Following the critique of “Beach Haven”, BTSCelebs plans to review Dagny Griffin’s cheerful children’s book “Shine” (with illustrations by Laura Bobbiesi)! This promising picture book is all about one little girl’s positive influence on the depressed city around her. The story could be inspired by the biblical passage about being the light of the world (Matthew 5:14-16).
Stay Tuned to BTSCelebs for a review of the uplifting children’s book.
*A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image*
This winter, BTSCelebs will kick off the season right with a complete review of the very first book in the The Carolina Coast Series.
In the upcoming fiction novel“Beach Haven”, bestselling author T.I. Lowe plans to tell the unique love story of Opal Gilbert and Lincoln Cole. The vintage store owner and ex-Marine meet in Sunset Cove and a devastating hurricane surprisingly brings them together.
Stay tuned in the coming weeks for BTSCelebs’ thoughts on this contemporary romance.
T.I. Lowe’s “Beach Haven” will be officially released on April 7th, 2020.
*A Special Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the advance reader copy of the book and cover image*
Priyanka and Nick are thoroughly enjoying wedded bliss, and they recently spent quality time on social media expressing their undying love for each other. The pair commemorated that special time in history with colorful wedding photos showing off their stellar attire (alongside heartfelt messages).
Take a look at the sweet wedding anniversary tweets below:
Yesterday, Jason Ray blew us away yet again with his amazing vocals. The singer covered GOT7‘s latest single “You Calling My Name”, and it’s addictive.
Watch his urban styled cover video below:
Click Here to watch GOT7’s original K-Pop version. The popular boy group needs to seriously consider collaborating with this American talent. He has excelled in many of his GOT7 covers. A couple of my personal favorites are “Never Ever” and Eclipse.
“Story Jam” returns to Chicago,IL this Sunday! Learn more about the artistic and expressive event now.
BTSCelebs: How was Story Jam created?
Stephanie Rogers: Story Jam started in 2014, when I was leading an event band and attending live lit storytelling shows. I sat in the audience and thought…’wow, this is a very cool scene, but it needs music!’ I wasn’t spending a lot of time songwriting back then, so the original music piece came as a thrilling challenge. To this day, every story gets a freshly written, original song; and I’ve personally written about 200 songs in response to the personal narratives told at Story Jam.
How does it differ from other Chicago events?
There’s no other storytelling show that has music crafted specifically for the show, as far as I know. But…the key difference is the true, personal, immediate, and intimate nature of elevated storytelling. It’s more theatricalized than bar room storytelling. It’s taking real, surprising, shocking, hilarious, or moving stories and turning them into performance. Then, add in a 10-piece band and original songs, and it’s unlike other live events.
Which special guest’s story do you identify with the most?
Well, the belief is that anyone in the room will be able to identify, in some way, with every story. However, I am particularly looking forward to seeing Tracy Baim. She was on the front lines of AIDS activism in the 80s and 90s, and, well…I guess I was around then a bit.
From this year’s event, which song will resonate with listeners?
Ha! All of the songs are fantastic of course! But, from this year…let’s see…there have been about 35 or so songs written since January of 2019, and I would say the one we’re doing for Peter Sagal on Sunday is going to be plenty fun.
Tell us more about your direct connection with The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights.
I was watching immigrant children speak to Congress about the 30-day deportation letters they received. The kids all had very serious, life-threatening illnesses for which, if they had gotten deported as the government had intended, they would not have been able to receive treatment. The U.S. was willing to send these children to a country and a medical system where they would die.
I could not imagine the terror they were experiencing. I called my friend Jenny Bailey, who is an immigration lawyer in Maine (and one of the smartest people I know) and I asked her if she knew of anyone in Chicago who was making a difference in the lives of immigrant children. She told me about The Young Center for Immigrant Children’s Rights. I called them immediately and they loved the idea of partnering with us. They are an amazing bunch!
Will you take Story Jam to other cities and countries in the near future?
Yes! We hope to grow Story Jam far and wide! We are currently planning more corporate functions, workshops, classes, retreats, and shows. The movement of storytelling is spreading rapidly, and this is an incredibly exciting time for the art form.
This Sunday, catch “Story Jam” at CityWinery Chicago! Doors open at 11AM and the event starts at noon.
BTSCelebs sends a special thanks to producer/singer/songwriter Stephanie Rogers and The Silverman Group for the interview and images.
Two months ago, the K-Pop singer made a comeback via the airwaves on Arirang Radio’s Kpoppin. Listeners remember him best as the reliable weekly guest on Isak’s show years ago before his military enlistment. Now, Sooyoon is back in his rightful place as the co-host for Thursday’s fun segment “TBONTB”.
For the time being, you can tune in every Thursday at 1PM [KST] to hear Isak and Sooyoon’s hilarious interaction and decide which one is trying to fool the audience with a colorful story.
God’s undying love is what motivates Rachel Zello to share the Good News with the world. She is not only a gifted songwriter, but an amazing singer as well. After catching the eye of the Grammys, BTSCelebs wants you to meet this daughter of Christian missionaries who is already captivating the world with her God-given talents.
BTSCelebs: Who is Rachel Zello?
Rachel Zello: I would describe myself as a real person who loves God, worship, and tries her best to loves people. Whether I walk into Walmart, interact on social media, or write and sing songs, I want to be approachable. Jesus is real and approachable for me and I want my life and music to encourage others to be open with Him about their very real and messy lives as well, heartache, questions and all. There is a tone of worship in all of my songs, and it’s extremely important to me that the music I put out is completely backed by scripture so that when someone listens to it, they don’t just hear a catchy tune or a pretty song, but they hear truth, because that’s what sets us free.
What first sparked your interest in music?
I honestly can’t remember what first sparked my interest in music. From singing at the top of my lungs to the car to Hillsong’s Darlene Zschech as a little girl, or rewinding Disney’s Mulan at least fifteen times so I could sing and dance around the living room, to being a part of the worship team for all of high-school, I have always loved singing. Music is therapeutic for me and I find that it often can speak louder and reach a deeper level of the heart than most other things. However, worship is what really drives my passion for music. Worship isn’t only shown through music, but music is one aspect that I love to worship and show adoration.
Which song from your latest album do you hope resonates with listeners?
Ithink that each song can resonate with different individuals depending on what situation they’re in, but my prayer is that either ‘Beautiful’ or ‘Free’ resonates with listeners. ‘Beautiful’ is a very honest prayer to deeper understand who God is and become more like Him in order to adequately love the people around us. The album title is actually taken from the bridge lyrics of ‘Beautiful,’ ‘Wake this heart in me to the beauty that’s within the mystery’ and it’s taken from Colossians 2:2-3 that states that the mystery of God is Jesus. That is the goal of the entire album, that people, no matter where they are at in life, would experience Jesus, hunger for more of Him, and know that everything that has been lost can be replaced with healing and freedom through Him.
Is there any specific advice you hope singles and married couples takeaway from your entire album, “Within The Mystery”?
Immediately, my song ‘First Love’ comes to mind when I think about what I want singles and married couples to take away from the album. I love being married and I love my husband, but some of the best years of my life were when I was single. You discover yourself and understand love at such a deeper level when you know Jesus as your first love. You know that you are loved and you know how to love because it’s been shown to us through the cross and life of Jesus. In this, single, dating or married, it’s much easier to find contentment. My biggest advice I hope every person can take away from listening to my album, ‘Within the Mystery’ is to draw in closer to Jesus because He promises to draw closer as well and only when He is the first love in your life will you ever be truly fulfilled.
Tell us about one unforgettable experience you had during the songwriting process.
I love Celine Dion, so when I was co-writing the song ‘For Your Glory’ with two absolutely incredible songwriters and friends, I remember all of us singing Celine’s lyrics, ‘that’s the way it is’ right after singing the melody of the lyrics, ‘for your glory’ because the tune sounded like it was about to burst into a Celine Dion song. For the rest of the day we were all humming her melodies and harmonizing with each other. Aka. It was a great time.
From India to Guatemala, you have already touched the world with your positive music. Which international location left the biggest impression on you?
I actually have two places that left a huge impression on me. Growing up as a missionary kid and having traveled to over 25 countries before my music ministry really catapulted, I sang and volunteered in an orphanage in Uzbekistan that held over 400 mentally and physically handicapped children. This was a trip that touched my heart and showed me a deeper level of love, joy, contentment, compassion and gratitude. I’ve been to India 6 times, and 5 out of the 6 has been over Christmas (also my birthday) and New Years, spending it in a home that rescues children from human trafficking. India is definitely the international location that left the biggest impression on me. It is a place that will awaken all of your senses at the same time. However, the kids are what make it so special for me. They are my family and I have a relationship with each child. There is nothing like watching them go from a place of abuse and timidity and grow into a future of hope and a life that’s worth living. Every sale from my music goes directly back into supporting these children.
What should we anticipate from you in 2020?
In 2020, I will be filming more music videos and digitally releasing more songs off of the album along with the official music videos. Traveling and performing live concerts are in the works and I will continue to engage with my follower friends on social media.
Learn more about Rachel by visiting her official website, RachelZello.com.
BTSCelebs sends a special thanks to Rachel Zello and her team for the interview and images.
Last week, the Second Chance Christmas star posted a series of exquisite photos of himself. In the Ryan Orange images, Tilky is seen posing in front of a rugged brick wall in his trendiest autumn attire. From the head shots to full body shots, the shoot has a modern edge with a slight vintage feel.
Click the following numbers to see the entire black and white set: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6.
His next holiday film “The Christmas Cards” is scheduled to be released on November 15th.
BTSCELEBS 