FREE BREAKFAST ON SATURDAY JUNE 30!

Join me at The Waffle and Pancake House in Garner, NC, this saturday, June 30th, from 8:00 am until 11:00 am. The address is: 3909 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27603 Purchase a book and eat breakfast on me! Coupons for a free breakfast will be distributed at the time of purchase. You can choose one of these items: -A big waffle and coffe -Pancakes and coffee -A sampler breakfast (eggs, bacon and grits) and coffee.

"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" -- The Play (A Review)

The human drama knows no boundaries of space and time, and nobody – young or old, rich or poor, man or woman – is ever completely immune to it. The Pollitts, a respected southern family who proudly owns a plush cotton plantation in 1950’s Mississippi, appear to have everything one can desire, money and power, but unfortunately, they cannot buy happiness. Maggie and Brick Pollitt carry the weight of a marriage wounded by guilt and poor choices; Big Daddy and Big Mama, the heads of the Pollitt dynasty, struggle to keep up appearances, but they are also trapped in a marriage devoid of love; Gooper and Mae Pollitt, Big Daddy’s eldest son and his wife, strive to win a place of leadership in the plantation and a corner in the old man’s heart. When the family comes together for Big Daddy’s 65th birthday, many truths hidden behind the gold-plated façade of southern pleasantries finally explode for all to see, and many conflicts are brought to the surface to be cleansed and healed. The story, which was made popular by Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman, who starred in the 1958 blockbuster film Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, finds its origins in a play of the same name by Tennessee Williams. Before being landed by Taylor and Newman, the roles of Brick and Maggie were offered to Ben Gazzara, Elvis Presley, Lana Turner and Grace Kelly, who turned them down. The Broadway production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened on March 24, 1955. The lives and conflicts the Pollitts endure in the play are set in a different era, but they easily apply to modern life, and the stage performance is as timely today as it was in the 1950’s when it was initially produced on stage. Lucky for me -- and for many other spectators who filled the audience seats -- this year’s production, brilliantly directed by Ira David Wood IV, was offered at Theater in the Park in Raleigh, NC. The whole play is breathtaking. Aside from the charming setting of a beautiful southern plantation, and a timeless storyline that offers a cocktail of daring topics such as homosexuality, sibling rivalry, resentment, and profound unease worn with a smile, what made the play truly enjoyable was the stellar performance the actors gave. My heart ached for Maggie, as she tried her best to shake her grieving husband from his guilt-ridden reverie and save him from the clutches of alcohol; I felt compassion for Big mama, doing all she could to preserve the image and the integrity of her family, and ultimately, I could almost taste the pain Gooper grew up with, knowing he would never match up to his brother in his parents’ eyes, no matter how desperately he tried. Sarah Bousquet and Rob Rainbolt dazzled the crowd with their spellbinding performance as they brought Maggie and Brick to life; Brook North and Erin Tito, in the roles of Gooper and Mae were brilliant; Bonnie Roe and John T. “Jack” Hall were awesome as plantation owners; Annabel Bloom and Noah Zevin were priceless as Dixie and Sonny, Gooper’s children; and finally, Mike Rumble in the role of reverend Tooker, Randy Jordan in the role of Doctor Baugh, Dempsey Bond in the role of Lacey, and JaCynthia Wallace in the role of Sookey, all delivered perfectly polished performances and likeable humor. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof will come alive on stage again at Theater in the Park on Pullen Drive in Raleigh, NC, on June 23 at 7:30 pm and on June 24 – the final performance – at 3:00 pm. http://www.theatreinthepark.com/cat_on_a_hot_tin_roof.html

"Absolute Authority" by David Workman -- A Book Review

For someone who loves to read, there is no better treat than to stumble into a breathtaking plot impeccably delivered. Absolute Authority is just that, plain and simple – a spellbinding tale ripe with so many twists and turns that I couldn’t wait to turn the page to see what would happen next. For the record, I don’t usually read spy thrillers, but there was something so compelling about the cover that I felt drawn to it immediately. I never regretted it. This book is so well written and suspenseful that Tom Clancy himself would be impressed by it, and the writing style is so clean and rich with visual expressions that it creates its own literary symphony. To my knowledge, this is the first novel Workman has released, but I certainly hope it won’t be his last. A page-turner, the ending of which will leave you speechless and begging for more. This book is available on Amazon.com and On Barnes&Noble.com