New Releases by Daniel Paisner

Parents have it tough. Kids have it tough, too. And few people are in a better position to guide readers through these tough times than Judge Glenda Hatchett. As chief presiding judge of one of the largest juvenile court systems in the country, she gained a front-row perspective on the hot-button social issues of our time -- including drug and alcohol abuse, truancy, date rape, and school violence. As presiding judge on the hit television series Judge Hatchett, she continues to build bridges between parents and their lost, angry, and alienated teens. And, as a parent, she's turned her professional experiences to personal advantage, helping her own children navigate through some of the more difficult dilemmas facing young people today. Using her experiences as a judge and a parent, Judge Hatchett shares with readers seven simple strategies to becoming more involved in a child's life and maintaining a strong relationship. Including concrete examples and illuminating anecdotes, Judge Hatchett says what she means and means what she says in this essential guide to raising safe, smart, and successful children ... even in the tough times.

What happens when the life you are living is no longer the life you imagined? When you are well and truly stuck? A darkly comic tale of longing and legacy, Balloon Dog, the fourth novel from best-selling ghostwriter Daniel Paisner, prompts readers to consider what it means to leave a mark and what it takes to be swept up in the same currents that move almost everyone else. A brazen art heist pushes our protagonists to reflect on the choices they've made-and the ones that have been made for them. Set in the near- present, the story turns on the ill-conceived theft of a high-end Jeff Koons sculpture, lifted in plain sight from its perch beside a luxurious mountain home in Park City, Utah, and follows the musings, misadventures, and meeting of minds of a Long Island writer in midlife crisis and the art thief behind the ill conception. Balloon Dog poses two central questions: Is the transformative power of art enough to lift us from our days? And what is art, anyway?

The music. The mix. His life. "Sometimes I think my whole life can be seen through shades of blue..." —Steve Aoki BLUE is the remarkable story—in pictures and words—of Steve Aoki, the superstar DJ/producer who started his career as a vegan straightedge hardcore music kid hellbent on defying his millionaire father, whose unquenchable thirst to entertain—inherited from his dad, Rocky Aoki, founder of Benihana—led him to global success and two Grammy nominations. Ranked among the top ten DJs in the world today, Grammy-nominated artist, producer, label head, fashion designer, philanthropist and entrepreneur Steve Aoki is an authentic global trendsetter and tastemaker who has been instrumental in defining contemporary youth culture. Known for his outrageous stage antics (cake throwing, ‘rave rafting’, champagne spraying, and the ‘Aoki Jump’) and his endearing personality, Steve is also the brains behind indie record label Dim Mak, which broke acts such as The Kills, Bloc Party, and The Gossip. Dim Mak also put out the first releases by breakout EDM stars The Chainsmokers and The Bloody Beetroots, as well as the early releases for Grammy-nominated artist Iggy Azalea, in addition to EDM star Zedd and electro duo MSTRKFT. In BLUE, Aoki recounts the epic highs of music festivals, clubs and pool parties around the world, as well as the lows of friendships lost to drugs and alcohol, and his relationship with his flamboyant father. Illustrated with candid photos gathered throughout his life, the book reveals how Aoki became a force of nature as an early social media adopter, helping to turn dance music into the phenomenon it is today. (His performances are watched by millions in person and online at events such as Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival, Ultra Music Festival, and many more) All this, while remaining true to his DIY punk rock principles, which value spontaneity, fun and friendship above all else—demonstrable by the countless cakes he has flung across cities worldwide.

The instant New York Times bestseller from Shark Tank star and Fubu Founder Daymond John on why starting a business on a limited budget can be an entrepreneur's greatest competitive advantage. Daymond John has been practicing the power of broke ever since he started selling his home-sewn t-shirts on the streets of Queens. With a $40 budget, Daymond had to strategize out-of-the-box ways to promote his products. Luckily, desperation breeds innovation, and so he hatched an idea for a creative campaign that eventually launched the FUBU brand into a $6 billion dollar global phenomenon. But it might not have happened if he hadn’t started out broke - with nothing but hope and a ferocious drive to succeed by any means possible. Here, the FUBU founder and star of ABC’s Shark Tank shows that, far from being a liability, broke can actually be your greatest competitive advantage as an entrepreneur. Why? Because starting a business from broke forces you to think more creatively. It forces you to use your resources more efficiently. It forces you to connect with your customers more authentically, and market your ideas more imaginatively. It forces you to be true to yourself, stay laser focused on your goals, and come up with those innovative solutions required to make a meaningful mark. Drawing his own experiences as an entrepreneur and branding consultant, peeks behind-the scenes from the set of Shark Tank, and stories of dozens of other entrepreneurs who have hustled their way to wealth, John shows how we can all leverage the power of broke to phenomenal success. You’ll meet: · Steve Aoki, the electronic dance music (EDM) deejay who managed to parlay a series of $100 gigs into becoming a global superstar who has redefined the music industry · Gigi Butler, a cleaning lady from Nashville who built cupcake empire on the back of a family recipe, her maxed out credit cards, and a heaping dose of faith · 11-year old Shark Tank guest Mo Bridges who stitched together a winning clothing line with just his grandma’s sewing machine, a stash of loose fabric, and his unique sartorial flair When your back is up against the wall, your bank account is empty, and creativity and passion are the only resources you can afford, success is your only option. Here you’ll learn how to tap into that Power of Broke to scrape, hustle, and dream your way to the top.

What does it take to become a champion? Gold medalist Missy Franklin, along with her parents, D.A. and Dick, tell the inspirational and heartwarming story of how Missy became both a legendary athlete and a happy and confident woman, something they accomplished by doing things their own way and making the right choices for their family. The word relentless has many meanings for swimmer Missy Franklin. In the pool, it reminds her to remain steady and persistent, unyielding in intensity and strength. In life, it tells her to reach down for her very best, even when it feels like there’s nothing left. The motto “don’t quit” doesn’t do it for Missy, but relentless gets her where she needs to be. And when Missy faces a challenge or a setback, her relentless spirit is what empowers her to learn, adapt, and move forward into the future. In Relentless Spirit, Missy and her parents, D.A. and Dick Franklin, share the story of how Missy became the athlete she is today, a six-time Olympic medalist, five of them gold. Since her Olympic debut in London’s 2012 games—when Missy was just seventeen—people who have met the Franklins or seen them on TV have wondered what it was like to raise such a champion. What was the training like? How did Missy handle school? How did the family find the right facilities, coaches, and support network? The story that Missy, and her parents, share inside is both inspiring and heartwarming, explaining how she became both a legendary athlete and a happy and confident woman, something they accomplished by doing things their own way and making the right choices for their family, which includes Missy’s faith journey, something she writes about with inspirational candor. Including the highs, the tough moments, and everything in-between, Relentless Spirit tells the story of a woman—and a family—full of love, heart, faith, and resilience.

Axel Pimletz writes obituaries for a Boston newspaper. He's been going nowhere for the past fifteen years and his failure has almost consumed his self-esteem. Axel needs action and excitement, like a front-page story. He never guesses he's about to get both—along with murder!

Absurdly funny, trenchant, and provocative, this outside-looking-in account of the stillbirth of one particular television series is a must read for every serious and not-so-serious television viewer.

It's the late Nineties on the Upper West Side and book publicist David Felb (née Felber, née Felberstein) can sense his world shrinking. He is stuck in the slow lane at "a venerable second-tier publishing house" and feeling the encroaching changes technology will bring as he struggles to maintain a bond with his wife and three young daughters. Into the void steps Fred "Sure Shot" Dunlap, a tweed-clad, waxed-mustached nineteenth-century baseball legend with still impeccable timing who died penniless and obscure and seems to need something from Felb. Or is it the other way around? Felb dutifully goes to weekly psychiatrist appointments at his wife's insistence, but when his hard-to-reach baseball-mad teenage daughter develops her own fascination, he can feel a chance to recapture something lost.Daniel Paisner's enchanting new novel about neurosis, intimacy, and balancing familial needs while juggling two careers and the demands of modern life is also a charming and memorable parable about losing your mind and finding yourself in the age of anxiety.

In this New York Times bestselling memoir, Ray Lewis—legendary Baltimore Ravens linebacker and one of the greatest defensive players of his generation—holds nothing back on the state of football as well as his troubled childhood, his rise to athletic greatness, the storm that threatened to ruin his NFL career, and the devastating injury that nearly cost him a final moment of glory. Ray Lewis is undeniably one of the biggest names in football—not only for his seventeen years in the NFL, but also for the dramatic events that nearly brought his career to a halt in 2000. In his memoir, Lewis shares honest accounts of his difficult childhood and delves into the anguish and controversy that he found away from the game. But these heartbreaks gave him the courage to trust in God and continue his dream to play for the NFL and win the Super Bowl. From a rookie player to a football veteran, Lewis has experienced everything imaginable during his football career, and has become one of the best defensive players in the history of the NFL. I Feel Like Going On is the story of his incredible journey, and a sincere look at the most popular sport in America from one of football’s most revered players.

The Detroit Tigers, an umpire, a pitcher, and a mistake—one of the "classic, human, baseball stories" (Ken Burns, creator of the PBS mini-series Baseball). The perfect game is one of the rarest accomplishments in sports. In nearly four hundred thousand contests in over 130 years, it has happened only twenty times. On June 2, 2010, Armando Galarraga threw baseball's twenty-first. Except that's not how it entered the record books. That's because Jim Joyce, voted the best umpire in the game in 2010 and 2011, missed the call on the final out. But rather than throwing a tantrum, Galarraga simply turned and smiled, went back to the mound, and finished the game. "Nobody's perfect," he said later in the locker room. "You might think everything that could have been said, replayed, and revealed about that night has already been uttered, logged, and exposed. You would, however, be as wrong as the unfortunate Mr. Joyce" ( The Detroit News). In Nobody's Perfect, Galarraga and Joyce come together to tell the personal story of a remarkable game that will live forever in baseball lore, and to trace their fascinating lives in sports. The result is "a masterpiece", an absorbing insider's look at two careers in baseball, a tremendous achievement, and an enduring moment of pure grace and sportsmanship ( The Huffington Post).

The Grand Slam and Olympic champion traces her rise from a disadvantaged childhood to one of the world's top women tennis players, discussing her battles with racism, the injuries that threatened her career, and her current roles as a philanthropist and media personality.

The intimate, life-affirming journey of recovery and rehabilitation from a major stroke, written by one of morning television's most beloved personalities Mark McEwen was at the top of his game and enjoying life when he suffered a stroke. After fifteen years on The Early Show, he had moved to Orlando to anchor the local news and spend more time with his family. While traveling, he experienced symptoms that led him to a hospital, where he was misdiagnosed with the flu. Two days later, on an airplane flight just hours before he finally collapsed, flight attendants and airport staff dismissed his slurred speech and heavy sweating. Misinformation not only delayed his treatment, but it also nearly cost him his life. Now, in a candid and moving memoir, America's beloved morning-show weatherman recalls his harrowing journey of rehabilitation from a massive stroke. After the Stroke traces his recovery in the aftermath of temporarily losing some of his greatest gifts- his talent as a public speaker, and his warm, witty exuberance-while his wife worked valiantly to care for their children as well as her seriously ill husband. Sharing an ultimately triumphant story, McEwen emerges as one of our most dynamic new crusaders for stroke victims and their families.

Serena Williams picked up a tennis racquet for the first time at three years old. She did this not out of childish curiosity or an impish competitive streak, but by design. Before she was even born, her father decided that tennis would be the way up and out for his struggling family. Soon Serena and her older sister Venus were practicing several hours a day on the public courts of Compton, California, alongside three older sisters. Before their daily sessions, the sisters would sweep the courts of broken glass and drug paraphernalia, this was the proving ground of two future champions. By the time she was nine, Serena had earned a number-one junior ranking in the regional Under-10 division, playing with such fierce determination that she quickly earned a place among the game's elite. Now, at twenty-six, Serena Williams is poised to begin a new chapter in her career. She has already won every major title in tennis. She has been counted out more times than she can remember. She has been derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic 2003 shooting death of her older sister Yetunde, and dismissed by critics for her unorthodox training schedule and boundless interests outside tennis. And yet she prevails.

Based on the true story explored in the Academy Award–nominated film, In Darkness, this holocaust memoir is "a gripping account of survival and friendship" ( Booklist). In 1943, with Lvov's 150,000 Jews having been exiled, killed, or forced into ghettos and facing extermination, a group of Polish Jews daringly sought refuge in the city's sewer system. The last surviving member this group, Krystyna Chiger, shares one of the most intimate, harrowing and ultimately triumphant tales of survival to emerge from the Holocaust. The Girl in the Green Sweater is Chiger's heartwrenching first-person account of the fourteen months she spent with her family in the fetid, underground sewers of Lvov. The Girl in the Green Sweater is also the story of Leopold Socha, the group's unlikely savior. A Polish Catholic and former thief, Socha risked his life to help Chiger's underground family survive, bringing them food, medicine, and supplies. A moving memoir of a desperate escape and life under unimaginable circumstances, The Girl in the Green Sweater is ultimately a tale of intimate survival, friendship, and redemption. "With a powerful story and a keen voice, Chiger's Holocaust survivor's tale is a worthy and memorable addition to the canon." — Publishers Weekly "Chiger's exceptional story . . . stands out among the many Holocaust survival narratives as one that will touch the hearts of teens and adults alike and bring home the horrors of this very dark period in history." — School Library Journal "Through the eyes of the child that Krystyna Chiger was in Lvov, Poland in 1939 we see the whole moral universe." —Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday Wife and The Covenant "[A] gripping memoir." — Kirkus Reviews

Now in paperback: ?An impressive achievement...Not likely to be forgotten anytime soon.?(Washington Times) Here is the riveting true story of Jason McElwain? better known as ?J-Mac??the autistic student who made headlines when he scored twenty points, including a school record six three-pointers, for his high school basketball team in 2006. Including the revealing perspectives of J-Mac?s family and coach, this is McElwain?s inspiring account of the challenges of growing up autistic?not only for himself, but for his family. It?s also the tale of his unlikely star turn, the difference it made in his journey through life?and all the heartbreaking and heart-lifting stops along the way.

A guide for women football fans explains each component of the game of football, describes the role of each position player, outlines common plays, and provides descriptions of some of the most memorable moments in NFL history.

An obituary writer is hired to polish the autobiography of a dead actor. One problem: the actor is alive, with a new identity, and working as a lobster in an amusement park in Maine.

For every tragic story of a life unraveled by battle, there are a dozen tales of men and women who have managed to triumph over the harrowing experiences of war and ruin. The Price of Their Blood is a celebration of these triumphs, offered at a time when interest in patriotic heroes runs deep and passion for wartime remembrance runs high. The Price of Their Blood, by Jesse Brown, written in collaboration with New York Times bestselling author Daniel Paisner, offers compelling portraits of more than a dozen American men and women, including: Michael A. Naranjo, U.S. Army: a Santa Clara Pueblo Native American who was blinded and had only partial use of his right hand, but went on to become an acclaimed sculptor the artist who sees with his hands whose works are sought by museums and collectors around the world Alfred Pugh, U.S. Army: at 107, believed to be the nation's oldest living combat veteran, suffered permanent laryngitis by the inhalation of mustard gas during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France during the first World War, before going on to a long career with the U.S. Postal Service in his hometown of Westbrook, Maine Felicia Weston, U.S. Army: partially blinded in a Scud missile attack on a warehouse in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia, during the Persian Gulf War, she now works with DAV, fulfilling a promise she made to herself to help other injured veterans put their lives back on track The profiles in The Price of Their Blood focus on the call to service, the will to live, and the power to carry on

Ed Hommer, a pilot, survived 5 days on Mt. McKinley after a crash. This is a memoir of the 20 years it took him to recover from the accident. Left without his lower legs, Hommer spiraled into despair and alcoholism, but turned his life around with the help of prosthetics and new goals. Dateline NBC plans to film him on his next goal--climbing Mount Everest in September 2001. 25 photos.

Twelve inspirational profiles of individuals and families who have appeared on Montel's nationally syndicated program show the range of hope, faith and struggle in the human condition.

The former mayor of New York City reflects on life after politics, explaining why keeping active has helped him deal with aging.

A former attorney and the hostess of the TV talk show, "The View," offers her thoughts on self-esteem, men and commitment, and being full-figured.

In True Beauty, Emme, the world's leading plus-size supermodel, shares her story of triumph over negative body image and offers tips on developing a positive self-image and overcoming stereotypes through dressing, shopping, dating, relationships, and exercise. Newswire release.

Inspirational autobiography of the African-American talk show host.

Besides being a hard-hitting, unusually honest political memoir, Citizen Koch is filled with heartfelt reminiscences from Koch's life - his childhood working as a hatcheck boy in a Newark dancehall with his immigrant parents during the Depression, his years living in Brooklyn, his World War II experiences as a Sergeant in the 104th Infantry Division, his time as a young attorney, and much, much more. Best of all, he chronicles his introduction to politics and offers a private and personal recounting of his nine years as a U.S. Congressman and three terms as Mayor of New York City. And, for the first time, Ed discusses his contemplation of suicide during the corruption crisis that clouded his third term.

The popular teenage television actor uses excerpts from his fan mail as a jumping-off point to discuss troublesome aspects of adolescence, including family life, dating, and drugs, with examples drawn from his own experiences on and off the set of "The Co