Contact: Kevin Wandra, 678-990-9032, KWandra@MaximusMG.com

MEDIA ADVISORY, Feb. 17, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The following is submitted by The Maximus Group:

WHO: Bestselling author and syndicated Catholic radio host Teresa Tomeo, author of Extreme Makeover from Ignatius Press.

WHAT: Tomeo is available for comment about the ongoing conflict between the Catholic Church, other religious employers and nonprofits, and the Obama administration over the new health-insurance mandate announced Jan. 20 by the Department of Health and Human Services. The mandate requires all employers to provide health insurance coverage that offers free access to contraception, sterilization and drugs that induce abortion. Following a major backlash from Catholic bishops and other clergy, President Obama announced Feb. 10 an "accommodation" under which employers would not be forced to provide the coverage, but insurance companies would be required to provide the services noted above at no charge to any employees interested in receiving them. That change has done little to stem criticism of the mandate.

WHEN/WHERE: Tomeo is available throughout the day and evening for live or pre-taped interviews. She lives in the greater Detroit area (Eastern Standard Time Zone).

ABOUT TOMEO: Teresa Tomeo uses the experience she gained as a secular-media print and broadcast journalist to be at the forefront of Catholic engagement with pop culture and the media. She hosts "Catholic Connection," a daily Catholic radio show produced by Ave Maria Radio and syndicated through the EWTN Global Catholic Radio Network. She heads Teresa Tomeo Communications, a motivational and media-consulting firm. Tomeo also is a columnist for the Catholic Newspaper Our Sunday Visitor, and she is a frequent guest on Catholic and secular programs discussing culture, faith and the media. She hosts her own show on the Eternal Word Television Network called, "The Catholic View for Women." Extreme Makeover is her third book.

ABOUT THE BOOK: In Extreme Makeover, Tomeo pulls together the latest research on social behavior and trends to demonstrate that women are harming themselves and their chances for true happiness by adopting the thoroughly modern, sexually liberated lifestyle portrayed in magazines and movies, and on TV. So what are women steeped in the Hollywood and Cosmo girl version of reality to do? Undergo Tomeo's Extreme Makeover. With the help of this book, they can shed the toxic messages that objectify and enslave them and embrace the truth about their basic human dignity.

For more information, to request a review copy of Extreme Makeover or schedule an interview with Teresa Tomeo, please contact Kevin Wandra of The Maximus Group at (678) 990-9032 or KWandra@MaximusMG.com.