Readers, more than critics, will tell you about the better e-books on the market. Readers vote with their pocket books. When it comes to e-books that feature Rod Pennington’s name, the message from readers is loud and clear.
The Walnut Hills grad has authored or co-authored a string of 14 straight, number-one Kindle Niche Bestsellers. Pennington’s The Charon Family Adventures Series, his new action thriller Indweller, and The Fourth Awakening Series, a collection he co-authored with Jeffery A. Martin, have been optioned for film and television by World Media Partners. Martin, a Harvard-educated social scientist, owns a home in Newport and Pennington’s mom, Penny Breuer, lives in Northern Kentucky. Pennington, who attended the University of Cincinnati, resides in Wyoming.
Pennington’s The Charon Family Adventures is a darkly comedic, political satire series about a dysfunctional family of four world-class assassins. In a recent message to me, he reported that he has written a TV pilot based on this series, which he is calling The Family Business. According to Pennington, The Family Business is under active consideration for the 2016 season with a major network.
Pennington is also completing a pilot for The Fourth Awakening Series, which he notes will be offered to one of the major cable television networks. These e-books delve into metaphysical mysticism and science. They are wonderful in their approach, feature enticing characters, and have great depth.
Indweller is Pennington’s latest e-book and features protagonist Gabe Indweller, a good guy who knows how to deal with bad people. As far as television goes, Indweller is a longer-term project. However, the recently-introduced e-book is a fine read. Gabe, a former Black Ops operative, volunteered (some would say this is a no-no) for a secret government experiment and slipped into the depths of a coma. Months later, he emerged in a state of total enlightenment. Indweller sees and understands actions and events with acuity. His skillset and newfound awareness make him unafraid to shake things up, which he is apt to do as the situation arises.
Hired by a secretive and powerful group known as ‘The Novem’ (The Nine), Pennington’s fictional Gabe Indweller has license to administer justice as he determines and with complete impunity from law enforcement. For intimidation purposes, The Novem has fostered the rumor that Indweller is the Archangel Gabriel. Of course, Gabe dismisses the whole Archangel gimmick. However, as his exploits morph into urban legend, Gabe is prone to admit that the gimmick has merit and, in this e-book, with three attempts on Gabe’s life in the same night, our hero’s response leaves nothing to the reader’s imagination. The action is realistic and exceptionally crafted.
Pennington is a wordsmith, too. Here’s an example of his crisp writing style: “Like the Red Sea for Moses, the crowd parted and Lilith was already halfway to the door and didn’t bother to look back. ‘Ask your BFF to give you a ride.’ She extended her right hand above her head and flipped me off. As Lilith slammed the front door with enough authority to rattle the glass in every window in the building, the Stagecoach [a local bar] broke into the biggest round of applause of the night. She was easily the sexiest woman I’d ever met.”
You will enjoy this novel. As one reader stated, “Fair warning. Do not start [it] if you have other obligations because you will not be able to put it down. This book will grab you on the first page and never let you go until you’ve read the last word.”
I recommend you join Gabe Indweller on this slam-dunk journey. You can learn more about Pennington and his books at www.rodpennington.net.
Donald Then, a novelist and experienced editor and journalist, is NKyTribune’s literary editor. He will review books written by local authors or those with a Northern Kentucky setting. Reach him at author@djamesthen.com Visit his website at www.djamesthen.com.