'Misadventures of a Would-be Muse' Memoir is Released

New York

Beatrice Williams-Rude was and is many things: a contest-winning pianist, chorus kid, actress, singer, model, writer and editor. In her mostly mirthful memoir, "Misadventures of a Would-be Muse," she takes readers on her peripatetic and picaresque journey from being the "droop of the third grade" to self-acceptance.

Williams-Rude's life is steeped in the arts; she was a pianist from age 4 and her career included Broadway, off-Broadway, summer stock and modeling. After receiving three unpalatable stage offers - obscene in the extreme - she returned to college, then entered the world of journalism, became a copy editor, and later, researcher and reviewer. In the winding course of her career and relationships, she has had "more names than a con-man," as Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes" laughingly noted.

Structured in short, sharp easy-to-read vignettes, "Misadventures of a Would-Be Muse" is a treasure-trove of Williams-Rude's colorful escapades and the equally colorful cast of characters that she met along the way. It features more than forty pages of photos, many of which are of familiar faces including Ingrid Bergman, Jackie Gleason, Martin Landau, Perry Como and Mike Wallace, smiling, as few have seen him.

Sometimes funny, sometimes poignant and always riveting, "Misadventures of a Would-Be Muse" is a tour of other times and places: Manhattan, Philadelphia, the golden age of Broadway and television, and the heart and soul of a fascinating woman. It's mostly merry and perfect for travel and vacations because there's little need of a book mark: it can be opened almost anywhere and the reader will find an amusing anecdote that doesn't require knowledge of what preceded it to be understood.

This book will be featured at the 2014 Book Expo America to be held at New York, 655 W 34th St, New York, NY on the following exhibit dates: May 29th: 9:00- 5:00 PM, May 30th: 9:00- 5:00 PM and May 31st: 9:00- 3:00 PM. For more information on this book, interested parties may log on to http://www.Xlibris.com.

About the Author
Philadelphia born and bred Beatrice Williams-Rude was a contest-winning child pianist, chorus kid, actress, singer and model. She has appeared on Broadway, off-Broadway, in light opera, summer stock both "in the round" and prosceniumperforming in plays and musicals. Her essays on theater and opera have appeared on "Broadway After Dark" and her "think pieces" on "The Constant Columnist." She is cited in the books, "The Impossible Musical" by Dale Wasserman, "Anthology" by Helen Strine and Elizabeth Hart and "Too Darn Hot" by Judith Bloomfield. She lives in Manhattan with her husband, Alan Rude.

Misadventures of a Would-Be Muse * by Beatrice Williams-Rude
Trade Paperback; $19.99; 232 pages; 9781465356048
Trade Hardback; $29.99; 232 pages; 9781465356055
e-book; $9.99; 9781465356062

Members of the media who wish to review this book may request a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher at (888) 795-4274 x. 7879. To purchase copies of the book for resale, please fax Xlibris at (812) 355-4079 or call (888) 795-4274 x. 7879.

For more information on self-publishing or marketing with Xlibris, visit http://www.Xlibris.com. To receive a free publishing guide, please call (888) 795-4274.

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