East County Magazine
Book review:The Mission at Home: Navigating Military Assignments, TRICARE, Education, Benefits and Everyday Life with Your Child on the Autism Spectrum
Book by Jaime B. & Elizabeth Tracy Parent Reviewed by Pennell Paugh April 20, 2026 (San Diego) – Local authors Jaime and Elizabeth Parent have written a major reference for persons who have disabilities, with particular focus on those who have autism. While the book specifically addresses the services and needs of families in any of the military services,
Review of Ethan Talks to Animals: Eat Your Food Fussy Filo, by Nico Waters
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh April 20, 2026 (San Diego) — San Diego author Nico Waters has written a series of books for children. In Ethan Talks to Animals, second grader Ethan can talk to animals. Together with his dog, Chewie, Ethan helps their next-door neighbor’s cat eat his new diet. Printer-friendly version
Sarah Foles: A Short Story Collection by Travis Lee provides rich social commentary
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh March 22, 2026 (San Diego) — San Diego author Travis Lee has released a collection of short stories currently displayed in…
Irish Secrets and Lies by Debbie Wastling
Book by Debbie Wastling Reviewed by Pennell Paugh March 18, 2026 (San Diego) – Irish Secrets and Lies by Southern California author Debbie Wastling is…
‘I’m Adopted’ by Cynthia R. Gould is the cat’s meow
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh March 16, 2026 (San Diego County) — San Diego author Cynthia R. Gould has released her second chidren’s book, and second…
Cognitive behavioral therapy: healing through poetry
CBT Self-Therapy Poetry: A Right Brain Approach to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and DBT Self-Therapy Poetry: A Right-Brain Approach to Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Books by Dharlene…
The Bloodstones of Power: The Norwesis Chronicles, Book 3 by Alain Lescart
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh February 25, 2026 (San Diego) — Alain Lescart, a resident of San Diego, entered his latest fairy story in the San…
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
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 their bodies
Operation Masquerade: A Rent Beacham Mystery
Novel 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 1995
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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.
SHROUDED HORROR: TALES OF THE UNCANNY
By KC Grifant Reviewed by Pennell Paugh July 5, 2024 (San Diego) — KC Grifant’s debut short story collection, Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny, will be released on July 11 at an online event at 5 p.m. Join Galactic Terrors readings at https://tinyurl.com/y4gj654q. The San Diego author brings characters alive as they walk into a world
PHOTOGRAPHER ROY TOFT’S GIFT TO RAMONA
By Mimi Pollack Photos courtesy: Roy Toft, Teri Kerns, and Mimi Pollack June 18, 2024 (Ramona) – Ramona photographer Roy Toft, has always had an affinity for animals. This photographer has had many adventures in his life, photographing wildlife and leading tours around the world, but he calls Ramona home. He lives there with his wife, Stella,
PHOTOGRAPHER ROY TOFT’S GIFT TO RAMONA
By Mimi Pollack Photos courtesy: Roy Toft, Teri Kerns, and Mimi Pollack June 18, 2024 (Ramona) – Ramona photographer Roy Toft, has always had an affinity for animals. This photographer has had many adventures in his life, photographing wildlife and leading tours around the world, but he calls Ramona home. He lives there with his wife, Stella,
THE GUILDED PEN – TRAVERSING LIFE, THE SAN DIEGO WRITERS AND EDITORS GUILD 2023 ANTHOLOGY
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh June 18, 2024 (San Diego) — The San Diego Writers & Editors Guild is a nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to promoting the writing arts in San Diego. The Guilded Pen has been publishing anthologies of its members’ short stories, essays, and poetry since 2012. The 2023 version, Traversing Life, is the Guild’s best collection of
THE GUILDED PEN – TRAVERSING LIFE, THE SAN DIEGO WRITERS AND EDITORS GUILD 2023 ANTHOLOGY
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh June 18, 2024 (San Diego) — The San Diego Writers & Editors Guild is a nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to promoting the writing arts in San Diego. The Guilded Pen has been publishing anthologies of its members’ short stories, essays, and poetry since 2012. The 2023 version, Traversing Life, is the Guild’s best collection of
THE GUILDED PEN – TRAVERSING LIFE, THE SAN DIEGO WRITERS AND EDITORS GUILD 2023 ANTHOLOGY
Reviewed by Pennell Paugh June 18, 2024 (San Diego) — The San Diego Writers & Editors Guild is a nonprofit, member-supported organization dedicated to promoting the writing arts in San Diego. The Guilded Pen has been publishing anthologies of its members’ short stories, essays, and poetry since 2012. The 2023 version, Traversing Life, is the Guild’s best collection of
ALPINE RESIDENT PUBLISHES DEBUT COLLECTION OF SHORT FICTION: JOE CABANISS’ STORIES EXAMINE TRIALS, TRIUMPHS OF COMING OF AGE
Source: Joe Cabaniss press release June 8,2024 (Alpine)– In his debut story collection, Life Songs And Other Passages – San Diego Stories, native San Diegan Joe Cabaniss probes the spaces between youth and adulthood and explores a road paved with uncertainty, heartache and moral dilemmas. His characters strive to understand their lives and loves amid opposing forces that foster tension
ALPINE RESIDENT PUBLISHES DEBUT COLLECTION OF SHORT FICTION: JOE CABANISS’ STORIES EXAMINE TRIALS, TRIUMPHS OF COMING OF AGE
Source: Joe Cabaniss press release June 8,2024 (Alpine)– In his debut story collection, Life Songs And Other Passages – San Diego Stories, native San Diegan Joe Cabaniss probes the spaces between youth and adulthood and explores a road paved with uncertainty, heartache and moral dilemmas. His characters strive to understand their lives and loves amid opposing forces that foster tension
THE LIBRARY’S SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE IS BACK
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office June 4, 2024 (San Diego) — Do you like to read? Do you like to learn? How about, do you like to earn prizes? Well, this summer you can do all three. The County Library Summer Learning Challenge is back! This summer’s “Read, Learn, Create” reading challenge started Saturday
THE LIBRARY’S SUMMER LEARNING CHALLENGE IS BACK
By Gig Conaughton, County of San Diego Communications Office June 4, 2024 (San Diego) — Do you like to read? Do you like to learn? How about, do you like to earn prizes? Well, this summer you can do all three. The County Library Summer Learning Challenge is back! This summer’s “Read, Learn, Create” reading challenge started Saturday
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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
Book 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 better
Lucas and Emily’s Food Bank Adventure by Dave Grunenwald
Reviewed 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, they
Author Tanya Harris hosts book signing Sept. 21 at Grossmont Center to benefit domestic violence survivors
East 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 raise
Blood in the Water: an A.J. Hawke legal thriller
Novel 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 the