storms at sea. The journey was rough, but fortunately, Bichlien and her family made it through to America.

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S

he grew up equipped with brains as well as beauty and thus studied Vietnamese literature at Saigon University. When she first arrived in the U.S.A., she barely knew the English language. A survivor, she was determined to succeed, and she pushed herself to endure long hours of overcoming the language barrier while she studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science and mathematics from U.C. Davis. Bichlien began her high-tech career as a software engineer. Being an intelligent and hard-working individual, she quickly obtained leadership roles. As a software manager, she led technical teams developing software products to serve the US military. She is presently the Senior Program Manager at a high tech company in the Bay Area. Her projects demand her expertise to draft and execute large contracts across multiple companies and organizations. Her skills and attribute of strength have enabled her to lead and develop teams in business deals with US clients as well as those located in Asia and Europe. It was startling and surprising at the beginning of a high tech company to witness someone who looks like a model command such a responsibility. With ten + hours daily, she manages to get the job done.

Photos by Huy Khiem

A

mongst her achievements is the establishment of becoming the first Vietnamese TV newscaster on Channel 48 in San Jose. She also appeared on Trung Duong television. She has preserved the values from her culture and ancestors of maintaining “face,” humility, motherhood, hard work, recognition, and honor of the elders for their experience and wisdom and applied sharing and caring for those less fortunate. She is a woman of determination, integrity, and positivity. She dives into everything she does with gusto looking for the best product. A humanitarian with a big heart, she serves the sick, the needy, provides food, and education to orphans during her excursions to Vietnam.

She supports the community in the Bay Area by volunteering her singing talent, modeling, and moderating various charity events as MC. As a result, she is well known and beloved in the community.

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ay 2018, the largest Vietnamese Art and Culture, a non-profit organization in the USA, selected Bichlien for the role of “Mother Au Co” to represent the “Mother of Vietnam” in the “Ao Dai Festival.” This selection occurred as the result of their observation of her support of the Vietnamese community, love of the arts, and involvement in charity programs. During one of the events, she played the role of the last queen of Vietnam, “Nam Phuong Hoang Hau.” In 2018 she was recognized and crowned as Mrs. Vietnam, California. The same year she became Mrs. Asia USA International at the Virgelia Productions 30th pageant. She aims to serve as a role model for all Vietnamese American women. Indeed her life is exemplary, overcoming tremendous obstacles in triumph. Her greatest role, however, is being a good mother, which she manages to balance with her unusual and unique career and achievement. She manages to fulfill her spiritual life as well by spending time praying and meditating at the Buddhist Temple.

A life well-lived, a heart well given, she is happy with her lifestyle.

Bichlien Nguyen wearing the Ao Dai Dress, selected to represent the Mother of Vietnamese Civilization from the “Me Au Co” Collection Designer: Do Trinh Hoai Nam Details are flowers on the crown and dress of pure 24 Karat Gold Value: $40,000

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Purple dress and hat I Designer: Tommy Le ( TeeJay Couture) Photographer: Daniel Pham I Make-up Artist: Tam Vo

Bichlien Nguyen on the runway Designer: Tuan Tran I Photographer: Andy Nguyen

Bichlien Nguyen in national costume I Designer: Tommy Le of TeeJay Couture Photographer: Ken Hugh I Make-up Artist: Tam Vo

Bichlien Nguyen at a Buddhist temple I Designer: Chau Nguyen Photographer: Hai Tran I Make-up: Johnathan Nguyen HOLLYWOOD HOLLYWOOD WEEKLY WEEKLY • 43• 11