The Under Study

Recently divorced actor Stephen C. McQueen (no relation, unfortunately) seems to have a knack for bad luck. But a failed marriage, a stalled career, a judgmental ex-wife, a distant daughter, a horrid little studio apartment in the far reaches of the London suburbs–all these pathetic elements seem to pale in the chiseled face of his newest tormentor: the Twelfth Sexiest Man in the World, Josh Harper. Josh is the star of Mad, Bad, and Dangerous to Know, a biographical play about Lord Byron–and Stephen is his understudy. Not only is Josh fantastically, infuriatingly good-looking, internationally renowned, and remarkably talented, he’s also frustratingly healthy. No matter how many all-night booze-and-coke benders Josh goes on, he always shows up at the stage door for his call like clockwork. Stephen doubts he’ll ever get his chance to slip on the puffy shirt and tight breeches of Byron and tread the boards in the role that would certainly be the break he’s always waited for. And just when Stephen’s sure he couldn’t resent Josh more, he meets Josh’s witty, restless American wife, Nora . . . and discovers he likes her a little too much. Another man might curse his luck at finding that his potential dream woman is a rival’s wife, but at this point, Stephen would expect nothing else. Caught between his stirring feelings for Nora, the demands of an insistent and secretive Josh, and his lifelong desire for a real career in show business, Stephen must make a terrible decision: Will it be the girl or the fame? A hapless, bumbling bloke in love, an arrogant megastar with a potpourri of addictions, a sexy married woman out of her element in the fast lane–David Nicholls brings them all together in this knockout romantic comedy.

THE UNDERSTUDY is the story of Nina Landau, an actress, living in New York City in the early ’70s and trying hard to make it on Broadway. We follow her from her Broadway audition nerves to her eventual success on stage. Along the way we discover what goes on backstage during a Broadway show, how actors deal with the mistakes that occasionally occur and how exciting it is to be at an opening night party at Sardi’s! Nina experiences thrilling triumphs as well as crushing setbacks and has a passionate love affair with her leading man.

"How far would you go to protect your daughter? Four mothers must identify the true threat at their daughters' school before it's too late. Carolyn, Bronnie, Elise, and Kendall are bound together by one thing--their four daughters are best friends at the highly competitive Orla Flynn Academy for the Performing Arts. Last year the foursome exploded because of brutal bullying between the girls, but they've since forgiven each other. The mothers, however, haven't been able to move on. When new threats surface and accidents begin to happen - just as a mysterious new girl enters the scene - the mothers take matters into their own hands. But they will have to risk their own secrets being exposed if they stand a chance at uncovering the truth."--Provided by publisher

Immersed in the gritty underbelly of the theatre world in Sydney’s questionable streets of 1973, this addictive debut will have you wondering just how dangerous ambition – and love – can be. It’s opening night. The stage is set, the houselights have dimmed and the handsome male lead is waiting. This is your time. Your chance to prove you are so much more than the understudy. You have worked so hard and would have done almost anything to get here. But not what they are accusing you of – never that. It’s simply bad luck that Australia’s darling of opera has gone missing, throwing the spotlight on you just as the whole world is watching history in the making. But the show must go on and it’s all down to you. Take a deep breath and get ready to perform the role of your life. Praise for The Understudy ‘A delicious read! A fascinating glimpse into the glamorous world of opera where innocence & betrayal is set against the seedy underbelly and glorious splendour of Sydney and the opening of our very own opera house. You’ll never see the twists and turns as the layers of this intriguing mystery begin to unfold.’ Tania Blanchard, author of The Girl from Munich ‘Julie Bennett's The Understudy is the best kind of historical fiction: a powerful love story blended with a mystery that keeps the reader guessing. Bennett relives the opening of the fabled Sydney Opera House in all its glory, while describing the underbelly of opera and the machinations that carry on backstage. A stunning debut that will have book clubs talking!’ Anita Abriel, author of The Light After War ‘A heady, genre-bending drama about ambition, performance, love, betrayal and passion … a delight to read … There is a cast of wonderfully interesting characters, like an Agatha Christie novel, some with richly drawn backstories and some remaining infuriatingly enigmatic … An enjoyable and page-turning read.’ Cass Moriarty, author of The Promise Seed ‘The Understudy takes us back to a time of change and growth in Australia; its operatic characters feel, sing and live with passion and intensity. The story of two opera singers, twenty years apart, gives us both triumph and tragedy, that bittersweet tone which stays with you for a long time. So evocative you can smell the scent of Sydney Harbour—and the then-mean streets of Woolloomooloo.’ Pamela Hart, author of The Charleston Scandal ‘The Understudy is a sexy, page-turner of a novel, full of intrigue, secrets and ambition set during the opening season of the Sydney Opera House in 1973. Julie Bennett has woven a spell that will entice the reader in and won’t let them go. Brava!’ Mary-Lou Stephens, author of The Last of the Apple Blossom

THE STORY: Franz Kafka's undiscovered masterpiece in its Broadway premiere is the hilarious and apropos setting for Theresa Rebeck's exploration of the existential vagaries of show business and life. Charged with running the understudy rehearsal fo

The thrilling sequel to the book that Kirkus Reviews called “ingeniously plotted and vastly entertaining,” inspired by the classic board game CLUE—now in paperback! New semester. New secrets. New murder. In the aftermath of their headmaster’s brutal murder, Blackbrook Academy has been thrown into chaos. Half the student body hasn’t bothered to return to campus—but those who have include Orchid McKee, Vaughn Green, Scarlett Mistry, Beth “Peacock” Picach, Phineas Plum, and Sam “Mustard” Maestor, now warily referred to by the other students as the Murder Crew. When another staff member is found dead, each teen’s reasons for sticking around come to light. Orchid and Vaughn grow ever closer to having their secrets exposed, Peacock and Scarlett struggle to change their stripes, and Plum and Mustard question everything. As everything comes to a boiling point at Tudor House, nobody’s life will ever be the same.

Embark on a six-week journey to letting go of the things you can’t control, finding the strength to hang on tighter to those you can—and finally learning how to tell the difference. If you’re like most women, you have been trying to hang on tight, so you can get life right. Jennifer Dukes Lee has written this Bible study workbook especially for you. Over the course of this study, you’ll Uncover surprising truths from the life of Jesus about busy-ness, obedience, and asking for help Discover five major reasons that keep us from trusting God—and how to overcome them Make healthier, wiser decisions about how to spend your time and energy Find practical exercises and Scriptural truths to guide you in living a life of surrender to God. This isn’t a journey to “doing less;” it’s about becoming more of who God has truly created you to be. This workbook, for small groups or individual study, is a companion resource to the book It’s All under Control (sold separately).

Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of prac­ticing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct com­plex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By complet­ing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the meth­ods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard key­board, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the sim­ple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Fig­ure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcompo­nents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accu­rate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chain­saws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.

WINNER OF THE 2011 THEATRE BOOK PRIZE Shakespeare's greatest play, directed by the most experienced and acclaimed director in the land, starring one of our very finest actors at the very peak of his powers... What could possibly go wrong? The stage is set for what promises to be one of the greatest tours in the history of theatre. Take a front row seat as a whole host of stars led by Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Trevor Nunn set off to take the world by storm with their new production of King Lear only to endure injuries, critical backlash and almost constant controversy. As understudy to the King himself, Weston's frank and funny account takes us right through from the London rehearsals to the historical Stratford Season, back to the glittering West End, and then out across the globe. Punctuated with hilarious celebrity anecdotes, insightful travelling tales, and lessons for any aspiring thespian, Weston deftly lifts the curtain the on Royal Shakespeare Company's much heralded tour and reveals the chaos underneath.