There are a lot of great reference books for writers that are available out there. Complemented with the recent explosion in quality online resources, it bodes well for writers who have a great idea and are willing to work hard on their manuscript. Literary agent Regina Brooks’ Writing Great Books for Young Adults is one… Read More Book Review: Writing Great Books for Young Adults, by Regina Brooks
Venice Beach rapper and producer Pause says that he is dedicated to the creation of “honest” hip-hop, so much so that he built his own studio and taught himself how to play multiple instruments: flute, guitar, harmonica, keys, and alto sax. His album, No Small Order, is slated for release mid-March 2015, and one can’t… Read More Music Review: Pause – ‘No Small Order’
Orlando’s Joe Blessett released last month Excuse Me, a 12-track full-length album which features saxophone, bass, guitar, keyboards, virtual instruments, and vocals. While all the songs are firmly ensconced within an electronic feel, most of them have an added distinct flavour such as R&B, rock, soul (“Who’s in My Shit”), jazz (“Taking It Down), and… Read More Music Review: Joe Blessett – ‘Excuse Me’
When an English professor puts together an album, one can expect some interesting twists and turns, as well as more depth than meets the eye (or perhaps in this case, the ear). John Helix’s Chronic Happiness has that. Set to be released in March, Helix writes retro-tinged pop rock he describes as “weltschmerz”, German for… Read More Music Review: John Helix – ‘Chronic Happiness’
Orange County trio Echo Sparks, featuring CC Kinnick on vocals and guitars, DA Valdez on vocals, guitars, banjo, and drums, and Cindy Ballreich on upright bass and mandolin, released last month a new full length album, Ghost Town Girl which brings together country, folk, and rock. The most striking feature of this album are the… Read More Music Review: Echo Sparks – ‘Ghost Town Girl’
The first book in the Seeking Happily Ever After series, How Do You Know? is Meredith Schorr’s latest offering, published in December 2014. It combines likeable characters, an engaging story, and a continuously moving plot that will keep readers going well into the night. Its only weakness is the unsatisfying exploration of the all-important question… Read More Book Review: ‘How Do You Know?’ by Meredith Schorr
Oftentimes, it feels like we’re encouraged to live in a state of constant discontent. We are told that there is always something missing in our lives, something more we can have, something else to aim for, something that we have to do next. In high school, we’re told to think about university; in university, we’re… Read More Constant Discontent: Enjoying the Now Created by Then for When’s Sake
What happens in Enchantasia, a.k.a. Fairy Tale Land, when you get caught for thieving? Sassy 12 year-old Gilly finds out for herself when she gets caught helping her parents (unbeknown to them) making ends meet. After all, one has got to do what one needs to do when one has five little brothers and sisters… Read More Book Review: ‘Fairy Tale Reform School: Flunked’ by Jen Calonita
Filled with contagious, riff driven sounds and raw vocals, the six tracks on Return for Refund’s self-titled EP combines elements of hard rock, punk, metal, funk, and blues. The last two songs are also clearly tinged with a southern twang. That members Drew Clementino (vocals, guitar), Sasha Molotkow (guitar, backing vocals), and Karlis Hawkins (drums,… Read More Music Review: Return for Refund – Self-Titled