Movie Feature THE STREAM In Support Of Boys & Girls Clubs Of America - Interview With Robert Petril

THE STREAM, a family 'coming-of-age' comedy

I have recently had the pleasure to sit down for a chat with Robert Petril, Production Designer of the upcoming  feature film “The Stream”. Robert, a Philadelphia native, furniture, commercial space, and production designer, shared with us some very exciting news  (and behind the scenes pictures) about the launch of this coming-of-age family comedy produced by the Dreaming Tree Foundation, written by Colin Costello, and directed by Estlin Feigley. Regal Cinemas announced today that “The Stream”, a unique family movie benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, starring Mario Lopez (EXTRA, X-Factor), Kelly Rutherford (Gossip Girl), Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs), and Rainn Wilson (The Office, Super, Six Feet Under),  will be released in select theaters across the nation on October 18, 2013.  

Actress Kelly Rutherford and set designer Robert Petril

Set in 1981, “The Stream” follows the story of five friends who embark on an epic adventure. All they have to do is follow The Stream and back. With Mom (Kelly Rutherford) gone for four hours, what could possibly go wrong? Encountering bullies, mystical creatures, and a nasty storm, the five kids will need the force of their friendship to prevail.

Director Estlin Feigley with one of the actors

Q. Robert, why is this movie project so important and noteworthy?

A. “The Stream” was produced by Dreaming Tree Foundation in  partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, and will directly benefit the charity with over 80% of producer proceeds from the theatrical release and DVD distribution, going directly to BGCA to support their kids and youth education programs. Additionally, about two-hundred kids from Boys & Girls Clubs around the country received the unique opportunity to work behind the camera or in the editing bay. Working with all these kids, including my 9 year old son Marco, truly was an amazing experience.

Behind the scene with director and Boys & Girls Clubs Of America

Q. What role did you exactly cover in this project?

A.  My role was to turn multiple rooms, interiors, and outdoor spaces back to 1981. A challenging task, but one I feel my age gave me an advantage.  I was a teenager myself during the period of this story. My memories of my own and my friends’ houses in the early 80's were burned deep into my brain. Let's just say...the design sensibilities of that time were not the most alluring. We're talking the age of brown paneling! One of the most challenging tasks was to find cars in use during that time period. 

Actors Christian Gorham and Kelly Rutherford on set

Q. How can the audience give a contribution to the BGCA’s philanthropic  effort?

A. Over 7,000 American teenagers drop out of school daily, resulting in some 1,200,000 students each year  who won’t graduate with their class. “The Stream” benefiting Boys & Girls Clubs Of America hopes to change that. Just buying a movie ticket you can give a significant contribution to the charity and make a difference in the lives of millions of kids. 

Behind the scene of the movie THE STREAM

Q. It’s great to see celebrities such as Christopher Gorham, Mario Lopez, Kelly Rutherford, and Reinn Wilson stepping up to the plate and playing main roles in this family comedy. Did you have the chance to work side by side with the movie ‘stars’ during the shootings?

A. I worked on set mainly with Kelly Rutherford and Christopher Gorham. They play the role of parents of one of the five kid protagonists of the story. Two extremely down-to-earth people, talented and highly committed to the BGCA’s cause. Mario Lopez, who plays the father of one of the characters involved in this epic adventure,  is a BGCA Alumn and Advocate. As he stated in our press release, this cause is very dear to his heart as he would not be where he is today if it wasn’t for this foundation’s help.

Set producer assistant and actor Mario Lopez

Q. Are there any other partners involved in this philanhtropic project?

A. Yes, there are. Program partners include presenters AT&T and Taco Bell Foundation For Teens, with additional support from Best Buy, ITW, Exelon, Shure Incorporated and Century 21, all of whom sponsored the film program because of their commitment to America’s youth.

Behind the scene with actors Christian Gorham and Kelly Rutherford

Q. Robert, can you give us some details about the premiere events?

A. The theatrical release exclusively in Regal Cinemas will be launched by two ‘blue-carpet premiere events’ to celebrate the mission (and colors) of the Boys & Girls Clubs Of America. Premieres will be at Regal Union Square Stadium 14 (New York) on October 15^th, and Regal L.A. Live Stadium 14 (Los Angeles) on October 16^th , with the celebrity actors and BGCA teen-filmmakers in attendance at both events. For further details, I would invite you to visit “TheStream” movie , Robert Petril “Design On The Edge”, and the Dreaming ThreeFoundation websites.

Behind the Scene with actor Riann Wilson

Q. Can you share with us a list of theaters where “The Stream” will premiere on October 18^th?

New York: UA Kaufman Astoria, Queens, NY (matinees only)

New York: Regal New Roc 18, New Rochelle, NY (matinees only)

Chicago: Round Lake 18

Chicago: Cantera 17 (Warrenville)

Chicago: (city of north suburbs); specific theaters tba (matinees only)

Philadelphia: Peoples Plaza 17

Philadelphia: Riverview 17

Philadelphia: Washington Township 14

Boston: Solomon Pond 15

Los Angeles: Long Beach 26

Orange County: Irvine Spectrum 21

Oakland: Emery Bay 10

San Diego: Parkway Plaza 18, El Cajon

Washington DC: Majestic 20, Silver Springs

Baltimore: Snowden Square 14, Columbia

Atlanta: Hollywood 20, Chamblee

Atlanta: Atlantic Station (matinees only)

Minneapolis: Brooklyn Center 20

Denver: Colorado Mills 16

Dallas: UA Grand Prairie, TX (matinees only)

Actor Christian Gorham on the set of THE STREAM movie

Thank you for your time and insights, Robert.  Take your kids to the movies for a great cause! Regal Cinemas premieres “The Stream” on October 18^th , a family comedy benefiting the Boys & Girls Clubs Of America. For up-to-date information about the movie and details regarding the BGCA charity, visit “The Stream”, the Dreaming Tree Foundation, the Boys & Girls Clubs Of America, and Robert Petril “Design On The Edge”.

Behind the scene of THE STREAM

Coming to theaters October 18th, nationwide. DON'T MISS IT!!! Help and the BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF AMERICA. 

Q&A With Carla Neggers, Author Of DECLAN'S CROSS

Please welcome the queen of the romantic suspense novel, Carla Neggers, author of almost 70 novels, including Heron's Cove, Saint's Gate, That Night On Thistle Lane, and Secrets Of The Lost Summer. Her books have been published in more than 30 countries and praised as "a breathtaking reading experience" (Providence Journal), "gripping and suspenseful" (Nashua Telegraph), "outstanding" (USA TODAY), and "compelling" (RT Books Reviews). Today, the New York Times bestselling and prolific author is on Mina's Bookshelf to talk about her recent release, Declan's Cross, third installment of the acclaimed Sharpe & Donovan series (August 27th 2013, Harlequin MIRA).

Q. Welcome, Carla. Tell us a little bit about your latest release, DECLAN'S CROSS (Sharpe & Donovan #3)?

A. I loved writing this book! I know I always say that, but DECLAN’S CROSS is set (mostly) in Ireland, one of my favorite places. FBI agents Emma Sharpe, an art crimes expert, and Colin Donovan, a deep-cover operative, are in Ireland to decompress and get to know each other better. It’s November, cold, dark, wet, totally romantic. Toward the end of their stay, they get word that Julianne Maroney, a marine biologist from Colin’s hometown in Maine, is on her way to the tiny Irish village of Declan’s Cross. Alarm bells go off for the two agents. Of all the Irish villages Julianne could visit, why Declan’s Cross? It’s where an elusive, daring art thief first struck ten years ago. When Julianne’s new friend disappears, Emma and Colin are drawn into a deadly race to find a killer. 

Q. Where do you do most of your writing? Do you have a certain place that inspires you most?

A. I do most of my writing in my office at our house on our hilltop in Vermont. I look out at a huge old maple tree on the edge of the woods. Great view when I need to think! But I don’t stay in my office. I migrate to other parts of the house, local cafes…and Ireland. Ireland is an incredible place to write. 

Q. Your books have been described as being very down-to-earth. Do you think your strong sense of roots and your big family have something to do with that?

A. No doubt! Having six brothers and sisters helps keep me grounded. We grew up in rural New England but our father was Dutch – he’d been a sailor – and our mother is from the Florida Panhandle. Imagining their lives before we were born, in such different places, fueled my imagination. My Dutch cousin Christine and I were pen-pals as kids. I used to try to picture her life in Holland. We finally met as adults when I visited her in her pretty Dutch village, not unlike the one I’d imagined for her. “Roots” don’t necessarily involve people down the street! 

Q. With more than 60 novels published, how do you come up with new and compelling stories that capture your readers’ attention?

A. I always have ideas. It’s why I write! Not every idea turns into a book – sometimes it’ll spark a scene or just drift away – but I always have characters, scenes and plots simmering. It’s just the way I’m wired. 

(Photo Credit: Julie Ireland)

About the author
Carla Neggers has been spinning stories ever since she climbed a tree with pad and pen at age eleven. Now she is the New York Times bestselling author of almost 70 novels, with millions of books sold in over 30 countries. Her popular Sharpe & Donovan romantic suspense series featuring FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan launched with Saint’s Gate in 2011 and has been praised as “a breathtaking reading experience” (Providence Journal) and “gripping and suspenseful” (Nashua Telegraph). In 2012, her Swift River Valley series debuted with Secrets Of The Lost Summer, which garnered a starred review from Booklist, a Top Pick from RT Book Reviews, and shot onto the New York Times, USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. Growing up in rural Massachusetts with a Dutch father, a Southern mother and six brothers and sisters, Carla developed an eye for detail and a love of a good story. Her imagination, curiosity and sense of adventure are key to creating the complex relationships, fast-paced plots and deep sense of place in her books. When she isn’t writing, Carla loves to travel, hike, garden and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband, Joe, are frequent travelers to Ireland and divide their time between Boston and their hilltop home in Vermont, not far from Quechee Gorge. To know more about Carla, please visit her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Amazon pages. 

About the book
An escape to an idyllic Irish seaside village is about to turn deadly in this riveting new novel by master of romantic suspense Carla Neggers. For marine biologist Julianne Maroney, two weeks in tiny Declan's Cross on the south Irish coast is a chance to heal her broken heart. She doesn't expect to attract the attention of FBI agents Emma Sharpe and Colin Donovan—especially since a Donovan is the reason for her broken heart. Emma and Colin are in Ireland for their own personal retreat. Colin knows he's a reminder of everything Julianne wants to escape, but something about her trip raises his suspicion. Emma, an art crimes expert, is also on edge. Of all the Irish villages Julianne could choose…why Declan's Cross? Ten years ago, a thief slipped into a mansion in Declan's Cross. Emma's grandfather, a renowned art detective, investigated, but the art stolen that night has never been recovered and the elusive thief never caught. From the moment Julianne sets foot on Irish soil, everything goes wrong. The well-connected American diver who invited her to Ireland has disappeared. And now Emma and Colin are in Declan's Cross asking questions. As a dark conspiracy unfolds amid the breathtaking scenery of Declan's Cross, the race is on to stop a ruthless killer…and the stakes have never been more personal for Emma and Colin. (Goodreads)

                                                             

THE LAST CAMELLIA by Sarah Jio: #GIVEAWAY

THE LAST CAMELLIA

Author: Sarah Jio

Release Date: May 28, 2013

Publisher: Plume (Penguin Group)

Edition: paperback, 306 pages

Genre:historical, contemporary, women's fiction, mystery, thriller, romance

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"Terrific … compelling … an intoxicating blend of mystery, history and romance, this book is hard to put down." --Real Simple

On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate? (Goodreads)

GIVEAWAY

 

Not ONE, not TWO, not THREE, but FOUR PRINT COPIES of The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio are up for grabs on Mina's Bookshelf!!! Four copies, four winners: become a blog follower and let me know what's your favorite flower leaving a message in the comment section. Don't forget to include your email address! The contest is open to US residents only. Good luck!

                                                             

THE ANGEL STONE by Juliet Dark (ARC #review)

THE ANGEL STONE (Fairwick Chronicles #3)

Author: Juliet Dark aka Carol Goodman

Published September 3, 2013 by Ballantine Books

Format: ebook, 320 pages

Genre: fantasy, paranormal, urban fantasy, romance novel, witches, fairies, demons

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

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"The strongst protection a witch can give anyone is the mantle of her love."

Blurb - For Callie McFay, a half-witch/half-fey professor of folklore and Gothic literature, the fight to save the enchanted town of Fairwick, New York, is far from over. After a hostile takeover by the Grove—a sinister group of witches and their cohorts—many of the local fey have been banished or killed, including Callie’s one true love. And in place of the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the new administration at Fairwick College has fostered an air of danger and distrust. With her unique magical abilities, Callie is the only one who can rescue her friends from exile and restore order to the school—a task that requires her to find the Angel Stone, a legendary talisman of immense power. Propelled on an extraordinary quest back to seventeenth-century Scotland, Callie risks her life to obtain the stone. Yet when she encounters a sexy incarnation of her lost love, she finds the greater risk is to her heart. As the fate of Fairwick hangs in the balance, Callie must make a wrenching choice: reclaim a chance for eternal passion or save everything she holds dear.

My review - Welcome to Fairwick College, a picturesque academic community located in a secluded area of upstate New York. Populated by a crowd of otherwordly creatures, disguised as humans and perfectly blended in the charming environment of a college town, Fairwick offers the best of Northern European folklore and fae mythology. 

In The Angel Stone , cross-genre novel and final installment in The Fairwick Trilogy (penned by literary fiction author Carol Goodman under the pseudonym of Juliet Dark), Gothic and paranormal elements, folk traditions and literary references give shape to a fantasy world richly conceived, vividly portrayed, and laced with an alluring dose of romantic flavor. Fairies and witches, vampires and goblins, demon lovers and nephilims, wizards and other mythical beings trapped in the 'shadow land' between humans and Fairy World, are involved in an epic fight for the control of the passages connecting the two realms. Torn between loyalty to her community and undying love for her own incubus, Callie McFay, a fairy/witch hybrid and only surviving doorkeeper of the Fae World, will need to travel back in time to a 17th century Scotland to recover an amulet (the Angel Stone) that can protect her people from the nephilims' aggression. While rescuing faes and humans from the tiranny of the fallen angels, Callie will find in her ancestral history an even more powerful talisman and a way to reconnect with her true love, once and for all.

I wholeheartedly recommend The Fairwick Chronicles, with a warning: it would be a good idea to approach this highly imaginative trilogy starting with its previous installments. As cosmology, plot threads, and characters' back-stories are inextricably entwined and arc back to the prequel The Demon Lover (read my review here) and to transition episode The Water Witch, The Angel Stone doesn't really work as a stand-alone. Although the author provides her readers with a nutshell summary and sparse references to some pivotal facts concerning world-building and characters' back-story, only an ordered narrative framework can enhance your enjoyment and connection to cast and storyline. 

Although the romantic element doesn't unfold with the same intensity and sensual charge of the previous books, the relationship between Callie and the different human incarnations of her demon lover finds its gratifying fulfillment in this ultra-sweet finale. With an abundance of fairy lore, pagan traditions, and references to ancient rituals performed in occasion of the winter solstice, The Angel Stone is a perfect Halloween read.


***ARC Netgalley generously provided by the publisher in exchange of an unbiased and honest opinion

 

                                                                 

YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING! The Cultural Arsonist's Reading Of The Bible by Joe Wenke

YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING! The Cultural Arsonist's Reading Of The Bible
Author: Joe Wenke
Publisher: Trans Über LLC
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Paperback, 206 pages
Genre: non-fiction, humor, religion
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
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"...Cultural Arsonist, a person dedicated to setting fire to stupidity and burning up bigotry - metaphorically, that is."

From the cover - Why did God turn Lot's wife into a pillar of salt? Where there no other seasoning available? Why don't we know anything about the early years of Jesus? Did someone lose his baby book? Who reported the desert encounter between Jesus and Satan? Jesus - or Satan? And why does The Holy Spirit like to show up as a bird? As irreverent and funny as the musical The Book Of Mormon, Dr. Joe Wenke's YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING! The Cultural Arsonist's Satirical Reading Of The Bible is an engaging, provocative, hilarious investigation into the bestselling book of all time. Written to "cause trouble", cultural arsonist Dr. Wenke - a kin observer of hunan gullibility - forces readers to reexamine the stories they think they know about the Bible. Drawing upon the same pool of inciendiary and cerebral humor as Bill Maher, Jon Stewart and the late, great George Carlin, YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING! is a call for humor to restore our sanity and our ability to think for ourselves.

My review - With its sixty-six individual books written on two or possibly three different continents, in three different languages, by forty authors over a period of about 1,500 years, the Holy Bible is probably the most controversial book of all times. Full of contradictions and discrepancies (one for all the stark contrast between the God of Wrath of the Old Testament and the God of Love of the New Testament), the Scriptures are an easy target for sarcasm and mockery...really, you don't need to be an atheist to understand that this collection of chronicles and revelations is anything but a unified text. And do we want to talk also about the  apocrypha, the ancient books that didn't make it for some reason to the status of canonical Bible? A literal interpretation of what is considered the book of Truth is simply unrealistic. The clash between Creationism and Evolutionism (to mention only one of the biggest elephants in the room) is too loud to be ignored, even for an observant Catholic. Some of the events chronicled in the Old Testament are so far-fetched that the author makes them sound like a bunch of folkloric retellings: no reliable sources, no eyewitnesses. A tribal code rather, with all those examples of gender inequality, fundamentalism, LGBT-hate and misogynism.
Wenke's relentless sarcasm and  anti-bigotry doesn't  spare the Gospels as well, although he seems to shift his gear when talking about Jesus: the unyielding criticism of the pre-Messiah chapters loses some of its sting. In the author's words, "Jesus is the coolest guy by far...", still a 'legendary' figure for lack of documentation, but more humane and egalitarian.  I personally enjoyed this section of the book above all others. If the author's intent was to elicit a few chuckles about a matter that should not be taken lightly at all, he succeeded.  Whether you are an atheist, or a Christian who can see the absurdity of some of the anecdotes narrated in Holy Scriptures, Joe Wenke's humor won't be wasted on you.

***Review copy graciously offered by the publicist in return of an unbiased and honest opinion.

                                                              

About the author

Dr. Joe Wenke was born the oldest of eleven children in a strict Catholic family in South Philadelphia and attended a long line of Catholic schools including the University of Notre Dame where he received a B.A. in English. He received an M.A. in English from Penn State and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Connecticut. A former corporate speechwriter, he is the owner of a leading event marketing company.

GIVE AND TAKE: A Revolutionary Approach To Success by Adam Grant

GIVE AND TAKE: A Revolutionary Approach to Success
Author: Adam M. Grant, Ph.D.
Publisher: Viking Adult
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Genre: non-fiction, psychology, business, self-help
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
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"Focus attention and energy on making a difference in the lives of others, and success might follow as a by-product."

When it comes to business ethics, we tend to believe that self-interest is the only possible road to success:  we are under the general impression that in a 'dog-eat-dog' world, those who combine motivation and abilities with a good dose of self-protective opportunism will put their own interests ahead of other people's needs, take more than they give, and, in doing so, rise to the top of the success ladder, faster, more steadily, and more profitably than anybody else. Not according to Adam Grant, youngest tenured professor at The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania), world's top forty business professor under forty, and award-winning researcher.

As an advocate of positive psychology, Grant argues that greed doesn't ultimately lead to success. There is a fourth element we need to consider when analyzing the ingredients of a successful career: hard work, talent, and luck are not the only driving forces fueling high performances and productiveness. The way we interact with other people in our work environment (whether with a creative generosity and positive attitude, or with a self-centered reciprocity and self-protective ambition) is what truly defines us in our profession. Since we spend a considerable amount of our time (if not most of it) doing our job, our work becomes a fundamental part of who we are. We may, therefore, need to adopt in the workplace the same positive and altruistic values we normally reserve to our personal relationships (friendship and marriage).

Examining professional interactions across diverse lines of work, the Wharton professor claims that we can be divided in three different behavioural categories:

• Takers
• Givers
• Matchers

Takers are self-focused, competitive, and always ready to get as much credit for their efforts as possible. Givers, on the contrary, act in the general interest, helping others and providing mentoring. They share time, ideas, skills, and connections, in a true team spirit. Matchers place themselves between the opposite ends of the behavioral spectrum: they are the ones who will pursue fairness, taking as much as they give. The lines between these three reciprocity styles are not always well defined, but it's safe to say that in the course of our careers we all develop a primary approach. Experience teaches us that altruism and affability on the workplace aren't regarded as indicators of talent and strength, they rather overshadow Givers' true potential, compromising their own success, and letting dominant behaviors advance for job promotions and higher paychecks. But is that always the case?

With the support of a plethora of emblematic examples, anecdotes, and theoretical thinking rooted in organizational psychology (the study of human behavior within an organization, group, or class), Grant goes on demonstrating why Takers are not necessarily the strongest and most successful performers, and how, in our digital era and deeply interconnected world, those who strive to help others have the potential to become incredibly successful achievers, a rare breed of people capable of creating value for themselves while maximizing opportunities for the benefit of a group, team, community. 'Giving' is professionally risky, but when it is motivated by a genuine interest and structured in a creative and intelligent form (using persuasion, networking, motivation, negotiation, communication), the positive effects of such a business ethic cascade and spread, generating, in their wake, consensus and emulation.

Unlike many business manuals, and despite the impressive preparation of this author in matter of business psychology, Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success doesn't suffer the drawbacks of academic formality. Grant's writing, although always elaborated and robust, is eloquent without being tedious, informative without being overwhelming. His bold reasoning is ultimately inspiring and uplifting, if not always realistic.

Beware: after reading this study, you may seriously reconsider your own assumptions about success.