Book Review: Persona non Grata

About the book:
Paladin Smith is in a foreign country—and way out of his element! Sent to war-threatened Crimea to persuade a rebellious former student to return home, seminary teacher Paladin soon finds himself in the midst of political intrigues and international conspiracy. The close calls and adventures of this everyman thrust onto the world stage will thrill you until the final page!

Persona non Grata

About the author:
Stephen J. Stirling was born in Los Angeles, California and grew up in the Southeast LA semi-ghetto of Huntington Park. Graduating from high school in 1970, he received a scholarship to Brigham Young University at the age of 17. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1976, and then spent the next few years wandering America in search of adventure. Interspersed through his college career and days on the road, he served a mission in Chile and taught for 8 years as an early morning seminary teacher. Settling briefly in Chicago, he entered the profession of advertising, a field in which he ultimately held many positions with companies from the Mid West to the Pacific Coast. He eventually planted roots in Orange County, California, where he established Stirling Communications and spent 15 years as a freelance copywriter, scriptwriter, and video producer. In 1994 he was hired by the Church Educational System and relocated with his family to Gilbert, Arizona, where he has fulfilled a lifelong dream of teaching released-time seminary for the past 20 years. He and his wife, Diane, were married in 1981 and are the parents of five children – Jennifer, Lindsey, Brooke, Marina, and Vladimir. Brother Stirling is the author of several books, including The Ultimate Catalogue and Shedding Light on the Dark Side.

From Reidhead Randomness (Hubby guest posting):

Everyone has a hero, someone they want to be when they grow up.  They imagine the adventures they will have making a difference in the world.  This is a story of just such an occurrence.  I love the fact that the hero of this book is an “ordinary” teacher who is enabled to make a difference in the world by the support of his loving wife and father.  I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book as the author wove a tale that constantly put the hero in unpredictable, but believable situations that required wit and divine help to escape from.  I liked the humor of the author and found myself laughing or chuckling several times.  I think the story moves fast enough for even middle school readers.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone!