Revenge Comes Calling and Isle of Deceit by R.J. Rosatte

Two episodes this week! On Tuesday's episode (102) of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I interviewed J.D. Sanderson about his debut novel, A Footstep Echo. On today's episode (103) I was happy to welcome R.J. Rosatte back to the podcast to talk about his two follow-up Katie and Malone novellas. If you recall, R.J.'s first interview was in April as part of the collection of authors who wrote novellas for the Tawnee Mountain Mystery series. In his contribution, Dark Side of the Mountain, we were introduced to Katie Douglas and Casey Malone. Katie and Casey survived the adventures they encountered in that story, but little did they know that was only the beginning.

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Katie Douglas and Casey Malone first met at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, she an inspecting engineer, he a relaxing mystery novelist. Together they discovered a kidnapping plot on the mountain. As they tried to unravel the mystery, they uncovered a plot to bomb the high society wedding of the Wittenaur family being held at the resort. An imprisoned Mafia Don vowed revenge on Robert Wittenaur, the former DA that sent him to prison for life and had set in motion the plot to murder the entire family and guests at the wedding. After thwarting both of these plots in an explosive climax to the story, Katie and Casey went their separate ways, promising to get together again.

Now, Katie is on her way to spend what she hopes will be a romantic weekend at Casey’s mountain-top retreat in Virginia. Before their evening even begins, the long reach of the mob interrupts their solitude promising that no good deed will go unpunished. Vowing to get even for the couple’s interference at the Tawnee Mountain Resort, the perpetrators of both plots take aim at Katie and Casey. As they dodge Mafia hitmen with the aid of a mysterious caller, Katie and Casey fight for their lives when Revenge Comes Calling. (Source)

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Katie Douglas and Casey Malone, having survived revenge attacks from the Mafia and a scheming financier, are rewarded for thwarting plots aimed at guests of the famed Tawnee Mountain Resort. Billionaire owner Raymond Elliot has sent them on an all-expense-paid, month-long vacation to his private-island retreat in the Bahamas. But the couple, who are just beginning to enjoy their budding romance, finds it hard to relax in the tropical paradise when bodies keep washing up on the shore. Even more perplexing, the islanders won’t talk about the strange goings-on that Katie and Casey encounter.

When they discover that the supervisor of the work crew assigned to build a private airstrip on the island has secret activities that he is willing to do anything to hide, they find themselves targets once more. They seek to solve the mysterious deaths and get to the bottom of who Jake Peters really is and why this beautiful piece of heaven has become an Isle of Deceit. (Source)

Since these are novella length, R.J. is able to pack a lot of action into a fairly short amount of reading time. Katie and Casey go through quite a bit in these two stories, and yet they managed to maintain senses of humor throughout, while also getting to know each other better. You could definitely say they have an odd dating history.

Genres:

• Mystery
• Thriller/Suspense
• Romance

What I enjoyed:

• The fast-paced nature of both books. They are both quick reads, and the level of action keeps the reader flipping pages. These would be great vacation or weekend reads when you are looking for something quick and entertaining.
• Katie is a kick-butt character. First of all, she's an engineer twice over, so she's smart and capable. She's also independent and perfectly capable of defending herself in a physical manner.
• Casey is just as capable, although not quite as physical, but he is also perfectly fine with Katie being the butt-kicker of the relationship.
• Watching the relationship between these two characters evolve through the stories. There are more novellas to come, so more developments in their relationship. They don't have a lot of time between murders and mysteries to solve, but they're doing pretty well figuring out the relationship stuff.

Quotes:

• "'I don't know what I'm trying to say. It's just...I like being around you, being with you, even if we get shot at occasionally, and...you know.'" -Casey in Revenge Comes Calling
• "'Just what I always wanted to do,' she replied. 'Get shot at, run people off the road and dodge Mafia hitmen. Plus make deals with alleged kidnappers, who, by the way, probably won't keep their end of the bargain.'" - Katie in Revenge Comes Calling
• "'Good title for  yoru next book, Malone,' Katie said as they followed along. 'Expect the Unexpected!' Casey laughed. 'That's the headline for this entire holiday.'" -Isle of Deceit

Where to find R.J. Online:

• Facebook: @rosattewriting
• Twitter: @PaxusKing
• Amazon Author Page: R.J. Rosatte
• GoodReads: R J Rosatte

Author Bio:

Source

A native of Prince Edward County, Ontario, his careers have included being an infantry officer in the Canadian Army Reserves, economics teacher at Loyalist College in Belleville, Ontario, a long-haul truck driver and businessman.

He has travelled all forty-eight lower US states, eight Canadian provinces, Italy, Mexico and most of the Caribbean. He currently resides in Bayside, Quinte West, Ontario with his wife, Wendy, and their Westie, Molly. (Source)

To hear today's interview with R.J., please click here.

To hear his first interview, please click here.

A Footstep Echo by J.D. Sanderson

On Episode 101 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I chatted with J.D. Sanderson about his debut novel A Footstep Echo. I mention in the episode that I haven't always been a fan of reading science fiction even though I've always loved watching it. One more reason for me to love hosting this podcast is that it's giving me the opportunity to read books I might not otherwise. A Footstep Echo is another example of that, and I'm so glad I read it!

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Who is the Mystery Girl? Bernard Abbey’s life was routine, stagnant, and lonely. That all changed the day she entered his life. To save him from being killed, a mysterious young woman transports Bernard to another point in time. As he comes to grips with what has happened, Bernard realizes his new friend is unable to speak. She cannot tell him who she is, where she came from, or how she can travel through time. Even worse, she’s unable to tell him what is chasing her. As she takes him back and forth in time, they cross paths with strangers who claim to know his new friend, each with a different story of her origin. The only thing he knows for certain is that the fate of humanity’s idyllic future is somehow connected with his new companion. (Source)

So, it's both Science Fiction AND time travel. Two things I really enjoy (even though I can easily get bogged down in the details and confuse myself...especially with time travel). What you don't get from the description is that Bernard is not your typical science fiction main character. J.D. doesn't specify his age, but Bernard is retired and not exactly a spring chicken. That doesn't stop him from embarking on quite the adventure with Mystery Girl. For the record, we do learn Mystery Girl's identity, but you'll have to read the book to find out what it is.

Genres:

• Science Fiction
• Time Travel

What I enjoyed:

•  Bernard and the fact that he is an unconventional main character. There are no shortage of somewhat curmudgeonly older gentlemen in literature, but they are often secondary characters. If they are the main character they don't often get to do much that is adventuresome.
• The storyline of Maverick the dog. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but it made me happy.
• Bernard is retired and works part time at the local library. Another character, Ruth, also works at the library. I have a soft spot in my heart for both libraries and librarians, so of course I love it when they show up in whatever I'm reading.
• The time travel, and even the science fiction! I didn't feel bogged down by the details or trying to understand the technical details. I let it inform the story without driving myself crazy trying to determine if it was plausible or not. If you want the answer to that question, you will need a different podcaster.

Quotes:

• "'How does it work?' Bernard asked. 'I mean, I don't see anyone getting into spaceships, putting on helmets, or flying in little blue boxes.'"
• "The biggest problem with time travel was that it was entirely possible for someone to use information from your future to alter your past."
• "As wondrous as the future was, it was humanity's oldest prejudices that had led to one of its biggest conflicts."

Where you can find J.D. online:

Facebook: @AuthorJDSanderson

Twitter: @ascifiwriter

Amazon Author Page: J.D. Sanderson

Goodreads: J.D. Sanderson

Author Bio:

J.D. Sanderson lives with his wife, daughter, and mini poodle in South Dakota. A lifelong fan of science fiction, J.D. has been writing professionally in one form or another for seven years. When he's not writing, you'll find him enjoying his favorite sci-fi movies and shows with his family or walking his dog. (Source)

Are you a fan of sci fi and time travel? Want to read Bernard's story and find out what happens to Mystery Girl? Enter our giveaway for a chance to win a copy of A Footstep Echo by J.D. Sanderson! Entering is easy: go to one of our social media pages and comment on the post for this episode (Episode 101). That's it! Just go  to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and comment on the post for Episode 101: Interview with J.D. Sanderson! You have until September 1 to enter, and winners will be announced on September 3. Good luck!

To hear the interview with J.D. please click here.

Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett

Reasons to celebrate: First, this was the 100th episode of the GSMC Book Review Podcast! Second, Kellye Garrett returned to the podcast! If you are a regular listener, you will remember Kellye from her first episode back in September of 2017 when she joined me to talk about her debut novel, Hollywood Homicide. She returned this time to talk about her follow-up book, Hollywood Ending.

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Tinseltown's awards season is in full swing, and everyone is obsessed with dressing up, scoring free swag, and getting invited to the biggest awards shows of the year. But when celebrity publicist Lyla Davis is killed, the festive mood comes to an abrupt halt.

Apprentice private eye Dayna Anderson thinks she's uncovered the killer. Unfortunately, what starts as an open-and-shut case turns out to be anything but. Diving deeper into the investigation, Dayna gets a backstage look at gossip blogging, Hollywood royalty, and one of entertainment's most respected awards shows—all while trying to avoid her own Hollywood ending. (Source)

I love this series. Dayna is hilarious, likeable, and relatable, and Kellye's writing is engaging and fun. The book is part mystery (could even be considered a cozy mystery), part beach read, and all enjoyable.   If you like mysteries but like them on the lighter side (you know, without the gory details or the scare-the-pants-off-of-you moments) then this is a series you should definitely check out.

Genres:

• Mystery
• Crime
• Women's fiction 

What I enjoyed:

• Kellye's writing. She's hilarious, relatable, and can turn a phrase like nobody's business.
• Dayna. First, we need more people of color represented across genres, so I love that Dayna is a black woman who solves mysteries. She's also how I imagine many of us would be if we were to find ourselves suddenly in the role of private investigator: she doesn't quite know what she's doing, but she asks questions, she sticks with it, and she's not afraid to run AWAY from danger.
• The secondary characters who all have their quirks and who we are getting to know a little better with each book. 
• The way Kellye weaves in bits of Hollywood into the story: she describes people by what type of role they might be cast in, and situations in terms of what kind of movie they'd be a part of.

Quotes:

• "He was close. Too close. Like 'you should be professionally cleaning my teeth and assuring me I don't have any cavities' close."
• "Geez, she was a cranky one. Perhaps because she'd been subsisting on kale, hot air, and judgement for most of her adult life."
• In a fit of desperation, I'd even called her number--and we all know someone has to be really desperate to actually want to speak to another human being on the phone."
• "If this were a heist movie, the Silver Sphere offices would be secured three floors underground in an airless chamber guarded by a feral unicorn with a Rambo-approved knife as a horn."

Where to find Kellye online:

• Website: https://kellyegarrett.com/
• Facebook: @KellyeGarrettAuthor
• Twitter: @kellyekell
• Instagram: kellyekell
• Chicks on the Case: https://chicksonthecase.com/
• Amazon Author Page: Kellye Garrett
• Goodreads: Kellye Garrett
• BookBub: @KellyeGarrett

Author Bio:

Source

Kellye Garrett's first novel, Hollywood Homicide, won the Agatha, Lefty and Ippy awards for best first novel. It was also nominated for a Barry award. Hollywood Ending, her second book in the Detective by Day series, will be out on August 8, 2018. In addition to writing, she currently serves on the national Board of Directors of Sisters in Crime as its Publicity Liaison.

Kellye previously spent 8 years working in Hollywood, including a stint writing for the CBS drama Cold Case. People were always surprised to learn what she did for a living--probably because she seemed way too happy to be brainstorming ways to murder people. A former magazine editor, Kellye holds a B.S. in magazine writing from Florida A&M and an MFA in screenwriting from USC's famed film school. Having moved back to her native New Jersey, she spends her mornings commuting to Manhattan for her job at a leading media company--while still happily brainstorming ways to commit murder. (Source)

Intrigued by Dayna and her crime-solving adventures? Then enter our giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Hollywood Ending by Kellye Garrett! Entering is easy-peasy: go to one of our social media pages and comment on the post for this episode (Episode 100). That's it! Just go  to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and comment on the post for Episode 100: Interview with Kellye Garrett! You have until August 25th to enter, and winners will be announced on August 27th. Good luck!

House of Belonging by Andrea Thome

On Episode 96 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I spoke with the delightful Andrea Thome about her new book, House of Belonging, the third installment in her Hesse Creek Trilogy. House of Belonging tells the story of Laina, a minor character from the first book, and Logan, the brother of one of the main characters in the second book.

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Renowned chef Laina Ming walked away from the culinary spotlight and an unhealthy relationship—one that still haunts her a year later. She’s trying to start fresh in the Rocky Mountains, opening a concept restaurant on the banks of the Roaring Fork River, where she hopes she’ll be able to express her passion for food and bury her heartache.

Horse rancher Logan Matthews moved to Aspen to be near his sister and her husband, grateful for his newfound family. Since a chance meeting with Laina the previous summer, Logan’s been enchanted. But she doesn’t want anything to do with him—which makes her all the more appealing.

Despite Laina’s efforts to protect her heart, Logan has been on her mind, too—and he has a way of turning up in the most unexpected places. Can they learn to trust one another and finally find the sense of belonging they’ve both been searching for? (Source) 

Genres:

• Contemporary Romance
• Women's Fiction

What I enjoyed:

• Laina and Logan both come into the book with issues from their past. As their relationship develops from acquaintances to friendship to romance they help each other to reconcile those issues. They do so in an equitable way, though. So often in romances there is some form of rescuing that happens and it's fairly one sided, whether it's emotional, physical, or something else. Laina and Logan are both strong and vulnerable, though, and it enables them to confront their pasts and help the other to do the same.
• The rest of the relationships. This trilogy is a romance and there are three couples who get together in the three books, but there are also relationships of friendship and family (both biological and the family we choose).

Quotes:

• "[Laina] wasn't the kind of chef who insisted people eat one way and like it. She offered options, and knew customers would end up ordering exactly what they were supposed to experience."
• [Laina] wished sometimes that she could take all her parents' little affection words and stitch them together to make a quilt she could wrap around herself in their absence."

Where to find Andrea on the internet:

Website: http://andreathome.com/

Blog: http://andreathome.com/blog/

Facebook: @AndreaThomeAuthor

Twitter: @AndreaThome

Instagram: andreathomeauthor

Pinterest: Andrea Thome Author

Amazon Author Page: Andrea Thome

Goodreads: Andrea Thome

BookBub: @AndreaThome

Author Bio:

Source

I'm a former broadcast journalist who has covered both sports and news during my career. (That's how I met my husband, Hall of Famer Jim Thome; I interviewed him on opening day of the MLB season in 1995, and the rest is history.) We have a fifteen-year-old daughter, a ten-year-old son, and two cats that we spoil rotten. I temporarily retired when we had our children, so I could be home with them full-time while they were still young. The loss of my mom almost four years ago was the catalyst for me starting to explore my writing career, which still allows me to remain home with my family. My mom was a writer and poet, and I can't help feeling that she's always near, watching over me proudly.

In my spare time, I love photography and travel, preferably at the same time. My novels are inspired by favorite places I've been, each of which have left vivid footprints on my imagination. I believe a book can be steamy and sexy, while still keeping it classy. I also love to infuse my characters with great senses of humor. I really love to interact with my readers, so please feel free to drop me a note or reach out to me on social media. (Source)

Growing Up Greenpoint by Tommy Carbone

The subject was 1970s Brooklyn on Episode 94 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast as I spoke with author Tommy Carbone about his memoir, Growing Up Greenpoint: A Kid's Life in 1970s Brooklyn.

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In Growing up Greenpoint, Tommy Carbone captures what it was like to be a kid during the 1970s and 80s in Brooklyn. This funny, and sometimes emotional, memoir follows the years Tommy was educated not only in the classrooms of St. Stan’s, but on the streets of Greenpoint. It was there, playing street games with friends, being cornered by muggers, playing kissing games with the girls, spending time with family, and constantly seeking out the best snack foods in the neighborhood, where Tommy learned a lot about life; although he may not have known it at the time.

A simple conversation, years later, about the New York City Blackout of 1977 sparks Tommy to recall his youth in the city he loved. His stories will bring you into the action of what it was like to dodge cars during a ballgame, to take a hike to another borough in search of a particular burger, to the hours spent playing pinball in a corner candy store, and how special it was to build traditions with three generations of Polish and Italian relatives in Brooklyn’s garden spot.

The vivid descriptions of his antics of what it was like to grow up during those years will transport you to the sounds and smells of living in the city during those trying years. Reading this book, you’ll be entertained, and at the same time, you may shake your head wondering how Tommy ever survived - Growing up in Greenpoint. (Source)

This book is a lot of fun. Tommy experienced some pretty major events in the life of New York City, including the  blackout in 1977 and a fairly significant blizzard in 1978. While these were stressful events for the adults who had to deal with all of the logistical issues, they were actually quite the adventure for the kids in Tommy's neighborhood. My childhood was vastly different than Tommy's, so it was fun to read about growing up in an urban environment. It was also amazing how many parts of the book I resonated with despite the differences in our upbringings.

Genres:

• Memoir
• Nonfiction
  

What I enjoyed:

• Reading about a childhood so different from mine. I grew up in rural Montana, Tommy grew up in Brooklyn. As a child I knew Brooklyn existed because a friend's mom grew up there and his grandma would come to visit every year, but I had absolutely no concept of what living in an urban area was actually like. It was fun to see childhood through a different lens.
• All of the stories about food. I jokingly asked Tommy how he didn't end up weighing 300 pounds because it seemed like he did nothing but eat growing up. Again, his childhood food experiences were very different than mine, but I still found similarities in some of the stories he tells that involve both food and family. I also now think I need to try and egg cream...and I want to know why it has that name when it has neither egg nor cream...
• Reliving aspects of my own childhood, especially different types of technology (or lack thereof).

Quotes:

• "Looking back, the Greenpoint of my youth certainly had an impact on my personality, my outlook on life, and how I view the city - both good and bad - until this very day."
• "More recently I have resorted to telling people I was just generically from Brooklyn, leaving out the Greenpoint part. I'm not happy about that, so the next time I am asked, I might just give them a copy of this book"
• "This was our type of street food - pickles from barrels, slices from hole in the wall pizza joints, knishes from candy stores, leftover pretzels, sausages from butchers, and smoked fish off a clothesline."

Where you can find Tommy online:

Website: http://www.tommycarbone.com/

Blog: http://tommycarbone.com/blog/

Facebook: @TommyCarboneAuthor

Twitter: @TommyCarbone212

Amazon Author Page: Tommy Carbone

GoodReads: Tommy Carbone

Author Bio:

Source

Tommy Carbone grew up in Greenpoint Brooklyn during the 1970s and early 80s.  He roamed the avenues, hung out in candy stores playing pinball, and dodged cars chasing spaldeens. Brooklyn was then, as it is now, the “4th largest city” in America.

He now writes from a one-room cabin, on the shore of a lake that is frozen for six months out of the year, and where moose outnumber people 3 to 1. (Source)

Do you want to read Growing Up Greenpoint? You are in luck because Tommy has been kind enough to provide 3 signed copies to give away! All you have to do is go to either our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages and comment on the post with Tom's interview. It's as simple as that: just comment on Episode 94 on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and you'll automatically be entered to win Growing Up Greenpoint! The last day to enter is July 14th and winners will be announced on July 16th.

To hear the interview with Tommy, please click here.

Snakes & Ladders by Matty Dalrymple

On Episode 92 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I had the pleasure of welcoming Matty Dalrymple back to the podcast. Matty was originally on back in November when she came to talk about her Ann Kinnear mystery series. This time we spoke about the new (second) book in her Lizzy Ballard series, Snakes & Ladders, which came out on June 19th. 

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Rock breaks scissors. Scissors cut paper. Paper covers rock. The rules are simple--except when it's people's lives at stake.

By the time Charlotte and Patrick Ballard discover the damage their daughter, Lizzy, can do with her mind, it’s already too late for Charlotte. They hide Lizzy away, trying to save others from the same fate, and trying to save Lizzy from life as a human lab rat. But they can't hide her forever.  Little do they know that respected Philadelphia businessman Gerard Bonnay is responsible for Lizzy's ability. And Bonnay is willing to eliminate anyone who gets in the way of his goal of turning that power to his own ends.

 ​As her protectors are picked off one by one, will Lizzy be able to escape from Gerard Bonnay’s deadly zero-sum game? (Source)

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Lizzy Ballard and her godfather Owen McNally are on the run after their fatal game of rock-paper-scissors with Vivantem’s head of research, Louise Mortensen, and her enforcer George Millard. They find themselves in the Red Rock Country of Arizona, and Lizzy finds a mentor in Philip Castillo, a psychic counselor with his own dark past.

While Lizzy works with Philip to try to control her deadly ability, Millard is hot on her trail, and Lizzy’s power will be no defense against the weapon he has chosen.

When Lizzy makes her way back to Philadelphia, Louise and George strike at Owen, and in a bid to protect her dwindling band of allies, Lizzy takes the fight to Louise’s turf.

​In this deadly game of snakes and ladders, will Lizzy be rewarded for her virtues or punished for her vices? (Source)

Genres:

• Suspense/Thriller
• Crime
• Science Fiction/Paranormal

What I enjoyed:

• I love Lizzy as a character. She is headstrong, smart, and mature, but also naïve and sheltered from her upbringing. It makes for an intriguing combination in a main character, especially one faced with the challenges Lizzy faces.
• The relationship between Lizzy and her godfather, Owen. Neither of them are prepared for the circumstances into which they are thrown, and they both cope the best way they know how. What they always have is each other, and while they don't always agree, they do always have each other's backs.
• That no character is all one thing. Even though I don't always like them, and I rarely like their actions, the bad guys have layers just like the good guys. The good guys make plenty of questionable choices. I like that Matty makes them human.

Quotes:

• "Control - that was why Lizzy was here. Because with control came the possibility of a normal life. A life filled with all the things that any other seventeen-year-old would take for granted, not the isolation and guilt she knew."
• "And as she talked, she felt as if the constriction she had felt for most of her life - like the thorns that had held her down on the Sugarloaf Trail as the angry biker railed at her - were plucked free, one hooked barb at a time."
• "Owen had a sudden, heart-breaking vision of what life might have been like if it hadn't been for Gerard Bonnay and Louise Mortensen: Patrick and Charlotte, flanking their daughter Lizzy and her date for the prom or homecoming or whatever dress-up dances kids went to these days, the proud parents beaming, the teenagers self-conscious and anxious to be on their way, and himself snapping pictures."

Where you can find Matty online:

Website: http://www.mattydalrymple.com/

Blog: http://www.mattydalrymple.com/blog

Facebook: @matty.dalrymple

Twitter: @mattydalrymple

Amazon Author Page: Matty Dalrymple

GoodReads: Matty Dalrymple

BookBub: @MattyDalrymple

Author Bio:

Source

Matty Dalrymple is the author of the Ann Kinnear Suspense Novels The Sense of Death and The Sense of Reckoning, the Ann Kinnear Suspense Shorts, including Close These Eyes and May Violets Spring, and the Lizzy Ballard Thrillers Rock Paper Scissors and Snakes and Ladders. Matty lives with her husband, Wade Walton, their two Labrador Retrievers (Juno and Sophie), and their terrier (Griffin) in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which is the setting for much of the action in The Sense of Death and Rock Paper Scissors. They enjoy vacationing on Mt. Desert Island, Maine, where The Sense of Reckoning takes place, and Sedona, Arizona, the setting for much of Snakes and Ladders​.

 Matty is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Brandywine Valley Writers Group. (Source)

If you love thrillers and suspense, especially with dashes of paranormal and science fiction, then Matty is someone you should definitely check out! Want to read Snakes & Ladders? Matty has been kind enough to provide 3 copies of his novel, and one of them could be yours! All you have to do is go to either our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages and comment on the post with Matty's interview. It's as simple as that: just comment on Episode 92 on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and you'll automatically be entered to win Snakes & Ladders! The last day to enter is July 7th and winners will be announced on July 9th. (Giveaway is for US only)

To hear the interview with Matty, please click here.

Call Me Phaedra by Lise Pearlman

On Episode 88 of the GSMC Book Review Podcast I spoke with Lise Pearlman about her latest book, Call Me Phaedra: The Life and Times of Movement Lawyer Fay Stender. A former trial lawyer and judge, Lise now writes legal history about significant trials and the lawyers who worked on them. Call Me Phaedra is her fourth book.

Source

Who was Fay Abrahams Stender? A giant among Movement lawyers from the McCarthy Era to the 1970s intent on forcing society to change. Friends could easily picture her as the heroine of a grand opera. A child prodigy, she abandoned the concert piano to become a zealous advocate for society’s most scorned and vilified criminal defendants: from the Rosenberg espionage case during the Cold War to militant black clients, Black Panther Party leader Huey Newton and revolutionary prisoner George Jackson to prisoners in the “Dachau” of maximum security. Stender achieved amazing legal successes in criminal defense and prison reform, before she ultimately refocused with similar zeal on feminist and lesbian rights. In May 1979, an ex-felon invaded her home and shot her execution-style after forcing her to write a note saying she betrayed George Jackson. She barely survived. Wheelchair bound and under 24-hour police protection, she then became the star witness in her assailant’s prosecution. Awaiting trial in a secret hideaway in San Francisco, Fay told the few friends she let visit her there to “call me Phaedra,” a tragic heroine from Greek mythology. Shortly after the trial, like Phaedra, she committed suicide.

Set against a backdrop of sit-ins, protest marches, riots, police brutality, assassinations, death penalty trials and bitter splits among Leftists, this book makes for a compelling biography. Yet it delivers on a broader goal as well – an overview of the turbulent era in which Fay Stender operated under the watchful eye of the FBI and state officials. We not only relive Stender’s story, but that of a small cadre of committed Bay Area activists who played remarkable roles during the McCarthy Era, Civil Rights Movement (including Mississippi Freedom Summer), the Free Speech Movement, Vietnam War protests, and the rise of Black Power. Besides revolutionaries Huey Newton and George Jackson, Fay’s life intertwined with: Jessica Mitford (who dubbed Fay her “frenemy’), Bob Treuhaft, Charles Garry, Bob Richter, Stanley Moore, Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda, Stokely Carmichael, Cesar Chavez, Mario Savio, George Crockett, Joan Baez, Willie Brown, Ron Dellums, Jerry Rubin, Max Scherr, Jean Genet, Elsa Knight Thompson, Kay Boyle, Bobby Seale, David Hilliard, Angela Davis, Eldridge and Kathleen Cleaver, and Mike Tigar, among others.

By the fall of 1970, Stender had gained international press coverage as the most sought-after Movement lawyer in America. She had just achieved spectacular successes against all odds for two black revolutionary clients. The book also describes Stender’s ultimate failure to surmount class and racial differences to make her clients’ cause her own and how, as in a Greek tragedy, hubris led to her downfall. Fay’s tragic end served as a sobering lesson to her Movement friends of the personal risks many of them had run. For many, her death symbolized the end of an era. (Source)

In college I was a History Major with a Women's Studies Minor, and this book is everything I love about that combination. As you can tell from the description, Fay was a lawyer during times of incredible historical significance, and she was in the middle of a lot of it. She was a complicated woman who was larger than life, zealously dedicated to her work, and who often made what many would see as questionable decisions.

Genres:

·         History

·         Biography

What I enjoyed:

·         I loved reading about so many of the events I learned about in American History through the lens of Fay's work with and involvement in those events.

·         I learned so many new things about those same events and people.

·         Lise's background is as a lawyer and a judge so she brings those perspectives to her writing. While she does cover many of the legal aspects of the work Fay did I never felt bogged down by legal terms or minutiae. 

Quotes:

·         "Fay seemed particularly drawn to crossing class lines when making friends and tried harder than others to understand people from different social strata."

·         "Fay came to the realization that she had never made decisions, but acted on uncontrollable impulses, lurching from one course to the next. She believed in predestination, not free will."

·         "Fay revealed that in the past two years her identity had become almost anti-professional. She had abandoned the traditional lawyer-client relationship because it interfered with building her revolutionary clients' trust. Instead she considered [Huey] Newton and [George] Jackson close comrades with a shared goal."

·         "Fay now had a new mission...[She] had finally begun to realize that someone needed to address the arrogant sexism of revolutionary men."

Where you can find Lise online:

·         Website: https://www.lisepearlman.com/

·         Facebook: @LPAuthorAndSpeaker

·         GoodReads: Lise Pearlman

·         The Documentary: American Justice on Trial

Author Bio:

Source

Lise Pearlman appeared in Stanley Nelson’s acclaimed 2015 film       “The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution” as the country’s leading expert on the 1968 Huey Newton death penalty trial. Her first history book, The Sky’s The Limit: People v. Newton, The Real Trial of the 20th Century? [Regent Press 2012] won awards in the categories of law, history and multiculturalism. 

Pearlman was an undergraduate in the first class that included women at Yale University when Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale was tried for murder in New Haven. She then moved to the Bay Area where she attended Berkeley Law School and then clerked for California Chief Justice Donald White before practicing law in Oakland. From 1989-1995, she served as the first Presiding Judge of the California State Bar Court. Pearlman has spent almost all her adult life in Oakland where the Newton trial took place and where she still resides.

Ms. Pearlman is currently co-producing and co-directing the companion documentary to her  2016 book American Justice on Trial: People v. Newton. (Source)

Want to read Call Me Phaedra? Lise has been kind enough to provide 3 copies of his novel, and one of them could be yours! All you have to do is go to either our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages and comment on the post with Lise's interview. It's as simple as that: just comment on Episode 88 on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, and you'll automatically be entered to win Call Me Phaedra! The last day to enter is June 16th and winners will be announced on June 18th.

To hear the interview with Lisa, please click here.