Ordinary People Extraordinary Planet goes from radio program to book.

Sept. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Dr. Shellie Hipsky’s fifth book, Ordinary People Extraordinary Planet, began while she was being interviewed for a radio program about her last book.  Ray Leonard is the kmr-media radio host and the founder of the show “Ordinary People Extraordinary Planet” which is listened to in 75 countries.  The inspirational and uplifting messages behind the show’s other featured guests astounded Dr. Hipsky and it was then that she decided to take action and put the powerful stories that Leonard had collected into writing.

The book is centered on the lives of twelve individuals that include Mary K. Hoodhood who provides dinners for over 3,800 hungry children in Michigan daily; she organizes it all from her wheelchair because she is a quadriplegic.  Arturo Sandoval is a Grammy/Emmy Award who is trumpet player who escaped persecution in Communist Cuba to live out his dream.  Roy Juarez, Jr. has talked to over 100,000 students through his "Homeless by Choice Tour" about his experience of being homeless at 14-years-old with his siblings.  Another of the dozen featured people is Xiaobo LaPresta, a widow whose story of love, loss, and healing has moved people from the U.S. to Shanghai so deeply that Dr. Hipsky is hosting a televised documentary based on her life.  Also featured in the book is Shannon McNamara who at the age of 15, started her organization called SHARE which has created 4 libraries in Tanzania, donated 33,000 books to 11 libraries, and serves the needs more than 8000 students and teachers in 3 African countries.
Maria Berduco, President of Leadership International and Author of How to Think Like a Leader describes OPEP as the following:

“Courageous stories of overcoming adversity and building resilience. Today, our planet overflows with the love and inspiration that these remarkable people bring by sharing what they have lived and experienced. Dr. Shellie Hipsky and Ray Leonard cascade these parables as gifts from their hearts to yours.”

Prior to her latest book, Hipsky wrote over 100 articles and four academic books including Mentoring Magic: Pick the Card for your Success.  With the latest addition to her published works, Hipsky looks forward to giving back and helping change the lives of others.   She was recently honored as a Luminary Author which a status awarded to exceptional people who inspire through their writing such as best-selling author Jack Canfield of Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

“Driven to help others, I delighted in meeting these people who are making a difference,” states Dr. Hipsky.  “KMR-Media Publications and I intend to give 25% of net profits from the book at benchmarks to the charities spotlighted in each chapter, to empower the millions who are helped by the non-profit organizations.”
Dr. Hipsky deeply believes in giving back to society.  She traveled to New York to be in a public service announcement for NIMBY, Not In My Backyard with spokesperson actor Luis Guzman, celebrities, and other activists to help spread the word about homelessness through Jacqueline Aluotto’s award-winning docudrama.  In addition, she has been featured in Obvious Magazine, Whirl Magazine, Inspirational Woman Magazine, and was a Pittsburgh Tribune “Newsmaker.” This positive media provided exposure to OPEP and her active role with the Homeless Children’s Education fund (homelessfund.org), which she was recently honored for her volunteering efforts which have raised over $28,000 for the organization that provides learning resources directly in the shelters.  In September, she spoke to an audience of over a thousand people about the book and her inspiring personal journey at Pepperdine University and she will continue to spread the inspiration globally.  

As David Evanier, the Aga Kahn Fiction Prize winner and author of eight books such as All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett stated, “The people in this remarkable book learn from hard experience . . . they triumph because of their incredible determination and will. Cherish this book.  Learn from it how to live and survive the times that are the toughest.”

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KMR-Media is the radio network that produces and broadcasts the radio program, Ordinary People Extraordinary Planet. Ordinary People sharing unparalleled Extraordinary stories - Ordinary People making an Extraordinary difference in the lives of others.