Book excerpt: ‘Still On Fire: A Memoir’ by Renee Linnell

‘Still On Fire: A Memoir’ is Renee Linnell’s new book due out on August 16, 2022. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Renee Linnell is a serial entrepreneur who has founded or cofounded five companies and has an MBA from New York University. Before that she was a model and professional dancer. Having an unorthodox childhood and being surrounded by death at a young age led her on a spiritual quest that took her all over the world, culminating in her ordination as a Buddhist monk. What began as writing for catharsis in 2013—as she struggled to regain her sanity after being brainwashed in a Buddhist cult—turned into her first memoir, “The Burn Zone: A Memoir.” “Still on Fire” is the sequel. Her mission is to remind people Who They Truly Are and to reignite their passion for being alive. It will be released Tuesday August 16, 2022. (Renee Linnell, 2022)

Here is an excerpt:

Chapter 1: Slow Down

I have a confession to make: I’m not very good at being human. I still can’t figure it out. For the life of me, I cannot figure out other people, and even after all these years of trying, I can’t figure out myself. And maybe that’s the whole point. Maybe that’s what makes life dynamic and thrilling. I’m not sure. Maybe “I’m not sure” is the answer to all of it.

I have noticed that anytime I think I’m sure, life comes along and proves me wrong. I have noticed that anytime I think I’m sure, I turn into a bit of an asshole. I close my mind to ideas and concepts and people that oppose the way I think I’m sure. And I am really beginning to see how quantum physics is right when it tells us there are billions of simultaneous realities. The Buddha said, “With our thoughts we make the world.” Science is finally catching up to what the mystics, saints, and shamans have been saying for thousands of years: our thoughts create our reality. There are billions of us, each with a unique perspective, so there are billions of simultaneous realities. No wonder we can’t get along.

What if we stopped trying so hard to get others to see from our point of view? What if we finally realized our point of view works for us because it is ours. But everyone else has a point of view that works for each one of them. If it didn’t work, they would seek alternative information and change it.

What if life on Earth really is just the ultimate video game? We incarnate in these bodies, and like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and the other characters do in the movie Jumanji, we have to figure out how our avatars work. We discover our strengths and weaknesses. We learn about our bodies, our flaws, and our unique skill sets. We discover our likes and dislikes. Personal preferences. And we fine-tune as we go.

We get plopped into these bodies and these personalities that are constantly surprising us. And at the same time, we get plopped into a world where every single other human is living in a different reality, looking through a different lens. They are creating from a different lens, and with a different skill set, different wants and needs. And then we add that each human is projecting that different reality onto everybody else: Thieves think everyone else is stealing from them; lovers think everyone else has good intentions; cheaters think everyone else is cheating; fighters always find people with whom to fight. You get the point.

Combine all that with the fact that when we are young, and often for most of our lives, we bend and mold and shape ourselves into false versions of ourselves to fit in and people-please. And we end up with a shit show. Seriously. It’s fascinating.

The only way to unwind the shit show is for each one of us to stop caring so much about what other people think about us, to stop comparing our lives to the lives of others, to start discovering who we truly are, and then to build an authentic life around it. This raises us up, out of the mess, and it washes off the shit so that we sparkle with light. If we trust that we are here for a reason, that we are unique for a reason, and that a divine path is already lined up for us, life gets a lot easier. As we admit we do not know, that it is all a mystery, that as soon as we think we have the world or ourselves or anyone else figured out, we get the carpet pulled out from under us—we get our paradigm shattered—life gets a lot more fun. It’s like walking up to the River of Life and someone asking, “Where does this river go?” and you answer, “I have no idea, but it sure looks like fun!” and jump in. Arms up in the air. Ready for the ride. Trusting that wherever the ride leads is someplace amazing.

This morning I was meditating in my favorite living room chair, and I had a vision of myself in that same chair at about eighty years old. I saw how little and how wrinkled and how wise this version of me was. She was glowing. She was so patient, so calm, so content. And she offered me advice. She said to me, “Slow down.”

Just those two words.

“Slow down.”

She sat there in her comfy lounge clothing with her warm cup of coffee, and she was so beautiful in her calm, in her peace, in her wisdom.

“Slow down.”

She said, “You will be here in a flash, and you don’t want to miss any moment of it.” She told me, “It is all coming. All of it. All that you dream about. But it is not your work to do. It is God’s work to do through you. If you do not slow down, you cannot be a clear channel. The same way you cannot rush a baby into this world, you cannot rush your accomplishments; they will be born when they are meant to be born, after the proper gestation. Your unique contribution will be offered. It must be. But if you rush the process, you end up with a child that does not have fully functioning lungs. So, please, my love, slow down.”

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New book release: ‘Was Jesus Married?: The Case From The New Testament’ by Lee Wilson

‘Was Jesus Married?: The Case From The New Testament’ is the new book by Lee Wilson that examines the question of whether Jesus was married. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Lee Wilson majored in Bible at Freed-Hardeman and Trevecca Nazarene Universities and has served as a minister for two churches. As a highly acclaimed relationship coach, Lee has been interviewed by The New York Times, USA Today, The Today Show, MSN, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Glamour, Daily Mail, and Yahoo Lifestyle, among others. He has been published three times under his own name and has ghostwritten on behalf of best-selling authors. His new book “Was Jesus Married?: The Case From The New Testament” is available on Amazon: Hardcover and Kindle. (Lee Wilson, 2022)

Was Jesus Married? “No, of course not!” It is one of those things you have always been told—that Jesus was unmarried and celibate, and “everybody” knows it. End of story and case closed. Or is it? Can you prove it? Can you quote a Bible verse that says that Jesus was single? Is there a prophecy that says Jesus had to be unmarried or else he could not be the Messiah? In fact, is there any evidence whatsoever that Jesus was single or is it just something that you have assumed based on what you have been told your entire life? Now we are getting somewhere.

“Because that’s what we’ve always said,” is not nearly a good enough answer. But you say, “The Bible does not say that Jesus was married,” and you are right in that it does not say that directly, but it also does not directly say that he was single. So, if we are being completely honest, the claim that Jesus was married has equal footing with the claim that he was single. Or maybe there is actually a case to be made from the pages of the Bible that he was married rather than single.

This book will show you evidence that Jesus was married from within the pages of the New Testament. You will also learn the motive behind the portrayal of an unmarried Jesus that has been engrained in so many. After giving this book an honest read, if you still think there is not a case to be made that Jesus was married, then you may return to believing that he was single and celibate. Until then, it is time to start proving that Jesus was single or else stop claiming it like it is gospel truth, because it is not.

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Movie adaptation: ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ by Shirley Jackson

Movie poster for the movie adaptation of ‘We Have Always Lived in the Castle’ by Shirley Jackson Photo: google

Shirley Jackson was one of the most brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century. She is widely known for her supernatural stories and novels, including the well-known short story The Lottery and the best-selling novel “The Haunting of Hill House.” (Shirley Jackson, 2022)

“We Have Always Lived in the Castle” is a 1962 mystery novel by American author Shirley Jackson. The novel is written in the voice of eighteen year old Mary Katherine ‘Merricat’ Blackwood who lives with her sister and uncle on an estate in Vermont. Six years before the events of the novel, the Blackwood family experienced a tragedy that left the three survivors isolated from their small village. It is the story about a perverse, isolated, and possibly murderous family and the struggle that ensues when a cousin arrives at the estate. The movie adaptation is available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime, and Roku, among other services. (amazon, Wikipedia, 2022)

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is an American mystery thriller directed by Stacie Passon and written by Mark Kruger. It stars Taissa Farmiga, Alexandra Daddario, Crispin Glover, and Sebastian Stan. The arrival of a cousin with ulterior motives threatens the claustrophobic and isolated world of two sisters and their uncle.

Television adaptation: Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

The television adaptation of Alice Oseman’s *Heartstopper* graphic novel is now on Netflix. Photo: amazon

Heartstopper is a young adult LGBTQ+ ongoing graphic novel and webcomic series written and illustrated by British author Alice Oseman. The novel follows the lives of shy and softhearted Charlie Springs and rugby player Nick Nelson who sit next to each other in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who does not think he has a chance. Nick is struggling with feelings of his own and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works. This coming-of-age story has been adapted into a television series and is now streaming on Netflix. It has received critical acclaim and has already been renewed for a second and third season. (amazon, 2022)

Heartstopper is a British coming-of-age romantic comedy television series on Netflix. Written by Alice Oseman herself, the series primarily tells the story of Charlie Spring, a gay schoolboy who falls in love with classmate Nick Nelson, whom he sites next to in school. Starring Joe Locke, William Gao, Yasmin Finney, Corinna Brown, and Kizzy Edgell, it also explores the lives of Tao, Elle, Tara, and Darcy.

New book release: ‘Shattered’ by James Patterson and James O. Born

Detective Michael Bennett is back in ‘Shattered,’ the new novel in the series. Photo: amazon

James Patterson is one of the best-known and biggest-selling writers of all time. His books have sold in excess of 375 million copies worldwide. He is the author of some of the most popular series of the past two decades – the Alex Cross, Women’s Murder Club, Detective Michael Bennett and Private novels – and he has written many other number one bestsellers including romance novels and stand-alone thrillers. Inspired by his own son who was a reluctant reader, he also writes a range of books for young readers including the Middle School, I Funny, Treasure Hunters, Dog Diaries and Max Einstein series. James has donated millions in grants to independent bookshops. James O. Born is an award-winning crime and science-fiction novelist with over twenty published novels and a career law-enforcement agent. They are co-authors of the new Michael Bennett novel “Shattered.” In the 14^th novel in the series, nothing can tear Detective Michael Bennett away from his new bride, except the murder of the woman who was his partner and best friend. (amazon, 2022)

“Shattered” – NYPD master homicide investigator Michael Bennett and top FBI abduction specialist Emily Parker have a history. Working case after case, each can predict the other’s next move. So when she fails to show at FBI headquarters in Washington, DC, Bennett risks venturing far outside his jurisdiction. The investigation he undertakes is the most brilliant detective work of his career and the most intensely personal. A portrait begins to emerge of a woman as adept at keeping secrets as forging powerful connections. A woman whose enemies had both the means and the motives to silence the real Emily Parker—and her protectors.

Book review: ‘Down to the River’ by Anne Whitney Pierce

‘Down to the River’ is a family saga set in the late 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. Photo: amazon

Anne Whitney Pierce is a life-long Cantabrigian and the author of two books, “Galaxy Girls: Wonder Women” (1993) and “Rain Line.” (2000) She has taught in the graduate writing program at Emerson College in Boston. Her short fiction has appeared in the Virginia Quarterly Review, The Chattahoochee Review, The Boston Globe Magazine, Kansas Quarterly, Crosscurrents, The Southern Review, among others. Her work has been included in the O’Henry Prize Story Collection and has won several awards, including the Nelson Algren Award, the Willa Cather Fiction Prize, the Paterson Fiction Prize, New Voices Award and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award. Her new book “Down to the River” is a family saga set in the late 1960s in Cambridge, Massachusetts against the backdrop of the Vietnam War. (amazon, 2022)

“Down to the River” – The story starts with a Prologue where Chickie and Hen’s story begins. Chickie is Minerva’s nickname and Hen is short for Henry. They are first cousins born in 1951 and their fathers are identical twins named Naylor Potts (Nash) and Remington Potts (Remi). The twin brothers grow up as entitled, Harvard-educated, golden boys, heirs to an old, but dwindling family fortune. With the passage of time, family money begins to disappear and their lives begin to fall apart. The first chapter begins in 1966 with Nash and Remi in their mid-forties and partners in a sporting goods store in Harvard Square. The twins’ marriages are in trouble. Their youngest children, Chickie and Hen, are coming of age during the turbulent urban wilderness of the late 1960s— school bomb threats, racial tensions, war protests and demonstrations at Harvard and beyond. With all hell breaking loose at home, and any semblance of “parenting” hanging ragged in the wind, Chickie and Hen are left mostly on their own. Suddenly freed from old rules and restrictions, they head out onto the streets of Cambridge, which become their concrete playground, tumbling headlong into a world of politics, sex, drugs, rock and roll.

What was it like to come from a privileged family in the Boston area during the turbulent sixties and seventies? Anne Whitney Pierce gives readers the saga of the Potts family who seem to have it all but deep down, they face the same internal struggles and dark family secrets as everyone else. The family is born with money but eventually that goes away and their troubles grow against the background of a country that is besieged by riots, war, and general uncertainty. From the children who are facing college life and a possible Vietnam draft to the parents whose marriages are in trouble, nothing is as it seems from the outside looking in. The author describes the lives of the characters through the years so the character development is deep and complex. Language wise, it is an easy read but it is tough to get through some of the grimmer parts. This just goes to prove that life is not always smooth sailing and how we get through the tough times determines and shapes our character. Readers familiar with the area, specifically Cambridge, will no doubt feel a tough of nostalgia, especially if they grew up in the Vietnam era. Anne Whitney Pierce does an excellent job of bringing one family’s history to light and her writing style makes for an interesting novel. “Down to the River” may make some readers uncomfortable but it is a portrait of one family’s experiences during a troublesome era that just might mirror society’s present-day struggles. It is recommended for readers who appreciate family life fiction mixed in with historical fiction.

“Raised to be God-fearing, if not religious, both Violet and Faye came to think of all this – their lives as silent, fettered wives and mothers – as the tradeoff for marrying well.”

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

New supernatural thriller: ‘Dominature’ by Joe Belcastro

Fans of Joe Belcastro, author of ‘Dominature,’ will have the opportunity to meet him in-person as he travels across the country to attend several book festivals and conventions. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Joe Belcastro is on tour for his debut novel “Dominature: What If The Devil…Banished God…From Heaven…” The book is an epic fantasy adventure which reimagines divine beings in this provocative alternate telling of one of humanity’s famed creation stories. (Joe Belcastro, 2022)

“It’s always a pleasure to interact with people from all walks of life, sharing my story and learning about theirs. While I toured extensively during my time at WWE as Head Writer and Producer, this solo tour is an exciting and challenging journey for me as a storyteller embarking on a new platform with a bold premise.” – Joe Belcastro

The story in “Dominature” remixes new and familiar historical characters and events in a modernized way, while exploring the nature of good and evil by asking the introspective question: Can any being overcome who they inherently are?

When asked about early reception, Belcastro says, “Everyone who sees and reads the book cover is immediately intrigued where I went with the story. It’s cool to witness that in-person.”

Confirmed Upcoming book tour appearances:
August 14 – MIGHTY CON (Madison, WI)
August 20 – MISSISSIPPI BOOK FESTIVAL (Jackson, MS)
September 2-4 – FANBOY EXPO (Orlando, FL)
September 23 -25 – NECRONOMICON (Tampa, FL)
October 1 – COLLINGSWOOD BOOK FESTIVAL (Collingswood, NJ)
October 15 – TWIN CITIES BOOK FESTIVAL (St. Paul, MN)
October 22-23 – THE BOOK FEST FALL 2022 (Virtual)
October 29 – LOUISIANA BOOK FESTIVAL (Baton Rouge, LA)
December 2-4 – LOS ANGELES COMIC CON

Additional Belcastro appearances may be added. Watch for updates for these and other events:

November 5 – PORTLAND BOOK FESTIVAL (Oregon)
November 5-6 -TEXAS BOOK FESTIVAL (Austin, TX)
November 12-14 – Tampa Bay Times Festival of Reading

Joe Belcastro is a provocative storyteller who once crafted characters as the head writer and producer for WWE: World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. He is now a novelist with his debut epic fantasy adventure, “Dominature.” In it, Joe explores the nature of good and evil and asks the captivating question: What if the Devil banished God from Heaven? Reaching deep inside himself, Joe uses his keen sense for drama and wit stemming from his days as a former journalist and film critic to deliver a tale that is premised on the best-selling book of all time – The Bible. Joe lives in Tampa, Florida where he is laying the groundwork for a charitable foundation and drafting his next novel.

Moras Productions releases second graphic novel hybrid Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru

Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru is available through Amazon Kindle. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Writer Omar Mora has published his second graphic novel Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru through his company Moras Productions. The hybrid book was release at San Diego International Comic Con on Wednesday July 20, 2022. (Moras Productions, 2022)

“Ancient Explorers: The Lost City of Peru” is a novel – comic book hybrid that features an adventure-action sci-fi narrative in which two best friends, together with two archaeologists, discover that an ancient map and compass are really artifacts with hidden clues to discover the lost city of Peru: Paititi. As they discover this, something puts their lives in danger, a danger that drives our adventurous friends to follow what they were meant to do in life — to become what Mark’s Grandpa taught them when they were kids: explorers of the ancients. It is then that Luis, Mark, Jennifer and Sandy begin their journey into the unknown, a magical and adventurous journey to discover the Lost City of Peru, a journey that will change their lives forever.

“I’m so proud of this book. Ancient Explorers is a novel that I always wanted to produce as a comic book. When the pandemic hit, well the economy hit as well and I wasn’t sure if the finances will be in place to do the full graphic novel. So we decided to do it as a hybrid. And I’m happy I did it that way. If you don’t read the comic books pages within the novel, you’ll get lost, the comic pages is not just illustrations, they’re part of the story. And I think that makes it very interesting and cool. It’s such a fun and entertaining story” – Omar Mora

Omar Mora is an actor, writer producer who recently worked on the movie Inside The Circle, his last published comic book was “The Unearthians” which was top 10 indie comic book at Los Angeles Comic Con in 2019. “The Unearthians” is being developed for a television series.

Ancient Explorers will be released digitally through Amazon-KINDLE. Omar Mora is the writer, with additional writing by Jim Higgins. The art was helmed by Miguel Guzman, colors and letters by Edwin Estrada, proofread by Shannon Mier, and designed by Phil Smith.

Texas Book Festival announces 2022 author sneak peek

Texas Book Festival reveals fifteen authors for 2022 festival. The 2022 Festival will feature Omar Epps, Angie Cruz, Sandra Brown, David George Haskell, and Michaela Goade, among others. Photo: Texas Book Festival, used with permission.

Texas Book Festival is thrilled to announce fifteen authors joining a full return to the in-person Festival Weekend this fall. The Festival will feature Screen Actors Guild Award recipient and nine-time NAACP Image Award winner Omar Epps, Good Morning America Book Club Pick author and Women’s Prize finalist Angie Cruz, Texas literary legend and author of seventy-three New York Times bestsellers Sandra Brown, Pulitzer Prize finalist and Guggenheim Fellow biologist David George Haskell, NYT bestselling children’s author-illustrator and Caldecott medalist Michaela Goade, and many more. (Texas Book Festival, 2022)

The Festival, returning in person November 5–6 in downtown Austin after two years of virtual and hybrid programming, will include a sizable list of impressive literary talent for readers of all ages. The full lineup will be completed and revealed in September.

“This announcement marks the beginning of our Festival season, and we are very excited to bring talented authors and thousands of readers together again at our beloved annual event, ” says Lois Kim, TBF’s Executive Director. “We hope all Texans, young and old, newly Texan or 7th generation, are marking their calendars to join us for an epic literary weekend.”

The sneak peek lineup includes:
Omar Epps, the actor-producer known for his roles in House, Shooter, This Is Us, and many more television shows and feature films, will present his debut young-adult novel “Nubia: The Awakening,” an epic Afrofurturist saga billed as perfect for fans of Black Panther. Angie Cruz, the award-winning author who debuted her first novel “Soledad” at Texas Book Festival 2001, will return to present new work “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water,” about a woman who, faced with an unexpected job loss amid the Great Recession, evaluates her life.

Mega bestselling author, onetime TBF First Edition Literary Gala emcee (2003), and Texas native Sandra Brown will present latest novel “Overkill,” in which a former NFL superstar struggles with a crisis of conscience and juggles a life-or-death decision. Acclaimed professor of biology and environmental scientist David George Haskell brings to the Festival his Kirkus-starred book “Sounds Wild and Broken,” in which he explores the auditory wonders of the animal kingdom, and how endangered they are. Michaela Goade—illustrator for 2021 Caldecott winning and bestselling “We Are Water Protectors”—presents “Berry Song,” a Kirkus- and Publishers Weekly–starred picture book in which granddaughter and grandmother deepen their connection with the earth.

“There’s something special about seeing authors in-person again,” says TBF literary director Matthew Patin. “Virtual programming provided us, and continues to provide, creative opportunities, yet nothing quite matches an author visiting Austin once more. In pre-COVID times we took a physical appearance for a given, but now it feels that much more valuable and important. And the fifteen names here are only a fraction of what’s to come.”

The full list of sneak peek authors includes:
● Vishwesh Bhatt, “I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef”
● Sandra Brown, “Overkill”
● Sandra Cisneros, “Woman Without Shame: Poems”
● Angie Cruz, “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water”
● Erin Entrada Kelly, “Those Kids from Fawn Creek”
● James Kirchick, “Secret City: The Hidden History of Gay Washington”
● Omar Epps, “Nubia: The Awakening”
● Sidik Fofana, “Stories from the Tenants Downstairs”
● Michaela Goade, “Berry Song”
● Xochitl Gonzalez, “Olga Dies Dreaming”
● David George Haskell, “Sounds Wild and Broken: Sonic Marvels, Evolution’s Creativity, and the Crisis of Sensory Extinction”
● Elizabeth McCracken, “The Hero of This Book”
● Matt de la Peña, “Patchwork”
● Mary Laura Philpott, “Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives”
● Roger Reeves, “Best Barbarian: Poems”

The 2022 Texas Book Festival is co-presented by H-E-B and AT&T. Other major sponsors include Brigid Cockrum and Family, Tocker Foundation, Still Water Foundation, Amplify Credit Union, Buena Vista Foundation, Tapestry Foundation, Kirkus Reviews, Central Market, Texas Monthly, Austin Chronicle, and Jordan Foster. BookPeople is the official Festival bookseller.

With a vision to inspire Texans of all ages to love reading, the Texas Book Festival connects authors and readers through experiences that celebrate the culture of literacy, ideas, and imagination. Founded in 1995 by former First Lady Laura Bush, Mary Margaret Farabee, and a group of volunteers, the nonprofit Texas Book Festival promotes the joys of reading and writing through its annual Festival Weekend, the Reading Rock Stars Title I elementary school program, the Real Reads Title I middle and high school program, grants to Texas libraries, and year-round literary programming. This year’s Texas Book Festival will take place from November 5 to November 6, with events taking place in downtown Austin and at the Texas Capitol, featuring renowned authors, panels, book signings, and activities. Thanks to generous donors, sponsors, and volunteers, the Festival remains free and open to the public.

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Book review: ‘Dry Heat: A Novel’ by Len Joy

‘Dry Heat: A Novel’ is Len Joy’s latest novel. Courtesy photo, used with permission.

Len Joy is the author of four books that have have received shining reviews and several awards. His first novel, “American Past Time,” published in 2014 took 1st Prize in the Top Shelf Book Awards in 2019, his second novel, “Better Days” was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards in 2019, and “Everyone Dies Famous,” published in 2020 won 1st Prize in the 2020 Top Shelf Book Awards. His new book “Dry Heat” is about an All-American young man, Joey Blade, whose life begins to unravel when he learns that his ex-girlfriend is pregnant, is betrayed by his new girlfriend, and is arrested for the attempted murder of two police officers.

“Dry Heat” – The story is set in Phoenix, Arizona and begins in November 1999 as a teenage Joey Blade is at a park playing basketball with his friends. Shortly thereafter at the high school bonfire, his life takes a turn for the worse as he is at the wrong place at the wrong time. The bonfire explodes and Joey, his girlfriend Wendy and her drug dealing friend TJ flee in her truck. When the police pursue, TJ shoots at the cop’s car. It crashes and in the ensuing chaos TJ slips away undetected. Joey, the only adult in the truck, is arrested and charged with attempted murder and released on bail. TJ is nowhere to be found. In desperation, he reaches out to notorious gang leader, Chico Torres, whom he met in jail, for help locating TJ. When Joey is offered a deal–his freedom in exchange for his cooperation in nailing Chico–he faces a decision that will change the course of his life. The book is divided into two parts: Part I Joey and Part II Joseph and spans years in Joey Blade’s life, up to the year 2017 as an adult.

Some of the best novels plunge deep into the human condition by examining a character’s lifetime of experiences. Such is the case in “Dry Heat” as readers are witnesses to Joey Blade’s transformation from an idealistic teenager to a young man who, despite being falsely convicted of a crime, he is far from jaded. As with his previous novels, Len Joy excels at character development and by the end of the story, readers cannot help but be heavily invested in finding out what happens. Due to the dialogue driven action, it is an easy read and hard to put down. The characters are down to earth and relatable because anyone can easily become a victim of circumstances and have his or her life turned upside down from one minute to the next. “Dry Heat” by Len Joy has everything from family drama to courtroom action and is recommended for readers who enjoy both. It is a must read coming of age saga.

*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.

An excerpt is available.

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