In honor of National Biographers Day (May 16), this Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" episode features author Judith Lissauer Cromwell who discusses her book “Good Queen Anne: Appraising the Life and Reign of the Last Stuart Monarch.” Queen Anne was not charismatic, brilliant, or beautiful, yet England rose from the chaos of regicide, civil war and revolution to the cusp of global supremacy under her rule. In “Good Queen Anne: Appraising the Life and Reign of the Last Stuart Monarch,” author Judith Lissauer Cromwell re-examines the three-centuries-old portrait of Queen Anne as told by her dearest friend and deadliest enemy Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough. More athttps://www.judithcromwell.com/

From the Andes to Patagonia, this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures with Linda Ballou" covers her 17-day sojourn into South America with Overseas Adventure Travel. You can read her stories on her South American experiences on NABBW.org here: * Chile: https://tinyurl.com/5n8caxzj * Patagonia: https://tinyurl.com/33ffa7be

When Linda visited Chile and Patagonia, conservation efforts spearheaded by Kristine Tompkins were underway. When her husband, Doug Tompkins, died in a kayaking accident in 2015, she picked up the pieces of their shared dream to purchase millions of acres in Patagonia and Chile with the plan to give the land to the government to create a national park system that would rival the one we enjoy here in the U.S. In this Ted Talk she provides all the details with images of the transformation she is leading in Patagonia and Chile. https://youtu.be/UWothcLpazU?si=pwm6HXxkzWnjcnzM

In 2023 National Geographic produced the film "Wild Life" spotlighting Tompkins efforts. Trailer: https://films.nationalgeographic.com/wild-life

Follow Linda Ballou's adventures at https://lostangeladventures.com/ and learn more about her books at http://www.lindaballouauthor.com/

Listen to Big Blend Radio's "Lost Angel Travel Adventures" Show every 3rd Wednesday at High Noon PST, here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzIUCV2e7qm3Bmktgu8osUzx2VOF35dgO&feature=shared

This episode of Big Blend Radio features author Anna Monardo who discusses her new and award-winning memoir, "After Italy: A Family Memoir of Arranged Marriage" (Bordighera Press, May 14, 2024).

Author of "The Courtyard of Dreams" and "Falling in Love with Natassia," Anna pivots from her career as an established fictional author to reveal the truths she discovered while investigating her family’s story. Starting in Southern Italy, 1948 leading to the U.S. and igniting a family feud so volatile it leads to separation, domestic violence, and an inescapable legacy of fractured love. At 39, caught in her own failing “marriage of convenience,” Anna looks to her family’s immigration history as she charts her personal path to self-discovery and the adoption of her son.

Anna’s story speaks to those breaking the cycle of family trauma, the cultural conflicts among immigrant families, and the risks we take when going against family expectations. More: https://annamonardo.com/

This Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" Podcast features author Chrissy Holm who discusses her inspirational coming-of-age memoir, "Finding Sunlight: A Coming-of-Age Memoir About Love Within the Wreckage of Purity Culture."

In “Finding Sunlight” (Wise Ink, November 14, 2023), Chrissy separates purity culture, LGBTQ religious trauma, and a patriarchal father-daughter relationship from all the possibilities of meaningful love. More: https://www.chrissyholm.com/

A summer spent in a small village in Kenya allowed Barbara Clarke to embrace a new aspiration: to be a complete person — funny, compassionate, complex and often flawed. This episode of Big Blend Radio "From the Vault" podcast features Barbara Clarke, writer, author of “The Red Kitchen,” an intimate memoir that depicts change and discovery between mom and daughter, and how it’s never too late to come of age. More: barbaraclarke.net/

Featured music is “Wake Up” by Jennifer Saran.

As a Mother's Day Tribute to Nurturing Yourself, this episode of Big Blend Radio's SOUL DIVING SUNDAY Show with transformational life coach Shelley Whizin focuses on how to embrace self-care. As Shelley says, "Celebrating Mother’s Day often revolves around honoring the incredible women who have nurtured us. Yet, amidst the busyness of life and caretaking responsibilities, many mothers forget a crucial person in their nurturing equation: themselves. This Mother’s Day let’s explore the beautiful journey of self-care and reflect on the importance of mothering oneself with as much love and tenderness as we give to others." Read her article about it all, here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/embrace-self-care/ SHELLEY WHIZIN is the founder and CEO of the Soul Diving Institute™ and author of "What Do You Bring to the Table? A Savory, Sensory and Inspirational Guide to Living a Yummy Delicious Life." Keep up with her here: https://www.shelleywhizin.com/ Tune into Big Blend Radio's "Soul Diving Sunday with Shelley" show every first Sunday here: http://tinyurl.com/2bjbectk

Celebrate National Walking Month on this episode of Big Blend Radio's "Food, Wine & Travel" Show with IFWTWA, travel writer Marni Patterson talks about her 10-day experience in Northern Greece where she traveled through centuries of history.

Hear how she walked in the footsteps of Alexander the Great and Paul the Apostle, saw monasteries that date back to the 11th century, monuments to World War I, met revolutionary heroes, and saw tragic reminders of Nazi occupation. She also discovered some fascinating women's history. You can read her article about it all here: https://blendradioandtv.com/listing/ancient-northern-greece/

Marni Patterson is a freelance travel writer, photographer and videographer in Phoenix, AZ who writes about destination travel, local customs and cultures, and history. Keep up with her at https://mptravelwriting.com

Learn more about the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA) at https://www.ifwtwa.org/

Follow this podcast: https://food-wine-travel.podbean.com/

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month, this episode of Big Blend Radio features filmmaker Jennifer Takaki who discusses the making of the documentary, "Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story," and how photographer Corky Lee influenced her work. For 50 years, Chinese American photographer Corky Lee documented the celebrations, struggles, and daily lives of Asian American Pacific Islanders with epic focus. Determined to push mainstream media to include AAPI culture in the visual record of American history, Lee produced an astonishing archive of nearly a million compelling photographs. His work takes on new urgency with the alarming rise in anti-Asian attacks during the Covid pandemic. Jennifer Takaki’s intimate portrait reveals the triumphs and tragedies of the man behind the lens. Learn more at: https://photographicjustice.com/ The film will have a nationwide US television release, premiering Monday, May 13 at 10/9C on PBS (check local listings) and on PBS apps to follow. More at: https://www.pbs.org/show/photographic-justice-the-corky-lee-story/ Filmmaker Jennifer Takaki is a fourth generation Japanese American from Colorado. She began her career in journalism at a Denver TV station and later moved to Hong Kong to work with Encore International. In Hong Kong she produced English-based news programming broadcast in China, India, and the Middle East via Rupert Murdoch’s STAR-TV. In New York, she produced and directed “Photographic Justice: The Corky Lee Story” which premiered at DOC NYC and was supported by the Ford Foundation and The Center for Asian American Media (CAAM). She was awarded the prestigious Better Angels Lavine Fellowship in 2023.