Media Coverage

A Word Please, 8/11/10

Suspense author, Darcia Helle's, blog gives details on RJ McDonnell's current library tour, entitled: How to Get Adult Children Interested in Reading Books. "R.J.’s books are young adult-friendly. There’s no strong language or graphic sex scenes to deter parents from sharing his books with their young adult and/or adult children. Plus, they are fun reads!"

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http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/2010/08/rj/

Moscow native RJ McDonnell has announced the upcoming release of his second book titled, Rock & Roll Rip-Off, which will be available sometime in April. ... In anticipation of his second release, McDonnell will be holding a combination book signing and mini-concert at the Medicine Shoppe in Moscow, on Saturday, March 6 ... (Rock & Roll Rip-Off) follows a band that is looking for a second chance after a very unsuccessful first release ... Be sure to see McDonnell's very unique approach to his one-of-a-kind book signing. 

[The Villager is not available in digital format but may be ordered at PO Box 655, Moscow, PA 18444]

McDonnell will be doing a combination book signing and free concert at Joe Nardone’s Gallery of Sound on Thursday, Feb. 18. The presentation is designed to introduce guests to the characters in his Rock & Roll Mystery Series through songs performed in an unplugged format.

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To see Rock & Roll Homicide's cover art featured on this site click here:

By Marjorie Kehe

You’ve got to love (almost) anything that gets non-readers into a book ... According to Market Watch, an analysis of the first 200 purchasers of the novel divided into two groups. Interestingly, about half of these were 18- to 35-year-olds who indicated that they were not book readers. (They had made statements like, “I don’t read” or “I hate books” on their MySpace profiles.) ... The book world is becoming a strange new place. Even as some of the old venues for connecting readers to books (newspaper reviews, your friendly neighborhood bookseller) seem to be under siege, surprising new ones (MySpace, online interview sites) are appearing – and are perhaps finding readers (and nonreaders) that the rest of us have not been reaching up until now.

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Playing Along

By Mick Halpin

RJ McDonnell, author of Rock & Roll Homicide jams with Critical Mick on "The Irish Mafia," The Dufus Detective, the escape tunnel and the seventeen sub-genres of HEAVY METAL. An unruly email interview, November 2008.

Critical Mick: I understand that, like your protagonist Jason Duffy, you're a rhythm guitarist.

RJ McDonnell: Yes, I started playing at the age of 9. Two years later, when "Meet the Beatles" hit the US, I went to my school nurse the morning after buying the album, complaining of a stomach ache. Unfortunately, I made the mistake of trying to figure out the chords by playing along to the hi-fi before the nurse had actually left my house.

Critical Mick's review of RJ McDonnell's Rock & Roll Homicide

CM: Very sneaky- just like Jason Duffy! Have you solved any crimes like he has? RJMcD: I'm currently working on the case of a small publisher trying to avoid getting killed during a global recession. For the full interview click on: http://www.criticalmick.com/criticalmick_mcdonnell_interview.htm  Also, see Critical Mick's unusual and entertaining critique of the novel on the Reviews page of this site.

Native Author Credits North Pocono as Influence

By Brad Beneski

(Brief excerpt from Page 1 story)

"I even got a taste of being behind the scenes for a major act when the J. Giles Band played at our school (Penn State)." McDonnell said. "The PA system for that show was provided by the Clair Brothers - best known for providing the sound system for Woodstock. It was during this particular event that McDonnell gained a real sense of authenticity for his fiction writing. "Reading through the J. Giles contract stipulations helped me with Rock & Roll Homicide," McDonnell said. "The victim was a rock star who was in the middle of renegotiating the band's contract with their record company, which had an unhealthy tie to the Russian Mafia."

"Rock & Roll Homicide by RJ McDonnell, set in San Diego’s rock underworld ... The investigation takes Duffy to a Mission Beach bar that resembles London’s West End in PB, a T.G.I. Fridays in El Cajon, Jake’s restaurant in Del Mar, and a Steve Poltz concert at the Belly Up. He also makes trips to Rancho Santa Fe, Cardiff by the Sea, Alpine, and Southeast San Diego.”

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