I think Back In The USSR by Patrick D Joyce is a book that young adults and teens would love, an adventure of mystery and political intrigue. AND, if you grew up with The Beatles like I did, and love adventure, I think you may interested too.
Harrison George and Prudence accidentally become involved in the search for the missing White Album by the Beatles. There are others that want it too, gangsters and spies. Harrison grows up quickly, as he and Prudence try to figure out WHY.
I would, normally, give a book like Back In The USSR, a three rating, but Patrick D Joyce gave me more than I expected. It is well written, with a pace that kept me turning pages, wondering what all the fuss is about. He includes much of the Russian culture, their ‘fear’ of the West and the music that could cause a rebellion.
Running through the streets of Russia, dodging the bad guys, Harrison and Prudence learn how far music lovers will go to feel a moment of freedom and joy.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Back In The USSR by Patrick D Joyce.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
They ban rock.
They breed fear.
But one record spins out of control.
When Harrison George, teenage son of American diplomats, arrives in Cold War Moscow for winter break, he plans to daydream and hang out with his friend Prudence Akobo, street-smart daughter of foreign correspondents.
Instead, he and Prudence stumble onto the trail of the Album, a long lost Beatles relic and priceless symbol of freedom in a country where rock music is banned.
Chased by treasure hunters, gangsters and spies, they don’t know who to trust. If they don’t find the Album first, they could end up missing — or dead — themselves.
Harrison and Prudence face a choice. Will they be pawns in a game of global conflict, or can they help a maverick KGB agent on a mission of personal redemption?
For fans of young adult thrillers like Alex Rider, Code Name Verity, and I Must Betray You, and readers of all ages who love the music of The Beatles.
ABOUT PATRICK D JOYCE
Patrick D. Joyce grew up in diplomatic outposts throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas. He writes thriller novels and poetry, and has been a newspaper reporter, political scientist, and medical practice manager. He’s a huge Beatles fan and loves all kinds of music.
Title: I BURIED PAUL Author: Bruce Ferber Publisher: The Story Plant Pages: 304 Genre: Adult Literary Fiction
BOOK BLURB:
Jimmy Kozlowski has a regular gig playing Paul McCartney in the Beatles
tribute band, Help!. The band is part of a cottage industry built around
mimicry, where each group strives to be the ultimate Fake Fab Four. And none
strives harder than Help!, thanks to Gene Klein, its John Lennon and leader.
Gene’s just gotten his Medicare card and spends much of his time caring for his
ailing mother. But he hasn’t lost a step on guitar or vocals, and is determined
to take Help! to the top, his goal being to perform in Liverpool one day.
Though the notion of the UK clamoring for a group of Long Islanders with fake
British accents seems far-fetched, Gene has a plan.
Unlike his boss, Jimmy has limited bandwidth for high-quality
Beatle wigs or bespoke Nehru jackets. He works a straight job, entertains at a
nursing home, and yearns to connect with the daughter he’s never met. He also
wants a shot at recording and performing his own original compositions. No
matter the odds, Jimmy is determined to realize his creative dreams, even if it
means “burying Paul” in the process.
I Buried Paul is a love letter to the power of music, a humorous yet
moving exploration of the sacrifices its disciples are willing to make in
service to its magic.
“Funny, heartfelt, and unafraid…
A book for anyone who loves music or has ever tried to keep a dream
alive.” — Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying
“First, the good news: Paul isn’t dead, and
this isn’t an autopsy. Rather it’s a funny, moving novel about trying to find
your way home from the Abbey Road of your teenage fantasy life, while simultaneously
escaping the shadows cast by your father, your older brother, many failed
relationships, and a world that doesn’t like to see people doing what they love
– such as making their own music. Reminiscent of Anne Tyler and Richard Russo
(if either could keep a steady bass beat), Bruce Ferber writes humorous fiction
for grown ups.” — Scott Bradfield, author of The History of Luminous
Motion
“In his touching and funny novel, Bruce
Ferber comes not to bury Paul McCartney but to celebrate his true believers,
the dreamers who carry the torch of their youthful rock dreams well into
pension age, and who refuse to sacrifice their passion despite high cholesterol
counts and the possibility of embarrassing themselves. I Buried Paul is a
tender paean to the music that changed us all, its revivifying and enduring
power.” — Marc Weingarten, author of The Gang that Wouldn’t Write
Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution
“Funny, deep, and compulsive, I Buried Paul is a
tribute to family, lifelong friends, and the Beatles tunes that unite them.
Told with Ferber’s trademark wit, literary verve and big-heartedness, it’s a
veritable magical mystery tour of growing up and finding love and meaning in a
complex world.” — Michaela Carter, author of Leonora in the Morning Light
“Reading Bruce Ferber’s latest novel is like
being told a great tale from your favorite and funniest pal ― the one who
really seems to know stuff―the one you trust―the one who gets you when nobody
else does. Long live Paul.” — Jason Alexander
“Bruce Ferber’s prose is music to my ears. I
Buried Paul is very funny, and very insightful.” — John Densmore
“Bruce Ferber has captured lightning in a
bottle, chronicling a generation’s obsessive attachment to The Beatles. His
love for their music and legacy is evident on every page. And as the poets
said, ‘With a love like that you know it can’t be bad.’ (Yeah-yeah-yeah.)” —
Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles
Milestones are seldom what they’re cracked up to be, unless you’re
a charmed preppie who inherits the Hallmark gene. My first time kissing a girl
turned out to be a mercy stunt, engineered by some douchey linebacker on the
junior varsity. The most memorable thing about getting my driver’s license was
that I had no car, and my parents’ station wagon was never available. When I
put on the cap and gown for high school graduation, it felt like I was going to
a Halloween party, dressed as a fraud.
As I went on to achieve my own versions of milestones, none of
them would adhere to society’s definitions or timetable. Instead, they appeared
out of the blue like stealth jack-in-the-boxes. How was I to know that the
fourth kiss from my third girlfriend would be the portal to life-changing sex?
Or that on my first solo plane trip at eighteen, I’d be moved to First Class
and treated like a VIP, despite having accomplished nothing? Or that shortly
after the plane touched down, I would never again look at the world the same
way.
It’s not that I’m against the element of
surprise. I’m just convinced it would be a lot less stressful to be the
Hallmark guy.
About the Author
Bruce
Ferber built a long and successful career as a television comedy writer and
producer. A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee, his credits include Bosom Buddies, Growing Pains, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Coach, and Home Improvement,
where he served as Executive Producer and showrunner. In addition to being
recognized by the Television Academy, Ferber’s work has received the People’s
Choice, Kid’s Choice, and Environmental Media Awards. He is the author of two
previous novels, Elevating Overman and Cascade Falls, along with the nonfiction book, The Way We Work. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with
his wife, large dog, and assorted musical instruments.
We’re thrilled to announce the release of Bruce Ferber’s I Buried Paul (The Story Plant) today! To help celebrate, we are asking our readers if you can please pretty please pick up a copy at Amazon and come back and tell us how you liked it or leave a review?
Congratulations, Bruce, on your adult literary fiction new release, I Buried Paul!
Jimmy Kozlowski has a regular gig playing Paul McCartney in the Beatles tribute band, Help!. The band is part of a cottage industry built around mimicry, where each group strives to be the ultimate Fake Fab Four. And none strives harder than Help!, thanks to Gene Klein, its John Lennon and leader. Gene’s just gotten his Medicare card and spends much of his time caring for his ailing mother. But he hasn’t lost a step on guitar or vocals, and is determined to take Help! to the top, his goal being to perform in Liverpool one day. Though the notion of the UK clamoring for a group of Long Islanders with fake British accents seems far-fetched, Gene has a plan.
Unlike his boss, Jimmy has limited bandwidth for high-quality Beatle wigs or bespoke Nehru jackets. He works a straight job, entertains at a nursing home, and yearns to connect with the daughter he’s never met. He also wants a shot at recording and performing his own original compositions. No matter the odds, Jimmy is determined to realize his creative dreams, even if it means “burying Paul” in the process.
I Buried Paul is a love letter to the power of music, a humorous yet moving exploration of the sacrifices its disciples are willing to make in service to its magic.
“Funny, heartfelt, and unafraid… A book for anyone who loves music or has ever tried to keep a dream alive.” — Ben Loory, author of Tales of Falling and Flying
“First, the good news: Paul isn’t dead, and this isn’t an autopsy. Rather it’s a funny, moving novel about trying to find your way home from the Abbey Road of your teenage fantasy life, while simultaneously escaping the shadows cast by your father, your older brother, many failed relationships, and a world that doesn’t like to see people doing what they love – such as making their own music. Reminiscent of Anne Tyler and Richard Russo (if either could keep a steady bass beat), Bruce Ferber writes humorous fiction for grown ups.” — Scott Bradfield, author of The History of Luminous Motion
“In his touching and funny novel, Bruce Ferber comes not to bury Paul McCartney but to celebrate his true believers, the dreamers who carry the torch of their youthful rock dreams well into pension age, and who refuse to sacrifice their passion despite high cholesterol counts and the possibility of embarrassing themselves. I Buried Paul is a tender paean to the music that changed us all, its revivifying and enduring power.” — Marc Weingarten, author of The Gang that Wouldn’t Write Straight: Wolfe, Thompson, Didion, Capote, and the New Journalism Revolution
“Funny, deep, and compulsive, I Buried Paul is a tribute to family, lifelong friends, and the Beatles tunes that unite them. Told with Ferber’s trademark wit, literary verve and big-heartedness, it’s a veritable magical mystery tour of growing up and finding love and meaning in a complex world.” — Michaela Carter, author of Leonora in the Morning Light
“Reading Bruce Ferber’s latest novel is like being told a great tale from your favorite and funniest pal ― the one who really seems to know stuff―the one you trust―the one who gets you when nobody else does. Long live Paul.” — Jason Alexander
“Bruce Ferber’s prose is music to my ears. I Buried Paul is very funny, and very insightful.” — John Densmore
“Bruce Ferber has captured lightning in a bottle, chronicling a generation’s obsessive attachment to The Beatles. His love for their music and legacy is evident on every page. And as the poets said, ‘With a love like that you know it can’t be bad.’ (Yeah-yeah-yeah.)” — Bob Spitz, New York Times bestselling author of The Beatles
Bruce Ferber built a long and successful career as a television comedy writer and producer. A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominee, his credits include Bosom Buddies, Growing Pains, Sabrina, The Teenage Witch, Coach, and Home Improvement, where he served as Executive Producer and showrunner. In addition to being recognized by the Television Academy, Ferber’s work has received the People’s Choice, Kid’s Choice, and Environmental Media Awards. He is the author of two previous novels, Elevating Overman and Cascade Falls, along with the nonfiction book, The Way We Work. He lives in Los Angeles, CA with his wife, large dog, and assorted musical instruments.
