Happy Anniversary, CAKE: A Love Story

CAKE: A Love Story is celebrating its second-year anniversary release on Amazon Prime today. We are so grateful to everyone who worked on Misha Zubarev and Vera Zubarev’s lovely short film version of our romantic memoir It Had To Be Us -- and to the wonderful people who have supported it. We are also surprised and happy because of the following information:

Amazon views: 6272

Amazon Rating Average: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

IMDb Rating Average: 8.5 stars (out of 10)

Awards: First Place in Short Film Category at the NSAEN International Online Film Festival, Award of Merit at IndieFest, Official Selection of the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival
 
It’s like a dream come true for us. We will always remember the hard work and happiness involved in this labor of love.

Director and Cast Discuss CAKE: A Love Story

During the month of February, Movie Addict Headquarters is showcasing CAKE: A Love Story, the award-winning short film based on It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir my husband Larry and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Listeners can hear this on demand episode at any time during the month by clicking on the link at the end of this article.

Misha Zubarev, co-director/writer of the movie reveals why he undertook this particular project and how the film differs from the book. Debra Lord Cooke and Richard Vernon, who play Elizabeth and Harry, talk about what it was like bringing these characters to life on screen. Plus, George Bettinger and Nancy Lombardo, who portray Elizabeth’s friends, also join in the discussion. The film’s plot focuses on how two people rediscover their lost love after being divorced and estranged from each other for almost 20 years. Although this is a serious theme, the movie includes humor – and, of course, lots of romance!

CAKE: A Love Story earned the following laurels on the 2017 film festival circuit:

First Place in the Short Film category at the NSAEN International Film Festival

Award of Merit from IndieFest (for being “a notable artistic and technical production”)

Official Selection by the Toronto International Short Film Festival.

The movie was also voted top spot at a live audience screening of short films in Savannah, Georgia.

LINK TO LISTEN: Click here.

HOST: Betty Jo Tucker
CO-HOST: Larry Tucker
PRODUCER: Nikki Starr  
To watch CAKE: A Love Story on Amazon Prime click here.
To order It Had To Be Us, click here.

A Lovely Review

I’m so happy that filmmaker Alexander Hanno has given us permission to use his comments below in any PR for CAKE: A Love Story!    

“I watched Cake: A Love Story and found it so bitter-sweet (figuratively bitter and a literally sweet). I can't believe that Elizabeth and Harry Lawrence came back together after so long apart and such independent journeys in the interim. It's a really beautiful story, peppered with some moments of true heart break and I'll tell you, it makes for great filmmaking. I was particularly smitten with the production design behind the two ‘documentary’ shots of the lead couple. I loved how the design in those shots helped paint a picture of each character before we ever got to know the pair throughout the story. Visual storytelling is so crucial and such a genuine breath of fresh air.” ---  Alexander Hanno, writer/director of Elephants

Congratulations again to Misha Zubarev, Vera Zubarev, and their terrific cast and crew for a wonderful transfer of IT HAD TO BE US -- the romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence -- to the screen! 

And thanks to Alexander Hanno for his encouraging review. 

Endearing and Heart-Wrenching Fiilm

Thanks to filmmaker Vohn Regensburger for this wonderful e-mail message about CAKE: A Love Story, an award-winning short film based on It Had To Be Us, the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. This film is now available on Amazon Prime.

A producer friend of mine and I watched your short movie, CAKE: A Love Story depicting your romantic life story and we just loved it! The story was very endearing and heart-wrenching as it unfolded.

The two lead actors, Debra Lord Cooke and Richard Vernon were marvelous playing you two and were so relatable, funny and heart-felt in their roles. I just thought all along, “Isn’t this just like love: blue sunny skies and summertime… until it isn’t!”

I felt by the end of the film I was good friends with you as a couple and had known you both forever. I believe that piece is so hard to accomplish in a film, let alone a short. I’m so glad you stayed with it and were able to get this released and shared with the world.

Please let directors Misha and Vera Zubarev know a job well-done, as well!

Family Movie Premiere

We had a wonderful FAMILY PREMIERE of CAKE: A Love Story in our Cineroom (the living room) on Christmas afternoon. There was standing room only (16 people) so some viewers had to sit on the floor. 

Everyone clapped at the end of the movie – and they even applauded my introduction. Yay!

Two of our granddaughters actually teared-up during the film. And one of our grandsons, who’s a movie buff like me, told us how impressed he was with the filmmaking techniques.

Larry and I watched the audience as the movie was running. We could tell how much everyone enjoyed watching this short film that’s based on IT HAD TO BE US, an award-winning romantic memoir we wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence.

It was truly one of the best Christmases we have ever experienced!!!

Thanks again to filmmakers Misha Zubarev and V. Ulea for making all this possible.

Toronto Shorts Film Festival Screening

Just wanted to share some good news with you, dear readers! CAKE: A Love Story, a short film based on It Had To Be Us -- the romantic memoir my husband Larry and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence -- screened at the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival last night (9/22).

I understand there were 800 short films submitted to TSIFF but only 50 were selected to screen at this event.

The film also won an AWARD OF MERIT from IndieFEST for being “a notable artistic and technical production.”  And the movie is an Official Selection of the First Annual NSAEN International Online Film Festival.

Congratulations to the creative co-directors/writers Misha Zubarev and V. Ulea as well as to the wonderful cast members Debra Lord Cooke, Richard Vernon, Nancy Lombardo, George Bettinger and all the terrific crew! 

This is all so exciting. Wish Larry and I could have hopped on a plane to Toronto for last night's screening!

(CAKE: A Love Story is an Ariella Media production. Image by Denise Cassino)

For more information about the Toronto Shorts International Film Festival, click on the link below.

http://www.tisff.net/toronto/content.asp?PageID=1

IndieFEST Award of Merit

Congratulations to filmmaker Misha Zubarev on receiving an AWARD OF MERIT from IndieFEST for his short film Cake: A Love Story!  My husband and I are very happy about this award because the movie is based on It Had To Be Us, an award-winning romantic memoir we co-wrote under the pen names of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence.

IndieFEST discovers and honors the achievements of filmmakers who produce high quality films and new media. The AWARD OF MERIT honors “notable artistic and technical productions.”

A major goal of this festival involves promoting filmmakers of cinematic gems and unique voices to a worldwide audience.

We are proud of Misha Zubarev and his assistant V. Ulea for their sensitive adaptation of our story about how true love can stand the test of time. And we applaud the cast (Debra Lord Cooke, Richard Vernon, Nancy Lombardo, George Bettinger) and entire crew for their impressive work on this beautiful film.        

International Online Film Festival Selection

I am happy to announce that Cake: A Love Story has been designated an Official Selection of the 2017 NSAEN International Online Film Festival.

Cake: A Love Story is a short film based on It Had To Be Us, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. The book tells about our journey back together after a divorce and estrangement that lasted almost twenty years. Adapted and directed by Misha Zubarev with the assistance of V. Ulea, the movie stars Debra Lord Cooke as Elizabeth and Richard Vernon as Harry. Nancy Lombardo and George Bettinger portray Elizabeth’s friends. Congratulations to the cast and crew for this special recognition of their fine work!

It’s an honor to be part of the first annual film festival sponsored by the No Strings Attached E-News Online Magazine. This special festival was created to bring together filmmakers from around the world to showcase their work in an exclusively online format. Because online is the way many people today view movies, news and TV series, NSAEN folks want to recognize new media professionals who demonstrate craft and creativity and produce fresh entertainment.

A panel of celebrity judges will pick winners in eleven categories, and the results will be announced during December of this year.  

(Thanks to Denise Cassino for the lovely collage.) 

From Page to Screen

It Had To Be Us, a romantic memoir by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, has been adapted for the screen in a short film titled CAKE: A Love Story. A private screening for cast and crew was held on May 21 at the Metropolitan Room in New York City. Filmmaker Misha Zubarev hosted the event. Zubarev wrote, produced and directed the film with V. Ulea as co-writer and co-director, and Vad Chariton composed the musical score based on Zubarev’s original song “Remember the Day.” This Ariella Media production is currently being submitted to national and international film festivals. 
   
Although the film deviates from the book, it pays tribute to the spirit of the original source. Richard Vernon and Debra Lord Cooke portray Harry and Elizabeth, who were married for twenty-four years before their divorce. Nancy Lombardo and George Bettinger play Elizabeth’s friends. 

In his review of this movie, film critic Richard Jack Smith writes, “As a hopeless romantic, I instantly warmed to the connection made by Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Their stunning memoir It Had To Be Us took chances that traditional love stories don’t. For one, the characters come across as idiosyncratic and well developed. Also, there’s Misha Zubarev’s filmmaking sensibility in translating this narrative to the big screen.  A collaboration with V. Ulea on script and direction, Cake: A Love Story reveals hope at the end of a long breakup.”

According to film critic Nell Minow, the Movie Mom®, “This endearing love story proves that love is lovelier the second time around, especially if it is with the same person you loved the first time.”

Priscilla Leona, radio host of Question Reality, calls Cake: A Love Story “a charming, light-hearted, easy-going romantic comedy that delivers lots of smiles, a few good chuckles and ton of tears, for me, at the end.”

 It Had To Be Us won First Place in the E-book category at the Hollywood Book Festival, where awards were given to books with the most potential to be transferred to other media such as film and television. The memoir also received a Five-Star rating from Romantic Times Magazine. The Lawrences donate their authors’ royalties to THE IMAGINATION LIBRARY, a children’s literacy project sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation.  

IT HAD TO BE US

(Originally published by SANDS Publishing)
Extended Kindle E-Book published by Long Story Short Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: B003WEAIXU

Available at Amazon’s Kindle Store for $5.99

Press Contacts: 

Denise Cassino (dencassino@gmail.com) 

Betty Jo Tucker (bettyjotucker@reeltalkreviews.com) 

Cake: A Love Story Official Poster

Thanks so much to filmmaker Misha Zubarev for sending me a photo of the official poster for Cake: A Love Story, an upcoming short movie based on It Had To Be Us, the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence. Thanks also to film critic Richard Jack Smith for this comment about the poster: 

"Beautifully composed. Made me wonder what Harry and Elizabeth could be thinking."  

Romance from Book to Screen

Valentine’s Day will soon be here, and Movie Addict Headquarters plans to celebrate early with a special episode scheduled for February 7. Noted actors/comedians/radio hosts George Bettinger and Nancy Lombardo have been invited to drop by for a discussion of their experience as cast members in the upcoming short film based on It Had To Be Us, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Filming of the movie was completed in late December, and the project is now in postproduction. It co-stars Debra Lord Cooke and Richard Vernon as Elizabeth and Harry. Co-writers/directors Misha Zubarev and Vera Zubarev report that Nancy and George, who portray Elizabeth’s friends, kept everyone in stitches on the set. Debra has several films to her credit, including Woody Allen’s Café Society. Richard is a musician as well as an actor.

Nancy hosts the hilarious Comedy Concepts show on BlogTalkRadio. She does stand-up comedy and has also appeared in numerous films and on TV’s Saturday Night Live. George hosts the very entertaining Mom & Pop Shop show on tune in radio from Miramar, Florida. He has won recognition for his many amusing impressions of such stars as Groucho Marx, Jack Benny, Humphrey Bogart, W.C. Fields and more.     

During this episode, a Valentine’s Day informational clip about It Had To Be Us -- made by George Bettinger and myself – will also be played.

Listeners are invited to call in during the live show and to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

This episode airs on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, February 7, 2017.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668

HOST: Betty Jo Tucker

PRODUCER: Nikki Starr

LINK: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2017/02/07/george-bettinger-nancy-lombardo-behind-the-scenes

It Had To Be Christmas!

As a special holiday treat, showbiz stars George and Lizette Amado-Bettinger are featured this month on Movie Addict Headquarters reading the first chapter of IT HAD TO BE US, a romantic memoir co-authored by my husband and me that’s now being adapted for the screen. George and Lizette play Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence (our pen names) in this audio version of Chapter One, which deals with two important Christmases for the estranged Lawrences. How does Christmas help bring these two together after being divorced for almost twenty years? Click on the link below this post to listen in and find out!

The Bettingers are a fun couple with a passion for bringing back the Golden Era of radio on their popular “Mom & Pop Shop Show” which airs on Tune In Radio in Florida each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. George is an actor, comedian, producer, writer and director. He’s won acclaim for his uncanny impressions including Groucho Marx, George Burns and the Three Stooges but may be best known as the voice of the red M&M. Lizette is a versatile actress and soprano singer with experience at the Metropolitan Opera. George and Lizette are truly Mr. & Mrs. Showbiz.

IT HAD TO BE US won first place in the Ebook category at the Hollywood Book Festival for its potential to be transferred to other mediums such as film, radio and TV. With the help of BlogTalkRadio listeners during the launch of the Kindle version a few years ago, the memoir hit Number One in the “Divorce” category for Kindle Ebooks. The memoir also caught the interest of filmmaker Misha Zubarev, who reports that the movie is now in pre-production. The screenplay is written, the casting complete and a shooting schedule -- in New York -- has been arranged.

    

Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence donate their author royalties from IT HAD TO BE US (published by the Long Story Short Publishing Company) to the IMAGINATION LIBRARY, a children’s literacy program sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation.

Listen to “It Had To Be Christmas" on BlogTalkRadio by clicking on the link below.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2016/11/29/it-had-to-be-christmas-again

A Whirlwind Renewed Romance!

Many thanks to Ronald Hull for his wonderful recent review of IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Hull calls our book “a whirlwind renewed romance with energy and adventure reminding one of The Graduate.”

We love that comment because it includes one of our favorite movies!

Hull concludes his review with the following recommendation:

“I highly recommend this short read -- with its gentle respect for love and sometimes wisecracking humor -- for those that wish they had a second chance at love, and anyone who is interested in a true romance story.”

Hull’s complete review is posted on Amazon.com in the Kindle E-book section as well as on the AuthorsDen site.

(Ronald W. Hull is the author of Hanging by a Thread, his autobiography, as well as six other books of fiction.)

A Gift of Appreciation

In appreciation of my Movie Addict Headquarters friends and fans, IT HAD TO BE US, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, is FREE at the Amazon Kindle store today and through February 7th. We hope you enjoy this early Valentine gift! 

Below is the link with more information.

 http://tinyurl.com/hq48g4a  

Two Romantic Christmases

Showbiz stars George and Lizette Bettinger made two Christmases from the past come to life again on Movie Addict Headquarters yesterday. These talented actors read the first chapter of IT HAD TO BE US, a romantic memoir now in the early stages of film development. They play co-authors Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence in this special audio version of Chapter One, which deals with how two holiday seasons help the estranged Lawrences begin a journey back to each other after being divorced for almost twenty years.

IT HAD TO BE US won first place in the Ebook category at the Hollywood Book Festival for its potential to be transferred to other mediums such as film, radio and TV. With the help of BlogTalkRadio listeners during the launch of the Kinle version three years ago, the memoir hit Number One in the “Divorce” category for Kindle Ebooks,  and filmmaker Misha Zubarev has completed the screenplay.  

The Bettingers display their passion for bringing back the Golden Era of radio on their popular “Mom & Pop Shop Show” which airs on Dreamstream Radio each Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. George is an actor, comedian, producer, writer and director. He’s won acclaim for his uncanny impressions including Groucho Marx, George Burns and the Three Stooges but may be best known as the voice of the red M&M. Lizette is a versatile actress and soprano singer with experience at the Metropolitan Opera. George and Lizette are truly Mr. & Mrs. Showbiz!

Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence donate their author royalties from IT HAD TO BE US (published by the Long Story Short Publishing Company) to the IMAGINATION LIBRARY, a children’s literacy program sponsored by the Dollywood Foundation.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Harry & Elizabeth Lawrences are the pen names my husband and I used in writing IT HAD TO BE US.

LINK TO LISTEN: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2015/12/01/remembering-two-romantic-christmases   

   

It Had To Be Us Update

I feel very excited about our next Movie Addict Headquarters show! Misha Zubarev will be there for a discussion of his diverse filmmaking experience and to bring listeners up to date on the It Had To Be Us movie project. Plus, Denise Cassino, who published the Kindle edition of It Had To Be Us, will join in to share her plans for introducing new readers to this award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. And our favorite film historian, James Colt Harrison, has agreed to co-host.   

Misha has worked in various capacities on such films as Shooter, Loneliness, Annapolis, Four Funny Families and Synedoche, New York. His film 18 and Out was chosen to be included in NBC's The Screening Room. He also directed an award-winning TV series titled "The Wisdom Tree" and was highlighted in MovieMaker Magazine. After reading It Had To Be Us, Misha became interested in adapting it for the screen. He completed the screenplay last year and plans to direct the film. 

Denise Cassino heads up the Long Story Short Publishing Company and also offers impressive promotional services through her Wizardly Web Designs site. As the publisher of the Kindle version of It Had To Be Us, she organized a launch for the book four years ago which led to a #1 ranking in an important Amazon category. She has now created an Anniversary Re-Launch, complete with the same bonus items from the original launch.  

James Colt Harrison, a founding member of the San Diego Film Critics Society, has written a history of Hollywood studios and contributed film commentary to Classic Movie Guide, Review Express, The La Jolla Village News, Rage Monthly, No Cover Music Magazine, and San Diego Metro Weekly.  

DATE: Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Time: 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time)

LINK: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2014/08/12/filmmaker-misha-zubarev-it-had-to-be-us-1   

An archived segment will be available after the live show.  

Screenplay Progress

What a great way to end 2013! The first official screenplay adaption of It Had To Be Us, the award-winning romantic memoir my husband and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, is completed. And filmmaker Misha Zubarev has done a terrific job! 

Although our little book is written in a He Remembers/She Remembers format, Misha has used his cinematic talents to make the story more visual and to update the time period. He's also focused on the humorous elements of "Harry and Elizabeth's" journey back to each other after being divorced and estranged for almost 20 years. 

The Ebook edition of It Had To Be Us won a first place at the Hollywood Book Festival a few years ago because of its potential to be transferred to other media like radio and film. Here's hoping this is the beginning step toward becoming a motion picture!

Thanks to Misha Zubarev for his extraordinary dedication to this special project. 

Thanks, Mr. and Mrs. Showbiz!

I want to give a big shout out to George and Lizette Bettinger for their contribution to our "Two Christmases" show on Movie Addict Headquarters yesterday. The Bettingers read the Christmas section of IT HAD TO BE US, the romantic memoir my husband and I wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence, which is now being adapted for the screen by filmmaker Misha Zubarev. I call George and Lizette Mr. and Mrs. Showbiz because of their diverse talents. They are a fun couple with a passion for bringing back the Golden Age of Radio in their popular Mom and Pop Shop show on DreamStream radio. George is an actor, comedian, producer, writer and director. He's won acclaim for his uncanny impressions including Groucho Marx, George Burns and The Three Stooges but may be best known as the voice of the red M&M. Lizette is a versatile actress and soprano with experience at the Metropolitan Opera. They are both quite believable as Harry and Elizabeth in this special audio interpretation. Producer Nikki Starr says, "It was a beautiful show and I even got teared up -- I loved it!" An archived segment is now available at the Movie Addict Headquarters page on BlogTalkRadio.

Funny Essay

Harry and Elizabeth, who knew each other slightly, were lucky to receive assigned seats across from each other at the end of two aisles in the back of their high school World History class. This enabled them to pass notes without the teacher knowing it, and Harry always went out of his way to make Elizabeth laugh. During one class session, the teacher asked the students to write a short essay about Scotland. So Harry very quickly wrote a short one, then passed it to Elizabeth.

SCOTLAND by Harry Lawrence

Scotland is a land filled with Scots. For example, many Scotch people live there. You can tell they are Scotch because even the men wear colorful skirts, which they call “kilts.”

It’s important to mention that Scotland can be found close to Great Britain. However, this land should not be confused with Ireland, which is also close to England (Great Britain). There are very few Scotch people in Ireland, which is the homeland for most Irish people and their leprechauns (tiny green men with pots of gold) instead.

Although Scotland can be considered part of Europe (a continent close to Asia), it does not appear connected to that particular continent. Anyone who wants to get to Europe from Scotland has to fly or travel by boat. But it’s well-known the Scotch people don’t like to spend much money. That’s probably why they don’t buy expensive tickets to Europe and prefer to stay at home in Scotland listening to their bagpipe music.

After learning all this about Scotland, I feel lucky to live in the United States of America.

Elizabeth couldn’t contain herself and laughed too loud at what Harry wrote, probably because of her Irish/Scottish roots. She didn’t give the piece of paper back to Harry fast enough, so both of them were chastised by the teacher, who smiled slyly when she read Harry’s SCOTLAND ESSAY. Happily, she didn’t change the seating arrangements, so Harry and Elizabeth continued communicating with each other and becoming friends during the class all that semester – but they were more careful after this incident.

(Find out more about HARRY AND ELIZABETH LAWRENCE by reading their award-winning romantic memoir, IT HAD TO BE US, available from Amazon’s Kindle Store.)

HAPPY ST. PAT'S DAY!

Pre-Valentine's Day Show

On February 12, Movie Addict Headquarters will present a special pre-Valentine’s Day episode focusing on romantic films reviewed in “It Had To Be Us,” the award-winning romantic memoir my hubby and I co-wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Filmmaker Misha Zubarev, publisher Denise Cassino, Movie Mom Nell Minow and comedian Nancy Lombardo have been invited to join the discussion, and a book giveaway is also scheduled. Movies to be covered include such films as Return to Me, Love Actually, Tristan and Isolde, Music and Lyrics, Beyond Borders, The Fountain, and Moulin Rouge!

“A Romance with Movies” airs live on BlogTalkRadio at 4 p.m. Eastern Time (1 p.m. Pacific Time) on Tuesday, February 12, 2013. During the live show, listeners are invited to call in and to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668

LINK TO LISTEN:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2013/02/12/a-romance-with-movies