Starlight Investments Partners with Author Jackie Burns to Launch New Children’s Book Highlighting Importance of Community

28 September 2024

Starlight Investments (“Starlight”), one of Canada’s leading providers and developers of purpose-built rental housing, is proud to announce a partnership with “The Condo Kids” author Jackie Burns, to launch a new children’s book celebrating the diversity and experiences of its residents and embracing the power of community.

“Ivan’s Garden of Hope” tells the story of a young boy who immigrates to Canada and struggles to adjust to his new life. His mother also misses her family, friends and favourite comfort foods. Determined to bring the sparkle back to her eyes, Ivan enlists the help of his new neighbours at their multi-family apartment residence. With the property’s community garden as a backdrop, they embark on a creative mission to cure his mom’s homesickness by creating her favourite meal for an upcoming potluck. Ivan’s project blossoms into a vibrant symbol of hope, reminding his mother and the entire community of the strength found in connection.

“I am thrilled to partner with Starlight Investments to share ‘Ivan’s Garden of Hope’ with children and families across Canada,” said Burns, who met with residents and their children to gain inspiration for the story. “With so many Canadian families raising their children in multi-family apartment buildings, I believe it’s important for kids to see their lives reflected in literature. The story speaks to the universal desire for belonging and the powerful role of finding community.”

Thousands of copies of the book – brought to life by illustrator Ana Patankar – are being given to residents within Starlight communities across Canada. Starlight also recently gifted copies of “Ivan’s Garden of Hope” along with gardening kits to families as part of Mother’s Day festivities and at community garden planting events at its residences.

“At Starlight, we are committed to fostering strong communities within our residences,” said David Chalmers, President, Canadian Residential at Starlight Investments. “We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with Jackie Burns on a children’s book that celebrates the diversity of our residents and the importance of building connections with one another. ‘Ivan’s Garden of Hope’ is an inspiring reminder that even in the face of change, hope can always be found through the collective spirit of a community.”

About Starlight Investments
Starlight Investments is a leading global real estate investment and asset management firm with CAD $28B AUM. A privately held owner, developer and asset manager of over 68,000 multi-residential suites and over 7 million square feet of commercial property space, we offer a range of investment vehicles across various real estate strategies. Starlight’s guiding mission is to balance our tenure with visionary curiosity to create positive impact for investors and communities alike. At Starlight, we invest with impact. Learn more at www.starlightinvest.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.

About Jackie Burns
Jackie Burns and her husband raise their two teenage boys in a Toronto condo. She has spent more than 20 years working in the Toronto media as a reporter, online writer/editor and TV producer. She is the author of “The Condo Kids” series, inspired by the adventures of her children and their friends in a high-rise community.

Sneak Peek: The Untold Prophecy Tome II By Jonni Jordyn

Jocie McKade

28 September 2024

The Untold Prophecy Tome II
The Lost Art of Magic Book Two
The escape into magic continues by, Jonni Jordyn

After Destiny unlocks the power of magic, and the first prophecy has been fulfilled, magic finds its way into the hands of a most vile and unscrupulous young girl. In her hands, the power grows and without the discipline needed to control it, her lust for more power grows with it. She unleashes her rage upon the world and thus begins the second, untold prophecy. Destiny may be the only one powerful enough to face her, but even she may not be ready. She is driven to find a way to protect her family while confronting her new nemesis, but her youth also drives her along its own reckless path with devastating consequences.

Amazon.com: The Untold Prophecy: Tome II (The Lost Art of Magic Book 2) eBook : Jordyn, Jonni, Rae, Deena: Kindle Store

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jonni Jordyn was born in Oakland, California in 1957. She started writing at an early age, writing music, poetry, short stories, radio, film, and stage scripts. She didn’t start writing novels until later in life, after she retired from playing music, and found herself travelling away from home for extended periods.

She currently lives in Denver, Colorado.

New book explores the lives of monkeys rescued to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary

Jocie McKade

27 September 2024

Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, announces the release of From Harm to Healing: Sanctuary Stories of Rescue, Resilience, and Recovery, a new photo book by wildlife photographer Ruth Montiel Arias, with words by Born Free USA’s Director of Animal Welfare and Advocacy, Dr. Liz Tyson.

With more than 80 photographs, the book explores the lives of eight monkeys rescued from exploitative and abusive situations and rehomed to the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary. The South Texas sanctuary, which is one of the largest in the United States, is situated on 175 acres and serves as a permanent home to primates, including those liberated from the pet trade, roadside zoos, and animal experimentation.

“Our team works extremely hard to rescue these beautiful creatures from harmful situations,” Tyson said. “Private owners don’t understand the negative repercussions of forcing a wild animal to live in a human home or the enormous suffering that it causes. Rescue and providing a haven doesn’t erase those scars or remove that trauma. Rehabilitation takes time and effort, and that’s the story we wanted to share in this book.”

From Harm to Healing: Sanctuary Stories of Rescue, Resilience, and Recovery not only shares the stories of long-awaited rescues but also the challenges that come from adapting to life in a sanctuary. With photographs by Montiel Arias, and insight from Tyson, who has 20 years of experience working in animal protection, and other sanctuary caregivers, the book offers an in-depth look at the complexities of rehabilitation.

“In the book, you will meet Darwin, an olive baboon with a love for life and his caregivers. Khy the Japanese macaque, who was surrendered to us after he bit his former owner and went on to spend more than a decade at our sanctuary. Freeman the long-tailed macaque, who was kept in some of the most horrific conditions we have ever seen but now lives full-time with best friend, Sissy. Our work has provided a home for more than 1,000 monkeys over the years. We can only introduce our readers to a small number, but each one has their own story. The monkeys are beloved to all who know them and we hope our readers will love them, too.”

From Harm to Healing: Sanctuary Stories of Rescue, Resilience, and Recovery is published by Lantern Publishing & Media and is available online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from Lantern Publishing.

To learn more about the Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary and the monkeys who live there, please visit https://www.bornfreeusa.org/primate-sanctuary/.

About Born Free USA
Born Free USA works to ensure that all wild animals, whether living in captivity or in the wild, are treated with compassion and respect and are able to live their lives according to their needs. We oppose the exploitation of wild animals in captivity and campaign to keep them where they belong—in the wild. Born Free USA’s Primate Sanctuary is the largest in the United States and provides a permanent home to primates rehomed from laboratories or rescued from zoos and private ownership.

We’re social: www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa, www.instagram.com/bornfreeusaorg, www.tiktok.com/@bornfreeusaorg.

PODCAST:: Saving Christmas with Author Dr. Roger Leslie on Book Lights

Jocie McKade

27 September 2024

Saving Christmas with Author Dr. Roger Leslie on Book Lights

LISTEN HERE!

Dr. Roger Leslie is a scholar in the fields of success and education. Through major literary houses, medium and small presses, and his own publishing house, Leslie has published fiction and nonfiction books in multiple genres: historical fiction, inspirational self-help, spirituality, writing and publishing, movie reference, teaching and librarianship, biography, history, and memoir.

Leslie has won numerous national awards including ForeWord Book of the Year, The Ben Franklin Award, and Writer’s Digest’s #1 Inspirational Book of the Year. At its inaugural event, Leslie received the Houston Literary Award for his body of work.

Leslie is in demand as a teacher, coach, and keynote speaker. He is also a sought-after speaker for his lively, entertaining keynotes relating award-winning movies to any topic or group.

In every book and presentation, Leslie entertains, inspires, and empowers people to live the life they dream and soar toward their own ideal of success. For more, visit RogerLeslie.com

And for more about our host Lisa Kessler visit http://Lisa-Kessler.com

Book Lights – shining a light on good books!

Here’s a quick look at No Stranger Christmas:

Teased by his brothers.

Tricked by a school rival.

Tailed by a vengeful stranger.

Frankie’s Christmas Eve nativity puts him center stage. He’ll either come out on top . . . or six feet under.

While trying to save Christmas for his financially struggling family, 14-year- old Frankie Lincoln finds the courage to explore his artistry, stand up to gay discrimination, and pursue first love.

The House Filler By Tong Ge

Jocie McKade

27 September 2024

The House Filler
A moving and powerful historical epic by critically acclaimed author, Tong Ge

A family saga set in China during the most tumultuous time of the twentieth century including the Japanese invasion, the civil war, and the Communist takeover.

The House Filler is told through the experiences of Golden Phoenix, a woman who faces war, poverty, and political oppression as she fights for survival, freedom and happiness. After the untimely death of her husband, Golden Phoenix is determined to keep her family together. However, poverty forces her to make the heart-wrenching decision to give her teenage twins to the Red Army. During the upheaval of the Japanese invasion of her hometown, she is separated from her two young girls, and her remaining son leaves to fight with the Nationalist army. Golden Phoenix, along with her adopted son, remains to endure the horror and hardship of war. When the civil war ends with the Communists in power in 1949, one of her twins, who had joined the Communist Party, is wrongly accused of being a traitor and is sentenced to death. Golden Phoenix and her family must find a way to save her son’s life.

Ronsdale Press » House Filler, The

The House Filler: Ge, Tong: 9781553806981: Books – Amazon.ca

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Born and raised in China, Tong Ge came to Canada in the late 80s as an international student. She has obtained a Master of Science degree from University of Saskatchewan in 1992. Since 2012, she has written under both her real name and the pen name Tong Ge, publishing poems, prose, and short stories in both English and Chinese across North America, England, and Taiwan. Her works can be found in publications such as PRISM International, Canadian Stories, Ricepaper, Academy of the Heart and Mind, FLOW magazine, Vineyard Poetry Quarterly, 渥水, 远方的诗, Polyglot Magazine, Aloka Magazine, Magnets and Ladders. With four literary prizes already received, she is also a finalist for four others. Her debut novel, “The House Filler,” was published in Canada in 2023 and is among the five finalists worldwide for the 2023 Eyelands Book Awards historical fiction + memoir category and is the winner of the 2024 Independent Press Award for new fiction.

Scholastic Kids Press Celebrates 25th Class of Student Journalists

Jocie McKade

26 September 2024

Today, Scholastic welcomes 27 student journalists to join the award-winning Scholastic Kids Press program. Since 2000, more than 500 Kid Reporters, ages 10–14, from around the world, have participated in the program and developed skills related to media literacy, including how to vet sources, think and write critically, and understand the robust impact of multimedia storytelling.

Meet the 25th class of Kid Reporters: https://kpcnotebook.scholastic.com/about-kids-press

In the program’s 25-year history, Scholastic Kid Reporters have shared local, national, and international stories with their peers under the guidance of their editor based in New York City. The students reported on historic turning points, including the September 11 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, several U.S. presidencies, Winter and Summer Olympic Games, National STEAM Day, Comic-Con, and the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also interviewed such influential figures as CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper; civil rights activist Ruby Bridges; Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Lin-Manuel Miranda; conservationist Jane Goodall; former First Lady and President of the United States Michelle and Barack Obama; former Vice President Mike Pence, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor; New York Yankees shortstop Aaron Judge; Captain Underpants and Dog Man creator Dav Pilkey; and more.

Many former Kid Reporters have pursued careers in journalism, working for outlets such as ABC, NBC, CBS, The Los Angeles Times, Politico, and USA Today. Others have found success in fields outside of journalism, in civil service, the U.S. military, the arts and humanities, and more.

This 25th cohort is composed of new and returning student journalists, representing all four regions of the U.S., as well as several countries, including Australia, Brazil, China, the Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and the United Kingdom.

According to the Scholastic whitepaper Reading for Life, as children encounter the lives of others through storytelling, they naturally cultivate self-awareness, empathy, and compassion for the struggles of others. Scholastic Kids Press encourages students to uncover news through interviews with key members of their community while fact-checking, cross-referencing, and analyzing information to provide news for their peers, all with the gentle and constructive guidance of a trusted editor. With an emphasis on media literacy and unbiased reporting, Kid Reporters learn a comprehensive approach to shedding light on community happenings and the topics that matter most to kids. They also receive a unique opportunity to meet with experts, leaders, and newsmakers.

QUOTES:

Suzanne McCabe, Editor, Scholastic Kids Press, said: “I’m thrilled to celebrate the 25th class and all the young reporters who have gone through our program. It has been a highlight of my career to mentor and teach these brilliant students from all over the world. Each year, these young people get to chase their curiosities and passions as they learn to believe in their ability to write, speak, and participate in a local and global community of readers.”

Nicholas Wu, Reporter at POLITICO, and former Kid Reporter, said: “Scholastic Kids Press was a cool, tactile experience where I learned how to interview someone and how to write a story. Regardless of whether Scholastic Kid Reporters pursue journalism or not, I hope they learn the importance of a free press and of asking hard questions. I found these skills, along with the experiences I had, invaluable, and I hope many others do too.”

Evy Bingle, 11-year-old Kid Reporter, said: “Scholastic Kids Press has unlocked countless opportunities for me. It allows me to build community, inspire change, and spread knowledge. This adventure is truly once-in-a-lifetime.”

To learn more about Scholastic (NASDAQ: SCHL), the global children’s publishing, education, and media company, visit the Company’s media room: mediaroom.scholastic.com.

Allison Holker to Release Her Memoir, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss and Embracing The Light

Jocie McKade

26 September 2024

In this candid and emotional memoir, Allison Holker opens up about her incredible dance career, her relationship with Stephen “tWitch” Boss, and the resilience that has carried her forward after
his death.

Today, Harper Select announced that they will publish the upcoming memoir from Allison Holker, This Far: My Story of Love, Loss, and Embracing the Light on February 4, 2025.

Allison Holker was just eighteen when she found fame as a contestant on the reality TV show So You Think You Can Dance. Over the next several years, she had her first child, built a successful career as a professional dancer despite the industry being hostile to working moms, and fell in love with and married fellow dancer Stephen Boss, the former hype man and DJ of The Ellen DeGeneres Show known for his charisma and relentless positivity. Two more children and a wealth of professional opportunities for both Allison and Stephen followed, and the Bosses appeared to be one of the great Hollywood love stories.

Then, in December 2022, Stephen took his own life, leaving Allison to wrestle with unanswered questions, haunting what-ifs, and the heartbreaking realization that Stephen’s infectious joy was hiding pain, addictions, and self-doubt deeper than anyone knew.

For the first time, Allison reveals how she has navigated the emotional and financial aftermath of Stephen’s choice, guided their three children in their grief while managing the outpouring from a well-meaning public, and reopened herself to the next chapter in her professional and personal life. A beacon of hope and comfort for anyone experiencing grief—especially unexpected loss due to suicide—Allison’s story is an honest reflection on the pain of looking back on a complicated life and the resilience required to move into the future.

In an exclusive announcement with People Magazine, Holker shared, “I really hope I can be an advocate and a voice to people that feel alone or left behind. I want them to see that life can keep going, and that’s why the book’s called This Far, because it is not the end. This is just the beginning of a new [chapter].”

“Allison’s book is brave, vulnerable, and a true testament to the power we all have to move forward in hope, even in the midst of tragedy,” said Matt Baugher, SVP at HarperCollins and Publisher of Harper Select. “She is already an inspiration to millions of people, and I believe this honest story will endear her to many more.”

This Far will be available on February 4, 2025, in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, with Holker narrating. You can pre-order today at: www.thisfarbook.com.

ABOUT ALLISON HOLKER:
Allison Holker first burst onto the scene when she competed in Season 2 of So You Think You Can Dance. Her skill and popularity led her to return as an All-Star on the show in Season 7, where she met fellow dancer Stephen “tWitch” Boss, whom she married in December of 2013.

An Emmy-nominated choreographer and on-air personality, Allison was last seen as a judge on So You Think You Can Dance and was featured as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars. She appeared in the first two seasons of VHl’s scripted series Hit the Floor and performed in A Chance to Dance, Make Your Move, and High School Musical. She has served as cohost of Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, E!’s The Funny Dance Show, her own digital series Dance Like a Boss, alongside tWitch, which aired on EllenTube, and host of HGTV’s most popular competition series, Design Star: Next Gen where talented designers, renovators, and social media brand-builders compete in intense weekly challenges.

Allison is also the author of a children’s book, Keep Dancing Through, an ambassador for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the founder of the Move with Kindness Foundation.

Allison is a devoted mother to her three children, Weslie, Maddox, and Zaia.

Thoughts of a Warrior By Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

Jocie McKade

26 September 2024

Thoughts of a Warrior
A poetry book of passion designed to fight depression by mental health advocate, Randi-Lee Bowslaugh

This is the follow-up poetry book to Thoughts of a Wanderer. The poems depict climbing out of a deep depression to take back a life that was felt to be meaningless.

Tears, heartache, trauma and depression.
Is life worth it? That is the question.
Making no more concession,
It is time to take possession.

Enjoy the passionate poems that show we should never give up on ourselves and our life. Each poem is accompanied by a nature photo bringing the beauty of world and words to life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Randi-Lee was born and raised in Ontario, Canada and from a young age she had a passion for helping others. She attended Niagara College and graduated at the top of her class from Community and Justice Services, after completing her placement at a recovery house for alcohol and drug addictions. Post-graduation she worked at a Native Friendship Centre for two and a half years while pursuing a university education in psychology. Randi-Lee continued working in social services for another four years as an employment counselor until she left to pursue her other passions.

Randi-Lee is an author and outspoken advocate for mental health sharing her true story with honesty. From the age of 14 she struggled with depressive thoughts. There were times in her life that she wasn’t sure how she would continue. Depression continues to be a battle in her life but she is glad that she continues to live. She has spoken at events that promote wellness and compassionately shares her experiences with her own mental health. In 2021 she started a YouTube channel, Write or Die Show, to spread awareness about various mental health issues and to end the stigma associated with mental health.

Growing up she never felt that she fit in, being the last to understand jokes and confused about many emotions that she saw on others. In 2021 she finally had answers to the questions about herself that had been nagging at her. She was diagnosed with moderate Autism.

Another of Randi-Lee’s passions is kickboxing, which she has been doing for about 10 years. She was a Canadian National Champion in kickboxing in 2015, competed at the World’s kickboxing tournament later that year and in 2016 competed at the Pan-Am games where she received silver in her division. In 2020 she was chosen as one of the coaches for the Ontario Winter Games where she inspired and coached young athletes.

Randi is a mom to two, her youngest child has autism and grandma to one. Randi encourages and supports her youngest child’s entrepreneurial spirit as he follows his dream of being an artist. When she can she incorporates his art into her stories.

Booker Prize Winner Arundhati Roy to Publish Memoir

Jocie McKade

25 September 2024

Scribner is delighted to announce the September 2025 publication of Mother Mary Comes to Me, a major new book by Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy.

Her first memoir, Mother Mary Comes to Me is a soaring account, both intimate and inspiring, of how the author became the person and the writer she is, shaped by circumstance, but above all, by her complex relationship with her extraordinary, singular mother she describes as “my shelter and my storm.”

The memoir is scheduled for simultaneous publication by Scribner, Scribner Canada, Penguin Random House UK, and Penguin Random House India, with additional rights sold in eight territories to date, including Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and The Netherlands. Simon & Schuster Audio will publish a simultaneous audio edition to be read by Arundhati Roy.

“Heart-smashed” by her mother Mary’s death in September 2022, puzzled and “more than a little ashamed” by the intensity of her response, Arundhati Roy began to write, to make sense of her feelings about the mother she ran from at age eighteen, “not because I didn’t love her, but in order to be able to continue to love her.” And so, begins this astonishing, often disturbing and surprisingly funny memoir of the author’s life from childhood to the present, from Kerala to Delhi.

“I have been writing this book all my life,” said Arundhati Roy. “Perhaps a mother like mine deserved a writer like me as a daughter. Equally, perhaps a writer like me deserved a mother like her. Even more than a daughter mourning the passing of her mother, I mourn her as a writer who has lost her most enthralling subject. It’s not easy for me to think of this story being out in this world, at this time, but I am reassured by the fact that it will be published by some of the most thoughtful, legendary publishers in the world.”

“I came away from reading Mother Mary Comes to Me thinking about Arundhati’s capaciousness,” said Kathy Belden, Vice President and Editorial Director of Scribner. “Her mind, her compassion, her love of home, of people, the way she seeks justice and equity. She carries so much, has room for so much. And in the way of all great art, by going on this journey with her, readers will be expanded, too, in their perspective and receptivity. This is why we read.”

“It is the greatest gift to publish Arundhati Roy, whose work is so exhilarating, humane, and vital,” said Nan Graham, Senior Vice President and Publisher of Scribner. “This memoir gives us her astonishing witness and journey. We are thrilled that Nicole Winstanley and our Simon & Schuster Canada colleagues will also publish Mother Mary Comes to Me.”

With the scale, sweep and depth of her novels, The God of Small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, and the passion, political clarity, and warmth of her essays, Mother Mary Comes to Me is an ode to freedom, a tribute to thorny love and savage grace – a memoir like no other.

Arundhati Roy is the author of The God of Small Things, which won the Booker Prize in 1997 and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness which has been translated into more than fifty languages and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2017. Roy has also published several works of non-fiction, including Azadi, My Seditious Heart, The End of Imagination, and The Doctor and the Saint. In 2023 she was awarded the prestigious European Essay Prize for lifetime achievement, and in 2024 the PEN Pinter Prize for telling “urgent stories of injustice with wit and beauty.” She lives in Delhi.

Nan Graham and Kathy Belden acquired U.S. and audio rights from literary agent Lisette Verhagen of Peters Fraser & Dunlop and Anthony Arnove of Roam Agency. Foreign rights are being handled by Peters Fraser & Dunlop.

Sneak Peek: Deadly Crush by Maddie Day

Jocie McKade

25 September 2024

Deadly Crush by Maddie Day

It’s the beginning of a new year, and for widowed single mom and recent L.A. transplant to California wine country, Cece Barton, that means green hillsides, flowing streams from winter rains, pruned vineyards—and a murder to solve . . .

After a mostly stress-free Christmas with her college-age daughter, and despite enjoying a current budding romance with fellow newcomer, Benjamin Cohen, it’s time for Cece to focus on Vino y Vida, the Colinas wine bar she manages. Electrical work and an outdoor security camera are needed, and she’s hired local electrician Karl Meier to do the job, along with the help of his nephew Ian. But she regrets her choice when she witnesses Karl needlessy berating Ian in her presence. On top of that, Karl leers at her, then presents her with an inflated bill before the work is complete. Still, she’s shocked when she gets a call from Karl’s ex-wife, Josie, that she’s found Karl . . . crushed to death beneath the lift in her automotive shop.

Cece convinces Josie to call the police, even though Josie is terrified. After all, Karl was an abusive husband, was threatening her, and she has no alibi. With Josie’s future on the line, and maybe her own, Cece starts her own investigation. From the customers Karl cheated to the other women he harassed, she finds there’s no lack of suspects—other than the shelter kittens to whom he was an uncharacteristically sweet volunteer. With a bouquet of motives and unanswered questions, Cece is going to need the help of her twin, Allie, who owns a nearby B & B, as she dives into Karl’s past—before the killer catches up with her, and the lights go out for good . . .

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