Enough to Make the Angels Weep

I recently signed a contract with Black Opal Books for the publication of my latest novel, Enough to Make the Angels Weep. It will be released in mid-to-late 2019.

Brief Synopsis: Hired to investigate the four-year-old murder of an elderly widow, P.I. Joe Coopersmith hits one dead end after another in his search for leads. With few clues and no suspects, he nearly gives up, until he uncovers a connection to a bizarre plot to kill off descendants of Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico during the Mexican-American War. Known as San Patricios, they belonged to an elite Mexican unit composed mostly of Irish Immigrants.

When someone leaves a threatening note at Coopersmith's door, he knows he's on the right track. Undeterred, he digs deeper into the plot, soon learning the man's identity and his warped motive for the cold-blooded murders.

In the Shadow of a Stranger

For those of  you who saw or plan to see the film,  Operation Finale, about the capture of famed Nazi fugitive Adolf Eichmann, I would like to recommend my novel, In the Shadow of a stranger. The theme is similar in that a group known as Jews for Justice or JFJ will stop at nothing  to locate former SS officers hiding in South America.

Synopsis: As a result of a chance encounter with a Holocaust survivor on vacation in Mexico City, young attorney Antonio de la Vega learns that his natural father is a former SS officer who committed heinous crimes against the Jews during World War II. Obsessed with the idea of meeting his father, Antonio embarks on a search that takes him from Mexico to the United States and ultimately to South America, meeting ageing ex-Nazis, vengeful Jews, and an alluring young woman who has been assigned to watch his every move. Meanwhile, Antonio's semi-recluse mother is suddenly faced with the possibility that the man she once loved may soon reappear...

Pen It Publications to publish The Boy Who Wouldn't Smile

I just signed a contract with Pen It Publications for the publication of a picture book, The Boy Who Wouldn't Smile. It will be released sometime in 2018.

Synopsis: Why won't Antonio smile? That is what everyone wants to know. For some unexplainable reason he refuses to smile. Like a missing piece of a puzzle, there is something missing in Antonio's life that keeps him from smiling. But what could it be? Find out in this charming, heartwarming story that will delight young and older readers alike.

 

Review of One Last Dance by the Arizona Daily Star

Can hearts that beat as one in life really be parted by death? Author Ernesto Patino considers the metaphysical ramifications of love that transcends mortal limitations in this poignant tale of loss and renewal. Marco Anissi, devastated by the death of his fiancee in a car wreck, has reason to believe they are still spiritually joined. Because she was an organ donor, his fiancee's heart lives on in the body of a young woman, whom he follows to a dance studio in Tucson. He has no doubt their spiritual connection is real, but so are the physical barriers that threaten a happily-ever-after-conclusion. With this sweet, short novel, writer and part-time private investigator Patino raises interesting questions about life after life, karmic conjunctions, and love in its many guises.

One Last Dance--a contemporary love story set in Tucson

Because my novel is set in Tucson, readers familiar with the city might recognize some of the places and locations mentioned throughout the book: San Xavier Mission, Tohono O'odham village, aircraft boneyard, Agua Caliente Park, La Encantanda Mall, Catavinos Wine Shop. Rattle Snake pedestrian bridge, Fourth Avenue, Speedway, Tanque Verde, Fronimo's Greek Cafe, and of course, the Sonoran Ballroom where many of the scenes take place. The ballroom has since closed, but I remember it fondly as the place to be on a Friday and Saturday night.

One Last Dance is my first book set in Tucson, which has been my home for the past thirteen years.

The inspiration behind the character of Ramona in One Last Dance

For those who have read or plan to read my novel, One Last Dance, there is a secondary character, Ramona, that appears throughout the book. The character is based on a real person, Ramona Daniel--her true name. She is a well-known professional dance instructor in the greater Tucson area. She was my teacher for many years, and so it was easy for me to turn her into a believable, likeable character in a story set in the world of ballroom dancing.

Through her fictional character, the reader is introduced to basic elements of dance, ballroom etiquette, and even some insightful advice about the meaning of love. In one scene she explains, "My grandmother once told me that a good relationship is like an apple pie. To make one the most important ingredient is the apple. But you also need flour, butter, and other ingredients. Without them, all you have is a bunch of apples. And the same with a good relationship. The most important ingredient is love. But you also need other things like being able to communicate, having a strong spiritual connection, and most importantly, having the same philosophy of life...how you see the world, the universe... Well, you get the picture. Without them, all you have is love, which is great but not enough to bind two people together--like the dough that binds the apple pie."

Were the novel to be made into a movie, I can easily see Eva Mendes or perhaps Eva Longoria playing the role of Ramona.

 

One Last Dance--Now Available

My novel, One Last Dance, has just been released by Indigo Sea Press. The book is available through Amazon, B&N, and many other internet outlets. It can also be ordered through your local book store. The story is set mostly in Arizona.

Marco Anissi comes out of a coma, days after his car slams into a light pole--the same pole he had crashed into exactly ten years ago, killing his fiancee, Susan. Coincidence? Not to him. Her spirit has reached out to him in a way he would understand.

With the help of Susan's mother, Marco learns that a woman named Julia Tinsley had received her daughter's heart. She lives in Tucson where she works as a dance teacher. Obsessed with the idea of reconnecting with Susan's spirit, Marco travels to Tucson. But he can't just walk up to Julia and introduce himself. What would she think--a complete stranger wanting to meet her? He signs up for lessons, hoping to develop a relationship.

Now, Marco must make a decision: tell the truth about himself and risk losing Julia with whom he's falling in love, or remain silent and enjoy his new life with her.

 

Memoir of William "Bill" O'Brien--soon to be released

I would like to recommend a memoir, written by my friend, Bill O'Brien, who passed away before its upcoming release. The book is titled The Extraordinary Life of Bill O'Brien: an Ordinary Arizona Irish Cowboy. Bill was a rancher, a pilot, WWII veteran, businessman and founder of the Irish Cultural Center in Phoenix. His latest project was Los San Patricios de Arizona, which he formed to honor the memory of the Irish solders of the St. Patrick's Battalion who gave their lives for the cause of Mexico during the Mexican-American war. The book can be pre-ordered at Amazon.com or through the publisher inkwellpoductions.com.

1,000 Thriller Giveaway

My novel, Web of Secrets, is among the many books that International thriller Writers (ITW) organization will give to readers who enter the ITW contest during the month of November, 2014. Each of twenty winners will receive a new thriller every week for a year. To enter go to   http://www.thebigthrill.org/1000-thrillers/  Or click on the arrow above. Good luck!