By Pennell Paugh

September 5, 2022 (El Cajon) -- Sunbelt Publications, Inc.which has been located in El Cajon for 38 years, has moved its publishing headquarters and warehouse to Chula Vista. It is under new ownership.

Review by Pennell Paugh

August 27, 2022 (San Diego) – Reset, a romantic science fiction story by San Diego author Sarina Dahlan, is thought-provoking. Reset will make you cherish your life’s loves and losses—allowing them to give your life deep meaning and purpose.

Book by Theresa Halversen

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

July 21, 2022 (San Diego) -- This delightful fantasy by San Diego author Theresa Halversen is a fast, fun read from the first page to the last. The story in Warehouse Dreams occurs in a world where the quality of each person’s genes reflects their parents’ wealth.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

June 9, 2022 (San Diego) – The Third Secret by Marco De Sio combines historical fiction and political intrigue. The tale is told through the life of an Italian immigrant, Big Al. His story takes us from a small fishing village in Italy to the United States, through two world wars, and into intrigue within the Vatican that could transform the future of the Catholic Church.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

Author to hold book signing at Julian Library on May 10 at 1 p.m.

May 5, 2022 (La Mesa) -- The Colonized and the Scramble for Africa, the first of The Colonized series, provides true stories of how the author, Wanjirũ Warama, her family and community lived in abject poverty on British colonial farms in Kenya.

Warama, a resident of La Mesa, is a member of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. She will host a book signing in Julian at the County Library on May 10 at 1 p.m.

Source:  Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District

April 20, 2022 (El Cajon) - The 26^th annual Grossmont College Literary Arts Festival returns April 25 for a week of virtual events featuring acclaimed authors and poets from around the nation who will read their work, teach their craft, and discuss sources of their inspiration.

East County News Service

April 8, 2022 (San Diego) -- Starting this week, California State Parks will be distributing the California State Library Parks Pass to public libraries across the state for checkout by library patrons. The new pass will allow free vehicle day use entry at more than 200 participating state parks.

Reviewed by Pennell Paugh

March 28, 2022 (San Diego) – The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain was written by Eugene Yelchin, who is a member of the San Diego Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. The topic is relevant at a time when Russia has launched a war in Europe threatening freedom of neighboring Ukraine, rekindling memories of the iron curtain, an invisible barrier which separated free nations from others in Europe until the Soviet Union collapsed.

In Leningrad, Russia, Yevgeny grows up in an apartment. Except for the kitchen and bathroom, each room is occupied by a separate family. One room has a government spy. Every apartment is like this.

East County News Service

March 18, 2022 (Julian) – Mike Wells and Marie Simovich will speak and sign copies of their book, A Natural History of the Anza-Borrego Region, Then and Now, at the Julian branch of the San Diego County Library.

The event is slated for Friday, March 18 at 2 p.m. The Julian library is located at 1850 Highway 78 in Julian.

By Kathy Carpenter

Photo: CC via Bing

January 31, 2022 (La Mesa) - Forty years ago, in February 1982, Romance Writers of America was introduced to San Diego. With five founding members, local chapter RWA San Diego was established. Through championing the romance genre, the national organization brought romance to the forefront, legitimizing romance writing throughout the writing industry.

By Miriam Raftery (a parody based on the poem by Clement Clark Moore)

‘Twas the night before Christmas and all through East County

Not a creature was stirring, from Borrego to El Monte.

Hiking boots were hung by chimneys with care

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

From Barona to Ramona, Jacumba to Jamul

East County residents this 2021 Yule

Celebrate the season with favorite dishes

And send Santa Claus these holiday wishes:

East County News Service

December 6, 2021 (San Diego) – For the past 10 years, the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild has published collections of short stories, poems and imaginative essays by its members.  This year’s edition, titled The Guilded Pen – The Power of Ten is now available for sale through major outlets such as Bookshop, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. 

According to the SDWEG website, “Authors drew inspiration from the title, colored their writing with imagination and true-grit life experiences, and crafted it into stories, essays and poetry that chronicle the real, glimpse the surreal, or inspire visions of what lies ahead.”

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: What the September Eleventh Families Asked and the 9/11 Commission Ignored, by Ray McGinnis (NorthernStar Publications, Vancouver, BC, Canada, 2021, 421 pages).

Book Review by Dennis Moore

November 14, 2021 (San Diego) - Having been a juror in the “San Diego Citizens Grand Jury – Presenting the Evidence of the Crimes of 9/11” on April 14^th, 2007 at San Diego State University, this book by Ray McGinnis resonates with me on so many levels.

Unanswered Questions is a brutally persuasive book for  those who want answers to the real origins of the Afghanistan war. Ray McGinnis’ book digs deeper and hammers harder for the unvarnished truths, Ex-President Bush, currently on a good-guy speaking tour speaks without remorse or responsibility for the unmitigated catastrophe he set in motion 20 years ago, according to many. President Bush famously said, in another of his statements that everyone seemed to relish; “Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.” But he rejected an offer by the Taliban to hand over bin Laden in exchange for the U.S. to stop bombing their country.

Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa (Simon & Schuster, New York, 2021, 482 pages)

Book Review by Dennis Moore

          “We have much to do in this winter of peril.” -- President Joseph R. Biden Jr. in his inaugural address, January 20, 2021, at the United States Capitol

October 12, 2021 (San Diego) -- Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa is the scariest book that I have read among my more than 400 book reviews, for it portends the destruction of our democracy as we once knew it. The publishers of this well written book, Simon & Schuster, states: “The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands as one of the most dangerous periods in American history.”

This book is scary for all the revelations made in it about the former president, which is ongoing in the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 attempt at a coup at the Capital Building in Washington, DC, and the ties between former President Trump and his supporters. The co-author of this book, Robert Costa, gives a riveting audio presentation to NPR, which readers can listen to by clicking here.

By Miriam Raftery

August 31, 2021 (El Cajon) -- Reina Menasche, host of East County Magazine's Bookshelf segment on our radio show on KNSJ, was the guest this week. ECM show producer Miriam Raftery interviewed Reina about her new paranormal suspense novel, The Spirit of Shy Moon Lake. 

In the interview, Reina talks about how she dreams up her complex characters and creative plot, as well as what it was like to launch and market a book during the pandemic. She also shares insights into her upcoming projects and more.