Pabby's Score by James Ross
Published By: Nightengale Press
Release Date: October 15, 2011
Format: Paperback - 456 pages
ISBN: 1933449985
Genre: Sports Fiction
About The Author:
Known best for living life to the fullest, James Ross decided early on that he was going to work to live, rather than live to work. With a persuasive demeanor and a "don't-take-no-for-an-answer" attitude, he embarked on a journey that allowed for him to live along the way.
Born in Central Illinois in the early 1950's, James Ross grew up wanting to be a professional athlete. He was the oldest son of a high school basketball coach and a homemaker. Early in his life, his dad took a job as a textbook salesman for a division of Doubleday. Soon thereafter the family relocated from the corn fields of Illinois to the Metro St. Louis area.
He took up the game of golf at the age of twelve when the family moved to a golf course development in the western suburbs of St. Louis. His passion for the game grew from that moment on and with continued practice he became a low-handicap player. Mr. Ross was a three-sport athlete in high school and accepted an athletic scholarship to go to college. After one year of that he transferred to the University of Missouri in Columbia. There he was a member and social chairman of Beta Theta Pi fraternity until he graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis on real estate and finance in 1974.
After a few years of traveling and a two year stay in Los Angeles at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, Mr. Ross returned to the St. Louis area to embark on a career in sales. After turning fifty he decided to get in touch with the creative side of his mind and sat down to write. Three years later his first novel, Lifetime Loser, was published.
Upon completion the writing bug had consumed him. Before his first novel was finished he had begun the second book. Finish Line is a continuation of the happenings in and around the fictitious setting of Prairie Winds Golf Course on the East Side of St. Louis. Drawing inspiration from his characters, the third book, Tuey's Course was released in January 2009. His fourth novel, Opur's Blade was released in July 2010. The fifth novel in the series, Pabby's Score was released in October 2011.
When he is not writing, Mr. Ross is out looking for a golf game around town or traveling to some warm weather destination to enjoy an amazing life. Many of his stories will be centered on a sports theme complete with applicable analogies. Being a native of the Midwest, they will also carry references to the heartland of America.
AUTHOR WEBSITE
AUTHOR'S BLOG
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GOODREADS
PUBLISHER WEBSITE - NIGHTENGALE PRESS
James Ross Pabby's Score Virtual Book Tour Page On Pump Up Your Book!
BUY THE BOOK: Pabby's Score
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Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event.
Virtual Book Tour Event: On Monday, May 14, 2012, in association with Pump Up Your Book! Virtual Book Publicity Tours, author James Ross participated in a virtual book tour event with an Author Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews. http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2012/05/author-guest-post-james-ross-author-of.html
BOOK TRAILER: Pabby's Score
Book Description:
Pabby and Shae, teens with special needs hoping to expand their experience outside Footprints of Hope Foster Care Center, arrive at Prairie Winds Golf Course on the east side of St. Louis.
Innocence and youthful enthusiasm get caught in an undercurrent of sinister events. Civil injustice prompted by an unethical attorney arrives in the form of a bogus insurance claim. Alcohol and greed taint a dishonest judge. An Internet dating site feeds an affair. Shady police work attempts to stain the reputation of head pro, J Dub Schroeder. As the court spins out of control an ethics board investigation and an edgy game of instant messaging tempt the hands of fate. Savant-like tendencies, dementia and flying falcons intertwine with Native American customs, thoroughbred racing and a trip up the river road to Lighthouse Point. A retired barrister hints about a corrupt underground society.
Can revealing a dark secret settle Pabby's Score?
My Book Review:
In the latest installment of what's happening at Prairie Winds Golf Course, the quirky golfers welcome two special needs teenagers, Pabby and Shae, along with their caretakers Aieshia and Carla. The golf course is participating in a summer youth program, "Teens In Need," in association with the Footprints of Hope orphanage. Pabby and Shae are borderline autistic with savant tendencies (the ability to memorize and recite facts). The intention of the summer program is to attempt to socialize the teens with the public. Both Pabby and Shae have special abilities: Pabby knows everything about animals, but he is scared of little animals; and Shae knows everything about geography (state info). The golfers welcome and interact with the teens and their caretakers, they even teach Pabby how to read horse racing forms!
The summer proves to have some interesting events happening on the east side of St. Louis. The owners of the golf course, brothers JW (J Dub) and Curt Schroeder are sued by Frankie "Booby Tat" Mastralacci and his shyster attorney, Tanner Atkins, who make a bogus negligence claim against them. An ethics complaint has been filed against the attorney's firm: Atkins, Blum and Charles, and the Illinois ARDC (Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission) is investigating them for ethic violations in an estate case. Meanwhile, Pam Porter, the administrator of Footprints of Hope orphanage is having an affair with Farley Bend, an elected 4th District Alderman on the orphanage's grounds, while her husband, Judge Buchanan Porter engages in unethical (partial) behavior in his court decisions and is friendly with the law firm.
So come inside Prairie Winds Golf Club and see what happens next in Pabby's Score!
Pabby's Score is a humorous sports fiction novel that has an interesting mixture of suspense and drama. This entertaining storyline has subplots that are intriguingly interwoven and provides a lot of twists and turns that engage the reader as they turn the pages. This is definitely a very busy novel, but it is fast-paced and easy to keep up with. There are a lot of characters, I had to write their names down so I could remember who was who, but I must say that the author does give the readers quirky characters that are just plain fun to get to know. I really enjoyed getting to know the lovable golfers: Capt. Jer, Dr DV, Lemuel, YouWho, Scottie, Fred, BT, Elia, Paul, Paco, Pork Chop, Uncle Woo; and the golf course owners and staff: J Dub, Curt, Julie and Bow Tye. The characters' antics are very entertaining, their dialogue will keep you laughing. I really loved how they welcomed and embraced Pabby, Shae, Aieshia and Carla into their little group.
Within the pages of Pabby's Score, the author provides a wide range of social issues to keep the readers engaged: special needs children, dementia, alcoholism, greed and corruption in the police and justice system, lurid affairs and internet dating services. I was intrigued with this author's writing style, the social issues were like puzzle pieces that when woven together provided a really fascinating puzzle of a story.
Pabby's Score is the fifth novel in the Prairie Winds Golf Course series, but each novel can stand alone. I found this novel to be an entertaining read, I will have to go back and read the first four novels in the series! I would recommend Pabby's Score to anyone who likes to read sports fiction with a twist of mystery and suspense!
RATING: 4 STARS ****
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