Steven Ramirez

Steven Ramirez

July 2022 Highlights and Screenwriting

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A red firework is lit up in the dark.

Greetings. For those of you in the US, I hope you had a chance to enjoy time with family and friends. Maybe see some fireworks. When I was little, my dad used to make the annual run to the nearest Red Devil stand so that later his boys could enjoy shooting off Roman candles and twirling sparklers. These days, fireworks are illegal in many towns in California because of the fire danger. Yep, droughts are a bitch.

Screenwriting News

A man with a gun in his hand and a text box.

Well, I did it—I entered not one but three screenplay competitions. Last August, I mentioned I was taking a break from writing novels to return to screenwriting. As I’ve mentioned before somewhere, screenwriting is the hardest writing you’ll ever do. It’s rigid and unforgiving. In fiction, the standard advice is to kill your darlings. When writing a screenplay, you pretty much need to take out the whole family.

I went through lots of drafts and finally ended up with 100 pages of what I hope is pure thriller fun. We’ll see. I should have some news toward the end of the year, so stay tuned. Oh, and wish me luck.

Recommended Reading

A book cover with the title blackout written in red.

I just finished reading a sci-fi thriller that’s pretty wild. Imagine you start suffering from occasional blackouts, only you haven’t been drinking. Then, you discover other women are experiencing similar symptoms. That’s the premise behind Blackout by Erin Flanagan. You can read my review here. Also, check out my other book reviews.

Book Description

In this unforgettable psychological thriller, the dark is a terrifying mystery for a woman on the edge.

Seven hard-won months into her sobriety, sociology professor Maris Heilman has her first blackout. She chalks it up to exhaustion, though she fears that her husband and daughter will suspect she’s drinking again. Whatever their cause, the glitches start becoming more frequent. Sometimes minutes, sometimes longer, but always leaving Maris with the same disorienting question: Where have I been?

Then another blackout lands Maris in the ER, where she makes an alarming discovery. A network of women is battling the same inexplicable malady. Is it a bizarre coincidence or something more sinister? What do all the women have in common besides missing time? Or is it who they have in common?

In a desperate search for answers, Maris has no idea what’s coming next—just the escalating paranoia that her memories may be beyond her control, and that everything she knows could disappear in the blink of an eye.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

Books to Enjoy

Simya Academy

Dawn is a student at the mysterious Simya Academy. Something about her starts changing, and she realizes that not all is as it seems. Simya Academy by Tanya Lisle.

Stained Torment

As a young child, Kora failed to rid herself of the physical and haunting presence of the bad man, Mr. Red Eyes. Then, he revealed himself to be Evil personified. Stained Torment by Colin Morom.

Recommended Viewing

A poster of the movie, the man from toronto.

If you’re a Netflix subscriber and looking for some big laughs—who isn’t?—you should check out the new Kevin Hart-Woody Harrelson flick, ‘The Man from Toronto.’ It’s the classic mistaken identity trope taken to the max. I can hear my wife now after I screw up again. “You Teddy’d it.†Watch the movie, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

Logline. The world’s deadliest assassin and New York’s biggest screw-up are mistaken for each other at an Airbnb rental.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month when I try to figure out how to celebrate National Lighthouse Day while living on the West Coast. Peace and love.

Book Review—Blackout

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A book cover with the title blackout written in red.

Sci-Fi thrillers that center on mind control or memory loss have a long and wonderful history—especially in the movies. I’m thinking of films like ‘Brainstorm’ and ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’ Usually, they have something sinister in common—science gone wrong. And not necessarily because of evil intent. It’s just that sometimes, well…

In Blackout, author Erin Flanagan introduces an interesting idea that seems to fit right in with how women constantly get gaslighted. In this case, Maris is an alcoholic and not unused to periodic gaps in her memory. In fact, her drinking gets so bad that she begins gaslighting herself, saying the memory loss is to be expected and is nothing to worry about. But if that were all there is to it, we wouldn’t have a story.

Something else is going on. Maris hasn’t had a drink for eight months, and still, she suffers occasional episodes where time passes, and she has no idea where her mind went. But, because she has a sharp intellect and a burning curiosity, she investigates. And she learns that she may not be the only person this is happening to.

I enjoyed this novel immensely. The characters are vivid, and the writing is scintillating. Moreover, in my opinion, this book is a movie-worthy thriller. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone hasn’t already optioned it. If you enjoy heart-pounding thrillers, this is the book for you. Reading it is like riding in a car with no brakes on a mountain road. At night.

Book Description

In this unforgettable psychological thriller, the dark is a terrifying mystery for a woman on the edge.

Seven hard-won months into her sobriety, sociology professor Maris Heilman has her first blackout. She chalks it up to exhaustion, though she fears that her husband and daughter will suspect she’s drinking again. Whatever their cause, the glitches start becoming more frequent. Sometimes minutes, sometimes longer, but always leaving Maris with the same disorienting question: Where have I been?

Then another blackout lands Maris in the ER, where she makes an alarming discovery. A network of women is battling the same inexplicable malady. Is it a bizarre coincidence or something more sinister? What do all the women have in common besides missing time? Or is it who they have in common?

In a desperate search for answers, Maris has no idea what’s coming next—just the escalating paranoia that her memories may be beyond her control, and that everything she knows could disappear in the blink of an eye.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

Book Review—Poison Pen

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A book cover with the title of poison

I like thrillers. A lot. And when a novel is written by someone who was a doctor, lawyer, or medical examiner in their former life, I’m all in. Because I always learn something new. Before picking up Poison Pen by Sheila Lowe, I was unfamiliar with the life and work of a graphologist. Unlike some side characters, though, I wasn’t dismissive of forensic handwriting—I just didn’t know anything.

Following Claudia Rose, as she attempts to investigate the death of an unlikeable, high-profile woman of means, we learn about the secrets that handwriting can hold. Some are benign, and others… Well.

Poison Pen is an enjoyable, fast-paced read written with intelligence and humor. The evolving romantic relationship between Claudia and the cop, Joel, is fun and entertaining. If you enjoy thrills, danger, and intrigue with a side of Graphology 101, you can’t go wrong with this novel.

Book Description

“IT WAS FUN WHILE IT LASTED.â€

Those were the words on the suicide note found near Lindsey Alexander’s body. The police say it is an apparent suicide. Case closed.

Or is it?

Ivan, Lindsey’s partner, disagrees. He hires forensic handwriting expert Claudia Rose to poke around.

Motives for murder begin to pile up. Lindsey had made powerful enemies. Soon, a brutal attempt on Ivan’s life confirms Claudia’s fears.

A desperate enemy is lurking.

There is a massive target on Claudia’s back.

Claudia must join forces with intense LAPD detective Joel Jovanic to survive. They must stop the killer before the killer destroys her.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Books-A-Million

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

June 2022 Highlights and Ukraine

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2022 June Sky

Greetings. It’s been months since the Russians invaded Ukraine, and I wanted to share a way for us to help these folks and pick up some great reading, too. A bunch of outstanding authors got together and created a box set called Turning the Tide. Grab the ebook and get ready for some thrills. All proceeds go to Ukraine. And thanks for your help.

Turning the Tide Cover

SHOP NOW

Author News

So, it looks like book signings are back—and I’m ready, baby! For those who live in Southern California, you can meet me in person at Barnes & Noble in the Glendora Marketplace Shopping Center. I’ll be there between noon and three. Hope to see you there.

2022-06-11 Book Signing Instagram Post

Recommended Reading

Sleepwalk Cover

Recently, I reviewed Sleepwalk by Dan Chaon. As I said in my post, if Raymond Chandler and Kurt Vonnegut made a baby, this novel would be the result. Intrigued? You can read the review here. Also, check out my other book reviews.

Book Description

Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust.

Out of the blue, one of Will’s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from.

With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Gazing both back to the past and forward to an inevitable-enough-seeming future, Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Google Play

Books to Enjoy

Take Down

When a pair of crazed gunmen take a bank full of hostages, off-duty cop Jack Lisbon finds himself caught up in a terrifying siege. If you like gritty crime stories with a vigilante justice flavor, you’ll love Jack Lisbon. Take Down by Blair Denholm.

Transforming Into Evil

There’s an unsettling chill in the air around Jason Workler, and it is a wind most foul. Something sinister festers beneath the surface, and this particular demon may just be depraved and wicked enough to scorch all that remains of his past, present, and future. Transforming Into Evil by Timberly Price.

Detective Lagarde Series Boxset

Will Detective Lagarde uncover the truth before it’s too late? Or will she be burned by the evil that lurks behind her? Find out in the captivating, spine-tingling crime thriller series. Detective Lagarde Series Boxset by Clara Lewis.

Luckee Lynx

To avenge being abandoned by his ruthless Wall Street financier father, Ti Riley fights his moral conscience to become a nefarious cyber criminal. Luckee Lynx by TJ McKaye.

Recommended Viewing

The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe Poster

If you’re a Netflix subscriber, here’s a documentary you won’t want to miss. It’s called ‘The Mystery of Marilyn Monroe: The Unheard Tapes’—and wow. I was kid when she died at thirty-six and was unaware of all the dark political shenanigans going on in the background. Check it out.

Logline. Explores the mystery surrounding the death of movie icon Marilyn Monroe through previously unheard interviews with her inner circle.

Okay, that’s a wrap. See you next month when I go in search of a genuine Chicago hotdog for the Fourth of July. Peace and love.

Book Review—Sleepwalk

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Sleepwalk Cover

It’s true. Raymond Chandler and Kurt Vonnegut made a baby. And its name is Sleepwalk. From the first few pages, I was enthralled by author Dan Chaon’s ability to create an antihero of such depth—such longing—that I nearly forgot Will Bear is a sociopath. Yeah. Among his many side jobs, he kills people.

As you wend your way through the backroads of a slightly futuristic America, you realize that the person Billy is was mainly due to his random, haphazard childhood. That and a sometime mom who herself had sociopathic tendencies. Like his mother, when the protagonist takes someone out, it’s not personal. Instead, it’s necessary.

When Will learns that he might have a biological daughter, things get even more interesting as the revelation turns his world upside down. There were times when I pictured the character as Philip Marlowe chasing down clues. Other times, I recalled some of the funniest moments in novels, such as Player Piano and Cat’s Cradle. But hey, that’s me.

Sleepwalk is a hard book to categorize. If I had to sum it up, I’d say it’s crime fiction with some laughs, mainly at Will’s expense. And like him, the other characters are as real as they get. Truthfully, though, The novel is not for everyone. Just saying.

If you’re into authors who write to market, then this book may not seem like a slam dunk. But, on the other hand, if you give it a chance, I promise it will open your eyes to addictive storytelling that doesn’t play by the rules. If there was a way, I’d give this book six stars.

Book Description

Sleepwalk’s hero, Will Bear, is a man with so many aliases that he simply thinks of himself as the Barely Blur. At fifty years old, he’s been living off the grid for over half his life. He’s never had a real job, never paid taxes, never been in a committed relationship. A good-natured henchman with a complicated and lonely past and a passion for LSD microdosing, he spends his time hopscotching across state lines in his beloved camper van, running sometimes shady often dangerous errands for a powerful and ruthless operation he’s never troubled himself to learn too much about. He has lots of connections, but no true ties. His longest relationships are with an old rescue dog that has post-traumatic stress and a childhood friend as deeply entrenched in the underworld as he is, who, lately, he’s less and less sure he can trust.

Out of the blue, one of Will’s many burner phones heralds a call from a twenty-year-old woman claiming to be his biological daughter. She says she’s the product of one of his long-ago sperm donations; he’s half certain she’s AI. She needs his help. She’s entrenched in a widespread and nefarious plot involving Will’s employers, and for Will to continue to have any contact with her increasingly fuzzes the line between the people he is working for and the people he’s running from.

With his signature blend of haunting emotional realism and fast-paced intrigue, Dan Chaon populates his fractured America with characters who ring all too true. Gazing both back to the past and forward to an inevitable-enough-seeming future, Sleepwalk examines where we’ve been and where we’re going and the connections that bind us, no matter how far we travel to dodge them or how cleverly we hide.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Google Play

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

Book Review—Shadowseer: London

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Shadowseer London Cover

Victorian England was all about expectations—you know, the ones society placed on everyone. Men were expected to be strong, faithful, and devoted to their families. Women were expected to be proper and virtuous. So when they married, they raised the children and ran the household so men could do whatever it was men did.

Now, take a London detective with emotional baggage and zero people skills. Then, pair him up with a seventeen-year-old orphan who has barely seen the city she inhabits. Finally, throw in a madhouse, demonic forces, and strange powers the girl is unaware she possesses. Take all these, and you have Shadowseer: London.

This novel is supernatural thriller at its finest. I immediately fell in love with Kaia, the heartbreaking waif. Though inexperienced in matters of life, she manages to teach a crusty, science-is-everything policeman with a liking for metronomes that dangerous, unseen things exist all around us.

Shadowseer: London is an entertaining page-turner filled with action, drama, and pathos. Don’t miss it.

Book Description

Dark fantasy meets mystery as a brutal murder in an insane asylum in Victorian London turns out to be more than what it seems. A brilliant detective must partner with the mysterious 17-year-old orphan girl Kaia to unearth the inexplicable, and to discover who she really is—and whether she has secret powers after all.

Kaia, 17, an orphan coming of age in the Victorian London of the 1850s, yearns to escape her horrific orphanage, to discover who her parents were, and to understand why she can sense shadows when others cannot. Yet the streets of London are as brutal as the orphanage, and for Kaia, there is no easy way out.

When Kaia, arrested, faces an even worse punishment, Detective Pinsley, 45, notices a strange marking on her arm and thinks she might be the key in solving a peculiar, mysterious case. Bodies are turning up dead in London, and Pinsley wonders whether it’s the work of a deranged serial killer, or of something… else. The methods of murder seem impossible, as does the murderer’s ability to escape death.

Kaia is given a choice: help solve the case, or be shipped off to Bedlam, the notorious insane asylum.

Unlikely partners, each mistrusting the other, Kaia and Pinsley embark to scour the dark corners and cobblestone streets of 19th century London in search of clues.

Yet what they find may shock and horrify even them.

Where to Buy

Amazon
Apple Books
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Google Play

More Reviews

Did you enjoy this review? Check out my other reviews here. And don’t forget to follow me at BookBub.

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