When we learned that my wife Charlotte needed surgery to remove two large and potentially cancerous tumors from her abdomen, I did what a lot of people do these days. I sent an email alerting friends and family about our situation. After Charlotte's surgery, I sent another email update. Toward the end of her hospital stay, I sent another. During this beginning stage of her excursion with cancer, many people encouraged me to set up a blog or join one of the websites where I could post updates for all to view. These propositions felt uncomfortable. In a world where social media can get out of control, we wanted to control our situation as best we could and decided against these avenues. I took charge of communication by drafting and sending an email every Friday. The personal touch of the direct email felt natural. We had direct correspondence with our community, and their responses brought smiles to our faces - often in a manner that would have been inappropriate had the responder posted a reply online for the world to read. What we didn't contemplate or comprehend was the buzz the weekly emails would create and the power of the forward button. Hundreds of people were on the original distribution list; thousands and thousands read the emails. The collection of emails - along with comments and explanations added later in retrospect - have been compiled into a book soon to be available on amazon. Charlotte and I hope that our journey and what we learned can be helpful or even inspirational to others in challenging circumstances. Please join us in that hope ...

2014 UPDATE - New Audition Protocols, Rates and Services added. From Broadway to Soundstage, Bev Leech offers 30 years of professional insight to the business of acting in Los Angeles and beyond. Begin, maintain, and sustain an exhilarating career as a performing artist in stage, television and film. Each successive chapter lays out the actor's next move in building an acting career: the actor's game plan, building your resume, getting representation, taking meetings and understanding contracts, differentiating audition techniques for stage, television and film, script breakdown, scams, and more. Whether you are new or an established professional, this book provides a solid and legitimate foundation of professional taste and insight to help you find work in this industry through all of its ever-changing tastes, and survive its "feast or famine," "crickets or cannonballs" energy. "Building an acting career is not an exact science. You won't find any hard and fast rules, but there are basic, established methods and protocol. I've shared those that I've found most useful, to show you a path toward a career worth having. Above all, don't strive to 'make it.' Strive to pave your own road and walk it like a warrior -- a road warrior. Good show, break a leg, and Carpe Diem " Bev Leech The companion audio CD of the chapter segment 'Nuts and Bolts' is also available separately on Amazon, "Actor Muscle: Nuts and Bolts of Audition Technique for Television and Film."

An insider look at wildland firefighting today - Ben Walters' realistic, day-to-day account of life on a BLM engine crew