Thursday, October 31, 2024

The Breaker - series. Books 1 - 3:

 


The Breaker


ISBN: 9781656281517

Description:

How do you know the one you love won’t hurt you?
Or even try to kill you?
In many cases … you don’t.
How do we choose our path and purpose in life?
What makes us who we are?
When Seth Egan starts working as a private detective, he knows he’ll make enemies.
It goes with the territory.
As Seth works on a murder case and hunts down the killers, he becomes the target.
Some people have no conscience, shame, empathy, or remorse.
To get their own way, to get what they want, to take everything, they will do anything.
Even murder.
In the end, they will drag you down to hell with them.
Sometimes, our enemies are those closest to us.

Amazon link:


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Bad Blood

ISBN: 9798682203192

Description:

No one is paying Seth Egan for his latest case.

He keeps this one unofficial.

Pro bono publico.

Off the books.

For him, this one is personal.

A matter of bad blood.

A woman with a grudge of her own leads Seth to a place where people vanish without trace.

Money is the motive.

Greed is the motivator.

Scores that can only be settled in blood.

A dark underworld of illegal gambling, prostitution, drugs, violence and murder.


Amazon link:

 

https://t.co/e0XiS8crAr?amp=1


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Mall Maze

ISBN: 9798729917235


Description:


Friday the 13th.

Unlucky for many.

What should have been a routine adultery case ends with Seth Egan fighting for his life.

Cut off from the world.

With no way to call for help.

Trapped in a place where the walls are coming down around him.

Seth is running out of places to hide.

As chaos reigns and the city burns … the hunters close in.


Amazon link:
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Themes:
Abuse by proxy, Adultery, C-PTSD, crime, detective, domestic abuse, enabler, flying monkey, gaslighting, hardboiled, heist, infidelity, murder, narcissism, narcissist, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, personality disorder, psychopath, sociopath, suspense, thriller, vigilante, violence.

Books available in hardcover, paperback and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of my books is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

What’s On?


What’s On?

A Guide to Movies and TV Shows


Hardcover

ISBN-13: 9798342696098

Paperback

ISBN-13: 9798341177307

Kindle

ASIN: B0DJTZ8T58

Back cover description:

What’s On? … is the timeless question we have all asked ourselves almost every day of our lives, as we reach for the remote control and settle in front of the TV screen.

Jack Kost, a life-long movie buff and coffee addict, offers his choice of favorite movie and television masterpieces.

Providing possible answers to the question of What’s On? with over 1,900 titles, from golden oldies and timeless classics, to more recent releases, all meticulously logged and summarized.

An invaluable and collectable go-to source for discovering new favorites and revisiting old ones.

Perfect for film enthusiasts and casual viewers alike, this guide will spark conversations, bring back memories, and help you navigate the ever-evolving world of screen entertainment.

A wealth of recommendations and insights from a passionate movie buff to enrich your viewing experience, complete with personal reminiscences and nostalgic reflections, told with a world-wise critical eye, sardonic dry wit, a healthy dose of cynicism, biting observations, and a well-founded rant here and there.

Just don’t challenge or get him started on his personal favorites, like The Shining, Point Blank, Jaws, The Exorcist, The Duellists, Romeo Is Bleeding, or The Ninth Configuration. His opinions on these and other iconic titles are as intense and unyielding as the movies themselves.

All compiled by an author who not only watched the movies, but also read the books on which they were based, did his research, drank a lot of coffee in the process, and advocates for the importance and value of reading.

A glimpse into the over-caffeinated mind of a writer with a passion for great stories.

What’s On? is a celebration of the intersection between page and screen, and a reminder that great on-screen adaptations often start with a great book and a strong cup of coffee.

Kick back, grab your coffee, and enjoy the show!

As author Jack Kost says:

“Happy viewing … and do yourself a favor … read the books.”

Slipped Masks:


Slipped Masks

ISBN: 9781719330640

Description:

I can’t call you because if he hears me talking on the phone he’ll hit me again. He scares me. I know sooner or later he’s going to kill me. I’ll text you again when I can. I love you, Casey. I’ll spend the rest of our lives proving to you how much I love you. Please come. Please save me …

With only text messages to guide him, Casey Byrne is on the hunt, racing across five states to save his ex-girlfriend, Madison.
Casey loves Madison deeply and wants desperately to save her life and rekindle their relationship.
But the closer he gets to her, the more surreal his journey becomes as the dead bodies pile up in his wake.

Clinical Lycanthropy: the delusion that a human can physically transform into a wolf.


If you were insane, would you know it?


How would you see the world if you were convinced you could transform into a wolf?


The hunter … and the hunted.


Slipped Masks is a dark neo-noir thriller about how the need for love and companionship becomes twisted into obsession, possession, jealousy, violence and murder.

A horrifying portrait of Clinical Lycanthropy.

Amazon link:


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Themes:
Sociopathy, narcissistic abuse, personality disorder, Clinical Lycanthropy, crime, murder.

Book available in hardcover, paperback, and Kindle.

A percentage from sales of this book is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.

Work in progress:


My next books are Triangulation and Stinger.

Books 4 and 5 in The Breaker series.


Set in the year 2001, the story continues from Mall Maze.



Themes:


Crime, detective, hardboiled, heist, murder, narcissism, narcissistic abuse, neo-noir, psychopath, sociopath, thriller, vigilante.

 

A percentage from book sales is donated to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) research.


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The Breaker is an on-going series.


I’m outlining other stand-alone thriller novels.

Several coffee table books on my photography and my wife’s artwork.

A humorous book, based on the antics of our crazy pet Ragdoll cat, entitled: It’s That F****** Cat Again!



Here’s a GIF I made of our cat, settling down for another of his daily naps:

On this day in music history - Feast of Losses, by Jami Sieber and Kim Rosen (2022):

The album Feast of Losses,
by Jami Sieber and Kim Rosen,
was released on October 31, 2022.

On this day in music history - 'The Shining', by the Minnesota Opera (2016):

My favorite Stephen King novel, The Shining, got the opera treatment.

I hope it makes it to DVD.



Classical Music Features

Jay Gabler


October 31, 2016

 


'The Shining': Listen to the Minnesota Opera's complete production | Classical MPR

 


The Shining

Minnesota Opera

Classical Minnesota Public Radio

This past May, the Minnesota Opera presented the world premiere of The Shining. The opera was an immediate sensation, selling out completely and earning critical raves. In cooperation with the Minnesota Opera, Classical Minnesota Public Radio is now pleased to present the complete streaming audio of The Shining, as performed live during that premiere run. This exclusive listening opportunity will be available for a limited time only: through Nov. 30.

 

The opera, composed by Paul Moravec with libretto by Mark Campbell, is an authorized adaptation of Stephen King's classic 1977 novel about a family haunted by ghosts at a remote mountain hotel. Many are familiar with the story through Stanley Kubrick's 1980 movie, but King was displeased with some significant changes Kubrick made to the novel's story and tone; the opera hews much more closely to King's original vision.

 

To guide your listening, below is a scene-by-scene guide to the complete opera. (The scene titles and summaries are my own.) Credits for the production appear at the end of this post; this recording is an edited composite of multiple performances.

 

Now, settle in to enjoy The Shining...and don't forget to leave a light on.

 

Act One

 

Scene 1: Outside the Overlook Hotel (0:00)

 

It's November 1975. Jack and Wendy Torrance arrive at the Overlook Hotel, high in the Colorado Rockies, with their young son Danny. Jack and Wendy sing about their hopes to bond as a family during the winter they'll spend at the hotel, where Jack will work as caretaker while he writes a play he's been planning.

 

An ebullient Jack plays vigorously with his son, making Wendy nervous.

 


Orchestral Interlude #1: Welcome to the Overlook (5:21)

 

The Overlook Hotel rises up — ominously.

 

Scene 2: Touring the hotel (6:34)

 

Mr. Ullman, the hotel manager, shows the family around — bragging about the hotel amenities (including "Denver croquet...same as croquet, but twice the size") and its storied past.

 

While Mr. Hallorann, the hotel's cook, shows the kitchen to Wendy and Danny, Ullman pulls Jack aside. Hinting about "a terrible tragedy" in the hotel's past, Ullman tells Jack he's concerned about Jack's history of alcoholism and an incident of schoolboy violence. "The winters here are cruel," says Ullman. "Solitude exacts a toll." Jack tells Ullman he didn't bring any alcohol, so there's nothing to worry about.

 

Meanwhile, Hallorann is getting friendly with young Danny. The cook calls the boy "Doc," and Wendy wonders how Hallorann knew that's a nickname she and her husband use for Danny. Hallorann shrugs. "Looks like a 'Doc,' I guess."

 


In the basement, summer caretaker Mr. Watson shows Jack how to use the hotel boiler — noting that the boiler needs to be emptied twice a day, or "you and your family will be blown sky-high." Jack notices that the basement also contains documents from the hotel's past, and asks Watson about the incident Ullman mentioned.

 

Watson mentions a few scandalous incidents. A former caretaker — Delbert Grady — went "amok" and shot his wife and two daughters before taking his own life. Mrs. Massey, a "fancy old broad," killed herself in the bathtub after a young lover abandoned her. A male senator died wearing a bra and panties.

 

Up on the porch, Hallorann tells Danny that he's sensed the boy's talent for precognition. Hallorann says he has it too, and so did his grandmother, who called it "the shining." He asks Danny to "think as hard as you can" and strike out with his mind. Hallorann is blown back by the force of Danny's mind, and correctly guesses that Danny has terrible nightmares. As Jack and Wendy share a romantic moment, Hallorann tells Danny that if he runs into trouble, "Holler for Hallorann. I know I'll hear you."

 


The hotel staff depart for the winter, Jack assuring them there's "nothing to worry about."

 

Orchestral Interlude #2: Room 217 (22:21)

 

As Danny walks through the hotel, he pauses by Room 217. Shuddering, the boy runs away. Meanwhile, Jack works on his play and Wendy happily knits.

 


Scene 3: Family time (23:22)

 

Wendy reads to Danny, then tells him it's time for bed. Watching Danny hug Jack goodnight, Wendy remembers how she never stopped loving Jack, even in "our hardest times" when Jack drank and lost his job. Jack and Wendy flirt, lovingly.

 

Suddenly, Wendy discovers that Danny's locked himself in the bathroom. Jack is at first impatient at the distraction from his writing, then shares Wendy's alarm and breaks the door open. Danny's parents find the boy on the bathroom floor, terrified and foaming at the mouth. Jack shakes his son roughly to snap him out of it, and Wendy pleads with Jack not to hurt Danny — "like you did before."

 

"How many times do I have to ask you to forgive me for breaking his arm?" asks Jack in frustration.

 

While Wendy puts Danny to bed, Jack has a vision of his own father, teaching young Jacky "a lesson" by beating him with a cane at bedtime. "Daddy, stop!" cries Jack, flashing back to his past. "You're hurting Mommy."

 

As Danny finally gets ready to drift off to sleep, he has two questions: "Daddy, you'd never hurt Mommy, would you?" Also: "What's 'redrum'?" Wendy jokes that "it sounds like a pirate drink," and the two parents leave Danny to sleep. The boy is uneasy, though, sitting up in bed as if terrified.

 


Scene 4: In the basement (35:45)

 

Minding the boiler in the basement, Jack starts looking through the historic papers. Among the past incidents he reads about is a 1966 "gangland style bloodbath" in the Overlook's Presidential Suite. He also reads about the Grady murders, and a 1973 suicide by the "society broad" Watson mentioned earlier. When Jack discovers an invitation to a 1945 grand opening ball, he flashes back to that masquerade.

 

"Here is the story," Jack muses, "the real story." Vowing to "screw the play" and tell the story of the Overlook's tragic history, Jack is startled by an unexplained noise. In the corner, an outsize croquet mallet gleams ominously.

 

Scene 5: Mother and son (44:06)

 

Back from a medical checkup for Danny, the boy and his mother talk about Jack. "The hotel is inside him," Danny warns his mom — who tells her son to be strong.

 


Jack enters, in a great mood, surprising his family with a "Boo!" Wendy relates some news about Danny's "clean bill of health," then notices the scrapbook of clippings Jack brought up from the basement. Jack tells Wendy he's putting the play aside to focus on the story of the hotel.

 

Wendy tells Jack she's reconsidering their stay at the hotel. Insisting that they have to stay, Jack nonetheless agrees that there's reason for concern about Danny. "If anything ever happened to the two of you," says Jack, "I could never live with myself."

 

After a warm kiss between the couple, Wendy goes off to make dinner.

 

Orchestral Interlude #3: Return to Room 217 (50:08)

 

Danny once again approaches Room 217. He listens at the door, then runs away. Meanwhile, Jack looks through the Overlook clippings and Wendy finishes the scarf she's been knitting.

 


Scene 6: A mallet in the first act... (51:10)

 

When the elevator makes an unexpected noise, Jack goes to investigate — snapping at Wendy when she asks him to stay with the rest of the family. "It's my goddamn job, Wendy," he says. "When will you understand that?"

 

Jack looks around the hotel, finding nothing out of the ordinary — until he gets to the ballroom, which seems to come alive with noise as the bar lights up, apparently full of bottles. Jack nervously swings a croquet mallet, but hits nothing as the vision ends.

 

Bringing the mallet back to the caretaker's quarters, Jack tells Wendy everything is fine but that he feels the need for "a little insurance." He barks at his wife again, telling her she's worried about nothing and that he needs to get back to work. Wendy goes to Danny's room to comfort the boy, as Jack, agitated, returns to his typewriter.

 

Orchestral Interlude #4: Inside Room 217 (56:50)

 

Danny returns to Room 217, this time with a key. He enters the room, where he finds a bathtub with a shower curtain. Suddenly, a naked woman with rotting flesh grabs Danny's hand and pushes back the shower curtain. As Danny struggles to break free, the lights go out.

 


Scene 7: Batten down the hatches (57:46)

 

In the hotel office, Jack turns on the CB radio to hear a warning that there's a "helluva blizzard" on its way. Jack wishes he had a drink.

 

Suddenly, the ranger's voice changes to the voice of Jack's father, who urges his son to kill his wife and child. Jack, shocked, destroys the radio with the mallet. Wendy enters, worried that Jack's just smashed the family's "only link to the outside world." Jack tries to explain about the "dream."

 

Then, both notice that their son is missing. When they open the office door, Danny is standing on the other side — soaked with water and covered with bruises. "The dead lady kissed me," says Danny, as his parents fight over which of them might have abused the boy. Wendy says the family have to leave, but Jack notes the oncoming blizzard and swears to protect his family.

 


A chorus of ghosts appear. A bartender is ready to offer Jack a drink, while Delbert Grady says his daughters need "correcting." Mrs. Grady is shocked to find her girls dead, and partygoers prepare to unmask. Society woman Mrs. Massey tries to woo her lover back to bed, while a crossdressing senator promises to protect children from "moral decay." In come a group of mafia hitmen — and the action freezes.

 

"Hallorann," calls Danny, "come quick!"

 


Act Two

 

Scene 1: Jack unravels (65:14)

 


Jack, who looks like he's seen better days, heads down to check the boiler. He muses about letting the hotel "blow sky-high" after getting his family out of there. "They could start a new life," he says, "a new life without me — which is what they want anyway."

 


A tuxedoed Grady strolls in, inviting Jack to "join the party." Jack accuses Grady of a triple homicide. Grady denies any knowledge of such an act, but suggests to Jack that perhaps Danny and Wendy need to be "corrected."

 

Jack is initially resistant, but finally agrees that "we husbands and fathers have responsibilities" and their wives and children "must be shown the errors of their ways."

 

Scene 2: Discomfort food (72:26)

 

In the hotel kitchen, Wendy serves milk and cookies to Danny, assuring the boy that park rangers will be by to check on the family soon. Suddenly, Danny has a vision and declares (voiced by a chorus) that "the people in the hotel" have got Jack. Wendy tells her son to be brave, and goes off to the ballroom to check on Jack.

 

"That wind," she says as the storm gusts. "When will it ever stop?"

 

Scene 3: Having a ball (78:20)

 


Jack arrives at the ballroom, where he finds Lloyd the bartender waiting with a fully stocked bar. Ordering a couple dozen drinks, Jack carps about his "bitch of a wife" — but becomes unsettled when he's told his drinks are "on the manager" and Lloyd offers a toast to Danny.

 


Suddenly the ballroom comes alive with a party, complete with a man in a dog mask. Jack settles in to enjoy the festivities, as a chorus of partiers compliment him. Grady, Lloyd, Mark, and Derwent (the hotel's founder) sing a tribute to Jack — who joins in, until the ghosts disappear and Wendy walks in.

 

Jack grabs Wendy's leg, threatening to hurt her and saying "you never loved me," that "you turned Danny against me." He grabs his wife by the neck, and she's gasping for air when Danny comes in and yells for his dad to stop. 



Wendy manages to grab a bottle, bringing it down over Jack's head.

 


Wendy tells her son the two need to "put Daddy where the hotel can't hurt him." The boy agrees, and the two drag Jack out of the ballroom.

 

Scene 4: Locked up (87:00)

 

Jack awakens in the pantry, where Wendy and Danny have dragged him. They lock him in (Danny: "It's bedtime, Daddy"), as Jack curses them both. Wendy, assuring her son that it's the hotel talking, grabs a knife for protection.

 


After mother and child leave, Grady appears and scolds Jack for not having attended to "the business we discussed." After Jack swears he'll "take care of them," Grady points out that there's a safety latch allowing Jack to let himself out. Jack escapes, cackling as he grabs the croquet mallet.

 

Scene 5: Go fish (90:55)

 

Wendy and Danny are playing cards, believing they're safe from Jack. Danny is worried, and Wendy assures him "that man isn't your daddy." She leave to make dinner as Danny calls after her.

 

Scene 6: Battle in the ballroom (92:38)

 


Wendy enters the ballroom and is taunted by the Grady girls, the crossdressing senator, and...Jack! "Thought you could outsmart me," says Jack as he chases his wife with the mallet.

 


"Forgive me," says Wendy as she stabs her husband with the knife. A ghost appears, saying what a terrific party they're all having. Wendy runs out as her husband, the knife still in his back, chases after her.

 


Scene 7: An outside party (94:40)

 

Wendy runs into the caretaker's quarters and locks the door behind her. Jack smashes at the door with the mallet, as Wendy slashes at him with razors. Grady and Derwent tell Jack to go after the boy first, since Danny has summoned "an outside party." A snowcat is heard outside, and Wendy assumes it's the rangers. Calling for her son, she falls to her knees.

 

Scene 8: Hallorann is here (96:06)

 

Hallorann enters the ballroom, calling for Wendy and Danny. The boy shouts a warning to Hallorann, but Jack beats the cook down with a mallet and takes chase after Danny.

 

"You are not my father," insists Danny as Jack hesitates. Though Jack continues to threaten the boy, Danny reminds his father of their love. Ultimately, Jack tells Danny to run away.

 


As Danny flees, the ghosts tell Jack just how disappointed they are in him. They remind him that he's forgotten to empty the boiler, and he runs off. As a chorus starts a countdown, the ghosts seem optimistic that carnage may yet ensue: "There may be hope for you after all."

 

Scene 9: Run! (100:10)

 

Wendy and Danny return to the ballroom, and Hallorann — recovering from the blow Jack struck — says they all have to leave immediately. "The boiler!" cries Danny.

 

Scene 10: Let's blow this thing (100:30)

 


Steam fills the basement as pressure builds. Jack stands before the boiler, refusing to take action as the ghosts warn his family is getting away and urge him to stop the explosion. "I'm afraid it's too late, gentlemen," says Jack, who tells his family he loves them as the hotel goes up in flames.

 


Scene 11: Epilogue (102:57)

 

It's nine months later. Danny fishes in a pond, as Wendy sits on the porch of a cabin reading a book. Hallorann enters, there to check up on the pair. "Ain't like the Overlook," he observes, "but it's cool being the cook here, and Maine suits me fine." Wendy says that Danny is still having bad dreams, but Hallorann assures her the boy is going to be okay.

 

Hallorann goes to sit with Danny, who admits he misses his father. "Sometimes I wish it had been me and not him," he says to Hallorann. The cook tells Danny to be strong for his mother.

 

When a fish tugs on the line, Danny repeats his call for Hallorann to come quick. "You're doing just fine by yourself," says the cook. "Just fine."

 


Credits

 

Composer: Paul Moravec

Libretto: Mark Campbell

Conductor: Michael Christie

Stage director: Eric Simonson

Choreographer: Heidi Spesard-Noble

Scenery and properties design: Erhard Rom

Animation and projection design: 59 Productions

Costume design: Kärin Kopischke

Lighting design: Robert Wierzel

Sound design: C. Andrew Mayer

 

Cast

 

Jack Torrance: Brian Mulligan

Wendy Torrance: Kelly Kaduce

Danny Torrance: Alejandro Vega

Dick Hallorann: Arthur Woodley

Mark Torrance: Mark Walters

Delbert Grady: David Walton

Horace Derwent: Alex Ritchie

Lloyd: John Robert Lindsey

Stuart Ullman: Robb Asklof

Bill Watson: Rick Penning

Mrs. Massey: Shannon Prickett

Mrs. Grady: Jeni Houser

 

Digital feature

Recording engineer: Zack Rose for Minnesota Public Radio

Recording editor: Kate Saumur for Minnesota Public Radio

Photography: Ken Howard for the Minnesota Opera