Ink and Riffs: Life is Strange comic, Titanic history, and Samantha Marie’s new EP

Ink and Riffs is a regular review series written by me, Citywide Co-Host Max Bowen, to talk about what I’m reading and listening to and why I think it’s awesome. Feel free to send suggestions to citywidemax@yahoo.com.


Life is Strange: Forget Me Not (comic)
I’m a big, big, BIG fan of the “Life is Strange” video games and eagerly read the comic series that was released through Titan Comics in 2020. In 2023, the company released a four-issue series that that follows “True Colors,” the most recent game in the series, which is what I’m writing about here. 

In the new series, “Forget Me Not,” Alex Chen and Steph Gingrich are on the road together, living their dream as a band, converting an old bus into their mobile home and playing gigs all over. But their plans change when they meet Lily, a girl with the ability to take people’s memories—and all she wants is to give them back and find her family.

Storytelling is definitely a core strength of the LiS series, and “Forget Me Not” carries this well, creating a world with depth, feeling and purpose. It was cool getting to see the artistic journey of Alex and Steph and the various challenges they encounter, such as dismal crowds and asshole label execs. The girl is more than a story element—we learn a lot about her and feel for her when we discover how her powers have devastated her life.

Art-wise, I really enjoyed the look of the comic. It has life to it, and the detail in the different scenes, such as Alex and Steph’s mobile home or the clubs they play at. The clothing designs are also well thought out and helps to show the personalities of the cast. In all, this series is a strong continuation to “True Colors” and definitely worth checking out.

A Night to Remember (book)

Regarded as a classic recounting of the final night of the Titanic and rightfully so, “A Night to Remember” combines exact details with powerful emotion to take readers to that fateful night in 1912.

Written by Walter Lord, the book opens the night of April 14, 1912, when the ship declared to be “Unsinkable,” struck an iceberg. Two hours later, the ship seen as the height of shipbuilding and luxury was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

I’ve long had a fascination with the story of Titanic and this book provides a wealth of information that I was before now unaware of. Reading this, I’m transported back to that fateful night, amongst the passengers as they try to save themselves from the doomed ship. The book follows passengers in third, second and first class as they respond to the unthinkable and eventually come to terms with the reality filling the decks and halls of the great ship.

One thing about the book is that it’s the result of a lot of research and interviews with survivors to help set the scenes. We’re given precise details and scenes that really paint a picture of what is happening, from the moment of the iceberg to the survivors trying to determine their fate. The result is an accounting of this historic milestone and a book not to be missed.


Shapeshifting (music)
The second studio album from singer-songwriter Samantha Marie is a really amazing collection of music. I had previously heard the single “aphrodite,” which caught my attention immediately with its beautiful instrumentation and beautiful vocals, and learning the album was out on Oct. 18 was a good day.

The seven tracks are soothing, but carry a message of navigating the world of mental health. One of my favorites is “shinjuku,” which opens with an elegant piano melody and quickly but smoothly moves through different elements.

“Aphrodite” creates an atmosphere of sound that draws you right in and wanders through a great assortment of music, with a blend of folk and pop sounds.

The album features some collaborations, with bectopia on “aphrodite” and Covey on “shinjuku,” and the chemistry is apparent on both. The integration between their different sounds is seamless and really enhances what each brings to the table.

“Shapeshifting” really shows Samantha Marie’s range as an artist and I’m eager to see what’s next.

Citywide Bytes—Author kicks off new trilogy set in a magical San Fran

In “The Others” (September, SparkPress) author Evette Davis blends magic and realism, creating a “secret society of supernaturals who seek to slow the spread of facism.” Here’s a look at what’s in store:

Olivia Shepherd is a political consultant with a secret: She’s an empath, with the power to experience the emotions of those around her. Keen to keep her supernatural abilities hidden, Olivia's world is upended when Elsa, an ancient time-walker, appears in her kitchen, unveiling a destiny she never knew she had.

As Olivia delves deeper into the hidden world of the "Others" who lurk beneath San Francisco's foggy streets, she finds herself drawn into the clandestine organization of The Council–who seek to influence humanity from the shadows–and Gabriel Laurent, the enigmatic leader of a realm where vampires, witches, fairies and demons navigate a delicate balance of power.

In this episode, we go into Olivia’s character, her abilities, and how she finds herself amidst this conflict. Evette shares Olivia’s motivation and how she handles this new world that she finds herself a part of.

We talk about the fantasy aspect of the story and why she chose to place it in San Francisco, where she lives. We even go into what will be happening in her next two books, but no spoilers here!

New book sends us to a creepy island—with pie

Whatever you do, don’t eat the pie. That’s it. That’s all the warning you get.

In Monique Asher’s new book, “Don’t Eat the Pie,” we’re taken to Camillia Island, where Sam moves her family after her mother-in-law falls ill. All seems well and there’s even a pie competition, until Sam’s daughter Emma begins seeing ghosts who try to warn her of something.

Monique talks about the absolutely amazing cover art and introduces us to the artist who created it. We talk about what inspired the book and her writing process. Monique goes into Camillia Island, what makes it the way it is and the things Emma sees.

And speaking of hauntings , Monique is also the co-host of the “Stay The Night Podcast” and shares her experiences recording the episodes at some of the most haunted places around.

Catching up on old times and new with Three at Home

Curtis and I have been friends with the Boston-based Three at Home for many years, and shared many a show together. In this episode, we take some time to catch up with the rock/pop trio to see where they’ve been and what’s in their future.

Band members Dann Russo, Mary Casiello and Kari Paisley-Flango talk about some recent shows in Boston and the Steam Kettle Festival at Hale Reservation in Westwood. Kari joined the band in 2022, and talk about how they met with Dann and Mary and their experience being part of Three at Home.

Boston has been a big part of all our lives and we take some time to go into the changes we’ve seen in the city, its role as a place for the arts, and the challenges and opportunities that it’s created for the artistic community in recent years.

Opening this episode is an excerpt from "Mama Werewolf" a Brandi Carlie cover and which the band performed at the Steam Kettle Festival, featuring Kari on lead vocals. Closing the episode is "Just Like This" an original by the band and recorded before Kari joined the band.

Five by Five: “Sleeping in the Sun” offers a blend of perspectives on a tale set in India

By Max Bowen

In Joanne Howard’s family-inspired book, “Sleeping in the Sun,” (Oct. 22, She Writes Press) readers are introduced to George Hinton and his Indian servant, Arthur, in British-ruled India. The book takes on two very different perspectives—one of privilege and one without. In this Five by Five interview, Howard shares the family stories that helped create the book, introduces us to George and Arthur, and talks about the historical changes she made in writing the book.

How did your family’s missionary work inspire the story?
This novel started one Thanksgiving dinner where my family passed around photo albums and diaries. I had always known that my grandfather was born and raised in India, and he would often cook these elaborate Indian dinners and even made me toys with Bengali inscriptions painted on them. But that Thanksgiving was the first time I can remember delving into the family archives and seeing photographs of the life they had there. It just struck me as such a different life than my own; there were diary entries of eating dinner outside a fragrant blooming Kamini tree in the moonlight or shaking out the bedding every night to make sure no critters had climbed in. And when I realized I had never come across a novel about Americans in British India, I just thought, there must be a story here.

Their life as missionaries was somewhat unique for westerners in India in that not only did they immerse themselves in India’s lowest social classes, those that needed the help, but they also were quite poor themselves. I thought this was pretty different from all the novels I had read about the English in India, which often had characters of high society or power and lived very proper lives.

What kind of research was done to prepare for writing?
Of course I started with my family’s well-curated trove of firsthand accounts, from multiple family members’ autobiographies to school diaries to vintage photographs. While that helped me imagine this time period and these characters, I was conscious of not wanting to stick too closely to the facts; this was still, after all, my story to tell, so I didn’t want to tie myself down to the historical accuracy. As for Arthur’s character, who is an Indian man and therefore outside my own lived experience or personal connection, I just tried to absorb as many works of Indian literature that matched his background and the time period, and two books especially inspired his character: “The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian” by Nirad C. Chaudhuri and “Pather Panchali” by Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay.

In 2018, I also took a trip to India and visited a few locations that appear in the novel, such as the neighborhood where my family lived, their mission’s church that is still there, and some places in Calcutta like Howrah Station and the Maidan.

This book actually began as my thesis during my MFA in Creative Writing at Pacific University, Oregon, so there was a high expectation for research not only from a historical perspective but also from a literary perspective; I read as many books as I could set during the British Raj.

Tell me about the time period this book takes place in and what is happening?
The book is set in the 1930s, just a decade before India gains independence in 1947. In 1911, the Raj moved its capital from Calcutta to New Delhi amidst a rising nationalist movement in Calcutta. So the story takes place in between these big historical events. Bengal was historically a more progressive part of India; for example, the Bengal Renaissance was an arts and culture movement that saw a rise in themes of individualism and independence. So the stage is set for the fall of colonial rule, even if it is still a few years off.

What historical changes does your book make and why?
The family’s Indian servant, Arthur, is urged by his friend, Neer, to try courting Neer’s cousin and to see if married life is right for Arthur. The concept of courting or dating is very western compared to India, where arranged matches are more common. However, I was inspired by “A Suitable Boy,” a novel that is set just 20 years later about a young Indian woman who dates in search of a husband. And again, Bengal is a very progressive part of India, and with Arthur’s unique personal situation of having no parents or extended family to help arrange a marriage, I wanted to explore what a marriage plot could look like for him. It’s highly unusual, but the plot reveals why this is such a special case.

Who are Gene and Arthur, and how would you describe their relationship?
Gene is the youngest of four rowdy American brothers, and Arthur is the family’s lone Indian servant. They can both relate to each other as being at the bottom of the hierarchy in their lives, albeit in different ways. They are also both outcasts on some level; the Hintons are American and don’t quite fit in with British society, and Arthur has spent almost his whole life serving this missionary family, which typically didn’t mesh well with native Indians. They are also the only two people who are skeptical when Uncle Ellis arrives; they question why this high-ranking British judge is deigning to visit this humble American missionary family.

Author’s new book paints a nightmare dreamscape

We’ve all had some pretty intense nightmares, but hey, they’re all dreams, right…..right? Our next guest shares a world where dreams can indeed kill you.

Author Deirdre Swinden joins us to talk about, “Somnium” to through Crystal Lake Entertainment. Here’s a look at what’s in store:

Immerse yourself in a terrifying blend of psychological horror and high-tech science fiction in this riveting novel where dreams can kill. Gillian Hardie experiences nightmares so intense they threaten her very existence, thanks to a glitch in Somnium Corporation’s groundbreaking dream advertising technology. Every night, her sleep unleashes monsters that her body reacts to as if they were real, pushing her to the edge of despair.

Armed with her lucid dreaming skills, Gillian battles these horrors, but when an accident traps her in a perpetual dream state, she must rely on Nathan Keller, a nightmare warrior, and Dex Cooper, an Operator, to navigate this nightmarish reality. With her darkest fears manifesting like never before, Gillian faces a race against time to survive a threat that could unleash unimaginable horrors from the depths of her mind.

Deirdre goes into the creation of her nightmare world, and the terrors that stalk Gillian. We learn about how she blended sci-fi and horror, and how she researched the dream technology that’s used. She talks about the writing process for her debut book and how she came to be working with Crystal Lake Entertainment.

Citywide Bytes—Cold time in the city with new anthology

Let’s face it, cities are just awesome. Whether it’s Boston, Paris, London, they have a life all their own, and sometimes, they wind up as characters in a story.

That’s the premise for our latest Citywide Bytes interview with R.B. Wood, Mike Allen and Xan van Rooyen to talk about “Winter in the City,” a collection of 18 different stories from new and veteran writers from around the world. 

As the book’s editor, R.B. goes into the book’s origins and how he found the many writers, while Mike and Xan talk about their stories and why they chose their particular cities.

The book’s going to be related on Dec. 10 through R.B.’s Ruadán Books and he shares what it means for this to be the company’s debut release.