David Hasselhoff is leaving America’s Got Talent after four years as a judge. In a statement to PEOPLE, Hasselhoff, 57, said, “I am proud that I was part of making America’s Got Talent the No. 1 rated show for the past four summers. It’s been a rewarding experience and now I’m thrilled to be able to follow my dream to do my own TV show, which will be announced very shortly. I want to thank my friend, (executive producer) Simon Cowell, and everyone at NBC and Fremantle for the opportunity for four great years.” NBC sources said they are looking to fill his spot, alongside judges Piers Morgan and Sharon Osbourne. No names have been listed yet a potential replacements.
Q: You are an MBA and a real estate developer. You have written books on being an entrepreneur and starting you own business. What made you decide to write novels? I've always had a dichotomy in my passions (as much as in my life choices), between the practical and the sentimental. On some level, I think that through my writing I was able to begin to strike a balance by giving myself permission to pursue both. I had always hoped for the day when I'd find myself ready to tackle a novel. But for a long time, I suspect that I was building up the nerve. Even as I was writing business books, the idea of a novel was always in the back of my mind. But there is an audacity required of a novelist which (for me) wasn't required for business books. It's the confidence to believe that how you perceive the world is both intricate and insightful enough to justify an entire novel. For me, it wasn't the decision to write novels; it was the sense that I was finally ready. Or more accurately, the realization that I had done enough living to finally understand that I had something of value to say. Q: Where do you draw your inspiration from? My inspiration comes from my life. I would be lying if I said my work was autobiographical, because there's always a huge departure from my actual experience/self to the character and the story that will ultimately make its way to the bookshelf. But I cannot fathom writing a novel with a protagonist to whom I did not relate deeply. Essentially, I take a personal experience, or a core of some deep emotional experience I have had, and it becomes the kernel around which the character's dilemma/trauma/odyssey is born. The good news is that writing from the heart keeps me engrossed and glued to my laptop. The bad news is that -- even though the final character is not actually ever me -- I take readers' reactions very personally as a result. It's an emotional roller coaster, for sure. Q: How do handle all the different titles you have? Do you ever get any free time? The truth is that I write in bursts, so in between there are months at a time where I don't write much of anything, and feel quite intellectually frustrated as a result! But writing, when I'm passionate about a story, doesn't feel like work; it feels like an intellectual and emotional self-indulgence. Kind of like a runner's high. And the way I see it is that I'm very blessed to have not one but two careers which fulfill me: real estate development and writing. Q: What is your favorite part of writing? When I solidify my first sentence of the novel. It can take millions of iterations. But when it's right, it's like music to my heart. Q: Do you have a third novel in the works? Yes, I'm working on something very different from the previous two. It won't fall into the chick lit genre. It is a more serious novel, full of philosophical questions, personal demons, centuries old legend, and of course a romantic back-story. It has been exhausting so far, but also very rewarding to try another genre. It is definitely my most ambitious project yet! Q: Do you have a favorite book or author? Not just one. There are novels where the prose is magnificent (Bel Canto), novels where the imagery is staggering (The Ground Beneath Her Feet), novels where the universality of message is astounding (The Alchemist), and books which remind a writer how lucky he/she is, to do what they love (On Writing). There are so many authors whose work I admire, that I could never choose just one. They feed my brain, fuel my neuroses, and remind me that I can always always do better. Q: What do you think is the most difficult part of writing a novel? The most difficult part for me is what Anne Lamot (in her book Bird By Bird) refers to as 'killing your babies'. Basically its the aspect of revision which requires you to remove all the flowery language which (besides being music to your ears) does nothing to actually move the book forward. When you sit with a story, a character, a chapter for so long...you can become so attached that this feel like actual pain. You just have to remind yourself that if the true beauty of the novel can really be excised with the slice of a sentence, then perhaps the complete product isn't what you thought it was. Q: Your first novel, Girl Most Likely To, touches on interracial romances and cultural conservatism. How important were those subjects for you to write about? I have always felt that there were few representations out there of both the richness received and the work involved in having to translate for every relationship of your life (from family, to boyfriends, to friends of various ethnicities...). But I don't write those relationships make a point. I write them because they are what I know. Q: Is there one goal you have for yourself that you haven’t achieved yet? One? How about one hundred? I'm not as laser-focused as I was perhaps in my twenties about crossing items off of a bucket list, but there are always goals on my mind. A bestseller and a movie deal wouldn't hurt. Neither would taking my company public. Of course, finding an anti-wrinkle cream that actually halts the aging process wouldn't hurt either. Q: I read that you spent a year traveling the world to find inspiring entrepreneurs. What was your favorite place you visited? That was one of the best years of my life, and the whole experience fundamentally changed the way I have seen things ever since. Since I was travelling alone, I had my fair share of adventure, but my fair share of danger as well. That was also the year when I learned to appreciate solitude, and to enjoy my own company. Off the top of my head I would say that one of my favorite places was Cape Tribulation in Australia. I rented a hut in a backpackers resort in the middle of a rainforest, won the title Limbo Queen Of The Jungle, snorkeled the reef alongside baby sharks, and rode a horse bareback into the ocean and swam around with him. And I've always felt that Australians represent the best of American independent spirit and European joie de vivre rolled up into one delightful package.
The Kardashian’s are welcoming another model to their family. Youngest of the Kardashian/Jenner bunch- Kendall Jenner- has signed on to model with Wilhelmina Modeling Agency as a teen model, according to Usmagazine.com. Jenner, 14, has reportedly already snagged a campaign with the American chain Forever 21. Mother Kris Jenner, who also manages Kim and Kourtney’s careers, secured the job for her youngest daughter.
When I am in need for an intense full body workout, the one workout video that I turn to is Billy Blanks. Billy Blanks has created a plethora of fitness DVD’s after creating Tae Bo- a revolutionary total body fitness system that can get just about anybody into better shape- and fast! Tae Bo was developed around 1976 by Blanks, who was creating workouts for himself. The word “Tae” means “foot and leg” in Korean, as many of the movements focus on the lower body. “Bo” is short for “box” as many of the moves incorporate kick-boxing. While exercising along Billy Blanks and his team, you are giving yourself a workout filled with martial arts, boxing, and even dance moves. I own multiple videos from Billy Blanks, each one about 60 minutes in duration. From the minute I put it in my DVD player until the last stretch is done, my body is on all cylinders. The moves are difficult, the energy is always high, and there are virtually no resting periods. The hard work is worth it though! My body has significantly improved since I started the workouts, and I feel so much better after they are completed. I am honest though when I say these are difficult workouts to complete- the very first time I attempted the DVD, I pushed myself all the way through until the end. Even though my body was screaming at me and my mind was telling me to stop, I didn’t want to give up. I promptly threw up right after it was over. So if at any time during the workout you feel you need to stop, I would recommend giving it a break. If you can’t complete it the whole way through the first time, just keep trying. Eventually, you will be able to get through it and even attempt the more advanced moves with the resistance bands. I recommend checking out Billy Blanks website, http://www.billyblanks.com/, to learn more about Tae Bo workouts. You can read Billy’s biography, learn about the different workouts he offers, and buy DVD’s and accessories. You can even join the Billy Blanks Web Club (free for 30 days!) and receive discounts, daily motivations, coaching, workout calendars, and fat-blasting meals and nutritional support. Good luck!
Are Katy Perry and Russell Brand getting married? According to Usmagazine.com, sources close to the couple have confirmed they are engaged. One friend said that Brand, 34, proposed to Perry, 25, with a ring while they were vacationing in India. Another friend said that the trip to India was Brand’s Christmas gift to Perry. The couple has been dating since September 2009.
E! News has reported that Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey Johnson has died. Johnson’s body was reportedly discovered at her LA home earlier today, and the cause of death is undetermined. Johnson, 30, has been recently making headlines after announcing her engagement to reality star Tila Tequila on December 9th. Johnson has a three year old adopted daughter, Ava.
