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Asha of The Air Scores Coveted Kirkus Starred Review

Asha of The Air Scores Coveted Kirkus Starred Review

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A life of beauty and privilege isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be, in spite of what’s shown on “reality” TV.

Asha Of The Air, the powerful, sophisticated new book from filmmaker and author John Huddles, transports readers to the far future to tell the tale of Asha, a possibly mythical, possibly factual princess, whose life is at once magical and miserable.

As the last daughter of an ancient house, Asha has inherited a palace and its wonderous surroundings. But she’s stuck in a loveless marriage, and her lands are being pillaged for a native mineral that is extremely rare and valuable. She is resigned to her fate, until a stranger enters her life and opens her eyes to new possibilities. When tragedy separates the would-be lovers, Asha breaks free from the abusive prince she married at age 17 and embarks on an epic trek of body and mind to acquire self-knowledge and gain agency over her own life. Along the way, she must imagine a path beyond the totality of her past mistakes — before hope itself comes to an end.

A Kirkus “starred” review has called Huddles’ narrative, “A rich, dreamy tale that’s infused with spirituality. The prose style is accomplished and often unrestrained, with simple dialogue but descriptive flourishes and lengthy musings on meanings and motivations. The result is immersive and beautiful — a tragic romance that will appeal to lovers of diverse, original storytelling.”

A mix of legend, adventure and spiritual exploration, Asha Of The Air interweaves European chivalric tradition and the teachings of sacred Hindu texts to craft a brilliantly immersive world where fantasy and science, history and myth combine to form a tale of intense emotionality.

Asha’s story is strikingly relevant to the way that today, in 2022, the sexes are renegotiating the balance of power and learning how to reconcile the urge to dominate with the need to love.

In his day job as a filmmaker, Huddles is developing a limited series based on his novel for movie producer J. Todd Harris, most recently Co-Executive Producer of the Oscar-nominated Trial Of The Chicago 7 and Executive Producer of the Golden-Globe-winner for Best Picture (Comedy Or Musical) The Kids Are All Right, among many others. Huddles’ own films as writer-director include the sci-fi fantasy The Philosophers, praised by The Los Angeles Times as “impressively written and directed … unusually creative and ambitious … packed with smart, provocative ideas.”

To learn more about Huddles and his new novel, please visit www.AshaOfTheAir.com or www.JohnHuddles.com.

Asha Of The Air
Publisher: Notable Publishing
ISBN: 9781735853529
ISBN-10: 1735853526
Distributed by IPG and available wherever books are sold, plus Bookshop.org, Amazon.com and BN.com

Trish Stevens
Helen Cook
Senior Publicist
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
903.654.0938 Direct
281.333.3507 Office
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com

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One Man’s Path to Redemption Leads Through Local Watering Holes

One Man’s Path to Redemption Leads Through Local Watering Holes

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jack Current isn’t just hoping to drown his sorrows during his evening pub crawl through downtown Cincinnati’s Over the Rhine neighborhood; he’s hoping to actually drown — in the Ohio River. But not until he has poured his heart onto paper in the dollar store notebook he’s got with him. Aptly referred to as The Drunk Log, Jack’s notebook contains the secret to his pain, and a bartender with a sixth sense will sneak a peek, just in time.

Author Mark E. Scott’s compelling story of one man’s last hurrah, Drunk Log, invites readers to follow a relatable protagonist who, in the midst of buckling under oppressive guilt, embarks on one last bar crawl before he plans to end his own life.

In his notebook, Jack documents the evening, ruminates on his existence and remembers his 7-year-old nephew, who died exactly a year earlier. It is a loss for which Jack feels responsible — a lapse in judgement for which there is no forgiveness. Jack’s plan is to jump off the scenic suspension bridge spanning the Ohio River between Cincinnati and Covington, Kentucky.

Drunk Log is a darkly humorous, deeply introspective exploration into one man’s attempt to find peace in the face of unrelenting pain. Told with a fast clip, the entire book covers about 8 hours and deftly avoids becoming an ominous dirge through relatable — and flawed — characters, unexpectedly funny situations, a budding romance and the wobbly balancing act of a man who must remain sober enough to write in his journal and finish what he started, but drunk enough to jump off a bridge.

Readers follow Jack as he begins the evening at his local watering hole, where a gregarious bartender named Aria, with whom he shares a mutual attraction, takes a surreptitious peek at Jack’s journal. Sensing Jack is headed to the same doom that claimed her sister, Aria decides to intervene.

Tracking him down in the middle of a winter storm, Aria finds Jack on the freezing, snowy bridge. Can they emerge from their individual cocoons of loss and suffering, save each other and rewrite their stories?

Drunk Log is the first installment in Scott’s three-part, Day in the Life series, in which the unexpected, twisted saga of Jack and Aria unfolds over a combined period of 24 hours.

Born in the small manufacturing town of Galion, Ohio, author Mark E. Scott lived in various burgs in Ohio and Michigan before joining the Navy and spending four years traveling the world aboard the USS Mount Whitney. Upon returning home to southwest Ohio, he enrolled at Miami University and completed a degree in Education, only to become a banker soon thereafter. Scott now lives happily in a condo in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood of Cincinnati. In his free time, he enjoys writing, finding new and creative ways of tricking his children into answering their phones, and anything related to travel and outdoors, of late including tumbling down snow covered mountains while dragging otherwise perfectly good skis behind him.

For more information, please visit www.markescottauthor.com, or connect with him on Instagram (markescottauthor), Facebook (@markescottauthor) or Twitter (@MarkEScott3).

Drunk Log
Publisher: Speaking In Volumes, LLC
ISBN: 978-1645405559
EISBN: 978-1645405542
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Rylee Cooper
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Penguin Who Dreams of Flying Lifts Children’s Spirit of Adventure

Penguin Who Dreams of Flying Lifts Children’s Spirit of Adventure

“A Penguin’s Quest is an uncommon, spirited picture book in which an unconventional penguin’s daring decisions inspire her friends.” – Foreword Reviews

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Young readers can take a journey with Ingrid the penguin as she ventures from her home in Antarctica in search of a mythic place where it’s said a penguin can learn to fly in the enthralling children’s tale, A Penguin’s Quest.

Ingrid’s story begins as she heeds advice from some seriously lost NYC pigeons and sets out determined to accomplish something that no other penguin has ever done. A globe-trotting, epic journey ensues, with a cast of colorful characters that includes sea captains, Penn Station rats, a trip inside the NYC pigeon underworld and a ski instructor named Klaus. The mystery of Ingrid’s destination holds the answers as this intrepid penguin is on the verge of a discovery that could rock the penguin world.

Brought to life by author (and world-renowned photographer) Scott McDermott, with illustrations by Christine Anderson, this engaging adventure about pursuing a dream, no matter how improbable it may seem, unfolds like a short, animated film and culminates in a wonderful end. Written for children with a reading age level of grades 2-3, A Penguin’s Quest is a perfect early reader chapter book in a picture book format.

Author Scott McDermott grew up in Switzerland, backpacked through the American West, and trekked the Himalayas before spending the last 25 years as a commercial photographer and filmmaker in New York City. He has photographed many of the most influential figures in Hollywood, the music industry, business and government, along with directing a feature film and many commercials. McDermott recently started writing children’s fiction, inspired by the stories he made up to tell his own children. He is also learning to play bass guitar, primarily to back up his son on guitar.

Illustrator Christine Anderson is a Senior level Illustrator and Surface Pattern Designer based in Scottsdale, Arizona. She received a BFA in Graphic Design/Illustration from Drake University and has worked in commercial design for over 20 years. Though she had a successful career as a muralist and furniture designer, as well as being commissioned by corporations such as Learnin’ Tree, American Express, Hobby Lobby, Trader Joe’s, Michaels’s, QT Fabrics and Boston International, Anderson longed for her drawing board. She decided to refocus and get back to her true love, illustrating, with children’s books being part of her journey.

For more information, please visit http://www.apenguinsquest.com, http://www.ScottMcDermott.com, http://www.christineandersonillustration.com
or http://www.NotableKidsPublishing.com.

Or find them on Instagram (@Apenguinsquest_book; @scottmcdermott_; @christineandersondraws; or @Notablekidspublishing), Twitter (@ScottMcdermott_) or Facebook (scott.mcdermott.33).

A Penguin’s Quest
Publisher: Notable Kids Publishing
Publication Date: February 2, 2022
ISBN-10: ‎ 1733354859
ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1733354851
Available from Amazon.com and BN.com

Trish Stevens
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Son Gets Second Chance to Know His Father in Compelling Family Story, Fool’s Errand

Son Gets Second Chance to Know His Father in Compelling Family Story, Fool’s Errand

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

If you could spend one day with anyone at all — past or present — who would it be? For those who’ve lost a parent, the answer is obvious. This popular, introspective ice-breaker was the inspiration for Fool’s Errand, a clever blend of humor, mystery and complex family dynamics from award-winning author Jeffrey Stephens.

In it, a straight-arrow son uncovers an enigmatic letter left behind by his father, who passed away six years ago. In life, his father, “Blackie” Rinaldi, was a charming rogue with ties to the mob, and the younger Rinaldi has been doing all he can to avoid the pitfalls of his father’s chosen path. The letter hints at a cache of stolen money, but at its core, it represents an opportunity worth more than any treasure: a second chance for Blackie’s son to journey through the past, reconcile it with the present and finally get to know who his father really was.

Blackie’s son embarks on an international quest, following a series of clues from his father’s letter. He travels from the mean streets of New York to the Las Vegas Strip, and ultimately to the South of France. Along the way, he is confronted by dangerous mobsters, dishonest relatives, suspicious friends, a mysterious woman, and the risks of a journey his father may or may not have planned for him.

With surprising twists and relatable characters, Fool’s Errand offers a masterful balance of humor and heart, adventure and romance. Ultimately, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced story of family ties and a parent’s never-ending influence that will keep readers guessing as each new secret is revealed.

Author Jeffrey S. Stephens lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is also the author of the Jordan Sandor espionage thrillers, beginning with Targets of Deception and, most recently, Rogue Mission. He is also the author of the recent thriller, Crimes and Passion, the first in a planned series featuring Lieutenant Robbie Whyte.

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com.

Fool’s Errand
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN-13: 978-1642937381
ISBN-10: 164293738X
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Don Lenham
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Son Gets Second Chance to Know His Father in Compelling Family Story, Fool’s Errand

Son Gets Second Chance to Know His Father in Compelling Family Story, Fool’s Errand

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

If you could spend one day with anyone at all — past or present — who would it be? For those who’ve lost a parent, the answer is obvious. This popular, introspective ice-breaker was the inspiration for Fool’s Errand, a clever blend of humor, mystery and complex family dynamics from award-winning author Jeffrey Stephens.

In it, a straight-arrow son uncovers an enigmatic letter left behind by his father, who passed away six years ago. In life, his father, “Blackie” Rinaldi, was a charming rogue with ties to the mob, and the younger Rinaldi has been doing all he can to avoid the pitfalls of his father’s chosen path. The letter hints at a cache of stolen money, but at its core, it represents an opportunity worth more than any treasure: a second chance for Blackie’s son to journey through the past, reconcile it with the present and finally get to know who his father really was.

Blackie’s son embarks on an international quest, following a series of clues from his father’s letter. He travels from the mean streets of New York to the Las Vegas Strip, and ultimately to the South of France. Along the way, he is confronted by dangerous mobsters, dishonest relatives, suspicious friends, a mysterious woman, and the risks of a journey his father may or may not have planned for him.

With surprising twists and relatable characters, Fool’s Errand offers a masterful balance of humor and heart, adventure and romance. Ultimately, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced story of family ties and a parent’s never-ending influence that will keep readers guessing as each new secret is revealed.

Author Jeffrey S. Stephens lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is also the author of the Jordan Sandor espionage thrillers, beginning with Targets of Deception and, most recently, Rogue Mission. He is also the author of the recent thriller, Crimes and Passion, the first in a planned series featuring Lieutenant Robbie Whyte.

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com.

Fool’s Errand
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN-13: 978-1642937381
ISBN-10: 164293738X
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Don Lenham
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Help Children Celebrate the Limitless Power of Their Imaginations

Help Children Celebrate the Limitless Power of Their Imaginations

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Does the phrase, “I’m bored,” play like a broken record in your house? When children grow tired of their toys, or foul weather keeps them indoors, it’s the perfect time to encourage them to expand their world of play by tapping into the boundless creativity of their daydreams.

Tommy is a little boy who does exactly that in the whimsically warm and wonderful new book Mr. Sunnyside: Imagination from author CK Gregory. When young readers are introduced to Tommy, he is stuck at home on a rainy day. There is nothing to do; his mother is busy making breakfast; and Tommy has grown bored with his toys. What will he do to entertain himself?

An “eggstraordinary” character named Mr. Sunnyside appears before Tommy’s eyes and takes him on one adventure after another. Tommy is the only person who can see Mr. Sunnyside, and he’s the only one who needs to, in this charming story that gives new meaning to the power of an active imagination.

With clever wordplay, colorful illustrations and subtle lessons, Mr. Sunnyside: Imagination shares the story of a delicate egg who enters Tommy’s life as a play friend and turns Tommy’s mood from blue to “eggcellent!”

Written for ages 5 to 10, Mr. Sunnyside shows young audiences that there is an “eggciting” alternative to screen time: the power of their own minds.

Author CK Gregory worked in many areas of theater and the media, both in front and behind the scenes. Now, he is embarking on a new career as a children’s author. Mr. Sunnyside: Imagination is his first book in a series of “eggstra” adventures to come!

“The world can seem, at times, scrambled,” Gregory said. “I hope my egg friends will set good ‘eggsamples’ for the readers and help children stay on the Sunnyside.”

To connect with the author, visit him on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CDconnections.

Mr. Sunnyside: Imagination
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
ISBN-10: ‎1662912595
ISBN-13: ‎978-1662912597
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Alice West
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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Authentic Father-Son Dynamic at Center of Fast-Paced Quest for Hidden Truths

Authentic Father-Son Dynamic at Center of Fast-Paced Quest for Hidden Truths

(This press release may be reprinted in part or entirety by any print or broadcast media outlet, or used by any means of social media sharing.)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

A masterful blend of humor, mystery and complex family dynamics awaits readers of Fool’s Errand, the latest from Jeffrey Stephens, the award-winning author of the Jordan Sandor series.

In it, a straight-arrow son uncovers an enigmatic letter left behind by his father, who passed away six years ago. In life, his father, “Blackie” Rinaldi, was a charming rogue with ties to the mob, and the younger Rinaldi has been doing all he can to avoid the pitfalls of his father’s chosen path. But the letter hints at a cache of stolen money, and the quest to uncover his father’s colorful truth is too much to resist.

Blackie’s son embarks on an international treasure hunt, following a series of clues from the mean streets of New York to the Las Vegas Strip, and ultimately to the South of France. Along the way, he is confronted by dangerous mobsters, dishonest relatives, suspicious friends, a mysterious woman, and the risks of a journey his father may or may not have planned for him.

With surprising twists and relatable characters, Fool’s Errand offers a masterful balance of humor and heart, adventure and romance. Ultimately, it’s an entertaining, fast-paced story of family ties and a parent’s never-ending influence that will keep readers guessing as each new secret is revealed.

Author Jeffrey S. Stephens lives in Greenwich, Connecticut. He is also the author of the Jordan Sandor espionage thrillers, beginning with Targets of Deception and, most recently, Rogue Mission. He is also the author of the recent thriller, Crimes and Passion, the first in a planned series featuring Lieutenant Robbie Whyte.

For more information, please visit www.jeffreystephens.com.

Fool’s Errand
Publisher: Post Hill Press
ISBN-13: 978-1642937381
ISBN-10: 164293738X
Available from Amazon.com

Trish Stevens
Tricia Noble
Ascot Media Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 2394
Friendswood, TX 77549
[email protected]
www.ascotmedia.com
281.333.3507 Phone

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