Tag Archives: biography and memoir
Teaser Tuesday #98 – I Will Find you by Joe Kenda #JoeKenda
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Welcome to Teaser Tuesday hosted by The Purple Booker, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading. It is very easy to play along:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! Everyone loves Teaser Tuesday.
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I have been watching Joe Kenda on Homicide Hunter, a TV show that appears on ID. I binge watch him for hours and hours. I fell in love with the guy, so when I saw he just came out with a new novel, I HAD TO HAVE IT. I find him very hypnotic and I have only seen him laugh a few times. He is a bulldog and determined to get his man…just like the title states. I buy very few books any more, but I am very excited to read I Will Find You and wanted to have a copy of my very own.
Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
MY TEASE
My, my, my. Did he not think the insurance policy on his wife might set off red flags and flashing sirens if she happened to suffer a violent death? Maybe it did, but greed and desperation trumped all.
(page 74 in hardcover published in 2017)
GOODREADS BLURB
Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, star of Homicide Hunter, shares his deepest, darkest, and never before revealed case files from his 19 years as a homicide detective.Are you horrified yet fascinated by abhorrent murders? Do you crave to know the gory details of these crimes, and do you seek comfort in the solving of the most gruesome? In I WILL FIND YOU, the star of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda shares his deepest, darkest, and never-before-revealed case files from his two decades as a homicide detective and reminds us that crimes like these are very real and can happen even in our own backyards. Gruesome, macabre, and complex cases. Joe Kenda investigated 387 murder cases during his 23 years with the Colorado Springs Police Department and solved almost all of them. And he is ready to detail the cases that are too gruesome to air on television, cases that still haunt him, and the few cases where the killer got away. These cases are horrifyingly real, and the detail is so mesmerizing you won’t be able to look away. The tales in I WILL FIND YOU will shock you like the best horror stories-divulging insights into the actions, motivations, and proclivities of nature’s most dangerous species. Don’t mind the blood.
Memories From The 70’s – False Starts by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle
Ken La Salle is an amazing author that dips his feet into many genres.
I have enjoyed everything I have read by him, so to get a glimpse into what makes him tick is an opportunity I can’t pass up.
Are you ready to take a blast to the past…The 1970’s coming up.
Normally I am getting lost in make believe, but now and then I feel a need to gain insight into the real world, and to learn more about an author that I enjoy is an opportunity I can’t pass up.
I have read several of Ken La Salle’s wonderful, wacky and creepy books, so to learn where all that talent came from is something I was more than happy to do.
A box of memories started this journey.
“It was the hippest of times. It was the funkiest of times. It was the 1970s.”
What would your box of memories hold?
In False Starts, Ken La Salle shares his life during the 70s. Do you remember what you were doing?
His talk of TV and music strikes home to me. A lot of people think the 60s was a time of change, but the 70s brought so many more options for our viewing and listening pleasure. Do you remember Hot Wheels, 45s, or the Smother’s Brothers, who were only on one season because they were too disrespectful?
Ken La Salle grew up poor with his mom and siblings. I cannot understand from personal experience the lack of enough food, going hungry and no clothes to wear. It wasn’t like I had a lot, but I had what was needed and an occasional goodie or two.
It’s hard to feel sad for Ken when I was reading the book, because of his writing style. Is it a positive spin he puts on it or is it his drive to find what he was good at, what would work for him and make his life a good one. I find myself nodding and smiling as I read along sharing similar memories.
He finds those moments of light and happiness that shine through the darkness.
I thoroughly enjoyed this trip down memory lane and getting to know an author I plan on following for a long time. I think it is because of his upbringing that he is able to write so well in very different genres with his humorous bent shining through the written words.
As long as you are moving forward in life, it can appear to you as though it were a series of False Starts.
I can only imagine what fun it would be to listen to this in as an audiobook., which is available.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of False Starts from Ken La Salle.
4 Stars
Memories…Some things I was familiar with, others not so much. How about you?
GOODREADS BLURB: I recently opened up my chest of childhood memories, faced a decade I had long since forgotten, and wrote these words:
“It was the hippest of times. It was the funkiest of times. It was the 1970s.”
And I grew up right there in the middle of it. I won talent shows. I went to camp. I fought the school bully for the honor of the girl I loved. I lost my father…
But having just turned 50, I decided the time had come to take an honest look at those years without the tinted lens of nostalgia, which allowed me to remember so much more. I never told the girl I defended that I loved her. I barely survived camp. No amount of talent show victories brought my father back and, to be honest, my memories weren’t as accurate as I thought they were.
The 70’s were a swirling minefield filled with a family destroyed by poverty and divorce, horrible TV shows, bad disco on AM radio, wretched food… and the only saving grace a child like me had was Pong. My teachers tried to put me on drugs. My sister taught me the art of shoplifting. My best friend was Burp Boy. Life was a series of constant set-backs, a barrage of defeats, embarrassments, and false starts.
And I wouldn’t change a thing.
ABOUT KEN LA SALLE (From Amazon)
Author and Playwright, Ken La Salle grew up in Santa Ana, California and has remained in the surrounding area his entire life. He was raised with strong, blue collar roots, which have given him a progressive and environmentalist view. As a result, you’ll find many of his stories touching those areas both geographically and philosophically. His passion is intense humor, meaningful drama, and finding answers to the questions that define our lives.
Website / Twitter / Facebook / YouTube / Goodreads
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
- Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
- Thanks for visiting fundinmental!
Teaser Tuesday #80 – False Starts by Ken La Salle @KenLaSalle
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of booksandabeat.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read. Open to a random page. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
~~~~~~
Ken La Salle is an amazing author that dips his feet into many genres.
I have enjoyed everything I have read by him, so to get a glimpse into what makes him tick is an opportunity I can’t pass up.
Are you ready to take a blast to the past…The 1970’s coming up.
MY TEASE
When I heard a song on the radio I didn’t understand, I would walk right up to my mom and demand an answer.
“What is ‘one toke over the line’ Mom?”
(16% on Kindle)
I will be reviewing False Starts by Ken La Salle on 11.7.16, so be sure and stop in to check it out.
GOODREADS BLURB: I recently opened up my chest of childhood memories, faced a decade I had long since forgotten, and wrote these words:
“It was the hippest of times. It was the funkiest of times. It was the 1970s.”
And I grew up right there in the middle of it. I won talent shows. I went to camp. I fought the school bully for the honor of the girl I loved. I lost my father…
But having just turned 50, I decided the time had come to take an honest look at those years without the tinted lens of nostalgia, which allowed me to remember so much more. I never told the girl I defended that I loved her. I barely survived camp. No amount of talent show victories brought my father back and, to be honest, my memories weren’t as accurate as I thought they were.
The 70’s were a swirling minefield filled with a family destroyed by poverty and divorce, horrible TV shows, bad disco on AM radio, wretched food… and the only saving grace a child like me had was Pong. My teachers tried to put me on drugs. My sister taught me the art of shoplifting. My best friend was Burp Boy. Life was a series of constant set-backs, a barrage of defeats, embarrassments, and false starts.
And I wouldn’t change a thing.
- You can see my Giveaways HERE.
- You can see my Reviews HERE.
- If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
- Look on the right sidebar and let’ talk.
- Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
- Problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
- Thanks for visiting fundinmental!
You can check out my other reviews below:
Walkin on the Sun with “Smashmouth”
I could not be more excited to feature this new release! Who hasn’t rocked out to the music of Smash Mouth?! Now you can go behind the music with a band that carried the spirit of a generation in Walkin’ on the Sun; The Official Smash Mouth Biography.
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Blurb
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Hello. My name is Paul DeLisle. I’m the guy who wrote this book. You’ve probably never heard of me. That’s okay. Most people wouldn’t know me from Adam. But, unless you’ve been living in a cloistered monastery for the last fifteen years, you have heard of my band.
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So begins the memoir of the creation, rise, and current state of the multi-platinum recording artist Smash Mouth as told by bassist Paul DeLisle. Well known for their hits “All Star,” “Walking on the Sun,” “Then the Morning Comes,” “Can’t Get Enough of You Baby,” and “I’m a Believer,” the band carried the spirit of a generation, but didn’t stop there. Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look from Paul’s unique, there from the start, insider’s view.
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Excerpt
There’s an episode of Cheers where washed-up ball player Sam Malone, frustrated with either Diane or Rebecca, proclaims, “Y’know, most people don’t know this … but I’m famous!”
I love that line. I can totally relate. You see, I am a founding and continued member of the band Smash Mouth. Yet I am, proudly and alas, the bass player. I’m not famous. My band is.
From the beginning, Smash Mouth was set up as a democracy between four musicians and a manager, each player having an equal voice on band matters. Yet we were all fully aware and accepting of the fact that, as lead singer/frontman, Steve Harwell would be getting a disproportionate amount of attention. Seeing as he is the face and mouthpiece of Smash Mouth, you may be a little disappointed he didn’t write this book.
But stay with me here. Because as you’ll see, I have a unique vantage point: as one of only four original constituents, I’ve been involved in every aspect of the band since day one. Only Steve and I have trod every step of this Smash Mouth journey. Also, while traditionally under-recognized, the bass player himself sees everything. Plus I went to college. Who better to write a book about Smash Mouth?
That said, keep in mind this book is solely from my point of view. Steve, Greg, Kevin, and Robert would obviously have different takes on certain events. However, this book is simply intended as a comprehensive account of our rise to fame and continued success.
So without further ado … here’s what happened:
EEP!!! How awesome is that! Pick up your copy of Walkin’ on the Sun today and get your own “backstage pass” to the world of Smash Mouth!
Buy Links: Amazon | B&N | Smashwords
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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.
If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?
Look on the right sidebar and let’s talk.
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Leave your link in the comments and I will drop by to see what’s shakin’.
If you have a problem commenting, look for the twitter, facebook…buttons.
Thanks for visiting fundinmental!