Hope’s 20th Review: Write What You Know

Author’s Note: Lance Carney is an author in his own “write.” A hospital pharmacist whose protagonist in his novel Ripped Tide: A Daniel O’Dwyer Oak Island Adventure is a – can you believe it? – pharmacist who reluctantly goes undercover to attempt to thwart a drug diversion scheme. Carney’s understated humor – you can hear it in his Amazon bio – makes the book sound like a hoot. It is first on my must-read list. As he points out in his review of The Long Shadow Of Hope concerning my background, writing what you know – using it as the backdrop – adds authenticity to the work.

On a personal note, Lance, a Dunbar, WV, native is a friend and former men’s league basketball comrade who I met through our mutual-amigo, Jody Jividen, one of the three departed souls to whom my book is dedicated, along with Mike Cherry, another shared friend, and Kelly Spradling Simmons.

Thanks for reading and thank you, Lance!  –  A.S.

5.0 out of 5 stars

Intrigue, Murder, Romance and Sports

By Lance T. Carney on February 5, 2017

Lookout Mountain State University’s football team is undefeated and the team and community are riding high. Going into a bye week after seven wins, the future of the team and its star quarterback, Ben Wright, couldn’t be brighter. But lurking just below the big plays, the Top 10 ranking, the Heisman hopeful, the ESPN highlights and chatter, is an unethical snake, playing the system for all it is worth. Pay-offs are made, deals are brokered, innocent players are put at risk and big money rules.

The Long Shadow of Hope is an impressive debut novel by author Andy Spradling. It is much more than a sports story; it has intrigue, murder and romance. Being about a university and football, you almost need a program to keep track of the characters. However, once main players of the mystery are set, the plot begins to develop and the story flows nicely. As a former sportswriter and college administrator, Spradling has had a reserved seat to what goes on behind the scenes. He provides details in this book about a fictional university that only an authentic insider would know. Sports equals big money and greed often leads to ignoring the rules.

So break out the tailgate snacks and sit down with The Long Shadow of Hope; it was an excellent, enjoyable read and I highly recommend it.

Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase

Check out Ripped Tide at: https://www.amazon.com/Lance-Carney/e/B00JYHCTI6

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