Sunday, March 31, 2019
Testing. Testing. Is this thing on?
Oh, hello there! I'm Jen, in case you've forgotten. It has been a long time. I do apologize. So much, so very much has happened since we last spoke. However, I hope to change that very, very soon! Watch this space!
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
Please Help if You Can!
We started a fundraiser on Youcaring, but some people had problems donating. Please consider donating if you can or share so we can hopefully get this taken care of quickly! Thank you in advance!
Friday, September 9, 2016
Asking For Help
Asking for help has always been difficult for me. I've always felt like if there was something that needed to be done, I would just put my head down and work through it. However in the past few years we've faced some obstacles that were more than what we could handle on our own due to outside circumstances. It also doesn't help that where we're living currently, while we knew it wasn't in the best shape when we moved in, has gone from bad to worse. And now that our sweet grandbaby is with us we're in a desperate situation and require some help. I recently read Amanda Palmer's The Art of Asking and it resonated strongly with me, on many different levels.
So, here we are. Asking for your help. The house we're renting is in terrible shape. The windows don't properly seal. There's holes in the walls that haven't been fixed. We've had multiple leaks while living here (including the water main which caused pooling water in one of the rooms...). There are places in the floor that have been covered with duct tape – and other spots that feel like the next time you walk on them, you’re just going to fall through. Our landlord will fix some things, but not always in an expedient manner, not always by a professional, and sometimes not at all.
We were going to move at the beginning of summer, but our only vehicle completely died (would have required repairs well more than what it was worth) and then my husband was laid off. Every bit of money we'd managed to squirrel away to get out of here was now put to a new (to us) vehicle and to cover until my husband could find another job (where we live is 15 min outside of a town of 2300.. Not a ton of job prospects nearby... His current job is a 50-min one-way commute). I work and have been in the same field (audio transcription) for over eight years. I do fairly well, but projects aren't always consistent (as a result, I work for three different companies to try to stay busy enough to meet our financial needs).
We're looking to move back to the town we were living 2.5 years ago, where there are more opportunities, all the way around.
And a big part of why moving is so important is our granddaughter. She’s been with us since she and her mom came home from the hospital. We need to get into a better place before winter falls as to not have to worry about health concerns.
There are more details and factors. Some my husband covered on our fundraiser. And some that are private family matters that we’re in the process of handling, but add to the complications and complexity of our situation. I hope that if you are in a position to do so, you will consider donating so that we can get in a safe house that will be good for all of us and allow us to focus on our family – and the relaunch of our business, Nightscape Press, which once we’re back up and running, we will switch to a model where we’re donating a portion of every new book we publish to charity (we’ve done charity anthologies in the past, but really want to be doing more).
So, that’s where we are – in a rough spot that we don’t see any way we can make it through on our own in the amount of time we have to work with. Please consider donating, or at the very least, sharing our fundraiser so that we can better our situation to be able to help others in the future. Thank you.
If you would prefer to make a donation through PayPal, the link is: https://paypal.me/robertswilson
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Book Review + Giveaway: The Patron Murders by Edwin Wilson [3.75 Stars out of 5]
About The Book:
Matt Johanssen, a dedicated stage actor in his early fifties, is currently rehearsing a play soon to open on Broadway. Through the years, Matt has also anonymously assisted the NYPD in solving a number of crimes.Midway through rehearsals, a startling murder takes place thirty blocks away at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where a trustee is discovered on the roof with a javelin thrust through his heart. Later, just prior to opening night, the admired and beloved producer of Matt's play, Dorothy Tremayne, is found dead in the theatre’s darkened basement lounge.Ten days later, during a gala at the American Museum of Natural History, there is another murder far more sensational than the ones before. Working behind the scenes, Matt becomes deeply involved in solving all three cases. Meanwhile, he meets an intriguing, auburn-haired woman writing about the murders, and a romantic liaison develops amid the danger and suspense.
Set against the backdrop of the inner workings of New York City’s theatre, art, and cultural scenes, The Patron Murders is part detective story, part social novel, and a witty, incisive critique of the parvenues who attempt to gain acceptance in the old-line arts establishment.
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound | Goodreads
About the Author:
Author, teacher, critic, Edwin Wilson began his career as Assistant to the Producer for the Broadway play Big Fish, Little Fish directed by John Gielgud, and the film Lord of the Flies directed by Peter Brook. He produced plays off-Broadway and coproduced the Broadway play Agatha Sue, I Love You directed by George Abbott. He also produced the film The Nashville Sound.
Educated at Vanderbilt, Edinburgh, and Yale, he received the first Doctor of Fine Arts degree awarded by Yale. From 1972 to 1994 he was the theatre critic for The Wall Street Journal. For thirty years he taught at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. During the past four decades he has been the preeminent writer of college theatre textbooks in the U.S. His three books (two coauthored with Alvin Goldfarb) have sold nearly one million copies.
He has served as president of the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Drama Jury.In the early 1990s, he conducted a series of ninety half-hour television interviews with theater artists ranging from George Abbott to Jerry Zaks, which appeared on CUNY-TV in New York and 200 PBS stations around the country.
The Patron Murders is Wilson’s first novel.
Educated at Vanderbilt, Edinburgh, and Yale, he received the first Doctor of Fine Arts degree awarded by Yale. From 1972 to 1994 he was the theatre critic for The Wall Street Journal. For thirty years he taught at Hunter College and the CUNY Graduate Center. During the past four decades he has been the preeminent writer of college theatre textbooks in the U.S. His three books (two coauthored with Alvin Goldfarb) have sold nearly one million copies.
He has served as president of the Theatre Development Fund and the New York Drama Critics Circle, as well as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize Drama Jury.In the early 1990s, he conducted a series of ninety half-hour television interviews with theater artists ranging from George Abbott to Jerry Zaks, which appeared on CUNY-TV in New York and 200 PBS stations around the country.
The Patron Murders is Wilson’s first novel.
Website
***
MY REVIEW:
I want to preface this by saying, since this is a very well-crafted murder mystery, I'm only going to touch on some high level points as to not spoil the intrigue that you get from reading the book -- because a mystery where you already know what happens, isn't as fun!
3.75 stars out of 5
Edwin Wilson has created a really intelligent murder mystery for his first novel. You can tell a lot of care and love for the theater went into the writing of this book. It started off a little slow for me, which is why I rated it a little lower -- for me, if it had been a little less of a slow build, it would have been more enjoyable, just because it is a strong story that was well-written. I think starting off how it did, it took me a little longer to get into than how I feel about the book overall. There are good, strong characters who interact in very interesting ways as well as an intriguing plot that keeps you wondering what's around the corner [or page, as it were]. This is a remarkable first novel and a solid story. Anyone who is a fan of a smart, well-constructed book, and especially for those who enjoy either the theater or mystery novels will have a great time with this one!
***
MY REVIEW:
I want to preface this by saying, since this is a very well-crafted murder mystery, I'm only going to touch on some high level points as to not spoil the intrigue that you get from reading the book -- because a mystery where you already know what happens, isn't as fun!
3.75 stars out of 5
Edwin Wilson has created a really intelligent murder mystery for his first novel. You can tell a lot of care and love for the theater went into the writing of this book. It started off a little slow for me, which is why I rated it a little lower -- for me, if it had been a little less of a slow build, it would have been more enjoyable, just because it is a strong story that was well-written. I think starting off how it did, it took me a little longer to get into than how I feel about the book overall. There are good, strong characters who interact in very interesting ways as well as an intriguing plot that keeps you wondering what's around the corner [or page, as it were]. This is a remarkable first novel and a solid story. Anyone who is a fan of a smart, well-constructed book, and especially for those who enjoy either the theater or mystery novels will have a great time with this one!
***
GIVEAWAY:
$15 Amazon gift card (INT)
5 hardcover copies of The Patron Murders (US)
5 ebook copies of The Patron Murders (INT)
Ends March 16
This giveaway is provided by the publisher, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)