Category: Entertainment News

Magik Theatre presents The Velveteen Rabbit

Put some Magik in your holidays with The Velveteen Rabbit, a cherished holiday classic. Photo: Magik Theatre, used with permission.

The holidays are all about family, love, hope, and a little magic. Magik Theatre will celebrate all of that and more with its production of The Velveteen Rabbit, taking place from now until December 24, 2022. Written by Margery Williams and adapted by Michelle Hoppe-Long, this classic, heartwarming tale about a child’s favorite toy that comes to life has been delighting both the young and young-at-heart for 100 years, thanks to its timeless message. Revisit this family favorite for yourself, or share it with a whole new generation during the theatre’s special rendition. (Magik Theatre, 2022)

“There’s no better time than the holidays to add a little Magik to your life. And there’s no more magical story than that of The Velveteen Rabbit.” – Anthony Runfola, Artistic Director, Magik Theatre

From the time it was published in 1922, the story of The Velveteen Rabbit has touched the lives of readers young and old. It tells the story of a boy and his stuffed rabbit that, like many a beloved toy, grows more worn and bedraggled with love until one day, it becomes “real.” The story strikes a universal chord with its message of love and friendship, reminding us that it is only through vulnerability and opening ourselves to the connection that we become our authentic selves.

Just as the story of The Velveteen Rabbit has delighted generations of the same families for decades, so has Magik Theatre. Children who once filled the seats are now bringing their children and grandchildren to experience the joy of seeing the stories they love brought to life on stage by professional actors.

This production of The Velveteen Rabbit marks the directorial debut of one of Magik Theatre’s veteran actors, Rosa Gardner. A member of the company since 2016, Gardner has been entertaining audiences with her outstanding performances in Junie B. Jones: Toothless Wonder, Charlotte’s Web, Snow White, and Knufflebunny, to name a few. Now she is directing her own talented team. Rounding out the cast are John Michael Hoke as Nana and the Velveteen Rabbit, Alyssa Cavazos as The Child, and Alaia Adriana as Mother and The Fairy. The crew includes Stage Manager, Alyssa Snow, Scenic Design by Chris Boneta, Costume Design by Sarah Steele, Lighting Design by Armando Chavez, Sound Design by Carolyn Orosco, and Original Music and Arrangements by John Michael Hoke.

Magik Theatre is committed to educating through entertainment—and no child or family is ever left out. “We are here to make theatre accessible to every family and take away any barrier that exists,” says Villani. In keeping with that commitment, the 2022-23 season boasts some upgrades to include the following special performances below.

SPECIAL PERFORMANCES

American Sign Language Interpreted Performance
Saturday, November 26, 2p.m. – Robert Cardoza, the San Antonio theatre community’s primary sign language interpreter, will be available during this performance for patrons that require ASL as their primary form of communication.

Sensory-Friendly Performance
Saturday, December 3, 10:30a.m. – Sensory-friendly performances are designed to create a welcoming environment for people who are on the autism spectrum or who have other sensory sensitivities. By modifying elements of the production to accommodate individuals with sensory needs, we create a welcoming space where families and friends of those with autism or other disabilities can enjoy an authentic performance experience together.

Pay What You Wish Performances
Friday, November 25, 2p.m. and Friday, December 16, 6:30p.m. – Magik’s way of giving back to the community and providing an opportunity for families to experience live theatre with a donation of any amount.

Mask Required Performances
Tuesday, November 22 at 10:30a.m., Saturday, December 3 at 2p.m. and Tuesday, December 20 at 2p.m. – If you would like to attend a mask-required performance, this option is for you. We have adopted a model that allows us to go above and beyond standard schedules. It also provides you with peace of mind knowing that all of our performers and staff continue to follow strict health and safety protocols including the option to select your experience while in the theatre.

2022-23 Season Subscriptions and Flex Passes are on sale now, priced at $48, $60, $75, and $87. Single Tickets are $18.50 for children (ages 2-17), Military, Seniors, and Educators | $22.50 for adults | Children under 2 years old are free. Season Subscriptions, Flex Passes, and Single Tickets are available online or by calling (210) 227-2751. You can also purchase at the box office, 420 S. Alamo, from 9a.m.- 5p.m., Monday thru Friday. If a child under 2 uses a seat, even a car or booster seat, the patron must pay for a general-admission ticket. Group rates are available to parties of ten or more people

A professional theatre for young audiences established in 1994, Magik Theatre’s mission is to use the power of theatre to create Magikal storytelling for children that Activates imagination, Grows young minds, and Inspires creativity and a love of learning that is the Key to a more literate future for our community.

Movie adaptation: ‘Bones & All’ by Camille DeAngelis

The movie adaptation of ‘Bones & All” will be released nationwide on Wednesday November 23, 2022. Photo: Amazon

In a world filled with remakes and sequels, I often hear the same complaint: “Why can’t anyone make any original movies anymore.” Whenever someone does, rarely do people take notice. That is why I have made it my mission to highlight movie adaptation of books and here is this week’s movie. The book “Bones & All” is a literary fiction novel, a coming-of-age story that follows a pair of young cannibalistic lovers who flee together on a road trip. A combination of YA and horror novels. Sounds interesting to me.

Camille DeAngelis is the author of “Immaculate Heart,” the Alex Award-winning “Bones & All,” “Petty Magic: Being the Memoirs and Confessions of Miss Evelyn Harbinger,” “Temptress and Troublemaker,” and “Mary Modern,” as well as a first-edition guidebook, “Moon Ireland.” Her book of practical philosophy, “Life Without Envy: Ego Management for Creative People,” was published by St. Martin’s Griffin in September 2016. She is a graduate of New York University (B.A. in Fine Arts, minor in Irish Studies, 2002) and the National University of Ireland, Galway (M.A. in Writing, 2005). “Bones & All” has been adapted into a coming-of-age romantic horror road film starring Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, Mark Rylance, and Michael Stuhlbarg. It was released in selected U.S. theaters on November 18 and will be released nationwide on Wednesday November 23, 2022. (Amazon, 2022)

“Bones & All”  – Maren Yearly is a young woman who wants the same things we all do. She wants to be someone people admire and respect. She wants to be loved but her secret, shameful needs have forced her into exile. She hates herself for the bad thing she does, for what it has done to her family and her sense of identity, for how it dictates her place in the world and how people see her–how they judge her. She did not choose to be this way. Because Maren Yearly does not just break hearts, she devours them. Ever since her mother found Penny Wilson’s eardrum in her mouth when Maren was just two years old, she knew life would never be normal for either of them.

Love may come in many shapes and sizes, but for Maren, it always ends the same–with her hiding the evidence and her mother packing up the car. But when her mother abandons her the day after her sixteenth birthday, Maren goes looking for the father she has never known, and finds much more than she bargained for along the way. Faced with a world of fellow eaters, potential enemies, and the prospect of love, Maren realizes she is not only looking for her father, she is looking for herself.

The Tubular Bells: 50th Anniversary Tour documentary

Tubular Bells: 50th Anniversary Tour is a making-of, narrated by acclaimed actor Bill Nighy, documentary about the debut studio album by English musician Mike Oldfield, which was released in May 1973. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Mike Oldfield’s iconic Tubular Bells took the world by storm when it launched in 1973 and nearly 50 years later continues to sell over 100,000 albums per year, with a total of 17.5 million copies sold worldwide and 18 million streams. (Tubular Bells, 2022)

In honor of the 50th year anniversary of this ground-breaking album, on November 18, 2022 Cleopatra Entertainment will be releasing a new concert and documentary film entitled THE TUBULAR BELLS 50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR. Filmed over three nights at the world-famous Royal Festival Hall in London, this contemporary masterpiece incorporates the beauty of the original music with dance and acrobatic feats by the Circa Contemporary Circus as well as stunning performances of Moonlight Shadow, Mike Oldfield’s biggest single hit, along with Summit Day, from his Guitars album, and The Gem, a new work by Musical Director Robin Smith.

Also featured is a fascinating 90 minute behind-the-scenes documentary, narrated by BAFTA winner, Bill Nighy. The feature-length documentary explores the history and legacy of Tubular Bells, and closely follows the dramatic story behind the spectacular new production. As a bonus, the special feature on the home entertainment Blu Ray and DVD versions includes Turning Back the Clock – an interview with Mike Oldfield and Richard Branson. Cleopatra’s VOD version will be released, on December 13th, 2022, just in time for the Holiday season.

“It’s amazing to think that it’s 50 years since I started writing Tubular Bells, and I am touched that my music has reached so many people, all over the world, during that time. I am sure that the 50th Anniversary Live Concert Experience of Tubular Bells will be spectacular, theatrical, fantastical and thrilling, marking 50 years from when I started writing the music” – Mike Oldfield

The rights deal was brokered by Cleopatra Founder and CEO Brian Perera, Tim Yasui VP/GM of Cleopatra Entertainment, and by Kaleidoscope Film Distribution on behalf of the filmmakers.

Cleopatra Entertainment is a Los Angeles based multimedia company founded by Cleopatra Records head Brian Perera. Recent films in release include Glenn Danzig’s critically acclaimed horror film DEATH RIDER IN THE HOUSE OF VAMPIRES, the UK drama MRS LOWRY & SON starring Academy Award winner Vanessa Redgrave, the action-adventure extravaganza CHINA SALESMAN starring Mike Tyson and Steven Seagal and Egypt’s official entry to the 2018 Academy Awards foreign language category SHEIKH JACKSON.

Release dates:
Blue Ray (2 disc set ) – November 18, 2022
DVD (2 disc set) – November 18, 2022
VOD Release date – December 13, 2022

New book release: ‘I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy’ by Tony Topping

‘I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy’ is Tony Topping’s new book. Photo: Tony Topping, used with permission.

Tony Topping is a veteran UFO researcher and Close Encounter Experiencer. He has appeared in ITV This Morning, The One Show, Channel 4, Channel 5, BBC 2, Sky Arts, Sony Pictures, E4 Tattoo Fixers, when producers gave him a tattoo for the unusual life he has led, BBC Regional & National News, and various radio show across the globe. He writes for the Australian Paranormal Magazine Oddities, Outer Limits, and French magazine OVNI and is a regular contributor to national station talkRADIO. His new book “I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy” is his astounding biography that takes readers on a journey of close encounters. (Tony Topping, 2022)

“I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy” – They chose him, but why? Tony Topping shares his own unique UFO diaries, portraying a deep involvement in a complex intelligence operation between humans and alien visitors called SCOVS. Abused when young, this is the testimony of a survivor who fought back from extreme adversity over his 40+ year involvement with the UFO phenomena. Full of illustrations inspired by his alien contact makes his testimony a unique literary art form. “I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy” portrays Tony Topping’s journey from boy to man; an asset who witnesses the clash of biblical and alien forces in the skies above. It is truly a read that will take your breath away and have you in tears. The Chronicle element of the book details from 2001 to present his continual involvement in an operation called SCOVS or Special Contact Operation Very See and the shocking saga of contact with ET that led to the establishment of an alien/human information highway.

“I, Alien: Memoirs of a UFO Spy” is available at these retailers.

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Photo: Tony Topping, used with permission.

New book release: ‘Piedrecitas entre la hierba’ by José Luis Castro

‘Piedrecitas entre la hierba’ is the new book by José Luis Castro. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

José Luis Castro nació en Camagüey, Cuba en 1966 y emigró a los Estados Unidos en 1980. Ha escrito y publicado artículos, ensayos, y discursos sobre temas de salud pública en publicaciones alrededor del mundo. En el ámbito artístico y cultural, es un estudioso de las primeras dos décadas del siglo XX en Cuba, ha viajado a 98 países, y ha escrito más de 800 poemas, cuentos, ensayos, y obras de teatro en español. Una selección de estos trabajos se publicará próximamente en una antología. Es miembro de la Royal Society for the Arts (RSA), Reino Unido. Ha recibido numerosos premios por su trabajo y reconocimientos por sus servicios a la salud global. En su nuevo libro “Piedrecitas entre la hierba” el escritor rememora la Cuba de 1913. (José Luis Castro, 2022)

“Piedrecitas entre la hierba” – Una historia repleta de amor, odio, amistad y valentía en la que la corrupción y la violencia se enfrentan con la justicia en la cotidianidad de un pequeño pueblo. A cada paso del libro aguarda un nuevo suspenso hasta llegar a un clímax pleno de acción y emociones fuertes. Una noche lluviosa de mayo, Marcelo Cervantes, un hombre malherido llega al pequeño pueblo de Piedrecitas, Camagüey, junto a su mujer y a su hijo. Años más tarde, un licenciado aparece para investigarlo. En medio de la investigación, el oscuro pasado de Marcelo regresa a Piedrecitas para atormentarlo de nuevo. Amor, odio, desengaño y amistad se revelarán en las relaciones entre los habitantes del pueblo en una trama donde la corrupción, la violencia y la justicia se enfrentan diariamente en sus calles.

El autor expone así la realidad de una época en la que los cambios político-económicos y sociales agitaban el país en un ambiente de corrupción y violencia que desataba la crueldad de los hombres. El realismo de la obra invitará a los lectores a reflexionar y a conocer más sobre la historia de un país castigado y reprimido duramente durante muchos años y la lucha que emprendió para lograr su libertad y eliminar los últimos vestigios de represión en un ambiente representado por la clase baja en el que aprenderán a perder los prejuicios impuestos por la sociedad y que, a veces, la familia no siempre es de sangre, sino la que se elige.

Sitios para comprar el libro: Amazon Barnes & Noble

Publicación patrocinada  

The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio’s Children’s Nutcracker returns

The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio presents The Children’s Nutcracker and Holiday Market, a magical holiday extravaganza. Photo: Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, used with permission.

An enchanting tale filled with all the magic of the holidays, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker has been captivating the hearts and minds of audiences for decades. This timeless story of a young girl whose beloved doll comes to life and takes her on wonderous journey has inspired many a young dancer to take the stage and has fostered a love of the arts in the young, and young at heart. (Children’s Ballet of San Antonio, 2022)

This year, the Children’s Ballet of San Antonio will return to the Lila Cockrell Theatre to present a Broadway level production of this favorite holiday family tradition. Combining immersive and interactive elements each performance is an event that includes shopping, sweets, and Santa. With a condensed 1.5 hour run time, it will keep event the youngest theatregoers engaged.

The fun starts from the moment guests enter the theatre and discover themselves in a festive holiday market where they can browse the extensive selection of dress-up items, including tutus and Sugarplum Fairy wands, Mouse King swords, as well as home décor including ornaments and, of course, nutcrackers. Hair and makeup stylists will be on site to offer magical makeovers transforming little ones into regal royals for a glittering good time. Key cast members from princes to queens, and fairies, along with Santa himself, will be on hand for photos on a first come first served basis. Because no holiday is complete without treats, there will be plenty of holiday fare including cocoa, holiday cookies and other seasonal favorites along with hot dogs, mini-burgers, and popcorn.

Award-winning dancers and a talented array of young performers share the stage for this production filled with dazzling costumes, multimedia integrated scenery, and even an interactive surprise or two for the audience members. More than just ballet, The Nutcracker celebrates the traditional dances of cultures around the world, showcasing a variety of disciplines and talents including vocalists, actors, gymnasts, special needs artists and more. CBSA founder and former Prima Ballerina Vanessa Bessler, leads the talented youth who range in age from 3-19 and include internationally acclaimed classical dancers alongside gifted special needs artists. A seven-time Youth America Grand Prix Outstanding Teacher Award winner, Bessler created CBSA to serve as a gateway for young artists interested in pursuing a professional dance career. The elite artists have had the privilege to train in some of the world’s best academies including the Royal Ballet School in London, the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia, and the School of American Ballet in New York City, to name a few. Through recognition, awards, and scholarships from the most prestigious ballet competitions and schools in the world for many of its dancers, CBSA has elevated San Antonio to the world stage, making it a strong player in the arts world.

Friday, December 9, 7p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 2p.m.
Saturday, December 10, 7p.m.
Holiday Market and Photos with Santa and cast opens one hour prior to showtime.

The Lila Cockrell Theatre
200 E. Market Street
San Antonio, TX 78205
Tickets are available online.  

Admission proceeds and holiday market profits directly benefit CBSA in fulfilling its mission to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds. Donations from the event will benefit dance scholarships for special needs and underserved youth, as well as the transportation and organization of several hundred Title 1 school students to attend each performance. Funds also go to the production costs of theatre, costumes, lights, and special effects that allow these dancers to perform in San Antonio’s top theatres in professional productions as part of their professional level training.

The award-winning Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) is an authentic, professional-level ballet company that produces professionally staged productions showcasing San Antonio’s most talented children. Dancers are selected by invitation or audition. The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio is a nonprofit organization 501(c)3.

The Children’s Ballet of San Antonio (CBSA) seeks to inspire the pursuit of excellence and prepare children for productive and creative lives through dance by offering extensive training and performance opportunities for talented children from all backgrounds.

New book release: ‘Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales’ by Gabriella Balcom

Gabriella Balcom is the author of fantasy, horror/thriller, romance, sci-fi, and other stories. Her new book ‘Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales’ will be out November 22, 2022. Photo: Gabriella Balcom

Gabriella Balcom lives in Texas with her family, works full-time in the mental health field, and has loved reading and writing her entire life. She writes fantasy, horror, sci-fi, romance, literary fiction, children’s stories, and more, and loves great stories, forests, mountains, and back roads. Gabriella has had 350 works accepted for publication, and won the right to have a novel published by Clarendon House Publications when one of her short stories was voted best in the anthology in which it appeared. Her book, “On the Wings of Ideas,” came out afterward. She was nominated for the Washington Science Fiction Association’s Small Press Award, and won second place in JayZoMon/Dark Myth Company’s 2020 Open Contract Challenge, a competition in which around one hundred authors competed for cash prizes and publishing contracts. Gabriella’s novelette, Worth Waiting For, was then released. She self-published a novelette, Free’s Tale: No Home at Christmas-time, and Black Hare Press published her sci-fi novella, The Return, in 2021. Five other novellas pend publication. “Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales” is her new collection of short stories. (Gabriella Balcom, 2022)

“Down With the Sickness and Other Chilling Tales” – Dive into these macabre horror stories, but be careful not to close your eyes. Evil lurks unseen. Supernatural beings keep watch and monsters lie in wait. Some plot vengeance, while others crave human flesh.

*Crystal idolizes rock stars and longs to be one. What would she be willing to do to make her dream come true? Lie, cheat, or steal? Would she go as far as to kill?

*Elaiyne envies Sonora’s golden skin, blonde hair, and slender body, and goes to extremes to try and be like the other girl. But Elaiyne is not the only one wanting to be someone else.

*A naga becomes karma personified when she confronts a parent.

*Bettie struggles to breathe after Rodney blows cigarette smoke in her face. He could not care less — and does worse. But The Watchers see everything, and they have something special in mind.

*Wahasi stalks through the swamp in cocodrie — crocodile — form, infuriated at her lack of food. However, she has a plan involving the sorcerer, Kula, and the townspeople better watch out.

*A true brat, Brad tries to hurt his sister and defies his parents, but he is not the only bully around.

*Abner is delighted to visit Aokigahara Forest, which is rumored to be haunted, but Sharyn is not.

*When a Siamese cat nears the home of a Chihuahua, the dog makes his displeasure known through piercing yaps. However, something startles him.

*Shane dares Angeline to spend the night in The Devil’s Hand, and if she succeeds, she will get to borrow his fancy Dodge Charger. The site is rumored to be haunted or cursed, but she knows that is hooey.

*Tricia is prideful about her looks, loves bullying, and makes a younger girl feel worthless. But she has a surprise visitor — Ria, also known as Justice.

*Life post-COVID has been anything but happy. Deaths skyrocketed. Nuclear bombs hit. Food dwindled. Cole, Vera, and Marianne survived, but they have little left to eat. Rovers are out and about, and must be avoided at all costs.

*Dean likes pushing people around. When he damages his grandfather, Charlie’s, Venus Fly Traps, Charlie is not the only one who is upset.

Gabriella Balcom’s book includes the above stories and more. Some of her works have been described as masterpieces in the horror genre. They will alternately horrify you, touch your heart, make you shiver, and have you on the edge of your seat.

Reader comments about some of her creations include:
“… this is a thrilling ride …”
“Best plot twist …”
“… great job putting unique twists … highly recommended …”
“Wow, just freaking wow!”
“I was deeply disturbed … loved every minute …! Bravo!”
“Heartbreaking and devastating.”
“Holy shit … that was so creepy. I loved it!”
“I want more, more, more, more, dang it!”
“I got chills reading this story.”
“Exciting and horrific.”

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New album release: Isaac Hoskins’ Bender

Isaac Hoskins’ upcoming album Bender is an ode to unhealthy coping strategies and life on the other side. It will be out November 18, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

After the global pandemic came to a head in 2020 and the live music world evaporated, things spun to a dark head for singer and songwriter Isaac Hoskins. The writing was on the wall: something had to change. After three days alone in the desert, Hoskins came home and started over. Today, Hoskins is 12 months sober, 30 pounds lighter, and performing full-time after side-hustle stints as a bartender, construction worker, beer truck driver, and ranch hand had previously left him unfulfilled. Every page of Hoskins’ story is laid out throughout his upcoming LP, Bender—out November 18, 2022. (Isaac Hoskins, 2022)

Recorded at The Finishing School in Austin, Texas, and produced and engineered by Gordy Quist of The Band of Heathens, Bender conjures Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Guy Clark, and John Prine in an ode to unhealthy coping strategies and life on the other side. And on the other side, Hoskins has already found hope-giving success, namely his upcoming inclusion in the mega-hit television series Yellowstone. From meeting the show’s creator Taylor Sheridan after a show in Ft. Worth, Texas, to having multiple songs featured in Yellowstone’s upcoming season, the larger world is about to discover Hoskins and his story, as well.

Hoskins shared the first single from Bender, “Panhandle Wind.” All at once Country-tinged and Rock-driven, the baritone and steel guitar-led tune embodies Hoskins’ uncanny ability to match up a good story with a catchy refrain, leading to a windows-down, Sunday cruise sing-along. “The idea for this song came to me while driving to Lubbock to play a show,” remembers Hoskins. “That was just one of many very windy, dusty drives to and from the Panhandle of Texas and Northwest Oklahoma.” Outsider premiered “Panhandle Wind” along with an in-depth interview with Hoskins, noting, “his sound straddles the fence between folky heartland Americana and Texas country.” 

Of his music, Hoskins has said that every song comes from his roots. The people, places, and events that unfold around him provide the resonance, and Hoskins himself draws those memories into stories about love, loss, and everything in between. The music is how Hoskins participates in the culture that has shaped him. Country music is known for its traditions and conventions, but Hoskins feels there is a way to honor these without reducing the audience to a caricature of itself. For Hoskins, the work is keeping one foot squarely in country and “roots” music while still exploring new ways to express yourself as an artist.

Bender track list:
H-Town Turnaround
Back to the Saltmine
Panhandle Wind
My Memory
Harder than the Blues
The Pistol and the Prayer
Moments I Would Never Trade
If It’s Meant To Be
Off the Wagon
Leon’s Blues

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New book release: ‘Rocky Mountain Yoga’ by Virginia Fox

‘Rocky Mountain Yoga,’ Book One in the Rocky Mountain Romances series, will be released in the United States on November 15, 2022. Photo: Google

Virginia Fox is an author, mother, horse trainer, and part-time healthy food cook. She is a woman who cares deeply about family, animals, the environment, and friendships. Creative from a young age, she turned her love of books into a prolific career as a writer. Her German-language Rocky Mountain series saw every volume enter the Top 50 of the Kindle charts on day one of launch. Now the bestselling Rocky Mountain Romances series breaks onto the US scene. Set in the Rocky Mountains with a cast of characters who feel like instant friends, Virginia captures the essence of a life most people only dream about in Rocky Mountain Romances. The genre-skipping series features elements of sweet romance, dabs of suspense, a little bit of mystery, and a whole lot of new friends – both human and of the furry variety. Set in an imaginary town nestled in the Rocky Mountains in the United States, a place based on a real community the author came to know as an exchange student, the books promise to transport readers to a cozy and adventurous setting. Book 1, “Rocky Mountain Yoga,” is set for a November 15, 2022 release. (Virginia Fox, 2022)

 “I want my readers to escape to a place where they are welcome and feel like instant family—place where they aren’t judged and are free to be themselves. That’s what I experienced many years ago while visiting a small town in Colorado. My books are filled with messages of hope, love, and optimism, and I’m excited to release them in the United States and for other English language readers around the world.” – Virginia Fox

The Rocky Mountain series earned hundreds of 5-star reviews and bestselling status in the European market in its original German language. The English language release kicks off with “Rocky Mountain Yoga” followed by “Rocky Mountain Star” and “Rocky Mountain Dogs,” with releases continuing into 2023, 2024 and beyond. With 30 books in the series, various characters and intertwining storylines mean never-ending adventures for fans of light, heart-warming reading.

“Rocky Mountain Yoga,” Book 1 in the Rocky Mountain Romances series, introduces readers to Jasmine and her dog Rambo. This big city girl runs for her life with her standard poodle in tow after she discovers her boyfriend is involved in some shady business. She escapes to her grandma’s house in a small Colorado town. There, Jasmine discovers her vegetarian diet and yoga-loving lifestyle do not quite fit in. While the nosy, but rather hunky, sheriff keeps poking his nose into her past, Jasmine begins to feel at home in ways she never could have imagined.

“Rocky Mountain Yoga” by Virginia Fox is published by Dragonbooks Publishing House and is available on Amazon and other fine retailers and bookstores.

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Documentary world premiere: The Elephant 6 Recording Co.

Elephant 6 Collective. Photo: Amy Hairston, used with permission.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co. shares the unique inside story of the collective creative evolution behind the sounds of 1990s psychedelic rock bands Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, and The Apples in Stereo— the founding groups behind the Elephant 6 collective, as well as a host of other artists — with inspirational resonance for today’s music makers, and music lovers everywhere. (The Elephant 6 Recording Co., 2022)

Around 1985, a group of Ruston, Louisiana area high schoolers began experimenting with whatever random instruments and gear they could lay their hands on. Moving to other small college towns including Denver, Colorado and Athens, Georgia, their musical coming of age coincides with the new consumer availability of old-school 4 and 8 track recording technology and cassette tapes. Sharing like-minded sensibilities, influenced by past sounds and psychedelia, and with little to distract them, their efforts to create whole new musical worlds become the bands Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel and The Apples in Stereo, and many more. While the collective grew to a natural breaking point, its founding members overcame obstacles and remained closely bonded, reuniting for tours and still collaborating today.

The Elephant 6 Recording Co. provides insight into this revolutionary era of popular independent music in America, the defiant DIY spirit in music making, and championing the integrity of an authentic quest for artistic expressiveness over the more mainstream image of being a “successful” musician in our fame obsessed times.

This documentary will have its World Premiere at DOC NYC 2022 on Thursday November 10 at 9:30p.m. (IFC Center). There will be a Q&A session with C.B. Stockfleth, Greg King, Lance Bangs, and executive producer Rob Hatch-Miller after the first screening. The second screening will be on Tuesday, November 15 at 9p.m. (Cinepolis)

C.B. Stockfleth is a filmmaker currently based in New Orleans, LA. He grew up in Central Kentucky and dropped out of high school. He eventually went to film school at Full Sail University in Orlando. For the last 20 years, he has worked as a commercial director and photographer mostly in Louisville, KY. He has made award winning music videos and live concert videos for bands including the Apples In Stereo and the Olivia Tremor Control, and has directed uncountable regional commercials and corporate videos.

Feature Documentary, Running Time; 93 Minutes, USA

No Def Presents:
The Elephant 6 Recording Co.
Directed by: C.B. Stockfleth
Produced by: Lance Bangs (Jackass , Portlandia)
Edited & Produced by: Greg King (Other Music)
Executive Produced by: Rob Hatch-Miller (Other Music)

Starring: Olivia Tremor Control, Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, Elf Power, Of Montreal, Beulah, The Gerbils, Dressy Bessy, The Minders, The Music Tapes, Great Lakes, Elijah Wood, James Mercer (The Shins), Danger Mouse, David Cross and many more.

The film also features never-before-seen additional footage of the bands, shot by filmmaker Lance Bangs.