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I just received the final cover for Hard Knocks. I’m very grateful to Jim Brown, an accomplished author, who took the time to support and encourage me; to Don Markos, my old professor from back in the day, who early on recognized that I could write; to Vinny Carbone, my brother in Christ, who sharedContinue reading “The Final Cover for Hard Knocks”

12 SATURDAY NIGHT’S ALRIGHT FOR FIGHTING The Hooligans offered power, always ready to fight with Commack South or Kings Park, the next town over. And we knew where to find trouble—the Commack Drive Inn, where everyone hung out. One Friday night, we got into it against some guys from South. The irrelevance of who startedContinue reading “A Portion of Chapter 12-Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting, for Anthony Randazzo and Bobby Darrell”

I just received this email from Ian at Wipf and Stock. Ray,Now, pending a final in-house review, the book is onto production. It should become available for order within 30 days (depending on endorsements), at which time you will be contacted by someone from our Marketing Department. If you have any questions in the meantime,Continue reading “I’m so excited!”

Donald W. Markos: Review of Hard Knocks: Memoir of a Small Moment by Ray Lopez Hard Knocks is a biography that engages the reader just as a good novel does. Lopez writes in a sophisticated but vivid plain style that calls attention to what’s going on in the world in which the author confronts hard knocks and givesContinue reading “Don Marcos Review of Hard Knocks”

A Latino machismo heritage exists on my Dad’s side of the family. In the public eye, the father, the head of the family, ruled. But the mother, the heart of the family, really ran the show. Pop stood 5’2” tall with 140 pounds of ripped muscle packed onto his diminutive frame. My favorite story —Continue reading “For my cousin Tom Lopez-an excerpt from Hard Knocks (Memoir of a Small Moment)-Chapter 1-No (being released by Wipf and Stock Publishers this summer)”