Back in New York for the 2023 Audie Awards!

Audies 2023Words can’t quite describe how wonderful it was to be back in New York to celebrate the 2023 Audie Awards! ✨💫 It had been three years since our Audiobook community had gathered in person, and being able to spend a few precious days with dear friends and colleagues was so incredibly special.   

This night always rushes by just as quick as a New York minute, but the memories last far longer.  My heart remains so full. 

Congratulations to all the 2023 Audie Award Winners and Finalists – and to everyone in our Audiobook community who each day shares their stories, heart, talents and artistry to bring the written word to life.  It was a joy and honor to celebrate with you!  ✨💫  

See you next time, New York! 💋🍎

Slow Communication – New Fiction Story Podcast Releases on Fantasy Magazine

slow communication

Releasing today on Fantasy Magazine’s story podcast is Dominique Dickey’s unique and prolific short fiction, Slow CommunicationI so enjoyed narrating this captivating story that travels from generation to generation. It’s a story shared amongst a long line of women, women who have come into contact at one moment in their lifetime, with an otherworldly being. Women who are given one chance to ask the question of a lifetime.  

Slow Communication follows the life of 17 year old Darla Revere.  Darla is a part of this conversation, this continuum, so to speak.  Each of the Revere women, have in their lifetime, been visited by this alien – this leviathan.  As a child, Darla had heard over and over again, that one day the leviathan would come for her, and that it would come for her when she least expected it.  The leviathan’s contact would evoke immense joy and pain, simultaneously.  All words, all ideas – would be knocked out of your mind by the sheer intensity of the contact, so you had better have your question ready; you needed to have it down pat. You had to know it better than you knew anything else in your life.  And if you changed yourself too much, if you did not bear a resemblance to the women in your family line, the leviathan may not be able to find you when it was your time.  Generation upon generation, questions from the Revere line, along with the leviathan’s answers, were documented, recorded, and passed down to the eldest Revere daughter in the family.  Each daughter waited for this moment.  Their moment.  And thus far, only one daughter had lived to hear the answer to her question.  Darla wanted to change all that. 

One question.

One question to last a lifetime. 

What would your question be?

To listen to Slow Communication, come on over to Fantasy Magazine, Issue 76 of the February offering, where you can listen free of charge here.  This podcast was produced by Skyboat Media

 

Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting – Now on Audio!

031921-slider-yourlifeiswaiting-1000x391_crop (1)“To everyone one of us who finally … maybe… possibly … believes they have the right to perpetual happiness, beginning now.” – Lynn Grabhorn. 

Releasing today on audio is Lynn Grabhorn’s insightful book, Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting: The Astonishing Power of Positive Feelings. 

I had the pleasure of narrating this profound book for Dreamscape Media, and to say it changed the way I now think … or rather feel … would be putting it mildly.  In Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting, Grabhorn outlines practical, clear steps to help us tap into our feelings, so that we can begin living the abundant life that was truly meant to be ours. 

In our day to day lives, it’s easy to get bogged down in the weeds by negative or worrisome thoughts. In Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting, Grabhorn invites us to start paying attention to how we’re feeling on a day to day basis, sharing that, it is only once we get in touch with our feelings, that we can then begin to see how our feelings have either, positively or negatively, been affecting our everyday life. 

The first step that Grabhorn encourages us to take, is to identify what we are currently thinking about and the things that we don’t want.  From here, step two inspires us to identify what we DO want.  In step three, we begin to get into the feeeeeling place of what we DO want.  Step four, motivates us to expect, listen and allow it to happen.  Grabhorn shares that once we actively take these four steps, we begin to live our lives in a happier, higher vibration of energy. Because we are now operating from that higher place, we soon notice our “worries, concerns, doubts and fears slowly start to move from a constant ever-present little hum to an uncommon occurrence in a matter of weeks.”   We begin to feel more encouraged, we start to dream again, we go through our day feeling more optimistic, and ultimately we become more connected to our inner being and the world around us. From here, we begin to move into that happier, more content place – the place, that we were always meant to live in.   

Excuse Me Your Life is Waiting is available in both the Expanded Study Edition, as well as the regular edition, and can be found on Audible, Amazon and across all platforms.  

Magdalene Returns to the Screen. Tonight – at the Valletta Waterfront!

Screening this evening at the Valletta Waterfront is Magdalene.

I had the wonderful opportunity a few years back to play a deeply rich character in a 27 min short – set in a time period I love – the 1930s. Magdalene is a DGA and Emmy awarded short, directed by Rebecca Cremona and is about a former classical pianist who, to everyone else, looked like she was living “the American dream.” Only Magdalene knew the real truth of what her life had slowly become, and in a moment of clarity, she decides to make a choice to exit stage left with a lethal dose of Laudanum. Her plan however is interrupted … or is it?

So lovely to see that Magdalene is making her entrance once more and is screening this evening at the Valletta Waterfront as part of their Outdoor Cinema Nights Film Festival. I only wish I could be there in person.

Sending festival love to a film that will forever remain close to my heart – Magdalene.

YEARS by LaVyrle Spencer is Now on Audio! #historicalromance

 

I couldn’t be more excited to celebrate the audiobook release of YEARS  by LaVyrle Spencer, published by Tantor Audio. I absolutely love Spencer’s writing and her deep, rich characters moved me from laughter to tears on more than one occasion.

Set in 1918, amidst the beautiful and sometimes harrowing landscape of North Dakota, Spencer offers us an evocative glimpse into this time period and the people that called Alamo, North Dakota their home.

YEARS centers on a young feisty schoolteacher who won’t give up on her dream to educate, no matter the hardships she comes against, and the man she unwittingly falls in love with. A man who has long given up on love and instead pours his heart into the land he works, day in and day out. A push and pull begins to happen between these two spirited characters, as they fight against a love that will not be quieted …

YEARS is now available on Audible and at Amazon.com

 

Movie Magic at Intel Studios!

Had the best time last week filming at Intel Studios in their awesome volumetric dome. Equipped with 100+ cameras, Intel’s dome is the largest in the world and has the capability of  capturing scenes in 360 degrees. This project is truly a special one and I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of it!

I will share more as soon as I can… #staytuned #IntelStudios

N.I. – Official Selection at the San Jose International Short Film Festival!

Hello San Jose! Thrilled to learn that N.I. (Neo Intelligence) will be part of the official selection at the San Jose International Short Film Festival!

I had so much fun playing THE VOICE in this chilling short film directed by VFX Emmy nominated and award winning director, Sallyanne Massimini. The film stars Giorgia Whigham and David Meza and explores the idea of a new, more advanced form of Artificial Intelligence – one that could easily be assimilated into our modern day society.  One that moves beyond previous barriers to achieve the ultimate prize – the full integration of human emotions… This new form of intelligence … is called N.I.

Screening schedule to be announced in early September so stay tuned!

If you’d like to learn more about N.I., or to check out the film, please stop by our website at nishortfilm.com.

Two Nights, Two Shows – Only One New York!

 

A highlight from last month in beautiful New York was having the opportunity to see two fantastic productions playing on Broadway!

First – Shakespeare’s King Lear directed by Sam Gold – What an honor to see the legendary, Glenda Jackson, in the title role! I have followed Jackson’s brilliant career for as long as I can remember, so this was such a special treat to see her incredible performance as Lear opposite the extraordinary, Ruth Wilson. If you’re familiar with Shakespeare’s King Lear, you will no doubt remember the significant storm scene in Act Three, Scene One. Funny enough, on the way to the Cort Theatre this particular night, I was literally caught in a heavy downpour with flash flood warnings! My Lyft driver was trying not to panic as he was getting numerous alerts as to the impending flash floods. He confidently yelled back to me while en route – “Don’t worry – I know we’re in a storm but I’ll get you to the theatre on time!” I couldn’t help but smile as I thought to myself – well this really is the perfect weather in which to see King Lear. This show has now closed, however the wonderful memory of this evening and production, will definitely live on.

The second production I saw whilst in New York was HADESTOWN. I can’t even begin to express how much this show captivated my heart. From the stellar cast, to the incredible set, to the music to the staging – HADESTOWN truly took my breath away. Directed by Rachel Chavkin with Music, Lyrics and Book by Anaïs Mitchell, I remember being not even half way through the First Act, thinking – “Oh my gosh! I wish I had another night to see this show again.”  Winner of 8 Tony awards (including Best Musical!) with 14 nominations – Hadestown tells a version of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, where Orpheus goes to the underworld to rescue his fiancée Eurydice. Hades is played brilliantly by Patrick Page! Do go see Hadestown at the William Kerr Theatre if you’re in New York or are planning to visit. You’ll be so glad you did!

Until next time, New York…

 

Hit Show, Hit Man, Hit Up HBO for Barry!

img_3225_winkler-e1557182902264.jpgThis past Friday night at the Emmys / Television Academy​ was so much fun! HBO​ held a special FYC (for your consideration) event for the hit show, BARRY.

So much about this evening was incredible but what a special treat it was to get to meet the legendary, Henry Winkler!

The evening began with a sneak peek of Season 2 ep. 6, followed by a lively and fun panel discussion, moderated by Conan O’Brien, who was absolutely hilarious!  At one point during the Q & A, an audience member asked Winkler what would Arthur ‘Fonzie’ Fonzarelli say to Gene Cousineau if he was in Gene’s class. To our delight, Henry Winkler dropped into a perfect rendition of The Fonz – it was a GREAT moment!

In attendance was executive producer/writer/director and star of Barry, Bill Hader, Executive producer/writer/director, Alec Berg along with cast members – Henry Winkler (Gene Cousineau), Sarah Goldberg (Sally Reed) and Anthony Carrigan (NoHo Hank).  Afterwards the evening continued with a lovely reception, delicious food and great conversation!

If you haven’t seen BARRY on HBO​, do check it out! It’s such a great show! #hbo #barry #emmys #fyc

Two Films, Two Festivals!

N.I. and JE SUIS

Hello Texas and and New York! Here we come…

N.I. is a haunting short film that explores artificial intelligence and what it means to be human. It is also part of the 2019 official selection at the USA Film FestivalN.I. will be screening in the Narrative III Short Films Category this Saturday April 27th at 9:30pm. This gripping film comes from VFX Emmy nominated and award winning director, Sallyanne Massimini, and stars Giorgia Whigham and David Meza, with me rounding out the cast as…THE VOICE. This was such an exciting film to work on! If you’re in Dallas, come check us out! If you’re not, you can catch the film online.

Je Suis explores the myth that women can “have it all” as a woman struggles to balance work and family life. Je Suis is heading to the Blackbird Film Festival as part of the 2019 Official Selection and will screen on Sunday, April 28th in Block K  from 3:00pm – 4:30pm as part of the Dramatic Action Shorts category. If you’re in the Cortland, New York area, please stop by and check us out! Je Suis is written and directed by Faith Strongheart and has enjoyed an incredible festival run. Congrats to our entire cast & crew!

It has been such a joy and honor to work on both of these thought-provoking films. And so exciting to see them making the rounds on the festival circuit. I just wish I could be in both Dallas and New York this weekend…