New Novel Teetering Explores Marriage, Aging, and Emotional Balance

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0:27 Speaker 2 E Sunday Morning, Memorial Day Weekend, Well with us today is a good friend Karen Meeal. As a matter of fact, I was one of the best men at their wedding between Karen and Dennis Meal, and it’s Karen has a new book, and congratulations Karen.

0:48 Speaker 3 Thank you.

0:48 Speaker 2 John tell us about the new book and why you wrote it.

0:53 Speaker 3 Yeah, certainly, it’s a surprise to everyone that I wrote a book. This is my first novel, my first entry into the literary world. I started over the pandemic. I was looking for something to do as we all, as many were who had to close their businesses. I had a yoga studio, as you know, and I found myself

1:15 with time on my hands. So I decided I wanted to write a biography about Dennis, one of our favorite people. In the world. But it slowly, well not slowly, it quickly turned into a novel. And it’s based on a New York couple, successful New York couple that have been married decades. And from the outside they might appear perfect,

1:48 but you know, as with everyone we’re human, you pull back the curtain and you see that they have all the vulnerabilities, poibles, aging, h trials and tribulations that you know, unfortunately we as humans can’t you know, we we can’t avoid that. So it’s it’s a story that you know where I questioning the wife questions also societal norms that

2:20 have been applied. Uh, you know to us, why do we have to uh follow? You know there there are taboos, right and you know why do the taboos exist? Uh?

2:34 Speaker 3 Can we move away from that? Can we make a change? Can we involve? And I really wanted the book. I want people when they read it to find something relatable to them.

2:48 Speaker 2 So and uh, Dennis is I mean he’s one of how many children?

2:56 Speaker 3 He’s one of seven.

2:59 Speaker 2 Seven children, and he worked very very hard all his life and in reality he was the leader of the pack. He took care of all his brothers, all his sisters, all his kids, and you know, he worked hard and he took care of everybody. And so what was your your main item that you wanted to point out. Was

3:24 it that that that he was dedicated, a dedicated father, a dedicated brother, and dedicated to husband.

3:33 Speaker 3 Yeah, no, certainly. And you know this book is fiction. Uh you’ll find you know, it’s loosely based on.

3:39 Speaker 2 Fiction, but it’s true.

3:42 Speaker 3 It’s true, it is true. Indeed, so I would say that, yeah, you know, I in the book we travel through time from children to adults. How did we achieve the success? And then we were talking about my husband. Certainly, you know, coming as you John, you know, uh, with very little means to begin with, very little education for Dennis, but

4:08 you know, he just decided that he was going to create something. And as an entrepreneur as you are, you know, he he just was determined. And yes, and he’s a generous man who he shares of himself and also what he can to help out his family, friends, uh, and people that he believes in. So that certainly comes through

4:35 the book, and h I hope people will also be inspired by that that you know, the ability to you know, find yourself uh in a world. Uh that you know in Dennis’s uh terms, you know, he he dreamed of and from where he came Washington Heights to you know, meeting presidents in touch, and he was, and.

5:06 Speaker 2 He became very high up in the Democratic National Committee and knew almost any Democratic president and almost every Democratic congressman came to him, and Democratic senators came to him for advice. And well, I don’t understand all. That is very very true, because I know Dennis for fifty years, fifty almost fifty in what part of fiction?

5:33 Speaker 3 Well, you’ll have to read it. You’ll find out. I’m not going to give away.

5:38 Speaker 2 You know. I still well, do we have an audio audition?

5:44 Speaker 3 There is no audio edition because I still.

5:49 Speaker 2 Have problems with my left eye and I can’t read well. But I should make an audio audition for all the people that can’t read well.

5:57 Speaker 3 I will do that. I promise you I will do that.

6:00 Speaker 2 Why we can buy the book.

6:02 Speaker 3 So you can buy the book on Amazon, you can buy it on good Reads. It’s in the airports. You might find it in a local bookstore, but it’s online and it’s public. The published date is June second, so it’s right around the corner. And I think it’s a.

6:17 It’s a nice summer read, and I hope people find something we’re missing the name of the book. So the book is called Teetering, and it goes back to everything I explained how we all walk a tight rope in life, you know, how we all try to find balance and it’s challenging. And so that’s where we started off, you know,

6:38 earlier before we the interview, having your family, your friends surrounding you to help you if you fall.

6:45 Speaker 2 Teetering t E E T E R I N g U and on Amazon, and the author is Karen mel m E h I E L. Karen look forward to giving you a book party in New York with our people, with our friends, and maybe in the Hampton’s too. But thank you so much, thank you so much, and

7:11 Speaker 3 Thank you