CHICAGO, December 10, 2023 –Chicago authors Jerry Witkovsky and Deanna Shoss have been named recipients of a prestigious 2023 Best Indie Book Award (BIBA) for Nonfiction/Grandparenting and Family Relationships, for their outstanding book, “Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren.” The BIBA Awards celebrate the best in independent publishing, recognizing authors and their exceptional contributions to various genres. Witkovsky and Shoss’s book, “Where Two Worlds Meet,” stood out among thousands of submissions, demonstrating an unparalleled commitment to explo ..read more

“Create Together to Be Great Together” is a livestream event with guest Grandparent-Grandchild Creators, showcasing the benefits of intergenerational connection and co-creation. Presented by Grandparents Unleashed in partnership with GrandparentsAcademy.com, the show broadcasts live on Thursday, September 7, 2023 from 7:30 to 8:15 ET, as a kick-off to National Grandparents Day (on September 10) and Grandparents Week, September 10 to 16. The hosts of the show are Jerry Witkovsky and Deanna Shoss, authors of Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren and Aaron L ..read more

By Jerry Witkovsky and Deanna Shoss* Trigger warning. We are going to talk about gun violence and mass shootings and how helpless we feel as grandparents to protect our grandchildren and keep them safe. There are mass shootings, one-on-one argument shootings, and accidental shootings by poorly stored guns at home, among others. According to the Gun Violence Archive, as of September 18, 2022, there have been 493 mass shootings (four or more victims) in the US. Among the 32,000 gun deaths, 1200 children and teens have been killed by gun violence and another 3,300 injured so far in 2022. The shoo ..read more

You may be familiar with the idea of articulating a vision if you come from the corporate world. This concept is also valuable for families. After all, you have many “remote workers” who are connected in some form or another, who love and care about each other, and who are all pursuing their own endeavors. Sort of like a national, or even international organization.   Vision gives an overarching framework to keep family members connected.   A Family Vision Statement is rooted in your shared values, interests and goals.  Investing some time in a Vision Statement can help you to l ..read more

I’ve always been an advocate of lifelong learning. At 94, that’s a lot of learning. I’m not alone. “Driven to seek personal growth, 55% of Americans age 45 and older are actively learning new things,” according to a recent AARP study on lifelong learning. (AARP Research, March 2022) Aging is often associated with loss, but there’s still more to gain. I talk to my peers, some of whom say “why bother?” when it comes to self-improvement. It seems like they’ve decided they are “too old,” wondering where they will apply newfound learning. I think, “why, just because of your age, do you have to sto ..read more

When I was a boy, the Nazis rose to power in Germany. How did everyone go along with it, I wondered? What about the children—the Hitler Youth, in their boy scout-like uniforms? What made them susceptible to believing in hate? By 1937 65% of youth belonged to the organization. And that was before it became mandatory in 1939 for all youth, ages 10 to 18, to join. I’m thinking about this now after the mass shooting at the Fourth of July parade in Highland Park, IL. Highland Park and Deerfield, IL, my home for 25 years, are only about 3 miles apart. While I’ve lived in LA near my family since COVI ..read more

For Immediate Release  For Further Information: Deanna Shoss (773)-968-1216 or dshoss@interculutraltalk.com   NEW BOOK “WHERE TWO WORLDS MEET” HAILS GRANDPARENTS AS FAMILY ACTIVISTS   Every day more and more headlines come out regarding the mental health crisis among teens. Grandparents, who have lived through polio, wars, and so much more are in a great position to support them. A sweet treat or new toy is enough to inspire their unconditional adoration when grandchildren are young. And then they become teenagers. Suddenly it’s not so easy anymore, for you or them. They are fac ..read more

I’m deeply moved thinking of my forthcoming book, Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren, debuting June 21, 2022.   The book includes ideas for grandparents and grandchildren to enter each other’s worlds. So, you may ask, why did we include two chapters about bringing grandparents and their adult children closer?   Because the TOTAL family is vital to the mental health of everyone in the family.   As for those two chapters dedicated to the generation between grandparents and grandchildren, one chapter is on interdependence and the other is o ..read more

“When Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Grandchildren” is a book built on passion, real-life experience, hope, and the power of love. Witkovsky and his associate Shoss, share Witkovsky’s life-long commitment to strengthening and celebrating the bonds that make families grow while maximizing the potential and individuality of each of the family members. The book is a sensitive and creative “How To” of ideas and concepts whose purpose is to create mutual support, while positively impacting all family members. The outcomes are shared respect, new and shared milestones, unparalleled ..read more

PRAISE FOR WHERE TWO WORLDS MEET   “This wonderful book, Where Two Worlds Meet: A Guide to Connecting with Your Teenage Grandchildren, is full of real world tools to help the generations find common ground. From letters to organized meetings, to determining a family legacy, these methods are sure to bring eager grandparents and busy older grandchildren together around important common goals. I recommend it to all grandparents!” – Elizabeth LaBan, bestselling author of Beside Herself; Not Perfect; The Restaurant Critic’s Wife; The Tragedy Paper; The Grandparents Handbook; and co-author of ..read more