“Hard Love: A California Memoir” penned by the author Ray Lopez is set in my favorite destination. Ray came to California with Paula. During the interview when his criminal history was explained, he impressed the interviewer by mentioning about the insights he gained during his journey through the system.
Ray has mentioned how Paula is industrious. She worked two jobs at a time, doing waitressing, managing house chores, cooking, etc. She was also Ray’s training partner at the gym. Paula is the kindest, beautiful and smartest person and Ray wanted to marry her. So, they said their vows and became husband and wife soon.
As the story progresses, we get to know about Ray’s struggles with alcoholism and how God helped in bringing his life on track. The story is worth reading. I am grateful to Lopez for sharing his story with us. This book is a hope to those who are struggling. Writing style of Ray is nice. Pace of the story is fast and you won’t get time to be bored. Go for it without any second thoughts.
Q1. Hello Sir, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
My name is Ryan Jacobson and I have been a middle school English and Geography teacher for the past 17 years. I live in the beautiful coastal town of Westerly, Rhode Island and in the summer months I bartend on the beach. Back in 2018-2019 I took a year off of teaching and bartending to travel around the world and write my first travel memoir, “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside.”
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing “The Adventure Of Mr. Brightside?”
The biggest challenges when writing “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside” was narrowing down all of the memorable moments I experienced when traveling around the world to just 36 short stories. Also, another challenge was accurately portraying just how beautiful the world can be. Sometimes there are literally no words to describe some of the wonders of the world.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
“The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger has always been my favorite book, and Salinger’s use of hyperbole, sarcasm and exaggeration has always made me laugh, even after reading it dozens of times. More recently, David Sedaris is the level of humor I strive for. Also, of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention the late, great, Anthony Bourdain, and my all time favorite author, Ernest Hemingway.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
My favorite spot in the United States to visit is Key West, Florida. I love how laid back it is, how friendly the people are, and how much it is intertwined with the life of Hemingway. There is a solid chance I may end up going to Key West to write the sequel to “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside.”
Q5. Is there lots to do before you drive in and start writing a book?
Specifically with a travel memoir, the obvious first step is to actually get the travel experiences and make sure the stories are there to write about. Planning a year of traveling around the world on three very different budgets is almost, itself, a year’s worth of work.
Q6. How long did it take you to write “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside?”
After the year of travel was complete, it took me about six months to write the actual book, and about three months of editing and re-editing.
Q7. On what all platforms readers can find “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside” book to buy?
I sell exclusively with Amazon (both the hard copy and the Kindle version.)
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside.”
The title is two-fold. First, when traveling around the world on very specific budgets for an entire year, things can occasionally get a little stressful… plans fall through, transportation delays and cancellations, traffic, language barriers, and getting lost are things that you come to expect when long-term traveling. Getting frustrated and/or panicking about these unfortunate situations only escalates the problems and causes additional problems in the process.
I have learned to take (the vast majority) of travel mishaps in stride, and look on the bright side of things.. That I am fortunate enough to be traveling around this beautiful world.
Secondly, the song “Mr. Brightside,” by the band The Killers, is my anthem.
On the cover I wanted to portray the three budget levels I traveled in, so I included an example of each accommodation type that represented each budget.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
While writing “The Adventures of Mr. Brightside,” I kept things fresh for the reader and myself but trying to include fun or interesting tidbits of information I discovered while researching each destination… also humor, and the “mystery” of how each chapter ends, and how I somehow miraculously survive each encounter tends to keep the reader on their toes.
Q10. Are there any secrets from the book (that aren’t in the blurb), you can share with your readers?
The theme of the book ends up being much more of a how to avoid traveling the world, than a how to travel the world reference. I basically sacrifice my body in more ways than one to help the reader learn what they should NOT do when visiting each of the countries. It’s more of a “do as I say, not as I do,” memoir.
“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”
“Hard Knocks: Memoir of a Small Moment” is the first book by Ray Lopez that I have read. Through this book, readers would get to know about Ray’s life, how there were cultural and language differences during his childhood. His bilingual parents used to communicate in Spanish to discuss secret matters.
Ray’s paternal grandparents were Roman Catholic and he was also raised like that by his parents. School wasn’t easy for Ray as he was reminded everyday by his classmates about his dark skin.
I am quick to get angry but after reading this memoir I have decided to stay calm in situations that can make me frustrated. Ray’s mom attended school events and encouraged him a lot. By the age of ten, Ray became alcoholic and that helped him to forget his troubles at school. For all the abuse he received in class, Ray was involved in stealing from his classmates. There were many letters sent to his parents from school. Read this story to know about the events of Ray’s life till his twenty-first birthday.
Cover photo of the book is lovely. I enjoyed reading this memoir. I got to know a lot about the author through this book. With faith, one could achieve anything. It’s a must read book. It’s a captivating story and I was hooked to it till the last page. Curious to read Ray’s next book now.
She Remembered is the second book penned by Rita H Rowe that I have read.
Main character of the story is a girl named Elena. She is a daughter of Jose and Maria. Her parents moved to Australia. Maria wants to be a working mother. When she was blessed with twin boys, she stayed at home to take care of her kids. But one day, when Jose returned home, he saw his kids were tucked in bed but Maria and her belongings weren’t there.
Jose raised his kids. Elena met a guy named Luke. Both of them were attracted to each other and often discussed getting married in future. As the story progresses, Elena asked her father about what happened the night when she was with Luke. She didn’t have a proper memory of that event and her father ignored that conversation.
Read this story to find out what Elena would do and get to know about her self-discovery journey. This is an intriguing story. I enjoyed reading it. Elena’s character is my favourite from the story.
If you love to read stories of loss, love, betrayal, redemption, etc then go for it.
Book: From My Heart To Yours:Mother’s Advice To Her Son
Author: Myrlande E. Sauvceur
Available On: Amazon
Language: English
Rating: 5/5
“From My Heart to Yours:Mother’s Advice to Her Son” penned by the author Myrlande E. Sauvceur is a must read. This book is a collection of poems.
There are a variety of poems in this book that guide the readers what they should do when they feel ashamed, are in doubt, feel lonely or lost, need hope, etc.
“Roses & Waterfalls: A Lesson in Believing in Yourself” is a wonderful story that teaches readers to believe in themselves. Our belief in ourselves is what matters the most. This story inspired me to keep on moving forward even though few people may say that you aren’t good enough.
It is very important to be generous even in tough times. This book teaches important life lessons. Those who will read this book would find it easy to navigate through the journey of life.
This book will help the readers to be more aware of their thoughts and feelings. In just a few pages, the author has shared so many secrets with the readers that now no matter what life throws at them, they know how to deal with it. This book is highly recommended. Go for it without any second thoughts.
“The Adventures of Mr. Brightside” penned by the author Ryan Jacobson is an interesting read.
In this book, the author would take the readers on a rollercoaster ride full of adventures that were part of his year-long Venture Twelve project.
On the Day 1 of his venture, a thought came to Ryan – why he left his job, the comfort of his home to travel the world by himself. But then he decided to be a new man tomorrow who is ready to explore the world. Ryan first explored Azores, Portugal on all three budgets – low, moderate and luxury. He stayed in hostels, hotels/airbnb and resorts. There are different benefits of staying at the hostels, hotels or resorts.
From Portugal, Ryan’s next venture took him to Morocco. Read this book to know about his various experiences in different countries.
I wish I would have the built in compass with me. I am not good at navigating my way to a new place. This memoir helped me to set my travel goals. From the tips mentioned within the chapters, I learnt a lot.
I liked the way the author has mentioned himself as a cuttlefish. The way Ryan enjoyed his vacation on a low, moderate and luxury budget gave him and the readers wider experiences. Writing style of the author is brilliant. Cover photo is eye-catching. I am glad to get my hands on this book.
“The Case of the Absent Answers” penned by the author R. L. Fink is an intriguing read. It is the first book in the Mickie McKinney: Boy Detective series.
Main character of the story is Mickie McKinney. He is a student of Maple Ridge Middle School. Mickie is a private detective in his school. When a new girl was accused of stealing the history test answers, Mickie was determined to find the truth as she is innocent according to her. A school bully Tommy was humiliated by the new girl. Mickie starts looking for the clues and he also discusses it with Burners.
Read this story and find out what happens next. This is a short and gripping read. One could finish this book in a single sitting. I like the plot of the story and the smooth narrative. Fink has done a great job in this book with the characters, backdrop, etc. I enjoyed reading this book and would like to recommend it to middle grade readers. It is a fun read and the suspense in the story makes it more exciting as you read it.
Dancing with Ghosts penned by the author Rita H Rowe is an interesting read. Main character of the story is Alex. She has left Melbourne and is starting a new life in Chernut, Australia. She accepted the gardener position at Lovelet Manor. With a man named Edward, Alex danced till her feet were swollen and her limbs ached. She now wants to see him again.
Read this story to find out who Edward is. What will happen when Alex imagines and sees things that can’t be. The story is written in the form of letters that Alex wrote to her parents. Will Alex be able to save herself when the situation demands? This is a great paranormal romance story and I enjoyed reading it.
Plot of the story is unique. The book has smooth narration. This book will involve death, grief, complicated relationships, etc. Characters are written well and Alex’s character is my favourite. The story will keep you on the edge as you will be curious to know what happens next. I like to recommend this book to my fellow readers.
The Seventh Syndicate penned by the author Dawn Ray is an intriguing story.
Story features Maggie. She has moved from South Carolina to New York. Maggie is now living with her close friend Violet. She is looking for work in the city. When she was at the subway, she felt as if wax-covered needles of eyes were watching her. When the train arrived, an elderly man boarded the train with Maggie. He warned Maggie by saying that certain stations are not safer at night. The man gave his business card to Maggie. A secretary position was opened at The Lion Housing Corporation and he mentioned about putting a good word for her.
There are many rules that Maggie has to follow at the new job. One of the rules was to uphold confidentiality if she leaves the Syndicate. Read this story to find out what Maggie is putting herself into.
Cover photo of the book is fine. Language used in the book is lucid and easy to understand. I appreciate the author’s writing style and vivid imagination in creating this fantasy world. The story will keep you on the edge as you will read it. I couldn’t put it down until the last page. Go for it and binge read it.
“Keys to Eternity” penned by the author Lali A Love is the third installment in the Ascending Angel Academy series. The story’s beginning raised my excitement to the peak as my favorite character Jo is back.
Jo is the eleventh grade student of Ascending Angel Academy. Since her separation from Roma, it has been tough for Jo. We see her looking for balance between her celestial mission and physical reality. With the help of Jo and friends Daphne, Nisha, Alicia, etc readers will be inspired to overcome their fears and work on self-growth.
I really loved the character development of Jo in this book. Many times, we find Jo having visions of a disturbing, unrecognizable timeline. Plot of the story is as always gripping. You won’t be able to put this book down once you start reading it. There is so much to learn from this book. Cover photo of the book is attractive and it will catch your attention on the first look. Go for it without any second thoughts.
Sassy Reviews 