Peter Occhiogrosso

Peter Occhiogrosso is the author or coauthor of more than 20 nonfiction books. Beginning in 1987 Peter wrote a series of books about spiritual experience, including Once A Catholic (Houghton-Mifflin); Through the Labyrinth (Penguin); and a popular guide to the world’s religions entitled The Joy of Sects (Doubleday). At the same time he has also coauthored books by public figures as disparate as talk-show host Larry King, cabaret singer Michael Feinstein, and rock icon Frank Zappa. More recently he has collaborated with spiritual author Caroline Myss onWhy People Don’t Heal, and Sacred Contracts, both of which became New York Times Best Sellers. He also coauthored five books on prayer and healing with former Catholic priest Ron Roth, PhD. In 2012 he worked with yoga master Mark Whitwell to create The Promise of Love, Sex, and Intimacy  (Atria). Following a lifelong interest in nutrition and health, Peter has also collaborated with Vijay Vad, MD, of the Hospital for Special Surgery, on a leading book about arthritis treatment, Arthritis Rx (Gotham), as well as Dr. Vad’s latest book, Stop Pain (Hay House). He has taught online classes for writers.com for more than a decade.His published books include:1985 Inside Spinal Tap (Arbor House) You saw the movie, now watch the book: the authorized biography of Spinal Tap.1987 Once A Catholic: Prominent Catholics and Ex-Catholics Reveal the Influence of the Church on their Lives and Work (Houghton Mifflin/Ballantine).1988 Tell It to the King with Larry King (Putnam/Jove)  New York Times Bestseller1989 The Real Frank Zappa Book with Frank Zappa (Poseidon Press).1990 Tell Me More with Larry King (Putnam/St. Martin’s).1991 Through the Labyrinth: Stories of the Search for Spiritual Transformation in Everyday Life (Viking/Arkana).1992 Updated, revised edition of Inside Spinal Tap published in London, England (Little, Brown).1994 The Joy of Sects: A Spirited Guide to the World’s Religious Traditions (Doubleday).1996 Revised paperback edition of The Joy of Sects (Image).1997 The Healing Path of Prayer: The Modern Mystic’s Guide to Spiritual Power, with Ron Roth (Harmony/Three Rivers).1997 Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can, by Caroline Myss, (Harmony) New York Times Bestseller1999 Prayer and the Five Stages of Healing, with Ron Roth (Hay House).2000 Holy Spirit, with Ron Roth (Hay House)2000 The 3-Season Diet: Solving the Mystery of Food Cravings, Weight-loss, and Exercise, by Dr. John Douillard (Harmony)2001 Holy Spirit for Healing, with Ron Roth (Hay House).2002 Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential, by Caroline Myss (Harmony) New York Times Bestseller2002 Reclaim Your Spiritual Power, with Ron Roth (Hay House)2004 Sacred Contracts: The Journey: an Interactive Experience for Guidance, with Caroline Myss (Hay House)Ghostwritten or Assisted Books:

1995 Nice Work if You Can Get It, by Michael Feinstein (Hyperion)1996 Extraordinary Guidance: How to Connect with Your Spiritual Guides, by Liza Wiemer (Three Rivers)1997 Why People Don’t Heal and How They Can, by Caroline Myss (Harmony) New York Times Bestseller2000 The 3-Season Diet: Solving the Mystery of Food Cravings, Weight-loss, and Exercise, by Dr. John Douillard (Harmony)2002 Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential, by Caroline Myss (Harmony) New York Times Bestseller2006 Arthritis Rx: A Cutting-Edge Program for a Pain-Free Life, by Vijay Vad, M.D. (Gotham)2009 Defy Gravity: Healing Beyond the Bounds of Reason by Caroline Myss (Hay House)2010 Stop Pain: A Natural Anti-Inflammatory Program for Pain-Free Life, by Vijay Vad, M.D. (Hay House)2012 The Promise of Love, Sex & Intimacy, by Mark Whitwell (Atria/Simon & Schuster)

Student Comments

Peter was very impressive…he really gave of himself and I found myself wishing I’d had “in person” teachers so committed.  He was prompt, timely, responsive and always gave a lot of attention and information on the topic at hand.  He really spent quality time responding to people.  I learned a lot from the exchanges he had with others. This was my first experience with writers on the net.  I was impressed—and I’ll be back. -- Pamela Sampel

Extremely happy with the content and teachings. Peter far exceeded my expectations with his wide range of knowledge and insight.I’ve already recommended this class to a few of my friends. -- Kyle Klave

His lectures were extremely thoughful and comprehensive. He took the writing of them seriously, too, as if he was writing a piece for publication. His lectures, suggestions, and editing of our work felt like sitting at the side of a guru who generously shares his personal and professional experience in the field. I'd like to take more classes with Peter when they are offered. -- M. D.

This was an excellent class! One of the best teachers I've had, writing or otherwise. The time he took with each of our assignments as well as what he put into the email "lectures" was invaluable. I have recommended your classes to several people. Really great experience. Thank you. -- Felicia Libo

Peter was seamless in his compassionate, individual approach...his assignments and most especially his writing were philosophically and spiritually inspiring. I would definitely recommend this and already have. Sublime stuff. Keep it up please! -- Beth Jochum

I had never considered that there were many ways of journaling beyond what I already knew how to do. Peter offered a fresh, original approach that gave me lots of new tools. The lessons were interesting and the assignments were great... I think what impressed me most about Peter was the vastness of his scope of knowledge. He pulled information from so many different sources. He shared generously, communicated clearly and kindly. He was encouraging and respectful. -- Bonnie Rose

Peter was fabulous! Supportive and present and with incredibly helpful feedback. Thanks to this class, I now have a paid writing assignment for a magazine! -- S.R. (Would it be possible to use my initials instead of my full name? No need to blow my cover as a beginner...)

I was very happy with this class.... I liked that we worked on one piece for the whole eight weeks and that Peter took us through each step of the process. For me this was much more helpful than having someone give a thumbs up or thumbs down and then not tell me how to shape the piece so that it is ready for publication. Peter, of course, made all the difference. He said he was going to be tough but really, he was very kind and helpful. I also felt Peter was totally approachable and open to any questions we had about writing. He also treated us all the same no matter what level we were at and was encouraging at every step of the way. I thought of him as a mentor as much as a teacher. -- Suzan Tessier

Overall, I found the class to be a rewarding experience -- having never taken a course over the Internet I wasn't sure what to expect, but I feel I got my money's worth and will very likely take another class or two in the near future. ... Peter Occhiogrosso was excellent - the structure of his class was laid out comprehensively and was challenging enough to get the juices flowing, but not daunting. He was fluid and articulate with the assignments and he responded succinctly to questions we had. Give the man a hearty cheer and some organic apples! I came away from the course with sharper skills and new knowledge that will undoubtedly help me with all areas of my writing... And lastly, yes I would recommend your classes to friends (and family too!) And have done so... Thank you all for an excellent effort and for providing quality instructors to teach valuable courses available to mere mortals on the fringes of cyberspace. I look forward to joining another class soon. -- Mel Bearns

I took a magazine writing class from Peter Occhiogrosso this fall with Writers on the Net. My piece that came out of that class is being published. I wanted to share that news with Peter and thank him. -- Amanda LeBrun

The lessons for each week were well written, fun to read, and covered the full range of topics related to magazine writing. Peter is a wonderful teacher. As it turns out, my query letter to AARP magazine got me a phone call from the health editor and an assignment to write an article on heart surgery for the November/December issue. Peter's editorial help was instrumental in getting my query letter polished, and his encouragement was equally valuable in convincing me to take the risk of rejection and send the query letter to the magazine. I'll continue to spread the good word about your website and classes to the aspiring writers I know. -- Kelly Griffin

Since taking Peter's first class, I am so busy with my freelance writing assignments that I don't have time for a follow-up!! Seriously, I leapt into the freelance writing arena shortly after taking Peter's class and the results, due in large part to Peter's help, have been terrific. I'd recommend his class to anyone who really wants to write for publication. Please keep me on your update list. -- Denise Wolf

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