Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
An American expat residing overseas in London, Kalliope Lee makes her novel debut with “Sunday Girl” (Psychopomp Press). Set in 1991 Seoul, the book tells the story of two college-age friends struggling to live with the violent attack they both survived. One of the young women becomes obsessed with the plight of Korea’s “comfort women” — girls who were forced into sexual slavery to serve the Japanese Army during World War II.
Justin Roberts doesn’t think it’s all that unusual that he went from being a Montessori preschool teacher to a Grammy-nominated musician. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter wrote intelligent, catchy songs to sing to his young students. Roberts has consistently made Amazon.com’s Top 10 Children’s CDs of the Year list, and performed his music on the “Today” show and Nick Jr. His single “Get Me Some Glasses” also was featured on a World Series broadcast. He’s currently touring with his band, The Not Ready for Naptime Players, to promote his latest album, “Recess.”
Grits and Glamour celebrated the completion of its CD “Dos Divas” in a relaxing way. The duo — comprised of country music stars Pam Tillis and Lorrie Morgan — took a trip to Mexico. “We went with our husbands on a couples’ getaway to celebrate the wrap of our new album and stayed at Garza Blanca Preserve Resort and Spa in Puerto Vallarta,” says Morgan. “We were treated like royalty and I’m ready to go back.”
Like her father, Arthur, Pauline Frommer writes travel guidebooks. She also hosts the nationally syndicated radio program, “The Travel Show” with her dad. But when she was a teenager flying around the world with her parents, Frommer wasn’t always enamored with the travel lifestyle. “I dreaded going on trips with my parents,” says the fortysomething New Yorker. “I found it very difficult to be away from my friends. And since my parents were travel writers, a lot of what we did when we traveled was fact checking, which can be dull, if you’re not the one doing the checking.”
Beach volleyball player Sean Rosenthal has played in two Olympics so far and, if he gets his wish, he’ll be competing at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, too. “I hope to make the U.S. squad for a variety of reasons,” says the 33-year-old athlete, who’s based in California. “It’d be such an honor to get to represent the United States again. And, there’d be the added bonus of getting to play in Brazil, which has always shown an amazing amount of love for volleyball. The people are so enthusiastic about the sport, which makes it a lot of fun to play there.”
HGTV’s “Red, Hot and Green” host Carter Oosterhouse and his wife, actress Amy Smart, enjoy living green. So, it’s fitting that the former “Trading Spaces” carpenter is one of the go-to guys when a program needs a telegenic lifestyle expert for advice on eco-living. A regular contributor to the “Rachael Ray Show,” the 36-year-old television personality also hosts HGTV’s “Carter Can.”
Chef Gerry “G.” Garvin is an author and a James Beard Award nominee for best food personality. As the host of the Cooking Channel’s “Road Trip with G. Garvin” — currently in its second season — the 44-year-old Atlanta resident crisscrosses the country to find the best Southern-inspired dishes. His cookbooks include “Turn Up the Heat with G. Garvin.”
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif., where she still resides, Regina King starred as Marla Gibbs’ daughter on the popular ’80s sitcom, “227.” Unlike many child actors who fade away after a few years in the spotlight, the 42-year-old actress worked steadily through the years opposite Tom Cruise, Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock and Cuba Gooding Jr. King recently starred in the series “Southland” and has a recurring role on “The Big Bang Theory.”
Born in Colon, Panama, and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Gary Forbes had basketball on his mind when he was growing up. When he discovered he had Type 1 diabetes, he worried that it would derail his NBA plans. But, with the help of his diabetic father, he learned to navigate his way around his illness. After brief stints with the Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets, the 28-year-old athlete last played for the Chinese Basketball Association’s Zhejiang Guangsha Lions. Forbes’ latest project is TypeOneTwo.org, an online forum he created to help young people learn how to live full lives with diabetes.
LeAnn Rimes will be the first one to tell you that she likes to be in control of just about every aspect of her life, including travel. “I’m very hands on when it comes to planning trips,” the 30-year-old singer says, laughing. “I really would love to go on a safari. That’s the next thing I want to do, and I’ve been planning it for a couple years now. I’m looking forward to going away with my husband (actor Eddie Cibrian).” But first, Rimes will tour to promote her new CD “Spitfire.”