My new novel, Secondhand Sight, officially became available for purchase yesterday. Here's what Fiona I. from Reader's Favorite had to say in her review of the book: What a riveting read! This book grabbed me from the first page. Author John "Rocky" Leonard creates a thrilling and chilling murder mystery, with an intriguing touch of the paranormal. The title is apt, describing Dan’s ‘second hand’ flashes, which come from the object he touches. The threads pull together via various characters’ points of view, to a harrowing climax. I also liked the way the characters’ relationships develop and strengthen; and in the midst of all the mayhem, people find themselves and each other. The plot is deceptively simple because it is so ingenious. Dan’s descent into a manic paranoia is skillfully documented, and one feels for him in the mental confusion that accompanies his visions. The author also includes some interesting thoughts on the nature of dreams, hallucinations, psychometry (psychic revelations via touching objects), and the power of the mind. Murder mystery and paranormal fans will love this book. … [Read more...]
Southern detective novels
Fifteen minutes of fame
Andy Warhol is credited with saying, "Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes." Levi Johnston appears determined to use all of his allotted time before he celebrates his 21st birthday. The father of Bristol Palin's child managed to make a name for himself first as a lucky sperm donor contributing his genes to a family destined for political fame. He leveraged his newfound notoriety by appearing in Playgirl magazine. He also drew attention to himself by dating 49 year old Kathy Griffin at the Teen Choice awards. Along the way Johnston made some disparaging remarks about Sarah Palin and her family that he later admitted were not true when he briefly reconciled with Bristol. Allegations he fathered another child with another young woman ended his engagement to Bristol Palin almost as quickly as it happened. As the limelight grows increasingly dim, Johnston is growing desperate to rekindle fleeting public interest in him. Therefore he plans to run for an unspecified political office in his hometown of Wasilla, Alaska. Johnston's manager Tank Jones was quoted as saying, "If you live in a town and things are happening in that town and you're displeased with it, what do you do? You try to change those things." Like what? Pressed to give details about what exactly it was that displeased Johnston and what he proposed to change, Jones declined. Still he insisted, "This is not a spoof. This is not a joke." We can only wish it were. Why does a twenty-year-old young man even need a publicist? What has he accomplished that merits publicity except to … [Read more...]
