NEWS | Join John at Wizard World Comic Con in St. Louis

For any readers attending Wizard World (Comic Con) in St. Louis, I'm excited to be a part of a discussion panel on diversity in literature. Panel will by moderated by Zac Brewer, NYT Bestselling Author of the Vladimir Tod young adult series. My panel is Saturday, April 2, 11:30 am. Just agreed--my bio might not even be on the site yet. See you there!


Convention info at http://wizardworld.com/comiccon/stlouis


Here's a description of the panel discussion:

-Visibility Isn't A SuperPower-

The landscape of publishing seems to be blossoming at last with diverse characters in strong, positive roles. But is this just a passing phase, or have publishers truly opened the inclusive door to minorities, the LGBT+ community, and those with disabilities? Join special guest speakers to hear their perspectives and share yours. Moderated by Zac Brewer, NYT Bestselling author of The Vladimir Tod series. Respectful questions and discussion are largely encouraged!'

Never give up!


John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@johnherrick


Today's Playlist:
Cece Winans by Cece Winans

BOOK REVIEW | Always Watching by Lynette Eason

Always Watching by Lynette Eason
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Always Watching is the first novel I've read by Lynette Eason. I tend not to read a lot of Christian fiction, mainly because, in the few novels I've read in that genre, I found the dialogue unrealistic or the plot underdeveloped or ridiculous. So I'm thrilled to have discovered Lynette Eason.

I'm a sucker for female leads who kick butt in a non-cliche way. Always Watching represents the first in a new series, Elite Guardians, which is a bodyguard agency staffed entirely by females. Wade, the protagonist, is a psychologist who hosts a weekly radio call-in program. When he receives death threats from a stalker who is determined to develop a romantic relationship with him, a team of bodyguards is hired. The obsession turns deadly for those around Wade and his head bodyguard, Olivia. Think the 1992 film The Bodyguard, with the roles reversed. However, the story moves along in a quite different manner. When Olivia suggested they go away so she can better protect him, Eason had me worried her story would become a retread! But Wade declined the suggestion and things got on track.

Eason planted several red herrings along the way, which were effective as I read. She kept me guessing. Though it might be classified as romance, this is a suspense novel with romantic suggestions woven in here and there--which makes this a read a guy can enjoy.

Looking forward to the next book in the series! Great job, Lynette Eason!

View all my reviews

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/johnherrickbooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist:  Cece Winans by Cece Winans

Review: Sing To Me - LA Reid

Sing To Me by L.A. Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

LA Reid is a guy whose career I tracked ever since he and Babyface were a songwriter-producer team in the late 1980s. I studied their lyrics when I was a teenager trying to teach myself to write music, so part of the reason I seek to dig down into my soul as a writer--even as a novelist--is because of the influence of LA Reid and Babyface. I had to read this memoir ASAP after it hit the shelves, and I rarely buy hardcovers at near full price. This one was a dream come true.

This is the head guy of Epic Records, and the head guy in the past of Island Def Jam, Arista (Clive Davis's brief successor), and LaFace Records. He's the head guy today, so he would have every reason to project the stereotypical CEO persona, where he tries to display strength and minimize his weaknesses. But what I found most endearing about Reid's memoir is the honesty about those seasons of insecurity and sadness he faced along the way and still battles today. Through the years, he has maintained a balanced dose of humility that seeps through his words as he describes his successes--and those occasions in which he gives due credit for others who actually discovered a particular artist here and there.

I raced through this memoir, just like I raced through those of Clive Davis and Tommy Mottola these last few years. It's fascinating to hear the backstories behind the songs with which I grew up and also hear today, as well as how they evaluated songs and artists and audiences. Perhaps that's because I tend to evaluate my own creative projects that way, looking for those nuances that make them unique, picturing the individuals to whom I hope my work will speak. What I can say is that I'm a sucker for any memoir. And truth be told, I wasn't a viewer of The X-Factor, so had no idea he was a judge on it. Wish I had, I'd have tuned in to get to know how his mind works.

As an added bonus, not only does this book contain the color pictorial insert you expect to find, but it also includes a ton of B&W photos scattered throughout the book's body itself. When I saw that, I opted against the less expensive eb00k and invested in the hardcover to have that full experience in context.

5 stars. I'm biased, but shamelessly so!

View all my reviews

Never give up!

John Herrick
johnherrick.net
johnherricknet.blogspot.com
facebook.com/JohnHerrickBooks
@johnherrick

Today's Playlist:  The Social Network Motion Picture Score - Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross