Novels by J.C. Weil
Coral Tree
A Costa Rican Canon
This uplifting collection of short stories and poetry is inspired by a country much larger than its territory. These pieces of life arose almost unbidden, such was and continues to be the alchemical effect of this tiny nation. This book is a vacation that begs you to hold it in your hands and let it find its way into your spirit.
Eavesdropping
A Little Novel
This quirky, fast-paced book raises eyebrows and questions, as it prompts readers to ask themselves how they define crazy and not settle for an easy answer. Part mystery, part treasure hunt, Desirée Bindel is on a journey that challenges her boyfriend Harry to ponder the essence of companionship and self-sacrifice, as well as the meaning of integrity and how to live by it.
JENNIFER C. WEIL is an award-winning actor, writer, and poet.
Weil is published in a broad spectrum that includes literary novels, children’s books, newspaper / magazine articles, and plays.
Jennifer has written in Costa Rica and continues to write in Michigan and Florida. Her published work includes poetry, plays, short stories, ghost-written material, and children’s books.
COMING SOON FOR ADULTS:
The Way the Sun Sings
Weaver’s Bay
Marlin, Nevada
Truth Syrup
Trio: Samson, Delilah, and Samuel
Peabody Clift
Children's Books by J.C. Weil
Marvin's Lump
Target Reader Age: 4 to 7
A picture book and story in rhyme in which Marvin learns that the terrible lump he hides beneath his wonderful hat is actually invisible. With the support of his mom and his big brother, Marvin cautiously
challenges himself to try new things to prove to himself that he can be good at something. With each new effort, his ghastly lump grows smaller until the day comes when he no longer needs to wear his hat.
Target Reader Age: 6 to 12
On a rural, isolated road, eleven-year-old Tommy Hillman and his younger sister, Erica, face a long sure-to-be-dull summer, made dreadful by their father’s serious illness. Their lives shaken, they turn for company to their one neighbor, whose surprising friendship takes them places they never dreamt of going and teaches them the rewards of asking the simplest question: Why?
William's Gift
Target Reader Age: 5 to 8
William is sent to his room for bad behavior while his family finishes decorating the Christmas tree. His brother and sister tell him that he is clumsy and a klutz. He feels as if he cannot do anything right--that everyone is always criticizing him. In his hurt and disappointment, he decides to run away from home. Feeling cold and alone, William encounters the wise Mrs. Murgatroyd. With the help of her magical paints, he creates a computer game in which his character, Elf, must decorate a Christmas tree while the Meanies try to stop him. Through his game, William comes to terms with his hurt feelings, and realizes that he can do things right. Through this experience, he receives the gift of self-confidence.
With its rich, inviting illustrations, William's Gift helps young readers develop their own inner strength and power to meet life's challenges.
And Peter Said Goodbye
Target Reader Age: 5 to 8
Mrs. Murgatroyd's magical paints send Peter on a journey across the country to his grandfather's funeral and help him cope with his feelings of grief and loss.
Exquisite watercolors blend elements of magic and reality in this heartwarming tribute to the power of love and resilience of the human spirit. Full-color hardcover picture book Activity book Parent/teacher guide Peter and his grandfather spent many happy times together, but then one day grandfather died. Angry and hurt, Peter heads for the woods where he embarks on a fantastic journey where he is at last able to say goodbye.
Licensed Scripts by J.C. Weil
Poppins, Jesus, and Pan
This is a shameless adaptation of Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol. In this half-hour comedy, the audience does encounter Ebenezer Scrooge and the Cratchits but not much else is familiar. The play tells its story in rhymed couplets. While it is offbeat and might be considered a touch irreverent, it remains true to the spirit of Dickens' original Christmas classic. Jesus, Mary Poppins, and Peter Pan appear as the ghosts, assisting our hapless hero in his education about charity, love, awe, and belief.
Job, the Whole Book:
Why me, God?
In forty minutes, the story of the Biblical Job unfolds with humor, zaniness, and sobriety. Job, the Whole Book presents a good man who seems blessed with good fortune, followed by nothing but bad skin and woe, and then all good fortune again. God wagers with the Devil, and critical friends get their comeuppance. Job is beloved. Many readers identify with him and appreciate his struggles with God, his bewilderment. The play takes seriously the significance of obedience, loyalty, patience, and humility. It is a funny drama with a large cast and an arm chair.
All Sales Final
History is subject to bending, rending, and, so, defending. In forty-five minutes, this one-act play casts all black characters with white actors and all white characters with black actors. This might seem a confusing concept. In the playing, there is clarity. Well-researched, All Sales Final shows how much confusion exists about slavery, who owned and did not own slaves, and ultimately what drives people to act honorably and in their own best interest. Written long before the divisiveness that began to plague the United States of America in 2020, this drama is a brave attempt to tell an honest story about how fundamentally alike human beings are—far more alike than we are different. The play also limns our vulnerability to persistent, destructive agents who seem "happiest" when they cunning and manipulation to undermine a stability that does not require their presence. Teaching and learning history, facing the errors as well as the triumphs, is the surest means to nurturing liberty and, yes, justice for all.
Sort of As You Like It
A modern take on William Shakespeare's As You Like It
This is a full-length play set in a high school and its environs. It burst upon the drama scene in a middle school. Students assisted with every aspect of the production, as well as acting all the roles. They spent hours studying the language in the original. They poured over dictionaries and thesauruses to learn what Shakespeare meant. When they performed the modern adaptation, each one knew what he or she meant when delivering a line or a speech. Quite frankly, Sort of As You Like It can work just as well with more mature performers. The audience will not require dictionaries.