Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Last Call, First Reading

This is the last reminder that my first reading of Havana: Killing Castro will take place at Montford Books at 6:30 PM on Friday, February 26.

We will have several overseas visitors present, including Princess Elizabeth Von Alexander-Bismarck who has flown in from Paris for the occasion. The inimitable Rosita La-La and her dancing partner, Agustin "El Apache" from the Salsationals will get us all in a Cuban mood by showing us how to dance salsa. And Juan Benavides, the virtuoso Flameco guitarist, will accompany my readings strumming his guitar.

So come join the fun and show your support!

See you there!

David Pereda
www.davidpereda.com

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Reading for Havana: Killing Castro - 2/26

The first reading of Havana: Killing Castro will take place at Montford Books at 6:30 PM on Friday, February 26.

The event promises to be quite exciting and will have several overseas visitors present, including Princess Elizabeth Von Alexander-Bismarck who is flying from Paris for the occasion. The inimitable Rosita La-La and her dancing partner, Agustin "El Apache" from the Salsationals will get us all in a Cuban mood by showing us how to dance salsa. And Juan Benavides, the virtuoso Flameco guitarist, will accompany my readings strumming his guitar.

Havana: Killing Castro, a Readers Favorite award-winner, is the second book in the Havana Series of thrillers and continues the adventures and misadventures of the same cast of characters you met in Havana: Top Secret.

Here's a brief synopsis of the book:

When an old fisherman is gunned down on a Mexican beach, prominent Miami surgeon Raymond Peters becomes the prime suspect. The dead fisherman is believed to be Fidel Castro, whom Dr. Raymond Peters helped disguise through clandestine plastic surgery on a trip to Cuba two years earlier. In order to save his own life, the beleaguered doctor must find the killers and retrieve a mysterious journal while outwitting a ruthless woman assassin named Marcela, sent by Castro’s brother Raul.

So mark this event on your calendar and come join the fun!

David Pereda
www.davidpereda.com

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Great Review for Havana: Killing Castro

Please visit the website and leave a comment. - David

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Dear David,
We have completed your review Havana: Killing Castro. You will find your book review posted at Pacific Book Review under "Latest Reviews", "Thriller" and "Suspense". We have also posted your review on Amazon and Ezine Articles for you. Allow about a week with Ezine Articles to see the review. I did not see your book on Barnes & Noble, please let me know if it is sold at Barnes & Noble and I will post a review on Barnes & Noble for you. We will be mailing you a letter of authenticity. Pacific Book Review has also chosen your book Havana: Killing Castro to be in the "Top Five Reviews". You will see your book posted in the "Top Five Reviews" beginning March 1, 2010. It will be posted for a full month in the "Top Five Reviews" and will also be on the front page of Pacific Book Review under "Check out these great books" for a full month beginning in March. We will also let you know if your book is chosen for the featured book of the month. We hope you enjoy the review, and we wish you the greatest success with all of your books. Please see review below.

Sincerely,

--
Nicole Sorkin
Managing Book Review Editor
www.pacificbookreview.com
nicolesorkin@pacificbookreview.com
(805) 440-1787
Reviewed by: Gary Sorkin, Pacific Book Review
Title: Havana: Killing Castro
Author: David Pereda
Sitting back, reading David Pereda's novel, Havana: Killing Castro brought the imaginary aroma of a Cohiba Siglo VI cigar to my olfactory sense along with the cerebral stimulation burst of a Cubano con Lache coffee. The book, from literally the very first page, draws you into a fast paced plot of intriguingly wicked characters with power, influence and epic historical importance. David Pereda's candidly honest writing style illuminates the thoughts of his characters down to their deepest carnal motivations. This technique is awesomely exploited throughout the novel, bringing a sensuous undercurrent of sexuality to the actions of his characters. This is dramatically illustrated by Marcela, a seductively attractive female assassin possessing hypnotizing beauty and a quick stiletto bite, sensually aroused by the sweet scent of her victim's dying breath.
His dialog throughout is laced with foreign vernacular and terse subtleties. His characters have survival instincts sharp as a caffeinated cricket in an iguana cage. The only way out is to solve a mystery before they become the prey. The realism of his descriptions make you feel the humidity, the heat, along with the temperate breeze over the 90 mile stretch of ocean separating Cuba from Florida's Keys and Miami. The work is indeed a masterpiece of entertainment, in the caliber of genius. Something Robert Ludlum, Tom Clancy or Michael Crichton would raise an eyebrow in admiration.
David Pereda's "2009 Reader's Favorite" award winning novel, just over 300 pages, is covered in a photographic portrait montage of its main characters along with the Cuban flag and a subliminal image of Fidel Castro. A perfect book for screenplay adaptation and a blockbuster movie, of which I believe plans may be in the making. Inside, the scores of short chapters play out a fast paced "mental storyboard" of scenes seemingly at first disassociated but brilliantly laced together. David Pereda develops suspense with the timing of a virtuoso. He allows for the reader's mind to skip along his words while venturing into imagination and back like a rock skimming along the surface of water once flicked. In full control of the reader's knowledge base, he foreshadows and illuminates events satisfying one's curiosity while always respecting the intelligence of his audience.
Whether you're a seasoned suspense novel enthusiast, or just an evening "cup of tea" story fanatic, this is food for thought. For me, I couldn't wait to pick up and finish Havana: Killing Castro - and my first thought when done, "Wow."