Books, Awards, & Magazines

Beautiful Writers: A Journey of Big Dreams & Messy Manuscripts–with Tricks of the Trade from Bestselling Authors

From the back cover…

Imagine you’re at a dinner party with some of the most successful authors of our time. “Book Mama” and Beautiful Writers Podcast cocreator Linda Sivertsen is the host. As she’s sharing her story of the many hilarious, outrageous, and practical things she did to launch her bestselling writing career, your favorite writers chime in with their own anecdotes, leaving you enlightened and newly inspired. The wisdom in these pages will nourish anyone who dreams of excelling at the art of storytelling.

To view full blurbs & the expanded list of testimonials, see the Beautiful Writers page on Amazon.

My First Born – Lives Charmed

Lives Charmed: Intimate Conversations with Extraordinary People (HCI, 1998): came to me in a dream. I was a professional dog walker in LA, where my life was a reality show before there was such a thing. I had a front-row seat to some big-time drama—i.e. watching a skyline of fires from a client’s balcony during the riots; taking care of Brandon Lee’s cats the night he was killed on the set of The Crow; getting hired to housesit while clients went to rehab, and being invited to Nicole Brown Simpson’s Gretna Green home just before her death led to the trial of the century. 

(Weird fact: Knowing my then-husband and I had lived in several celebrity homes, Kato Kaelin asked me if I thought he should take the guesthouse gig Nicole was offering. “Don’t do it,” I instinctively blurted out. “You tend to get embroiled in the dramas of whomever owns the big house.” Of course, Kato didn’t take my advice.)

Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life

By Linda Sivertsen (me) and Tosh Sivertsen (my then 17-year-old), Simon & Schuster

GG received multiple awards and supportive press (Teen Vogue, Seventeen, Family Circle) as green issues finally became both hot and cool. Get the inside scoop on the biggest issues affecting our planet, with dozens of tips on how to shop, dress, eat, and travel the green way. Included are interviews with teens involved with fun, innovative green causes that show how being environmentally conscious can be a natural part of a teen’s life—and their generation’s contribution to turning things around. It doesn’t matter if you can’t vote or drive. Your efforts—big or small—contribute.

Generation Green was an “Honor Book” for the 2009 Green Earth Book Awards at Salisbury University.

Your Big Beautiful Book Plan

By Linda Sivertsen (me) and Danielle LaPorte 

A book is always more than just a book. Much more. Writing a book could direct the course of your career for the rest of your life. It could lead to infinitely important connections, multiple revenue streams, spin off products, international relations. It could send more business your way. It could pay for a trip to Tahiti or just pay the rent. It could change one person’s life for the better. It could start a revolution. You need a plan. Your Big Beautiful Book Plan features never-before-shared book proposal samples from top authors that landed six-figure advances, attracted top literary agents, and changed lives (both the authors’, and their readers’). This is your behind-the-scenes view into what grabs an agent’s attention, what captivates publishers, and the logic of a book plan that grows your career. And it works–lots of book babies have been birthed via the top publishing houses. Yay!

The Will to Survive: A Mental and Emotional Guide for Law Enforcement Professionals and the People who Love Them

By Dr. Bobby Smith (with Linda Sivertsen)—one of the leading law-enforcement speakers in the world. Bobby was a dedicated Louisiana State Trooper when he was shot in the face and blinded by a wanna-be cop killer.

One of the greatest blessings of my life was being Bobby’s eyes to write. He shared stories I’ll never forget… about how even the most pure-hearted cops struggle to keep their hearts open amidst so much pain. Imagine, you love a neighborhood and move into it with your wife. But on your rounds, you see things no one should, and suddenly the area is no longer a haven in this man’s mind. He comes home from work and his wife, smiling, says: “How was your day, baby?” Does he tell her the truth? If he does, how will she handle his reality? Will she lose her sense of optimism and wonder? If he silences his words and tries to handle his stress alone, it’s to his mental and emotional detriment. Cops have some of the highest suicide, substance abuse, and divorce rates. And sometimes–rarely, statistically–they snap. This book aims to prevent that, and I couldn’t be prouder.

The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success

By Darren Hardy, publisher of SUCCESS magazine

Published by Vanguard Press. I’m in awe of how many people this New York Times bestseller has touched. Based on the principle that decisions shape your destiny, there are no gimmicks, hyperbole, or magic bullets here. Just little, everyday decisions that either take you to the life you desire or to disaster by default. This easy-to-use, step-by-step operating system allows you to multiply your success, chart your progress, and achieve your desires.

Harmonic Wealth: The Secret of Attracting the Life You Want

By James Ray (with Linda Sivertsen)

Published by Hyperion, this New York Times bestseller capitalized on James’ popularity in the movie The Secret, and as a media darling. Broken up into the Five Pillars of Wealth: Financial, Relational, Intellectual, Physical, and Spiritual, James teaches that without these five pillars, you might be rich, but you’ll never be wealthy. The irony was that several years after we finished this book, James found himself at the lowest, most inharmonious point of his life—the details of which make up a portion of the mess in my upcoming memoir, My Midlife Mess.

Closer Than You Think: The Easy Guide to Connecting with Loved Ones on the Other Side

Do I Look Fat in This? Get Over Your Body and On With Your life

By Rhonda Britten, Dutton

As an Emmy-winning Life Coach on the daytime reality show Starting Over, Rhonda Britten has helped countless women befriend their bodies—first by encouraging them to face and accept what they see in the mirror, and then by empowering them to make healthier decisions about their weight. Too many of us hide our bodies or, even worse, abuse them. We let image control our lives and make decisions for us. Yet, it’s possible to stop seeing our bodies as objects of shame and to find the freedom we need to love ourselves fully. (If you’re new to Rhonda’s work, I suggest starting with Fearless Living. We worked on the proposal for FL together, and the resulting book launched her powerful publishing/TV career, and remains Rhonda’s most popular book.)