Blue Eyes by Jerome Charyn

Article first published as Book Review:Blue Eyes by Jerome Charyn on Blogcritics.
We often look back at the 1970’s with fondness and a bit of nostalgia for a time when life was just a bit slower. However that time in history was neither as nostalgic nor slow paced for everyone, especially the police departments in New York.

In Blue Eyes Jerome Charyn, delivers a tough yet likable officer in Manfred Coen. Born with a handsome demeanor but a strong and stubborn streak, he is a wiz at Ping-Pong, among his many talents. Hard to read and sometimes brutal, he is the ultimate man to be in charge of finding the kidnapped daughter of a porno-film producer. In a time were many were on the take, Coen pits himself against the sleaziest of those in the business.

Finding himself on a trip into Mexico and chasing rumors of white slavery, he begins to understand that everything is not as it seems. Realizing he is shadowed wherever he goes, he does not understand the real danger that he has brought upon himself with his questions. Can he find out what is happening before it is too late? Set up to take a fall, he finds himself in a Ping-Pong match set up to humiliate him, and to bring him into the open. Will he survive the machinations of the people he struggles to trust?

Charyn has the ability to personify his characters, making them both gritty and bold. His sense of the outrageous and his black humor give them a feel of real life, which seems to bring them to existence in a way that is all too real. His knowledge and background of both Mexico and New York, give you the distinct feel of being there. His description of his characters and their unending ability to create chaos keep you reading on for more.

If you enjoy suspense and danger, Blue Eyes will deliver. If you have ever wondered about or had any curiosity of the ins and outs of Ping-Pong, you will find the answers. Tying such an innocuous sport in with danger and distrust is an ingenious way to create red herrings that will throw you off the path of who may be behind the most nefarious schemes as they unwind.
Set in the late 1970’s, the thing that is incredible is how many of the crimes are reflective of the here and now. Manfred Coen is a protagonist you can believe in, and his stylistic form of Ping-Pong only adds to the character of the novel.

The blog tour's official site is:
http://blue-eyes-isaac-sidel.blogspot.com/

    Jerome Charyn's web site:
http://www.jeromecharyn.com/Jerome Charyn's Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/jerome.charynJerome Charyn's Twitter:
http://twitter.com/jeromecharyn

Issac Sidel's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/IsaacSidel
Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Blue Eyes blog tour site:
http://blue-eyes-isaac-sidel.blogspot.com/

 Blue Eyes Book Summary

A cop and his disgraced mentor attempt to bust a white slavery ring.
Before Isaac Sidel adopts him, Manfred Coen is a mutt. A kid from the Bronx, he joins the police academy after his father’s suicide leaves him directionless, and is trudging along like any other cadet when first deputy Sidel, the commissioner’s right hand man, comes looking for a young cop with blue eyes to infiltrate a ring of Polish smugglers. He chooses Coen, and asks the cadet to join his department after he finishes the academy. Working under Sidel means fast promotions, plush assignments, and, when a corruption scandal topples his mentor, the resentment of every rank-and-file detective on the force.
Now just an ordinary cop, Coen hears word that his old mentor has a line on a human trafficking operation. When Sidel’s attempt at infiltration fails, he sends in Coen. For Coen, it’s a shot to prove himself and redeem his mentor, but it could cost the blue-eyed cop his life.

Jerome Charyn's Bio:

Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”
New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.
Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.
In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong."

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

eBook
Price: $9.99
Release: April 10, 2012

Kindle buy link
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007MFAUAG?tag=tributebooks-20

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http://books.google.com/books/about/Blue_Eyes.html?id=uROC5BoeIxQC

White Rock by J.J. Westendarp

Article first published as Book Review: White Rock by J.J. Westendarp on Blogcritics.

The possibility of Armageddon is often just hovering in the background, sometimes in hushed conversations, occasionally in rumors, and certainly in differing cultures. A topic of conversation that makes many uncomfortable, it is nevertheless written about in novels and newspapers endlessly.


In White Rock by J.J. Westendarp, we follow the continuing story of his group of Vampire hunters, and his main character Cheryl Erikson. In White Rock, she is still the same kick butt over the top vampire hunter, a great friend and always in the middle of the action. Being pressured by her deceased fathers company to be the face of their charitable events she feels a bit out of her depth, although she loves the ability to help others. So what is there about her that seems to attract only the worst kind of people, and vampires as well.

When she allows her temper to get the best of her when the charitable event is held up, and she loses her beloved fathers ring, she finds herself in the middle of a crisis that will test her beliefs beyond all reason. Researching a spate of robberies of posh parties, she along with her friends in the FBI have little idea of the events that have been set in motion. Can they pull together and save the world from a fiend that little believe in.

Westendarp has moved forward in his series and taken it in another direction. The eternal war rages on, yet most humans are not aware of what is really going on around them. The hunters are a part of what keeps the average human safe, as well as unknowing. He introduces characters throughout the series, including another character, a writer that is chosen to write about Cheryl and her charitable endeavors, creating another twist to a great cast. Can Cheryl and her friends put an end to the fiend that has just made its appearance? Is all lost for those fighting the eternal war?

White Rock begins a bit slower that Westendarp’s previous work, while there is a great deal going on, the interplay with Cheryl and the man who wants to oust her from her father’s company, seems to keep the dialogue less frenetic. As the events begin to happen more quickly, the pressure builds and the tensions begin to bloom. I was pulled deeper into the work and found myself mired in the possibilities. His additions of characters have the edge that he tends to favor, and as the action heats up, he is able to draw you deeper into the fray of his world.

If you enjoy the hunter series, and works about vampires and the possible end of the world this is the book for you. However if you also enjoy thrillers, and fast paced mysteries with a bit of the paranormal and things that go bump in the night, you will also enjoy this work. White Rock is a nice addition to his series and I look forward to seeing where it all ends.

Rating 4/5

This work was received as a free download from the author. All opinions are my own based of my reading and understanding of the material.








Poste First on Blog Critics

The possibility of Armageddon is often just hovering in the background, sometimes in hushed conversations, occasionally in rumors, and certainly in differing cultures. A topic of conversation that makes many uncomfortable, it is nevertheless written about in novels and newspapers endlessly.

In White Rock by J.J. Westendarp, we follow the continuing story of his group of Vampire hunters, and his main character Cheryl Erikson. In White Rock, she is still the same kick butt over the top vampire hunter, a great friend and always in the middle of the action. Being pressured by her deceased fathers company to be the face of their charitable events she feels a bit out of her depth, although she loves the ability to help others. So what is there about her that seems to attract only the worst kind of people, and vampires as well.

When she allows her temper to get the best of her when the charitable event is held up, and she loses her beloved fathers ring, she finds herself in the middle of a crisis that will test her beliefs beyond all reason. Researching a spate of robberies of posh parties, she along with her friends in the FBI have little idea of the events that have been set in motion. Can they pull together and save the world from a fiend that little believe in.
Westendarp has moved forward in his series and taken it in another direction. The eternal war rages on, yet most humans are not aware of what is really going on around them. The hunters are a part of what keeps the average human safe, as well as unknowing. He introduces characters throughout the series, including another character, a writer that is chosen to write about Cheryl and her charitable endeavors, creating another twist to a great cast. Can Cheryl and her friends put an end to the fiend that has just made its appearance? Is all lost for those fighting the eternal war?
White Rock begins a bit slower that Westendarp’s previous work, while there is a great deal going on, the interplay with Cheryl and the man who wants to oust her from her father’s company, seems to keep the dialogue less frenetic. As the events begin to happen more quickly, the pressure builds and the tensions begin to bloom. I was pulled deeper into the work and found myself mired in the possibilities. His additions of characters have the edge that he tends to favor, and as the action heats up, he is able to draw you deeper into the fray of his world.
If you enjoy the hunter series, and works about vampires and the possible end of the world this is the book for you. However if you also enjoy thrillers, and fast paced mysteries with a bit of the paranormal and things that go bump in the night, you will also enjoy this work. White Rock is a nice addition to his series and I look forward to seeing where it all ends.

New: Cover look for Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn

Watch for the soon to be released new book Back to Bataan by Jerome Charyn. A new Young Adult fiction, the work is set for release on July 1st, 2012. Jerome has been delighting us with his work for many years and here is your opportunity to be one of the first to see the book cover before the release. This is an exciting opportunity and your chance to get an inside peak.

Don't forget to put this new work on your TBR pile for a great summer read. Released just in time for great summer weather, this is one to check out.

The book summary is:Hiding out in Riverside Park after lashing out at the boy who stole his girlfriend, Jack joins ranks with a group of vagrants and is soon under the sway of a man called the Leader, a charismatic ex-convict.

And the Goodreads link for readers to add to their to-read lists is:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13613896-back-to-bataan


Jerome Charyn (born May 13, 1937) is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him “one of the most important writers in American literature.”

New York Newsday hailed Charyn as “a contemporary American Balzac,” and the Los Angeles Times described him as “absolutely unique among American writers.”

Since the 1964 release of Charyn’s first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture.

Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009.

In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn’s book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, “The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong.”

Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

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Chasing Vegas by Tad Vezner

Article first published as Book Review:Chasing Vegas by Tad Vezner on Blogcritics.

Belief systems are often a part of who we are based on what we were exposed to as we developed from childhood to adulthood. While strong, the beliefs may be subject to change due to several factors. One of those would be seeing something that you have been told is not possible. You then either begin to question your actual beliefs finding a way to make your vision fit your back ground, or you begin to wonder if you are beginning to lose touch with reality.

In Chasing Vegas by Tad Vezner, we follow the exploits of Ricky Vegas as he tries to reconcile his own background and beliefs. Recently released from jail, he has been instructed by his parole officer, Geoffrey Sink, to get a job and stay in Vegas. This is an easy request, on one that Sink has been making in his many years as an officer.

When Vegas disappears and is spotted entering Horizon station, it appears he may be trying to use the interstellar transit system to not just leave Las Vegas, but to go much further. Sink is surprised when a massive manhunt occurs. What would create such an unusual event, why is this man now in the spotlight. Soon Sink finds himself in the middle of the manhunt, surrounded by bloody incidents and dead bodies, causing a shutdown of the station.
When Sink realizes that Vegas has timed his move to coincide with the appearance of the originals, he begins to question everything thing he knows of Vegas’ background. The originals are the first astronauts to return from deep space, and as such they are virtually worshipped. As Sink begins to follow the unraveling life of Vegas, he finds a secret hidden in his past. Accused of trying to kill the Originals, only Vegas and the Originals really know the truth. But for some reason neither of them is talking. What is the secret they are trying to protect? Is Vegas willing to die to hide the reasons behind the killings? As Sink delves further into the discrepancies, he begins to see what appears to be a cover-up. Can he find Vegas in time to get the answers?

Vezner has written a science fiction tale with the overtones of a thriller. The characters are well written and believable. Sink reminds me a bit the part in the old ‘Columbo’ TV series played by Peter Falk. He seems to be a bit bumbling, and others tend to not see how sharp he really is. His techniques for getting information are a bit sly and seem to take others off guard. Vegas himself is a maverick. He has become a loner and no longer knows who to trust. There is something quite admirable about him, and yet it is difficult to understand the things he does. Somehow you know that something drives him.
The twists and turns often took me off guard and I would lose where I was for a moment, but nevertheless I found the book to be absorbing. The characters that enter and exit are a tough bunch, and the scenes as they are played out are well written.

 If you enjoy thrillers and quick paced excitement, you would enjoy this book. Light Science fiction aficionados as well as those that enjoy a good puzzle would also enjoy the work. There is something at work here that drives everything that happens.

It is a challenge to see if you can puzzle it out, often it is easy to see where a story is headed, but this ending takes you by surprise. This is a futuristic novel that ads a bit of punch and danger, just the right mix to keep you reading well into the night.

Rating 4/5

This book was received free from the author. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd

Article first published as Book Review: Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd on Blogcritics.

Life often takes strange and interesting twists and turns. Decisions made will often turn the direction of life in unique and different ways.

In Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd, we follow the life of Lysander Rief, a young English actor who finds his life twisting in a spiral of emotion as he becomes involved in an affair with a young woman he meets during a visit to his psychotherapist. Unsure of her motives he is mortified to learn she has accused him of rape. Incarcerated in a jail in Vienna, he waits to tell his side of the story, yet he knows he has no answer as to why she would accuse him.
The world is on the brink of World War I and it is here at this time that Lysander escapes and leaves Vienna, with the help of two British Diplomats. This is only the beginning of the twists and turns he encounters as he tries to take his life back. When he is recruited for a mission by the very men who helped him escape he finds himself on the tail of a traitor. Using his talents as an actor he is drawn deeper into the world of espionage.

It is here, during this time of duress that he again runs into his lover and mistress, and nothing is as it seems. Still enamored even with the allegations against him, he finds that she is more than ready to resume their liaison. Is she too a part of the madness he finds himself embroiled in. What lengths will she go to, to get what she wants.

Boyd has taken a time in history and drawn us in with a thriller full of human foibles. His characters are charming and bold, and often quite ruthless. Lysander too has another side that is dark and well hidden, yet he must keep it buried in order to create the man he is challenged to be. Can he do what is required to deliver the traitor, or will he have to delve into the darker part of his own psyche.
Full of historical fact and fiction, this is a thriller that keeps you guessing. The insight and thought put into the characterization of the characters makes you feel as though you know them. Yet when they behave badly or unlike what is expected, you find yourself puzzling over their actions, as though you really should know why they are being as they are.
If you enjoy history and things pertaining to World War I and some of its background, this is an interesting novel. Throw in the side line of a thriller and the search for a traitor that could bring down the house, than this is a book for your library. The story seems to meander and yet it builds momentum to the very end. Everything in between is just a red herring, or a small piece of the puzzle.
Rating 4/5
This book was received free from the authors publisher. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.

Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer

Article first published as Book Review: Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer on Blog Critics.

Our children are a precious commodity. Given what we know from our own experiences we want to lift them past the mistakes we have made, and help to elevate them to the level of greatness within them. Often we are never sure how to proceed, so we look for answers to help them grow.

In Heroes for My Daughter by Brad Meltzer he has supplied a group of heroes, lovingly chosen for his own young child. That he would share his own secret to helping her move forward is a wonderful and loving thing by itself.  While we are often heroes to our children, we often neglect to tell them that they are heroes to us as well. To watch them grow and develop into outstanding adulthood is the stuff dreams are made of. Meltzer has chosen to fill his story with the people he sees as setting the examples that make them more, and he explains in his terms how he feels about their exploits.

The stories and descriptions are brave, courageous and full of the strength we often look for in ourselves, and hope we can instill in our families. He runs the gambit from Marie Curie to Christopher Reeve, from Tina Turner to Leonardo Da Vinci. You may not initially understand his choices but he does a wonderful job of explaining, and darned if he does not get you to agree. In his group of 56 heroes, I was surprised to find that I was not aware of many of the accomplishments of this group of erstwhile people. While I only listed a few of the names included, you may deduce that they are all rich or famous, and yet Meltzer went beyond that and introduced us to the everyday hero as well.  They have each individually made a mark on the world in some form, which still resonates today.

I was both charmed and intrigued with the works and found myself unable to put it down until I recognized every single hero and the scope of their courage and accomplishments that put them there. What I found was that while this book is written for his daughter and would be a very excellent choice of gift to start and move them on their journey, it is also a reminder of what we all can still accomplish.

I believe this would be a wonderful book for any library, child or adult. I felt much solace as I read through the exploits of those listed, and will make a place for this where I can pull it out when I am feeling in need of support and encouragement. I believe it would be a fantastic book for a reading or discussion group, opinions on the heroes and their accomplishments could create some extensive discussions.

Rating 5/5

This book was received free through the publicist. All opinions are my own based off my reading and understanding of the material.