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Posts Tagged ‘filmmaker’

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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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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