As year-end holidays approach, attention centers on family. Pablo Zaragoza, an emigrant from Cuba at the age of four, comes from a strong, resilient family. Through historical fiction, he relates many stories attributed to his immediate family and extended family. We chose to feature Sour Life in this issue for its emphasis on family through trials and difficulties, separation and death, and, finally, reconciliation with those held most dear.
SOUR LIFE
An aging patriarch, facing a serious health problem, breaks his silence about his family’s fight to preserve democracy in Cuba, the ultimate loss of their beloved homeland, emigration to the United States, Green Beret service in Viet Nam, struggles to thwart drug trafficking, and search for the CIA killer of his wife and unborn child.
In pre-Castro Cuba, the narrator’s uncle and father team up with others in their feverish fight to save their country. With top-level contacts in the United States and an ample supply of weapons to serve their own revolution and counter-revolution, they launch an all-out effort to depose a dictator and prevent a communist takeover.
After service in the Viet Nam War, he receives medical training and serves in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and in Nicaragua, tracks CIA drug trafficking and avenges the murder of his Laotian wife and unborn child.
A misstep lands him in federal prison, where he lifts the veil on critical problems in the U. S. criminal justice system, as he does with his re-entry, first through a halfway house and then in his return to the real world. There he struggles to find his rightful place and restore relationships with family and friends.
5-Star Review:
Sour Life, a first-person narrative, recounts a grandfather’s life through a historical backdrop and experiences involving war, romance, love, and loss. The past has a gritty and dark tone which often includes scenes with graphic violence. Balancing out these darker moments are the emotional struggles he faces in both past and present through his relationships with his family
Delving into his past allows him a chance to deal with his mistakes, his losses, and by the end, he seems to reach closure. The details are vivid and realistic, portraying some horrific images, but the tone is never without its emotional core, as Sour Life tells a story about family and second chances.
Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers Favorite Book Awards. Click here to read her full 5-star review.
Pablo Zaragoza
Folks often ask Pablo (most folks don’t know him as Elio), “Have you always been a writer?” The amazing answer is, “No.”
How did it all start?
In college, Elio leapfrogged English courses to take an advanced writing class with just one assignment. When the professor read Elio’s composition, he told him he should have it published. Instead, Elio destroyed it. End of story? Not quite.
After 30 years as a medical doctor, he retired, only to start a second career. In the past six years, he has written 39 novels, some exceeding the 600-word count. In toto, he has written more than three million words. And spent countless hours doing research for his historical fiction.
How does he do it? He writes every day. Every single day. Before coffee, after lunch, before hitting the treadmill, and after church. On holidays and vacations. Come rain or come shine.
A church deacon told Elio that he is gifted. A Swedish lady remarked that Elio channels. His characters do speak to him during sleep, and as soon as he wakes up, he goes to his computer and transcribes what the characters told him.
Another remarkable fact: Unlike many fiction writers who write only horror, mystery, or romance, Elio writes across several categories: crime/detective (Matson series), historical fiction (Brazzaville), war (The Reluctant Nazi), religion (Pontius Pilate), horror (Armageddon: An Apache Story), paranormal (The Lilium), and romance (Casi Di Nova).
PERMANENTLY FREE EBOOKS
ANIMAL COURT
Wildlife unites to put a human on trial for crimes against them. All characters in a normal courtroom setting are played by animals, marine life, insects, and birds. A fascinating trial transcript with a twist. How does the animal jury decide, and what sentence, if any, does the judge impose?
MATSON’S CASE NO. 1
The crime/detective launch with four in the series published and five in the wings covers a host of cases for Detective Robert Matson to solve. Elio incorporates his forensic knowledge to lend credibility.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Pablo and Susan would like to take this opportunity to extend their sincere appreciation for your ongoing support and their warmest wishes for a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Blessed Kwanza.
