It’s official! The first book signing event for “Beyond What We Know” has been confirmed – so save the date!!
On Saturday, September 6th I’ll be at the Barnes & Noble in the Southmont Center 4445 Southmont Way in Easton, PA from 1 – 4 p.m. to celebrate the release of the new book, sign copies, answer questions and more! More details to come in the days ahead but if you’re in the area, hope to see you there. The book officially releases on Sunday, August 31st.
Pre-order Beyond What We Know from Barnes & Noble by clicking here.
I’m so excited to share the news that the paperback version of my new 232-page novel, “Beyond What We Know,” is now available for pre-order on Amazon.
Click here to be taken to the pre-order page where you can find out all the details. The book officially arrives on August 31st.
Synopsis:
Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college. Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.
Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown.
Official Trailer:
Early reviews:
“Beyond What We Know” is the kind of story that hits both heart and memory. It’s grief, growth, and a second chance wrapped in 80s nostalgia and music. For fans of coming-of-age stories with soul, this one’s calling.”
“A tender, nostalgic journey through grief, growth, and the unexpected ways we heal. Set against a vivid 1980s backdrop, this coming-of-age tale reminds us that even in our darkest moments, music, friendship, and second chances can light the way. A must read!”
Since their formation in 2000, Steep Canyon Rangers have been wowing audiences with their eclectic mix of bluegrass and Americana.
The Grammy-Award winning band, which features Graham Sharp on banjo, Mike Guggino on mandolin, Aaron Burdett on guitar, Nicky Sanders on fiddle, Mike Ashworth on drums and Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, all provide vocals and have released 14 studio albums as well as three collaborative albums with actor and banjoist Steve Martin.
The band credits its longevity to a culture and community among its members, most of whom have known each other since their college days. It’s a foundation of friendship that really comes across to audiences whenever they perform.
Steep Canyon Rangers have also served as the “house band” for Steve Martin and Martin Short’s comedy show, having performed with them several times at Wind Creek Event Center. Now the band from North Carolina is gearing up for their first appearance in Bethlehem on their own, performing at The Musikfest Café in Bethlehem on Sunday.
I recently spoke with Barrett Smith of Steep Canyon Rangers about the band’s upcoming performance in Bethlehem and more in this new interview.
Q: What can fans expect from the band’s upcoming performance at Musikfest Café?
Smith: What we hang our hat on is a really good live show. Each is tailor made for the space where we are. So we’ll land in Bethlehem earlier in the day, get a feel for what the night’s going to be like and then make a set list. Maybe we’ll stick to it and maybe we won’t. We like real engagement with the crowd and making it as fun a night as we can. We’ve already played several times at the [Wind Creek] casino as the house band for the comedy show Steve Martin and Martin Short so we know the area well.
You can read the rest of my interview with Steep Canyon Rangers by Clicking Here.
In celebration of my upcoming novel, “Beyond What We Know” I’m giving away the Kindle version of my very first book, “Neapolitan Sky” absolutely FREE!
Here’s the synopsis:
Dreams of becoming a professional writer are abruptly put on hold for college student Nica Mitchell following the unexpected death of her mother and her father’s cancer diagnosis. Forced to return home when he’s hospitalized after encountering a near death experience, Nica learns that her father has been keeping a dark secret. Something in between the stages of life and death that, when revealed, will change her life forever.
Five-Star Amazon Reviews:
“Don’t be taken in by the serene title, suggestive of an Italianate summer sojourn (which I theorize pays homage to a haunting Avett Brothers tune). Nothing is as it seems; so don’t plan on getting comfortable, or settling in. Just when you think you can anticipate what comes next, because you detect some familiar Serling-esque patterns in character development, this gifted writer repeatedly surprises and refreshes with equal portions of rapid-fire suspense and unforeseen plot twists.”
*****
“It’s hard to believe that James Wood was able to tell a story with so many twists, turns and somersaults in 151 pages. No fluff, just a well-told tale that takes you to places that will blow you away. A perfect book for a beach weekend.”
*****
“AMAZING! I connected to the characters immediately. I would have to say by far one of the best novellas I have ever read. Once I started, I had to finish. Would recommend to everyone!”
*****
“I totally enjoyed reading “Neapolitan Sky”. With colorful and vivid descriptions James brought his characters to life. From beginning to end the suspense builds until the unexpected ending.”
How you can get Neapolitan Sky for FREE:
Starting Monday, June 16th – Friday, June 20th, you can download the full Kindle version of “Neapolitan Sky” absolutely free simply by clicking here. Tell your friends and spread the word. There’s no limit to how many people can download.
It’s my way of saying thank you to everyone who’s been with me on my 15-year writing journey that continues this summer with the release of “Beyond What We Know.”
My new 232-page novel arrives on August 31st, 2025 from BookBaby Publishing. More details on pre-order, signings, giveaways and more coming soon! In the meantime, be sure to head over to Good Reads and add it to your Want To Read library.
Synopsis:
Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college.
Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.
Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown.
You can’t say the words “The Beach Boys” without instantly conjuring up images of California sun, surf, infectious harmonies and sophisticated musical arrangement.
The band’s indelible catalog has sold more than 100 million records over the last six decades and their ubiquitous album, Pet Sounds from 1966, is widely regarded as one of the most influential albums of all time. Even Paul McCartney, who knows a thing or two about the craft of songwriting, once proclaimed a track from that album, “God Only Knows,” as being the perfect song.
The Beach Boys arsenal of music includes nearly 40 Top 40 hits like “Good Vibrations,” “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “California Girls,” Surfin’ USA,” “Little Deuce Coupe,” and “Kokomo,” to name but a few.
Fans of the legendary group can relive the magic, music and memories when The Beach Boys bring their Sounds of Summer Tour to Easton’s historic State Theatre on Sunday, at a special time of 3 p.m.
I recently spoke with Mike Love about The Beach Boys upcoming performance in Easton, the band’s timeless career and more in this new interview.
What can Lehigh Valley fans expect from your upcoming performance in Easton?
Mike Love: A lot of music. We do a two-hour show: an hour followed by a 20-minute intermission and then another hour. In the first hour we like to get retro, so I like to do the “surfer” and “car” songs like “Don’t Worry Baby” and “I Get Around.” After intermission we get a little more introspective. We’ll do some Pet Sounds stuff like “God Only Knows,” “Sloop John B” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice.” I like to do songs I wrote with my cousin Brian [Wilson] and tell stories about the songs. I remember in November of 1963 we wrote this beautiful song called “The Warmth of The Sun” and were awakened the next morning to the news that President Kennedy had been taken to the hospital in Dallas. We recorded that song about a month later with a tremendous amount of emotion.
Of course we have to do “Good Vibrations” and wouldn’t want to leave the area without doing “California Girls,” “Fun Fun Fun,” “Barbara Ann,” and “Help Me Rhonda.”
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Mike Love by Clicking Here.
For more than 40 years, Jon Lovitz has been one of the best-known comedians of his generation.
His brand of funny can be traced back to his stint on “Saturday Night Live” in the mid-80s, where the catch phrase “Yeah, that’s the ticket,” from his character, Tommy Flanagan the Pathological Liar, became a weekend staple of must see TV.
He’s appeared in several Adam Sandler films over the years and done voiceovers for “The Simpsons” as well as his own show, “The Critic.” Lovitz even had the opportunity to work with his comedic hero, Woody Allen, on Allen’s film, “Small Time Crooks” in 2000.
On Friday, Lovitz will bring his unique brand of stand-up humor to the Wind Creek Event Center in Bethlehem. I recently spoke with him to preview his upcoming performance and get his thoughts on the current state of comedy and more in this new interview.
How would you describe your style of comedy?
Lovitz: It’s about my personal opinions about stuff and trying to understand what’s going on in the world. It’s funny, everyone thinks of themselves as being young and hip and then all of a sudden it’s not — it becomes the opposite of what you grew up to believe in. Some people just go along with it, and I just can’t. The show is just me talking about all different subjects and what’s going on in the world and how I see it.
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Jon Lovitz by Clicking Here.
I am excited to announce that my new 232-page novel, “Beyond What We Know” is coming Summer 2025. It’s my first novel since 2018’s “Neapolitan Sky.” Check out the first cover reveal photo on the right.
The book has been a work in progress for nearly 7 years but some challenges, including a global pandemic, put things on the back burner, until now!
Here’s a synopsis for “Beyond What We Know”:
“Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college. Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.
Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown.”
Here is the official trailer for “Beyond What We Know”:
In the weeks ahead watch this space for more info about the new book, including the full cover reveal, behind the scenes stories about the book’s origin, giveaways and more. I’m also in the process of arranging book signing events, so hopefully I’ll see you out there.
I’m so excited about this book and can’t wait for you to check it out.
Widely regarded as one of rock’s most quintessential and influential bands, KISS became a worldwide phenomenon in the early 70’s, not only for their music but also for their whimsical make-up, blood spitting and fire-breathing antics, a massive pyrotechnical display and the desire to rock and roll all night and party every day.
After a half century of gold and platinum albums and global touring, KISS finally decided to end its run in December of 2023.
As one of the founding members of KISS, Gene Simmons (and his alter ego “The Demon,”) has helped sell more than 100 million albums. And once the band retired from the road Simmons thought he’d keep himself busy with his many businesses ventures but soon felt the urge to return to the stage with his solo group The Gene Simmons Band. An outlet which allows him to perform both fan favorite and obscure KISS songs and covers as well as sharing stories about his life and career, including one about discovering a then unknown band named Van-Halen.
On Thursday, May 8, fans will get a chance to experience all of the iconic artistry when Gene Simmons brings his legendary music to Bethlehem for a performance at Wind Creek Event Center.
I recently spoke with Gene Simmons about the show, his career and more in this exclusive new interview.
It’s now been more than a year since KISS retired from touring. What made you decide to return to the stage?
Gene Simmons: Obviously, I’m very proud of what KISS has done which is, to be blunt, changed the face of stage performances. I got tired of seeing some of my favorite bands because they just didn’t live up to the sounds that I heard. I loved the records but when you went to see them live they were just looking down at their shoes. We decided to put together KISS as the band we never saw on stage. No rules, just one big spectacle. We stopped after half a century.
I thought I’d be able to stay busy with my restaurant chain and film company but there’s magic that happens on stage that you can’t verbalize. It’s like electric church. But the difference between KISS and the Gene Simmons Band is that in KISS we couldn’t invite anybody up on stage because if they stepped in the wrong place it literally wouldn’t be safe.
The Gene Simmons Band is totally different in the sense that I have three killer musicians who are multi-instrumentalists who can (and do) sing live. We’re flexible enough that if someone yelled out, “Hey, how come you never did “Spit?” (an obscure track off of the Revenge album), we can do it as well as some unrecorded tunes I’ve written and, for the first time, we do covers.
You can read the rest of my Morning Call interview with Gene Simmons by Clicking Here!
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since the release of my last book, “Neapolitan Sky,” but I’m happy to announce that my brand new novella, “Beyond What We Know,” is set for release this summer. I’ll be using my site to share updates along the way, including the cover reveal, a chapter or two, some behind the scenes stories, giveaways and more. I hope you’ll be along for the ride.
In the meantime, I’d like to share the trailer for the book and a synopsis of “Beyond What We Know.”
Beyond What We Know – Synopsis:
“Riddled with guilt over the death of his father, high school graduate Mike Collins spends his last summer at home disquieted by thoughts of leaving behind his mother and first love as he prepares to depart for college. Unbeknownst to him, Mike will soon meet his musical hero, Chris Steele, whose perspective of life will teach him to believe in the possibility of second chances.
Filled with rich imagery from the 1980s, “Beyond What We Know” is a coming-of-age story exploring life’s obstacles, the music and the machinery, while illuminating the power of friendship with the metaphysical transcendence of the unknown.”
go.Jimmy.go 