The Neil Haley Show Featuring Roma Downey, Michael Aguas, Susana Sheldon, and Maya Feller

The Live from the Grotto celebrity simulcast with Greg Hanna opened with actress, producer, and bestselling author Roma Downey, beloved for nine seasons as the angel Monica on Touched by an Angel. Roma joined Neil to celebrate The Baxters, a multi-generational family drama premiering on Amazon Prime Video for Easter weekend, based on Karen Kingsbury's Redemption series. Roma plays Elizabeth Baxter, a prayer warrior and devoted mother to five adult children alongside husband John (played by Ted McGinley). She described the series as a "hope opera" where, when life brings the Baxters to their knees, they pray. Roma shared that she came to the project as a fan of Kingsbury's writing, reached out for the TV rights, and worked closely with Karen to adapt and update the storyline from a 9/11-era setting to a contemporary one. Her real-life daughter Riley appears as one of her on-screen daughters, and Kathie Lee Gifford and Cassidy Gifford also guest star. Roma closed with her most important life lesson: courage is not the absence of fear, but taking action in spite of it.Neil then welcomed Michael Aguas of The Rainstorm Radio Show for an advanced tax strategy conversation. Michael explained that California high earners at the top bracket work from January 1 through June 17 just to cover federal and state taxes, and walked through where his clients redirect the multiple six-figure annual savings they recover. The three primary destinations are capital reinvested back into the business, diversified investments outside one's primary industry (managed money, crypto portfolios, real estate), and properly designed cash value life insurance. Michael identified cash value life insurance as the financial instrument with the best tax treatment available, growing tax-deferred and allowing income-tax-free borrowing against the cash value with no monthly amortization required. He shared the story of a client who built a $50 million real estate empire entirely through cash value life insurance funding and warned against the estate planning failures of Elvis Presley and James Gandolfini. Visit RainstormMediaGroup.com.Neil then welcomed first-time author Susana Sheldon to discuss her debut novel Hope's Hopes, a story of intercontinental romance set between Hungary and 1980s Los Angeles. Susana, who was herself born and raised in Hungary before emigrating to the United States, shared how the book draws on real-life inspiration, with eighteen-year-old Hope arriving in America in the summer of 1982 with her father George at the invitation of his high school sweetheart Irene, only to fall into an unconventional and forbidden romance with a much older man named John. Susana described George as the character who surprised her most, a controlling father whose fear masquerades as love, and explored Hope's universal longing to be understood. She also offered a vivid recollection of life behind the Iron Curtain, including Hungary's two-passport system (the easily obtained red passport for eastward travel versus the rarely granted blue passport for westward travel) and offered a strong rebuttal to those who romanticize socialist or communist regimes. Find Hope's Hopes on Amazon and at iUniverse.Neil closed with a return appearance from registered dietitian Maya Feller of Maya Feller Nutrition for a conversation on how GLP-1 medications are reshaping the way Americans eat. With one in eight American adults currently on a GLP-1 (a number expected to triple by 2030), Maya emphasized that protein and fiber are "the power pair" supporting muscle, immune health, and gut wellness. She pointed listeners to the frozen aisle and Vital Pursuit GLP-1 friendly meals. Visit vitalpursuit.com.