Type.Tune.Tint.

As recently as the 1980s, women firefighters were rare, especially in light of the tough road a group of New York women had in achieving their dream of becoming members of the FDNY. But they did it and around the same time a young woman in Florida named Cindie Schooler-Ball embarked on a career in the fire service there. A product of poverty in Ohio, then jumping from job to job as a teen and youn...

Sal Panicci wasn’t looking to work retail in his youth in New Jersey, but the blind ad in the Newark Star Ledger was inviting. Seeking to get out of jobs that were unstable, he went for the interview and discovered the job was for a management trainee at Toys R Us, the nationwide chain of toy stores that dominated the market for a generation. His short book In the Toy Box is a recollection of his...

After surviving a transient childhood, a knife fight, brain cancer and the death of his wife, Dan Henk’s survival is a story in itself. But he’s not dwelling on the tragic tales. He is a successful tattoo artist who was in the right place at the right time to benefit from the resurgent popularity of body art. He has been around the world, done illustrations for magazines and bands and is a self pr...

The Type Tune. Tint. podcast is about to launch its 5th season thanks to all of you who have become loyal listeners. Thank you. Here’s a look at some of the highlights of the 2023 season. Whadya think of this episode> Support the show Subscribe to the Type. Tune. Tint. podcast today. Cheap. Right here.

The title is a tad snarky but it’s all in good fun as we hear from writer/singer/producer/actor Sudi “Rick” Karatas about his newest song and music video. The title is a play on the famous Mariah Carey song, but the words and concept bear no resemblance. It’s a lighthearted tune about holiday betrayal. It’s played for laughs with slapstick and humor. And in an unusual twist, there are two versions...

Elementary school teacher Sabine Posy did her share of virtual teaching during COVID while her two young children learned virtually in the next room. Her daughter Nora was a social butterfly who got antsy sitting in front of a monitor. Her son Nate, younger and already a shy boy, worried her. When the lockdowns were lifted and it was time to go back to school, would Nate’s socialization be harder?...

In less than 48 hours, Jae Logan went from having a stomach ache to learning she might die. A wife and mother of two young children, her mind raced to cope with the possibility of an early death and how she could possibly tell her kids. Miraculously, her prognosis wasn’t so dire after all, but she was left with the same question: What’s the best way for a parent to talk to young children about a s...

A lifetime of fishing presented a challenge to Bob Gonzalez in writing his book  A Flicker In The Water . Was it possible to capture the visceral sensations of being on a boat miles from shore in the Gulf of Mexico, breathing the salt air, feeling the ocean spray and getting the adrenaline rush that ensues when a big fish bites and takes you for an hours-long battle? I submit that he met the chall...

For the 10th year in a row, the Independent Authors Book Experience hosts an expo of independent authors and their work, free and open to the public. This year's event takes place Saturday, September 30th, 12noon-6pm at Kean University's Downs Hall, 1000 Morris Avenue, Union, NJ. The mastermind behind the book expo ant the IABX is Renaee Smith, founder and CEO, an independent author with...

The Handmaid's Tale , the dystopian vision of women as fertile slaves to a ruling elite, describes the Unwoman as the lowest class of woman who is shunned because she protests, thinks for herself, expresses independence and follows her own path. It's no wonder, then, that musician Erica Mulkey chose Unwoman as her stage name, a performance persona dedicated to being her own advocate. Thi...

Children's books are harder to write than one might think, according to Yona Diamond Dansky whose new book, Wishes and Knishes , elevates the Jewish pastry called a knish to a place of importance for young Kaley and her grandmother whom she calls Bubby.  The author's story contains a number of simple lessons parents or teachers can impart on their kids including the joy of cooking, respo...

A kid from Jersey makes good. Twice. That's Joe Sernio's story. He's a successful entrepreneur with a digital marketing company going strong after fourteen years. But he's always dabbled in the acting trade starting after high school and all during his tenure as a CEO. Now, after 20 years of passing out headshots and resumes, 2023 is Joe's breakthrough year. He's rece...

There are a lot of people worldwide who are into Steampunk, and almost as many ways of describing it. Wikipedia says Steampunk is "a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. " As we find out in this episode, Steampunk is a form of creative expression among people who enjoy crafting...

What are your favorite summertime memories? For Philly kids like Charles Wiedenmann and me, it's going down the shore, the Jersey Shore, home of beach resorts like Ocean City, Atlantic City and of course, Wildwood. Chaz's new book, Down the Shore , is an affectionate memoir of days of youth in Wildwood, the quintessential Jersey Shore resort. It has everything--cool rides, infinite food...

Author Jennifer M. Lane turned her passion for an old Jeep into inspiration for her novel Of Metal and Earth . It's the story of a Jeep and the seven people who own it over its lifetime. The trials and tribulations of those humans form the heart and soul of the book and it may appeal to anyone who's had a soft spot in his/her heart for a car.  But as you might imagine, it is Jeep owners...

From the moment she takes the stage, Big Momma is in charge. After 11 years of performing as a standup comic, Big Momma is now in demand. From comedy clubs to weddings, churches to cruise ships, this Jersey girl gets around and leaves them laughing each time. Big Momma's real name, Tia Williams (she says that's just for the tax man) graces her social media and web pages. But her Big Momm...

Audiobooks are here to stay, thanks to easy downloads, wide availability and the flexibility of listening devices. You can listen on your smartphone, in your car, the possibilities are endless. My audiobooks haves been reduced in price and are a great venue for entertainment whenever you have the time. Stop and start at will. Pick the time and place. Earbuds, headphones, or blast it through your T...

The Seattle music scene is as eclectic and diverse as you can possibly imagine. There's all kinds of music for all kinds of people and the musicians making it own it to the max. Don Berman and Dick Valentine both settled in Seattle more than 30 years ago. They found each other more than a decade ago and realized that they shared a common sensibility--breaking out of the traditional musical bo...

More than three decades of rock and roll have left Chris Wall more determined than ever to live his rock and roll dream. An editor/director at CBS News by day, Chris has been playing guitar and writing songs since his college days. A close encounter with rock stardom in the early 90s left him bruised and disappointed. Depression, addiction and anxiety pulled him away from music for years, but he c...

A unique skill set and some good fortune took Rob Feldman around the world, producing television and, along the way, taking remarkable photographs. A native Philadelphian, Rob spent a number of years as a news producer in Philadelphia, New York and Miami before embarking on a career as a vice president for Sony International. His job--to bring hit American sitcoms like The Nanny, Everybody Loves R...

A lifelong love of art led Bob Budiansky to Marvel Comics where he spent 20 years drawing, writing and editing fantastic superheroes and supervillains. The Transformers, Spiderman, Sleep Walker and Ghost Rider comics have all been touched by Bob's imagination and creative sensibilities. Today,  Bob still draws, designs and teaches when he's not creating and supervising recreation program...

The Type. Tune. Tint. podcast shined a light on some amazing creators during 2022. This episode reviews the top four downloaded episodes. Hopefully, it'll whet your appetite to become a subscriber in 2023! Whadya think of this episode> TK Books LLC Contemporary fiction and science fiction; ebooks, softcover, hardcover and audiobooks. Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you m...

For a life so packed with creative ventures, work, music and acting, it's hard to know where to begin telling Steve Gabe's story. So, I started out with music and his colorful past as a singer, songwriter, drummer and guitarist. Life as a blues and rock musician was his passion. Along the way, there was acting school, a stint as a stand-up at Gotham Comedy Club and Caroline's and, o...

Join songwriter Sudi Karatas and me for an informal conversation about our Christmas memories and Sudi's original Christmas songs. He's got five of them, funny and poignant. We met Sudi earlier in 2022 when he brought us his books How Catering Sucked the Life Right Out of Me --behind the scenes tales of the catering world on the left coast-- and Rainbow Relatives , useful stories and adv...

How many of us have found ourselves living someone else's life? It's a reality that dawns on many of us  too late. But for Jazmine Stevenson, a woman in her 20's who has already experienced enough pain and mental anguish for a lifetime, the discovery came just in time.  With the help of a strong family support system, her faith and a good helping of determination, she found the stre...