Joelle Delbourgo Associates, Inc.

Buzz

MUSCLE: The Gripping Story of Strength and Movement, Roy A. Meals MD

An entertaining illustrated deep dive into muscle, from the discovery of human anatomy to the latest science of strength training.

Muscle tissue powers every heartbeat, blink, jog, jump, and goosebump. It is the force behind the most critical bodily functions, including digestion and childbirth, as well as extreme feats of athleticism. We can mold our muscles with exercise and observe the results.

In this lively, lucid book, orthopedic surgeon Roy A. Meals takes us on a wide-ranging journey through anatomy, biology, history, and health to unlock the mysteries of our muscles. He breaks down the three different types of muscle―smooth, skeletal, and cardiac―and explores major advancements in medicine and fitness, including cutting-edge gene-editing research and the science behind popular muscle conditioning strategies. Along the way, he offers insight into the changing aesthetic and cultural conception of muscle, from Michelangelo’s David to present-day bodybuilders, and shares fascinating examples of strange muscular maladies and their treatment. Brimming with fun facts and infectious enthusiasm, Muscle sheds light on the astonishing, essential tissue that moves us through life.

Reviews:

“If you ever wanted to know more about the muscles you’re training at the gym, Muscle seeks to dispel the mystery behind this integral part of our anatomy. Filled with illustrations, illuminating stories, and historical deep dives, Muscle will give you new insight into the power of our bodies.”
― Milan Polk, Men’s Health“[A] thorough overview of muscles and how they operate… The scientific insights illuminate the abilities and oddities of the human body…and the fitness advice is a boon… The result is a strong primer on an essential part of the human body.”
― Publishers Weekly“[Meals] offers an amusing account of physical training programs throughout history. [He] wisely devotes several chapters to exercise and sports, paying special attention to conditioning, nutrition, and muscle-building supplements, including a mildly skeptical review of performance enhancers and an entertaining review of cheating… An easy-to-digest science lesson tailored for general readers.”
― Kirkus Reviews“What an educational and entertaining read! The up-to-date science related to muscle is clearly presented and explained, punctuated by an abundance of historical facts, anecdotes, and illustrations about human and animal muscles that are little known and highly interesting. Who knew muscles could be so fascinating? You will love this book.”
― Vernon Tolo, MD, Former President, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

About the Author:  Roy A. Meals, MD, is a clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at UCLA and the author of Bones: Inside and Out, a Barnes & Noble Best Science Book of 2020. The author of several medical books, he has practiced, researched, and taught hand surgery for forty years. He lives in Los Angeles, California.

ELIZABETH OF EAST HAMPTON, Audrey Bellezza & Emily Harding

From the authors of EMMA OF 83RD STREET comes a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, set during one summer in the Hamptons. (Gallery Books, World Rights, August 2024)

RETURN TO CENTER: From Chaos to Calm, Juliet Madison

52 lessons, strategies, and activities to heal and transform from the inside out in order to thrive in a post-pandemic world, from the spiritual self-care coach and author of Color Your Dreams and The Power of Crystals. (Ixia Press/Dover Publications, World Rights, Fall 2024)

July Backlist Spotlight: DAUGHTERS OF DIVORCE, Terry Gaspard and Tracy Clifford

This month, we shine a light on an excellent resource guide by Terry Gaspard, DAUGHTERS OF DIVORCE (Sourcebooks), which fosters healing from the trauma of the ruptured family and helps girls and women to foster healthy relationships.  The book won the Silver Medal Independent Publisher’s Award and was Winner of the Best Book Award in “Self-Help: Relationships” 

Over 40 percent of Americans ages eighteen to forty are children of divorce. Yet women with divorced parents are more than twice as likely than men to get divorced themselves and struggle in romantic relationships. In this powerful, uplifting guide, mother-daughter team Terry and Tracy draws on thirty years of clinical practice and interviews with over 320 daughters of divorce. It offers hope and practical advice that can help the millions of young girls and women affected by their parents’ break-up.

TERRY GASPARD, MSW, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, researcher and acclaimed divorce expert with over thirty years of experience working with women, children of divorce, and their families. Her research has been published in The Journal of Divorce and Remarriage and she is a regular contributor to Huffington Post Divorce, DivorcedMoms.com and other outlets. Her writing has appeared on eharmony.com, TheDailyParent.com, and others.

Choosing a Literary Agent is a Lot Like Dating

It’s often said that it is harder to get literary representation than to get published.  And it may be true!  But as many of you know, I think it is essential for writers to be well represented.  This ensures not only a better chance of getting published, but also provide20140101_115820_resizeds a writer with a seasoned guide throughout the entire publishing process, indeed, throughout the life of a book.

Writers get understandably discouraged by the lack of response or negative response from agents to their queries.  But one key reason for that is that you may not be targeting the right agents.  I’m always amazed, for example, at the letters I receive from writers who have clearly not checked in advance to see if I am accepting queries for the category of project they are submitting.  I don’t handle screenplays, picture books, or Westerns, for example.  You can find information about me and the agency at this website or the following places:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/joelledelbourgoassoc)

The AALA (Association of American Literary Agents) website (aalitagents.org),

Linked In: ww.linkedin.com/in/joelledelbourgo/

Just as you have preferences in choosing a mate:  you like tall men, or literate women, or someone athletic or who shares your passion for skydiving, so, too, your literary agent needs to be a fit–a fit in terms of having similar taste and interests, and also in style of conducting business.  Once you have ascertained that an agent will be receptive to the kind of book you are writing, and if you are fortunate enough to enter into a conversation with that agent, you may want to ask:  How do you see my book fitting into your list?  How do you work with your clients?  How might you approach selling my book?  How do you like to communicate with your clients? Similar to the dreaded “first date” questions, the answers will not only be informative but also give you a feel for whether there is the right chemistry.  Follow your gut.  You may find eternal love and happiness or heartbreak, but it’s a start.  Without taking a risk–a calculated one–nothing happens.

–Joelle Delbourgo

SEDUCED BY THE LIGHT is now available from Blackstone in audio!

Here’s a great review from Audiofile.

SEDUCED BY THE LIGHT The Mina Miller Edison Story

Alexandra Rimer, Read by Bernadette Dunne • Unabridged • JULY 2023

Blackstone Audio • Trade Ed.

Blackstone Audio • Library Ed.

Bernadette Dunne maintains the prim and proper formality of the Victorian era that influenced Mina Miller Edison, the second wife of the famous inventor, in this intriguing production. Raised by wealthy, influential parents, Mina was destined to marry an industrialist. Though she expected to marry her childhood love, she found herself swept away during a romantic courtship with the middle-aged Edison; he wanted her to manage his household and raise his three children from his first marriage. The frustration, tension, and loneliness of dealing with her workaholic husband during their 45-year marriage and raising five children is evident in Dunne’s performance. Another constant is Mina’s passion to protect Edison’s name and reputation, not only during their marriage, but also after his death. S.D.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine

THE DANCING WOMAN, Elaine Orr

From the author of A Different Sun and Swimming Between Worlds, and Professor of Literature at NC State University comes a mesmerizing new novel.  Set against the backdrop of Nigeria on the edge of civil war during the 1960s, a young epat woman artist, torn between two men, struggles to find her passion and purpose.  (Blair Publishing/World Rights, Fall 2024)

Audrey Bellezza at Words Bookstore in Maplewood

Meet the co-author of EMMA OF 83RD STREET (with Emily Harding)/Gallery Books, details here.

https://www.wordsbookstore.com/event/emma-of-83rd-street/

Celebrate Pride Month!

 Michael Sadowski’s MEN I’VE NEVER BEEN was named one of the 100 Best Gay and Lesbian Books of All Time by Book Authority, Men I’ve Never Been recounts Michael Sadowski’s odyssey as a boy who shuns his own identity–and, ultimately, his sexual orientation–in order to become who he thinks he’s supposed to be. It’s incredibly moving and beautifully written.
Michael Sadowski is a writer whose work ranges from memoir to fiction to research on youth development and education. His memoir, Men I’ve Never Been, was named one of the Best 100 Gay and Lesbian Books of All Time by bookauthority.org and was shortlisted for the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Award for Nonfiction. His 2016 book Safe Is Not Enough was featured by NPR and was cited by GLSEN founder Kevin Jennings as “the most important book written on LGBTQ issues in education in my lifetime.”
MEN I’VE NEVER BEEN is available in hardcover, ebook and audio. (The audio cover is pictured here.)

CRISIS ON MOUNT HOOD, Christopher Van Tilburg MD

A mountain rescue doctor’s gripping memoir of  life-saving rescues on the most-climbed glaciated peak in the world, woven with the 100-year history of America’s oldest mountain rescue team, the Crag Rats, highlighting how climate change, crowds, and technology are fueling a spike in search and rescue incidents, endangering the beauty of the high alpine wilderness.   (Mountaineers Books/World English/Spring 2025)