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“The worst times in our lives are often roads to the best times, waiting ahead. Stay safe and prayerful, as you find your way into tomorrow.” — Gary Revel
A single bullet silenced the voice, but not the dream, of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Whether or not James Earl Ray pulled the trigger — and why — has been the subject of speculation for more than five decades.
In 1977, 27-year-old special investigator Gary Revel, in association with the House Select Committee on Assassinations, launched his own search for the unvarnished truth about King’s assassination.
Danger, intrigue and murder followed. Revel’s journey took him into Brushy Mountain Prison, where he met and became a personal confidant to the accused assassin, James Earl Ray. From there, Revel followed the clues wherever they led, including Memphis, Tennessee; New Orleans, Louisiana; Miami, Florida; and other undisclosed locations. Along the way, Revel had to navigate chaotic twists and turns as he uncovered information pointing to what he refers to as “the conspiracy and the involvement of organized crime and the U.S. government.” Revel also lost three people close to him to murder.
The captivating story of Revel’s investigation and what he unearthed is now being developed into a feature motion picture, They Slew the Dreamer: MLK-The Gary Revel Story. Revel’s quest for the truth also became the inspiration for the song, “They Slew the Dreamer,” and is introduced in his book, To Live or Maybe Not.
More than 30 years after his investigation into Martin Luther King Jr.’s death, Revel continues to “shine the light of truth into the darkest halls of injustice” and finds he can’t quit until the world knows what he found.
Songwriter, musician, author and special investigator Gary Revel was born in Florala, Alabama, and he formed his first band when he was 15. After a long career in music, Revel found himself investigating the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in association with the U.S. government’s House Select Committee on Assassinations. Revel continues to release and distribute music via his Jongleur Music company as well as develop motion pictures via his Jongleur Pictures company. He is also the author of My Angel from Heaven, Milestones, Grempk and Don’t Stop Dancing: Stranger Than Fiction, his investigation into the life of Michael Jackson.
Revel is also founder of Mother Nature Festival Live Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation.
To Live or Maybe Not Publisher: Jongleur Books ISBN-13: 978-1097923304 ISBN-10: 1097923304 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Miranda Leonard Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Famous Feline Shares Heartwarming Journey from Shelter Kitty to Social Media Sensation
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From spa days and birthday parties, to playing dress-up and Target “shopping,” the humanlike antics of an affable ginger tabby named Carrot have been shared with the famous feline’s nearly 300K Instagram followers, capturing the attention of human celebs like Ellen DeGeneres and Katie Couric.
The social media sensation is now giving readers a glimpse into a year in her furry, fun-filled life in her new book, Diary of the Cat Named Carrot, an uplifting, instantly stress-reducing story told from Carrot’s perspective.
From her humble beginnings as a tiny orange stray to being welcomed into a loving family—including Erin Merryn and her young girls Abby, Hannah and baby Claire—through her rise to internet stardom, Diary of the Cat Named Carrot chronicles her remarkable journey.
Carrot lived in the same shelter that had once housed the family’s previous internet star, Bailey, whose adventures were featured in Bailey, No Ordinary Cat. Much like Bailey had, Carrot loves spending time with her human family partaking in typically human pastimes: making mischief with her girl gang; joyriding in a pint-sized pink Barbie Jeep; doing arts and crafts; modeling a pink tutu and flowery headband; enjoying a spa day complete with fluffy robe and cucumber eye treatments; and celebrating Christmas, Easter and every holiday in between. It’s no wonder Carrot’s videos have gone viral—garnering attention from Ellen, the Dodo, Good Morning America, Access Hollywood, People and many other media outlets.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot is packed with color photos that will leave readers purring with delight. The journal of this sweet, adorable kitty with personality to spare shows us that the human-animal bond runs more than fur deep. It is a love that will last a lifetime.
Erin Merryn is an author, activist, speaker, wife and mom to three girls—Abby, Hannah and Claire—and a fur baby named Carrot. She was named Glamour Magazine Woman of the Year in 2012 and a People magazine Hero Among Us for her tireless work promoting Erin’s Law nationwide with a mission to keep our children safe by educating them about personal body safety. She is the author of Bailey, No Ordinary Cat, Stolen Innocence, Living for Today and An Unimaginable Act.
Diary of the Cat Named Carrot Publisher: Health Communications, Inc. Release Date: March 30, 2021 ISBN-10: 0757323901 ISBN-13: 978-0757323904 Available wherever books are sold
Trish Stevens Lindsey Mach Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Pivot Your Perspective: 10 Reasons Why the Future is Bright
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It’s natural to invest a lot of time and energy into building a career and making money. After all, we need roofs over our heads and food on our tables. But what if we invested that same amount of effort into being truly, authentically happy?
“I thought that by having the house, the wife, the 2.5 kids, the vacations and the material things, I would be happy,” says Life Coach Michael Taylor. However, in spite of “having it all,” he still felt something was still missing.
Today, Taylor describes himself as an “irrepressible optimist,” and it’s all thanks to changing his perception of “success,” following his own gut and breaking free from the construct of societal expectations. He reveals his transformational journey along with insights drawn from science, spirituality and psychology in his new book, The Good News Is, The Future Is Brighter Than You Think!
Taylor challenges readers to look within their own minds and hearts to uncover the keys to authentic fulfilment. Along the way, he shares his
• 10 reasons to be optimistic about the future; • 4 pillars of a joy-filled life; and • 3 ways to know you are doing what you love.
The Good News Is dives deep into topics such as what it means to be human, divine intelligence and evolution, recognizing a higher power, creating meaningful connections, and so much more.
“If you’ve been looking for a resource that inspires you and motivates you and lights you up, this is the book for you!” Taylor adds.
Author Michael Taylor is uniquely positioned to spread hope and optimism. A high school dropout, he overcame a divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, depression and being homeless for two years on his way to becoming a successful entrepreneur, motivational speaker, radio and TV host, and author of nine best-selling books. He has dedicated his life to empowering men and women to reach their full potential by transforming their lives from the inside out.
Taylor is President and CEO of Creation Publishing Group, a company that specializes in creating programs and products that empower men and women to live extraordinary lives, and Too Cool Club, a company that develops transformational education programs for youth. He has been featured in the Amazon.com bestselling book Motivational Speakers America and in USA Today magazine about the changing roles of manhood and masculinity in society. He has won numerous awards for his dynamic speaking style, and he is an Amazon.com bestselling author.
He is the host and producer of two TV Channels on the Roku Network, Don’t Believe The Hype and Shatter The Stereotypes, and hosts two podcasts of the same names available on most podcast platforms like Spotify and iTunes.
Most importantly, he has been blissfully married for 18 years to the woman of his dreams and he is a proud father of three grown children.
To learn more about Coach Michael Taylor, please visit www.coachmichaeltaylor.com.
The Good News Is, The Future Is Brighter Than You Think! Publisher: Creation Publishing Group ISBN-13: 978-0996948777 Available from Amazon.com
Trish Stevens Jennifer Smith Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
You Can TRUST Him When Your Life is Spinning Out of Control
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The disruption and difficulties of 2020 also uprooted our time with the Lord when churches closed their doors and our daily routines changed dramatically. Many people lost their jobs or lost their loved ones, despite praying diligently for different outcomes. As we adjust to a new normal, now is the perfect time to reestablish our faith and rebuild our trust in God.
Joan E. Murray’s inspirational new book, You Can TRUST Him: Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times, is filled with powerful reminders that God is always working in our favor, even when it seems that he hasn’t heard our prayers.
“We get disappointed with God because our expectations of what He should have done when we prayed is not what He actually did,” Joan said during a recent interview with Prayer on Purpose. “We have to recognize that delays are not denials. They’re simply holding patterns while God is working on the situations in our lives.”
You Can TRUST Him takes an in-depth journey into inspirational, personal and Biblical stories that reveal trust truths in the midst of hardship. Joan takes us into the lives of many people who were unsure they could survive their painful struggles: Hagar, Jeremiah, Caleb, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene and Leah, just to name a few. She shares how even when they struggled with trusting God, He showed up powerfully in their lives and provided victorious outcomes. You Can TRUST Him brings the Bible alive and aims to help us trust His Word, trust His timing and trust that He will help us navigate through the painful seasons of life.
Author Joan E. Murray is the founder and CEO of Joan Murray Ministries and Seeds of Hope Worldwide Missions. She is an international Bible teacher, pastor, speaker and missionary who loves the Word of God and desires to see people experience freedom, wholeness and victory in all areas of life. She has 25 years of experience in management, counseling and in providing help and humanitarian aid to those who are struggling in life.
She serves the veterans in Houston, provides annual back-to-school outreaches and serves as an advisor to several churches and ministries, locally, nationally and internationally. Joan has travelled the world, sharing the gospel message and serving the needs of vulnerable populations.
Joan has been featured on TBN, Daystar, TCT Network, Destiny TV and on international television networks and in various magazines and newspaper articles. She can be heard daily on BPNRadio.com and weekly on Wilkinsradio.com. You Can TRUST Him is her 16th book.
For more information, please visit www.joanmurrayministries.org, or follow the author on Facebook (Joan Murray or Joan Murray Ministries/Seeds of Hope Worldwide Missions); on Instagram (jmmcontactus); and on Twitter (@jmmseedsofhope). You can also visit her YouTube channel, Joan Murray Ministries.
You Can TRUST Him: Anchoring Your Hope in God During Difficult Times Publisher: Xulon Press/Salem Media Group ISBN-10: 1632216183 ISBN-13: 978-1632216182 Available from Amazon.com, BN.com, Xulon Press, Apple Books, Joanmurrayministries.org and other retailers
Trish Stevens Alice Newbury Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone
Award-Winning Composers and World-Class Musicians Bring Three Tributes CD to Life
Immerse yourself in an emotional violin solo, get swept up by stunningly prestissimo strings, and experience the layered splendor of four hands on two pianos. Three Tributes is a music CD (with an accompanying booklet) featuring three breathtaking, original scores that would make a welcome addition to anyone’s collection of chamber orchestra music.
The CD features award-winning composers Kevin Puts, Andrea Clearfield and Gunther Schuller, along with a host of world-class performers. Three Tributes was commissioned by fellow musicians (and brothers) Robert and James Freeman as a way of honoring their family’s musical legacy, which spans three generations. Their parents, Henry and Florence Knope Freeman, were both children of musicians and graduated the Eastman School of Music in Rochester in 1930.
Both Robert and James Freeman studied piano and theory at Cambridge’s Longy School while graduating from Milton Academy, and studied performance during the summers at Tanglewood, Blue Hill and Marlboro. They went on to Harvard, where each graduated with honors, followed by travelling fellowships for study in Europe.
Robert took his Ph.D. in music history at Princeton and taught there for five years before moving to MIT, where he made tenure just before moving for 24 years to the directorship of the Eastman School — his parents’ alma mater — followed by two years as president of the New England Conservatory and six as dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of Texas at Austin.
James went straight from Harvard to Swarthmore College, where he taught and conducted for 37 years, served as departmental chair for 16 years and as Daniel Underhill Professor of Music. In 1988 he founded Philadelphia’s new music group Orchestra 2001, directing it until 2015 when he resigned to take on a new ensemble, Chamber Orchestra FIRST EDITIONS. In 1991 he was a Fulbright lecturer and conductor at the Moscow Conservatory, and has returned to Moscow many times since then to give concerts of new American music.
Both brothers have made lots of recordings, and have published their share of well-reviewed books and articles. When the idea arose to commission some original scores to honor their family legacy, Robert and James sought out music’s finest to bring their vision for Three Tributes to fruition.
Two of the composers featured on the CD have won the Pulitzer Prize. Kevin Puts is currently at work on an opera for the Metropolitan Opera. Andrea Clearfield, who took her DMA at Temple, is the founder of the Philadelphia Salon Concert Series, featuring contemporary, classical, jazz, world and electronic music, together with multimedia and spoken word arts. The late Gunther Schuller was one of the 20th Century’s music stars as composer, conductor, author and administrator. He was a great admirer of their father’s bass playing, and a good friend.
Robert and James hope that Three Tributes will inspire others to undertake similar projects. Neither of them is aware of any similar event in the history of music where two brothers from a family of professional musicians — spanning at least two generations before them — have commissioned significant works as a tribute to their parents and for future generations to enjoy.
Three Tributes CD Available at: https://www.innova.mu/albums/james-and-robert-freeman/three-tributes
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
Impractical Jokers Star Survives Shark Attack at New Virtual Theme Park
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James “Murr” Murray, one of the stars of TV’s Impractical Jokers, told his social media followers in a new post that he recently visited Sea Monster Cove, a spectacular, five-star aquarium-themed resort as a guest of friend and fellow bestselling author Steve Alten, when things “got out of hand.” “I was in the Devonian Aquarium watching a 10-foot prehistoric shark circle by when this massive 30-foot Dunkleosteus comes out of nowhere and rips the thing in half! Thank God the tank wasn’t made out of double-paned glass like the one in JAWS 3D.” The incident was recorded and posted on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1vbrZNyoK8.
Visitors can expect the unexpected at www.SeaMonsterCove.com, a revolutionary new multimedia entertainment concept. The site will serve as the central hub for several prehistoric shark and sea creature ventures, including a remote learning platform and museum, and will soon add a video game where members piloting submersibles can track and capture apex marine predators inhabiting a 380-million-year-old prehistoric aquifer located 2.1 miles beneath the Pacific Ocean. The website will feature an original episodic TV series called Where Sea Monsters Roam, written by Steve Alten, the website’s creator. If you saw the blockbuster movie, The MEG, starring Jason Statham, then you may be familiar with the author’s work. Of his soon-to-be 20 published thrillers, eight are part of his best-selling MEG series and three more are from a Loch Ness trilogy (Alten is currently working on book 3, The LOCH: Heaven’s Lake which can only be purchased by pre-ordering signed hardbacks at www.SteveAlten.com). The LOCH movie as well as MEG 2: The TRENCH are expected to go into production in 2021. All of the action and virtual visits at SeaMonsterCove.com take place on Maug, a remote (and very real) island in the Western Pacific. Maug’s volcano erupted 5 million years ago; today all that remains are three uninhabited islets that had been the volcano’s rim and a flooded magma chamber that serves as its lagoon. Why place a virtual island resort here? That’s where Alten’s research and storytelling take over. Eight years ago, French marine biologist Dr. Maxime Rostand discovered superheated mineral water rising up through Maug’s lagoon. Through a series of events, including an emergency C-section which saved two pups of a deceased pregnant prehistoric Mako shark, Rostand discovers the source of the hot mineral water to be a primordial aquifer located 2 miles beneath the sea floor — its inhabitants dating back 380 million years.
Having established the backstory about how these toothy creatures managed to escape extinction (the “home videos” of the two surviving pups growing up is MUST-SEE), it’s time to meet and interact with the critters. Imagine the greatest aquarium-themed park ever conceived, holding the most terrifying prehistoric sharks and sea monsters that ever lived. It’s not hard to do. At Sea Monster Cove, the special effects are motion picture-worthy, and the wildlife doesn’t just swim around in benign circles; in fact, they seem quite aware that you are watching them, and they clearly do not like it, especially when you enter their domain to do a little “cage diving.” In each of these heart-pounding, 360-degree experiences, the user controls the viewing angle, attempting to track the attacks as they happen (there are day and night versions available). The action is nonstop and the creatures so real that it is easy to lose yourself in a two-hour reprieve from reality.
The adventure is retold and advanced in Alten’s original TV series, Where Sea Monsters Roam, the episodes of which will be posted at SeaMonsterCove.com. Most unique: what happens in the series also happens during your aquarium visits. As an example, if Snowflake, the park’s 63-foot, 25-ton prehistoric albino Mako drags a crane into her tank in the opening episode, don’t be surprised to see it lying on the bottom of her tank in your next visit!
One of the most popular features may just turn out to be CELEBRITY CAMEOS — the first one featuring James “Murr” Murray. The Impractical Jokers star’s new novel, DON’T MOVE (Blackstone Publishing), co-written by Darren Wearmouth, recently made its debut.
Steve Alten, the founder and director of the nonprofit Adopt-an-Author teen reading program, considered by many educators to be the most effective tool to get reluctant readers to read, said DON’T MOVE will be added to the AAA program. “It’s a fun, action-packed read; teens will definitely love it.” For more on the program, go to www.AdoptAnAuthor.com.
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Trauma doesn’t discriminate. It can happen to anyone, anytime. And in all likelihood, COVID-19 has traumatized each and every one of us to some degree. Everybody hits a low point once in a while, and ultimately, the quality of our lives depends on our ability to process heartbreaks and catastrophes successfully. So how do we do that?
In Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience, world-renown expert on disasters and trauma Dr. Randall Bell interweaves science and academic research with stories of people who have not just survived, but have used their trauma as their fuel to thrive. Dr. Bell sits down with survivors of the Holocaust; murder-victim’s families; crime victims; suicide survivors; and those who’ve experienced homelessness, disasters, addictions, depression, death, divorce, disabilities, defeats and disease to explore the rare mindset of the post-traumatic thriver.
Through this unprecedented research, Dr. Bell shares with readers stories of remarkable resilience, including the following:
• A deaf man with a glass eye invented the electric guitar and became a household name, remarkably wealthy and most importantly, happy. • A convicted murderer took responsibility for the damage he caused, graduated with honors from college, became a minister and turned around the hearts of the most hardened criminals. • A girl born with cerebral palsy landed the world’s first starring role on national television and spoke at the White House three times. • A woman hid in a basement for years and lost her entire family in the Holocaust. She eventually found true love and paints stunning artwork. • The sister of a murder victim helped millions of women in toxic domestic relationships. • A woman’s car crash resulted in an addiction to prescription drugs, a divorce, a loss of her children and a cot in a homeless shelter. She has rebuilt it all back and more. • A man set to go to the Olympics had his hopes dashed by Jimmy Carter and went on to build a worldwide business empire.
Ultimately, Dr. Bell documents the science of happiness, as well as the individual styles and common thread that all post-traumatic thrivers have to emerge with a fulfilling life. When trauma hits, your most significant decision will be to dive, survive or thrive. If you choose to thrive, this book is for you.
As an economist, Dr. Randall Bell has consulted on more disasters on earth than anyone in history and is widely considered the world’s top authority in the field of post-traumatic thriving. His clients include the Federal Government, State Governments, International Tribunals, major corporations and homeowners. Dr. Bell believes that “the problem is not the problem — the problem is how we react to the problem.”
Often called the “Master of Disaster,” Dr. Bell is squarely focused on authentic recovery and resilience. His research has been profiled on major television shows and featured in numerous magazines and the international media. More information can be found at www.posttraumaticthriving.com.
Post-Traumatic Thriving: The Art, Science, & Stories of Resilience Publisher: Core IQ Press Release Date: January 1, 2021 ISBN 978-0-9967931-7-9 Available from Amazon.com and all bookstores
Trish Stevens Teresa Hinojosa Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 832.569.5773 Direct 281.333.3507 Phone [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com
