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MARVIN SPRUILL

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

We welcome readers to our special coverage of the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards. This year’s event was hosted by award winning “The Daily Show Host and Comedian Trevor Noah. We congratulate all of the winners.

We are also honored to have on our cover the talented country soul singer Marvin Spruill. He has spent a lifetime sharing his own modern sound of country and western music. He has worked in the tobacco fields and has picked cucumbers yet he never let go of his dream to sing country music.

Also, we are honor to have in this issue the founder of DigitalRadioTracker. com Inc, Michael Matthews. DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc, also known as DRT, is a leading global internet radio monitoring company which tracks radio airplay of songs played on over 5000 + radio stations on this planet!

Finally, we would be remised if we failed to acknowledge The Al Hirschfeld Foundation’s celebration of Black Culture. “Amplified Dignity” is an online exhibition celebrating Black History.

As always, thank you for your tremendous and steadfast support. We truly join each of you as we celebrate the cultural diversity of the entertainment industry.

Best wishes and be safe,

Prather Jackson

Publisher/Editor-In-Chief

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DISTRIBUTORS

CoMag

MADER NEWS

MARVIN SPRUILL

Country Soul Singer

MICHAEL MATTHEWS

Digital Radio Tracker

JACQUELINE PIÑOL

Actress

RAYLENE HAREWOOD

The Serious Side of Stand-Up Comedy

AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION

Black History Month

EVETTA PETTY

Harlem’s Heaven Hats

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Pacific Palisades Mansion

SOULVISION MAGAZINE

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ROCKY DAWUNI From Highlife to Climate Change YVONNE NELSON

Ghana's Hottest Actress

Josephine Baker, 1936

MARVIN SPRUILL

COUNTRY SOUL SINGER

Maya Angelou said you may not remember a person's name, but you will never forget the way they made you feel. The unanimous feeling on how Country Soul Singer/Promoter/ manager loves country music. Whether he's singing to you an old Hank Williams song or just talking to you. His charm is magnetic and as deep as his sincere love for country music.

Marvin Spruill is a people person, which means he is a music person. To Marvin music and people are not mutually exclusive. Stories and songs are part of human evolution. Stories and songs bind us together socially. We are composed of stories as much as we are composed of atoms. And no musical genre gets into the DNA of human stories like country music. Truth is an agenda in country music.

Writers of country music like Willie Nelson and singers like Ronnie Milsap are emotional surgeons -- Truth Doctors, healing you or strengthening you through the power of music. Spruill is a born storyteller. He was only in high school when he won a school talent contest and wowed his peers singing a Charlie Pride song who was one of Marvin's favorite country soul artists. From the very beginning, Marvin had a lifelong love for Charlie Pride, the first African-American Country singer who was accepted and respected by his professional peers and the public.

The sweet idealism of Marvin Spruill as a young teenager, he truly believed that if Charlie Pride could become a successful country music singer then he could as well. Marvin never doubted his talents. He was raised on R & B, Gospel Music, and Country Music, but Marvin loved listening to country music that was broadcast on the Grand Old Opry on Saturday nights. He said, "It had a different, strange sound that I loved." That was the music, but it was the lyrics and the stories woven in the songs that really resonated with Marvin.

In ancient Greece stories were sung by the great poet, Homer. He was a poet who sang his stories for those lucky enough to hear Homer sing excerpts from The Iliad" and "The Odyssey." Marvin is a singer of stories, true, emotional stories about everyday people which earned him the nickname "Hillbilly Jim" as a young man. His mother understood Marvin's connection with country music because she loved the song Coal Miner's Daughter by Loretta Lynn. On Saturday nights the family would spend quality time and watch Hee Haw.

Marvin's father was confused by the posters of country music artists on Marvin's wall, but country music was in his blood. Marvin always sang country and put his own soulful twist in the songs. The way Ray Charles did in his landmark "Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music" (1962), an album Willie Nelson personally stated had a huge influence on him as an artist and it did for many of his professional peers at the time. To put into perspective the kind of writer Willie Nelson is and why this statement means so much for the acceptance of all people singing what they love, Nelson wrote "Crazy" for Patsy Cline, probably one of the best known classic country songs from one of the best singers of any genre. Nelson was influenced by the way Ray Charles sang country music, as stated in his title, these were modern sounds.

Marvin Spruill has spent a lifetime sharing his own modern sound of country and western music. Charlie Pride had his soulful sound. Even Lionel Ritchie had his own unique soul sound. As a music promoter, Marvin Spruill finds talented young Country Soul singers and provides them with venues and audiences to enjoy this resurgence of country soul. Marvin worked with a young country artist Jocie Johnson who opened up for David Allen Cole and appeared with Dwight Yoakam

and he worked with the songstress Vicki Vann and many more. The best example of true breakout success is Lil Nas X's with his chart-topping song "Old Town Road" a collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus. This song spent 19 weeks dominating the Billboard Top 100. That was a legendary accomplishment but not unexpected or surprising to Marvin Spruill who has seen incredible talent in the African-American Country Music scene for many years.

Spruill was only 18 years old when he had reached out to Ernie Bivens of Ernie Bivens Promotions out of Nashville. Marvin with his quick wit broke into song and Ernie really liked Marvin's sound. The scout was so impressed with Marvin he eventually would pick Marvin up from his home in North Carolina and personally drive him to Nashville, Tennessee to record Marvin's unique country soul sound. Marvin remembers fondly the scout waking him up as they entered Nashville saying, "Look, Marvin, there's the Grand Old Opry."

Marvin has had many wonderful moments like that with people who have recognized his talent and offered to help him. It is important to Marvin to give back, by reintroducing Country Soul Music back to the millions of fans who love Country. Just as many country music fans think country music is getting too pop, it has also strayed very far from its roots which initially incorporated elements from African-American music and instruments. The banjo, which is a staple instrument for hillbilly, folk, and country music, was created by African-Americans, who were trying to recreate their musical instruments from Africa. The banjo was introduced to mainstream America in the 1900s and is also a centerpiece for bluegrass music. Folk and blues are

the precursors to country and rock music so you can't help but feel the influence and African-American music in most genres you hear today.

Country music was a part of Marvin's roots, so you can imagine how painful it is when someone told him he can't sing country music because it's not his music. It's painful because Marvin thought about all the good country soul music this poor person is missing out on. Instead of getting mad Marvin may belt out a classic hillbilly or country song and let the listener hear what Marvin calls Country Soul Music. We should remember that the great Bob Dylan said when he heard African-American Folk Singer Leadbelly's song "Cotton Fields" it literally "changed his life right then and there." Dylan said this country soul sound "transported him into a world he had never known." That is the power of Country Soul Music.

In 2021 Singer/Promoter Marvin Spruill and Actor/ Writer/Entrepreneur Rodney Allen Rippy will be co-executive producing their first Country Soul Music Awards, where Marvin will have a special posthumous Icon Achievement Award for his idol from those old days listening to the Grand Old Opry, the late great Charlie Pride. With the recent passing of Charlie Pride, there is no doubt that his music will live on forever because of his millions of fans who loved him.

Growing up in Williamston, NC Marvin loved listening to Ronnie Milsap and even traveled 100 miles to a Ronnie Milsap performance at the Raleigh Durham fairgrounds and his biggest hit at that time was Stranger In My House. Believe it or not, Marvin managed to talk his way backstage where he met Ronnie

and presented him with an antique radio. Marvin had worked in the tobacco fields and had picked cucumbers yet he never let go of his dream to sing country music.

But if you know Marvin then you know, as I mentioned, he is a people person, so the Country Soul Music Awards will be inclusive of all races, cultures, ages and those who love real, down-home country music. Country Soul Music is already out there, but like Bob Dylan discovering Leadbelly, it's all about giving mainstream audiences the opportunity to hear music that could very well change their lives for the better. Country Soul Music sure worked out well for Bob Dylan.

Marvin on a visit to the Grand Ole Opry at the end of the night Marvin went up and stood center stage and as he closed his eyes, he imagined what it must felt like to perform there. As you can imagine, it wasn't always easy for Marvin to follow his dreams, he'll never forget some cold nights where he had no choice but to sleep in a cardboard condominium.

Marvin still pressed forward and he's been a member of the California Country Music Association, The Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association. From the tobacco fields to the Grand Ole Opry, Marvin Spruill is Relentless Country Soul! Music promoter and manager.

Marvin is also launching The Country Soul Music Magazine to keep country soul fans up to date on all the latest artist. If you would like to contact Marvin he can be reached at mdsentertainmentinc@gmail.com

BY ANTHONY EWART

Michael Matthews

It is easy to forget that there was a time when Independents (an Indie recording artist, musician and music entrepreneur) struggled for the attention of mainstream audiences. It was not easy. Even the term “indie” made people feel that their songs would be cheaply made and did not have enough worth or merit to be picked up by a major label record executive. No one paid attention to the Indies because, well, honestly, can anything good come from independent music makers who are independently working outside of a major label system on tiny budgets? The answer is yes.

Thanks to the advent of technology that things are drastically changing. Major record executives realized, which should have been obvious to them, that there are “many talented individuals” who are not included or part of the mainstream music scene. The shift in how the music industry big guys are viewing independent artists and musicians starting from humble beginnings is vastly changing because of such new industry reporting systems as DigitalRadioTracker.com.

Major music producers and executives are now searching for the next great “unknown singer or musician” that they can “discover.” These executives and producers know that “original musical talent” blossoms and flourishes around the world, the trick is finding that next great musical artist. That is where “DigitalRadioTracker.com, Inc.” has been shining so brilliantly since it was created by Michael Matthews in 2011.

DigitalRadioTracker.com Inc. also known as DRT is a leading global internet radio monitoring company which tracks radio airplay of songs played on over 5000+ radio stations on this planet! These stations (major to independent) are comprised of an array of FM Terrestrial, Satellite and College as well as thousands of digital streaming radio stations...and that is the key right there. There is a diamond sea of undiscovered talent unknown to mainstream music executives and producers who

don’t have the time or the resources to scan internet radio stations 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. But they are very much aware that stars like Justin Bieber, Soulja Boy, Shawn Mendes, Ed Sheeran, Carly Rae Jepsen to name a few were discovered on the Internet. Andy Samberg was also an internet star discovery before achieving fame virtually everywhere.

DRT does the work for you. They have a customized all-inclusive, superior tracking technology software that monitors radio airplay detection of songs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. An amazing accomplishment but not surprising since it was created by two music promoters who know the music business so well creating Digital Radio Tracker was simply a matter of, as Michael Matthews told me, “Filling in the voids that Tom and I saw from our years of experience in the music business. We knew exactly what was needed.” Indeed, they did know and they have been refashioning the music business with DRT since August of 2011.

What is amazing about DRT’s song tracking technology is that it requires no special encoding or fingerprinting. Matthews explains “The system’s unique database logs songs that are played on all the radio stations that DRT monitors. The system captures the original version of a song and records the date and time it is played. Any subsequent versions of the song are also captured and logged. DRT follows songs like the credit bureau follows you -- close. DRT creates a file and all versions along with the original is stored in the system where the individual data can be pulled and reviewed.”

This is incredibly important because other monitoring companies have never provided this level of information. Music executives, radio promoters and the artist themselves have no idea how each version or mix of their song is doing. This is a huge void that DRT has filled.

So, if you have the world’s greatest radio tracking system of course you are going to have the world’s “truest” charting system, and DRT does both. DRT monitors and tracks songs streaming at Internet Radio, Terrestrial FM, College and Non-Commercial stations all over the world and provides artists, musicians, publishers, producers, songwriters and record executives’ airplay reports and charts of their songs released.

There are nine categories of music charts listed on DigitalRadioTracker website. DRT Global Top 200 Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 150 Independent Airplay Chart. DRT Top 25 International Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Pop Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Country Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Gospel/ Inspirational Airplay Chart. DRT Global Top 50 Adult Contemporary Airplay Chart and the DRT Global Top 50 Rock Airplay Chart. As I stated, this is truly a diamond sea of talent. All the songs on these massive charts have iTunes and Spotify links. It is a truly impressive collection and a goldmine for music producers, record executives and promoters searching for the next great singer, musician and band -- Superstar.

This is, of course, just the surface of the worldwide phenomenon that is DigitalRadioTracker. It all began with a conversation Michael Matthews had with Tom McGee, both of whom come from a background in radio and records. Matthews realized that most of the songs they were promoting were being played on digital radio and small-market FM stations. It was a kernel of a discovery, like the beginning of Ravel’s “Bolero,” that blossomed into the full symphonic glory that is now DRT.

Through due diligence Matthews and McGee learned no one was monitoring these radio stations. It seemed incredulous. People were listening to these stations and discovering new artists but yet had no voice. For a record promoter any and all information about your client is crucial, valuable intel in the shaping of that client’s career. Yet information about songs being played online were being ignored. This was beyond an untapped market or undiscovered niche. This could be a game changer.

DRT can truly be described as a company that has filled the voids existing in the music industry and

strengthened the business as a whole. As stated earlier, the information gathered by DRT is utilized by artists, record labels, publicists, managers, promoters, radio station programmers, DJs and other music industry professionals. Data collected by DRT is vital to booking shows and tours, selling merchandise or promoting songs to other radio stations. One extremely useful benefit all music artists are in agreement with is that the DRT Reports can assist them in collecting royalties on their music and further build their fan base. DRT Reports reveals invaluable information that can help develop promotional strategies for musical artists and assist them in monetizing their brand.

DRT covers the waterfront as far as genres of music it tracks. Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop, Country, Gospel/Inspirational, Adult Contemporary and Rock. For all you Sarah Vaughan and B.B. King fans DRT also monitor a small number of Jazz, Americana and Blues stations as well. Budding singers/songwriters in college should also find a sense of hope and inspiration that DRT tracks an array of college radio formats around the world too. And that is what DRT is truly all about at its heart. Making sure all voices are heard. If your garage band can end up on a radio station somewhere on this planet,

odds are, with over 5,000 radio stations being tracked, DigitalRadioTracker is tracking your stats. You matter.

Matthews and McGee understand that technology has changed the landscape of the music industry. It is now a global industry and every day DRT receives requests from new radio stations wanting to join its community. The good news is with DRT monitoring over 45 million song titles a week in more than 125 countries globally it does not discriminate on the size of a radio station or its listener count. And with Matthews and McGee building a strong broadcasting community that monitors and represents a true voice as to what music is actually being played they have developed a unique system where all music industry professionals can access DRT’s database and radio stations interested in being monitored by DRT can register for a FREE account on DRT’s website.

The kernel of an idea that Michael Matthews had all those years ago when he noticed most of the songs he was promoting were being played on digital radio has now filled more than a void in the music industry. Launching DRT has redefined and revealed the true understanding and comprehension of the music industry.

Photos by Curtis Matthews

JACQUELINE PIÑOL

Hailing from Queens, New York, multilingual Latinx actress and video game veteran, Jacqueline Piñol is known for her role as robbery-homicide detective Julie Espinosa on the Emmy-nominated series Bosch

Piñol moved to Los Angeles at a young age and was soon busy doing commercials while attending Beverly Hills High School. She landed her first television role as Ricky Martin’s younger sister on General Hospital. After attending Loyola Marymount University, she secured major recurring roles in television. These include Dr. Sofia Amaral in the sci-fi series Quantum Break, Rikki Sandoval in crime drama CSI:NY, Olivia Solano in the Latino-family drama Resurrection Blvd., and as officer Delilah Sandoval in the family-police drama Lincoln Heights

In addition to her on-camera work, Piñol has excelled as a voiceover actress in feature films such as Bride Wars and some of the most popular video games including Transformers: The Game, Uncharted 3, and Quantum Break. Bordertown fans know her as the voice of Pepito Gonzalez. And anyone who’s ever played Spider-Man: Miles Morales will recognize her voice as Rio Morales.

The multilingual Latinx actress talks TV, film, and videogames

By Alex A. Kecskes

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. What were some of the challenges you faced when you first started your acting career? Jacqueline Piñol: I grew up in LA and I was in high school and early college when I started. I wasn’t so much star-struck; it was more, ‘I need to do my job and look for opportunities.’ Back then, there weren’t that many roles for Latin Americans and I was trying to be accepted as a Latina actor. You’re judged based on your look and that’s something we have to accept as actors. Our appearance has a lot to do with what we portray, how we portray them, and when. Ethnicity was not part of the roles I played. They were just generic. And there was a part of me that felt I couldn’t be authentic. So that was a challenge I had to accept as a young girl.

Video games are becoming increasingly realistic. Can you go into why you like doing voice-overs in games like Spider-Man? Piñol: I started doing voice-overs a few years ago when video games turned to motion capture. My agents began sending me scripts for on-camera roles, not just voice-overs. I’d audition as I would for a TV on-camera role, even though they just wanted to hear my voice and get a sense of me as a character. By then, I was already a trained actor on camera.

Having auditioned for a variety of on-camera roles, it was second nature to me and I just went for it. Lately, the most realistic and ‘in-present’ auditions I’ve had were for motion capture roles. I remember leaving the room, thinking, I rocked this. And I felt good. I still have the same voice-over agents I started with when I was in high school. I believe loyalty is important and I know, in this industry, you have to change. But I stuck with them because they know me and they’ve seen me grow and evolve. It’s the same with my manager and theatrical agent; I’ve been with them for a while as well.

You played a most convincing robbery-homicide detective on the series Bosch. What did you draw from to prepare for that role? Piñol: I was so grateful for that role because they embraced me as a Latina cop. I originally auditioned as a guest star. I was three-months pregnant at the time. So I thought, okay, I’m just going to suck in my belly for this one. I did let them know about my condition and they said no worries, we want to see you anyway. But it was one of those mental things where I thought, well, they’re not going to hire me because I’m pregnant so I’m just going to give it my all. It was a nice opportunity to audition for people who produced shows like Mad Men. But a week later, I got a call and they wanted me. So I got the guest star role and that turned into multiple episodes throughout four seasons. We had real robbery-homicide detectives on set who helped us with demeanor issues and investigative procedures. So I learned a lot about the job and have a lot more respect for the people who dedicate their lives to doing this job.

You also played a uniformed cop in the series Lincoln Heights. What was that like? Piñol: I worked with Russel Hornsby, an amazing actor. We played partners and we were shooting in Lincoln Heights. I remember we pulled over and we went through this whole procedure about how you handcuff somebody. It involved a lot of rehearsals. One day, we’d completed a shoot and I needed to cross Adams Boulevard to get to a catering truck. Well, I was still uniform and I put my hand out and all the cars stopped, thinking I was a real cop (laughs).

How are you different from detective Julie Espinosa and how are you like her? Piñol: I don’t think I could do a job like hers. I would be too emotionally affected and involved in the day-to-day aspect of the job. With Julie, you just have to put the pants on and do your business. The cases she deals with involve families and murder and women getting hurt. If I had to face that, I would just be a wreck when I got home.

Quantum Break combines high drama with high tech. How did you prepare for the demanding role of Dr. Sofia Amaral? Piñol: That was quite an undertaking, especially since we did a live action series that was later embedded in a video game. We were doing both motion capture and voice-over. The live-action was shot in Italy and the video game was shot in Finland. What was most difficult was maintaining continuity because you’re shooting months apart and out of order. So I kept journals as Doctor Amaral because what we were doing spanned two years. I needed to remind myself what I was doing in those early scenes and what frame of mind I was in. I needed to bring my A-game to each shoot and the journals gave me a sense of organization I felt a scientist would have. It was challenging because it was intense with lots of chaos. It really stretched me.

And doing the motion capture work was harder because we did a lot of stunts.

You’ve been in a few short films, which usually pack a lot of emotion into a small space. Which short film are you most proud of? Piñol: A short called Swivel Shot. It’s really intense with a lot going on in a very short time. It’s a whole journey with Rick Ravanello, a wonderful actor who plays my partner. We’re secret lovers and uniformed cops who face these gangsters. It pushed me to new limits with its slight nudity. It felt like I was shooting a feature. The emotional arc of my character was very powerful.

What have you learned about the entertainment business that surprised you? Piñol: I grew up in LA and I don’t want to be jaded or cynical but you have to constantly remind yourself to be present and in the moment. I knew at the age of 12 that I wanted to act. Once I met famous stars or directors—I sometimes didn’t know who they were—I was surprised to learn they’re not like you see in the magazines with all the glitz and glamor. It was refreshing to see them at work and realize that they’re just like me. They’re real people with real concerns, difficulties, and obstacles. They’re on their cellphones trying to figure out their schedules. So until then, I had this idea they were perfect and that I had to be perfect like them.

What advice would you give a young Latina eager to make it as an actor? Piñol: Number one, study your craft. That will up your game. So when opportunity knocks, you’re ready. Number two would be don’t give up. Because if you really want it, you have to stay in line. I’ve seen it happen with stuntwomen and gaffers who eventually made it. And it’s exciting to see that happen with Latina producers and directors.

Many actors have a lovehate relationship with auditions. Your thoughts?

Piñol: In this interesting Covid time, we have to do everything from home and that means auditions on tape. First, I was like, oh no. But now I’m loving it. Once I get my tape down with lighting and sound, I just submit the best tape I’m comfortable with. It beats going into a room and doing it once or twice and saying did I do a good job?

Reveals the serious side of stand-up comedy RAYLENE HAREWOOD

By Alex A. Kecskes

Canadian born Raylene Harewood began working in the professional theatre scene at age 16. She moved to Vancouver at 19 to pursue an acting diploma at Studio 58. After graduating, Raylene continued working in theatre as well as film and television. She has appeared in such popular TV series as The Magicians, Charmed, Supernatural, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and as Ms. Fleckberg in The Healing Powers of Dude. Her movie credits include The Babysitter and Cranberry Christmas. In the inspirational All Joking Aside, Harewood is Charlene Murray, a struggling stand-up comic dealing with personal issues and a hard-nosed has-been comic who, as her mentor, pulls no punches.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview. What attracted you to this script and the role of Charlene? Raylene Harewood: How passionate she is and the fact that, unlike some many stories about comedy, there was no romance.

Did you audition for the role? Harewood: I had a part in The Magicians that Shannon Kohli had cast me in. She asked if I wanted to be in a feature she was directing and I said yes. So I went in for a primary audition and then a call back where I did a chemistry read with Brian Markinson. I also had to read a couple of jokes. And from there, I got the part.

Were there aspects of the role you found more challenging? Harewood: I’d never suffered from a serious illness, so having to portray Charlene’s anxiety about her medical condition was challenging. I also found it hard to read a joke someone else had written and try to come off funny. It’s really tricky. I watched a lot of comedy and stand-ups and everyone had their own rhythm and style of speaking. But it was a collaborative process. The writer and producer had no problem with me putting my two cents into the delivery. Actually, one of the best pieces of advice I got when working on this film was from Richard Lett who said the setup of the joke has to be worth

the punchline. So if you spend too much time on the setup, the punchline better be worth the wait.

What have you learned about stand-up comedians that surprised you? Harewood: I would have to say how truly vulnerable you feel when you’re up on stage. You’re talking about your life and it’s really an art. Mostly, what you’re talking about is your own experience and the way you see something. Performing before a live audience is not easy. The comedy is all you. I liked stand-up before but after this, I have a whole new appreciation for the work it takes to be good at it. The goal when you’re up there is to make people laugh. You have to think on your feet.

Had you ever tried doing stand-up in a small open-mike club? Harewood: I did. In preparing for the film, I wrote my own jokes, took my closest friend, and did a five-minute open-mike routine. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. And I hope I’ll never have to do it again (laughs).

So did you apply what you learned from your open-mike ordeal to your performance in the film? Harewood: Yeah. It was really helpful. I pulled what I needed from that experience.

In the film, Bob warned Charlene, “You gotta be funny every 14 seconds.” Do you think doing stand-up is more demanding than acting? Harewood: I think it would depend on the act. Many comedians are also actors. Although, when you’re acting, you have to bring up more vulnerable parts of you. Like you have to let the audience in completely. You have to be in the story and that’s really hard as well.

Do you think stand-up comedians have to bare their souls a little bit to really connect with the audience? Harewood: I think something in their act has to be real and vulnerable. But I don’t think you need to bare too much beyond that. It’s not acting in a dramatic film where you’re crying and letting out all sorts of emotions.

You’ve done both film and TV. What surprised you about working in this business? Harewood: Good question. I think I’m continually in awe of what a ‘machine’ the business is. And how passionate everyone is in making the magic happen. I also like the team aspect of this business. We all bring our specific skill sets to achieve a goal.

Film Festival Review

Reviewed by Anthony Ewart

The Little Chapel

Writer/Director Richard Schertzer

Writer/Director/Editor Richard Schertzer is a triple threat. To put this in perspective, Steven Spielberg has only direction one script that he wrote. That was of course "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" (1977). Scherttzer's "The Little Chapel" is also about encounters. Paranormal encounters.

"The Little Chapel," Schertzer's short film submission to our film festival, is an engrossing nightmare in just under 5 minutes. A nightmare because Schertzer sets his story in the one place we think is safe. A church.

One actress, Jessica Cinquemani, holds our attention as unknown spirits vie for hers... Scary stuff. The film is beautifully shot, however. The eerie blue light of Schertzer's chapel has stayed with me...as have the scares. Richard Schertzer is a Writer/Director/Editor on the rise.

“I have worked in this field for a while and I’ve noticed that the industry looks like it’s run out of ideas with remakes and reboots. But it’s really run out of creative ambition where directors don’t make movies that they want to make. They make movies based on how big studios want them made.”

Little French Fish

Writer/Director Eva Lanska

Alaskan Long Hunters

Writer/Director Marc Rose

Writer/Director Marc Rose is an aviator and former Alaskan hunter. In his short film "Alaska Long Hunters" based on his book "Last Of The Long Hunters," is a fascinating journey into Alaska pre-1980s, before the natural landscape of Alaska was reshaped into family-friendly parks devoid of wild animals.

with beautiful images of Alaska Rose shares harrowing stories of hunting life (by plane for caribou) in that early wild Alaska. This is definitely a pilot's movie or a film for anyone who loves aviation.

But at its core this is a movie about great storytelling, since reenactments aside, this is a colorful narration about meaningful events and moments that happened to people in a land far, far away, yet they emotionally and universally connect us. And... Rose has signed a pre-production agreement to turn this one hour movie into a feature film. Congratulations to you, Marc.

Filmmaker Eva Lanska is a graduate of the London Film Academy, majoring in cinematography. Her first film ended up in the Cannes Film Festival. I can tell you after watching Lanska's short film submission "Little French Fish," that Lanska is a filmmaker concerned with revealing the inner thoughts and emotions of her characters onscreen. Lanska's two leads, Britain's Jonas Khan and Devora Wilde with intoxicating intimacy. I can feel air as Devora exhales -- and I want to. Lanska takes me where I want to be: with these characters.

The colors in this film are gorgeous, as Lanska shows us Paris as only she knows it. "Little French Fish" is a believable, intimate, passionate cinematic portrait of two people struggling to protect the love they've created. A love that is threatened to be torn apart by cultures and dogma and just plain ignorance.

Eva Lanska is the author of five novels and it is abundantly clear that her goal is to give film audiences the same satisfaction one gets from reading a great novel. Mission accomplished, Mademoiselle Lanska, mission accomplished. Expect big things from Writer/Director Eva Lanska.

“The year 2020 has placed us in a new reality, and now I would like to see more films and books that leave the reader thinking about True values. I’m talking about the values of family and spirituality. I believe that an invisible thread connects all people in this world. To overcome difficulties, we have to unite by creating films, writing articles, and publishing books that teach us to accept and love each other.“

Used and Borrowed Time

Writer/Director Sophia Romma

Dr. Sophia Romma is a fascinatingWriter/Director. She has more in common with David Lynch and Salvador Dali than most filmmakers. She's an accomplished playwright and has won numerous awards and is known for infusing surrealism and mysticism in her films.

"Used and Borrowed Time" is her feature length submission to our film festival and clocks in at over 3 hours. The reason for this is at her heart, Dr. Sophia Romma is a dramatist and playwright, so her character s must speak...about themselves. They must reveal who they are...through words.

This is the trap that many novelists and playwrights fall victim to when writing screenplays. But Romma is more like a David Mamet when it comes to transitioning to film, except she's much more visual. A camera may hold on a leaf, or beautiful colors in nature. Bold colors. An explosion of colors. So Dr. Romma allows us to hear who these characters are while being stimulated and entertained by her creative camera angles and shots.

"Used and Borrowed Time" is a story about time travel. She has a unique twist to the cinematic flashback in that her main character actually travels back into her own timeline. It is the story of a blind jewish girl who falls in love with an African-American man in the south during the 60s. They were relentlessly persecuted by a southern racist family who also include incest in their bag of sins.

This film is a statement about inequality, hatred and bigotry which is of course very relevant today. Dr. Romma wants to turn her characters inside out and show their motivations, regardless of how disgusting it may sound. This is an adult movie made for adults who are capable of change. The horrors and pathos of this film is a road to change.

“It is the duty of righteous men to make war on all undeserved privilege, but one must not forget that this is a war without end.” --Primo Levi

Gravel Wounds

Not since Billy Wilder's "The Lost Weekend" (1945) have I seen a film that tackles alcoholism in as realistic a way as Brown handles this material from a script by Jessica Waters. This is just great writing and directing, but most importantly, great actors. This movie just pops. The pacing is perfect to sustain the tension of the film. We are witnessing the destruction of a family due to alcoholism. The fallout is mesmerizing in its emotional intensity. Demarcus Brown has made a tiny masterpiece in just over ten minutes. The good news is that Demarcus and Jessica Waters will be teaming up for several more projects, one of which is a feature film. Demarcus and Jessica Waters are a filmmaking duo to keep on your radar.

Director Demarcus Brown

AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION "AMPLIFIED DIGNITY," presents online exhibition celebrating

BLACK HISTORY

The Al Hirschfeld Foundation celebrates Black History Month with its latest online exhibition, Amplified Dignity: Black Dancers Drawn by Hirschfeld. Now live at AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/exhibitions though March 13, the exhibition features Hirschfeld's reflections of legendary 20th Century artists including Sammy Davis Jr., Josephine Baker, Nicholas Brothers, Bunny Briggs, Judith Jamison, Hinton Battle, Maurice Hines, and Honi Coles.

"To be rendered by Hirschfeld is to be immortalized in the fraternity of American popular art," says dance educator, choreographer and dramaturg Melanie George, who has curated Amplified Dignity. "These drawings encapsulate a history of individual and collective opportunity and excellence, as well as disenfranchisement and marginalization. The exhibit contains a mix of well and lesser-known artists, and nameless groups of dancers, who have contributed to the history of dance in America. The images demonstrate reverence for the people and art of New York, especially during the Harlem Renaissance era. The intent is to place these dancers at the center of the cannon, not on the margins. A rightful place, as the foundation and evolution of dance in America is intertwined and indebted to innovation and performances by Black people in America."

Amplified Dignity is the latest exhibition in The Al Hirschfeld Foundation's Black Art Matters series. Having launched last summer with Lost in the Stars: Black Theater Makers Drawn By Hirschfeld, upcoming exhibits in the series will celebrate black film artists and musicians, and the 80th anniversary of the artist's iconic representations of the African-American experience in the 1930's Harlem As Seen By Hirschfeld.,

Go behind the lines of Hirschfeld's art with "The Hirschfeld Century Podcast," nominated as "Best NYC podcast" by

the 2020 Apple Awards. A special episode dedicated to the works featured Amplified Dignity: Black Dancers Drawn by Hirschfeld will be available starting February 2, 2021 from AlHirschfeldFoundation.org/podcasts, iTunes and other popular podcast sites.

Self Portrait, 1985

Judith Jamison in Echo: Far From Home, 1998

ABOUT CURATOR MELANIE GEORGE

Melanie George is a dance educator, choreographer, scholar, and dramaturg. She is the founder and director of Jazz Is... Dance Project and an Associate Curator and Scholar-In-Residence at Jacob's Pillow. As a dramaturg, she has contributed to projects by David Neumann & Marcella Murray (on the Obie Award winning Distances Smaller Than This Are Not Confirmed), Raja Feather Kelly, Ephrat Asherie, Susan Marshall & Company, Machine Dazzle, and Urban Bush Women among others. A highly sought after teacher and choreographer of the neo-jazz aesthetic, Melanie is a featured in the documentary UpRooted: The Journey of Jazz, Dance. Melanie has presented her research on jazz improvisation and pedagogy throughout the U.S., in Canada and Scotland, and founded the global advocacy website jazzdancedirect.com. She is the former Dance Program Director at American University, and has guest lectured at Harvard University, the Yale School of Drama, and The Juilliard School, among others.

ABOUT THE AL HIRSCHFELD FOUNDATION

The mission of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation is to promote interest in the theater and visual arts by supporting non-profit museums, libraries, theaters and similar cultural institutions. The Foundation fulfills its mission through grants and exhibitions of Hirschfeld's art . The Foundation maintains an extensive collection of Hirschfeld artworks and lends and/ or donates pieces to institutions all over the world. Another primary mission is arts education, which the Foundation does primarily with the Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum. Created in conjunction with the New York City Board of Education, The Hirschfeld Arts Curriculum is an innovative visual/ performing arts education program based on Hirschfeld's art to engage students K through 12 in a variety of arts activities. Our programs encourage writing, reading, researching, observing, movement and performance to learn about the arts, its history, and the opportunities for education and employment in the arts field. The web based Al Hirschfeld curriculum is easy to use, and is intended to be a free resource for teachers and students. www.AlHirschfeldFoundation.org

Sammy Davis Jr in Stop the World I Want to Get Off, 1978

Press contact: Keith Sherman & Associates info@ksa-pr.com 212.764.7900

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Al Hirschfeld's drawings stand as one of the most innovative efforts in establishing the visual language of modern art through caricature in the 20th century. A self-described "characterist," his signature work, defined by a linear calligraphic style, appeared in virtually every major publication of the last nine decades (including a 75-year relationship with The New York Times) as well as numerous book and record covers and 15 postage stamps. Hirschfeld said his contribution was to take the character, created by the playwright and portrayed by the actor, and reinvent it for the reader. Playwright Terrence McNally wrote: "No one 'writes' more accurately of the performing arts than Al Hirschfeld. He accomplishes on a blank page with his pen and ink in a few strokes what many of us need a lifetime of words to say."

In 1945, Hirschfeld celebrated the birth of his daughter Nina by placing her name in the background of a drawing. What the artist described as an innocent prank soon became a personal trademark and national obsession, as he began hiding numerous NINA's throughout his drawings for years to come.

He is represented in many public collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the National Portrait Gallery, and Harvard's Theater Collection. Hirschfeld authored several books including Manhattan Oases and Show Business is No Business in addition to 10 collections of his work. He was declared a Living Landmark by the New York City Landmarks Commission in 1996, and a Living Legend by The Library of Congress in 2000. Just before his death in January 2003, he learned he was to be awarded the Medal of Arts from the National Endowment of the Arts and inducted into the Academy of Arts and Letters. The winner of two Tony Awards, he was given the ultimate Broadway accolade on what would have been his 100th birthday in June 2003. The Martin Beck Theater was renamed the Al Hirschfeld Theater.

Hirschfeld

Bunny Briggs in Black and Blue, 1989

Whoopi Goldberg in Whoopi Goldberg, 1984

Harlem’s Heaven Hats designed by Evetta Petty

Several movies and magazines such as Vogue, L’Officiel Paris, Essence, Schon, Marie Claire, Elle, Glamour, Grazia, Mujer Unica, The NY Times, Harper’s Bazaar published Harlem’s Heaven Hats designed by Evetta Petty. Her hats been also covered by many news networks like CNN, NBC, CBS, ARD, NHK, ABC, PIX11, FOX. No any season can be passed without hats. Today amazing talented hats designer Evetta Petty will share her fashion advices especially for Hollywood Magazine readers.

Evetta, is fashion a passion?

Each season is exciting and preparing for fashion shows is my passion. I am so very happy doing what I do and I hope to continue to design exciting hats for many more years to come.

How long you been a designer?

I graduated from New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in Textiles and Fashion Marketing.

For over 30 years, I’ve designed hats in my uptown New York studio, Harlem’s Heaven Hat Shop. My hats have captured worldwide attention and have been worn to the Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot in England. I am proud to have been chosen as an emerging entrepreneur by the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation. I design an extensive line of hats and accessories with a focus on unconventional materials, vintage looks, and old Hollywood glamour.

This is impressive. Tell us more about your fashion journey. My travels around the world to cities like Tokyo, Rome, Hong Kong, and New Delhi have introduced me to unusual textiles that give my hats a more global appeal. My hats have been worn by many celebrities such as Patti LaBelle, Marcus Samuelsson, and Star Jones. Also hats have been featured on television shows like Power, Cake Boss, Botched, The Bold Type, Married to Medicine, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix, and Anderson Cooper Live.

Designer: Evetta Petty, Harlem’s Heaven Hats at NYFW

Photo: Manonce

New collection of Harlem’s Heaven Hats

Designer: Evetta Petty, Harlem’s Heaven Hats

Photo: Tahir Yamin

Retoucher: Elena Sidak

Muah: Mariia Lavreniuk

I have created hats for several movies, media outlets, and magazine editorials for publications such as Vogue, L’Officiel Paris, Essence, Schon, Marie Claire, Elle, Glamour, Grazia, Mujer Unica, The NY Times, and the cover of Harper’s Bazaar.

It has been an amazing journey so far to have my hats gain loyal customers from all over the world from Japan to Australia. I’ve had amazing editorials in Serbia, Bulgaria, and Russia. Over the years, I’ve been covered by many news networks like CNN, NBC, CBS, ARD, NHK, ABC, PIX11, and FOX.

What is highlight of your career?

The highlight of my career so far is having my hats in a special exhibition of couture hats at the world famous, iconic, Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as in “The Global Africa Project” at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. I approach millinery as wearable

art and each collection as an artistic expression. This is manifested by my use of unusual, and unconventional materials. I will make a hat out of almost anything from purses to rugs.

Who is the most stylish celebrity at your opinion?

The one who is wearing hats! It is great to see the popularity of hat wearing among celebrities, actors and athletes. Singers like Erykah Badu, Pharrel, Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae and Neo are well known for wearing hats as a part of their look. Carmello Anthony stands out as an athlete that is an avid hat wearer. The most eclectic and stylish hat wearing celebrity is definitely Erykah Badu. Her style and choice of avant-garde hats is magnificent.

Each of your hat is so unique and beautiful! At what fashion weeks we can see your hats shows? I’ve shown my collection at numerous fashion shows and Couture Fashion Week in New York and also special collaborations in Paris, France and Torino, Italy. Preparing for a fashion show is exhilarating from casting models to walking the runway. I am involved in every step of the process. It is truly my passion.

What are your goals?

My immediate goal is to design and produce headwear for more Hollywood films, like my idol, costume designer, Ruth Carter whose awesome costumes for the movie “Black Panther” were not only stunning but also transformational.

What is new in fashion?

It is the mask. My latest collection includes couture face masks for protection as well as making a fashion statement. I am using the same luxurious, globally sourced, fabric that I use for hats and adding exciting embellishments both vintage and new to make my masks special, just like my hats. This new category of functional elegance is rapidly becoming a very important fashion expression in this day and time.

What is the most stylish hat at 2021?

My current hat collection is mostly wide brims with floral accents. The strongest color accents are hot pink and turquoise. Fashionistas will be wearing extra wide brims for sun protection as well as style. A wide brimmed elaborate picture hat will be elegant fashion statement. As a necessary accessory and an attractive bonus, matching masks are coordinated with hats.

I have designed a special collection of super wide brimmed hats made out of grosgrain ribbon in amazing vibrant colors. These hats can be worn all year round. I make a lot of wool cloche hats for winter wear. This is a very retro 1940’s style and is elegant and timeless. I use wool and winter fabrics in bright jewel tone colors with elaborate trimming to update the look. It is new Hollywood glamour. More you can discover at my website: www.harlemsheaven.com

What is your favorite hat?

Fascinators are always an important element in a summer or winter hat wardrobe for a lighthearted whimsical headwear statement. My fascinators are handmade works of wearable art. I specialize in elaborate small cocktail hats.

These fascinator mini hats are embellished with beads, sequins, lace, ribbon, feathers, and rhinestones. These little hats are the finishing touch to a dressy ensemble for special events and evening wear. They have also become a staple in outfits for attending Horse races and Polo matches. It is great to see the fascinator gain popularity in current fashion, because it not exactly a new style. In many old Hollywood movies in the 1920’s and 1930’s you will see these fabulous mini hats. My personal favorite hat to wear is a fascinator.

How many hats do you have in your own wardrobe?

I personally own over 300 hats and most of my hat enthusiast customers own at least 200 hats each. There are over one thousand hats in my current inventory and I continuously produce new styles.

Do you follow trends in the fashion?

I am not a follower of trends, but I enjoy adding a new twist to a vintage look. I mix a little bit of the old with a little bit of the new and keep the glamour as an essential element of my designs.

What is the craziest thing you would like to do in Hollywood?

Hollywood culture, and films, both old and new are a huge influence on my design esthetic. The most fun thing that I would like to do in Hollywood is to do a cameo as myself designing hats in a movie. My film work so far has captured my interest and empowered me to do more. There is no greater satisfaction than seeing your hats worn up on the big screen.

New collection of Harlem’s Heaven Hats

Designer: Evetta Petty, Harlem’s Heaven Hats

Photo: Tahir Yamin

Retoucher: Elena Sidak Muah: Mariia Lavreniuk

MATT DAMON’S PACIFIC PALISADES MANSION!

For the first time in decades, Matt Damon will be making a move without his best friend, Ben Affleck. They moved their families together to Los Angeles’ Pacific Palisades - even on the same street - back in 2012. Matt and wife, Luciana, purchased their luxurious home for $15 million, and have now put it on the market for $21 million.

This time it appears Affleck will be staying in Los Angeles to be near his three children while the Damon home goes on the market and the family moves to their six-bedroom penthouse at the Standish in Brooklyn Heights, New York, which they purchased in 2018 for a record-breaking $16.745 million. This may be the first time so many miles have separated the two best buddies since their school days.

The Damons have excellent taste in homes from their stunning Spanish-style Miami Beach home, which they sold to move to California, to the magnificent contemporary now for sale, the Damons have been living in tropical climates with lush year-round landscaping and a 365-day, indoor-outdoor lifestyle. Their current 13,508-square-foot home has seven bedrooms and 10 baths, inside a private-gated entry. The home’s focus is the center atrium soaring to 35 feet with mahogany ceilings and light pouring in through clerestory windows branching out to the open-plan living. California-style formal rooms open seamlessly via movable glass walls allowing for vanishing thresholds between living and landscape. The house contains a chef’s kitchen in mahogany with bluestone countertops, the master suite has its own private terrace, dual dressing rooms, massage room and bath. Also included is a game room, bar office, staff quarters, wine storage and tasting room, and a media room. Outside is a pool, spa, children’s play area, a waterfall, koi pond and Hawaiian-style covered lanai for dining and lounging among tropical plantings.

When it comes to celebrities, Pacific Palisades has turned into the 21st-century Hollywood when it comes to where they choose to live. Its huge population of film industry, sports and music stars practically guarantee rubbing elbows with several when shopping at Palisades Village. A few include Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Billy Crystal, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, John Goodman, Steven Spielberg, Kate Hudson and Diane Keaton, who might be checking out paint colors for her next house flip.

Damon’s filming activities experienced a pause with the advent of the pandemic, but his latest film, The Last Duel, which was filmed in France and Ireland and is about a 14th-century fight to the death, will be released in October. He and his cohort-in-film, Ben Affleck, appear together once again in the movie. The two also co-wrote the screenplay and were the producers.

The listing agent for the Damon home is Eric Haskell of The Agency, Beverly Hills.

Photo credit: Alexis Adams • Source:TopTenRealEstateDeals.com

Photo by Kelvin Bullock

FEATURES FROM

HOLLYWOOD MONTHLY

Photo by Kelvin Bullock

APRIL WALKER

At a young age, April Walker showed signs of an entrepreneurial spirit. When April was a teenager she taught gymnastics and sold T-shirts to make a little change for herself. But it wasn’t until she set foot in Dapper Dan’s boutique custom shop that her entrepreneurial spirit translated into fashion. At the age of 21, Walker created her own custom tailor shop. She named the shop Fashion In Effect. Early customers included influential hip hop duo Audio Two (Milk & Giz) and Grammy-winning, reggae singer Shaggy. Fashion In Effect laid the groundwork for her brand, Walker Wear.

Artists and entertainers of the era—Tupac, Notorious BIG, and Queen Latifah—were some of the early supporters of April and her brand. April was in a zone. Hip hop culture was gaining national attention around the same time Walker Wear was gaining momentum. Hip hop was no longer seen as a fad. A quick search through the blogging platform, Tumblr shows the impact April’s brand had and continues to have on pop culture. In the blog, you will find a GIF of Treach from Naughty by Nature rocking a Walker Wear jacket on Yo! MTV Raps. If you go deeper, you’ll find a scan of Run DMC sporting Walker Wear hats and jackets on the cover of L’Affiche in 1993.

The name ‘Walker Wear’ pays homage to WilliWear, the fashion label of the late, great fashion designer Willie Smith. Just like Willie, April set out to create clothes for the common people. Today, the fashion world looks to hip hop for inspiration. But without April Walker—who was a major pioneer in urban wear—this genre would not exist. It doesn’t matter what didn’t exist before you. What matters is that you use your time on earth to carve out a path that is right for you today.

“Negative thoughts can kill dreams, while positive thoughts will ignite your tomorrows. What you place in your mind will become your reality. The most important story you’ll ever tell is your own. What kind of story are you telling yourself? Make sure it’s a good one because you are listening.”

–April Walker

Photo by Kelvin Bullock

Africa

Hollywood Weekly - Page Turners

The March book list is here. The list has something for everyone. These books remind me of the renewed energy of spring filled with magic, brilliance and creativity. I love being entwined in the world of books. This month will not disappoint! Jane Ubell-Meyer

Anna Incognito by Laura Preble

Anna Colin Beck knows all too well what can happen when things go wrong really wrong. So, she’s spent the last several years living an extremely regimented life at home, doing everything she can to avoid subjecting herself to the torments of a germ-infested world. Everything must be just so, and when things don’t go to plan, she punishes her own body...and that still hasn’t helped alleviate her pain.

After a chance meeting in a laundromat, she finds herself completely infatuated with another person, something that hasn’t happened to her in a long time. Dr. Edward Denture is seemingly brilliant and magnetic...and in the blink of an eye, she’s attending intense somatic therapy sessions as his newest client. The more he draws from her, the further their relationship grows, until it’s crossed countless lines and consumed Anna with a fierce toxicity. And before she knows it, she finds herself buckled into the driver’s seat of a powder blue El Dorado for a solo cross-country road trip, determined to stop his wedding. It’s a trip that will test every limitation she’s ever set for herself, and though she’s planned extensively for all contingencies, there are some twists and turns you just can’t prepare for. With wry observations on the intersection of luck, fate, and life, Anna Incognito is a searing, darkly witty exploration of what it means to be alive.

Faye, Faraway by Helen Fisher

Faye is a thirty-seven-year-old happily married mother of two young daughters. Every night, before she puts them to bed, she whispers to them: “You are good, you are kind, you are clever, you are funny.” She’s determined that they never doubt for a minute that their mother loves them unconditionally. After all, her own mother Jeanie had died when she was only seven years old and Faye has never gotten over that intense pain of losing her.

But one day, her life is turned upside down when she finds herself in 1977, the year before her mother died. Suddenly, she has the chance to reconnect with her long-lost mother, and even meets her own younger self, a little girl she can barely remember. Jeanie doesn’t recognize Faye as her daughter, of course, even though there is something eerily familiar about her...

As the two women become close friends, they share many secrets—but Faye is terrified of revealing the truth about her identity. Will it prevent her from returning to her own time and her beloved husband and daughters? What if she’s doomed to remain in the past forever? Faye knows that eventually she will have to choose between those she loves in the past and those she loves in the here and now, and that knowledge presents her with an impossible choice.

Emotionally gripping and ineffably sweet Faye, Faraway is a brilliant exploration of the grief associated with unimaginable loss and the magic of being healed by love.

The Perfect Blend

by Kathryn Starke

The Perfect Blend is a Valentine’s themed romance novel that celebrates family, community, and the power of love.

She has no time to date. He has no desire to date. Nevertheless, one sweet treat blends the perfect match. This contemporary romance reminds readers of the power of a variety of relationships in life. You never know what could be brewing right under your nose!

Minnie Logan is the owner of Logan’s Coffee Shop, a staple in a small New England town. Struggling to maintain her grandfather’s legacy and rent payments, Minnie has less than a month to creatively preserve and renew her family business. Robert Vaughan, the CFO of a giant coffee conglomerate, arrives in the small town in pursuit of a takeover of Logan’s Coffee Shop. Unbeknownst to Minnie, she falls for the mysterious newcomer while she uses the magic of love and the miracle of faith to give back to the community that has given so much to her.

Never Say Goodbye by Kim Sakwa

She’s a famous songwriter who can’t remember a year of her life. He’s the British spy with all the answers.

While walking through the tunnels of her family’s estate in the British Isles, successful singer-songwriter Amanda Marceau travels through time and into the arms of Alexander Montgomery, the Royal Navy Admiral who captures her heart. Months later Amanda’s forced back to the present with Alexander’s daughter, heartbroken they’ve been separated, and shocked to discover she’s pregnant. Hoping Alexander will find his way through time to her, she’s later devastated to learn he was killed for being a spy at the dawn of the American Revolution. Unable to cope with the horrible consequences, Amanda suffers an epic breakdown, and tucks away the memories that are just too much for her to bear. But Alexander Montgomery wasn’t executed, nor has he forgotten Amanda. He’s spent each day planning, searching for, and finding his wife and his daughter. He’s made the jump through time and is using everything at his disposal to reunite his family in the twenty-first century. Then he learns that Amanda has amnesia—she can’t remember the time she spent in eighteenth-century Britain—and has no idea who he is. More determined than ever, Alexander knows it will take all of his love to restore her memory—or just maybe win her heart anew.

Live True Daily Journal by Ora Nadrich

The Live True Daily Journal is here to help you stay aligned with your Authentic Self, each and every day. The reason for that is when it comes to being Authentic, it’s not always easy to stay true to who we are because oftentimes we’re busy being so many things to so many people, we can forget to stay true to ourselves. And sometimes we don’t want to imagine or deal with what can feel like the consequences of being Authentic – which means dealing with people’s judgments of us or confronting our own fears and doubts to step out of the safe zone of inauthenticity. Yes, being inauthentic can actually feel safe so we can avoid failure or rejection, but we pay a price when we do that, and that price is living dishonestly. The Live True Daily Journal is structured to keep you on a path of Authenticity. All of the content is designed to support your personal growth, and intended to keep you living Authentically, not just every day, but in every moment of your day. Consider it a Mindfulness guide to keep you present and aware of who you are, and who you are not. On average, it takes approximately 2 months before a new behavior becomes automatic. The Live True Daily Journal is divided into 8 weeks so that you can gauge Authentic vs. inauthentic behavior daily and lead up to strengthening your Authentic Self. And, when you’ve completed the Live True Daily Journal, you will see how far you’ve come by how you developed new behaviors daily that support your Authenticity. At the end of those 8 weeks, I have no doubt that you will be quite pleased at the tremendous progress you will have made living in total alignment with your Authentic Self.

For Whom The Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway

In 1937 Ernest Hemingway traveled to Spain to cover the civil war there for the North American Newspaper Alliance. Three years later he completed the greatest novel to emerge from “the good fight,” For Whom the Bell Tolls.

The story of Robert Jordan, a young American in the International Brigades attached to an antifascist guerilla unit in the mountains of Spain, it tells of loyalty and courage, love and defeat, and the tragic death of an ideal. In his portrayal of Jordan’s love for the beautiful Maria and his superb account of El Sordo’s last stand, in his brilliant travesty of La Pasionaria and his unwillingness to believe in blind faith, Hemingway surpasses his achievement in The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms to create a work at once rare and beautiful, strong and brutal, compassionate, moving, and wise. “If the function of a writer is to reveal reality,” Maxwell Perkins wrote Hemingway after reading the manuscript, “no one ever so completely performed it.” Greater in power, broader in scope, and more intensely emotional than any of the author’s previous works, it stands as one of the best war novels of all time.

The Changemaker by Deke Copenhaver

What Is A changemaker? Leadership is never easy. Almost all leaders deal with both triumph and tragedy, oftentimes in equal measure. The fact of the matter is that leadership insists on constant rejection of the status quo. True leaders demand continuous reflection and improvement of those around them, and even more importantly, of themselves. True leaders are Changemakers. In Deke Copenhaver’s The Changemaker: The Art of Building Better Leaders, you will learn to become unafraid of doing something different in the service of a good cause and how to spark a movement that others can’t help but rally around. The Changemaker is a roadmap of sorts, designed to deliver comprehensive, common sense leadership strategies to people from all walks of life. Through personal and professional anecdotes, case studies, and the wisdom from Changemakers gone by, The Changemaker will inspire and empower you to embrace adversity, rely on creativity and character, and sometimes take the road less traveled in order to unlock your ultimate potential.

Conversations with Our Authors

A Trilogy: Echoes, Reverberation, Dead Quiet

by A.M. Caplan

Echoes (Echoes Trilogy Book 1) At the edge of sanity lies an extraordinary truth. Discovering it may be the last thing she ever does…Hannah thinks she’s losing her mind. After hitting and killing a man with her car, his body and blood vanish without a trace. Desperate to prove she isn’t insane she searches exhaustively until she finds him—alive and unharmed.

Taken under the wing of the handsome stranger, she’s stunned to learn he’s part of an ancient race of immortals. But so is his deranged sister, and she murders every person who learns his secret. And though Hannah is as tough and resourceful as they come, how can she hope to stop a psychopath who cannot die?

Reverberation (Echoes Trilogy Book 2) Bound by blood. Separated by lies. Can she outrun what can’t be killed?

Dead Quiet (Echoes Trilogy Book 3) Dead Quiet is the explosive conclusion to the Echoes supernatural thriller trilogy. If you like big-twist endings, unlikely love, and bloody combat, then you’ll adore A.M. Caplan’s high-octane finale.

Author A.M. Caplan, author of Echoes, Reverberation, and Dead Quiet, the Echoes Trilogy, on what it’s like to write a book series.

Q&A – A.M. CAPLAN

Q. What’s the appeal of writing multiple books centering around the same character/characters?

A: I don’t know about you, but I love a story that goes on. Harry Potter, the Southern Vampire Mysteries, the Hunger Games Trilogy. Those are just a few of the series I have read to shreds over the years. There is just so much meat to them, so much opportunity to spend time with the characters and really get invested in them. The characters in the Echoes Trilogy needed that kind of room to expand, especially Hannah, who needed a chance to find out how exceptional she really was by the end of the trilogy. Just like you or me, sometimes characters need a little more space to grow into our full potential.

Q. Silly question maybe, but time wise, writing a series must take a while. What was that like?

A: Oddly enough, it was less time consuming than writing my first, unrelated novel. Though I guess that goes without saying, since as the saying goes, you spend your entire life writing your first book. Really, it did go incredibly quickly, mostly because the character’s

stories were so complete for me by the time I put pen to paper—and I mean that literally, I always start out with a notebook and a Pilot V5 pen—that I finished all three books in the series within a span of nine months. Once I got going, I couldn’t stop until it was really and truly the end.

Q;. Writing a series was rewarding then, but there had to be some challenges involved?

A: What makes writing a series appealing is also what makes it difficult in the end. You spend a great deal of time invested in characters, which makes it harder to let them go when the time comes. Hannah’s story needed more than one book, but by the end of the Echoes Trilogy, it was that much harder to see it come to a close.

On a different note, throughout the books there are a great number of historical figures. They’re tucked here and there and everywhere, and it was important to weave them and their influenced on the lives of the main characters and their story appropriately. It was challenging to make sure their stories all fit, were accurate, and served a purpose. They didn’t all make it and letting them go was a challenge. To this day I have pages and pages of characters and their lives that deserve their chance to be heard. Maybe they’ll get their own series in the future.

Stand Out or Sit Down by Tenaz Purdy

Stand Out or Sit Down offers time-tested techniques that have helped thousands of young jobseekers overcome their unique obstacles: balancing school-work-home commitments, overcoming a perceived lack of work experience, managing various levels of parental involvement, and using and misusing technology, just to name a few. Succeeding in a job begins by finding the right job for them—not just any job. Self-assessment, networking, researching job opportunities, using technology to their advantage, properly completing job applications, resume writing, and interviewing are all taught with the young job seeker in mind. Stand Out or Sit Down also gives a voice to the thousands of employers whose businesses depend on the youth labor force. Most are happy to employ and mentor the young but have serious concerns about young workers’ lack of preparation for the working world. Their stories about young job applicants are also told to convey their concerns, expectations, and insider advice.

Q&A –TENAZ PURDY

Q. What inspired you to write this book?

A. As a career and technology educator for over 20 years, I have witnessed the diminishing value that society has placed on skills-based education. The focus in high school increasingly became all about taking the most rigorous academic schedule filled with honors and Advanced Placement courses. Little by little, time for part-time jobs got squeezed out. Young people need work experience earlier in life, so that they are prepared to meet basic

workplace norms and expectations. It’s my hope that Stand Out or Sit Down will help them get a successful start.

Q. What is the most important thing for young people to know right now?

A. The Covid-19 pandemic has left a lot of our children feeling isolated and disconnected from the outside world. But what I want my readers to know right now is this: the pandemic will end. Jobs will become available. And life will return to

A Bend in the River by Libby Fischer Hellmann

a new normal. And when it does, those who have coupled their marketable skills with solid job-searching preparation will be more successful in finding a job they love than those who have not. These are the young people that will stand out not just because they achieved their goals, but they did so during what is sure to be the worst global crisis in their lifetime.

In 1968 two young Vietnamese sisters flee to Saigon after their village on the Mekong River is attacked by American forces and burned to the ground. The only survivors of the brutal massacre that killed their family, the sisters struggle to survive but become estranged, separated by sharply different choices and ideologies. Mai ekes out a living as a GI bar girl, but Tam’s anger festers, and she heads into jungle terrain to fight with the Viet Cong. For nearly ten years, neither sister knows if the other is alive. Do they both survive the war? And if they do, can they mend their fractured relationship? Or are the wounds from their journeys too deep to heal? In a stunning departure from her crime thrillers, Libby Fischer Hellmann delves into a universal story about survival, family, and the consequences of war.

Q&A – LIBBY

Q: Where did the idea for this book come from?

A: I visited Vietnam because I wanted to see the country that had taken more than 50,000 American lives during the War. We were in an art gallery in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) when I saw the painting of the two girls that’s now on the cover. As soon as I saw it, I knew I was going to write a book about two Vietnamese sisters and how they coped with the war.

FISCHER HELLMANN

Q: Your scenes set in Saigon were so vividly done, such as creating the feel of the bar with the soldiers and the mansion. How did you go about the research for what Saigon in those days was like?

A: I found interviews with bargirls that had been written in the late Sixties. Reading them surprised me—some of the girls loved their jobs because they had choices that weren’t available in “traditional” Vietnamese society. I also found articles explaining what went on in Viet Cong training camps. And, of course, I walked

the streets where the “Stardust” nightclub would have been.

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

A: That the Vietnam War was a civil war that began before we got involved and continued after we left. The U.S. justified our involvement as a fight against the “Domino Theory” of Communism. But that wasn’t the motivation from the Vietnamese side. They simply wanted their country to be unified.