Day: February 19, 2021

Upcoming book release: ’13 Days to Die’ by Matt Miksa

’13 Days to Die’ by Matt Miksa will be released on March 9, 2021.

Matt Miksa is a former FBI intelligence analyst who helped prevent foreign spies from stealing America’s secrets. Today, he writes espionage thrillers that blend history, politics, and science. Matt holds a graduate degree in China Studies from Columbia University and has spent time living in Beijing. His debut novel, “13 Days to Die: A Novel” is a mixture of Red Sparrow and Inferno and electrifies a Cold War spirit with fresh, modern-day expertise as the Olen Grave and Dr. Zhou Weilin wrestle society’s darkest nightmares. It is scheduled for released on Tuesday, March 9, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

In “13 Days to Die,” in a far-flung Tibetan village, prayer flags flap against whitewashed houses and a majestic monastery stretches to heaven. It is Shangri-La, an earthly paradise, until a stranger staggers out of the forest and collapses into a bloody, lifeless mass. He is the first victim of a crippling epidemic, but he is no ordinary man. Olen Grave, an American intelligence officer, heads directly into the hot zone to investigate. Posing as a journalist, he joins the Chinese research team, led by a headstrong female virus hunter, Dr. Zhou Weilin. Together, the unlikely allies discover that Patient Zero was a spy who deliberately infected himself. But they do not know why or who he worked for. As Olen and Dr. Zhou rush to uncover the shocking truth behind the epidemic, they unravel a twisted conspiracy that reaches from Beijing’s great halls to Washington’s corridors of power. With the superpowers now at the brink of war, the fate of the world will rest on the duo’s shoulders.

World premiere of ‘The Spine of Night’ at SXSW 2021

‘The Spine of Night’ will premiere at this year’s virtual SXSW. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

In SXSW Film Festival 2021 news, Yellow Veil Pictures has acquired the sales rights to the animated fantasy “The Spine of Night.” It will premiere in the SXSW Midnighters section of the festival which will run virtually from Tuesday March 16 through Sunday March 20, 2021. Written and directed by Philip Gelatt and Morgan Galen King, the cast includes Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel, Joe Manganiello, Abby Savage, Larry Fessenden, and Rob McClure. (EG-PR, 2021)

From Gorgonaut Pictures, “The Spine of Night” is an ultra-violent, hand-rotoscoped epic fantasy inspired by the cult classic works of animators Ralph Bakshi and Frank Franzetta. The film is set in a fantasy land ripe with magic and intrigue where a dark force is unleashed sending mankind into an age of ruin. It falls on heroes from different eras and cultures to fight back. This epic begins many years ago when an ambitious young man steals forbidden knowledge from a sacred plant and, as he falls to its darker temptations, unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. As his power grows over the years, there are many who stand against him. Among them are a daring tomb-robber, star-crossed lovers, a maniacal necromancer, winged assassins, and an undying guardian.

COVID-19 Rental Relief Program registers thousands of Texans

There were more than 21,000 account registrations in statewide COVID-19 Rental Relief Program. Photo: Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, used with permission.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) received approximately $1.3 billion in emergency relief funds from the national Coronavirus Relief Bill Rental Assistance Program. TDHCA launched the statewide Texas Rent Relief program to help income-eligible Texans struggling to keep up with rent and utility payments during the pandemic. (Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 2021)

Low to moderate income tenants who have suffered financial hardship during the pandemic can register and apply for aid by visiting Texas Rent Relief or calling 1-833-989-7368. Landlords can also apply with tenant approval. The application process has two parts: registering your account and requesting payment. Assistance on the website and call center is available in multiple languages.

In the first 24 hours of application opening, Texas Rent Relief saw:
• More than 42,000 calls at the call center.
• About 90% of those calls were from tenants.
• More than 21,000 total account registrations.
• 2,921 landlord accounts registered.
• 6,556 tenant account registered by landlord invitation
• 11,578 tenant accounts registered on their own
• More than 5,700 payment requests submitted, totaling more than $20 million; these payment requests have not been reviewed and approved; this is only the number of submitted requests.

Households must have incomes at or below 80% of the Area Median Income and meet several other criteria. Full eligibility details are available online. Per federal guidelines, TDHCA is prioritizing applications for an initial time period for households at or below 50% of the area median income level and households where one or more members are currently unemployed and have been for at least 90 days.

The Texas Rent Relief Program can help renters with costs starting as far back as March 13, 2020:
Past due, current, and up to 3 months of expected rent costs
Past due, current, and up to 3 months of expected utility and home energy expenses
After the initial 3 months of forward assistance, you can apply for 3 additional months of assistance if funds are still available.

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs is committed to expanding fair housing choice and opportunities for Texans through the administration and funding of affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, weatherization, and community-based services with the help of for-profits, nonprofits, and local governments. For more information about fair housing, funding opportunities, or services in your area, please visit Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs or the Learn about Fair Housing in Texas page.

San Antonio Food Bank emergency distributions

The San Antonio Food Bank will be hosting mega mobile distributions this weekend. Photo: San Antonio Food Bank, used with permission.

The San Antonio Food Bank is ramping up emergency outreach on the backside of the recent, crippling weather system. Volunteers are in critical need, with more than 500 needed over the weekend alone. Volunteers can register online to support a mobile food distribution. (San Antonio Food Bank, 2021)

For individuals needing to restock their shelves this weekend, the Food Bank is hosting 7 mega mobile distributions (details below). Pre-registration is recommended for all who have access to the internet. Those without the ability to pre-register will not be turned away and can access food while it lasts at each site. Additional information for those seeking help this weekend is available by calling the Food Bank’s helpline: 210-431-8326 on Friday or Saturday during normal business hours.

Upcoming Mobile Food Distributions: Friday -Sunday
WHEN: Friday-Sunday (February 19 – 21)
TIME: 10a.m.- 4p.m.
WHERE: San Antonio Food Bank main facility, with pre-check required beforehand at Camargo Park: 5738 Castroville Rd (78227)
WHAT: 1,000 households (more than 5,000 individuals) get 100+ pounds of food, water

WHEN: Friday, February 19
TIME: 11a.m. – 1p.m.
WHERE: NISD Gustafson Stadium: 7001 Culebra Rd (78238)
WHAT: 2,000 households (more than 5,000 individuals) get 100+ pounds of food, water

WHEN: Friday, February 19
TIME: 2p.m. – 4p.m.
WHERE: Rackspace Technology: 1 Fanatical Pl (78218)
WHAT: 2,000 households (more than 5,000 individuals) get 100+ pounds of food, water

WHEN: Saturday, February 20
TIME: 1p.m. – 4p.m.
WHERE: Harlandale ISD Memorial Stadium: 1109 Apollo St (78214)
WHAT: 1,000 households (more than 5,000 individuals) get 100+ pounds of food, water

WHEN: Saturday, February 20
TIME: 9a.m. – 11a.m.
WHERE: River City Church: 16765 Lookout Rd (78154)
WHAT: 2,000 households (more than 5,000 individuals) get 100+ pounds of food, water

The San Antonio Food Bank is a 501c3 non‐profit organization providing millions of pounds of food to over 530 charitable organizations in Southwest Texas serving those in need. In addition to food distribution, the San Antonio Food Bank provides numerous programs that not only solve the immediate problems of hunger, but help individuals and families gain long‐term food security.

“Our community is hurting. We have been meeting the emergency food needs all week for the homeless and those in shelters across our community. Now it’s time to reach those in homes through our distributions and home deliveries.” – Eric Cooper, President & CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank.