New book release: ‘Silent Whispers of Hope’ by Kimberly Morton Cuthrell

‘Silent Whispers of Hope’ is the new suspense thriller by Kimberly Morton Cuthrell. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Dr. & Atty. Kimberly Morton Cuthrell is an attorney, doctoral-level clinical therapist, suspense author, researcher, mediator, and currently a medical school student. She has a quest to create new inroads in suspense novels with behavioral health twists to destigmatize perceptions. Kimberly is a self-publishing consultant/mentor whereby she paved a landscape as a writing coach, ghostwriter, proofreader, professional editor, and beta reader. Kimberly’s interest to write evolved from reading books, writing proposals for grants and contracts that were awarded, composing corporate compliance and policy/procedure manuals within provisions of state and federal laws, and developing behavioral health accreditation manuals. In her fiction work, Kimberly draws from thought-provoking imaginary situations, the art of wisdom, and diverse viewpoints. She writes to intrigue readers’ minds about potential real-life situations and inspire them to advocate for positive change and make meaningful impacts in their communities. Her new book “Silent Whispers of Hope,” Hope Rankin-Glover is faced with a choice between saving her dying mother or forsaking her by vanishing without a trace with her husband in an effort to evade the FBI. (Kimberly Morton Cuthrell, 2022)

“Silent Whispers of Hope” – Hope Rankin-Glover is thrilled to finally escape her mother’s unstable nest. She tries to navigate the dangers of the unprotected world when she finds solace in the arms of Sloan Glover. Little does she know, Sloan has an ulterior motive for marrying her. As Hope struggles to balance her married life, a new business, and the care of her deaf fraternal twins, she finds joy in learning American Sign Language to open avenues of communication with her children. Torn by her traumatic past, she must come to grips with the odds of reversing her twins’ deafness which depends on her actions and comes with a considerable heart-wrenching truth. Seven years later, Hope’s world comes crashing down. The FBI’s discoveries shed light on Sloan’s darkest secrets. In a spiral twist of suspense, a hurtful betrayal derails Hope. The devastating reality of survival plagued by deception pressures Hope to contemplate venturing into an underworld scheme with Sloan. Not only is the underworld scheme filled with silent whispers, but secrets are exposed and lives are trapped in despair. The only way out will either bring forth a lifetime of despair or bitter peace at last. Not everyone is destined to survive and their survival depends on Hope’s actions which force her to take drastic measures. When silent whispers are all Hope has, will that be enough to survive?

“Silent Whispers of Hope” is available through Amazon. Read an excerpt.

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Barrett Davis releases acclaimed debut album The Ballad of Aesop Fin

The Ballad of Aesop Fin is longtime Carolina songwriter Barrett Davis’ solo debut album. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

“I just came to this serious point in my life where I realized that if I want to make music and perform, then it’s now or never—I’ve got to make something of it,” remembers 29-year-old musician Barrett Davis of the time leading up to his debut album The Ballad of Aesop Fin. Luckily, for us listeners, Davis’ dedication to his dream paid off in spades. Released last week, The Ballad of Aesop Fin delivers a vibrant tapestry of songs, ranging from modern Americana to classic country, indie-folk to the “high, lonesome sound” of bluegrass—the last of which comes with a little help from Woody Platt, longtime lead singer for Davis’ hometown, Grammy-winning bluegrass outfit, Steep Canyon Rangers. The record itself is a kitchen sink of tones—as heard on “Quiver,” “Lazarus,” and “Carolina Still”—one which ideally showcases the wide-range and unknown depths of Davis, his musical pursuits, and exploits. (Barrett Davis, 2022)

Fans can hear The Ballad of Aesop Fin in its entirety and check out some intimate, in-studio videos of “Carolina Still,” “Lazarus,” and “Quiver feat. Woody Platt.”

The Ballad of Aesop Fin In The News: Fretboard Journal premiered Aesop Fin’s first single, “Quiver,” writing, “We love this track from Davis and we especially love seeing Woody Platt, formerly of Steep Canyon Rangers, helping out on backing vocals.” JamBase premiered the album’s penultimate track, “Lazarus,” a song about “friendship and renewal.” The Bluegrass Situation premiered the video for “Carolina Still,” an ode to Davis’ ancestry, his family’s deep roots in North Carolina, and his great-grandfather Gus.

John Apice reviewed the album for Americana Highways, commenting, “North Carolina’s Barrett Davis has style, ear-caressing sincerity in his music & an arresting voice in many of these well-crafted songs.”

The Ballad of Aesop Fin track list:

Highway 64
Carolina Still
Quiver
Oh Sleeper
Bama Shores
Your Worth
Lazarus
Aesop Fin

“Aesop Fin is a mythical character, raised in the woods. His dad is a moonshine runner, his mother nowhere to be found,” Davis says. “Aesop finds a lover and ends up getting killed in a gambling incident, then she ends up tumbling into a waterfall—it’s symbolic of the vicious cycle of tragedies in these mountains of Appalachia.”

Growing up in Lake Toxaway, North Carolina, a rural outpost community in the mountainous ridges of Transylvania County, Davis was surrounded by music from an early age—exposed to the blues licks of his guitar-playing father, the swirling classical sounds of his mother’s piano playing or the inner echoes of his sister, now a professional opera singer. Davis himself went on hiatus for several years, getting married and raising a young family, all while starting his own construction business to put food on the table for his wife and two kids.

New book release: ‘Righteous Prey’ by John Sandford

‘Righteous Prey’ is John Sandford’s newest best-selling novel. Photo: Amazon

John Sandford is the pseudonym for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of thirty-one Prey novels; four Kidd novels; twelve Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels coauthored with his wife, Michele Cook; and three other books. His new book “Righteous Prey” is a Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers novel and this time they are going up against a powerful vigilante group with an eye on vengeance. (Amazon, 2022)

“Righteous Prey” – “We’re going to murder people who need to be murdered.” So begins a press release from a mysterious group known only as “The Five,” shortly after a vicious predator is murdered in San Francisco. The Five is made up of vigilante killers who are very bored and very rich. They target the worst of society—rapists, murderers, and thieves—and then use their unlimited resources to offset the damage done by those who they have killed, donating untraceable Bitcoin to charities and victims via the dark net. The Five soon become popular figures in the media though their motives may not be entirely pure. After The Five strike again in the Twin Cities, Virgil Flowers and Lucas Davenport are sent in to investigate and they soon have their hands full. The killings are smart and carefully choreographed, and with no apparent direct connection to the victims, the killers are virtually untraceable. But if anyone can destroy this group, it will be the dynamic team of Davenport and Flowers.

Excerpt available.

First ever Fair Trade Certified organic seltzer launches in Texas

Big Country Organic Hard Seltzer is made with organic cane sugar produced using environmentally sustainable methods in Guarambare, Paraguay. It is the first and only Fair Trade Certified, USDA Organic libation of its kind in the US. Photo: McKenna Hixon, used with permission.

Big Country® Organic Hard Seltzer is the first and only hard seltzer to carry all three of the most distinctive and well-respected certifications in the food and beverage industry — USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and Fair Trade Certified. Big Country® is also a proud member of the Go Texan program, which supports Texas agriculture. (Big Country Organic Hard Seltzer, 2022)

The organic hard seltzer is made at Willard’s Brewery, the only Certified Organic brewery in Texas, located in Austin. Big Country® recently announced the statewide launch of its hard seltzer’s new variety 12-packs with prominent placement in HEB, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and Total Wine & More locations throughout Texas. The 12-packs showcase Big Country®’s recently refreshed package design and feature four new flavors –– Blackberry Grapefruit, Passionfruit Kiwi, Prickly Pear Peach, and Watermelon Pineapple.

Founder and CEO Bill Gillies started Big Country Foods Inc. as a supplier of organic ingredients over nine years ago. Gillies wanted to further his vision of bringing more clean ingredients to the market by providing consumers an organic hard seltzer, different from the rest. As a consumer, Gillies had always been selective about the ingredients in his food and drink. This personal concern led him to take what he calls “the path of most-resistance” when sourcing only the cleanest ingredients for Big Country®.

Big Country’s quality ingredients stand out in the highly competitive hard seltzer category. Its flavors are crafted by nationally acclaimed mixologist, Ricky Cobia. In addition to their unique flavor profiles, Big Country takes pride in their proprietary brewing process they like to call the “Cane to Can” approach. This allows Big Country to control the entire brewing process, ensuring transparency and quality in every batch.

Big Country® Organic Hard Seltzer is distributed statewide in Texas through Ben E. Keith Beverages. The new variety 12-packs are currently available on shelves in major Texas retailers including Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, Sprouts Farmers Market, HEB and Total Wine & More.

Big Country is perfect for today’s health-conscious consumer, with each can only containing 90 calories, 0g sugar, 1g carb, and 4.5% ABV. In addition, by purchasing Big Country® Hard Seltzer, consumers are giving back through the Fair Trade USA® program, which supports safe working conditions for farmers, protects the environment, builds sustainable livelihoods, and allows farmers to earn additional money to empower and uplift their communities. Since inception, Big Country Fair Trade purchases have sent over $91,000 to the farmers.

Big Country® Organic Hard Seltzer is the only Fair Trade Certified™ libation of its kind in the US. Their Fair Trade commitment means every can puts fair wages directly into the hands that harvested its ingredients. It also ensures farmers work in safe conditions, protect the environment, build sustainable livelihoods, and earn additional money to empower and uplift their communities.

Since 2013, Big Country has worked with partners in Paraguay to import ingredients including a variety of organic sugars. Now, their seltzers are brewed in Austin, Texas with organic alcohol from fermented Big Country Cane Sugar.

In 2020, Big Country® Foods Inc. welcomed Big Country® Beverages (@bigcountrybeverage) to their organic family of products. BCHS is thoughtfully crafted by their skilled brew master and artisan mixologist, who have used their combined 25 years of experience to create the most delicious and unique flavors on the market.

Each 12-ounce can contains 90 calories, 0g sugar, 4.5% ABV, and is gluten free. Flavors are:

• Prickly Pear Peach ––Two of Texas’ favorites fruits come together to create a juicy and satisfyingly sweet pairing of cactus pear and sun-ripened peach. Truly unique and truly Texas.

• Passion Fruit Kiwi –– The Southern hemisphere shines with tangy tropical passion fruit complementing the tart sweetness of ripe kiwi in this refreshingly balanced, citrus forward flavor.

• Blackberry Grapefruit –– Rich, earthy blackberries mingle with the sharpness of fresh grapefruit to make this one of Big Country’s ® boldest flavors.

• Watermelon Pineapple –– Bright, vibrant pineapple blends beautifully with notes of vine-ripened watermelon to showcase the tropical warmth of a long, Texas summer.

Big Country ® Organic Hard Seltzers are available in grocery and liquor stores statewide in Texas and retails for $18.99 per 12-pack. They are also available for sale online in applicable states (valid ID required, 21+ only).

Unnerving Swedish horror film Reportage November set for worldwide release

Reportage November hits digital and Video On Demand worldwide on October 14 from Terror Films. Photo: Terror Films, used with permission.

Carl Sundström’s Reportage November, starring Signe Elvin-Nowak, Jonas Lundström, and Isabel Camacho, will premiere on digital and Video On Demand this October from Terror Films. (Terror Films, 2022)

Reportage November – The mysterious death of a mother and the disappearance of her child leads a group of freelance journalists to the outback of Sweden. The group of four, led by the famous journalist Linn Söderqvist, will make a reportage about the happening and search for leads missed by the police. Equipped with cameras and supplies to survive in the forest for days, they wander out in the woods to find the truth.

The film, penned by Nathaniel P Erlandsson, was shot in Sweden.

“Many years ago when I got my first glance of the second act of Cannibal Holocaust, I felt that faux documentaries was the best ways of touching the audience deep inside. A way to create a genuine feeling through a documentary format and bring the horror out from the screen into the real world. Ever since then I have been an avid found footage fanatic who appreciate the story telling from a POV perspective. To have the slow burn concept where you get to know the characters thoroughly and you are feeling like a part of the story. A style of film where you cannot show more than the characters see. What they know, you know, and what you know, they know. Reportage November is made for found footage lovers and while writing it we had all aspects and rules of what makes this genre great in mind. A film that focuses on suspense and mystery to bring the viewer to the edge of the seat. We have created a film that is just as much about the slow build-up of the story as the horror. I hope that you enjoy this slow burning thrill that takes place deep in the Swedish outback. “ – Director Linn Söderqvist

Reportage November hits digital and VOD worldwide October 14 from Terror Films.

Dark Star Pictures and Bloody Disgusting announce Shinzô Katayama’s Missing

The Japanese crime thriller Missing will have its US theatrical release on November 4, 2022. Photo: Dark Star Pictures, used with permission.

Dark Star Pictures has acquired the North American distribution rights to crime thriller Missing as part of its ongoing collaboration with Bloody Disgusting. Dark Star and Bloody Disgusting plan a US theatrical release for Missing on November 4, 2022, an On Demand release on November 18, 2022, and the Blu Ray release for the film to follow on December 6, 2022. (Dark Star Pictures, 2022)

Missing had its World Premiere at Busan International Film Festival before screening at Fantasia International Film Festival and had its US Premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2022. It is written and directed by Shinzô Katayama. The movie stars Aoi Ito, Jiro Sato, and Hiroya Shimizu.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Busan International Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival.

Missing – Depressed and in debt following the death of his wife, Santoshi (Jiro Sato) tells his young daughter he has found a way out. Pointing to a reward note, he vows to find the infamous serial killer “No Name” (Hiroya Shimizu) and cash in, claiming to have seen the man in the flesh a few days earlier. Kaeda (Aoi Ito) cannot take her aloof father seriously but when he goes missing without a trace, she starts to fear the worst—and must begin looking for him.

After working as an assistant director for Japanese films, including Nobuhiro Yamashita’s works, filmmaker Shinzô Katayama crossed paths with Bong Joon-Ho while shooting “TOKYO!” (2008) and served as his assistant director on “Mother” (2009). In 2019, his debut feature, “Siblings of the Cape ” was selected by numerous domestic and international film festivals. He now is one of the most promising, emerging directors in Japan, and his second feature, Missing (“Sagasu /さがす”) will be his commercial film debut.

Japan, 2021 (In Japanese with English Subtitles)

Dark Star Pictures is a new-age North American distribution company, focused on bringing unique and targeted content to audiences across the country. We are committed to releasing auteur-driven, original cinema in the theatrical, digital, and home video space.

New album release: Jack Schneider’s Best Be On My Way

Jack Schneider announces debut album with first single ‘Josephine.” Best Be On My Way will be out November 11, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Americana newcomer Jack Schneider has a laundry list of eclectic descriptors fitting to precede his name—record producer, songwriter, tape machine enthusiast, Vince Gill’s rhythm guitarist, and NYU grad, to name a few—but on November 11, Schneider will be adding “recording artist” to that list with the release of his debut LP Best Be On My Way. Recorded live to tape in Nashville with some of the city’s biggest names—the aforementioned Gill, David Rawlings, Stuart Duncan, and Dennis Crouch—Schneider’s inaugural record is a testament to tradition, timelessness, the modern relevance of old ways, and above all, the necessity of looking at the past in order to know just where you are headed. Riddled with raw truths, compelling stories, and unforgettable sonic motifs, Best Be On My Way is necessary listening for life’s long road ahead. (Jack Schneider, 2022)

Holler premiered Best Be On My Way’s first single, the album-opening “Josephine.” Showing their highest praise for the opening track they stated, “If listening to Jack Schneider feels like traveling back in time then maybe that’s because in some ways you are. Records are capable of taking you places and Jack Schneider and his band have every intention of setting you on a journey back through the years to a time when everything felt a little more real somehow.” The song finds Schneider strumming his beloved 1956 Martin D-28 guitar, “Big Jim,” in front of an all-star band of acoustic musicians. A delicate blend of love and longing, “Josephine” will be a shoo-in for fans of The Band, Bob Dylan, or James Taylor—and contemporary favorites like Gillian Welch, Watchhouse, or The Avett Brothers. Fans can hear “Josephine” right now and pre-order or pre-save Best Be On My Way ahead of its November 11 release.

Best Be On My Way was recorded on a hot day in June at Nashville’s Sound Emporium. Inside the air-conditioned studio, there was a slight quiver in the air—the hum of a tape machine, the impression that the atmosphere was churning inside a black-and-white photograph. The session felt as though it were a real-life culmination of a long and tenuous journey on Schneider’s part, in which he had collected friends and strangers along the way and gathered them together for the odyssey’s retelling. From childhood friends to recent mentors, the motley crew of musicians sat in a wide circle in the live room as around a campfire, much to the contemporarily trained Engineers’ dismay. The players themselves are evidence of a gap Schneider is bridging between musical generations: Grammy award-winning artists Vince Gill and David Rawlings played alongside both Stuart Duncan and Dennis Crouch—longtime Nashville session musicians—and Liv Greene and Griffin Photoglou, two twenty-something artists fresh out of college.

Throughout the long months of quarantine, Schneider began working intensively with former Gruhn Guitars colleague and frequent collaborator, Wes Langlois. Shut up in the studio together for weeks, the two wrote, recorded, and released what they referred to as “vanishing albums:” full-length records accessible for a week at a time each during the pandemic, after which they were removed from streaming services and unavailable for physical purchase. It was from these ephemeral collections of songs that the seed for Schneider’s (permanent) debut record was born.

Best Be On My Way track list:
Josephine
Farewell Carolina
Marietta
Tennessee
Best Be On My Way
Don’t Look Down
Slow Things Down
Nothing Left To Show
In The Morning
Del Rio Blues

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Movie adaptation: ‘Luckiest Girl Alive’ by Jessica Knoll

The movie adaptation of ‘Luckiest Girl Alive,’ the bestselling novel by Jessica Knoll, is now on Netflix. Photo: Amazon

Jessica Knoll is the New York Times bestselling author of “Luckiest Girl Alive” and “The Favorite Sister.” She grew up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and graduated from The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. She has been a senior editor at Cosmopolitan and the articles editor at Self. “The Luckiest Girl Alive” follows an unforgettable young woman striving to create the perfect life—until a violent incident from her past threatens to unravel everything and expose her most shocking secret. It has been adapted into a major motion picture from Netflix starring Mila Kunis and is now available for streaming. (Amazon, 2022)

“The Luckiest Girl Alive” – Her perfect life is a perfect lie. As a teenager at the prestigious Bradley School, Ani FaNelli endured a shocking, public humiliation that left her desperate to reinvent herself. Now, with a glamorous job, expensive wardrobe, and a handsome blue blood fiancé, she is so close to living the perfect life she has worked so hard to achieve. But Ani has a secret. There is something else buried in her past that still haunts her, something private and painful that threatens to bubble to the surface and destroy everything. With a singular voice and twists you will not see coming, “Luckiest Girl Alive” explores the unbearable pressure that so many women feel to “have it all” and introduces a heroine whose sharp edges and cutthroat ambition have been protecting a scandalous truth, and a heart that is bigger than it first appears. The question remains: will breaking her silence destroy all that she has worked for—or, will it at long last, set Ani free?

New album release: Petra-Fi by Stephen Akina

Petra-Fi is the new album by Stephen Akina. Photo: Google

Stephen Akina is a music composer and arranger who enjoys collaborating and producing original music. Following the premiere of his work “Seven,” commissioned by the Pasadena Pops Orchestra in 2006, Stephen began writing for films, television, and video games. His compositions and arrangements have been performed worldwide. Along with his future wife Kimberly, they founded Special Blend Music, a music service provider for the Film & Television industry. Over the years he has scored original music for over two dozen films, composed production music for over 100 + television shows worldwide and supplied soundtracks to highly acclaimed video games. Several of these scores have been converted into music that can be enjoyed on its own and available on all music streaming services. (Stephen Akina, 2022)

His new album Petra-Fi features new and popular remasters of downtempo/chill piano inspired by the ancient petroglyph locations throughout Hawai’i.

Petra-Fi 12 songs, 43 minutes

Track list:

Glass Pagoda (04:11)
For Sure (02:45)
Wavedancer (Remaster) (04:56)
Electro Peace (Remaster) (06:17)
Moon Over Kahala (02:23)
Beatitude (03:00)
Greek Holiday (03:04)
Simple Life (02:20)
Makani (04:01)
Mirage (03:50)
Nightfall (03:07)
Makani Solo (Piano) (4:01)

Petra-Fi is is available on all streaming/digital stores.

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New supernatural horror movie: Sawed Off

, Sawed Off will be available on digital and DVD on October 11, 2022. Photo: Uncork’d Entertainment, Used with permission.

Uncork’d Entertainment has acquired Sawed Off, a new supernatural horror feature based on a comic anthology story and starring Eva Hamilton, Jody Barton, and Trae Ireland. The movie will be released on digital platforms and DVD October 11, 2022. (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2022)

Sawed Off – In the vein of “The Evil Dead meets Groundhog Day,” the movie centers on two hunters, friends for years and vying for the affections of the same woman, who find themselves on cursed land and keep killing each other and coming back to life. Hunter Johnson is the producer and director. The screenplay is by Barton, Johnson, and Chuck Wagner, based on Wagner’s Eclipse Comics story “Bag Limit,” published in Tales of Terror in 1986. Other producers include Cris Hernandez and Richard Trejo along with Barton and Ireland. Jeff Miller executive produces through his company Millman Productions, along with James Cullen Bressack and his company Sandaled Kid Productions. Special makeup effects are by Oliver Poser. Trejo is Director of Photography.

“Sawed Off is a new twist on ‘cabin in the woods’ stories and features great performances from Jody, Trae, and Eva,” says Miller.

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