The Misadventures of Michael McMichaels Vol. 2: The Borrowed Bracelet


Book Description

When snooty Harriet finishes her show and tell about her great-great-great-great-grandma's ring from Prince Something, she dares Michael McMichaels to try and top it. Michael's quest to have the most stupendous show and tell ever leads to sticky fingers, white lies and a few bribes.




The Good, the Bad and the Backstory


Book Description

This unique story presents a timeline of events from sunup to sundown, in a day in the life of five seventh graders - Ashley, Kenisha, Taara, Ryan and Andrew. As they walk the hallways, attend class and navigate the dreaded lunchroom, they experience all the messiness of middle school - the fragile friendships, the peer pressure, the fickle social hierarchy and the relationship drama. Issues at home and interactions at school influence how they relate to one another, their classmates and their teachers throughout the day. Author Melissa Minery gives the reader a birds-eye view of a middle school as it unfolds for each character, offering an unflinching look at how a child's backstory - family life, values, beliefs, triumphs and tragedies - influences his or her actions. A true-to-life story with a valuable message about courage, forgiveness, empathy and understanding. By the story's end, the reader will have walked in each character's shoes and have a better understanding of how a single event can have a big influence. 172 pgs.




Butterflies in Me


Book Description

Butterflies In Me is an original children's picture book project that I have written and created for multicultural children who have been diagnosed with mental illness. I believe the children's book will create open discussion and critical thinking to bring awareness to the mental health challenges multicultural children face which are often ignored.




Remi in Overdrive


Book Description

Remi is so full of energy, he can’t sit still, stay focused, or be patient. He darts and dashes in every direction, and his mind races from one idea to the next. In all the commotion, homework never gets done, assignments go missing, a field trip almost ends in disaster, and a much-wanted spaceship is left behind. Will Remi ever learn to slow down and calm himself long enough to get organized, stay focused, and find success?




Empathy is my Superpower! A Story about Showing you care


Book Description

Why does her brother cry when it's dark? Why does her classmate Kayla take so long to do her math? And what's up with that strange-smelling dish that Priya brings to lunch every day? With the help of her parents, Amelia soon learns about the importance of empathy and starts to see the power it can have! Will Amelia be able to put her new-found skill to good use and help others find the strength in empathy as well? Written for readers in grades K-6, this storybook also includes tips to help parents and teachers foster empathy in every child.




Thomas and Victoria


Book Description

With four new stories and Clive Spong's stunning illustrations of Thomas and the new vintage coach, Victoria, this book is a must have for all fans. Toby and Henrietta are overcrowded carrying the workmen from the Quarry. The Fat Controller and the Quarry Manager don't know what to do, but Thomas finds the perfect solution when he meets Victoria - a lovely, old carriage. While Victoria is being renovated, Daisy discovers that she doesn't like snakes very much when a whole boxful of eels escape on to the platform! And once finished, Victoria, Toby and Henrietta become Sodor's Vintage Train.




Buyer & Cellar


Book Description

The original script of the award-winning off-Broadway play—“irresistibly entertaining [and] surprisingly moving” (Paul Rudnick). Alex More has a story to tell. A struggling actor in LA, he takes a job working in the Malibu basement of a beloved megastar. One day, the Lady Herself comes downstairs to play. It feels like real bonding in the basement—but will their relationship ever make it upstairs? A winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Solo Show, Buyer & Cellar is an outrageous comedy about the price of fame, the cost of things, and the oddest of odd jobs. “Jonathan Tolins has concocted an irresistible one-man play from the most peculiar of fictitious premises . . . This seriously funny slice of absurdist whimsy creates the illusion of a stage filled with multiple people, all of them with their own droll point of view.” —The New York Times “A gorgeous play: funny and beautifully observed and richly insightful.” —Moisés Kaufman “Tolins’s writing is smart, sharp, and hilarious—and he paints a vivid picture that even a perfectionist like Barbra would have to applaud.” —James Lapine




Working Actor


Book Description

Veteran character actor David Dean Bottrell draws on his 35+ tumultuous years of work in the entertainment industry to offer a guide to breaking in, making a living, and making a life in the fabulous trenches of show business. Covers every facet of the business, including: - Capturing the perfect headshot - Starting (and maintaining) your network - Picking an agent - Audition do’s and don’ts - Joining the union(s): SAG-AFTRA and Actors Equity Association (AEA) - On stage vs on screen - Paying the bills - Self-promotion - Late bloomers - When to get out David Dean Bottrell has worn many different hats during his decades in showbiz: television actor with appearances on Boston Legal, Modern Family, The Blacklist, Mad Men, True Blood, NCIS, and Days of Our Lives; screenwriter for Paramount and Disney; respected acting teacher at UCLA and AADA; and regular expert columnist for esteemed acting site Backstage. In Working Actor, Bottrell offers a how-to manual jammed with practical information and insider advice, essential reading for any artist (aspiring or established) in need of insight or inspiration. Mixing prescriptive advice ("Getting Started," "Learning Your Craft," "Finding an Agent") with wisdom drawn from Bottrell's own professional highs and lows and those of his acting compatriots, this book's humorous, tell-it-like-it-is tone is a must-have guide for anyone hoping to successfully navigate show business.




This Side of Crazy


Book Description

Ditty Blaylock, the most prolific singer in gospel music history, is being honored by Gospel Music Network. All the stars are aligning to showcase Ditty's songs on her TV special. But there is one glitch. A little hiccup. Ditty has promised a reunion of The Blaylock Sisters, her three adult daughters who were once national sensations - "little superstars for Jesus." Rachel, the oldest sister, who lives with Ditty, is furious when she finds out that her baby sister Bethany, an atheist and lesbian, and Abigail, her middle sister who has "anger issues" and currently is confined to a mental facility, are headed home. What the public doesn't know is that these complicated sisters have been estranged for over twenty-five years - and extreme past circumstances, including a husband left in a coma, have made reconciliation impossible. Once the sisters are reunited, secrets are revealed, tempers flare and family wounds are exposed. But... the show must go on!