'TODAY' SHOW STAR AL ROKER ON HIS DAILY ROUTINE AND NEW MURDER MYSTERY NOVEL
As one of the faces of the Today show, Al Roker is a staple for delivering the latest news and weather reports every day on television. But while his role at NBC is one that he holds close to his heart, he has other passions that play up a different side folks don't always get to see.
When the media personality isn't working on daytime TV, Al has another creative outlet: writing fiction. He recently expanded his literary catalog with the April 2024 release of Murder on Demand, the fourth book in his ongoing Morning Show Mystery series.
While readers of the franchise love how his imaginary works offer an ominous tone because of the genre, Al revealed to Good Housekeeping how he took a slightly different approach with this novel. Mainly, he wanted to showcase a more light-hearted tone that doesn't often come with murder mysteries.
"You know, there were some parts of [the series] that were a little dark. Look — it's a murder mystery. Somebody's gonna die! But it's not so gruesome. We changed it up a little bit, and I think it's a little more fun. It's got more tongue-in-cheekiness about it," he says of this latest installment.
In Murder on Demand, readers get reacquainted with Billy Blessing a decade after leaving Chicago and the world of working on a morning news show. After settling on Long Island and becoming a chef at a local restaurant, he gets involved in a case tracking down the missing body of a man whose daughter found his boat washed up on the coast.
The premise is definitely a 180-degree turn from what folks are used to from Billy Blessing, but Al notes that there are key similarities between all the books he's written, namely elements of his own life infused into the titular character's.
"When it comes to fiction, write what you know," the meteorologist says. "I know something about cooking. I know something about being on TV. I know something about being bald and Black. These are all things that are in my wheelhouse, so [Billy] comes fairly naturally and is all part of me."
Speaking of things that are in his sphere of knowledge, Al isn't just big on writing. He also works hard to balance his work life with his health, which he often references when talking about the Start TODAY initiative. Fans often see him working out on his treadmill, and he even has a desk version in his office and dressing room.
As for how he manages to accomplish everything he sets out to do, Al shares how it comes from having a surprising amount of free time on his hands.
"Let's be real — the show is over for me at 10 o'clock," he says. "I got stuff to do and I have meetings, but it's not like I'm working eight hours. I've got a fair amount of time on my hands... so I have much more bandwidth to do stuff."
So, how does Al manage to do it all? He's adamant about getting up an hour earlier than normal, so he can accomplish things before he gets into the office. He also likes to walk at least two miles before work, whether it be on the treadmill or on his way to work. But above all, he's all about using the time he has in the day — and putting it to good use.
"If you really look at your day and how much time you wasted scrolling on your phone or computer, it's really shocking," he concludes. "So, if you take that time and put it into something that you really love, I think you'd be amazed at the amount of time you actually have."
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