‘Chrysalis: A Thriller’ is the new book in the Jeremy Logan series by bestselling author Lincoln Child. Photo: amazon
Lincoln Child is the New York Times bestselling author of “Full Wolf Moon,” “The Forgotten Room,” “The Third Gate,” “Terminal Freeze,” “Deep Storm,” “Death Match,” and “Lethal Velocity,” as well as coauthor, with Douglas Preston, of numerous New York Times bestsellers, most recently, “Bloodless.” His new book “Chrysalis: A Thriller” centers around a dominant tech company, Chrysalis, whose groundbreaking virtual reality technology is redefining the way we live and possible introducing a catastrophic danger to the world. (amazon, 2022)
“Chrysalis: A Thriller”– Like millions of people around the world, Jeremy Logan (famed enigmalogist, or investigator of unexplained things) has grown to rely on his incredible new tech device. Made by Chrysalis, the global multibillion dollar tech company, the small optical device connects people in a stunning new way, tapping into virtual reality for the first time on a wide scale. Yet when Chrysalis summons Logan to investigate a disturbing anomaly in the massive new product rollout, Logan is shocked to see the true scope of the massive company. He also quickly realizes that something in Chrysalis’s technology is very wrong, and could be potentially devastating. The question is what, and where, is the danger coming from? In Lincoln Child’s wildly inventive new novel, high tech comes to life alongside the myriad dangers it poses, making for one of Child’s most infectious, entertaining thrillers to date.
‘The Secret Witness’ is the first book in the new Shepard & Gray series by Victor Methos. Photo: amazon
At the age of thirteen, when his best friend was interrogated by the police for over eight hours and confessed to a crime he did not commit, Victor Methos knew he would one day become a lawyer. After graduating from law school at the University of Utah, Methos became as a prosecutor for Salt Lake City before founding what would become the most successful criminal defense firm in Utah. In ten years, Methos conducted more than one hundred trials. One particular case stuck with him, and it eventually became the basis for his first major bestseller, “The Neon Lawyer.” Since that time, Methos has focused his work on legal thrillers and mysteries, winning the Harper Lee Prize for “The Hallows” and an Edgar nomination for Best Novel for his title “A Gambler’s Jury.” His new book “The Secret Witness” is the thrilling first installment in the Shepard & Gray series, featuring a young sheriff who teams up with a former prosecutor to stop a copycat killer. (amazon, 2022)
“The Secret Witness” – This is Reaper speaking. So begins an anonymous letter published in a Utah newspaper after a young couple is viciously murdered. Tooele County sheriff Elizabeth Gray leads the investigation into the double homicide, which is eerily reminiscent of a string of brutal killings years ago. When the letter leads detectives to yet another body, Gray calls on an old friend for help. Former prosecutor Solomon Shepard is still struggling to recover from the deadly courtroom attack that ended his career. He has been keeping a safe distance from the action, teaching criminology seminars about serial murders and psychopathology―until Gray asks for his help on the Reaper case. As the body count mounts, Shepard and Gray race to unravel the deranged design of a copycat killer―and find themselves in a face-off with an enemy they never saw coming.
‘The Devil Is In The Details’ by LaKeisha LaKay. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
LaKeisha LaKay is a social scientist who has studied in the fields of criminal justice, sociology, and law. Having spent a number of years examining human behavior, societal issues, and political policies, she enjoys writing what she knows—especially in storytelling. LaKeisha LaKay is passionate about community, women, and youth, and often spends time volunteering for causes in these realms. Her other interests include spending time with family and friends, foreign travel, and a spectrum of arts and crafts. She is the author of “The Devil Is In The Details.” (LaKeisha LaKay, 2022)
“The Devil Is In The Details” – Saamyah Anne Cambell is a former special agent of the FBI, now a detective with local law enforcement. She flees Texas for a temporary duty assignment in Florida to better cope with familial losses. Thrust into a new environment with a cantankerous partner and a mystifying case, Saamyah soon realizes that the very agony she was running from is ultimately the same torment to which she is running. Bryan Terrell Russell has been a lone detective with local law enforcement since the resignation of his career-long partner. Accustomed to coming, going, and doing as he pleases, the assignment of a new partner is not only inconvenient for him, but also uncomfortable. Torn between the desire to be right and the obligation to do the right thing, Bryan must strategically balance personal sacrifices and professional gains. Together they must rise above their differences to halt a sadistic sex offender. In a race against time, hot-temperaments, egos, and pride, the quest to discover the devil in the details is no easy feat—particularly when one partner believes that the truth sets one free and the other never felt captive to a lie.
‘The Devil is in the Details’ – An idiom that refers to a catch or mysterious element hidden in the details, meaning that something might seem simple at first glance but will take more time and effort to complete than expected. –Wikipedia
The Ghost Lights will be released on digital on August 26 followed by the Terror Films Channel September 2 and Kings of Horror on September 9, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Coming this August from Terror Films isThe Ghost Lights, a spine-chilling new science-fiction thriller about a journalist on the search for truth about extra-terrestrial life. The Ghost Lights will be released on digital on August 26 followed by the Terror Films Channel September 2 and Kings of Horror on September 9, 2022. (Terror Films, 2022)
The Ghost Lights – A journalist returns home after the death of her father and discovers a mysterious cassette tape describing strange disappearances and mysterious lights appearing in the skies of West Texas. In an effort to connect with the memory of her late father, she sets out on a cross-state road trip to discover the truth. Billy Blair (Jonah Hex), Katreeva Phillips, and John Francis McCullagh uncover an X-File in this summer’s most intriguing genre jaunt.
The Ghost Lights begins as a photographer is taking pictures outdoors and exploring the area. The action then fast forwards to the present as Alexandra, a journalist, returns home to Dallas for her father’s (Arthur Steve Bennett) funeral but as it turns out, she is too late because the funeral has already taken place. When she goes to her father’s house to look around, she finds a mysterious cassette tape and it turns out to be her father’s interview with a miner from the small town of Terlingua, Texas. It is set on October 15, 1978, and he is interviewing Mario Cuevas in the Wild Cactus Saloon. Mr. Cuevas has a story to tell about the ghost lights in Terlingua. He claims that people have been seeing these lights for years and they disappear if they get too close to the lights. Intrigued by the story and hoping to learn more about her father, Alexandra sets out on a road trip to Terlingua to see for herself and continue the story he began.
It is promoted as a horror story, but The Ghost Lights is much more than that. It is a drama about loss, guilt, and coping with a loved one’s death. Halfway through it turns into a suspense thriller because a mysterious man, supposedly a ‘man in black,’ begins chasing Alexandra because she might be getting close to the truth. Without giving too much away, on top of the original interview, there is another one that takes place in the present that hints at what really happened to her dad. In the end, she manages to reconnect with her dad as she originally intended. The cinematography is stunning and the soundtrack sets the appropriate mood throughout this suspenseful and haunting story. The interview scenes are in black and white, giving them a melancholy feel. Having personally been to Marfa and West Texas in general, this movie accurately portrays the atmosphere, mood, and general spookiness of the region. Overall, The Ghost Lights is part family drama, part science fiction movie about the possibility of extraterrestrial life and the government’s attempt to stifle any and all investigations. It explores the human condition through the universal themes of family, coping with tragedy, and the ongoing search for the truth.
*Thank you to October Coast for an advance screening.*
The Ghost Lights poster. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Orders From Above is now available on digital. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Vir Srinivas’ writing and directorial debut, Orders From Above has picked up awards or nominations at four world festivals, including Cannes and Mannheim. It is available on iTunes and all major digital platforms including YouTube, Vudu, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video. The 87-minute film is based on the interrogation of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann by Israeli police. (Gravitas Ventures, 2022)
Orders From Above – Winner of Best Historical Film at Cannes World Film Festival. Fifteen years after the end of World War II, Israeli police officer Avner Less interrogates Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, one of the architects of the Final Solution. Adolf Eichmann is finally captured and brought to Israel to stand trial, but without enough evidence to prosecute him, Avner Less needs a confession from him. Directed by Vir Srinivas, with Richard Cotter, Peter J. Donnelly, Darrell Hoffman, and Emmanuel Drakakis.
Glasshouse is now available on digital and On Demand. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
Kelsey Egan’s directorial feature debut Glasshouse is now available on digital platforms including Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube. This dystopian science fiction thriller stars Jessica Alexander, Kitty Harris, Helton Pelser, Adrienne Pearce, and Anja Taljaard. It received rave reviews at the 2021 Fantasia International Film Festival and is currently 91% positive on Rotten Tomatoes. (Glasshouse, 2022)
Glasshouse – A family consisting of a mother, three daughters and one son isolate themselves in a greenhouse, which the mother calls the Sanctuary, to escape the Shred, a dementia-like toxin that erases people’s memory. All is well until the sisters are seduced by a Stranger who shatters their peace and stirs a past best left buried.
D.M. Cunningham’s 3 Demons starring Haley Heslip and Laura Golinski. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
If you love horror movies, here is a recent release. D.M Cunningham’s 3 Demons, a supernatural horror film headlined by Peter Tell, is available on Google Play Movies & TV, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube from Uncork’d Entertainment. (Uncork’d Entertainment, 2022)
3 Demons – A deputy is tasked with watching over the body of a recently deceased woman until her family can arrive and claim her. As his curiosity gets the better of him, he inadvertently concludes an unfinished ritual. With the conjuring now complete, strange and sinister forces begin to target him. As his past is unearthed, he is forced to face his own demons with terrifying consequences. Haley Heslip, Laura Golinski, Jovonnah Nicholson, Zoë Cunningham, and Sherryl Despres also star.
Keith Leopard, a home entertainment industry veteran with more than 23 years of experience in purchasing, acquisitions, merchandising, marketing and analysis of major studio and independent supplier to the home entertainment market, founded Uncork’d Entertainment in July 2012. The Company focuses on distribution in six areas: Digital Media, Physical Home Entertainment, Aggregation, Theatrical and Television, Foreign Sales, and has secured relationships across all platforms to ensure films reach the widest audience possible.
Hiatus Spa + Retreat now has two clean CBD Products: Knot Today Active Muscle Cream and Soothing Joint Serum. Photo: Hiatus Spa + Retreat, used with permission.
Hiatus Spa + Retreat, the award-winning Texas day spa with eight locations across the state, now offers a clean CBD line of products featuring a Knot Today Active Muscle CBD Cream (valued at $49) and a Knot Today Soothing Joint Serum (valued at $49), both offered online and in-spa. Each 2oz. product contains Hiatus’ 99.5% pure, 100% THC-free CBD. (Hiatus Spa + Retreat, 2022)
Anyone with muscle or joint pain can benefit from Hiatus’ CBD products including athletes who are experiencing delayed onset muscle soreness, anyone recovering from injury, and those experiencing pain and discomfort from conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, or bursitis. Since their CBD is 99.5% pure and 100% THC-free, their CBD muscle cream and joint serum are perfect for anyone who is looking for a hyper-clean CBD product.
Knot Today Active Muscle CBD Cream: The experience of their CBD Active Muscle Cream feels very…active. The 12% menthol concentration provides an immediate powerful cooling sensation, but the methyl salicylate, which also gives the product its dominant wintergreen aroma, leaves a lasting warming sensation after the menthol subsides. Though it is intended for sore muscles, it also contains Arnica montana extract, which is perfect for reducing swelling and bruising. The product base is totally greaseless, colorless, and absorbs quickly without residue.
Knot Today Soothing Joint Serum: The experience of the Soothing Joint Serum is much more subtle yet effective. Hiatus paired the CBD with a joint-nourishing herbal cocktail of German Chamomile, Lavender, Sweet Marjoram, Frankincense, and a hint of cooling Peppermint in a clean, greaseless, fast-absorbing serum.
“What a lot of people don’t realize is that cannabinoids, the family of molecules that CBD is a part of, are already in bodies as part of our natural endocannabinoid system. This system helps to regulate many of the body’s major physiological functions, such as appetite and metabolism, sleep, stress, pain, and many others. If a runner is training for an event, they’re likely putting their body under a lot of repeated stress over an extended amount of time. This might not always result an injury, but any runner can tell you they have had to power through some minor aches and pains. This stress and recovery cycle can outpace the level at which the natural endocannabinoid system can keep up with. Incorporating CBD is like supplementing your body’s own natural system. At 99.5% pure, our Active Muscle Cream contains one of the purest forms of CBD available, partnered with 2 kinds of pain relieving agents and 2 herbal anti-inflammatory extracts to target today’s pain and aid tomorrow’s recovery.” –– Mason Hickman, Hiatus Director of Education + Product Development
With eight locations across Texas, eight years on Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies, and an innovative spa subscription model, Hiatus Spa + Retreat is a fresh kind of full-service spa that has changed the wellness industry. Powered by products with real green ingredients and a high-touch experience, Hiatus’ personalized approach to wellness is driven by the view that regular relaxation should be an empowering part of a healthy, happy lifestyle.
Photo: Hiatus Spa + Retreat, used with permission.
The much anticipated multi-day culinary festival will take place October 27-30, 2022. Photo: Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, used with permission.
Tickets are now on sale for the Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival hosted by Culinaria and Visit San Antonio, in partnership with the James Beard Foundation. On October 27-30, San Antonio will host top culinary leaders from across the U.S. and Mexico showcasing their talents in events ranging from walk-around tastings, intimate dinners, outdoor lunches, hands-on workshops, educational panels, and more. Visit Culinaria SA to buy tickets, learn more about Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, access the full schedule, chef and beverage lineup, hotel partners, travel hosts, and more. (Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, 2022)
Festival attendees will be able to customize their gastronomic experience by choosing between all-inclusive festival packages or a-la-carte event options starting at $100. Each will grant guests access to James Beard Award Winners, nominees, and other titans of the food and beverage industry including:
TASTING TEXAS EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
The Collective: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, noon to 6p.m., Travis Park
The festival’s flagship event located at Travis Park featuring over 100 chefs and restaurants, and hundreds of beverage brands, Texas Wine Garden, live fire activations, cooking demonstrations, educational seminars, and mercantile market.
Southern Hospitality: Friday, 7p.m. to 9p.m., Pearl Brewery
Mashup of food and beverage celebrating the “Y’all Means All” culture of Texas. From biscuits and gravy to hearty enchiladas and, of course, top-shelf cocktails, in a walk-around tasting event granting guest all-access to a front row seat of hospitality the Texas way.
Celebrate Agave: Saturday, 7p.m. to 9p.m., Travis Park
Aged, sipped, neat, or mixed, this walk-around tasting event celebrates all things agave and the cuisines that embrace it.
Lunches and Dinners: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
Festivalgoers will have exclusive access to unique chef collaborations at dinner and lunch events held at varying locations across the city.
Seminars and Workshops: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, times and locations vary
With a theme to satisfy every interest, attendees will be able to sign up for seminars and workshops across a range of topics, including hands-on, small-group activities—from crafting cocktails and smoking meat—to panel discussions on women in the beverage industry, and concise eating and drinking.
TICKET PACKAGES
Super VIP – $1,025
Choice of one dinner on Thursday night plus Southern Hospitality, VIP Access to all three days of The Collective, Celebrate Agave, VIP Parties and VIP Only Seminars.
The Weekender – $600
General Admission to The Collective (all three days), Celebrate Agave and Southern Hospitality/
Just the Collective – $300
All three days of The Collective. Enjoy this all-inclusive and immersive experience. All food and beverage are included. You only need one ticket to enjoy it all.
“Culinaria is a lover of all things wine and food. We curate experiences for those who love to enjoy amazing pairings, in all forms. We can’t wait to welcome locals and visitors to the great city of San Antonio to experience the confluence of culture found across the culinary landscape.” – Suzanne Taranto-Etheredge, President and CEO, Culinaria
“The unique culinary magic that will be available at Tasting Texas is going to charm festivalgoers and chefs alike. San Antonio’s real stories and true experiences will carry through The Collective at historic Travis Park as well as the intimate experiences throughout the weekend. Foodies will not want to miss this festival.” – Marc Anderson, President and CEO, Visit San Antonio
“The schedule of Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival is full of fantastic opportunities for culinary fans to explore the growing Texas food scene. We appreciate all of the work Culinaria, Visit San Antonio, and the participating chefs are doing for Tasting Texas, which benefits the Foundation’s scholarship programs and aligns with our mission of Good Food for Good.” – Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation
Photo: Tasting Texas Wine + Food Festival, used with permission.
Emerald Blue will be out July 29, 2022 and features backing band Jano Rix, Myles Weeks, and Dan Walker; Engineered by GRAMMY-winner Trina Shoemaker at Dockside Studios. Courtesy photo, used with permission.
For an artist who grew up, in his words, “beside the turbulent, chocolate milk of the mouth of the Mississippi,” it is no wonder that Andrew Duhonwas so awestricken by his time exploring the Pacific Northwest over the past few years. But it was when Duhon connected the shades of his unfamiliar surroundings with the depth of color in his partner’s eyes that sparked the writing of “Emerald Blue,” the title track of his upcoming album. (Andrew Duhon, 2022)
Holler. premiered the music video for “Emerald Blue,” writing, “…‘Emerald Blue’ sits happily at the crossroads of harmony-drenched pop, rustic Americana, Appalachian folk and about a half-dozen other styles, all meeting and mixing around the warmth of Duhon’s vocals; world-weary, stretched and full of soul.” Fans can watch the music video for “Emerald Blue”, check out previously-released singles “Everybody Colored Their Own Jesus” and “Castle On Irish Bayou,“ and pre-order or pre-saveEmeraldBlue ahead of its July 29.
Joined by Jano Rix on drums, percussion, and harmonies; Myles Weeks on upright and electric basses and harmonies; and Dan Walker on keys and accordion, Duhon headed into Maurice, Louisiana’s storied Dockside Studios with GRAMMY-award winning engineer and longtime collaborator of Andrew’s, Trina Shoemaker, to capture every inch of vibe and beauty and texture each song had to offer.
The tracks on Emerald Blue show serious time spent in listening mode—both to himself, and to the world around him. These are songs that come from a very particular time and place, when so many of us—often alone with our flaws and feelings, with few of our regular, dependable distractions—were forced to face hard truths. And yet, using the time-tested language of folk, of the blues, storytelling and soul-searching, voice and keys and strings, Andrew Duhon proves himself worthy of heroes like John Prine—who makes a fantasy cameo in “As Good As It Gets,” the album’s closer—by similarly crafting four-minute worlds in song, that feel purely timeless, as old or as young as the chronic condition of stumbling across Earth with a human heart. Emerald Blue shows us the vast worlds that can be discovered and traveled when we sit still, and the breathtaking vistas on view when we look within—or at the people right beside us.
Catch Andrew Duhon on tour: 7.21 – Boulder, CO – The Barn – Benefit Concert 7.22 – Pallisade, CO – Pallisade Brewery 7.29 – Lafayette, LA – Grouse Room 7.30 – New Orleans, LA – One Eyed Jacks 7.31 – Mobile, AL – Callaghan’s 8.01 – Birmingham, AL – Dave’s Pub 8.02 – Decatur, GA – Eddie’s Attic 8.03 – Asheville, NC – The Grey Eagle 8.04 – Greenville, SC – Radio Room 8.05 – Charlotte, NC – The Evening Muse 8.07 – Raleigh, NC – Pour House Music Hall 8.10 – Port Townsend, WA – Wheeler Theater 8.11 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern 8.12 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir 8.13 – Kingston, WA – Concerts in the Barn 8.14 – Nine Mile Falls, WA – Live at Andre’s 8.17 – New York, NY – Cafe Wha? 8.18 – Wayne, PA – 118 North
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