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.

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.        

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."  

Cake: A Love Story Update

My husband and I are very excited the short film Cake: A Love Story, based on our romantic memoir It Had To Be Us, is almost completed. Co-director/writer (with V. Ulea) Misha Zubarev is finishing up with postproduction now and should have a rough cut for us to view soon. 

He has also posted about the film on the Ariella Media site. This is so exciting! Take a look at Debra Lord Cooke and Richard Vernon as Elizabeth and Harry (we wrote the memoir under the pen names of Harry & Elizabeth Lawrence) by clicking on the link below. 

http://ariellamedia.net/portfolio/cake/ 

Remember the Day

I am so happy that Misha Zubarev gave me permission to debut “Remember the Day” on our Movie Addict Headquarters Valentine’s Day show!  This original song is from the upcoming film Cake: A Love Story, which is 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. 

Misha, co-writer/co-director (with Vera Zubarev) of the film, also wrote the lyrics and composed the music. Actor Richard Vernon performs the song. He portrays a man who reunites with his true love after being estranged from her for almost twenty years. The scene that includes the song showcases a regular guy with a guitar singing his heart out about life and love. It’s a perfect song for this movie!

Pamela Jaye Smith, our special Valentine’s Day guest, who talks about her wonderful book Romantic Comedies during this episode, calls the song and performance “very touching.” And I agree with her.

Listen to “Remember the Day” and to Pamela Jaye Smith anytime by clicking on the link below.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2017/02/14/how-romantic-comedies-can-save-your-love-life

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 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. 

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 

Thanks to The Romance Studio

My husband and I want to thank The Romance Studio for featuring IT HAD TO BE US this month. Included in this extensive feature article about the award-winning romantic memoir we co-wrote under under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence are: Misha Zubarev's lovely sizzle reel; a revealing interview; a romantic excerpt; and selected review blurbs -- plus links to my website and the Amazon Kindle order page. 

Here’s the link:

http://www.theromancestudio.com/who10.php

Enjoy!

Happiness Is a Sizzle Reel by Misha Zubarev

My husband and I are on cloud nine because of the positive responses we’ve received about the sizzle reel for IT HAD TO BE US, an award-winning romantic memoir we wrote under the pen names of Harry and Elizabeth Lawrence. Misha Zubarev, a very talented filmmaker, created and edited this emotionally powerful reel and added beautiful original background music by composer Vadim Zubarev (Misha’s dad). The reel is posted on YouTube now. Here’s the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyBSB47WVMU&feature=youtu.be

For more information about these two remarkable artists, please click on the links below.

http://www.vadimzubarev.com

http://www.mishazubarev.com

Thanks so much, Misha and Vadim!

Saluting Independent Films

“Movie Addict Headquarters” will salute independent films during the month of June. Each Tuesday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on BlogTalkRadio, guests will be interviewed about their indie films or books concerning this important art form. Below is the exciting schedule for Independent Film Month.

Tuesday, June 2 – Co-writers/co-stars Nicole Stuart and Jack Sundmacher visit MAHQ to give listeners a preview of CAPTAIN, their dark comedy gem about inspiration and writer’s block.

Tuesday, June 9 – Author and film critic Phil Hall drops by to discuss his new book, The History of Independent Cinema, and director Tom Seymour tells listeners about London Betty, his amusing indie crime romp.

Tuesday, June 16 – The astonishing Tanna Frederick talks about starring in Henry Jaglom’s Irene in Time, an independent film emphasizing the impact fathers have on the lives of their grown-up daughters.

Tuesday, June 23 – Director/writer Andrew Lawton reveals why he created Wake, an emotionally powerful short film that’s more touching than most full-length, big budget mainstream movies.

Tuesday, June 30 – Filmmaker Misha Zubarev talks about 18 and Out, an independent movie with a strong social message.

During the live shows, listeners are invited to call in or to participate in a chat. An archived segment will also be available.

CALL-IN NUMBER: 646-478-5668
HOST: Betty Jo Tucker
CO-HOST: Jazz Shaw
PRODUCER: Nikki Starr
LINK: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters