Sharon C. Pennington's Blog, page 2

TODAY'S THE DAY!

 

HOODOO MONEY (The Stolen Nickel Series, Book 1) & MANGROVES AND MONSTERS (Book 2) are available in Kindle editions via Amazon for 99₵ each 72 hours only on January 26, 2014 starting at 8:00am PST.

 

 Would love to see you there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

REVIEW: BROKEN ALLEGIANCE (A Tom Kagan Novel) by Mark Young

The evening starts innocent enough for Toby and Charlotte in BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL by Mark Young (ISBN: 978-0983266389; 346 pp). Eager young lovers, moonlight and a bottle of wine, an abandoned vineyard and blanket for two. It seems Toby's thought of everything, arranged the perfect scenario for hot, steamy sex.

Not so fast, Romeo.

Before Toby can utter “A little mood music please,” visitors arrive and the teens seek cover behind the crumbling winery walls, fearing for their own lives as they watch a gang member's cold-blooded execution.

Running is out of the question. Might as well show themselves and beg for a bullet to the head - or worse. If they're quiet enough, still as the corpse cooling on the ground outside, they might survive.

Should they report the murder?

Toby says no. The reach of a gang's hierarchy is infinite. Charlotte's gut screams at the injustice. "Shot him like he was . . . nothing," she says. But, does she have the courage to call the police?

Come on, gang members killing gang members? Red against blue. Turf wars. The Mexican Mafia hitting Nuestra Familia. Shootings and stabbings and mutilations.

Ought to be a blessing, right?

But the order to take out Javier “Paco” Valdez, one of the highest ranking NF soldados on the streets - to take his wind - seems to have come from inside the walls of California’s Pelican Bay State Prison. From one of his own, an aging gang member who goes by the name of Ghost.

It’s up to Detective Tom Kagan, with the aid of gang expert Hector Garcia, to connect the dots and cement the hit on Paco to its source.

Tom Kagan isn't new to the callousness and brutality of gang violence. He's lived with the resulting heartache for ten years, since the day a black Monte Carlo low rider t-boned his wife's SUV and killed his son. The loss has caused a strain on his marriage and tested his ability to function within Santa Rosa’s Organized Crime and Intelligence Section. Now Kagan finds himself in the position of having to protect the very gang members he despises - including Mikio, the one known NF leader clever enough to walk away from the gang and remain alive.

Mark Young once again deftly flexes his writing muscles as he moves readers from one pulse-pounding assault to the next. The author’s law enforcement background with the  Federal Organized Crime Task Force charged with identifying and prosecuting prison gang leaders adds credence to his tale. I knew several chapters into BROKEN ALLEGIANCE that this was going to be a five-star review. The book is artfully written, finely-tuned and beautifully presented. Young’s vivid descriptions transport readers to the streets of Santa Rosa to safe houses to a lone cabin on Lake Tahoe, while believable dialogue and well-developed characters hold them captive to the book’s conclusion. I’d recommend BROKEN ALLEGIANCE to any reader who loves a good, gut-wrenching, page-turning thrill-ride.




BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL is available through Amazon (in both paperback and Kindle) and other fine booksellers. Author Mark Young was a police officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department in California for twenty-six years. He’s an award-winning journalist and a Vietnam combat veteran. His Gerrit O'Rourke novels (OFF THE GRID and FATAL eMPULSE) have reached Amazon’s top 100 lists, while his debut novel REVENGE hit #1 for bestselling mystery/suspense police procedurals. Readers can learn more about this talented author and his future projects at www.MarkYoungBooks.com

REVIEW - BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL by Mark Young

The evening starts innocent enough for Toby and Charlotte in BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL by Mark Young (ISBN: 978-0983266389; 346 pp). Eager young lovers, moonlight and a bottle of wine, an abandoned vineyard and blanket for two. It seems Toby's thought of everything, arranged the perfect scenario for hot, steamy sex.

 

Not so fast, Romeo.

 

Before Toby can utter “A little mood music please,” visitors arrive and the teens seek cover behind the crumbling winery walls, fearing for their own lives as they watch a gang member's cold-blooded execution.

 

Running is out of the question. Might as well show themselves and beg for a bullet to the head - or worse. If they're quiet enough, still as the corpse cooling on the ground outside, they might survive.

 

Should they report the murder?

 

Toby says no. The reach of a gang's hierarchy is infinite. Charlotte's gut screams at the injustice. "Shot him like he was . . . nothing," she says. But, does she have the courage to call the police?

 

Come on, gang members killing gang members? Red against blue. Turf wars. The Mexican Mafia hitting Nuestra Familia. Shootings and stabbings and mutilations.

 

Ought to be a blessing, right?

 

But the order to take out Javier “Paco” Valdez, one of the highest ranking NF soldados on the streets - to take his wind - seems to have come from inside the walls of California’s Pelican Bay State Prison. From one of his own, an aging gang member who goes by the name of Ghost.

 

It’s up to Detective Tom Kagan, with the aid of gang expert Hector Garcia, to connect the dots and cement the hit on Paco to its source.

 

Tom Kagan isn't new to the callousness and brutality of gang violence. He's lived with the resulting heartache for ten years, since the day a black Monte Carlo low rider t-boned his wife's SUV and killed his son. The loss has caused a strain on his marriage and tested his ability to function within Santa Rosa’s Organized Crime and Intelligence Section. Now Kagan finds himself in the position of having to protect the very gang members he despises - including Mikio, the one known NF leader clever enough to walk away from the gang and remain alive.

 

Mark Young once again deftly flexes his writing muscles as he moves readers from one pulse-pounding assault to the next. The author’s law enforcement background with the  Federal Organized Crime Task Force charged with identifying and prosecuting prison gang leaders adds credence to his tale. I knew several chapters into BROKEN ALLEGIANCE that this was going to be a five-star review. The book is artfully written, finely-tuned and beautifully presented. Young’s vivid descriptions transport readers to the streets of Santa Rosa to safe houses to a lone cabin on Lake Tahoe, while believable dialogue and well-developed characters hold them captive to the book’s conclusion. I’d recommend BROKEN ALLEGIANCE to any reader who loves a good, gut-wrenching, page-turning thrill-ride.

 

~ ~ ~

 

BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL is available through Amazon (in both paperback and Kindle) and other fine booksellers. Author Mark Young was a police officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department in California for twenty-six years. He’s an award-winning journalist and a Vietnam combat veteran. His Gerrit O'Rourke novels (OFF THE GRID and FATAL eMPULSE) have reached Amazon’s top 100 lists, while his debut novel REVENGE hit #1 for bestselling mystery/suspense police procedurals. Readers can learn more about this talented author and his future projects at www.MarkYoungBooks.com

 

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REVIEW: BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL by Mark Young

The evening starts innocent enough for Toby and Charlotte in BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL by Mark Young (ISBN: 978-0983266389; 346 pp). Eager young lovers, moonlight and a bottle of wine, an abandoned vineyard and blanket for two. It seems Toby's thought of everything, arranged the perfect scenario for hot, steamy sex.

 

Not so fast, Romeo.

 

Before Toby can utter “A little mood music please,” visitors arrive and the teens seek cover behind the crumbling winery walls, fearing for their own lives as they watch a gang member's cold-blooded execution.

 

Running is out of the question. Might as well show themselves and beg for a bullet to the head - or worse. If they're quiet enough, still as the corpse cooling on the ground outside, they might survive.

 

Should they report the murder?

 

Toby says no. The reach of a gang's hierarchy is infinite. Charlotte's gut screams at the injustice. "Shot him like he was . . . nothing," she says. But, does she have the courage to call the police?

 

Come on, gang members killing gang members? Red against blue. Turf wars. The Mexican Mafia hitting Nuestra Familia. Shootings and stabbings and mutilations.

 

Ought to be a blessing, right?

 

But the order to take out Javier “Paco” Valdez, one of the highest ranking NF soldados on the streets - to take his wind - seems to have come from inside the walls of California’s Pelican Bay State Prison. From one of his own, an aging gang member who goes by the name of Ghost.

 

It’s up to Detective Tom Kagan, with the aid of gang expert Hector Garcia, to connect the dots and cement the hit on Paco to its source.

 

Tom Kagan isn't new to the callousness and brutality of gang violence. He's lived with the resulting heartache for ten years, since the day a black Monte Carlo low rider t-boned his wife's SUV and killed his son. The loss has caused a strain on his marriage and tested his ability to function within Santa Rosa’s Organized Crime and Intelligence Section. Now Kagan finds himself in the position of having to protect the very gang members he despises - including Mikio, the one known NF leader clever enough to walk away from the gang and remain alive.

 

Mark Young once again deftly flexes his writing muscles as he moves readers from one pulse-pounding assault to the next. The author’s law enforcement background with the  Federal Organized Crime Task Force charged with identifying and prosecuting prison gang leaders adds credence to his tale. I knew several chapters into BROKEN ALLEGIANCE that this was going to be a five-star review. The book is artfully written, finely-tuned and beautifully presented. Young’s vivid descriptions transport readers to the streets of Santa Rosa to safe houses to a lone cabin on Lake Tahoe, while believable dialogue and well-developed characters hold them captive to the book’s conclusion. I’d recommend BROKEN ALLEGIANCE to any reader who loves a good, gut-wrenching, page-turning thrill-ride.

 

~ ~ ~

 

BROKEN ALLEGIANCE: A TOM KAGAN NOVEL is available through Amazon (in both paperback and Kindle) and other fine booksellers. Author Mark Young was a police officer with the Santa Rosa Police Department in California for twenty-six years. He’s an award-winning journalist and a Vietnam combat veteran. His Gerrit O'Rourke novels (OFF THE GRID and FATAL eMPULSE) have reached Amazon’s top 100 lists, while his debut novel REVENGE hit #1 for bestselling mystery/suspense police procedurals. Readers can learn more about this talented author and his future projects at www.MarkYoungBooks.com

 

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IAN'S GIVING A KINDLE AWAY FOR CHRISTMAS!

What's better than the Independent Author Network giving away 1 Kindle Fire for Christmas 2013? Giving away 3 Kindles, of course. The Independent Author Network will give away 3 Kindle Fires to 3 lucky readers on December 24th: 1st Prize ~ Kindle Fire HDX 8.9 inch, 2nd Prize ~ Kindle Fire HDX 7 inch, 3rd Prize ~ Kindle Fire HD 7 inch. 

 

Each Kindle will come pre-loaded with 100+ indie published fiction and nonfiction books donated by members of The Independent Author Network. Genre categories include: fantasy, mystery/thriller/suspense, romance, women's fiction, YA, historical and religious fiction, paranormal/horror, sci-fi, dystopia, literary fiction, memoir, poetry and nonfiction.

 

Sponsored by author M.R. Mathias and the Independent Author Network

 

 

REVIEW: THE SEACREST by Aaron Paul Lazar

Life can change in the blink of an eye . . . One isn’t meant to know the day or the hour, the very moment change will come. That answer is fate’s cruel secret. Or, is it fate’s sublime intervention?

So starts Aaron Paul Lazar’s contemporary romance, THE SEACREST (ISBN13: 978-1493548675; ASIN: B00G1TDBRI; 286 pp), and an affair of hearts between Finn McGraw and the love of his life that spans more than a decade, weathers bliss and turmoil, and even marriage to other partners.

THE SEACREST opens on July 2, 2013 as police deliver the devastating news to Finn that his brother’s car has plunged over a cliff, killing both occupants. Both occupants? That’s right. Finn’s brother Jax, dead. Finn’s wife Cora, dead.

But wait, Cora in the car with Jax? That’s impossible. They hardly knew each other. Why, Finn and his brother haven’t spoken in years. Not since . . .

Using the date as his catalyst, author Aaron Lazar artfully transports Finn’s thoughts to another sultry July 2nd afternoon thirteen years earlier - when the first life-altering tremor of change shook his world. The day he fell in love.

Finn McGraw wasn’t looking for love on that crowded beach in 1997. Being seventeen was all about school, working his father’s blueberry farm, and Finn’s art. There were some who claimed he had a talent for sketching and portraits.

But love is what Finn found that day - or perhaps, as fickle fate would have it, love found Finn.

For his first venture into the romance genre, Aaron Lazar captures the essence of young love with all its sweetness, naïveté and splendor. And he paints those scenes with as tender a hand as young Finn has for his girl.

Until her love turns to loathing and she heads off to her exclusive boarding school in Switzerland. Why? What did Finn do to spur such hatred? 

In THE SEACREST, Lazar encapsulates the heartbreak of young love with equal finesse - the loss and longing, the confusion - while inviting readers along as he weaves in layers of mystery and lingering questions. Who was responsible for the fire that killed Finn’s parents and younger sister? What vile act caused Finn to turn his back on his brother, his one remaining family member? To let hatred fester? To set his art aside?

And what of Cora and Jax? The idea of an affair is unthinkable. Though it’s true that Cora’s death opens an avenue of rekindled love for Finn.

At first, I wasn’t sure I would like Aaron Lazar’s technique of alternating the past and present from chapter to chapter. But as THE SEACREST progressed, this methodology developed a rhythm. I knew what to expect and found myself looking forward to delving further into Finn’s past, and perhaps answering some of those lingering questions.

I found THE SEACREST an enjoyable read and a tender love story worth relishing. I’m giving this one four stars and sincerely hope it will not be Lazar’s only foray into the romance genre. Now . . . I’m off to purchase another of this talented writer’s books.


Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. This bestselling Kindle author of three addictive mystery series enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Readers can learn more about this talented author and read an excerpt of THE SEACREST by visiting his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com/ and be sure to watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases: SANCTUARY (2014) and VIRTUOSO (2014).  For a more personal connection, join Aaron Lazar on Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/aplazar2 ) and Twitter ( https://twitter.com/aplazar ).

REVIEW: THE SEACREST by Aaron Paul Lazar

Life can change in the blink of an eye . . . One isn’t meant to know the day or the hour, the very moment change will come. That answer is fate’s cruel secret. Or, is it fate’s sublime intervention?

 

So starts Aaron Paul Lazar’s contemporary romance, THE SEACREST (ISBN13: 978-1493548675; ASIN: B00G1TDBRI; 286 pp), and an affair of hearts between Finn McGraw and the love of his life that spans more than a decade, weathers bliss and turmoil, and even marriage to other partners.

 

THE SEACREST opens on July 2, 2013 as police deliver the devastating news to Finn that his brother’s car has plunged over a cliff, killing both occupants. Both occupants? That’s right. Finn’s brother Jax, dead. Finn’s wife Cora, dead.

 

But wait, Cora in the car with Jax? That’s impossible. They hardly knew each other. Why, Finn and his brother haven’t spoken in years. Not since . . .

 

Using the date as his catalyst, author Aaron Lazar artfully transports Finn’s thoughts to another sultry July 2nd afternoon thirteen years earlier - when the first life-altering tremor of change shook his world. The day he fell in love.

 

Finn McGraw wasn’t looking for love on that crowded beach in 1997. Being seventeen was all about school, working his father’s blueberry farm, and Finn’s art. There were some who claimed he had a talent for sketching and portraits.

 

But love is what Finn found that day - or perhaps, as fickle fate would have it, love found Finn.

 

For his first venture into the romance genre, Aaron Lazar captures the essence of young love with all its sweetness, naïveté and splendor. And he paints those scenes with as tender a hand as young Finn has for his girl.

 

Until her love turns to loathing and she heads off to her exclusive boarding school in Switzerland. Why? What did Finn do to spur such hatred?

 

In THE SEACREST, Lazar encapsulates the heartbreak of young love with equal finesse - the loss and longing, the confusion - while inviting readers along as he weaves in layers of mystery and lingering questions. Who was responsible for the fire that killed Finn’s parents and younger sister? What vile act caused Finn to turn his back on his brother, his one remaining family member? To let hatred fester? To set his art aside?

 

And what of Cora and Jax? The idea of an affair is unthinkable. Though it’s true that Cora’s death opens an avenue of rekindled love for Finn.

 

At first, I wasn’t sure I would like Aaron Lazar’s technique of alternating the past and present from chapter to chapter. But as THE SEACREST progressed, this methodology developed a rhythm. I knew what to expect and found myself looking forward to delving further into Finn’s past, and perhaps answering some of those lingering questions.

 

I found THE SEACREST an enjoyable read and a tender love story worth relishing. I’m giving this one four stars and sincerely hope it will not be Lazar’s only foray into the romance genre. Now . . . I’m off to purchase another of this talented writer’s books.

 

~ ~ ~

 Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. This bestselling Kindle author of three addictive mystery series enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Readers can learn more about this talented author and read an excerpt of THE SEACREST by visiting his website at http://www.lazarbooks.com/ and be sure to watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases: SANCTUARY (2014) and VIRTUOSO (2014).

 

For a more personal connection, join Aaron Lazar on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/aplazar2) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/aplazar).

 

REVIEW: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH by David Pyle

I reviewed David Pyle's debut novel, BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH,  a while back but never posted my thoughts, though the book was excellent -- other than some editing issues. Now I'm enthusiastically reading Pyle's second novel, MINUTES.  That review will follow shortly.

 

First, let me introduce you to BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH . . .

 

David Pyle's southern roots and love of Mississippi shine in this debut novel (Publish America, 2009, ISBN 1-60836-244-2). As a rule, horror novels are not for the faint of heart, and Pyle doesn't disappoint with his rich characterizations, colloquial speak, and imaginative storytelling.

 

Between Life and Death opens with Pyle's protagonist, James Earl Williams, on an annual pilgrimage to his maternal grandparents' home in Natchez, Mississippi. James has journeyed south from New Jersey many times in the past and spent satisfying hours at work in his grandfather's garage repairing cars for local residents and restoring his treasured '67 Mustang. But this will prove a summer of upheaval for the seventeen-year-old in which he finds himself embroiled in grave-robbing, murder, kidnapping, and a shocking digression into the sinister sway of backwoods voodoo.

 

James' quandary begins with a mysterious clicking sound emanating from inside the walls of his grandparents' house. The nocturnal nuisance spurs bouts of insomnia, nightmares of suffocation in oily seas, and midnight investigating only to find no source for the noise. It isn't until his Aunt Martiel reveals a family history of paranormal sight that young James opens his mind and will to the treachery that lies ahead. All he holds dear, his newfound love for sweet Jolie, and his faith are questioned as James faces the unspeakable conjured by Miss Lyda Brown, a merciless bokor, a voodoo sorceress capable of capturing souls and raising the undead.

 

How does a teenager wage war against a being so ancient and evil as Lyda Brown and her minions, Toad and Billy? What dormant skills must James hone to emerge victorious and save his family? What long-hidden secret will he discover?

 

The strengths of Between Life and Death fall in the realm of clever suspense and layers of backbone-tingling horror.  I base my estimate of a novel's worth on whether the story holds my interest, if I leave a night's read and find myself still speculating about what might happen. If I'm drawn to the characters. Between Life and Death accomplished all of this, and I give it four stars.

 

David Pyle comes from an extended career in manufacturing and technology. He lives in North Texas with his son and daughter.

 

BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH by David Pyle

I reviewed David Pyle's debut novel, BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH,  a while back but never posted my thoughts, though the book was excellent -- other than some editing issues. Now I'm enthusiastically reading Pyle's second novel, MINUTES.  That review will follow shortly.

 

First, let me introduce you to BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH . . .

 

David Pyle's southern roots and love of Mississippi shine in this debut novel (Publish America, 2009, ISBN 1-60836-244-2). As a rule, horror novels are not for the faint of heart, and Pyle doesn't disappoint with his rich characterizations, colloquial speak, and imaginative storytelling.

 

Between Life and Death opens with Pyle's protagonist, James Earl Williams, on an annual pilgrimage to his maternal grandparents' home in Natchez, Mississippi. James has journeyed south from New Jersey many times in the past and spent satisfying hours at work in his grandfather's garage repairing cars for local residents and restoring his treasured '67 Mustang. But this will prove a summer of upheaval for the seventeen-year-old in which he finds himself embroiled in grave-robbing, murder, kidnapping, and a shocking digression into the sinister sway of backwoods voodoo.

 

James' quandary begins with a mysterious clicking sound emanating from inside the walls of his grandparents' house. The nocturnal nuisance spurs bouts of insomnia, nightmares of suffocation in oily seas, and midnight investigating only to find no source for the noise. It isn't until his Aunt Martiel reveals a family history of paranormal sight that young James opens his mind and will to the treachery that lies ahead. All he holds dear, his newfound love for sweet Jolie, and his faith are questioned as James faces the unspeakable conjured by Miss Lyda Brown, a merciless bokor, a voodoo sorceress capable of capturing souls and raising the undead.

 

How does a teenager wage war against a being so ancient and evil as Lyda Brown and her minions, Toad and Billy? What dormant skills must James hone to emerge victorious and save his family? What long-hidden secret will he discover?

 

The strengths of Between Life and Death fall in the realm of clever suspense and layers of backbone-tingling horror.  I base my estimate of a novel's worth on whether the story holds my interest, if I leave a night's read and find myself still speculating about what might happen. If I'm drawn to the characters. Between Life and Death accomplished all of this, and I give it four stars.

 

David Pyle comes from an extended career in manufacturing and technology. He lives in North Texas with his son and daughter.

 

REVIEW: BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH by David Pyle

I reviewed David Pyle's debut novel, BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH,  a while back but never posted my thoughts, though the book was excellent -- other than some editing issues.  Let me introduce you to BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH . . .

David Pyle's southern roots and love of Mississippi shine in this debut novel (Publish America, 2009, ISBN 1-60836-244-2). As a rule, horror novels are not for the faint of heart, and Pyle doesn't disappoint with his rich characterizations, colloquial speak, and imaginative storytelling.  

Between Life and Death opens with Pyle's protagonist, James Earl Williams, on an annual pilgrimage to his maternal grandparents' home in Natchez, Mississippi. James has journeyed south from New Jersey many times in the past and spent satisfying hours at work in his grandfather's garage repairing cars for local residents and restoring his treasured '67 Mustang. But this will prove a summer of upheaval for the seventeen-year-old in which he finds himself embroiled in grave-robbing, murder, kidnapping, and a shocking digression into the sinister sway of backwoods voodoo.

 

James' quandary begins with a mysterious clicking sound emanating from inside the walls of his grandparents' house. The nocturnal nuisance spurs bouts of insomnia, nightmares of suffocation in oily seas, and midnight investigating only to find no source for the noise. It isn't until his Aunt Martiel reveals a family history of paranormal sight that young James opens his mind and will to the treachery that lies ahead. All he holds dear, his newfound love for sweet Jolie, and his faith are questioned as James faces the unspeakable conjured by Miss Lyda Brown, a merciless bokor, a voodoo sorceress capable of capturing souls and raising the undead.

 

How does a teenager wage war against a being so ancient and evil as Lyda Brown and her minions, Toad and Billy? What dormant skills must James hone to emerge victorious and save his family? What long-hidden secret will he discover?

 

The strengths of Between Life and Death fall in the realm of clever suspense and layers of backbone-tingling horror.  I base my estimate of a novel's worth on whether the story holds my interest, if I leave a night's read and find myself still speculating about what might happen. If I'm drawn to the characters. Between Life and Death accomplished all of this, and I give it four stars.

 

David Pyle comes from an extended career in manufacturing and technology. He lives in North Texas with his son and daughter.