Month: October 2021

Agarita continues to bring the arts to the community through mobile concerts

Agarita was founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin). The new mobile concert hall is scheduled to complete its season run through all ten city districts. Photo: Agarita

Agarita, San Antonio’s innovative chamber ensemble, has announced that it will be performing six more of its unique Humble Hall mobile concerts during the remainder of the year. The outdoor, open-air concerts, featuring classical and contemporary music, are part of a series taking place in all the city’s 10 districts. (Agarita, 2021)

“At a time where classical music and the arts are needed even more to connect, we’re thrilled to continue to bring free concerts to San Antonio and throughout South Texas. Our theme is bringing the music to you without financial barriers and without the extra expense of traveling to a concert hall or venue. We’re excited to have fulfilled our goal, by the end of year, to have performed in every district in San Antonio, exposing our live music and artist expression to new audiences.” – Marisa Bushman, viola and Agarita executive director.

All ages are welcome and attendees are invited to bring a chair or blanket. The concerts, which are outdoors, are sponsored by the Russell Hill Rogers Fund for the Arts. Performances will be held at the following times and locations:

Saturday, October 30
1p.m., Castle Hills, The Commons, 207 Lemonwood Drive
4p.m., District 4, Christus Santa Rosa, 2827 Babcock Road

Sunday, November 7
11a.m., District 4, Pearsall Park, 5102 Old Pearsall Road
3p.m. District 5, Roosevelt Park, 331 Roosevelt Ave.

Saturday, December 18
11a.m., District 6, location TBD
3p.m., Districts 9 and 10, McAllister Park, 13102 Jones Maltsberger Road

Agarita’s Humble Hall, the first of its kind in Texas, debuted in December 2020 and provides easy public access to world-class performances while reinventing the traditional concert experience. The concerts are bilingual and open to the public. They last approximately 45 minutes, with no intermission, and include members of Agarita discussing their art with audiences, thereby forging a deeper connection with them.

Other sponsors for The Humble Hall series include Blossom Storage Ltd., US Signs New Braunfels, Humble House Foods, Terra Nova Violins, Chula Boyle, Marco Chalaby, Angela Pfeiffer, Wine Guys, Alexander Vineyards, Pulmonary Consultants of San Antonio, San Antonio Symphony League, H-E-B, and the Paulena F. Mitchell Testament Trust.

An innovative chamber ensemble dedicated to producing bold, collaborative musical events, Agarita offers a new way to experience classical and contemporary music. Rooted in San Antonio and founded by Daniel Anastasio (piano), Marisa Bushman (viola), Ignacio Gallego (cello), and Sarah Silver Manzke (violin), Agarita nourishes the local community through artistic collaborations, community engagement and free, adventurous programming. With concise, eclectic performances that are “splendid – unified, spirited, [and] well prepared” (Greenberg, Incident Light), the young chamber group offers a new, open-armed experience for listeners.

Agarita was recently named San Antonio Magazine’s Best of the City 2021: Culture winner for its collaboration with area partners. It collaborates intimately with local artists of various genres to weave cross-artistic narratives for each concert. Agarita’s past collaborations have included the McNay Art Museum’s Pop América exhibit, lighting artist Chuck Drew, Cameron Beauchamp from the Grammy Award-winning vocal group Roomful of Teeth, chef Elizabeth Johnson and Pharm Table restaurant, poet Laura Van Prooyen, sculptor Danville Chadbourne, educational arts institution SAY Sí and the Luminaria Contemporary Arts Festival for a concert inside San Antonio’s historic Mission San José.

As a nonprofit organization, Agarita believes that the arts should be accessible to everyone in its community. Agarita presents free public concerts, performs at local schools, and offers opportunities for other artists through its collaborations.

Barry Waldrep honors Tony Rice with all-star tribute album

Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice is due out December 24, 2021. Photo: google

Barry Waldrep is an American Bluegrass, Jam Band, Americana instrumentalist, songwriter, composer and record producer who co-founded the bluegrass/jam band Rollin’ in the Hay in July 1993. Rollin’ In The Hay soon became a full-time band touring the Jam Band circuit of festivals and college campuses across the country until May 2009. The band produced 7 CDs and performed over 300 dates per year for 16 years. During this time, Waldrep recorded 21 bluegrass tribute albums with CMH Records in Los Angeles for Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, Widespread Panic, Phish, R.E.M., Tim McGraw, The Allman Brothers, Neil Diamond, and others. He was also featured on the CD Masterworks of American Bluegrass also produced by CMH Records. (Barry Waldrep, 2021)

In the era of modern music, describing anybody as the “greatest of all time” is usually met with resistance—if for no other reason than the ever-evolving tastes of both musicians and fans—but if the topic is bluegrass guitar players, there is a universally correct answer to “who’s the best;” the late, great Tony Rice. Rice was one of the most influential, inventive, and beloved musicians in all of bluegrass and Americana music and after he passed away in late 2020, his songs and stylings continue to live on in the musicians he inspired. This year, on the one-year anniversary of Rice’s passing, bluegrass instrumentalist and producer Barry Waldrep will be releasing a tribute to Mr. Rice with the 21-song, special-guest loaded Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice. When looking through Waldrep’s list of friends, it is apparent how far Rice’s music reached beyond just bluegrass. Americana greats Rodney Crowell and Jim Lauderdale and Jam-band royalty Warren Haynes and Oteil Burbridge make appearances alongside Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Spooner Oldham and Patrick Simmons and country superstars Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris. And that is just a fraction of who has contributed to this celebration of the music of Tony Rice. Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice will be available everywhere on December 24 and can be pre-ordered or pre-saved now at this link.

“Music knows no boundaries and Tony created so many great examples of that. When you cross the line of other genres, that’s when you expand the audience and turn people on to other styles that they would not normally be interested in. The intent of this album and the artists involved is to show what a powerhouse master Tony Rice was at bringing musicians and fans together from different genres.” – Barry Waldrep

A full list of contributors is below and more information is available online.

Featured artists: Jimmy Hall, Rodney Crowell, Darrell Scott, Marty Raybon, Mike Farris, Kim Richey, Warren Haynes, Vince Gill, Radney Foster, Teresa Williams & Larry Campbell, Jim Lauderdale, John Berry, Patrick Simmons, John Paul White, Jacob Bunton, John Jorgenson, Rory Feek, Donna Hall & Kelli Johnson, and John Cowan.

Musicians: Barry Waldrep, Emmylou Harris, Tammy Rogers, Andrea Zonn, Aubrey Haynie, Bryan Hall, Caelan Berry, Spooner Oldham, Oteil Burbridge, James “Hutch” Hutchinson, Jason Bailey, Bryn Davies, Scott Vestal, Benji Shanks, Dillon Hodges, and Heidi Feek.

Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice track list:
Why You Been Gone So Long – Featuring Jimmy Hall
Song For The Life – Featuring Rodney Crowell
10 Degrees and Getting Colder – Featuring Darrell Scott
Blue Railroad Train – Featuring Marty Raybon
Walk On Boy – Featuring Mike Farris
Early Morning Rain – Featuring Kim Richey
Wayfaring Stranger – Featuring Warren Haynes
I’ll Stay Around – Featuring Vince Gill
Song For A Winter Night – Featuring Radney Foster
EMD – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, John Jorgenson and John Cowan
You Were There For Me – Featuring Teresa Williams and Larry Cambell
Church Street Blues – Featuring Jim Lauderdale
This Old House – Featuring John Berry
9 Pound Hammer – Featuring Pat Simmons
Four Strong Winds – Featuring John Paul White
More Pretty Girls Than One – Featuring Jacob Bunton
Summer Wages – Featuring Barry Waldrep, Tammy Rogers, Spooner Oldham
It’s Cold On The Shoulder – Featuring John Jorgenson
Bury Me Beneath The Willow – Featuring Rory Feek
Where The Soul Never Dies – Featuring Donna Hall and Kelli Johnson
Me And My Guitar – Featuring John Cowan

Courtesy photo, used with permission.
2021-12-24T14:41:00

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Barry Waldrep and Friends Celebrate Tony Rice release date

Bakery Lorraine launches new fall menu

Bakery Lorraine’s Greek yogurt parfait. Photo: Bakery Lorraine, used with permission.

Now that fall is in full swing, Bakery Lorraine has a new fall menu with fall flavor options ranging from sweet to savory, so there is something for everyone. Halloween pastries will be available from October 28 through October 31 only. (Bakery Lorraine, 2021)

Fall 2021 pastries:
• Pastries:
o Orange Cranberry Muffin ($4) – Gluten friendly and baked to a fluffy perfection
o Chocolate Pear Tart ($6) – Vanilla poached pears baked in a rich, chocolate cream
o Fig Frangipane Tart ($6) – Fresh figs baked in almond cream
o Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip muffin ($4) – Gluten friendly and baked to a fluffy perfection
o Seasonal Fruit Tart ($6) – Crisp tart shell filled with vanilla mascarpone cream and topped with fresh seasonal fruit
o Fall flavored macarons – Caramel apple, pistachio, earl grey, raspberry, mesquite honey, pumpkin spice, and dark chocolate cassis
• Cakes:
o Cassis Elderflower Cake slice ($6) – Layers of an almond sponge cake, cassis mousse, and cassis gelee topped with a mini dark chocolate cassis macaron and blackberry
o Phantom of the Opera cake slice ($6) – Layers of spiced almond sponge cake, pumpkin buttercream, chocolate ganache and spiced bourbon syrup
o Cheesecake ($6) – Classic cheesecake on a gingersnap crust and topped with seasonal fruit

Halloween pastries available Thursday October 28 – Sunday October 31
• Black Cat tart ($6) – Chocolate mousse tart with vanilla filling
• Lemon Mummy Tart ($6) – Lemon curd topped with meringue and two chocolate chips for the mummy’s eyes
• Chocolate Caramel Tart ($6) – Caramel filling topped with chocolate ganache
• Voodoo Doll gingerbread cookie ($5) – Gingerbread cookie dipped in a rich dark chocolate
• Ghost Moonpie ($5) – Homemade graham cookies with a honey marshmallow filling dipped in a white chocolate

Fall all-day menu items:
• Almond Croissant – Bakery Lorraine’s popular Almond Croissant is twice-baked, creating a buttery and flaky crust, filled with almond cream and topped with sliced almonds
• Cinnamon Roll – Bakery Lorraine’s iconic Cinnamon Roll topped with a sweet honey glaze is available all day
• Greek yogurt parfait – House made granola, seasonal fruits, honey
• Fall French toast – Toffee sauce, banana, pecans, maple syrup
• Rice and beets bowl – Short grain rice, forbidden rice, beets, tofu, kale, ginger vinaigrette, mushrooms, cilantro
• Turkish eggs – Herbed yogurt, *poached eggs, Aleppo butter, toasted sourdough
• Salmon on everything croissant – Caper and dill cream cheese, smoked salmon, pickled red onions, sunflower sprouts
• Chicken salad Veronique on croissant – Herbed dressing, red grapes, pecans, savoy slaw

Bakery Lorraine is a San Antonio favorite and nationally recognized pastry shop famous for its colorful macarons and exquisite French pastries. Owned by chefs Anne Ng, Jeremy Mandrell, and operator Charlie Biedenharn, Bakery Lorraine was named one of the best new bakeries in the U.S. by Food & Wine and CNN’s Eatocracyblog, as well as one of the “13 Destination Bakeries” by Conde Nast Traveler. Bakery Lorraine serves handmade French pastries and macarons using the finest ingredients. The bakery also serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner, including items like its breakfast parfait, the quiche Lorraine, chicken potpie, an assortment of salads and soups, and artisan sandwiches. Bakery Lorraine has three locations in San Antonio including one in the Historic Pearl district, one in San Antonio’s Medical Center, and one in San Antonio’s RIM shopping center, including now an Austin location at Domain Northside.

Teatro Audaz’ production of Man of the Flesh opens Thursday

Tickets are now on sale for Man of the Flesh at the Cellar Theater. Photo: Teatro Audaz, used with permission.

Teatro Audaz’ next performance opens this week at the Public Theater of San Antonio’s Cellar Theatre. Man of the Flesh, by Octavio Solis, is directed by Holly Nañes opens this Thursday, October 28, 2021. Tickets are available now available online and range from $20 for student/military/SATCO/senior/educator to $25 for general admission. (Teatro Audaz, 2021)

A modern comic adaptation of the first Don Juan Play, The Trickster of Seville, Juan is dispatched by this father who owns Pronto Lawn and Garden to work off his sins of the flesh. But at the Downey estate, on the eve of Day of the Dead, he meets the love of his life. But contrary to all the women before her, Anna Downey spurns him. He is determined to declare his love to her, even if he must seduce all the women of the house to get near her.

Performance dates: October 28 – November 02
Six performances only from Thursday through Tuesday
Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 2p.m.

Cellar Theatre at the Public Theater of San Antonio
800 W. Ashby Pl
San Antonio, TX 78212

Special dates:
November 1 – Elite Event Día de los Muertos photo booth
November 2 – Ballet Folklorico Sol de San Antonio

Cast:
Sergio Mendoza – Juan Tenorio
Eric Alvarado – Luis
Benito Lara – Don Diego/Downey/Reveler
Keli Cabunoc – Concepcion
John Perez – Fracas
Donna Provenchar – Dora Downey/Reveler
Jessica Arenas – Martina/Reveler
Lissette Belmontes – Lorena/Flor
Kathleen O’Neal – Romelia/Heather/Reveler
Sky Young – Anne Downey

Teatro Audaz will continue to implement Covid-19 safety protocols to promote the good health and well being of patrons, performers, and staff.

2021-10-28T11:16:00

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Man of the Flesh opening night

Movie adaptation: ‘The Quiet Boy’ by Nick Antosca

Antlers will be released on Friday October 29, 2021. Photo: google

Nick Antosca is an American film and television writer, producer, and novelist. He is the creator and showrunner of the horror anthology television series Channel Zero. He co-created the Hulu true crime limited series The Act (2019) and the Netflix horror drama limited series Brand New Cherry Flavor (2021). His short story “The Quiet Boy” was originally published in Guernica magazine in 2019 and is being adapted into the movie Antlers, a supernatural horror film directed by Scott Cooper and produced by Guillermo del Toro. It will be released in theaters on Friday October 29, 2021 and stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, Jeremy T. Thomas, Graham Greene, Scott Haze, Rory Cochrane, and Amy Madigan.

Movie premise: Julia Meadows (Keri Russell), a school teacher in a small town in Oregon, and her brother, Paul (Jesse Plemons), the local sheriff, become concerned about one of her students, a young boy named Lucas Weaver (Jeremy T. Thomas) who is secretly keeping a supernatural creature inside his house. (Wikipedia, 2021)

“The Quiet Boy” – But there was no Goldilocks in this story. There were only Wolfs, who lived together in a cave above a town. Big Wolf, Middle Wolf, and Little Wolf. Big Wolf was a brute. Little Wolf was timid. Middle Wolf was the peacemaker. (goodreads, 2021)

The Steel Wheels announce new album Everyone A Song, Vol. 2

The Steel Wheels’ Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 will be out November 5, 2021. Photo: The Steel Wheels

The Steel Wheels have long been at home in the creative space between tradition and innovation, informed by the familiar sounds of the Virginia mountains where the band was formed, but always moving forward with insightful lyrics and an evolving sound. Over thousands of shows at the world’s most prestigious festivals, listening rooms, and clubs, the stubbornly independent band has formed deep bonds with each other and the audience that sustains them. (The Steel Wheels, 2021)

Of all the ways to deliver music to fans amidst a global pandemic, The Steel Wheels took a very clever—and quite intimate—approach. With their signature blend of Appalachian Americana stylings, The Steel Wheels’ primary songwriter Trent Wagler began crowdsourcing personal experiences of fans and forging them into songs in 2020. The project quickly became an avenue for fans of the band to commission works and send musical greetings to their loved ones as well, and the initiative sparked a surprisingly impactful and intimate songwriting process. Eventually, the band released a batch of their new tunes as a full-length record, Everyone A Song, Vol. 1., much to the delight of fans and critics alike.

On November 5, the band will once again open the treasure chest of these special songs with Everyone A Song, Vol. 2. Each song on Vol. 2 was commissioned for a specific relationship or event—a birth, a wedding, a memory of home—yet the emotions evoked are universal. Building on the body of work begun with Vol. 1, the 9 songs of Vol. 2 also have an identity of their own, with themes that reflect the zeitgeist of a country dealing with tragedy and unsettling change. Fans can pre-order or pre-save Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 right here and can visit the band’s merch shop here. And for those who have not heard Vol. 1, it can be streamed here.

Lead off track and first single “Where I’m From” introduces a tension between nostalgia and progress while highlighting the band’s deft balance of traditional instrumentation and driving rhythm. Commissioned for an old Catholic school in Chicago, the song paints a tangible picture of home. The image of slanted floors in the old church building are framed by low-tuned, fretless banjo, a smile-inducing drum groove, and a soaring fiddle solo. The music video for “Where I’m From” is out now and can be viewed at this link.

The Steel Wheels are heading back out on tour this month. A full list of tour dates is available online.

Catch The Steel Wheels On Tour:
November 4 – Rocky Mount, VA – The Harvester
November 5 – Bridgewater, VA – Sipe Center
November 6 – Norfolk, VA – Roper Performing Arts Center
December 1 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle
December 2 – Chattanooga, TN – Arts Avenue
December 3 – Knoxville, TN – Bijou Theatre w/ Acoustic Syndicate
December 4 – Raleigh, NC – Motorco
December 5 – Vienna, VA – Jammin’ Java

Everyone A Song, Vol. 2 Track list:
1. Where I’m From
2. Time Is All I Need
3. Mark On Me
4. Memories In Mind
5. Adventures Of Grace And Henry
6. Lifeline
7. Where Our Future Begins
8. It’s Your Fault
9. Lullaby

The Infamous Stringdusters announce new record Toward the Fray

Toward the Fray will be out February 18, 2022 and is available for pre-order now. Photo: google

The Infamous Stringdusters is a progressive acoustic/bluegrass band who first emerged in 2006 and consists of members Andy Hall (dobro), Chris Pandolfi (banjo), Andy Falco (guitar), Jeremy Garrett (fiddle), and Travis Book (bass). The “Dusters” won three awards at the IBMAs in October 2007 for Emerging Artist of the Year, Album of the Year (for Fork in the Road), and Song of the Year for the album’s title track. The band was also nominated at the IBMAs in 2017 for Entertainer of the Year. In 2011, “Magic No. 9” (from Things That Fly) was nominated for the Best Country Instrumental Performance at the 2011 Grammys, while in 2018 the band won the Grammy for Best Bluegrass Album for Laws of Gravity. (The Infamous Stringdusters, 2021)

Grammy and IBMA award-winners The Infamous Stringdusters continue to make their unmistakable mark on modern bluegrass and Americana music. In addition to the band hosting this year’s IMBA Awards, band member Jeremy Garret won for Instrumental Recording of the Year for his part in a Jon Weisberger-produced super-group performance of Earl Scruggs’ classic “Ground Speed.”

For every Dusters loyalist thinking, “Congrats on the award and great job hosting last night, but we want some new music,” the wait is over. The band has just announced a brand new, full-length album, Toward the Fray, to be released on February 18, 2022, on Americana Vibes via Regime Music Group. Toward the Fray follows the band’s critically acclaimed homage to the father of bluegrass, A Tribute to Bill Monroe, and is their first studio album of all original material since 2019’s Rise Sun. “It’s been fun to explore a little bit of The Dusters’ darker side for this album,” says band member Andy Hall, giving fans a slight hint at things to come. “Sometimes the times call for some serious reflection, and these songs really hit home. Get ready to go deep with us!”

Fans can digitally pre-order or pre-save Toward the Fray now at this link or pre-order physical copies and album-centric merch right here.

The Infamous Stringdusters are grateful to be back on tour with upcoming dates at Nashville’s Brooklyn Bowl, House of Blues New Orleans, and Denver’s Mission Ballroom—just to name a few. A full list of dates is below and ticket information is available online.

Catch The Infamous Stringdusters on tour:
November 12 – Denver, CO – The Mission Ballroom
November 13 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
November 14 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Commonwealth Room
November 16- Grand Junction, CO – Mesa Theater
November 17 – Jackson, WY – Center for the Arts
November 18 – Boise, ID – Knitting Factory
November 19 – Bozeman, MT – Elm
November 20 – Missoula, MT – The Wilma

Pearl’s Food Hall at Bottling Department now serving breakfast

Food Hall at Pearl is now offering breakfast items seven days a week. Shown: Chilaquil breakfast. Photo: Pearl, used with permission.

Pearl is excited to announce that breakfast is now available throughout the week at the Food Hall at Bottling Department. Each of the tenants inside Food Hall are now offering breakfast items Monday through Sunday to provide more options to guests, workers and those that live at Pearl. (Pearl, 2021)

Guests can find breakfast items like tacos from Chilaquil, breakfast rotis from Mi Roti, smoothies from Kineapple, sandwiches from Fletcher’s Hamburgers and a Tori Katsu Breakfast Sando from Tenko Ramen. The Food Hall is now open at 8a.m. and breakfast is served until 11a.m. each day.

The team at Food Hall at Bottling Department is excited to be able to bring more options to its guests throughout the day.

Pearl is a dynamic neighborhood built around the historic Pearl Brewery, which operated from 1883 to 1999. Located just north of downtown San Antonio on the banks of the San Antonio River, it is home to architecturally significant buildings like the brewhouse and stable—both built in 1894—and numerous plazas. Today, Pearl is home to dozens of unique culinary concepts, one-of-a-kind retail, weekend markets, residential communities, innovative office tenants, the San Antonio campus of the Culinary Institute of America, and the award-winning Hotel Emma. Pearl is a vibrant district where community gathers to play, work, and live; it is a place where things are made and celebrated with purpose and sincerity. We invite all to gather and experience the best of what San Antonio has to offer.

Papa John’s kicks off promotion for David’s Legacy Foundation

Papa John’s kicks off 2021-2022 promotion during National Bullying Prevention Month. Photo: google

As part of National Bullying Prevention Month, the 21 San Antonio-area Papa John’s stores owned by Pizza Venture of San Antonio, LLC, are proud to announce the kickoff of their 2021-2022 school year commitment to the David’s Legacy Foundation. This partnership with Papa John’s comes at a time when spending time online has increased due to the pandemic, thus increasing the opportunity for cyberbullying among children and teens. (Papa John’s, 2021)

Through its Better Neighbors program, Papa John’s has contributed more than $84,000 to David’s Legacy Foundation to combat cyberbullying since 2018. Papa John’s commitment will take place during the 2021-2022 school year.

With this promotion, all Pizza Venture stores will offer a $2 donation to David’s Legacy Foundation for every sale using the promocode STANDUP for 2 large, 2 topping pizzas, and 2-liter soda for $26.

For those who donate, sales will go toward helping David’s Legacy Foundation’s initiative to provide classroom presentations about bullying and David’s Law. To order your Cyberbullying Special and help raise awareness about the foundation’s mission, click here.

“This year, David would have celebrated his 22nd birthday, and through David’s Legacy Foundation, we honor him by bringing awareness to National Bullying Prevention Month. We are very touched to have a continued partnership with Papa John’s through its Better Neighbors Program since 2018.” – Maurine Molak, David’s Legacy Foundation co-founder.

“As a family-owned business, we are honored to shine a light on David and his legacy through David’s Legacy Foundation by combatting cyberbullying,” “We are a local company that has supported our community for more than 25 years, and we are honored to continue to do that with dedicated groups through our Better Neighbors Program.” – Clark Mandigo, III, president and COO of Pizza Ventures of San Antonio, LLC.

David’s Legacy Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to ending cyber-assisted bullying by educating communities about the harmful effects of cyber abuse, providing support for bullying victims, promoting kindness, and supporting legislation that prohibits the cyberbullying of minors.

David Bartlett Molak, aged 16, passed away on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016 in his hometown of San Antonio, Texas. David had recently achieved the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout with Troop 809. Among David’s passions were hunting, fishing, and playing video games with his older brothers Cliff and Chris. He was extremely knowledgeable about professional football and could lead any fantasy association to success. David never passed up on an opportunity for an outdoor adventure or a chance to dominate his family in Monopoly. His infectious smile and sharp wit entertained his peers to the dismay of his teachers, but all in good fun.

Upcoming new book release: ‘Tricks ‘n Trees’ by Dames Handsome

Dames Handsome releases the fourth book in the Fairy Knights series, inspiring children to explore, have fun, and level up. Photo: Dames Handsome.

Dames Handsome is a teacher who loves making stories for the younger ones. A small town Wisconsin native, he found his passion for teaching and writing in college, and made a vow to find a way to pursue it. When a private school in Korea offered him a one-year contract, he seized the opportunity and left his corporate job with Dell computers. He taught kindergarten at first, then an array of ages, mostly elementary. Dames Handsome currently resides in South Korea with his family. (Dames Handsome, 2021)

On November 16, Dames Handsome will release “Tricks ‘n Trees,” the fourth book in his Fairy Knights series. Get ready for a mashup of spooky creatures doing wacky things, a rather serious high-stakes clash, and fairy tale references from Western Europe, Russia, and Korea. A fun read for Halloween fans, this spooky monster adventure is also an opportunity for children to explore, have fun, and level up.

Ching Goo, Oma Bell, and Hamster Rick, a.k.a The Fairy Knights, together with their friend Dames Handsome, are back for their fourth adventure, one that takes them into the Kingdom of Dark Deep, run by Prince Charming—who is anything but. A dark spell has turned the prince into a horrible orange monster, and he has only one day left where it can be broken. Determined to help him regain his human appearance, the Knights decide to organize a spooky pumpkin contest to find the one person who would love Prince Charming for who he really is. On their journey of creepy places to find true love, the three friends face their weirdest enemies yet, and wind up having to escape from a forcefield prison.

“When authors write, they have a message they want to tell. And the most profound lesson that I have learned from all the books that I’ve read is that no matter how hard things seem at times, there is always someone else who has it harder, and they aren’t giving up. By reading this book, children will learn to deal with crises common to their age group. So far, I have dealt with feelings of jealousy, anger, sadness, imposter syndrome, and self-esteem issues. I plan to continue in that vein. They will also learn to, as one little fan told me, be good so I can level up and be a hero.” – Dames Handsome

“Tricks ’n Trees” is a page-turning adventure packed with unexpected plot twists. While entertaining and fun, it also highlights the power of love and friendship to overcome obstacles, and encourages kids to be tolerant and compassionate towards other people, as well as themselves—for sometimes even good people do bad things, because they feel desperate and don’t know what else to do.

“Tricks ‘n Trees” will be available on amazon and other major retailers.
Paperback ISBN: 2370001591103
Paperback Price: $7.99
Length: 171 pages

2021-11-16T10:18:00

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‘Tricks ‘n Trees’ release date