The Chocolate Life is a metaphor for living your life with intent and conscious purpose through connecting with your true inner passion ... and using that connection to fuel your personal, spiritual, and professional growth and to inspire The Chocolate Life in the lives of others.

If you're like most people, you hate listening to the news on television and radio or reading newspapers because so much of what gets reported is negative and bleak. I don't know about you but sometimes I just want to crawl right back into bed. And don't even get me started about so-called "reality" programming that has no connection with any reality I have ever experienced.

What I long for is some meaningful respite from the craziness, something I can do that makes me happy to be alive and be a human being. Because my Chocolate Life is all about chocolate, I was inspired, to paraphrase Ghandi, to 'be the change I wanted to see in the world.' So I created The Chocolate Chronicles to do just that: chronicle the adventures and the good works of people all around the world who are doing interesting and inspiring things that somehow involve chocolate (or cacao or cocoa). These stories inspire me and make me happy and I know that they will bring you happiness and inspire you as well.

What you will find here on The Chocolate Chronicles web site is a mashup, a taste of The Chocolate Chronicles eNewsletter and content that's available just for subscribers. Should you choose to subscribe, you will receive, twice a month via e-mail, The Chocolate Chronicles eNewsletter plus you will gain access to content available only to subscribers.

I thought about supporting the site through advertising and/or commercial sponsorships, but I realized that they would be a negative influence and distracting as well. Through your direct support, The Chocolate Chronicles will be an oasis you can turn to and visit when you need something to inspire and recharge your spiritual batteries - when you need a taste of The Chocolate Life to help you make it through whatever you're struggling with at the moment.

Clay Gordon is the author of Discover Chocolate (Gotham Books, 2007), is the creator and moderator of TheChocolateLife.com, an on-line community for chocophiles and aspiring chocophiles, and is the driving force behind TheChocolateChronicles.com, a motivational/inspirational site/newsletter that chronicles the efforts of people all over the world who make a difference - with and through chocolate.

Clay "discovered" chocolate himself in 1994 and started writing about chocolate as a professional chocolate critic in 2001 as the editor and publisher of (the now retired) chocophile.com. Since 2001 he has amassed a media CV (see below for more complete listing) that includes appearances on Oprah, Food Network, History Channel, the DIane Rehm and Leonard Lopate shows, Martha Stewart Living Radio, and in the pages of The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, People, Shape, The Robb Report, Chocolatier, Dessert Professional, and many others.

When not writing about chocolate Clay leads tasting programs and events, consults to chocolatiers and chocolate makers, and leads chocolate-themed international travel programs.

Clay Gordon at Kapawi Lodge, Ecuador, 2005.

Clay Gordon (right) in a canoe with an Achuar naturalist/guide at Kapawi Lodge, Ecuador, 2005.

Since starting to write about chocolate professionally on-line in 2001 on his ground-breaking blog chocophile.com Clay has amassed an impressive amount of press notice - personally and without the use of a publicist, PR firm, or agent. Through his work on chocophile.com, his book Discover Chocolate, and now with TheChocolateLife.com and TheChocolateChronicles.com, his media appearances have made him one of the most recognized independent spokespersons for chocolate in the world.

• Broadcast/National Television
• The Oprah Winfrey Show (Oct 2003)
• Cable Television
• Treasure HD (Satellite, first aired Sep 2007)
• History Channel, American Eats: Chocolate (first aired Aug 2006)
• ESPN2 Cold Pizza (Feb 2005)
• Fine Living (Personal Journal, Jan 2005)
• ESPN2 Cold Pizza (Nov 2004)
• Metro New York / "Naked NY" (2004)
• Food Network (Top 5 Foods - Chocolate, Sep 2003)
• Online
• Google Author Talk (Dec 2007)
  

• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius/XM Satellite Radio, Feb 2009)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Feb 2008)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Jul 2008)
• Diane Rehm Show (WAMU/PBS, Nov 2007)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Jul 2007)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Jul 2007)
• Leonard Lopate Show (WNYC/PBS, Feb 2007)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Feb 2007)
• Martha Stewart Living (Sirius Satellite Radio, Feb 2006)
• Good Morning America (XM Satellite Radio, Feb 2006)
• The Dolans (WOR, 2004)
• This list does not include internet-only radio appearances.

• Books (as Author)
• Discover Chocolate
  (10/2007, Gotham Books/Penguin Group)
• The Guide to High Definition Video Production
  (1995, Focal Press/Butterworth Heinemann)
• The ChromaScript Handbook
  (1988, AGFA Matrix [custom publication])
• Books (mentions)
• Chocolate French (2nd Edition, Summer 2006)
• The Great Book Of Chocolate (auth. David Lebovitz)
• Candy Freak (auth. Steve Almond)
• Chocolate Connoisseur (auth. Chloe Doutre-Roussel)
• Newspapers
• USA Today (Jul 2007)
• The Journal News (Hudson Valley/Gannett Suburban, Aug 2006)
• The New York Times (Dining In/Out section, 2004 and 2005)
• The Wall Street Journal (Personal Journal)
• Dallas Morning News
• San Francisco Chronicle
• East Bay Express (Oakland, CA)
• Sacramento Bee
• Knight-Ridder Syndicate (worldwide syndication) not listed individually
• Bylined Articles in Specialty/Special Interest Publications
• Dessert Professional Magazine (multiple issues, 2008-present)
• Chocolatier Magazine (multiple issues, 2003-2008)
• New World Chocolate Society Newsletter (9 issues, 2004-2007)
• The Independent Film and Video Monthly
• Millimeter magazine (>15 articles, 1989-1991)
• AVVideo magazine (>30 articles, 1986-1990)
• General Interest Publications
• Business Week (multiple issues)
• People
• Newsweek
• Shape
• Woman's World
• Special Interest Publications
• Kiplinger's Personal Finance (Nov 2006)
• Nirvana Woman (Spring 2006)
• The Robb Report (Christmas Buying Guide issue, 2005)
• Chow Magazine (2004, Inaugural Issue)
• Time Out (NY)
• Culinary Trends Magazine
• Gourmet News Magazine

• TheChocolateChronicles.com (Sep 2009 - present)
• TheChocolateLife.com (Jan 2008 - present)
• chocophile.com (May 2001 - Jan 2008)
• SeriousEats.com (guest blogger - 2008, archived)
• Culinate.com (guest blogger - 2008, archived)
• BravoTV.com (guest blogger - 2007 - 2008, no longer online)
• Yahoo! Personals (2005-present)
• Business Week On-line (September, 2006)
• MSNBC.com (2005)
• The Street.com (2005)
• Yahoo! Pick (May, 2004)
• money.cnn.com (2004)