A.E. Sawan was born into a Christian family on the outskirts of Zahle in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. By the age of 12, he and his family had been forced to move five different times because of the country’s shattering civil war (1975 to 1990). Detained and tortured on several occasions by both the Syrian Army and the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLO), he eventually became a counter-terrorist operative specializing in diffusing bombs. Having survived … [Read more...]
Author William Florence
William Florence is the author of the Max Blake Mysteries series, which currently features five titles: Raptor’s Ridge, Misery Ridge, Faraway Ridge, Snowfall Ridge, and Emerald Ridge. A former reporter, editor, and college professor, he worked at newspapers in Michigan, Washington, D.C., South Dakota, Indiana, and Oregon for 25 years and for 22 years as a journalism and writing instructor at a community college. He has won various writing … [Read more...]
BORDERLAND Author Peter Eichstaedt On Border Culture in Ads, Song, and Fiction
Few people realize how deeply ingrained Mexico and its border with the U.S. are in American culture. Consider the television advertising that Taco Bell has used for decades that capitalizes on the border, the Spanish language, and all things Mexican. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Taco Bell got mileage out of the slogan: “Make a Run forthe Border.” The slogan played on the well-worn theme of criminals running from the law and crossing the … [Read more...]
Author Peter Eichstaedt Discusses The Border Wars That Play A Large Part In BORDERLAND
To write Borderland, I drew heavily on the tortured relationship America has had and continues to have with Mexico. Having survived our recent exhausting and sometimes repugnant presidential election, we all know that the current occupant of the White House used border security as one of the pillars of his campaign. It’s a legitimate and very real concern, although the proposed solution is impractical. When I researched my nonfiction book … [Read more...]
From International Latino Book Award Winner Peter Eichstaedt Comes The Action-Packed Thriller BORDERLAND
When a prominent land developer is brutally murdered on the U.S.-Mexico border, it’s not just another cartel killing to journalist Kyle Dawson. The dead man is his father. Dawson, a veteran war correspondent, vows to uncover the truth. To do that, he must confront the ghosts of his past: including his cousin and confidant, DEA special agent Raoul Garcia; his former high school sweetheart, Anita Alvarez; his mystical Mexican-Indian mother; and … [Read more...]
PAPER WING’s Les Abend On How He Became A Pilot and Writer
Even though Mom would like me to sing my own praises, it’s not my style. But I’m often asked about the opportunities I’ve been fortunate enough to be afforded. Here’s one of my scripted responses for “How did you get that gig?” Answer: “I am grateful for low standards.” Although my reply might appear glib, it’s genuine. I am surrounded by folks who appear eminently more qualified than me in both the professional pilot vocation and the writing … [Read more...]
Behind The Scenes Of BORDERLAND
The U.S.-Mexico border is land of lore and legends buried deep in the American psyche. This rugged and arid region has proved to be fertile ground for memorable literature by writers such as Cormac McCarthy and his border trilogy, among others. I was first introduced to the border as a young college student traveling from Ohio to Mexico City for a semester of immersion into Central and South American language, culture, and history. We changed … [Read more...]
Les Abend On His Characters For PAPER WINGS
The old adage of, “Write about what you know,” is certainly applicable to “Paper Wings.” But beyond the story itself, the adage is also applicable to the characters. As is true for most, life experience dictates our perception of people and their personalities. In that regard, many of the characters are a composite of the personalities I have been fortunate... and unfortunate... enough to encounter. Novels that I enjoy reading include a … [Read more...]
Readers Need To Fasten Their Seatbelts For Les Abend’s Aviation Thriller PAPER WINGS
When a boat and its grisly cargo are found adrift off Fort Lauderdale ... ... the investigation leads to more than “just” murder. In fact, the evidence points to a connection of an in-flight emergency that resulted in passenger fatalities and forced a diversion of Patriot Airlines Flight 63 to Bermunda. As the accidents investigation chairman of the pilots’ union, Captain Hart Lindy will find himself reluctantly drawn into the National … [Read more...]
PAPER WINGS’ Les Abend Discusses How His Passion For Flying Has Helped His Writing
As much as I’d like to believe that people find my day job fascinating, their interest may extend only as far as a visit to the cockpit. Reading a novel involving my profession may not be high on the entertainment list. I get it. The technical nature of flying airplanes might glaze over some eyes... well, unless you’re talking Top Gun stuff while listening to Kenny Loggins perform “Danger zone.” Sorry, but most times flying airplanes doesn’t … [Read more...]
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