Fleabag

I have to admit that until her name came up as a possibility for the role of the thirteenth incarnation of The Doctor on "Doctor Who," I had never heard of Phoebe Waller-Bridge.  She's apparently an award-winning playwright as well as an actress, but I didn't know.  Neither she nor the other favorite Kris Marshall of Love Actually, got the role, it going instead to Jodie Whittaker.  We'll have to wait until at least Christmas to see how that goes.

Back on track I was surprised to see Phoebe's name again recently as I was browsing Amazon Prime.  She is the star and writer of a show called "Fleabag."  The ongoing saga of a young single woman in London as she tries to make her way through life after the death of her best friend might not sound like anything special, but Waller-Bridge makes it work wonderfully. 

As the title character, Phoebe's dry sarcastic wit, self-deprecating humor, and breaking of the fourth wall bring this series to a level above most sitcom dramas.  The characters, situations, and problems are all very real, her caustic wit severing them all with precision.  It feels like the later meaner seasons of "Seinfeld" and the earlier more earnest seasons of "Girls," mixed with "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "I'm Sorry," with just a touch of Britcom sensibility and "Sex and the City."  Yeah, all that. 

I love this show, so funny, so clever, and so tragic.  My mind reels to wonder what she would have been like as The Doctor.  Perhaps someday we'll see, until then we have "Fleabag," definitely recommended. 

Sigmund and the Sea Monsters

I remember when the original show of "Sigmund and the Sea Monsters" aired, not the first episode, but the preview for NBC's new Saturday morning line-up the Friday night before it officially debuted.  I don't just miss Saturday morning kids TV, but also those preview specials, both for the kids shows and the prime time line-ups as well.  I watched the preview and I watched the first episode the next morning, along with the first version of "Super Friends" and the animated "Star Trek."

And yeah, I watched Sigmund regularly, probably mostly because everyone else did - it was popular.  Comics were twenty cents a piece, you could ride your banana seat bike just about everywhere, and "Delta Dawn" and "Brother Louie" were on the AM radio all day, why not watch Sigmund?  It was wild and vivid (I can't say colorful, we didn't have a color TV yet), and even though we weren't old enough to know about drugs yet, we knew the guys who came up with this stuff were a bit out of their heads. 

The premise of the show, developed by Sid and Marty Krofft, the then-kings of live-action Saturday morning, who swear no drugs were involved in any of their shows, was that two boys had found a sea monster at the beach and kept him in their clubhouse, hilarity ensues.  In the title role was Billy Barty in a leafy seaweed covered rubber suit, supported by Johnny and Scott, having misadventures running from Sigmund's family while the boys kept him a secret from their domineering housekeeper (the parents never seemed to be around). 

Beyond its popularity, I might have also watched because of lead actor Johnny Whittaker.  As Jody on "Family Affair," he was a kid of roughly the same age growing up just like us.  The show had its moments, especially in the all the puns of the sea monster world.  They watched shellavision, and Sigmund's father was a bit of an Archie Bunker type, good fun. 

The show had its flaws as well in the boys' absentee parents, the weird genie character Rip Taylor played in the last season, and Johnny Whittaker trying start a singing career.  I guess he thought if the Patridges and the Bradys could do it, so could he.  The show lasted three seasons then fell into the obscurity of syndication. 

Sigmund lives on in the memories of those who watched however, my wife among them.  The Bride is a huge Sid and Marty Krofft fan.  We own all of their varied TV projects, on VHS, and DVD.  I know hardcore.  The popularity beyond the 1970s and Saturday morning are probably what spurred Amazon to produce a reboot.  The first episode is available now, with more to come. 

The new series has essentially the same premise.  The kids have a Disney channel vibe, David Arquette plays a creepy sea captain who believes in sea monsters, and the monsters themselves have been given a bit of an upgrade, slightly.  Let's face it they still look like rubber suits, but with a bit more life and more abilities.  Johnny Whittaker, looking every bit of four decades wear, even makes a cameo.  And to be honest, Arquette's not looking so great either. 

Like the original, it's not bad, and it's probably doing just what Amazon hoped it would - be great for fans of the 1970s version who are now sharing it with another generation.  Even The Bride didn't mind it, wanting to see another episode before giving a final opinion.  I kinda dug it.  What did you all think who've seen it? 

Sneaky Pete

This Amazon original starring Giovanni Ribisi is a prime example of how not only has the way we watch television has changed, but so has the way it's made. "Sneaky Pete" has Ribisi doing his best Aaron Paul as a con man in a small town of seeming innocents, and feels like more of a long episodic movie than a series. 

Those who follow my reviews of "The Flash," "Arrow," "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," and even the last few seasons of "Doctor Who" know that these days the subplot and overarching story are far more important than any individual episode's A plot. In an age when David Lynch says that "Twin Peaks: The Return" is an eighteen-hour movie and not a TV series, this is pretty much standard operation. 

I found "Sneaky Pete" to be much the same.  The episodes, stories, and performances are compelling, but it was the subplots, the character bits, and the long game where the real meat was.  This was a single day's binge, ten roughly one hour episodes, that's how good this show was. 

The premise revolves around con man Marius, played by Ribisi, who is getting out of prison long before his oversharing and talkative cellmate Pete.  This Pete descriptively paints a warm and receptive picture of a loving family and home he hasn't seen in decades, with a jackpot to be had as well.  So when Marius gets out, needing a place to hide, he steals Pete's identity. 

The reason Marius is on the run? He got himself arrested to escape the wrath of gangster Vince, who wants his money back or he'll kill Marius' brother.  Vince is chillingly played by executive producer Bryan Cranston, using every bit of evil he never fully showed in "Breaking Bad."  If you ever wanted full-on hardcore Heisenberg, here he is. 

The series has been renewed for a second season on Amazon, so catch up while you can, it's well worth it, recommended.

Bosch

I never would have believed it when I first got my Kindle Fire, but it's true. Amazon Prime has been a wonderful source of quality entertainment. Amazon, like Netflix, is producing some amazing television. One of these is "Bosch."

Based on the Harry Bosch book series by Michael Connelly about a homicide detective in Los Angeles, this Amazon TV series is overseen by both Connelly and one of the folks behind one of the best shows ever done for television - "The Wire" - Eric Overmyer. I've never read any of the Bosch novels (but now I will), but with just Overmyer's name I was sold on this.

The story is pulled from several of Connelly's Bosch books and is very rough and slick at once, a police procedural that doesn't feel like a police procedural. It has qualities of both the aforementioned "Wire" and HBO's "True Detective." Yeah, it's that good, and folks who know me know that I do not heap praise like that lightly.

Titus Welliver, a character actor perhaps best known for playing the Man in Black on "Lost," brings Harry Bosch to life in the first season, which pulls storylines from three different novels. Welliver is surrounded by an excellent ensemble cast in this series more focused on storytelling than the characters. I dug this a lot, and cannot wait for the second season. Check it out.

Betas

Yeah, so I have a new Kindle Fire, and instead of doing something useful like reading books, I've been binge-watching Amazon Prime with my free 30 days that came with it. I watched "Transparent," and "The Man in the High Castle," and most recently "Betas."

At first glance, less than ten minutes in, "Betas" appears to be a poor man's version of HBO's "Silicon Valley," just without the laughs. That just goes to show you how wrong first impressions can be. This show is great, and funny, and has as much in common with "Silicon Valley" as "Breaking Bad" has with "Weeds," yeah, two completely different shows.

The premise has a quirky group of young app developers trying to get their start-up off the ground. Unlike "Silicon," you not only get to know the characters, you feel for them and root for them. Subtle difference, but an important one. I really dig this series, but unfortunately Amazon has chosen not to grant a second season - a mistake as far as I'm concerned. I think I'd rather see this than some of the other shows up for this Pilot Season. Check it out, and decide for yourself.

The Man in the High Castle

Based on the 1960s novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, this is the pilot for an Amazon Prime series that happens on an alternate world where the Axis powers won World War II.

In this world, Franklin Delano Roosevelt was assassinated in the 1930s before pulling the United States out of the Depression. Presidents that followed pursued an isolationist stance in world events, and the US was therefore unprepared for the crippling blow at Pearl Harbor. At the end of a prolonged war, the once powerful US is now divided into three puppet nations under the control of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. In this new timeline these two empires engage in a familiar yet more dangerous nuclear Cold War.

As the Fuhrer is dying and the power struggle to fill the void promises an oncoming American war between Germany and Japan, the pilot follows a handful of characters as they navigate this alternate political landscape. Complicating matters is a film called "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy," which depicts a World War II occurring as we know it, whether it's trick photography or an actual newsreel is left up in the air in this pilot.

"The Man in the High Castle" is a streamlined version of a very complicated book, with a few subtle twists not present in the source material. It sets itself up as an enthralling political thriller albeit taking place in a sinister yet fascinating parallel world. I hope it does well in Amazon's pilot season because I'd like to see more.

Transparent

I recently got a Kindle Fire, and along with it, a free thirty day subscription to Amazon Prime, so I immediately took advantage of it and sat down to binge watch "Transparent."

The series had gotten quite a bit of recent buzz with its Golden Globe nominations, but I knew it from hearing its star, veteran character actor Jeffrey Tambor, interviewed on the Satellite Radio circuit quite a few months back when the show first took off. I was intrigued, and looking forward to a chance to see it, and I'm glad I finally did.

On the surface the series is about Tambor's Morty/Maura who has lived an entire lifetime with a transgender secret, finally deciding to come out to family, and the world. Maura's journey is brave and sad and inspirational, but as I said, it's on the surface, and not really what the show is about when you get right down to the nitty gritty.

"Transparent" is about secrets, and the prices paid by keeping them. Maura's coming out affects each of her three children distinctly, making them examine their own lives and their own secrets, and how her secret has impacted them growing up as well as in the present. The show has an amazing ensemble cast including standouts Gabby Hoffman, Amy Landecker, Judith Light, and of course Tambor.

As I said, I'm glad I finally got to see "Transparent" but sorry I waited so long. Don't wait. This is very good television, and well worth paying for.

Words in My Head by Zhäriya' Amani

Zhäriya' Amani's book of poetry, Words in My Head, is now live from Mad Writer Publishing. Zhäriya' Amani is a very talented tenth grader who has been writing for three years. She's been published in Stars in Our Heart: Symbols by Word Poetry Movement, and is a resident of Camden NJ. The book, Words in My Head, is a compilation of eighteen select pieces from the poet. Cover design by Kahlil Weston and Eric Jackson. It can be purchased at Amazon here.

A launch party for the book will be held at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Camden NJ on Saturday, July 12th, from 6:30 PM to 10:30 PM. Come out and show your support! $10 for admission and food, $15 for admission, food, and an autographed book. There will be food, drinks, great music, raffles, special performances, a sneak-peak, and plenty of copies there to buy. Come out and meet this bright young talent!

Roof Oasis by Marie Gilbert

Marie Gilbert is a dear friend, and one of the most beloved members of the South Jersey Writers' Group. She has been instrumental in the birth and maintenance of the South Jersey Writers' Group Blog, as well as being one of the biggest boosters and sellers of the SJWG anthology Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, in which her craft is also featured.

You've also seen her work at Biff Bam Pop! every week. There the Steampunk Granny regularly reviews cool stuff like episode by episode recaps of "The Walking Dead," "Bates Motel," "True Blood," and "Orphan Black" among others.

Marie also writes for Go Jane News, her interviews and ghost investigations are top notch, and has aided me in several blog tours. Her enthusiasm is contagious and she is an inspiration to us all. Marie rocks, and we love her, but now we have an extra special reason to be proud of our Steampunk Granny - she's now a published novelist.

Let me tell you all about Roof Oasis. Marie Gilbert's first novel is the tale of twins Michael and Lucy caught in a world devastated by bio-warfare that has inadvertently created zombies. As the hordes of the seemingly undead close in, the twins find that their only salvation may lie within a Victorian mirror hidden in the attic of their family home. You can read more about the novel here.

Roof Oasis: An Apocalyptic Tale (Volume 1), by Marie Gilbert, is available as a paperback from Amazon here and also on Kindle. The cover design and illustration is by friend and fellow SJWG member Shelley Szajner. Details about the upcoming book release party in June can be found here. Check out this great new novel by this terrific author.

The South Jersey Writers' Group 2014 Anthology

Welcome to the South Jersey Writers' Group!

About the Group

The South Jersey Writers' Group, founded in 2006, provides networking and development opportunities for local writers in the South Jersey/Philadelphia area. The group meets regularly several times during the month for topic-based discussion about the craft of writing and the publishing industry.

The group welcomes writers of all ages, backgrounds, genres, and experience levels. Among the events offered by the group are Write-Ins, Topic Discussions, Critique Sessions, Book Signings, Author Appearances, and Blogfests. For more information on the group, visit the website, Like them on Facebook or Follow them on Twitter.

The Next Big Adventure

In December 2012, the group published their first short story anthology, Tall Tales and Short Stories from South Jersey, which is available in paperback on Amazon, select local coffee shops, and other vendors. The book was a labor of love, but it's highly entertaining and showcases the diversity of our writers. It turned out to be a neat little book, and for being such a hyper-local focus, sales are still going really well, and it has generated a lot of interest in the literary community of South Jersey.

Now we're planning the next one, taking the lessons learned and building on success. The 2014 Anthology will feature longer, more intricate stories, aligned along a theme or within a genre. With the support of our backers, we'll be able to pay the authors and designers for their talents and skills.

We are doing this through Kickstarter, a terrific way to raise money for creative projects and also offer great incentives to those who donate. We are trying to raise $3000 by June 23. The details are here, along with the many incentives available depending on the amount of your donation.



Upcoming Book Signings

July 13 at Book Asylum in Blackwood NJ, 12-3 PM

September 14 at Authors on the Greene in Smithville NJ 11 AM - 5 PM

October 5 at the Collingswood Book Festival in Collingswood, look for our table.

November 2 at Bogart's Books & Cafe in Millville NJ 10:30 AM - 2 PM

Please see our schedule for added events and details.

Now Accepting New Members

The South Jersey Writers' Group is accepting new members through the end of June. The special discounted fee for half-year membership is $15, and then will be closed until October. Act now!

Contact Info

Amy Hollinger

Marie Gilbert

southjerseywriters@gmail.com

www.southjerseywriters.com

Mind Slices by Kevin R. Tipple

Kevin R. Tipple is a dear friend, or at least as good a friend as one can have online. That said, he's a good man, a great book reviewer, a terrific writer, and a wonderful fount of writing knowledge. We've known each other for years, and have supported each other in various projects over that time. Now Kevin has released a short story collection, Mind Slices.

The collection offers a glimpse into the mind of the man. Having read sadly very little of his fiction before, I was a bit surprised. Kevin's got a bit of a weird streak, and I like it. His twists are unexpected and fun, as well as edgy. The man is a hell of a writer, I'm in awe.

Much of the collection is previously published elsewhere, but there's also quite a bit of new flash fiction that is quite good, and that's not a form I usually like. One of my favorite parts of the book is the individual introductions to each story. I first fell in love with short stories under the pen of Harlan Ellison, and this was one of his practices - and this brought me back.

All that said, I loved Mind Slices, and not just because Kevin's my friend. Seriously that has nothing to do with it. On the contrary, being a friend means I'd really give it to him if it sucked, but this was really good.

Mind Slices can be found on Amazon and on Smashwords, check it out, highly recommended.

You can find Kevin at his website, his blog, and on the Twitter as well.

Pies and Prejudice

From my friend C.L. on the Facebook: "My thoughts and prayers are with Jennifer Stanley aka Ellery Adams. She lost her sister-in-law to complications following a C-section earlier today. She is a great writer and this is the first in her new Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery series. She will be too busy with family to promote her new book, so her friends are trying to get the word out. You can help by asking for it at your local library or ordering from your favorite book store."

Here's the official description for Pies and Prejudice: "When the going gets tough, Ella Mae LaFaye bakes pies. So when she catches her husband cheating in New York, she heads back home to Havenwood, Georgia, where she can drown her sorrows in fresh fruit filling and flakey crust. But her pies aren't just delicious. They're having magical effects on the people who eat them--and the public is hungry for more.

"Discovering her hidden talent for enchantment, Ella Mae makes her own wish come true by opening the Charmed Pie Shoppe. But with her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor making trouble, and her old crush Hugh Dylan making nice, she has more than pie on her plate. and when Loralyn's fiancé is found dead--killed with Ella Mae's rolling pin--it'll take all her sweet magic to clear her name."



Pies and Prejudice is available at your local bookstore, or at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Bio from her website: "Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children's books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia."

The Hungry Heart Stories Blog Tour

Welcome to The Hungry Heart Stories Blog Tour. For the next eleven days, various blogs across the internet will be talking about THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES and talking with author Fran Metzman, and it all starts right here.

THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES is a short story collection that deals with the universal search to fill a void. Fran Metzman, co-author of UGLY COOKIES, serves up a plate of quirky and disparate characters in these captivating stories. A grieving husband in the darkly funny Right Seasoning conjures up his deceased wife's presence in the beloved kitchen they once shared. From My Inheritance that tells of a grown daughter, trying to find the love and peace she has always craved with her dying mother to Getting Closer, the story of a woman left with the violent legacy of food that defined her life - we find the characters reaching the low points and triumphs of human emotions. Particularly poignant is the story, The Reunion, about a woman born into poverty who reaches the pinnacle of success but with questionable sacrifice.

Each of the twelve stories and one essay incorporates food as a means to some end or fulfillment. In Metzman’s sure hand we get these fully realized worlds, leavened with passion and sprinkled with humor. THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and from the publisher Wilderness House Press.

I've known Fran for a long time, more than a decade actually. We met at her writing workshops at Borders Books in Marlton with the writers group that soon became known as Rainy Tuesdays, and still meet on a weekly basis for critiques and writing discussion. She knows her stuff, especially writing, and has taught me so much, and folks who know me know I can't be taught easily. Today I consider Fran a mentor, a fellow writer, and most of all a friend. Simply put, she rocks.

And THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES is a book that rocks too. And I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it, not even for a friend. Over the next eleven days you will get to know Fran better and learn more about this short story collection, so sit back and enjoy the ride.

I also want to say a few words about the wonderful lady writers who are helping me with this project. From Robin whom I've known since high school and is also a fantastic musician, to Shelley who writes great young adult fantasy, to Becca who I know from The Writer's Chatroom and my online group Writer Circle, to all the terrific women in the South Jersey Writers - they are all fabulous writers, and you should not just check out their blogs on the days of the blog tour, but every day as well. Always great content from great writers. Don't forget to comment on everyone's blogs and make new friends!

Here are the stops for THE HUNGRY HEART STORIES Blog Tour:

Tuesday, February 14th
"Writing - Art - Metaphysics" by Shelley Szajner

Wednesday, February 15th
"BeccaButcher's Blog" by Becca Butcher

Thursday, February 16th
"Gilbert Curiosities" by Marie Gilbert

Friday, February 17th
"The Author-in-Training" by Mieke Zamora-Mackay

Saturday, February 18th
"A Reference of Writing Rants for Writers or "Learn from My Mistakes"" by Jennifer M. Eaton

Sunday, February 19th
The Tour makes a return trip to Marie's blog

Monday, February 20th
And then the Tour makes a return stop at Becca's blog

Tuesday, February 21st
"The Dream Between" by Robin Renee

Wednesday, February 22nd
"Literary Debauchery" by Krista Magrowski

Thursday, February 23rd
Finally we return here to Welcome to Hell for the close of the Tour.

Everybody ready to roll? Let's do this! See you tomorrow at Shelley's blog!

Author Susan Tepper on Tour

Author, poet and essayist Susan Tepper is touring to promote her new short story collection "Deer & Other Stories" from Wilderness House Press, where all of the tales within are tied together by the enigmatic appearance of a deer.

She'll be appearing on September 21st at the Grub Street Fiction Workshop in Boston, MA at Grub Street, 160 Boyston Street, at 7 PM.

On September 22nd, Susan will Doug Holder's live guest on "Poet to Poet" at 5 PM on Somerville Community Access Television, in Somerville, MA.

October 6th, at Watchung Booksellers, Watchung Plaza, Montclair, NJ at 7:30 PM.

October 9th, at the KGB Bar, 85 East 4th Street in New York City at 7 PM.

Then Susan comes down to Philadelphia on October 14th to Borders Books at 1 South Broad Street, at 12:30 PM.

Later that day at 7 PM, author Fran Metzman joins Susan for a Publishing Workshop at famous Robin's Bookstore, 110A South 13th Street, also in Philly.

Check out Susan Tepper's website here, and buy "Deer & Other Stories" at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes, by Fredric Joss Shelley

"Even when you follow the rules you've set on yourself, you have no idea who you will eventually fall for or why those rules no longer apply."

Jack Bradley has lived a life of order - from neatly arranged sock drawers to alphabetically-memorized shopping lists. Even his chance encounters with "would-be princes" happen to be occurring in alphabetical order. First Aaron, then Ben, and so on...

This is the story of one bachelor with twenty-six possibilities, from A to Z.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes is a heartwarming novel about wanting to hold on and learning to let go; looking for love and allowing love to find you; and figuring out the rules and knowing when to break them. With the help of enduring friendships and a few random guiding voices, Jack learns to navigate his way through the alphabetical list in the hopes of finding his prince and a happily-ever-after to call his own. This inventive, inspiring tale will take you on an unforgettable journey full of amorous pursuits, zinger-spouting friends, and all the letters in between.

The Alphabetical List of Would-Be Princes

Get it at Lulu and Amazon.

Sticky Wicket 3: Watkins' Finest Inning

The final volume of friend and writer Ewart Rouse's "Sticky Wicket" trilogy has just been released.

The new book, "Watkins' Finest Inning" is about a ragtag band of cricket players from former British Commonwealth countries who seek, against the odds, to take the game of their youth mainstream in America.

The first two volumes, "Watkins at Bat" and "Watkins Fights Back" are both highly recommended and available from LMH Publishing. "Watkins' Finest Inning" can be purchased from Amazon here.


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