Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., and Teresa Tomeo to appear at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception

Contact: Alexis Walkenstein, 561-445-5409, AWalkenstein@MaximusMG.com, Kevin Wandra, 678-990-9032, KWandra@MaximusMG.com

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 12, 2012 /Standard Newswire/ -- Bestselling authors Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., and Teresa Tomeo will appear at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Washington, D.C., as part of March for Life Weekend activities. This event will take place at the Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave., NE, Washington, D.C. 20017-1517.

Beginning at 2 p.m., Fr. Spitzer and Tomeo will make presentations, and will answer questions from those in attendance. They will be available for book signings immediately after their presentations, and copies of their new books will be available for purchase on-site.

Ten Universal Principles: A Brief Philosophy of the Life Issues

In Ten Universal Principles, Fr. Spitzer looks at whether there are reasonable principles -- regardless of religious belief -- that can guide our actions, especially when human life is at stake. Ten Universal Principles offers an intelligent outline for thinking and talking about human life and life issues. It's a powerful tool for persuasively discussing a pro-life philosophy -- and a major reason is because it's not founded in Catholicism or any other religion or spiritual belief.

The former president of Gonzaga University, Fr. Spitzer is Founder and President of the Magis Institute -- an organization dedicated to public education on the relationship among the disciplines of physics, philosophy, reason and faith. He also heads the Ethics and Performance Institute, and the Spitzer Center of Ethical Leadership, which delivers ethics-education curricula to corporations and individuals, and nonprofit organizations, respectively.

Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ not Conformed to the Culture

In Extreme Makeover, Tomeo writes about the type of "extreme makeover" one will never see on television. She tackles a variety of issues that remain important to women of all ages, and she offers solutions in her own collective assessment of the state of the world. "The culture can be toxic in terms of desensitizing us to violence, weakening our moral fiber, and making us feel pretty darn disgusted with ourselves because we're not five foot nine and a size 2," Tomeo writes in the book. "So how do we respond?" She answers that and many other questions in Extreme Makeover, and includes a section with stories about women who have transformed themselves by focusing on what God intends them to be.

Tomeo, whose career includes many years as a secular print and broadcast journalist, hosts "Catholic Connection," a daily radio program produced by Ave Maria Radio and syndicated by the EWTN Global Radio Network. In 2007, her first book -- NOISE: How Our Media Saturated Culture Dominates Lives and Dismantles Families -- became a Catholic bestseller. She also has co-authored a series of popular Catholic books for girls, All Things Girls, which focuses on modesty and chastity.

For more information or to request review copies and/or interviews with Fr. Robert Spitzer, S.J., or Teresa Tomeo, please contact Alexis Walkenstein (561-445-5409 or AWalkenstein@MaximusMG.com) or Kevin Wandra (678-990-9032 or KWandra@MaximusMG.com) with The Maximus Group.