Category: book releases

Upcoming new book: ‘Jesus Christ Movie Star’ by Phil Hall

‘Jesus Christ Movie Star’ by Phil Hall will be released on Monday, June 7, 2021. Photo: amazon

Phil Hall is the author of the critically acclaimed books “The History of Independent Cinema” and “In Search of Lost Films” and host of the award-winning podcast The Online Movie Show. BearManor Media is proud to present “Jesus Christ Movie Star,” the new book by the award-winning film historian and podcaster Phil Hall. The 176-page illustrated book will be available beginning on June 7 in a $22.00 paperback edition and a $32.00 hardcover edition. (CW-PR, 2021)

In “Jesus Christ Movie Star,” Phil Hall takes the reader on the most extraordinary odyssey in cinematic studies by tracing how filmmakers from across the years and around the world have sought to fill theaters with the story of Jesus. Beloved classics and bizarre curios are part of this memorable journey as the “light of the world” brings illumination through the lens of a movie projector. The life of Jesus Christ has challenged and inspired filmmakers from the pioneering works of the late 1890s through today’s digital cinema. No other life story has been the subject of so many films, with so many wildly different interpretations. The big screen Jesus has traveled through multimillion dollar epics and microbudget underground films, recreating the miracles of the Gospels while also advocating for modern political issues. Moviegoers have seen Jesus walk on water and conquer death, and also break into show tunes and play straight man to a zany Bette Midler. Films about Jesus have inspired a diverse range of controversies, ranging from a groundbreaking copyright infringement lawsuit brought by Thomas Edison to an intellectual scandal that rocked the 1964/65 New York World’s Fair to accusations of anti-Semitism against Mel Gibson’s distinctive interpretation of the New Testament. 

2021-06-07T10:58:00

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Release of ‘Jesus Christ Movie Star’ by Phil Hall

Upcoming new book: ‘Zero Fail’ by Carol Leonnig

“Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service’ is Carol Leonnig’s new book, out May 18, 2021. Photo: amazon

Carol Leonnig is a national investigative reporter at The Washington Post, where she has worked since 2000. A three-time Pulitzer Prize winner and co-author of the #1 The New York Times bestseller “A Very Stable Genius,” Leonnig is also an on-air contributor to NBC News and MSNBC. Her new book “Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service” is the first and definitive account of the rise and fall of the Secret Service, from the Kennedy assassination to the alarming mismanagement of the Obama and Trump years, right up to the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6. It will be released on Tuesday, May 18, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

Carol Leonnig has been reporting on the Secret Service for The Washington Post for most of the last decade, bringing to light the secrets, scandals, and shortcomings that plague the agency today—from a toxic work culture to dangerously outdated equipment to the deep resentment within the ranks at key agency leaders, who put protecting the agency’s once-hallowed image before fixing its flaws. But the Secret Service was not always so troubled.

The Secret Service was born in 1865, in the wake of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, but its story begins in earnest in 1963, with the death of John F. Kennedy. Shocked into reform by its failure to protect the president on that fateful day in Dallas, this once-sleepy agency was radically transformed into an elite, highly trained unit that would redeem itself several times, most famously in 1981 by thwarting an assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan. But this reputation for courage and excellence would not last forever. By Barack Obama’s presidency, the once-proud Secret Service was running on fumes and beset by mistakes and alarming lapses in judgment: break-ins at the White House, an armed gunman firing into the windows of the residence while confused agents stood by, and a massive prostitution scandal among agents in Cartagena, to name just a few. With Donald Trump’s arrival, a series of promised reforms were cast aside, as a president disdainful of public service instead abused the Secret Service to rack up political and personal gains.

To explore these problems in the ranks, Leonnig interviewed dozens of current and former agents, government officials, and whistleblowers who put their jobs on the line to speak out about a hobbled agency that is in desperate need of reform. “I will be forever grateful to them for risking their careers,” she writes, “not because they wanted to share tantalizing gossip about presidents and their families, but because they know that the Service is broken and needs fixing. By telling their story, they hope to revive the Service they love.”

2021-05-18T10:10:00

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Upcoming new book: ‘Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner’ by Gerald Everett Jones

Gerald Everett Jones’ new novel will be released on June 29, 2021. Photo: amazon

Gerald Everett Jones is a freelance writer who lives in Santa Monica, California. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, the Dramatists Guild, Women’s National Book Association, and Film Independent (FIND), as well as a board member of the Independent Writers of Southern California (IWOSC). He holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors from the College of Letters, Wesleyan University, where he studied under novelists Peter Boynton, F.D. Reeve, and Jerzy Kosinski. “Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner,” his new book, is about a lonely widower from Los Angeles who buys a tour package to East Africa on the promise of hookups and parties. What he finds instead are new reasons to live. It will be released on Tuesday June 29, 2021 and is available for preorder now in trade paperback and e-book formats from booksellers worldwide, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Google Books, and Rakuten Kobo. (Black Château, 2021)

LaPuerta Books and Media announces the release of “Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner,” the eleventh novel by award-winning author Gerald Everett Jones. This is literary fiction with geopolitical overtones, reminiscent of “The Heart of the Matter” by Graham Greene and “The Constant Gardener” by John le Carré.

Locals tease main character Harry with the surname “Harambee,” the Kenyan national motto meaning something like, One for All. He is not sure whether that means he is being played. Slick Italian tour operator Aldo Barbieri convinces Harry to join a group of adventuresome “voluntourists.” In a sleepy resort town on the white sands of the Indian Ocean, Harry does not find the promised excitement with local ladies. Instead, he meets Esther Mwemba, a demure widow who works as a bookkeeper. The attraction is strong and mutual, but Harry gets worried when he finds out that Esther and Aldo have a history. They introduce him to Victor Skebelsky, rumored to be the meanest man in town. Skebelsky has a plan to convert his grand colonial home and residential compound into a rehab center – as a tax dodge. The scheme calls for Harry to head up the charity. He could live like a wealthy diplomat without costing him a shilling. Harry has to come to terms with questions at the heart of his character: Is corruption a fact of life everywhere? Is all love transactional?

LaPuerta Books and Media is the small-press imprint of La Puerta Productions, Santa Monica, CA. The LaPuerta imprint and its logo, an open door, symbolize unlimited access to knowledge, opportunity, innovation, fascination, and delight. In its support for authors and thought leaders, the publisher’s mission is to help influential voices achieve worldwide platforms.

2021-06-29T10:20:00

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Release of ‘Harry Harambee’s Kenyan Sundowner’ by Gerald Everett Jones

Upcoming new book release: ‘The Devil May Dance: A Novel’ by Jake Tapper

‘The Devil May Dance: A Novel’ by Jake Tapper will be released on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. Photo: amazon

Jake Tapper is an American journalist and author. He is the Lead Washington Anchor for CNN and hosts the weekday television news show The Lead with Jake Tapper and co-hosts the Sunday morning public affairs program State of the Union. He is the author of “The Hellfire Club” which is being turned into a TV series by HBO Max and “The Outpost,” which became a celebrated film release in 2020. In his new book “The Devil May Dance: A Novel” (Charlie and Margaret Marder Mystery), Charlie and Margaret discover the dark side of Hollywood. It will be released on Tuesday, May 11, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

In “The Devil May Dance: A Novel,” Charlie and Margaret Marder, political stars in 1960s Washington DC, know all too well how the tangled web of power in the nation’s capital can operate. But while they long to settle into the comforts of home, Attorney General Robert Kennedy has other plans. He needs them to investigate a potential threat not only to the presidency, but to the security of the United States itself.

Charlie and Margaret quickly find themselves on a flight to sunny Los Angeles, where they will face off against a dazzling world of stars and studios. At the center of their investigation is Frank Sinatra, a close friend of President John F. Kennedy and a rumored mob crony, whom Charlie and Margaret must befriend to get the inside scoop. But in a town built on illusions, where friends and foes all look alike, nothing is easy, and drinks by the pool at the Sands and late-night adventures with the Rat Pack soon lead to a body in the trunk of their car. Before they know it, Charlie and Margaret are being pursued by sinister forces from Hollywood’s stages to the newly founded Church of Scientology, facing off against the darkest and most secret side of Hollywood’s power.

As the Academy Awards loom, and someone near and dear to Margaret goes missing, Charlie and Margaret find the clock is not only ticking but running out. Someone out there knows what they have uncovered and cannot let them leave alive. Corruption and ambition form a deadly mix in this fast-paced sequel to “The Hellfire Club.”

2021-05-11T13:47:00

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Release of ‘The Devil May Dance: A Novel’ by Jake Tapper

Book review: ‘From Ashes to Song’ by Hilary Hauck

‘From Ashes to Song’ by Hilary Hauck. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Hilary Hauck is a writer and translator whose work has appeared in the Mindful Writers Retreat Series anthologies, the Ekphrastic Review, Balloons Lit. Journal, and the Telepoem Booth. She moved to Italy from her native UK as a young adult, where she mastered the language, learned how to cook food she can no longer eat, and won a karate championship. After meeting her husband, Hilary came to the US and drew inspiration from Pennsylvania coal history, which soon became the setting for her debut novel, “From Ashes to Song.” Inspired by true events, “From Ashes to Song” is a story of unconventional love, hope, and the extraordinary gifts brought to America by ordinary people in the great wave of immigration.

“From Ashes to Song” begins in the family vineyard in Piedmont, Italy in 1911. Pietro’s idyllic life revolves around music and vineyards. He plays the clarinet and he is practicing his first composition that he wants to play at the end of harvest celebration. His grandfather, who he calls Nonno, has taught him everything he knows about music and Pietro is nervous about playing it for him first. His perfect life starts to unravel when news of a deadly disease spreading through the countryside reaches their vineyard. The family has no choice but to burn it and brokenhearted, Pietro’s grandfather passes away. Now that he has lost the two most important things in his life, Pietro leaves for America to start a new life. Faced with the grueling life of a miner in Pennsylvania, Pietro puts music on the backburner but when he meets Assunta, a friend’s wife, she becomes his musical muse. Admiring her from a distance, he begins writing music again but the harsh realities of everyday life threaten to end his musical aspirations for good. The story ends in 1952 as the years have taken their toll on Pietro but not before he experiences music’s amazing power to heal the soul. He develops miner’s lung, which affects his ability to play his clarinet: “whistling and wheezing filled his ears, drowning out the music.” He passes away peacefully surrounded by family, which by this point includes Assunta as his wife.

“From Ashes to Song” is a beautifully written novel that perfectly captures the hardships of turn of the century immigrant life in Pennsylvania. Using charming and lyrical prose which includes music metaphors: “From the vantage point of the courtyard, the hills rolled like the rise and fall of a tempo…,” the reader is immersed in Pietro and Assunta’s daily struggles to create a better life. The story is written in third person point of view and alternates between Pietro and Assunta; two separate stories until they collide in Pennsylvania. Helped along by exquisite poetic language, the story flows effortlessly through the pages until its heartbreaking yet happily ever after ending. The in-depth character development creates characters that are relatable and by the end, it is hard not to get emotionally invested in their turbulent lives. Throughout the years, Pietro is distant and patient with Assunta but after going through so much loss in their lives, when he finally plays his clarinet for Assunta, their relationship begins to heal: “Doubts and sorrow erased like a message drawn in the sand on an incoming tide.” Since it is inspired by true events, this story of heart break, survival, and triumph of the human experience might resonate with anyone with Italian ancestors. “From Ashes to Song” by Hilary Hauck is a captivating novel that combines the beauty of the Italian countryside and the determination of immigrants to build a better life in a foreign land. It is recommended for fans of historical fiction who appreciate the importance that music can play in someone’s life.

“He just played, eyes closed, his heart aching yet healing at the same time. Him, his clarinet, love. If his music had ever had the power to heal, now was the time to wield it for this woman he loved, who tolerated him by her side.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Upcoming new book release: ‘The Premonition’ by Michael Lewis

Michael Lewis’ new book ‘The Premonition’ will be released on May 4, 2021. Photo: amazon

Michael Lewis is the best-selling author of “The Undoing Project,” “Liar’s Poker,” “Flash Boys,” “Moneyball,” “The Blind Side,” “Home Game,” and “The Big Short,” among other works. He is a columnist for Bloomberg View and a contributing writer to Audible. His articles have also appeared in Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Gourmet, Slate, Sports Illustrated, Foreign Affairs, and Poetry Magazine. In his new book “The Premonition: A Pandemic Story” he writes about how for those who could read between the lines, the censored news out of China was terrifying; but the president insisted there was nothing to worry about.  It will be released Tuesday, May 4, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

Fortunately, there are those among us who study pandemics and are willing to look unflinchingly at worst-case scenarios. Michael Lewis’ taut and brilliant nonfiction thriller pits a band of medical visionaries against the wall of ignorance that was the official response of the Trump administration to the outbreak of COVID-19.

The characters you will meet in these pages are as fascinating as they are unexpected. A thirteen-year-old girl’s science project on transmission of an airborne pathogen develops into a very grown-up model of disease control. A local public-health officer uses her worm’s-eye view to see what the CDC misses, and reveals great truths about American society. A secret team of dissenting doctors, nicknamed the Wolverines, has everything necessary to fight the pandemic: brilliant backgrounds, world-class labs, prior experience with the pandemic scares of bird flu and swine flu…everything, that is, except official permission to implement their work.

Michael Lewis is not shy about calling these people heroes for their refusal to follow directives that they know to be based on misinformation and bad science. Even the internet, as crucial as it is to their exchange of ideas, poses a risk to them. They never know for sure who else might be listening in.

2021-05-04T13:21:00

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Upcoming new release: ‘Moonlighting: An Oral History’ by Scott Ryan

‘Moonlighting: An Oral History’ will be released on June 1, 2021. Photo: amazon

Scott Ryan is the managing editor of The Blue Rose Magazine and the author of “thirtysomething at thirty: an oral history” and “The Last Days of Letterman.” He wrote about his bad luck in twenty comic short stories – Scott Luck Stories. Ryan is also the director of A Voyage to Twin Peaks and the host of The Red Room Podcast. His new book “Moonlighting: An Oral History,” tells the real story of the pioneering television series and the extraordinary behind-the-scenes challenges, battles, and rewards. It will be out on Tuesday, June 1 and is available for pre-order on amazon. (Black Château, 2021)

In “Moonlighting: An Oral History,” Actress Cybill Shepherd speaks openly for the first time about her time on Moonlighting, the pioneering television series broadcast by ABC in the 80s. Published by Fayetteville Mafia Press, the book also includes the memories of the creator, other stars, and the many key collaborators responsible for this benchmark of television history.

To get the details about the five-season saga, Ryan interviewed over twenty crew members. Among them are Glenn Gordon Caron, creator of Moonlighting, as well as the actors, writers, directors, and producers who made the TV series such a dynamic and unforgettable comedy-drama. Actors Cybill Shepherd, Allyce Beasley, and Curtis Armstrong are among those who speak openly to him about their time on the show. The fourteen chapters capture the initial excitement of the people making the series as well as the pain and sorrow of the creative and personal discord that tore it apart and doomed it. 

Author Scott Ryan promises readers, “Anyone who has any passing knowledge of how television is made, or who wants to know the truth about one of the most popular TV shows of all time, is going to be blown away by the stories of how Moonlighting was made.”

Aired from 1985 to 1989 on ABC, Moonlighting helped pave the way for today’s era of prestige television. Among the most buzzed-about shows in the country, it won three Golden Globe Awards. This was due largely to the bravado of creator Glenn Gordon Caron, who never met a TV-storytelling convention he did not want to break, as well as the sizzling on-screen chemistry between its unforgettable main characters: glamorous erstwhile film star Maddie Hayes (played by Cybill Shepherd) and irreverent private eye David Addison (played by an unknown New Jersey bartender named Bruce Willis). Their ceaseless bickering and flirting onscreen, and their epic battles off-screen, remain the substance of Hollywood legend.

 

“I will trust you to get this wonderful book, and delve into its pages to discover from multiple perspectives the ironic details of the behind the scenes machismo of this onscreen feminist fantasy.” – Martha Nochimson, Film Critic and Writer, 

 

Fayetteville Mafia Press is a dynamic new independent publishing house focusing on producing high-quality nonfiction books of all types by authors with distinctive voices and original insights into the world around them. The company specializes in pop culture, true crime, and sports. 

2021-06-01T11:07:00

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Release of ‘Moonlighting: An Oral History’ by Scott Ryan

Upcoming new release: ‘Good Lookin” by T.L. Bequette

‘Good Lookin’,’ T.L. Bequette’s debut novel, will be out Monday, May 24, 2021. Photo: amazon

T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney with degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School. He serves annually on faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.  Located in Oakland, California, most of his practice involves defending Oakland youths accused of murder. His writing is fueled by the criminal justice system’s need for reform and two decades of defending America’s youth on the front lines. Bequette’s writing is inspired by his time in the courtroom where he has tried more than 20 murder cases. His skill in delivering closing arguments and presenting the stories of his clients to the jury make him a master storyteller. “Good Lookin’” is his debut novel and weaves his expertise from the courtroom into the pages of a thrilling mystery. “Good Lookin’: A Joe Turner Mystery” will be out on May 24th, 2021 and is written from the protagonist’s first-person perspective and will hook readers with its storyline, authenticity, and unexpected twists and turns. It is available for pre-order in paperback and digital formats on Amazon. (Black Château, 2021)

“Good Lookin’” – From the gang-ravaged streets of inner-city Oakland to the rolling hills of Berkeley, California, attorney Joe Turner defends the most hardened criminals. Yet his latest case, representing Darnell Moore, a 19-year-old accused of a drive-by murder, seems impossible to unravel. Joe believes in his client’s innocence, but the defense is baffled by the snitch culture of the Oakland streets. Darnell refuses Joe’s pleas to name the actual shooter for fear of reprisal against his family.

A parallel story from twelve years ago follows the struggles of the identical twins Damon and Jesse, who suffer under the thumb of an abusive foster dad. The boys are forced to work, forage for food in dumpsters, and endure the random shoulder-punches of their beer-swilling guardian. They are reluctant to report the abuse for fear they will be separated, but eventually, retribution proves deadly. Over a decade later, the twins’ path crosses Darnell’s and the two tales merge into a rousing denouement of self-defense and vigilante justice.

At the heart of Bequette’s debut novel is a decade-old murder and a tangled web of family, loyalty, and devotion that has the trial hanging in the balance. “Good Lookin’,” the shorthand street term for “good lookin’ out,” examines the challenges of protecting a loved one in the snitch culture of the streets—all through the prism of the unique bond of twins.

“Good Lookin’” is a “zesty, addictive tale that incorporates plenty of criminal hijinks and courtroom melodrama and will satisfy fans of suspense novels and literary crime dramas.” – Kirkus Reviews

2021-05-24T13:25:00

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Upcoming new release: ‘Complicit’ by Amy Rivers

‘Complicit’ by Amy Rivers will be released on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Photo: amazon

Amy Rivers writes novels, short stories, and personal essays and holds degrees in psychology and political science, two topics she loves to write about. She is the Director of Northern Colorado Writers. Her novel “All The Broken People” was recently selected as the Colorado Author Project winner in the adult fiction category. She has been published in We Got This: Solo Mom Stories of Grit, Heart, and Humor, Flash! A Celebration of Short Fiction, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Inspiration for Nurses, and Splice Today, as well as Novelty Bride Magazine and ESME.com. Her new novel, “Complicit (A Legacy of Silence) is a tangled web of deception where predators are shielded by respectability and no one is safe. It is the first book in the A Legacy of Silence series and will be released on Tuesday, April 19, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

In “Complicit,” Kate Medina had been working as a forensic psychologist and loving every minute until a violent attack left her shaken to the core. Retreating to her hometown where it is safe, she accepts a job where the prospect of violence is slim to none. As a high school psychologist, Kate tends to the emotional needs of the students. It is not the career she envisioned for herself.

Five years later a student disappears, leaving the school in crisis and Kate at the helm of another traumatic event. Roman Aguilar, the lead detective, reaches out to Kate for assistance. Kate’s position at the school and her training make her an ideal ally, but her complicated relationship with Roman puts them at odds.

When the girl’s body is found, it changes the focus of the investigation to homicide and Kate finds herself in the middle of a situation she never anticipated. What started as her desire to help puts Kate directly in the crosshairs of an enemy who remains largely in shadows. As her past and present collide, Kate is dragged into the middle of a dangerous game where only one thing is clear-no one can be trusted.

2021-04-20T10:00:00

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Upcoming new release: ‘I Am a Girl from Africa’ by Elizabeth Nyamayaro

‘I Am a Girl from Africa’ is Elizabeth Nyamayaro memoir and first book. Photo: amazon

Elizabeth Nyamayaro is an award-winning humanitarian and former United Nations Senior Advisor on Gender Equality. Born in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth has worked at the forefront of global development for over two decades improving the lives of underserved populations and has held leadership roles at the World Bank, World Health Organization, UNAIDS, and UN Women. “I Am a Girl from Africa,” the inspiring journey of a girl from Africa whose near-neath experience sparked a dream that changed the world, is her first book. It will be released on Tuesday, April 20, 2021. (amazon, 2021)

When severe draught hit her village in Zimbabwe, Elizabeth, then eight, had no idea that this moment of utter devastation would come to define her life purpose. Unable to move from hunger, she encountered a United Nations aid worker who gave her a bowl of warm porridge and saved her life. This transformative moment inspired Elizabeth to become a humanitarian, and she vowed to dedicate her life to giving back to her community, her continent, and the world.

Grounded by the African concept of ubuntu—’I am because we are’—”I Am a Girl from Africa” charts Elizabeth’s quest in pursuit of her dream from the small village of Goromonzi to Harare, London, New York, and beyond, where she eventually became a Senior Advisor at the United Nations and launched HeForShe, one of the world’s largest global solidarity movements for gender equality. For over two decades, Elizabeth has been instrumental in creating change in communities all around the world; uplifting the lives of others, just as her life was once uplifted. The memoir brings to vivid life one extraordinary woman’s story of persevering through incredible odds and finding her true calling—while delivering an important message of hope and empowerment in a time when we need it most.

 

2021-04-20T14:29:00

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Release: ‘I Am a Girl from Africa’ by Elizabeth Nyamayaro