The seven-person ensemble, The Family Crest, made a stop at Washington, D.C.’s Rock & Roll Hotel on Tuesday following the release of the first of a series of EPs, Prelude to War, in late April. Vocalist, guitarist and headman Liam McCormick caught up with the News-Press to talk about the […]

By J. Roslyn Rhada Vatsal is the author of two highly rated historical novels set in New York City during the years leading up to America entering World War I: A Front Page Affair and Murder Between the Lines. We have reviewed both books, here. We asked Ms. Vatsal why she chose […]

By J. Roslyn Although World War I raged in Europe starting in 1914, the United States did not declare war on Germany until April 6, 1917. As we enter into the centennial anniversary of America’s involvement in that war, historical novels, such as Radha Vatsal’s excellent, debut novel, A Front Page […]

By J. Roslyn In her second Kitty Weeks novel, Murder Between The Lines, Rhada Vatsal again takes us back to the 1910s, a tumultuous time in U.S. history, where women are demanding the long promised right to vote, and, as World War I bloodies Europe, the American government and defense industries […]

By J. Roslyn Robert E. Schiller, a life-long and highly sought-after public education administrator now serving as the interim superintendent of the Falls Church, Virginia, public schools, knows basketball, and in “Papaya Sunset,” he manages to draw the reader into the excitement of a close game, a last minute basket, […]

By Lois Elfman One of the hottest shows on television today, The Americans, has a distinct connection to the city of Falls Church. Set in the 1980s during the Reagan era, the drama follows the lives and intrigues of KGB spies Philip and Elizabeth Jennings, who “the center” placed in […]

Creative Cauldron announced the world premiere of “Kaleidoscope,” a new musical written by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, starring Broadway’s Florence Lacey. The production is Conner and Smith’s third installment in Creative Cauldron’s “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” five-year commissioning project, following Helen Hayes Awards recommended productions of […]

By J. Roslyn Sarah Denzil has written a fast-paced thriller that challenges what we believe about English village life. Using crisp, focused writing that avoids unnecessary verbiage and tiresome cliches, Denzil takes us on a rollercoaster ride that is impossible to stop until it reaches the end. The protagonist, Emma, […]

Three of the mechanicals in a scene from McLean Community Players’ A Midsummer Night’s Dream: (L-R) Francis Flute as Thisbe (David Adler), Tom Snout as Wall (Michael Gerwin), and Nick Bottom as Pyramus (Tom Flatt). (Photo: Irish Eyes Photography by Toby)

By J. Roslyn I haven’t seen the movie version of “A Dog’s Purpose,” but I am going to go out on a limb and insist that, if you love dogs, you read this book whether you go to see the film or not. It will answer every question you have […]