East County Magazine
San Diego poet shares secrets and solace of a psychotherapist in The Best Sex I Never Had
Book by Susan Black Allen Reviewed by Pennell Paugh February 2, 2026 (San Diego) — San Diego resident and psychotherapist, Susan Black Allen has written…
Down to the Bone: A Missing Family’s Murder and the Elusive Quest for Justice
Printer-friendly version Book by Caitlin Rother Review by Paul Levikow December 2, 2025 (San Diego) – San Diego-based New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother takes on the mysterious disappearance of the McStay family of four, who were last seen in their Fallbrook home in February, 2010. Joseph, Summer, and their two sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. were killed and
Operation Masquerade: A Rent Beacham Mystery
Printer-friendly versionNovel by Larry M. Edwards Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 28, 2025 (San Diego) — Larry Edwards, a San Diego resident, has written another Rent Beacham mystery. San Diego journalist Rent receives information about a cold-case homicide in Washington State. His investigation leads him to investigate links between illegal disposal of hazardous waste from a San Diego boatyard in
Oaks from Acorns Grow
Printer-friendly versionBook by Richard Opper Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 4, 2025 (San Diego) — San Diego resident Richard G. Opper is releasing the last book in his Oakheart Trilogy, Oaks from Acorns Grow. It’s written in deep point of view of each player in the story, including the criminals. Mona Oakheart goes to Guam to find her leading porn
Looking for Tank Man by Ha Jin
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh October 18, 2025 (San Diego) – National award-winning author Ha Jin, who became a U.S. citizen after the Tiananmen Square uprising. explores themes of rebellion in China and the struggles of a Chinese student in America in his novel, Looking for Tank Man. His main character, Lulu, who is a young woman from China, attends
El Presidio de San Diego: Excavating Southern California’s Lost City by Richard Carrico
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh October 19, 2025 (San Diego) – History buffs will love Richard Carrico’s new book, El Presidio de San Diego: Excavating Southern California’s Lost City. The book briefly covers San Diego area history before the first pioneers arrived. The author’s preview to European colonization is short but extensive. Richard Carrico’s greatest focus is upon the presidio
Local children’s book author and filmmaker named finalist in San Diego Magazine’s “Celebrating Women” Awards
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service October 14, 2025 (San Diego) — Anat Tour, a children’s book author, singer, documentary filmmaker, and math teacher based in East County, has been named a finalist in San Diego Magazine’s “Celebrating Women” Awards in the Education category. In addition to her writing and filmmaking, Anat is a passionate singer and host of East County
Linchpin encourages people to find their value in the workplace
Printer-friendly version Review by Heidi Hope October 15, 2025 (San Diego) — Linchpin focuses on the themes of changing the world for the better and making a difference in the workplace by embracing one’s individuality, artistry and uniqueness in visions and values, instead of simply following instructions and never getting to contribute creativity into any task. This New York Times bestselling book
Pretty Happy: healthy ways to love your body
Printer-friendly versionBook by Kate Hudson Review by Heidi Hope October 5, 2025 (San Diego) – Pretty Happy is a New York Times best-selling self-help book written by my favorite actress, Kate Hudson. She thoughtfully researched each area and provided a variety of questions to ask, as well as suggestions to reference and ideas for carrying out each lesson to take
An anthology features San Diego authors: San Diego Writers and Editors Guild releases its thirteenth anthology in October
Printer-friendly version East County News Service September 28, 2025 (San Diego) – The San Diego Writers and Editors Guild launches Good Luck with That—the Guilded Pen’s thirteenth annual anthology. The collection includes thirty-six stories written by twenty-nine members on the theme: “Good Luck or Is It?” Sandra Yeaman. In her twenties, Sandra traveled to Tehran, Iran, where she taught English
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
SAN DIEGO TRUE CRIME NOVELIST RICHARD CARRICO TO SPEAK AT MISSION TRAILS FEB. 8
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service January 27, 2024 (San Diego) – Monsters on the Loose—a true crime novel by award-winning author and historian Richard L. Carrico—is set in San Diego in 1931. With forensic evidence at the time not quite what it is today, many murders went unsolved. In this gripping novel, San Diego historian and anthropologist Richard L. Carrico details
A LOVELY GIRL: LOCAL AUTHOR PROVIDES INSIGHTS IN CASE OF NOTORIOUS KILLER
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh January 21, 2024 (San Diego) — A Lovely Girl, the Tragedy of Olga Duncan and the Trial of One of California’s Most Notorious Killers tells of a 1958 murder as the evidence was collected. The story ends with the last woman to ever be executed in California. Local author Deborah Holt Larkin tells
WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS, MEN ARE FROM MARS!
Printer-friendly version Cooked vs. Uncooked Spaghetti, by Dr. Tania Hormozi, PSYD, LMFT (Made in the USA, Muncie, IL., July, 2023, 137 pages). Book Review by Dennis Moore January 12, 2024 (San Diego) – Dr. Tania Hormozi is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist practicing in San Diego, California for over 10 years. She holds a Doctorate degree in Marriage
CHINA BOY, A WORK THAT TRANSCENDS TIME
Printer-friendly versionAuthor Gus Lee interviews with Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Show’s “Bookshelf” feature on KNSJ View video Hear audio January 8, 2024 (San Diego’s East County) — In an engaging conversation with esteemed American author and ethicist Gus Lee, Anat Tour, host of East County Magazine Radio Show’s “Bookshelf” on KNSJ Radio, explores the depths of Lee’s
ODYSSEY’S END
Printer-friendly version By Pennell Paugh January 3, 2024 (San Diego) – Odyssey’s End is the tenth book in the Rick Cahill series by local author Matt Coyle. Private investigator Rick Cahill lives in the San Diego region and as in the series’ other books, he takes the reader on real streets and neighborhoods.in He accepts a lost-person assignment from a
CHERIE KERR, AUTHOR OF CHARLIE’S NOTES, SHARES MEMORIES OF HER JAZZ MUSICIAN FATHER
Printer-friendly versionView video of interview Hear audio aired on KNSJ Radio By Miriam Raftery December 12, 2023 (San Diego)—Anat Tour, host of the East County Magazine Radio Show’s Bookshelf, recently interviewed Cherie Kerr on her award-winning book, Charlie’s Notes. This moving memoir of her father, jazz musician Carluchi (Charlie) DePietro, chronicles his struggles from his roots in a New York
CAN LOVE OVERCOME MAGICAL HYPNOTIC TRAINING? MYSTIC PRINCE: VIXEN IS LATEST IN RICHTER’S SERIES
Printer-friendly versionBook by M.A. Richter Reviewed by Pennell Paugh December 9, 2023 (San Diego’s East County) – Local author M.A. Richter announces the release of Mystic Prince: Vixen. The book is a fantasy-adventure that follows Khael, an enlightened prince in 2773, who has just regained his crown. He reestablishes a government and places his mother, a princess, to oversee day-to-day
BOOK-2 OF THE COLONIZED SERIES AND KENYA’S MAU MAU REVOLT: A PEASANT’S TALE
Printer-friendly version Book by Wanjiru Warama Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 14, 2023 (La Mesa) — Wanjiru Warama is a resident of La Mesa, and a member of the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild. The author provides true stories of how her family and community lived in abject poverty on British colonial farms in Kenya. Her historic
WHEN YOUR HEART SAYS GO: MY YEAR OF TRAVELING BEYOND LOSS AND LONELINESS
Printer-friendly versionBook by Judy Reeves Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 8, 2023 (San Diego) – In When Your Heart Says Go, San Diego author Judy Reeves uses memories in her journals, fragments from her writing practice notebooks, short stories, flashes of both fiction and nonfiction, personal narrative essays, and poems to share a piece of her life from thirty years
THE GRAY: LIVING WITH ANXIETY AND FINDING WAYS TO COPE
Printer-friendly version Book by Chris Baron Reviewed by Pennell Paugh November 8,2023 (San Diego) – Award-winning local author Chris Baron, an English professor at San Diego City College, has crafted a beautifully written, compelling story in his latest book, The Gray. Sasha experiences bullying at middle school. His anxiety becomes so bad that he called it The Gray. Afraid that
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Support community news in the public interest! As nonprofit news, we rely on donations from the public to fund our reporting — not special interests. Please donate to sustain East County Magazine’s local reporting and/or wildfire alerts at https://www.eastcountymedia.org/donate to help us keep people safe and informed across our region.
East County Magazine
Pretty Happy: healthy ways to love your body
Printer-friendly versionBook by Kate Hudson Review by Heidi Hope October 5, 2025 (San Diego) – Pretty Happy is a New York Times best-selling self-help book written by my favorite actress, Kate Hudson. She thoughtfully researched each area and provided a variety of questions to ask, as well as suggestions to reference and ideas for carrying out each lesson to take
Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure by Dave Grunenwald
Printer-friendly versionReviewed by Pennell Paugh September 28, 2025 (San Diego) – Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure is a children’s book for 5- to 10-year-olds. It is designed to inspire children and their families to volunteer in community programs that help those in need. In the book, two friends and a grandparent visit a group that make and deliver sandwiches. Next,
Author Tanya Harris hosts book signing Sept. 21 at Grossmont Center to benefit domestic violence survivors
Printer-friendly versionEast County News Service September 5, 2025 (La Mesa) — Local author, domestic violence survivor and advocate Tanya Harris will host a powerful community book signing and awareness event on Sunday, September 21, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the gazebo at Grossmont Center mall (5500 Grossmont Center Dr., La Mesa). The community-focused event is designed to
Blood in the Water: an A.J. Hawke legal thriller
Printer-friendly versionNovel by Donald McInnis Reviewed by Pennell Paugh September 4, 2025 (San Diego) —Blood in the Water, though fictional, exposes a flaw in the United States’ tripartite federal government structure as established in the Constitution. The third branch of government, the Judiciary, cannot enforce its rulings, even when those rulings are necessary for protecting an individual citizen’s rights or the constitutional powers of