Splendor in Midland: 100 reads and featured at Scribd September 5, 2009
Posted by William Spear in >> Playwriting, >> Radio Drama.Tags: audio drama, Booth Tarkington, Pulitzer Prize, radio theatre, scribd, Splendor in Midland, The Magnificent Ambersons, two plus plus productions, William E. Spear
add a comment
THE SPLENDOR IN MIDLAND has been read 100 times in it’s first day at Scribd. Inspired by Booth Tarkington’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Magnificent Ambersons,” Splendor tells the story of Georgie Amberson Minafer, the next generation of the wealthy Amberson family.
Georgie Amberson Minafer is viewed with contempt by the residents of Midland. Since his antics as a spoiled youth, they have longed to see him get knocked down a notch or two. But no one could have imagined the pounding he would go through.
THE SPLENDOR IN MIDLAND is about Georgie and his families, the Ambersons and Minafers, as they face financial and personal upheavals. The return of the Morgans, absent for 20 years after a public humiliation, rekindles ancient recollections and ignites new emotions.
Episode One, titled, “A Gem in Its Setting,” takes place on Christmas Eve at the Amberson Towers in Midland. The occasion is their annual holiday open house and this year the family is celebrating Georgie’s sophomore year in college.
The evening begins with laughter and smiles as Eugene Morgan is reunited with childhood friends Isabel Amberson Minafer, Georgie’s mother, and Jack Amberson, Georgie’s uncle.
But the party ends with a somber tone and sets into motion events which will make the participants wonder if there is any splendor remaining in Midland.
Details
The Splendor in Midland may be read at Scribd:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/19413372/Splendor-in-Midland-Episode-One
Other works of William E. Spear may be found here:
http://www.scribd.com/Two%20Plus%20Plus%20Productions%20LLC
# 30 #
Spear publishes, dedicates, and tweets new audio play August 6, 2009
Posted by William Spear in >> Lit Between the Ears, Volume Two, >> News, >> Radio Drama, >> Two Plus Plus Productions LLC, audio theatre, radio play.Tags: >> Two Plus Plus Productions LLC, argosy "maxie" hills, ceel, celia "ceel" court, it suits her, kohls, lit between the ears, maxie, mayonnaise in my cake and other holiday delights, scribd, twitter, William E. Spear
add a comment
William E. Spear, of Clinton Township, has published a new play titled “It Suits Her.” “It’s about two lives that collide in an unlikely setting – a tailor’s shop,” said Spear. He has also dedicated the audio play to a select group of friends and colleagues.
Maxie
The story’s main character is Argosy “Maxie” Hills, an actor desperately trying to resurrect his career after years of drinking. He’s late for an audition and wants to wear his best suit. But it’s inside a tailor’s shop that has just closed for the evening.
The assistant manager of the shop is Celia Court. Years ago, she left the stifling circumstances of her family to pursue a college education. She despises her job but needs it to pay for her education. Maxie pleads with her to re-open the shop.
“Celia, ‘Ceel’ to her friends, is one more mistake away from being fired. Without her job, she won’t be able to finish her studies,” said Spear.
After a lengthy argument, Maxie convinces her to give him his suit. But the auditions are long over. Also, when the owner of the shop sees it’s not closed, he fires Ceel. With their careers seemingly over and their futures holding nothing obvious, the initial clash between Maxie and Ceel blossoms into respect, and ultimately, a warm friendship.
Dedication
The themes of respect and friendship are also the basis for the author’s dedication. “During the last four years, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some of the funniest and most creative people I’ve ever met. We all work at Kohl’s in Flemington, New Jersey. The intelligence and humor that walks around the store at any given moment is like a comedic, improvisational ensemble disguised as a retail department store. ‘It Suits Her’ is dedicated to friends and colleagues from the store,” said Spear.
Publishing and marketing
The script is available through Scribd, an online social publishing company. Spear had used the firm to publish an earlier work titled “Swing for the Fences – Episode One” with satisfactory results. Other publishers such as Random House and Simon & Schuster are also making books available through Scribd.
To market the play, Spear integrated Twitter into his efforts. Twitter is social networking and micro-blogging service. “We wanted to quickly raise the awareness of ‘It Suits Her’ and get it read,” said Spear. “The play went from a readership of zero to over 750 in two days. Plus Scribd featured it and 50 readers downloaded it.”
The play may continue to be read or downloaded for free until September 30, 2009 when it will be bundled into Spear’s upcoming anthology titled “Mayonnaise in My Cake and Other Holiday Delights.” Spear encourages readers to enjoy the play, experience Maxie and Ceel, and see if their new circumstances suit them.
About William E. Spear
Mr. Spear is President of Two Plus Plus Productions LLC in Clinton, New Jersey. The firm has published audio theatre plays since 2006. With its forthcoming collection titled “Mayonnaise in My Cake and Other Holiday Delights,” the firm has added short stories to its portfolio. Two Plus Plus Productions LLC, and its sister publication, Lit Between the Ears, may be found on the web at www.TwoPlusPlus.com . He may be contacted at Two.Plus.Plus.Productions@gmail.com .
“It Suits Her” may be found on the web at http://www.scribd.com/doc/18082545/It-Suits-Her . It may be read or downloaded for free until September 30, 2009.
Spear’s tweets may be followed at www.twitter.com/WilliamESpear .
# 30 #
From the Editor: Ahead of the market at Scribd June 12, 2009
Posted by William Spear in >> News.Tags: >> Radio Drama, audio theatre, hachette book group, scribd, simon & schuster, stephen king, swing for the fences, two plus plus productions
add a comment
We are pleased to announce that the good people at Simon & Schuster – yes, Stephen King’s publisher – have followed our lead at Scribd.
Two days after we announced publishing Swing for the Fences at Scribd (Published: Swing for the Fences – Episode One; http://twoplusplus.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/published-swing-for-the-fences-episode-one/), Simon & Schuster felt compelled to publish its portfolio through Scribd in order to maintain its market share.
Hachette Book Group, previously a critic of Scribd, also felt motivated to fall into line with the new technology and announced it would be open to selling its e-books through the platform. Like us.
Technology levels the playing field.
# 30 #
Published: Swing for the Fences – Episode One June 9, 2009
Posted by William Spear in >> News, >> Radio Drama.Tags: audio theatre, baseball, jake alston, lit between the ears, mayonnaise in my cake, mayonnaise in my cake and other holiday delights, radio play, scribd, swing for the fences, two plus plus productions, William E. Spear
1 comment so far
Two Plus Plus Productions LLC and Lit Between the Ears are pleased to present SWING FOR THE FENCES – EPISODE ONE published through Scribd.
Swing for the Fences is about young Jake Alston as he plays baseball with his father during World War One. But when Mr. Alston is killed in the War, Jake’s world is destroyed.
The entire play may be found here:
Swing for the Fences – Episode One
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15952114/Swing-for-the-Fences-Episode-One
“Scribd’s iPaper technology and social publishing platform is helping authors connect with readers around the world,” said William E. Spear, author of Swing for the Fences. “We believe Scribd can help us reach new readers.”
In addition to reading the play, fans may Share a link to the play, recommend it as a Favorite, or Download it.
“SWING FOR THE FENCES is included in our second book titled ‘Mayonnaise in My Cake and Other Holiday Delights’ which is scheduled for release on October 1, 2009. We are exploring and identifying new ways to enhance readers’ experience with our latest anthology of plays,” said Spear.
Details
Swing for the Fences – Episode One
http://www.scribd.com/doc/15952114/Swing-for-the-Fences-Episode-One
Two Plus Plus Productions LLC and Lit Between the Ears
We are entertainment company located in Clinton, New Jersey USA. We write, publish, and produce radio drama. We also publish and produce Lit Between the Ears – Celebrating the Power and People of Dramatic Audio.
Two dot Plus dot Plus dot Publications at gmail dot com
Scribd
Scribd’s vision is to liberate the written word — to turn everyone into a publisher and create the best possible reading experience on the web and mobile platforms.
# 30 #
From the publisher: June 2009 – We are on Scribd June 1, 2009
Posted by William Spear in >> Out Basket, >> News.Tags: scribd, Mink Magazine, Mink Potential, Monica Kade, Sydney Australia, mayonnaise in my cake and other holiday delights
add a comment
Recent media coverage for Scribd (www.Scribd.com/) caught our attention. Billing itself as “YouTube for books” with “streaming document” technology, we’ve set up an account and will experiment with selling through the site. More details to come.
We’ve also had the pleasure of learning about Mink Magazine (www.minkmagazine.com/; published by Mink Potential) and Monica Kade, Director. Quoting their website, “Mink is mecca for emerging artists.” Spend a few minutes with their Sydney, Australia-based publication and you’ll agree.
Lastly, our October 1, 2009 launch for is growing near and we’ve renamed our next book MAYONNAISE IN MY CAKE AND OTHER HOLIDAY DELIGHTS.
Here come the holidays.
Believe, Simply Believe
Regards,
William E. Spear
William E. Spear
Publisher and Producer
Lit Between the Ears
President
Two Plus Plus Productions LLC
Two.Plus.Plus.Productions at gmail dot com
# 30 #
