EDM for Teens LIVE Concert

Get ready! On December 15 at 8:00 PM, you won’t want to miss the “EDM for Teens Live Concert starring Morissa Schwartz.” The virtual concert (in the same style as AOL concerts) will be 45 minutes long streamed live on Facebook and available to be rewatched on the EDM for Teens Facebook.

Set list includes:

Burn- Ellie Goulding

Chandlier- Sia

Birth in Reverse- St. Vincent

Anything Can Happen- Ellie Goulding

Cheap Thrills- Sia

Prima Donna Girl- Marina and the Diamonds

Digital Witness- St. Vincent

AND MORE!

So be sure to tune in and see this live EDM Concert where you can actively take part! We’ll be looking for your <3s!

Filed under: Media Appearances, Music

YardYum

By now you know what a big fan of the gig economy I am. I wrote a book about it and now do a lot of public speaking about how digital media now allows anyone to be an entrepreneur. But just when I think I know all that there is to know about digital entrepreneurship, I find something new, like YardYum. 

YardYum (https://yardyum.com) is an online platform that lets people rent garden plots from local homeowners, community gardens, farms, schools, businesses and even churches. It’s been called the “Airbnb of gardening” and people are signing up from cities all around the world. How cool is that? If you want to garden but don’t have your own space, or you’re a landowner with some spare space, check it out!

Small Business Saturday

‘Morissa sang on two main streets for Small Business Saturday!’

Filed under: Music

The 7 Questions of Creativity

Jeff Leisawitz’s 7 question interview with Morissa Schwartz

How do you keep pushing ahead after a difficult challenge?

Think of everything as part of the larger picture. I often ask myself, “Will I remember this in a year? Will it matter in a year?” That always puts everything into perspective; few challenges are ever as dire as they seem.

 

What have you learned from your successes/ failures?

You can make your own luck.

Read the rest here.

Filed under: Media Appearances

My Girlfriend is a Vampire II

Vampires are cool. I’ll be the first to say that. Unfortunately, ever since “Twilight,” they’ve felt a tad overdone. However, R.J. Rogue's "Evanescence" impressed at the beginning of the year, and now Robert D. Jackson’s “My Girlfriend is A Vampire” give such a refreshing spin to the genre. Not to give anything too big away, but things are not what they seem. See in this book, that takes place in high school (one of my favorite settings), Larry Evans (an average guy) falls for Veronique Cartwright (a very ‘not average’ girl). 

The book is exciting and can be enjoyed by all ages. I enjoyed the flow and language. The plot was familiar, but still shocking and intriguing enough to keep me reading. I can’t wait to read the sequel (wink, wink, Mr. Jackson.)

Check it out for yourself.

Interview with Brian of The Clean Bedroom

I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian, owner of www.thecleanbedroom.com and NYC location.

What inspired these businesses? 

I have lived a healthy lifestyle since I was a kid. I started learning about nutrition in high school to become a better competitor. Mrs. Bucknowski in home economics and Mrs. Reinke, my anatomy teacher had huge influences on how I ate and exercised.

Wow, that’s awesome how you were inspired at such an early age, and by your teachers no less. 

This obsession with a healthy lifestyle carried over into the environment as well. Mrs. Reinke spent a lot of time talking to us about acid rain and industries that were destroying our planet. Mrs. Reinke along with my love for animals, MTV, REM, and a high school crush that introduced me to Green Peace is where it all began.

The obsession with textiles started when I was eight years old. I had to pick out my clothes because my mother would buy me shirts or sweaters that I did not want to wear. I wanted to wear clothing that felt good. At an early age, I began my quest for quality products that looked great and felt great. The desire for quality products carried over into every part of life. Who made the best bat? Which company made the best glove? Who made the best helmet? Who made the best skateboard? Who made the best radio? Who made the best PC? 

Today I obsess over who makes the best sheets. Who makes the best pillow? Who makes the healthiest mattress? Who makes the healthiest pillow? Is linen better than cotton? Is linen greener than cotton?

Well, that is awesome, and I am sure your customers appreciate it. Why is sleeping on an organic mattress important? Not much is more important than a good night’s rest. What is even better is a good night’s rest on a healthy mattress built by a company that is obsessed with organic materials and quality construction. McDonald's makes food that tastes very good, but you should not eat it very often because it is unhealthy. This lesson in dieting transfers to buying that inexpensive mattress made out of petrol chemicals. These cheap beds often feel great and ordering them is super convenient. They are practically disposable at their price point, but like McDonald's, that doesn’t mean you should eat it or sleep on it every night.

What are your most popular products?

We sell a lot of everything. People love latex rubber mattresses wrapped in organic cotton and organic wool. Our customers love wool toppers and wool comforters.Now you are called the clean bedroom…that is one of my weaknesses: I cannot keep my bedroom clean! Any tips?

The secret to keeping a clean bedroom is to keep your stuff out of it whenever possible. I have the luxury of living in a comfortable home so I have extra room and ample closet space. I am also single, so I don’t have 85 Berken bags sitting in the closet taking up space.

Your room should be like a staged house. It should look like a page in an Ethan Allen or Pottery Barn catalog. You want it to be the most relaxing room in your house and your cleanest.  The only way to keep it super clean is to keep stuff out of it.  Put your clothes away. Keep stuff off your night stands. Even if you have to push it all under the bed or shove it in a closet, you want your room to be completely free of clutter.

Most importantly, turn off all electronics! That clock on your cable box is a huge no-no! No computers or monitors left on. If you must charge your phone at night, TURN IT OFF! Not on airplane mode either.  Turn it off. If you need an alarm keep your phone outside of your bedroom. This is better because it will force you out of bed to turn off your alarm. Wow, that is really helpful. I am so guilty of all that…especially the electronics. Anything else to add?Meditate every morning before doing anything else. We all need mental clarity, and very few of us understand the importance of meditation. We eat right. We exercise. We stretch. We sleep. We go to the doctor. We see therapists. We do a lot of things to grow and heal, but very few of these are as effective as meditation. We need to give our headspace some much-needed TLC. Most of us are stressed out and going 200 miles an hour the moment we wake up. Our brains need help. Meditation is Yoga for the mind. And if you need an organic meditation cushion, just give us a call!

Thank you, Brian! That is awesome advice!

Check out www.thecleanbedroom.com and his NYC location.

One Year of GenZ Publishing

Press release from GenZ:

Aberdeen, NJ November 8, 2016: GenZ Publishing is clearly the fastest growing publisher of 2016!

Having published over thirty books (four of them topping the Amazon bestseller list) and mentoring dozens of new and innovative authors, GenZ is turning the literary publishing world upside down. This past year has been a whirlwind success, and there is no telling what will come next for this publishing startup.

Morissa Schwartz, bestselling author and literary whiz, founded GenZ Publishing after determining that there was a need for more new, young, and innovative voices in literature. Her vision was to shake up the industry by finding the very best talent and showcasing their work in trendy, new ways. She wrote her business plan for GenZ Publishing just four days after she graduated college, and the rest is history. Morissa said in a statement on her website MorissaSchwartz.com, “I had no marketing budget or allowance. I only had my work ethic. I began promoting my new company via social media. I would often stay up until 4am, trying to find the perfect new writers for my company and ways to make GenZ a success.” Through perseverance and hard work, Schwartz has found many talented authors with just as much drive, motivation, and work ethic. “It is definitely a team effort,” Schwartz explained.

GenZ publishes books in many genres, so long as the work is innovative, positive, and forward thinking to stay with GenZ’s mission of being ‘publishing of the future.’ The company’s first book release, TALES OF A RECEDING HAIRLINE by K.W. Peery, was ranked #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases List and is being heavily praised by critics for its prolific prose. Mr. Peery’s follow-up, PURGATORY, also hit #1 on the charts. GenZ and Mr. Peery are currently working on their third collaboration due out in 2017. Other popular titles from GenZ Have included young adult romance novel LEARNING TO FLY,  an exploration of the trials and tribulations of a military family  THE TIES THAT BIND, and psychological thriller A CONFESSION. Additionally, a sequel to mystery thriller, AN HOUR FOR MAGIC, titled Hollow be Thy Name is due out in early 2017.

GenZ celebrated the anniversary with a 45-minute-long video and podcast episode about the past year.

About GenZ™ Publishing from GenZPublishing.org

GenZ™ is on a mission to improve the world one word at a time. That is why we are the place for voices to be heard in a way not previously done in print and on digital media.

We know from experience that building a portfolio can be difficult for writers and artists. Starting a long term career is even tougher. It can be most trying on the young people who are just getting into writing, journalism, and the workforce. Whether these young people are applying to college, graduate school, or a job, having a standout sample of their work is necessary. Being published is difficult without an agent or the establishment that comes with age and having work recognized in a sea of so many writers can be the most challenging.

Right now, there is an underrepresentation of new, young, and innovative voices in the publishing and print world. We are ready to change that.

GenZ™ Publishing provides new writers the opportunity to have their books published that can be shared with friends, family, prospective employers, fans, and readers alike. When they have a book published, it is their way of proving to the world what they can do and how the new generation will change the way the world is looked at.

• To learn more email editor@GenZPublishing.org

Filed under: editor, Media Appearances, Read Now, writing

Interview with Suzy Stein & Fernando Perez

Suzy Stein & Fernando Perez wrote "The Mark of Kings” Graphic Novel Series. It was released by the pair as Entity Eye Entertainment.

Their graphic novel is the story of Former priest Benjamin Bishop who must find the secret heir to the largest vampire kingdom in order to stop the resurrection of a centuries old war between Vampires, the Vatican and the Military. 

I had the pleasure of a 3-question interview (Mad Magazine style), with this amazingly talented pair...

1.Why did you choose to write a graphic novel over a traditional novel?

We are primarily screenwriters and filmmakers. We were looking for other avenues to tell our stores because we don’t have the capacity to film all of our scripts. We both love and collect comics and felt writing a comic would broaden our audience.  Graphic novels are visual much like films and it seemed like a great fit for our stories.

2.  What pieces of writing, comics, and movies inspired you most?

Fernando was first inspired to write after watching the original 1933 King Kong as a child. This movie set his imagination on fire. He is still a fan of action/adventure and science fiction. His favorite storytellers are Christopher Nolan, Tom Clancy, David Goyer, and Paul Haggis.

Suzy grew up watching old black and white movies with her mom. She has a deep love for science fiction, film noir, and mystery/crime stories. She is a devoted fan of David Mamet, Rian Johnson, John Carpenter, Brian DePalma, and Mark Waid.

3.  You have also written films together… what ingredient do you think makes you such a winning team?

We work well together for several reasons. We share the same sense of humor, drive, and passion.  We genuinely like and respect each other. We use our respective strengths to great advantage. Plus, only one of can go crazy at a time but everyone gets a turn.

...

Suzy also said that "Vampires are an enduring monster and the chance to create a unique and dark universe was thrilling. The opportunity to do it with Fernando was the best part.

Co-writer Fernando Perez added," I was excited to create a whole new Vampire mythology and history. And thank you to Suzy for sharing in this vision."

About the authors:

Suzy Stein grew up moving around a lot as an army brat. One aspect of her life that never changed was her love of writing, movies and comics. However, it would be years before she would be able to turn that love into a career. She attended Georgetown University School of Medicine. During her time there, she published several research articles in scientific journals. While that allowed her to work on her writing skills, she still wanted to pursue her love of comics and movies. Later on, Suzy met Fernando Perez and began working with him. Together, they have written numerous short films and scripts. Several of those short films and scripts have been official selections at various film festivals. In her free time, she collects Pez dispensers and loves to perform impressions, even though all of them sound like Bette Davis.

Fernando Perez is an Arizona native.  He graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in International Affairs. While that was an exciting choice, it wasn’t what he wanted to pursue. When he was younger, the original King Kong movie inspired and instilled within him a love of film and writing. Afterward, he began writing and telling stories. He was a finalist in the prestigious Disney Features Fellowship Program. He met Suzy Stein and together they collaborated on numerous scripts and short films. Several of those short films and scripts have been official selections at various film festivals. As a single father, he enjoys spending his free time with his son and daughter.

About Entity Eye Entertainment:

Entity Eye Entertainment is a privately held independent production company founded to create, develop, and co-produce projects and motion pictures for an expanding global audience. Learn more at http://www.entityeye.com

Check them out! A lot of talent there.