In MIT OUT SOUND, amidst Apache holy grounds and the magic of day-for-night shooting, the lines between past and present blur and the flawed characters’ backstories intertwine into a tumultuous finale that exposes their hidden animosities, demons, and loves.
About MIT OUT SOUND
“It’s time to make a mess,” said Emily.
Would-be movie producer Emily Bennett didn’t believe the legend of a lost movie, starring James Dean and John Wayne. But when she meets two uncannily talented celebrity impersonators-Jimmy Riley and Tom “Duke” Manfredo, and stumbles upon the elusive film editor who stole the master negative of Showdown, it dispels her doubts, fills her with a courage she didn’t know she had, and she sets out to complete the movie.
But as Emily and her stars prepare for day one of shooting, they find themselves entangled in a complex love triangle with Oedipal undertones, mirroring their own past lives and off-screen dynamics. As doubts about their ruthless director, Solange Borugian, surface, Jimmy’s and Duke’s friendship is turned upside down, while Emily and her brother Ben, struggle with their own unresolved issues and are forced to confront their dying father.
On location in Arizona, amidst Apache holy grounds and the magic of day-for-night shooting, the lines between past and present blur and the flawed characters’ backstories intertwine into a tumultuous finale that exposes their hidden animosities, demons, and loves.
When Rick Lenz retired as a stage and film actor (playing opposite Ingrid Bergman, John Wayne, Lauren Bacall, Walter Matthau, Peter Sellers, etc.), his passion for drama refused to retire with him. Although he was an actor most of his life, he is also a seasoned writer.
His plays have been produced Off-Broadway, on PBS television, and in regional theatres across the country. Rick’s memoir North of Hollywood was called “masterful” by Writer’s Digest. His first novel, The Alexandrite was named “one of the best books of the year” by Kirkus Reviews. Bret Easton Ellis called it “almost impossible to put down.” Booklife calls A Town Called Why, “An absorbing tale of mystery and revenge… nuanced … powerful.” Rick’s books have won several awards, including, Readers Views (first place), the Chanticleer Somerset Grand Prize for Literary, Contemporary and Mainstream Fiction, an IPPY Award, and a Foreword Book of the Year. Most recently, his time-travel love story Hello, Rest of My Life was a 2022 Silver Nautilus Book Award winner (fiction), and Eric Hoffer Award finalist (fiction).
He lives in Los Angeles with his wife Linda and an ever-shifting array of animals.
Twenty-one-year-old Neka is a bit of an introvert, she also happens to be stunningly beautiful.
When she discovers her friend James is about to be dumped, she sees the perfect opportunity to escape from her quiet life. Can she summon the courage to leave it all behind?
James Copley comes from a ruthless family. It’s rubbed off.
Years ago, he disengaged from his brother’s smear campaign, but now his father has offered him an ultimatum, “Get married or lose your seat at the table.”
Plotting to stamp his design on the family business, he proposes to a woman, even though he doesn’t love her.
But his carefully laid plans start to unravel when she leaves him on the day she’s due to meet his family.
Could years of planning his comeback vanish with her departure?
A possible solution comes in an unexpected form: Neka. She’s not only a friend, but the daughter of his benefactor. And she’s right there, offering to support him.
But will her support stretch to marriage?
He attempts to win her over to his plan but collides with her powerful father who wants to leverage the situation for his own gain.
In their fight for survival and love, they are forced to face some uncomfortable truths.
Can they overcome thwarted dreams and missed chances to find true love, or does forcing destiny’s hand only lead to misery?
It was a match made in heaven. Or so everyone thought. Sadie Mae Cummings is all set to marry her childhood sweetheart, Kyle, when she is assigned to tutor Lincoln, the new college football running back. This sophomore phenomenon has all the girls on campus knocking on his door. But Sadie isn’t interested in his advances.
Lincoln’s overblown ego doesn’t take well to being shunned, and he resolves to make Sadie his own. He pursues her relentlessly, until finally Kyle finds himself shut out of Sadie’s life, with their shared future crumbling around him.
After two years, Sadie’s relationship with Lincoln ends, and she is left having to put the pieces of her life back together. She desires nothing more than to recapture her relationship with Kyle. He has stayed true to the dreams they had planned together, living the vision even without Sadie by his side.
When she moves back to her hometown, she labors to rekindle their love. But things have changed, and Kyle has moved on. Sadie quickly discovers how hard it is to rebuild burned bridges.
Follow Sadie’s story as she fights for a chance to restore broken dreams. Will love endure?
This inspirational romance by E. C. Jackson is book two of the Hope series and is a standalone book.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and Bookbub.
The Certain Hope: Hope Series, Book Three
Love at first sight. It’s every girl’s dream. But Tara Simpkins is finding out it’s not as easy as it seems. Is this truly the man God sent to be her husband, or is she just desperate to escape her loneliness? The recent loss of both parents has left her reeling, and close friends don’t think she’s in any position to make major life decisions. She and her new-found love are convinced they can live happily ever after in the home of their dreams. His family thinks he’s moving way too fast and might disappoint the kind-hearted woman he’s fallen head over heels for. And then there’s Leah. Leah is supposed to be part of his past, but what if she decides she’s his future? Tara’s match made in Heaven may be over before it truly begins.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and B&N.
The Confident Hope: Hope Series, Book Four
Is there hope for this love between friends?
Pamela Hayes is a smart, successful business owner with a supportive family and a thriving bakery. She should be the happiest girl in the world. But she can’t shake the melancholy that accompanies every conversation she has with her best friend, Mark. Pamela doesn’t know how much longer she can hide her true feelings.
Why can’t Mark see how perfect they would be together? She would make a much better girlfriend than the one he currently has. Pamela prays he’ll come to his senses soon and realize he’s with the wrong girl. But when her dream comes true, it isn’t the fantasy she had envisioned.
There is trouble in paradise from the start, and all the red flags she’s been ignoring are starting to threaten her confidence…and her relationship with Mark. She’ll have to rely on family and her faith in God to help her secure the hope she so desperately needs.
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and B&N.
Overflow With Hope: Hope Series, Book Five
Two men. One wrong choice.
Tempia Wade’s life had jumped the rails.
One fateful night, she believed a stranger’s lie rather than the assurance of a trusted friend. For her lapse in judgment, she paid an agonizing price.
Her now-bankrupt life featured shattered dreams, ruined friendships, and the loss of a promising relationship. Now, two years later, the twenty-three-year-old prayed for a second chance with the man she had fallen for at first sight.
Would Cory Sanders finally overlook her egregious mistake in accepting a next-day date and liaison with another man? Or would she have to truly accept life without him?
You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon and B&N.
About the Author
E. C. Jackson began her writing career with the full-length play “Pajama Party.” Thirty-one years later, she adapted the play into Pajama Party: The Story, a companion book to the second book in the five-book standalone Hope series.
Jackson’s favorite pastime is reading fiction. She enjoys taking the journey along with the characters in the books. That also led to her unorthodox approach to story writing. Her vision for each book she writes is to immerse readers into the storyline so they become connected with each character.
“The Write Way: A Real Slice of Life” is the slogan on her Facebook author page. She feels that if every person reading her books feels connected to the characters, her job is done.
The themes of the books in the Alycat Series all reflect a reliance on friendships, imagination, and creativity towards problem solving.
About Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday
Alycat wakes up to seafood gumbo for breakfast, and even though her house is the first stop for the school bus, the bus is already full when she boards. Alycat’s whole day is turning topsy-turvy. What is happening? Young readers will tag along on Alycat’s adventures during her very “cattywampus” Wednesday and learn that a little help from some friends and a good attitude can make your day!
The themes of the books in the Alycat Series all reflect a reliance on friendships, imagination, and creativity towards problem solving. The character traits of Alycat and her friends inspire and encourage young readers to find their own special gifts. After enduring a cattywampus world pursuant to an unexpected pandemic, this book will resonate with readers to persevere through the wackiest and toughest of times.
My Thoughts
Cattywampus means askew or abnormal, behaving in an unsual way.
This is certainly the case for Alycat in this adorable, beautifully illustrated novel! Her typical Wednesday is completely backwards – from the moment she wakes up, to the moment she goes to sleep, nothing is usual or routine. She has dinner for breakfast, the first stop is the last stop on the bus, words are spelt backwards and the list goes on for Alycat.
While this topsy turvy type of day could have made Alycat sad and angry (it certainly made her unsure!), she has great friends and family that help her to see the positive in the day and how to roll with it. Alycat shows us that even though the world is not how we are used to and the days may seem frustrating and definitely atypical from our norm, we can use different strategies to help us deal with the uncertainty (Alycat even has a set of strategies to help young children at the end of the story!).
I love the lesson in the story for young children, it is so important especially as so many of us are still struggling with the pandemic and our constantly changing world where nothing ever seems routine or normal anymore. It is so important that children know that no matter what goes on around them, we have the power and control to how we react to our environment around us. Young children will fall in love with the illustrations and the adorable cat themed words (hiss-tory, Mrs. Purry). The illustrations are bright, bold and adorable and help to bring Alycat’s story to life.
Alysson Foti Bourque is the author of the award-winning Alycat series. Alysson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Elementary Education from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Juris Doctor degree from the Southern University Law Center.
After practicing law for six years, she traded in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books. Alysson enjoys public speaking opportunities at schools, conferences, and festivals nationwide. She hopes to inspire people of all ages to follow their dreams and believe in themselves wholeheartedly.
AWARDS & HONORS
The Alycat Series has won several prestigious awards including: Three Mom’s Choice Awards® Benjamin Franklin Digital Award, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Best Book Award Finalist NY Big Book Award Reviewed by Midwest Book Review Southern Festival of Books Panelist Louisiana Book Festival Featured Author
The Art of Traveling Strangers is a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment inspired by the great art masterpieces of Italy and France. It’s a tale of female bonding and the amazing powers of perception. After all, reality, like art, is just an illusion.
About The Art of Traveling Strangers
It’s the 1980s, and art historian Claire Markham reels from a series of heartbreaking losses. Desperate to escape her shattered reality, she becomes an art guide in Europe for quirky stranger Viv Chancey and embarks on a life-changing journey through the art-filled cities of Milan, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Siena, Rome, and Paris.
Once abroad, Claire tries to hide her woes by focusing on Viv’s art education, but Viv—who is not who she seems—has a different learning experience in mind. Frustrated and wanting to reimagine her life, Claire embraces the idea of reality as illusion and finds herself slipping into the tales of art and history.
When threatened with one more crushing loss, Claire must learn from the spirit of her eccentric companion and the lessons from the art they encounter to take charge of her life or lose the most precious thing in it.
The Art of Traveling Strangers is a journey of self-discovery and personal empowerment inspired by the great art masterpieces of Italy and France. It’s a tale of female bonding and the amazing powers of perception. After all, reality, like art, is just an illusion.
My Thoughts
“If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing – Coco Chanel” – The Art of Travelling Strangers
This quote, found at the novel, resonated with me. I feel like this was Claire – a woman with so much potential but who was holding herself back. She was scared to fly, allowing first her husband, then her affair and even her work to hold her back. She found her security in her love of art history.
Claire is at a difficult point in her life. She has come to the realization that her marriage is over – her husband being an overbearing, thoughtless and unkind man. She starts an affair with a man who shows her what love should be – kind, caring and thoughtful of both partners. She loses her Mother, her husband, her lover and financial security all at once. This leaves her spiraling and trying to figure out how to move forward both personally and professionally. She goes to Europe with Viv and this is where through some ups and downs, she finds and grows those wings.
In Europe, Claire learns forgiveness, healing and most of all, how strong she truly is. Her journey is not an easy one, it is full of pain, heartache and stubbornness but it is her journey of growth and healing. She becomes a stronger woman through the bonds that she forms.
I really enjoyed this book, although it did feel fast paced. Claire goes through so much in this novel and while so many of this could have broken her – she forces herself to push forward and deal with each moment. She grows from a woman who let people walk all over her, to someone who is ready to embrace her future and change. The bonus? All of the amazing art history details throughout this novel (I love my art!). I truly enjoyed every moment of this book about growth.
Zoe Disigny holds a master’s degree in art history and has taught at the college level throughout her career. She has led numerous art tours in Europe and established a business in Paris offering art history adventures for American tourists.
Enter THE ART OF TRAVELING STRANGERS Book Tour Giveaway for a chance to win an autographed copy of The Art of Traveling Strangers, 2 signed postcards designed by the author depicting locations from the book, and a pair of earrings and matching brooch from Ancient Artisans.
Create magical recipes in the kitchen with the whole family using recipes from The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids.
About The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids
Calling all Harry Potter fans! It’s time to whip up something spellbinding in the kitchen.
With 50 easy-to-follow recipes, you and your kids will learn to cook all of the best wizarding world favorites. From breakfast all the way to dessert, this book makes any meal or snack extra special, with recipes like:
Pumpkin Pasties
Cauldron Cakes
Muggle-Style Pizza
Chocolate Frogs
Great Hall Sandwiches
And many more!
Perfect for young fans of Harry Potter, The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids will have aspiring witches and wizards brewing potions, baking stellar treats, and cooking creative dishes in no time. With easy step-by-step instructions and spellbinding full-color photographs, this cookbook is sure to become a kitchen favorite.
Our Thoughts
I am a huge Harry Potter fan and love all things magical. While the cookbook is not associated with or authorized by JK Rowling, her publishers or Warner Brothers, it celebrates all things magical that we have come to love about this series.
I loved how the cookbook incorporates healthy eating while still presenting them in a fun, magical and spellbinding way. It is very important that young wizards look after their health and eat a balanced diet. The cookbook is divided into: breakfast, snacks and small treats, lunch, dinner, dessert and drinks. Alana takes the best of both British and American favourites to bring you fifty recipes that are sure to be a hit even with the most pickiest eaters, there is something for everyone in this book.
Some of my favourites from the book included Bath Buns, Witch Hat Quesadillas, Bubble and Squeak and Fizzy Whizbees. There were also quite a few that you will recognize right off the bat – chicken pot pie, mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken fingers and sheet pan pizza. I loved the variety of recipes – from the easy to a bit more complicated. It allows you to have a bit more freedom in the kitchen especially with the little ones so that they can gain confidence with the first few recipes and are able to build on this foundation. The recipes themselves are easy to follow with very clear instructions that are geared to both young and older cooks. The accompanying photographs of the final products were delicious looking and were actually what we looked at first when we were deciding on what to try making first.
The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids will be a huge hit this Halloween season (and all year round because lets face it, who doesn’t love a little bit of magic at home?!).
Alana Al-Hatlani is a baker by morning and food writer by night. Her writing has appeared in Saveur, Eater, the Seattle Times, the Seattle Weekly, and the Independent. She is a cake stand collector, a very competitive bowler, and Great British Bake-Off zealot. She started baking as soon as she could reach the counter on a step stool and hasn’t left the kitchen since.
Alana holds a BA in journalism from New York University and a pastry degree from the Seattle Culinary Academy. She lives in Seattle, where she can be found baking flaky biscuits and towering layer cakes as a pastry chef. To see more of her baking or writing, visit http://www.alanaalhatlani.com.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.
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