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Conservationist who transformed public education at the world-famous Bronx Zoo shares the wonder of wildlife in fascinating new book

Annette Libeskind Berkovits releasing ‘Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator’

NEW YORK – A champion and expert on conservation education, Annette Libeskind Berkovits is taking readers behind the scenes of one of America’s most renowned zoos in her new book, “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator” (April 22, 2017).

Filled with fun anecdotes about a variety of animals from pumas to king cobras, “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator” is the perfect book for animal lovers everywhere that have ever wondered about what goes on behind the scenes at a zoo. Berkovits pulls back the curtain on fascinating, little-known facts about the Bronx Zoo, including a secret classroom with gorillas, employees who live at the zoo, unpublicized animal escapes and controversial exhibits.

When Berkovits started working at the Bronx Zoo in New York in 1972, she trod a nearly virgin territory. Public education had not yet found its way into the zoo’s philosophy or strategies, and very few women worked in zoos. True, the Bronx Zoo was the first in the world to launch an education department, but its activities were limited to a bevy of young women clad in miniskirts who roamed the park providing tidbits of information that may have been entertaining but hardly educational. Nevertheless, Berkovits was the right woman for the job. She took the zoo’s public education initiatives to the next level not only at her zoo but nationwide and worldwide.

A pioneer for women in the field of conservation and the creator of award-winning conservation education programs recognized for excellence by the National Science Foundation, Berkovits shares a unique and insightful perspective on everything from the zoo’s inner workings to the dilemma of preserving nature for the next generation. From giraffes to supersize snakes and fugitive pigs, “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator” takes readers on a fascinating journey told with the charming wit of a woman who worked her way up to serve as senior vice president at the Wildlife Conservation Society, which today conserves the world’s largest wild places in 15 priority regions, home to more than 50 percent of the world’s biodiversity.

Annette Libeskind Berkovits was born in Kyrgyzstan and grew up in postwar Poland and the fledgling state of Israel before coming to America at age 16. In her three-decade career with the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York, she spearheaded the institution’s nationwide and worldwide science education programs. Her achievements include the first-ever agreement to bring environmental education to China’s schools. The National Science Foundation has recognized her outstanding leadership in the field. Now retired, she is pursuing her life-long love of writing. She is the author of “In the Unlikeliest of Places” and “Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator.”

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About the Book

Advance Praise

“Berkovits tells a remarkable story, fascinating and unique. With a deft blend of personal insight and eloquent story-telling, she takes us from a remote village in Kyrgyzstan to the Bronx Zoo, from accidental zoology to innovative environmental education and describes her adventures as she evolved from neophyte to international leader in her field.” —William Conway, Senior Conservationist with the Wildlife Conservation Society; former President of the Society and Director of the Bronx Zoo

“‘Confessions of an Accidental Zoo Curator’ is a story that goes far beyond its title. While I am not a fan of reading people’s life stories, the trajectory of the life of Annette Berkovits as she develops through a difficult childhood devoid of any real animal connections, to become one of the world’s foremost leaders in zoo-based wildlife conservation education is both fascinating and inspiring. This is a story that shows how love and passion for the natural world can grow and blossom out of experience and a desire to inspire others. Annette’s career and her accomplishments were no accident, but instead arose out of a willingness to take on opportunities and experience life to its fullest.” — Alan Rabinowitz PhD, zoologist, author and CEO of Panthera, a conservation organization working to protect the world’s wild cats and their ecosystems

“Reading this book, I’m pleased to discover anew the passion, curiosity and humorous sensibility that have always characterized Annette’s work and her life. ‘Confessions of the Accidental Zoo Curator’ is simply a delight.” —Lee Ehmke, Houston Zoo Director and CEO;  President, World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (2013-2015)

“…As one of the most creative and innovative educators in the zoo community, Annette faced the challenge of educating, rather than entertaining young zoo visitors to return to their homes with a greater appreciation for the importance and value of wildlife and wild places. To be successful in getting her messages to the students required that the work be interesting, stimulating, and fun too. Go behind the scenes in a major zoo and see it through her eyes.”
—James Doherty, retired general curator at the Bronx Zoo; Carter Chair in Mammology; species coordinator for the AZA Sumatran Rhinoceros Species Survival Plan

Q&A with Annette Libeskind Berkovits

For people who are not familiar with your line of work, what does a zoo curator do?
An animal zoo curator designs strategies to best care in captivity for a particular species of animal based on its biology and ecology. Some curators extend knowledge about that species to conservation strategies in the wild. An education curator at a zoo was a completely novel concept in the 70s. It was meant to designate a professional who understood animals but also knew how to present the information about that animal species in the most engaging and scientifically accurate way and to measure impact on the audience. In my case, for a time I also had responsibility for all the Bronx Zoo’s animals in the children’s zoo and its handleable teaching collection of animals.

Download the full Interview with Annette Libeskind Berkovits

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

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“Like Sardinia’s Emerald Coast, Sara Alexander’s Under A Sardinian Sky will dazzle you with its glittering descriptions of the Mediterranean island, its exquisite culinary treasures, and authentic, beautiful people. But it is the heroine Carmela’s courage and heartbreaking choices that will leave you the most enchanted and racing through the novel to learn her extraordinary fate.” —Rosanna Chiofalo, author of Rosalia’s Bittersweet Pastry Shop

Sara Alexander’s Dazzling Debut Novel Weaves Family Secrets and Sweeping Romance in Post-WWII Sardinia

London actress and performer Sara Alexander has cultivated a successful career in television, movies, and theater, and now she is bringing her passion and talent for storytelling to the world of fiction with her gorgeous debut novel, Under A Sardinian Sky (Kensington Books, Paperback, $15.00, April 25, 2017). Set against the beautiful backdrop of post-World War II Sardinia, this evocative novel follows a travel writer as she unravels a family mystery and discovers the star-crossed romance between an American lieutenant and a local girl.

Under a Sardinian Sky: Sometimes a family’s deepest silences hide the most important secrets. For Mina, a London-based travel writer, the enigmatic silence surrounding her aunt Carmela has become a personal obsession. Carmela disappeared from her Italian hometown long ago and is mentioned only in fragments and whispers. Mina has resisted prying, respectful of her family’s Sardinian reserve—but now, with her mother battling cancer, it s time to learn the truth.

In 1952, Simius is a busy Sardinian town surrounded by fertile farms and orchards. Carmela Chirigoni, a farmer’s daughter and talented seamstress, is engaged to Franco, son of the area’s wealthiest family. Everyone agrees it’s a good match. But Carmela’s growing doubts about Franco’s possessiveness are magnified when she meets Captain Joe Kavanagh. Joe, an American officer stationed at a local army base, is charismatic, intelligent, and married. Hired as his interpreter, Carmela resolves to ignore her feelings, knowing that any future together must bring upheaval and heartache to both families.

As Mina follows the threads of Carmela’s life to uncover her fate, she will discover a past still deeply alive in the present, revealing a story of hope, sacrifice, and extraordinary love.

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Sara Alexander graduated from Hampstead School in London and went on to attend the University of Bristol, graduating with a BA hons. in Theatre, Film & TV. She followed on to complete her postgraduate diploma in acting from Drama Studio London. She has worked extensively in the theatre, film and television industries, including roles in much loved productions such as Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Dr. Who and Franco Zeffirelli’s Sparrow.

Q&A with Sara Alexander

How has your acting career influenced your writing?
I think the two are a complimentary pair. I’ve had the opportunity to work through a lot of wonderful texts by great writers and slip into the skin of others. This helps writing a great deal. There are many new skills that I’ve had to hone (and continue to do so!) however, which are not directly related. It’s a wonderful thing to work in two mediums that require you to travel both outside your world and very much into the heart of an internal world at the same time.

What is the inspiration behind Under a Sardinian Sky?
My Sardinian family. There are a lot of very strong women in my family who filled me with stories from since I can remember. This story is for them.

Why Sardinia?
It’s my true homeland. It’s the place I feel most grounded and inspired. I have felt bewitched by the place since I was a child.

Have you always wanted to be a novelist?
My first response would be “no”, but when my son asked me the same question just the other day, I remembered how much I loved creating stories at school, how I couldn’t wait to get my stories written for homework. Recently I found my first “books” in my attic, which I’d typed up as a child. So I think the true answer is “yes” though I never couched it in those terms, I just felt compelled to dream up tales. Stories make the world go round.

What are you working on next?
I’m almost half way into my second novel, which is set in Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. A dear friend inherited a house there and I have had a story rattling around my mind, set in that house, ever since I visited. I have a third book in mind which is also set in Italy, this time Sicily and Rome and will have a theatrical undertone. These stories are for a further two book deal with Kensington.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

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The 1960’s are one of the most fascinating and turbulent periods in America’s 20th century—and now, Rifka Kreiter sweeps readers into her life on the frontlines of the era’s most significant moments and movements, capturing her personal quest for liberation and self-discovery through her beautifully-written memoir, Home Free: Adventures of a Child of the Sixties (She Writes Press, May 16, 2017).

From Greenwich Village coffeehouses to a suicide attempt at age 18; from a face-to- face encounter with President Kennedy on the campaign trail and again as he lay in state after his assassination; Home Free is the incredible and inspiring true story of one woman’s journey to claim her freedom, heal her wounds, and find her voice during one of America’s most exciting, transformative eras.

About the Book

HOME FREE: After surviving a fraught childhood in New York and L.A., Rifka Kreiter revels in studying acting at the High School of Arts and dancing the Twist at the Peppermint Lounge. Her road leads through broken love affairs and virtually all the great
movements of the sixties, including civil rights marches in Mississippi, antiwar demonstrations in San Diego, and est seminars in Manhattan. On a deeper level, this is a profound quest to heal her psychic wounds and find spiritual meaning that she intuits lies beneath all the tumult of those times.

Here is an exploration of life’s deepest questions, as Rifka strives to bust free, be it with drugs, therapy or meditation. A triumphant story about a search for liberation on every level, Home Free ends with a
jaw-dropping discovery—one as unexpected as it is transformational.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: An astrologer once told RIFKA KREITER that a certain planetary conjunction in her chart signifies “an unusual life, full of unexpected happenings,” and this has certainly proved true. She studied acting at New York’s High School of Performing Arts, philosophy at City College of New York, and clinical psychology at Adelphi University. She worked as a waitress, hat-check
girl, and hearing researcher. She was Continuity Director at a New York radio station and Assistant Convention

Manager at the Concord Resort Hotel. More recently, she tutored SAT Prep courses and was Assistant Director of Admissions at a rural community college. Since 1976, she has been following an ancient yogic path; she lived in a meditation ashram for ten years, and traveled to India three times. Rifka currently teaches meditation.

At age fifty-five she met her life partner, an Upper West Side psychotherapist. They live happily together in suburban New Jersey. Learn more at RifkaKreiter.com.

Praise for Home Free

“This book is as bold, fearless, and brave as the young Riqui and as thoughtful and soulful as the adult, fully self-actualized Rifka. Raw at times, touching at others, and told with spirit, humor, and heart, Home Free holds nothing back as Kreiter takes the reader through a life that is as adventurous as it is remarkable.”— Leigh Gallagher, Assistant Managing Editor at Fortune, Co-chair of the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, and author of The Airbnb Story

“Utterly fearless in its openness, honesty, and risk-taking. Not merely a joyride down the rabbit hole of the counterculture, this is a story about survival and transcendence, told in a voice that is entirely authentic and that skirts the twin dangers of sensationalism and sentimentality. A truly absorbing and moving read.”– Céline Keating, author of Layla and Play for Me

“Kreiter’s journey through the Boomer zeitgeist on her quest for self-knowledge and self-fulfillment is the real thing. It is reminiscent without being melancholy, which makes it even more fun to read. You’ll remember the good old days but won’t necessarily wish to relive them, and will be moved by how Kreiter does.”– Marc Eliot, New York Times best-selling author of To the Limit: The Untold Story of the Eagles and Death of a Rebel: The Life of Phil Ochs

An Interview With Rifka Kreiter

Home Free is a very personal story – why did you decide to share it?
For younger readers, I wanted to convey what it really felt like to live through those extraordinary times; for my peers, I wanted to share the fun of revisiting the adventures of our youth, when drugs, sex and rock ‘n’ roll ruled and everything seemed possible. On a deeper level, I hope readers find encouragement and hope from seeing how one person, who thought she was lost in immutable darkness, found her way to a path of boundless light.

Did you always aspire to be an author?
My first love was acting, but when I was in sixth grade, at Palms Elementary School in L.A., I used to spend spare time each day, when I’d finished a classroom assignment, writing a story about an Inca prince. (We were studying South American history.) During recess I’d read the story to classmates and was delighted when they’d pester me to read the next day’s installment. But, contrarian as I often was, my journals in adolescence and young adulthood are full of statements like “I’m not really a writer…” Turns out, this was a case of “The lady doth protest too much.

Out of all your experiences, which was the most fun to write about? Which was the most challenging?
Writing about July 1969, the summer of Woodstock, was the most fun. It was great to recall the mind-blowing cross-Canada trip when it felt like our whole generation was out on the road. As I wrote, memories surfaced. I had forgotten about that crash pad my boyfriend and I found in Winnipeg, when our VW bus broke down on a holiday weekend. There, incense burned all day and sequined Indian print cottons were spread to cover chairs, windows, and beds. At night, we sat around in a circle with maybe eight other people, some travelers, some who lived there or nearby, passing joints, talking, listening to music. Most challenging was trying to communicate the profound impact and sheer wonder of (what I was so fortunate to have) spiritual experiences that transformed my life.

Out of all your experiences, which do you feel was the most formative, or transformative, for you as a person?
Home Free recounts many powerful experiences, formative and transformative. One of these was an LSD trip, the second and last time I dropped acid, at age thirty. At one point that night, the entire landscape of my life appeared before me in high relief, like a topographical map. I saw that every minute detail had its place—there was a perfect order: each wild occurrence, every miserable “mistake” I’d made, fit precisely into a coherent whole. From this vantage point, not one of my choices could or should have been different. Witnessing the unique perfection of everything that happened, it was obvious that all the worrying I had done was utterly superfluous to this higher order. Since that moment, I’ve never been able to take my worrying quite so seriously.

How do you feel that being a “child of the sixties” shaped who you are today?
For one thing, I still feel part of a huge generation, a family of compadres who share humanistic values and boundary-busting tendencies, though of course many have gone their separate ways in life. I’m still a rebel, still resist living a life of bourgeois conventionality. Here is my subjective image of “my generation:” Cool, laid back, dope-smoking, but active and creative. Freedom loving – above all, freedom-loving. “Talkin’ Bout my Generation…” I love it: I love the music, I love the values, I love the spirit. Long live the spirit of the sixties!

What advice would you give to others who may be experiencing a personal, spiritual journey?
First and foremost: MEDITATE! Regular meditation (even for a few minutes, regularly practiced) opens pathways to your inner wisdom. Learn to recognize that inner voice and let it steer you toward the books, teachers, paths that are right for you. Sooner or later, your sincere efforts will bear fruit.

What is the number one thing you hope readers take away from your book?
That a mysterious and boundless consciousness, whose nature is absolute joy, is real and accessible to all who truly seek it.

For more information:

Anglle Barbazon, publicist

angelle@JKSCommunications.com

(615) 928-2462

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

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SAN FRANCISCO – A classic treasure hunt story for the modern teen, St John Karp’s quirky YA novel “Skunks Dance” is a combination of the Wild West and Kurt Vonnegut-esque humor. Two present-day 17-year-olds go on a search for long-lost treasure, but an exploded car and an attack with a candy cake-topper lead them to make a gruesome discovery. Part murder mystery, part humor, “Skunks Dance” will keep you laughing to the finish with its unexpected twists and fast-paced wit.

Karp’s writing is quick, detailed and hilarious. His 2013 release “Radium Baby” was critically well-received, achieving a starred review from Kirkus.

“Throughout this adventure novel, Karp’s madcap imagination keeps readers hungering for the final outcome, and his prose sparkles with his flair for the absurd … A devilishly rich, satisfying scientific confection.”—Kirkus Reviews for “Radium Baby”

SKUNKS DANCE—Spivey Spillane’s grandmammy always said there were only two good reasons to kill a man — for cheating on a woman, and for serving drinks to a Yankee. She may have had a hand in winning the Revolutionary War, but even she never met the likes of Alabama Sam. Sam robs a bank under Spillane’s name, casts him in an obscene one-man play wearing only a pink tutu, and starts a betting pool on how many wieners he has. Despite the indignities Spillane suffers, he chases Sam across Gold-Rush-era California because Sam is the only one who knows the location of a hidden fortune buried somewhere in the hills.

Meanwhile in the present, 17-year-olds Amanda and Jet have rekindled an old childhood rivalry. Amanda is obsessed with finding the treasure of her infamous ancestor Spivey Spillane. Jet and Amanda’s feud comes to a head over an extended incident involving a broken window, an exploded car, and a charge of sexual assault with a candy Batman. Jet vows that he is going to find to Spillane’s gold before Amanda does, but it doesn’t take them long to realize that someone may have come this way already — someone who wants the past to stay buried.

San Francisco writer ST JOHN KARP is an ornamental hermit who likes to live near exciting things so he cannot go to them. He has an undying love for the unusual, the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and toast. His debut novel, RADIUM BABY, released in 2013. SKUNKS DANCE, Karp’s second novel, releases Jan. 24, 2017. For more information, visit: https://www.fuzzjunket.com/.

About the Book

SKUNKS DANCE
St John Karp • January 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-0989263061 (Hardback) • $21.95
YA Adventure

PRAISE FOR SKUNKS DANCE

“A colorful, exuberant romp with an appealing fortune-hunting duo.”—Kirkus Indie

“Karp has a skillful touch with vibrant phrasing, bigger-than-life characters and colorful description, such as: “Dreadnought Hospital loomed against the sky like the last rotting tooth in a mouth full of gums.”—Blueink Review

“Skunks Dance is solid, sarcastic, and bombastic young adult fare, certain to satisfy the appetites of all youngsters who have a taste for adventure.”—Foreword Clarion Reviews

“In St. John Karp’s novel SKUNKS DANCE, we follow two wild quests for hidden gold in two eras. Both timelines are populated with the cheerfully bizarre eccentrics of Skunks Dance, whether in the Gold Rush era and or in the present day.”—IndieReader Review

“Skunks Dance is an unusual beast, crossing classic Western stories with all sorts of other ideas. And best of all, it works beautifully. It’s difficult not to admire, really hooking you in from the get-go. The book develops a unique flavor that is really hard to put down. It’s an artfully quirky piece that riffs on a popular genre with infectious adoration and creative ingenuity to make a truly inspiring read.”—Self-Publishing Review

An Interview With St John Karp

What authors have influenced your writing the most and why?
People say I have a bit of Vonnegut in me, which is very flattering but only true in a figurative sense — I haven’t stolen his false teeth or anything. Of course I was addicted to Vonnegut growing up, but then I also love John Kennedy Toole, who wrote A Confederacy of Dunces. It’s one of the funniest novels of all time, and helpless indignation still cracks me up to this day. I’d also have to mention James Kennedy, whose novel The Order of Odd-Fish showed me that you can still write dazzling, hilarious, clever novels for teenagers. Somehow I’d got the idea that had gone out with hydrogen dirigibles and asbestos underpants.

Why did you choose to start writing YA novels? What about your voice really caters to that audience? 
I got into YA novels when I realized you can get away with pretty much anything except being boring. If you write for adults you instantly get shelved as one genre or another, but YA is kind of its own genre. No one bats an eyelid when you write about radium-obsessed teenagers in antique flying machines, or Old West vamps with guns that shoot round corners, or accidentally assaulting people with candy cake-toppers. The only thing you’re not allowed to do is be boring, which suits me fine. When a book spends ten pages telling me how the protagonist cooks dinner and how everyone’s hair smells, I’m halfway ready to drop-kick the thing into the street.

SKUNKS DANCE has very unique and endearing characters. Do those characters come to you first or do they just flow out of your writing?
I like to let them flow. Some people have fantastic brains and can see everything in advance, but I prefer to put a bunch of nascent characters in a room together and see how they interact. I’ll happily change the whole book to suit the characters. The entire Old West half of SKUNKS DANCE was never meant to happen — I just liked the characters so much I wanted to find out what happened to them next.

Writing effective humor is often difficult. What do you find to be the most effective way you create humor in your writing?
You’ll never make everyone laugh, and if you do then it won’t be interesting writing. There are never any hard rules for writing jokes, but I love wit and I think it’s important to take the reader by surprise. If the reader can guess the punch-line before it’s delivered, the joke is probably going to fall flat. Look at something like Rick and Morty — it refers heavily to popular science fiction, but even in plots we’ve seen before, we never know what the hell’s going to happen next. Or what Rick’s going to say. Or even the correct use of the dinglebop end of a plumbus.

1960s Westerns really inspired SKUNKS DANCE. What movies in particular most influenced your writing?
Well, 1960s British-made Westerns — the bad ones. I know nothing about the real Old West and I’m not especially interested in it. I don’t even like most Westerns. But comedy Westerns? Those things are brilliant, especially if it’s full of British actors who sound like they’ve never even heard an American accent. I can watch Carry On Cowboy (1965) or the Doctor Who serial The Gunfighters (1966) all day long. And have you seen the Hulu series Quick Draw (2013)? Amazing stuff. Let’s leave accuracy to the historians. Tell me a good joke and I’m anyone’s.

Who is your favorite character in SKUNKS DANCE? Who was the most fun to write?
My favorite character (and the most fun to write) is Spivey Spillane, our protagonist in the Old West. He wrote himself — I’d never intended to involve him in a complex plot, so for a long time I just let him fall into more and more elaborate and humiliating traps. He’s like us — not stupid or incompetent, but somehow surrounded by people who are either crazier or smarter than him so he can never win. Plus, he’s a cross-dressing cowboy, and if you saw him in that pink tutu I think you’d understand.

Both RADIUM BABY and SKUNKS DANCE involve an adventurous search. What is it that you love about the classic adventure search with a twist?
You have to be able to bring together characters who don’t like each other — that’s where you get your drama. There are lots of ways of doing that, but I like a search because it lets you take your characters to the moon and back, as long as you bring it round to the MacGuffin in the end. It also gives the novel a clear goal, even if you never get there or if the goal was illusory all along. Having done two of them now I’ll probably do something different for the next novel. A torrid love story between an ostrich and a potato. Or something.

For more information:

Anglle Barbazon, publicist

angelle@JKSCommunications.com

(615) 928-2462

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

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LOS ANGELES – Mark Lefko is a renowned business leadership strategist who coaches the world’s top corporate CEOs, presidents and executives on working with their teams and creating long-term value. In his new book, Global Sustainability: 21 CEOs Show How to Do Well by Doing Good (Jan. 24, 2017) Lefko seeks to inspire business executives to leverage sustainability leadership practices, teaching them how to do well while doing good.

“Global sustainability means ensuring that everyone on Earth has what he or she needs to survive and thrive,” Lefko says. “But in order for this to be feasible – and sustainable – businesses also need to be able to turn a profit.”

Smart businesses care about global sustainability, says Lefko, not because it’s good PR, but because it’s good business. That is why a growing number of leading CEOs are embracing it. Lefko’s book features insights from many top global executives gleaned from his one-on-one interviews with a range of leaders. Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson, Whole Foods Market co-CEO Walter Robb as well as other notable CEOs of global multinationals, Fortune 500 giants and visionary entrepreneurs share how they have embraced best practices related to leadership and sustainability designed to achieve the triple bottom line of people, planet and profit. “Global sustainability is about more than just doing good,” says Lefko, “it’s about doing well by doing good.”

“After reading this book you’ll understand how your company’s well-being is inextricably linked to that of your customers, your suppliers, your employees and the communities they live in. You’ll also gain an appreciation of how these matters are interconnected and how you can benefit from working at those intersections.” —Andrew Liveris, chairman & CEO of the Dow Chemical Company

MARK LEFKO has coached and mentored more than 100 CEOs and company presidents, bringing with him 35 years of real-world C-level business experience. A thought leader in the fields of leadership and sustainability, Lefko serves on several advisory boards and is known for his high-energy, insightful speaking engagements. As the Founder and CEO of Lefko Group, one of the nation’s leading facilitation firms, he has led countless strategic planning retreats, corporate think tanks, roundtables and peer groups. “Global Sustainability,” Mark’s second book, aims to inspire executives to rally around the concept of doing well while doing good.  He lives in Los Angeles, California. Learn more at www.marklefko.com.

Global Sustainability: 21 Leading CEOs Show How to Do Well By Doing Good

Mark Lefko • January 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-1683501763 (paperback) • $17.25 (paperback)
Business

An Interview with Mark Lefko

 What is global sustainability?
Lefko: For me, global sustainability means that everyone on our planet not only has the resources they need to survive but also to thrive over the long run. And if we want to do that, we need to tackle a range of issues that include extreme poverty, inequality and injustice. That’s why global sustainability is more than just an environmental issue: it includes other critical aspects such as financial and social sustainability as well.

Why is it important for businesses to incorporate global sustainability practices?
Lefko: Businesses have access to abilities and resources to make things happen – fast – in ways that governments and nonprofits sometimes cannot. Entrepreneurs and business people are skilled in using innovation and creativity to solve complex and costly problems, which is what we need on a global scale. And many businesses, especially those that believe in the power of a triple bottom line, are already making a positive difference in the world.

Who are some of the people you interviewed for your book, and why did you choose them?
Lefko: I am humbled by the all-star roster of people who were willing to invest their valuable time in talking to me about the critical importance of global sustainability. Inside my book, you will find insight from executives from a range of leading global companies including: Sir Richard Branson of Virgin; Ann Sherry, Carnival Australia; Paul Polman, Unilever; Andrew Liveris, Dow Chemical; Blake Mycoskie, Toms Shoes; Francois-Henri Pinault, Kering; Mark Benioff, Salesforce; Dave MacLennan, Cargill; Walter Robb, Whole Foods; and Cyrus Mistry, Tata Group. I chose these leaders because of their passion for global sustainability, as many of them are involved in the World Economic Forum and B Team.

If global sustainability is such an important and positive aspect for business, why do you think people are reluctant to make steps to change?
Lefko: I think that part of the answer is that there has historically been a lot of pressure on CEOs, especially those who run public companies, to satisfy Wall Street’s craving for short-term profits. It takes a courageous CEO, like many of those I interviewed, who is willing to aim higher than the short-term to achieve long-term sustainability and success. Unilever, for example, has stopped reporting its short-term earning as a way to widen its focus on sustainable business practices that will help it compete over the long term. There is also a movement emerging that is helping bring sustainable thinking into the mainstream, which will help drive more change in time.

Can you share another example of someone who is using sustainable business practices to improve their company?
Lefko: Every company I feature in the book has seen a positive impact on their business by embracing sustainable practices of all kinds. Salesforce.com, for example, began paying women equal to men last year – even though it cost them some $3 million. The result? They are now attracting more top talent among both men and women. Then there’s the Aspen Ski Company, which converts methane gas from a local coal mine into electricity they use to power their resort. Another example would be how Toms Shoes, which famously helps combat poverty through its buy-one, give-one program, has moved its production facilities to its destinations as a way to reduce both shipping costs and its carbon footprint at the same time.

What do you think is the biggest mistake companies make when trying to be sustainable?
Lefko: A few common mistakes I have seen are that many companies fail to include all of their stakeholders into the process of implementing sustainable practices. They also tend to get overwhelmed with the scope of making that change; they overthink the opportunities in front of them, which causes them to think they have to sacrifice profits to become sustainable. That’s why I encourage companies to start with smaller-scale projects first, such as pursuing financial sustainability by using, say, sustainable packaging, recycled materials and cutting back on waste.

What experiences lead to your passion for global sustainability in business?
Lefko: A big influence on me was that I want to see a future for my two kids, Nathan, 26, and Allegra, 23, in which they and their families can thrive and find happiness. But there are challenges we have to overcome to help make that happen. We know, for example, that we are pushing our planet’s resources to the brink, and population growth is only going to add to that pressure. I am a passionate supporter of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals Project. The people side of sustainability also inspires me: to help end poverty, inequality, and injustice around the world. And I think we can if we can get businesses around the world, those powerful agents of change, to become conscious leaders in driving toward global sustainability.

Why did you write your new book – Global Sustainability – 21 Leading CEOs Show How to Do Well By Doing Good?
Lefko: I was inspired to write my book as a way to raise greater awareness about the topic of global sustainability – particularly in the business world. I hope this book helps get CEOs from companies around the world to get involved and to do more in the communities they serve.

How are you hoping to change business people’s minds?
Lefko: My goal is to use my book to help inspire executives to rally around the theme of doing well by doing good. That’s a message I will also help spread through my keynote speaking, peer groups, coaching, facilitating and retreats. It’s a mission I am excited to get out of bed every morning to pursue.

For more information:

Anglle Barbazon, publicist

angelle@JKSCommunications.com

(615) 928-2462

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nashville, Tenn. – What if your family had been hiding a dark secret that changed their lives and, unknowingly, yours? That’s exactly the kind of secret J. Ronald M. York discovered when he found a box of letters and news clippings in a shed after his father’s death. Piecing together the bits of information he found in the box and from the living family members who knew about the crime, York uncovered his father’s sexual abuse toward children, a secret he carried to the grave and for which York’s father spent the rest of his life trying to make amends.

Releasing Jan. 24, 2017, “Kept in the Dark” is the story of a shocking crime that occurred before York could remember, but more importantly, it is a tale of unwavering love between York’s parents and the ability to forgive, a tale shared to create dialogue about the pain of child molestation and the victims who silently endure it. Though it is a story about the past, “Kept in the Dark” is a story that resonates today and shares both love and pain that is often kept hidden.

KEPT IN THE DARK: The jail was located on the top nine floors of the Dade County Courthouse in downtown Miami. The young father could look down from the 21st floor, to the street below. His wife and child would come each night, stand on the sidewalk and wave to him. They would flash the car lights to signal they were there and he, in return, would strike a match from his window to let them know he was watching. Although separated by just a few miles, they were only able to see each other each Sunday, for two hours, through glass and wire. Writing letters became their way of communicating and 100 letters were exchanged during an eight-week period. This was a secret my parents, family and a few close friends took to their graves. No one ever told me and I was too young to remember. And yet, a box containing the letters, yellowed newspaper clippings, faded photographs and cards of encouragement from friends was left for me after everyone was gone. Although the crime took place more than 60 years ago, it is still as current as today’s headlines. After much thought and reflection, I am ready to share this story. Controversial and uncomfortable, it is still deeply rooted in unwavering love. A horrific mistake was made leaving a family to heal, rebuild their lives and hopefully, forgive.

J. RONALD M. YORK graduated from Belmont University and spent the next two decades in the field of interior design before opening his first art gallery. When not at the gallery, York can be found in his studio painting, at his piano composing or assisting numerous nonprofit agencies with fundraising. He lives in Nashville.

About the Book “Kept in the Dark”

“Kept in the Dark”
J.Ronald M. York • January 24, 2017
Nonfiction • Memoir

An Interview with J. Ronald M. York

How did you find the box of letters your father kept hidden?
I knew I would not be keeping the family home after he passed away. We had lived there for 40 years and from attic to basement were things that I needed to go through and decide what to keep and what to put in the estate sale. It had been suggested to sell the items in the detached tool shed as a whole but still, I felt I needed to take a closer look. There was a trunk stored there and inside of the trunk, I found the box of letters.

Why do you think your parents kept the letters and newspaper clippings?
I honestly believe they were meant for me to find one day. That box had moved with us from Miami, to Chattanooga and three homes in Nashville. You don’t keep something like that and think no one will ever find it. Plus, I had always questioned why we had no contact with one set of relatives and the contents of the box offers the explanation.

How long did it take you to piece together your father’s story?
The letters and newspaper articles told the story, but I wanted to be able to fill in a few blanks with more detail. With the event happening 60 years earlier, everyone directly involved and mentioned in the letters had passed away. Plus there were a few things in the letters that were done in code to figure out. I lived with the story for two months before I could distance myself from it enough to begin research. It took several more months to bring it to this point. I would often find little nuggets that didn’t offer much insight and then later on find another that would tie them together.

Family secrets and child abuse are not easy issues to come to terms with, so it must have taken a lot of courage to tell this story. What made you decide to write a book?
The letters exchanged between my parents, as my dad was in jail awaiting trial, are such a time capsule of the 1950s that I felt they were a story on their own. But because of the subject of child abuse and the fact that I was sexually abused as a child, I felt it was important to come forward and share in hopes of helping others.

When sharing this story with people, what sort of response have you gotten?
I had kept this story close, sharing with only a handful of friends until the book was completed. But in that small circle, nearly half had their own stories to tell of it happening within their families.

Growing up, did you ever have any idea anything was out of the ordinary?
Honestly, I would have never guessed this. The only thing that never quite made sense was the separation between my mother and her older sister.

Your book discusses your mother’s undying love for your father. How do you think this crime affected her life and their marriage?
My mother stood by my father and as I read her letters and learned just a small bit of what she endured at the time, I realize she was much stronger than I would have imagined. As far as their marriage, I never saw conflict, but I have to believe she always lived with the fear of the possibility of it happening again.

If you could say something to your father today, what would you tell him?
At my age, there would be no hysterics. I had a wonderful childhood and an amazing relationship with my father in my adult life. So I can’t blame him for something I knew nothing about. But I would want him to know about my own childhood abuse, something I never shared with my parents as well as ask him if he had been abused as a child.

What do you hope readers will take away from “Kept in the Dark”?
I hope the reader will not focus solely on the crime to the point that they can’t see the strength in my parents’ marriage and how my father made amends. I also hope they can see by my example that abuse does not have to define you. And maybe be open to dialogue if it is something that they have endured and kept within.

For more information:

Anglle Barbazon, publicist

angelle@JKSCommunications.com

(615) 928-2462

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Mystery novelist Lori Rader-Day, middle grade author Kristen Kittscher named 2017 JKS Communications Authors-in-Residence

Nashville, Tenn. – JKS Communications has selected Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning novelist Lori Rader-Day and 2014 James Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence Kristen Kittscher as the book marketing and author publicity firm’s 2017 authors-in-residence.

Each year, JKS Communications chooses one adult genre author and one children’s author to honor and work closely with the company’s team of book publicists to gain a first-hand perspective on author promotions.

Rader-Day’s fantastic networking capabilities with industry professionals and Kittscher’s creativity throughout her book’s publication and publicity process, among their many other strengths and talents, will add unique insight to the book publicity firm.

Rader-Day and Kittscher succeed suspense writer Jenny Milchman and YA author Martina Boone, the JKS Communications 2016 authors-in-residence.

Based in Chicago, Rader-Day has turned heads with her intricate, complicated mystery novels. Her debut, “The Black Hour,” won the 2015 Anthony Award for Best First Novel and was a finalist for the 2015 Mary Higgins Clark Award. Her follow up novel, “Little Pretty Things,” won the 2016 Mary Higgins Clark Award and was named a 2015 “most arresting crime novel” by “Kirkus.”  Her third novel, “The Day I Died,” will be released by Harper Collins William Morrow on April 11. JKS Communications is working with Rader-Day on special pre-order and book club promotions to celebrate the new launch.

Kittscher is a former middle school teacher living in Pasadena, California, who turned to tween mystery writing and was the 2014 James Thurber House Children’s Writer-in-Residence. Her first novel, “The Wig in the Window,” received a starred review from “School Library Journal.” Her second novel, “Tiara on the Terrace,” was praised by “Kirkus” as “an entertaining mystery featuring kids who readily outsmart all the adults; what could be better?” Kittscher speaks to thousands of readers across the country in classrooms and at conferences and summer camps each year, and JKS Communications worked with Kittscher to develop a scavenger hunt to help libraries continue inspiring young readers.

JKS Communications is a full-service literary publicity firm offering cross-genre book marketing to authors across a variety of publishing platforms, including traditional, small press, indie and international. Learn more at www.JKSCommunications.com.

For more information:

Anglle Barbazon, publicist

angelle@JKSCommunications.com

(615) 928-2462

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

When fitness instructor Jane Schmidt moved from the city to rural Wisconsin, stories of her “single-girl-gone-country” adventures helped her become an award-winning columnist for the Crawford County Independent and Kickapoo Scout—and now she’s taking readers on a candid, insightful, and hilarious trip into her world with her new book, Not a Perfect Fit: Stories From Jane’s World (She Writes Press, April 11, 2017).

Not a Perfect Fit: Laugh-out-loud funny one minute and thought-provoking the next, Not a Perfect Fit includes stories detailing everything from Jane Schmidt’s experience living off-grid as the only English woman in an Amish neighborhood to family trips that are remarkably similar to National Lampoon’s Vacation. Through it all, Schmidt manages to rise above the many challenges she faces, inspiring and entertaining her audience along the way.

Filled with animal antics, gratitude, mishaps, and madcap adventures, Not a Perfect Fit’s tell-all, single-girl-gone-country, down-home stories give readers permission to laugh and cry—and, most important, to carry on.

Sheila Sherman (RealSmallTowns.com) celebrated the collection, saying “With humor, grace, and tenderness, Jane Schmidt gives her readers an entertaining peek into the layered life of a single mother, animal hoarder, and kick-ass fitness instructor—living a rustic life but still searching for the perfect wand of mascara and a respectable pair of jeans.”

JANE A. SCHMIDT is a columnist and the owner of two businesses, Fitness Choices and Turtle Adventures. When not teaching her fitness classes or encouraging women to get outside, she spends her time backpacking in places like the Grand Canyon, Superior Hiking Trail, and Isle Royale National Park; biking across Wisconsin; hiking and kayaking in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve; or just hanging out with her animal family in rural Viola, Wisconsin.

An interview with Jane A. Schmidt

 1. When did you make the move from the city to rural Wisconsin? Why?

I moved to the Driftless area of Wisconsin after the hype of the millennium in 2000. I spent a lot of time driving in the country when my daughter was small. I’d see an old cabin or a house that was falling apart and I’d think, if only I could buy that place. My dreams were of land, out-buildings, animals, and a quiet country life. I longed to get out of the city and live closer to the land, where I felt I’d have more room for living.

2. How did moving to rural Wisconsin impact your life?

The impact was huge. I had to start all over. I had no friends here, no job, and after a couple of months I was living off-grid. The learning curve was not only steep but sometimes dangerous. I cooked with a head-lamp on in order to see. The “hot plate” was connected to a propane tank under my cabin. I lived in fear every time I lit a match. I thought I’d blow myself and the cabin up. Every day I learn something new. Like don’t use the John Deere mower to blaze a hiking trail through your Amish neighbor’s hay field. Before moving here I spent all my free time getting away. I’d drive to the parks, small country towns, lakes, and rivers. I was camping out every chance I had. Now I live in the kind of areas I was always running too. I can finally slow down and walk!

3. What is your favorite part about living in the country? Is there anything you miss about city life?

I lived in apartments before moving to this area. I love the freedom of living alone, surrounded by trees and my animal family. Coming from apartment city living to my own home in the country is liberating. I feel I can live-out-loud better here. I miss ethnic restaurants, my family, and the many lakes I lived near when in the Milwaukee area.

4. How does your passion for fitness and wellness influence your stories?

My passion for a life lived outside has influenced my interest in fitness and wellness. I knew from the get-go that I needed to stay fit and healthy to live the life I wanted to. My stories revolve around my life. My passion for fitness and wellness is reflected in them.

5. Why do you think readers connect with your stories?

My stories are real. I talk about everyday happenings that some people would never admit to. Reading about walking through an airport with toilet paper hanging off my rear end or mixing up the words circumcise and circumnavigate allows people to relax and find the humor in their own lives. In the end, we’re all just people trying to do the best that we can. Not a Perfect Fit reeks of humanness.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/

Nationally-acclaimed author Donna Levin (Extraordinary Means and California Street) has been hailed as “a novelist to keep high on your reading list” by the Los Angeles Times, and her extraordinary reputation proves true yet again with the release of her newest novel, There’s More Than One Way Home ($15.99, Paperback, Chickadee Prince Books, May 1, 2017). The novel has already been praised by Kirkus, Foreword, and more, and follows a mother who faces increasing hostility and an uncertain future when her son Jack, a young boy with Asperger’s syndrome, is accused of killing a classmate.

Levin’s first novel, Extraordinary Means (William Morrow), was celebrated by Kirkus as a “a witty, clear-eyed debut,” and the San Francisco Chronicle described it as “an extraordinarily lively, funny novel.” The Los Angeles Times called her second novel, California Street (Simon & Schuster) “inventive…thought-provoking and fun to read,” and The San Francisco Examiner called it “a lifeboat in a sea of featureless fiction.” Both of Donna’s novels were optioned for film.

Donna taught fiction writing for two decades, most notably at the University of California Extension at Berkeley. In addition to her novels, she has published two books about writing, Get that Novel Started! and Get that Novel Written! (Writer’s Digest Books). Her work is included in the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center at Boston University and in the California State Library’s collection of California novels.

There’s More Than One Way Home: Anna Kagen seems to have it all: She’s young, beautiful, and married to a wealthy, prominent man. But within the walls of her San Francisco mansion, she spends her time dodging her husband’s barbs and hunting down potential friends for her son, Jack, a 10-year-old on the autistic spectrum. That old life suddenly seems idyllic when, on a school field trip, she makes the small error in judgment that sets in motion a chain of events that leads to another boy’s death. Suddenly Jack is a suspect, her husband’s career is in jeopardy, and Anna has to choose between loyalty to her son…and what may be her one chance at happiness.

A novel that Kirkus hails as “reminiscent of Liane Moriarty,” this compelling, challenging, and beautifully written story “deals substantively with issues like autism, and stands to appeal to a broad audience,” (Foreword Reviews, 4 Stars).

About the Publisher: Chickadee Prince Books is a young Brooklyn small publisher of acclaimed fiction and non-fiction. CPB publishes the Watt O’Hugh literary science fiction series, and in 2016 published the critical hit, Max’s Diamonds by Jay Greenfield. CPB will publish five new titles in Spring 2017.

Marissa DeCuir

A former award-winning journalist with national exposure, Marissa now oversees the day-to-day operation of the Books Forward author branding and book marketing firm, along with our indie publishing support sister company Books Fluent.

Born and bred in Louisiana, currently living in New Orleans, she has lived and developed a strong base for our company and authors in Chicago and Nashville. Her journalism work has appeared in USA Today, National Geographic and other major publications. She is now interviewed by media on best practices for book marketing.

booksforward.com/about-us/marissa-decuir/