Silent Thunder is the new instrumental single by Omer B. Photo: Google
Omer B is an independent musician, guitarist, and amateur race driver. He frequently works together with other musicians and singers and always welcomes new collaborators. His music varies between rock, pop, blues, gospel, funk, and jazz. His new instrumental single is Silent Thunder. (Omer B, 2023)
Silent Thunder is dedicated to all those around us who are silent, but on the other hand, the most talented and influential. Omer B perfectly proves this statement through the use of graceful vocals accompanied by an impressive guitar solo. He has always been passionate about music since a young age and has gained many friends and idols who have inspired him such as Cory Wong and Yossi Fine, who has worked with David Bowie and others.
‘The House at the End of the World’ is the new suspense thriller from Dean Koontz. Photo: Amazon
My favorite suspense author is Dean Koontzand I am so excited that he has a new suspense thriller out. International bestselling author Dean Koontz was only a senior in college when he won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition. He has never stopped writing since. Koontz is the author of “The Big Dark Sky,” “Quicksilver,” “The Other Emily,” “Elsewhere,” “Devoted,” and seventy-nine New York Times bestsellers, fourteen of which were #1, including “One Door Away from Heaven,” “From the Corner of His Eye,” “Midnight,” “Cold Fire,” among others. He has been hailed by Rolling Stone as “America’s most popular suspense novelist,” and his books have been published in thirty-eight languages and have sold over five hundred million copies worldwide. In “The House at the End of the World,” soon no one on Earth will have a place to hide. It is the new novel about fears known and unknown by #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense. (Amazon, 2023)
“The House at the End of the World”– In retreat from a devastating loss and crushing injustice, Katie lives alone in a fortress like stone house on Jacob’s Ladder island. Once a rising star in the art world, she finds refuge in her painting. The neighboring island of Ringrock houses a secret: a government research facility. Now two agents have arrived on Jacob’s Ladder in search of someone―or something―they refuse to identify. Although an air of menace hangs over these men, an infinitely greater threat has arrived, one so strange even the island animals are in a state of high alarm. Katie soon finds herself in an epic and terrifying battle with a mysterious enemy. But Katie is not alone after all: a brave young girl appears out of the violent squall. As Katie and her companion struggle across a dark and eerie landscape, against them is an omnipresent terror that could bring about the end of the world.
Masqued Emotions is the debut album by Masque. Photo: Google
Masque is a gay singer/songwriter who began making songs in 2020. A student of classical piano since a young age, he has long written original compositions for the keyboard. Once he took the plunge into singing, he began writing songs as well, with several dozen songs currently under his belt. He typically performs in a signature ‘masque,’ using a variety of hats and wigs in his ensemble, and uses these outfits when vocally promoting lgbt+ rights on social media. (Masque, 2023)
‘Masqued Emotions’ is the debut album by Masque – an exploration of hope and struggles in the modern world through the use of rock, pop and alternative sounds.
‘Shadow Eyes’ is the first book in the Shadow Eyes series by Tanya Hilson. Photo: This That Production, used with permission.
***** Update *****
“Shadow Eyes” is also available on audible. Check out some reviews for this title.
Tanya Hilson loves the joy of storytelling and writing. Her passion for writing started at a young age and has stayed with her throughout her life. Being dyslexic, she never thought in a million years that she would be writing screenplays, stage plays, or children’s books. She likes to write because it humbles her within, it is therapeutic, and sharing her stories with others brings her joy. A passionate humanitarian, she also runs a nonprofit organization called WeLiveOn2, which supports low-income families by teaching them computer literacy and job readiness skills, as well as helping those who have been previously incarcerated obtain employment. She has written several books, including “Back Porch Neighbors,” “Back Porch Secrets,” “Ruby’s Diner,” “Human Collateral,” “Shadow Eyes,” “Shadow Eyes 2: Where’s My Child,” “John’s Hidden Truth,” and “My Cousin Sue.” She received an accolade for “Human Collateral” from Coverfly. The Shadow Eyes series includes “Shadow Eyes” and “Shadow Eyes 2: Where’s My Child” (Tanya Hilson, 2023)
“Never give up on a DREAM, for others cannot DREAM for you.” – Tanya Hilson
“Shadow Eyes”– A young detective and her partner must solve a murder case involving the Mayor of Los Angeles’ daughter, a high-profile actress. But when Heaven’s wild, newly divorced twin sister Nevaeh moves in with her, a world of sex, secrets, and deceit will be exposed to solving this case.
Detective Heaven Chambers wants to relax with a bath and a bottle of wine, but that is immediately interrupted by a phone call from her wild twin sister going through a tumultuous divorce. Heaven offers her sister a room; however, after hanging up and receiving another call about a high-profile case, she immediately regrets inviting her. Heaven and her partner, Detective Garrick, are put on the case as leads but quickly find out that this case will not be solved easily due to the victim’s hidden, dark, naughty secrets. Feeling the heat from the Chief of Police, the media, and the grieving Mayor, the Detectives search for witnesses as they stumble on missing evidence hidden by the Mayor himself. Heaven’s twin sister has secrets of her own that will infiltrate a world of sex, deceit, and murder. Will Heaven and Garrick open Pandora’s Box or will cheek’s be turned?
“Shadow Eyes 2: Where’s My Child” – When a cult escapee approaches private detectives Heaven and Garrick to find a long-lost missing child, they must keep romantic entanglements aside and infiltrate a prostitution ring run by ruthless extremists. Genre: Urban Crime Drama
After solving the case involving the murder of the actress Lauren Jenkins, Heaven and Garrick started a private investigation business and mutually agreed to keep their previous romantic relationship strictly professional. One morning, Brook Ambers, a well-known rich widower, enters their office. After some hesitation and skepticism, Brook begins to tell Heaven and Garrick about her heart-breaking childhood. Brook goes on to explain how she gave birth to a baby at the age of 13 that was taken straight from her womb at birth and how she did not know the gender of the child. Heaven and Garrick agree to the task of finding this child, who would now be an adult. While surveilling a polygamy compound, Garrick is shocked to see a former colleague, LAPD Detective Gwen Pratt, entering the premises. Unsure of why Detective Pratt is there, Heaven and Garrick both agree to go talk with her. When speaking with Detective Pratt, Heaven and Garrick are surprised to find out that Pratt was a runaway from the same extremist group when she was young. Heaven, Garrick, Pratt, and an FBI agent team up to infiltrate the compound by going undercover to bring down this extremist underground prostitution operation while reuniting Brook with her son.
Photo: This That Production, used with permission.
‘Meditation for People Who Can’t Meditate’ is a beginner’s guide to meditation. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Dr. Samuel Samtosha Steinberg is a graduate of the Cornell University Plant Based Nutrition program and has a doctorate in Metaphysics. He is a special education teacher, a Yoga Alliance certified 500 E-RYT yoga teacher and educator and a meditation consultant to mental health practitioners and pain support groups as well as a relaxation teacher. Currently he is completing a doctorate in Naturopathic Psychology. He is the author of “Meditation For People Who Can’t Meditate” and “Free Bird,” a children’s book about freedom. He also authored “Parents Guide to Helping a Child With Learning Disabilities,” “Everything You Wanted to Know About Veganism,” “The Why’s and How’s of Vegetarianism,” “Anxiety, Depression & Panic Attacks,” “Promoting Positive Self Esteem In Children,” “A Guide to Autism in the Workplace,” “What Are Chakras and Why the Heck Should I Care?,” and “Weight Lost & Fitness.” His new book “Meditation For People Who Can’t Meditate”is an uncomplicated beginner’s guide to meditation. (Dr. Samuel Samtosha Steinberg, 2023)
New to meditation? Want a moment of peace from the chaotic world? Not sure how to focus? Discover how to meditate with this uncomplicated beginner guide. Dr. Samuel Steinberg presents meditation as an exquisite approach to attain peace, healthy, stress-free life by keeping it simple through basic techniques.
“Meditation For People Who Can’t Meditate” is a perfect guide for beginners tangled between the right time, place, position, group, and props to meditate with. Let this book walk you through the core of how to meditate correctly, the benefits of everyday practice, and the diverse styles of meditation in a fun way.
Miriam Toews’ ‘Women Talking’ is now a major motion picture and is playing in theaters everywhere. Photo: Amazon
Miriam Toews is the author of the bestselling novels “All My Puny Sorrows,” “Summer of My Amazing Luck,” “A Boy of Good Breeding,” “A Complicated Kindness,” “The Flying Troutmans,” “Irma Voth, Fight Night,” and one work of nonfiction, “Swing Low: A Life.” She is winner of the Governor General’s Award for Fiction, the Libris Award for Fiction Book of the Year, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and the Writers’ Trust Engel/Findley Award. Her book “Women Talking” is the basis of the Oscar-nominated filmfrom writer/director Sarah Polley, starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley, with Ben Whishaw, and Frances McDormand. The movie adaptation is now playing in theaters everywhere. (Amazon, 2023)
“Women Talking” – One evening, eight Mennonite women climb into a hay loft to conduct a secret meeting. For the past two years, each of these women, and more than a hundred other girls in their colony, has been repeatedly violated in the night by demons coming to punish them for their sins. Now that the women have learned they were in fact drugged and attacked by a group of men from their own community, they are determined to protect themselves and their daughters from future harm. While the men of the colony are off in the city, attempting to raise enough money to bail out the rapists and bring them home, these women―all illiterate, without any knowledge of the world outside their community and unable even to speak the language of the country they live in―have very little time to make a choice: Should they stay in the only world they have ever known or should they dare to escape?
Based on real events and told through the “minutes” of the women’s all-female symposium, Toews’s masterful novel uses wry, politically engaged humor to relate this tale of women claiming their own power to decide.
Alive will be available on digital platforms starting January 31, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Beware the infection this January! In movie news: in the tradition of 28 Days Later and Cabin Fever comes the new zombie horror movie Alive. It will premiere on digital platforms on January 31 from Gravitas Ventures. From writer/director David Marantz, and featuring an electric cast headed up by Ellen Hillman, Kian Pritchard, and Neil Scheffield.
Alive – Helen navigates a ravaged world with her boyfriend Kevin and her little brother Barney. Desperate to find help after Barney’s infection slowly turns him into a zombie, they come upon a house where Dan lives; he is a man harboring a heavy secret.
Alive, 2022 Horror/Mystery/Thriller – 1h 33m
Forest zombies in Alive. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Hiatus Spa + Retreat has Valentine’s Day Spa Packages available. Photo: Hiatus Spa + Retreat, used with permission.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner so if you need some ideas to celebrate, consider the following from Carriqui, Bakery Lorraine, San Antonio Museum of Art, iFLY Indoor Skydiving, and Hiatus Spa + Retreat:
Carriquiwill host its inaugural Valentine’s Day dinner Tuesday, February 14 from 4p.m. to 9p.m. In addition to the regular menu, a three-course tasting menu is also available for $85 per person. Romantic add-ons are available online or can be requested upon arrival at the restaurant. The add-ons include house-made chocolate truffles or long-stem chocolate covered strawberries from the Carriqui pastry team ($25), fresh cut flower bouquet from Statue of Design ($50), and a bottle of Delamotte Brut champagne ($100).
Valentine’s Day Dinner at Carriqui 239 E. Grayson, San Antonio, TX 78215 Tuesday, February 14 – 4p.m. to 9p.m.
The three-course tasting menu includes:
1st Course – Choice of avocado and tomato salad with arugula, goat cheese, Texas Black Garlic Vinaigrette or Gulf Shrimp bisque with grilled toast and chive cream. 2nd Course – Choice of Marinated Redfish with charred broccolini, avocado mousse and kale chips, Smoked grilled ribeye with crispy potatoes and horseradish cream, or Braised cauliflower with fennel-spiced corn crumble and chili butter. 3rd Course – Choice of chocolate cake with caramel mousse, and almond sesame brittle or lime cheesecake with coconut graham cracker crust.
************************************************** Valentine’s Day Sweets & Flowers for pre-order at Bakery Lorraine All San Antonio locations Pastries available from Saturday February 11 to Tuesday February 14 Pre-order Flowers by Emma Lily Flowers from Wednesday January 25to Friday February 10
For foodies looking forward to delectable Valentine’s sweets, Bakery Lorraine has pastries exclusive to the Valentine’s Day holiday at all of their San Antonio locations from Saturday, February 11 to Tuesday, February 14. The sweets include Chocolate Raspberry Tart, Grapefruit Tiramisu, Heart Moonpie, Raspberry Rose Japonaise, Strawberry Pop Heart, and Fraisier. In addition to their themed desserts, Bakery Lorraine is also partnering with Flowers by Emma Lily Flowers for guests to pre-order a set of 12pk of macarons with a bouquet for only $70 or a flower box including six macarons for only $40. Macaron flavors include raspberry, pistachio, chocolate, and strawberry rose. Preorders are available from Wednesday, January 25 until Noon on Friday, February 10, and can be ordered on the Bakery Lorraine website. Pickup for pre-orders will be on Tuesday, February 14 at the chosen location.
************************************************** Valentine’s Day Silver Trunk Showat the San Antonio Museum of Art 200 West Jones Avenue San Antonio, TX 78215 Saturday, February 11, 2023 from 10a.m. to 2p.m.
Couples shopping for a unique gift and stunning for their Valentine can head to the shop at the San Antonio Museum of Art on February, 11, 2023 from 10a.m. to 2p.m. where the latest in silver jewelry from Sarah Roberts, Micha Gonzalez, Moose Pablos, and Spratling are waiting to be discovered. The gorgeous works will be available for purchase and will make the perfect addition to any Valentine’s day surprise.
************************************************** In celebration of Valentine’s Day, iFLY Indoor Skydiving is spreading the love by offering a special “Love Is in the Air” package for first-time flyers that will include four flights and two videos shared by two people. This package is a perfect idea for adventurous couples, friends, and families seeking a thrill this Valentine’s Day. Whether it is for a unique Valentine’s Day date night or a one-of-a-kind Valentine’s Day celebration, iFLY brings loved ones together for an unforgettable experience.
The exclusive package will be available for purchase online from February 2 through February 19. Flights must be purchased, booked and used at a participating U.S. iFLY Indoor Skydiving location within the promotional timeframe (2/2/23 – 2/19/23) for flights to be redeemable. Prices vary per iFLY location.
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours) Send your sweetheart off on a “choose your own spa adventure” only to return more rejuvenated and relaxed than ever before. They’ll get to pick any 3 of our Essential Services — The Signature Massage, The Tailor-Made Facial, The One & Only Mani/Pedi, The Body Wrap, The Body Glow,* or Acupuncture.* $299 ($350 value) *available only at specific Hiatus spa locations
The Love Birds (EarlyBird CBD Partnership) Begin with a crushed rose petal and organic sugar foot soak, heartwarming hot stone shoulder massage then relax side-by-side in a couples massage with our house-blended love potion of rose, jasmine, vetiver and coco butter. Then take flight with EarlyBird Full Spectrum CBD Gummies and float through the rest of your day feeling chill and relaxed. ($350 / $279 H-Circle Member)
Teddy Bear Stories 2 will be out February 14, 2023. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
If you are a fan of R&B and hip hop then do I have big news for you. Prince Casanova is an artist from Long Beach, California. He is also a singer, rapper, talented music producer, recording and mixing engineer, and writer in the genres of hip hop, rap, pop, country, rock, and R&B. He has a new album coming up next month: Teddy Bear Stories 2, an extended project from Teddy Bear Stories 1. (Prince Casanova, 2023)
Prince Casanova was once a part of a label called Upncomingrecords. He was a producer at the time while attending a Los Angeles film school later graduating and obtaining his Associates of Science Degree in Recording Arts; he was one of the top students in his class. He later started composing his own music and now has released 6 albums and 11 singles. His new album titled Teddy Bear Stories 2 will be released February 14, 2023.
Artist Name : JstLszn (Just-Listen) aka Prince Casanova Teddy Bear Stories 2 9 tracks
After an advanced screening of the new album I can say that overall the new music has a sharp, crisp, and grooving feel that will please fans of the genre. The artist’s hard work and dedication comes through in each song and I commended him for sharing his craft with music fans. If you enjoy hip hop and R&B, this album should be on your to buy list. It should be noted that it contains adult themes and language.
‘Sailing In Dark Waters’ is the new poetry anthology by Jordan Francis. Photo: Amazon
Jordan Francis has been writing poetry off and on for almost 20 years. He hit his stride during Covid when he created his website enabling him to share his poetry with the world. This enabled him to gain the confidence needed to write more and gain a bigger platform. Jordan has struggled with depression and anxiety for most of his life and his lessons learned through them shine through in his writings. Back in 2013 the author survived a suicide attempt which is written about in his poem “Once, Twice, Thrice.” He has been a champion for mental health for the last 6 years and openly shares his story. He served in Law Enforcement for almost 11 years before leaving to go back to school and is currently working towards a bachelors degree in computer science while continuing to write and promote his book. His new book “Sailing In Dark Waters: A Poetry Anthology by The Mad Poet” is a powerful anthology of poems dealing with a variety of topics. (Jordan Francis, 2023)
“Sailing In Dark Waters” – deals with mental health issues, the writers’ struggle with their faith, and life in general. The poems are beautifully written and thought provoking. Many of the poems are autobiographical, especially “Love Won and Lost,” and “Once, Twice, Thrice.” “Once, Twice, Thrice” tells the writers story of his own suicide attempt. All of the poems are written in free verse poetry though some do have a certain rhythm to them. This book of poetry is accessible to everyone and is truly written to be able to be appreciated by anyone.
SA Examiner 