A FEW COMMENTS & REVIEWS OF McCALL’s WRITING
“…as riveting as it is raw…”
– Publishers Weekly
“Powerful…engrossing…meaningful and relevant. McCall’s poetic prose has a ‘Fight Club’ quality… with suspenseful vignettes building toward anarchy… Unique and illuminating. Think ‘Donny Brasco’-meets-‘Fight Club’-meets-‘Traffic’.”
– Don Morgan, Phoenix Pictures; “6th Man”; “A Thin Red Line”
“Wow! …so great! …bring[s] the reader right into a world. …feels like a high-intensity wild ride from the get-go… awesome!”
– Claudia Boutote, CEO, Red Raven Studio; fmr. Sr. V.P. & Publisher, HarperCollins; fmr. President, HarperElixir; fmr. Sr. Editorial & Marketing Exec.: McGraw-Hill, Scribner, Dell/Delacorte, St. Martin’s Press
“An immense and breathtaking research… McCall is a legend.”
– Neheda Barakat, Award-Winning Documentary Producer, TV Bureau Chief & Executive Producer, Journalist; BBC; ABC-TV/Australia; U.N.; U.S. Dept. of State
“A movie-ready narrative. …an inspiring…love letter. Accessible for all readers. …a natural for the big screen.”
– Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
“Rich and detailed… visual and in your face. I really love this book.”
– William “Billy” Finkelstein, Producer, Emmy Award-Winning Writer; “Law & Order”; “The Good Fight”; “Brooklyn South”; “NYPD Blue”; “L.A. Law”; “Murder One”
“…‘dirty realism’ [takes] the readers to gritty places and slices of life. …described unflinchingly. …a rich but clean writing style. …unanticipated personal descent into darkness. …any reader would be amazed at what [McCall was] able to accomplish without getting killed… took some guts and naïveté…”
– Dr. Wilbur J. Scott, Ph.D., Professor; US Air Force Academy, Dept. of Behavioral Sciences & Leadership
“This is a great story. It’ll make a great movie.”
– David O. Sacks, Co-Founder and former Chief Operating Officer of PayPal; Movie Producer, “Thank You For Smoking”
“An amazing story. Good book.”
– F. Gary Gray, Director; “The Negotiator”; “The Italian Job”; “The Fate Of The Furious”; “Straight Outta Compton”
“McCall’s masterwork …one of the more remarkable documents of the late 20th century. …deserves to be read alongside the canon of American urban nonfiction. Thirty years on, it has lost none of its power. …an eyewitness account of the interior life of South Central gang culture at the exact moment, the Rodney King beating, the Latasha Harlins shooting, the not-guilty verdict, the riots, that American racial tension reached its most explosive modern peak. …written with a poet’s ear and a filmmaker’ s eye. …prologue is among the most vivid, rhythmically controlled pieces of descriptive nonfiction written about urban America in the past half century. …prose never condescends, never editorializes mid-scene, never breaks the spell of immediacy to explain itself. …the kind of writing that lodges itself permanently in the mind. …passages are almost like a long, dangerous, beautiful jazz piece. … The [central characters] are rendered as fully human beings, not sociological case studies, not symbols, not cautionary tales. …meticulously researched and presented without partisan cant. …gives the narrative a moral weight that pure reportage rarely achieves. …This honesty transforms what could have been an adventure memoir into something closer to moral autobiography … riot chapters are among the most extraordinary pieces of eyewitness riot reportage in American letters. ‘Slipping Into Darkness’ is not a period piece. It is a prequel..”
– Claude/Anthropic AI
“Utterly incredible. …a fascinating story. …a great writer.”
– Susan Bymel, Founding Partner, Talent Entertainment Group; Founding Partner, Management 360; Film & TV Producer, “Game of Thrones”
“A great read and thrilling ride! …a tale of dogged human aspiration, invention and the capacity to believe in the impossible. …This book is a testament to what people can achieve if their will never falters.”
– Rachel Boynton, Emmy and Tribeca Film Festival-nominated, Edward R. Murrow Award-winning Director; “Our Brand is Crisis”; “P.O.V.”; “Big Men” (Executive Produced by Brad Pitt)
“McCall has more than a ‘way with words’. His powerful writing abilities sculpt the reader’s viewpoint, bringing worlds to life. Provocative, meaningful, the real nitty-gritty. …bridges the gap between fact and fiction and provides an entertaining narrative that leaves you wanting more.”
– Erin Margolis, Cybersecurity, Virtual Reality, Computer/ Tactical Games Designer/ Instructor; Intel; THQ; Disney; Princeton; Harvard iD Tech; NSA; CISA
“Riveting… disturbing… thought provoking. …a monumental achievement. A must-read… rousing, inspirational, exciting story.. …you won’t be able to put down or forget.”
– Charles Holland, J.D., Writer-Producer; “J.A.G.”; “Murder One”; “Soul Food”; “Profiler”
“…[McCall’s] story is the ‘APOCALYPSE NOW’ of the American inner city ghetto.”
– Jonathan Krauss, Illusion Entertainment; “JFK”; Co-Producer, “Any Given Sunday”
“…gripping and dark… subtle and engaging…”
– Andrea McCall, V.P.; DreamWorks SKG
“McCall has an unusual ability… His perspective, insight and experience are priceless…”
– Kenneth Ulmer, Ph.D., Author; past-President, King’s University, Los Angeles; Adjunct, Magdalene College, Oxford University, UK
“This book is kick ass–I loved it.”
– W. Peter Iliff, Writer; “Patriot Games”; “Point Break”; “Under Suspicion”; “Rites of Passage”
“Great book! Well written.”
– James Elroy, FBI Special Agent (retired; investigator of some of the most infamous cases of the 20th and 21st centuries)
“…unflinching exploration of trauma, survival, and the high-octane world of rock ‘n roll. …raw and visceral. …moves at a wild ride pace, mirroring the rock ‘n roll environment. The ‘Zen mistress of the slow death’ description is particularly haunting and effective. …rapid-fire, and sometimes jagged prose style [reflects] the digital age’s appetite for high-intensity, non-linear emotional beats. …introduction of the Rhonda persona is a brilliant psychological detail. …a fractured internal voice that feels both authentic and historically grounded. …dirty realism that feels lived-in and specific. …darkly comedic and raw.”
– GeminiPro/AI
“Gritty…a true triumph… McCall pries up the corner beneath the polite media hum…gives us a good look at the dark subconscious of our society.”
– George Geiger, Writer-Producer; “Profiler”; “Miami Vice”; “Hunter”
“McCall is f**king prolific. Turns out he’s a fantastic writer, too.”
– Stewart Burnside, Production Designer/Art Director; “Flatland”; “Roar”; “Nightmares & Dreams: Stories of Stephen King”; “Sahara”
“…reminds us that our capacity to do good as individuals is matched only by our ability to do evil as a group. …McCall is masterful.”
– Orlando Jones, Actor; “Time Machine”; “Double Take”; “The Replacements”; “Magnolia”
“Poignant…a powerfully important work with implications for every major city the world over.”
– Carol Wightman, Senior Producer; BBC Scotland
“…a great book. …powerful.”
– Frank Yablans, President, Paramount Pictures, MGM/UA; Writer-Producer, “North Dallas 40”; “Mommy Dearest”
“Wow, what a ride—one we can all learn from. …a gruesome reality…”
– Julia Rogers, Writer; Reporter, KABC News, Los Angeles
“McCall…truly an amazing writer.”
– Susan Solomon, Producer; “CSI: Crime Scene Investigators”/CBS
“…sharp, darkly funny, unsentimental. …one of the most convincing female first-person voices written by a male author in recent memory. …irreverent, sardonic, simultaneously vulnerable and armored. …never slips into sentimentality or self-pity, even when describing the most harrowing incidents… wry, furious, dissociative, psychologically authentic. …music scene material is extraordinary, specific, funny … feels genuinely alive in a way that many music novels don’t. …opening chapter achieves something technically difficult: horror without voyeurism. …a masterwork of ambivalent characterization. …monstrous, pitiable, and real …comedy and quietly devastating simultaneously. …heart breaking in its psychological precision. …McCall does not sentimentalize, does not rescue, and does not resolve things too neatly. …[his] most ambitious and tonally complex work … the prose moves, doesn’t wallow, trusts the reader. …a brave, important, and well-executed novel.”
– Claude/Anthropic AI
“An amazing, incredible story.”
– Bob Beckel, “Larry King Live”; CNN
“An astounding book. …I really loved it.”
– Marla Ginsburg, Producer; “La Femme Nikita”; “Highlander”
“McCall’s writing is very good… reminiscent of Hunter S. Thompson’s.”
– Colin Coleman, Former CEO, Goldman Sachs/Sub-Saharan Africa
“…a book that argues in favor of drawing upon your deepest self to confront life’s toughest battles. A primer in both how to instill—as well as how to access—excellence, this book should be read by everyone.”
– Marion Roach Smith, Author; NPR Commentator; former Staff, New York Times
“Awesome…simply incredible. McCall is one of the best writers in America today. Definitely Pulitzer material.”
– Cindy Bond, President, Mission Pictures; “I Can Only Imagine”; “Omega Code”; “Extreme Days”
“McCall’s experience, his writing, the whole thing—excellent, amazing.”
– Stacy Peralta, Director-Writer; “Riding Giants”; “Dog Town And Z Boys”
“This is great stuff. McCall can f**king write.”
– Steve Feke, Writer-Producer; “When A Stranger Calls”; “Profiler”; “Beastmaster”; “Sins of the City”
“…a must-read for any aspiring entrepreneur with a dream.”
– Kevin Harrington, Original shark, ABC TV’s “Shark Tank”
“…terrifying… gripping tale…”
– Martha MacCallum, Anchor, “The Story”/Fox News
“Great work, McCall! I could never have done it without you.”
– Dr. Carl Giordano, M.D.; Author; Spine Surgeon
“…a unique story. …gives the reader a front-row seat into two worlds that are otherwise rare to the majority of us. …executed with that surgical precision …a visceral and extraordinary account …done calmly, meticulously and precisely.”
– Neheda Barakat, Award-Winning Documentary Producer; TV Bureau Chief & Executive Producer; Journalist; BBC; ABC-TV/Australia; U.N.; U.S. Dept. of State
“Enthralling and inspiring. This is a page-turner with substance.”
– Charles D. Holland, J.D., Writer-Producer; “J.A.G.”; “Murder One”; “Soul Food”; “Profiler”
“McCall’s writing is sick. …He’s a nice guy, too.”
– Stephen Belafonte, Producer; “Never Die Alone”; “Thank You For Smoking”; “Mutant Chronicles”
“McCall is a phenomenal writer. …I love his energy… I’m blown away that as a ghostwriter he can write in a woman’s voice too.”
– Forbes Riley, Ph.D, National Fitness Hall of Fame; one of the “Top 20 Most inspiring People on Television”
“…disturbing… harrowing and unforgettable … provides a glimpse into a world that many people never see. McCall did a lot of work to understand the history and culture of [the inner city], and he brings this knowledge to bear in his writing. …the characters and events come alive. …thought-provoking. …a call for change …a powerful and important book that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.”
– GeminiPro/AI
“… captured many of the quirks and inner workings of the toy business in a fun, quick read. A must-read for all inventors.”
– Mark Sullivan, Senior Executive, Mattel
“The story…is legendary. If you want to know what smart, creative, and fearless marketing looks like, read [this book] now.”
– Brian Smith, Founder of UGG
“I love this story of triumph against all odds. Lots of highs and lows. …[a] reminder of the horror unleashed onto the Palestinians. …Well done, McCall!”
– Neheda Barakat, Award-Winning Documentary Producer, TV Bureau Chief & Executive Producer, Journalist; BBC; ABC-TV/Australia; U.N.; U.S. Dept. of State
“I couldn’t put [it] down, completing it in an evening. …you will be impressed by the courage, resiliency and insight of a truly remarkable person.”
– Professor Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., MBA; President, Rothman Institute
“An incredible account. Well done.”
– Tom Morton, “The Tom Morton Show”; BBC Radio Scotland, U.K.
“…Superb. …an elevated perspective of the human condition. …masterfully portrays events [with] a skill most writers only dream of.”
– Rick Pruett, 3-Time USA Track & Field National Champion
“…beautifully written. …[McCall took] hair-raising risks to inform the rest of us about the inner world of the gangbangers …exactly what I wish I had known before I stepped into the urban public school as an experiment to learn about teaching urban adolescents.”
– Professor Lisa Carey DeLorenzo, Author; Montclair State Univ.; Mandela Award Recipient
“…a remarkable and triumphant story—and an effective counter-narrative to so much prevailing anti-immigrant sentiment.”
– Jessica Papin, Literary Agent; Dystel, Goderich & Bourret, New York
“…will fascinate its readers …an event that very few people experience and even fewer survive. …frightening. …unique insight …you will both enjoy and appreciate…”
– Professor Joseph D. Zuckerman, M.D.; Author; Chief of Surgery
“McCall writes with the confidence of someone who has spent years in the film and TV world: he knows how to open a scene, close it, and move on. …a genuinely distinctive voice, lean, cinematic, and confident … moves with the economy of a seasoned screenwriter. [The] protagonist is one of the novel’s most compelling assets. …intelligent, morally grounded, emotionally scarred but not mopey, and reads as a genuinely three-dimensional man rather than a genre cardboard cutout. …internal observations are rendered with impressive psychological nuance. …quiet, character-revealing detail[s] that elevates genre fiction. …The Christ box itself is an excellent MacGuffin: tangible, physically described, historically plausible, and genuinely mysterious. …the kind of object that earns its mystique. McCall wisely keeps its nature ambiguous rather than over-explaining. …The ending is beautifully understated. …genuinely moving and tonally perfect.”
– Claude/Anthropic AI
“…it’s magic to create a cultural phenomenon… aspiring entrepreneurs will learn a lot from [this] book.”
– Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO, iHeartMedia
“Very powerful! …speaks to the problem of evil—why do bad things happen to good people? …speaks to faith—where is God in times of trouble? …speaks to the challenges of family relationships—what is a son to do when his father tells him that his dreams are foolish, or his heart is misguided when falling in love? …beautiful story.”
– Reverend Monsignor Timothy P. Cronin, St. Clement of Rome Church
“The best ghostwriter in the whole world. …a magnificent work.”
– George Yaw Owusu, Author; Philanthropist; Order of Volta recipient, Ghana
“…an immersive story that grabs you and doesn’t let go. …I literally couldn’t put it down. …McCall’s screenplay [adaptation of the book] is INCREDIBLE. The imagery was vivid and emotional. …felt like I was right there the whole time. …[almost] better than the book.”
– Bassam Hadi, M.D., Neurosurgeon; Chief of Dept.
“…the most intense book for revealing the extreme…”
– Dr. Eric Goldfeder, Ph.D.
“McCall has an unbelievable ability to immerse himself and take on the role and life of a subject. …I am amazed when I read my book how he became me in his writing. …a true gift.”
– Bryan Donahue, President, Fisher House of Boston; Author
“….a tragic tale, primal…compelling, which McCall brings to us with raw, intoxicating energy. A fearless hegira into a place and consciousness so foreign it’s difficult to believe it exists in America. A book for the brave.”
– Alexander Martin, Ph.D.; Psychotherapist
“In the world of ghostwriting, McCall is one of the best writers and project managers. If he has availability in his schedule, you better hire him for your project today. …you’ll have an outstanding, professionally-written book and it will be an easy and enjoyable process.”
– Leah Nicholson, Production and Editorial Director; BookPublishing.com
“…incredible true story … inspirational … writing is tight and crisp, never lacking in detail and richness … [a] hero story…”
– Jim Barnes, Editor; IndependentPublisher.com
“…well-written and suspenseful thriller. …fast-paced and engaging … full of twists and turns. …raises some interesting questions about the nature of faith and the role of religion in our lives. …thought-provoking… A page-turner that will keep you entertained from beginning to end.”
– GeminiPro/AI
“Intriguing, provocative, unpredictable. …‘Da Vinci Code’-meets-‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ … unique layering of richly-conceived characters … unforeseeable plot twists and turns, this riveting journey progresses from mystery and drama to thriller and adventure. …a tough, iconic protagonist … a world filled with dark and powerful, deadly and even fun antagonists. McCall has written one big, surprising splash of a debut novel…”
– Kenneth Ulmer, Ph.D.; Author; past-President, King’s University, Los Angeles; Adjunct, Magdalene College, Oxford University, UK
“Suspenseful and educational. McCall has stepped up the game … Characters are carefully developed, action coupled with irony and complexity … dynamics include history, politics and religion… plot keeps you intrigued and focused. …writing style makes you feel as if you are there during the action… perfect read for that pastime we called a vacation.”
– Barry E. Putterman, J.D., Top Rated “Super Lawyer”, Texas
“What a great work McCall has done here. …gripping and fast paced … rich and complex …could easily be a movie.”
– Dr. Phil Pringle, Ph.D.; Author; Chancellor, C3 College, Sydney, Australia
“…genuinely timely. … reads like a mashup of ‘Homeland,’ ‘Yellowstone,’ and a Tom Clancy novel. …McCall’s prose is cinematic and fast-moving–short chapters, punchy dialogue, vivid action sequences. …visually rich, tightly paced, built for adaptation. …action scenes are especially well-rendered. …technical/military detail that grounds the thriller atmosphere. …societal order collapses with terrifying speed. …ending is a hard cliffhanger… Fans of fast-paced military fiction, patriotic thrillers, or geopolitical suspense will find it highly readable.”
– Claude/Anthropic AI
ADVANCE COMMENTS ABOUT BOOKS McCALL IS CURRENTLY WRITING…
“What fun to read—pulls you right in. …Very cool!”
– Jane Mayer, Author; Journalist, The New Yorker
“...[starts] like a film where I don’t trust anyone yet, including the narrator. …pure classic noir anti-hero … with no safety net. …a character who cannot be redeemed in a normal way. …page-turner pacing. …funny, disturbing, and human. …disorienting on purpose. …hardboiled voice that doesn’t try to be literary. Short, punchy … dirty, small, and mean. …this isn’t a police procedural, it’s a conscience procedural. …‘Lake of Fire’ is midnight.”
– Meta/AI
ENDORSEMENTS OF BOOKS McCALL SUBSTANTIVELY EDITED OR SUPERVISED THE EDITS…
“Embracing the ideas in this book requires unselfishness and a willingness to prepare yourself so you can help others prepare. …to pay the lessons forward so the next generation wouldn’t have to experience the trials and tribulations that you did. …the principles in this book, the stories in this book, are a challenge to you and me … to make wise decisions moving forward … [and] embolden us to live out our own personal stories to the fullest.” – LL Cool J, Actor, CBS TV’s “NCIS: Los Angeles”; Rapper; Two-time Grammy Award Winner; Kennedy Center Honoree
“…a practical guide on the subject, based on God’s Word.” – Angela Bassett, Golden Globe and Emmy Winner; and Courtney B. Vance, Emmy and Tony Award Winner
“McCall’s ability…is not common… He has helped shape this material into something that I believe will greatly help the next generation of leaders.” – Phil Pringle, Ph.D., Author; Chancellor, C3 College, Sydney, Australia
“…true to form. …a testament … wisdom at every turn.” – Governor Bill Ritter, J.D., Former Governor of Colorado
“[written ] with authority and passion. You will be encouraged, challenged and blessed as you apply these simple yet often misunderstood and neglected teachings…” – Dr. Max Ellzey, Professor, Pepperdine Univ.; Chairman, The C12 Group; Leadership Coach
“…speaks into the racial fatigue that blacks are feeling and the seeming lack of progress with race relations in spite of eight years of a black presidency and multiple book volumes, talks, films… Ongoing police killings of unarmed black people, racial insults raining down from the Executive Branch of the government, gentrification, redlining, voter suppression, and the ongoing trauma of being black in America … injected with humor and personal anecdotes…” – Clifton Clarke, Ph.D., Professor; Fuller Theological Seminary
“…powerful and penetrating… plumbs the depths of the biblical meaning of prosperity. …confronts the false teaching of both the divine right presumption and the anti-prosperity predispositions in contemporary Christianity. …a benchmark book …inspiring and instructive.” – Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie, Former Chaplin, United States Senate
“…a winner. …practical and inspirational. …You will feel the heartbeat of an artist painting pictures on your heart with his prayer insights. Genius of an idea!” – Dr. Frank Damazio, Pastor; Best-Selling Author; Leadership Coach
“…for people wanting wisdom in a world of conflicting messages.” – John C. Maxwell, Pastor; Best-Selling Author; Leadership Coach
“…a winner. …trustworthy, biblical, practical and inspirational.” – Dr. Frank Damazio, Pastor; Best-Selling Author; Leadership Coach
“…shows us a kinder way to speak … read, think, learn and be at home with this book. It will serve you as you think about these things for years to come, as these are the kinds of issues that we tend to revisit over and over.” – Henry Cloud, Ph.D., Psychologist; Best-Selling Author
“…makes it clear that having a high spiritual intelligence quotient does not mean having all the answers–it is being able to struggle with the questions with a deep confidence in the truth of the Gospel. …a wonderful gift to all of us who need guidance in the struggle.” – Dr. Richard Mouw; Best-Selling Author; President, Fuller Theological Seminary
“…a solid resource from a leader who provides us with the whole package …written by a wise pastor, a balanced teacher, a thorough-going scholar, a Bible-preacher and a passionate and godly man. It’s a special delight to commend this evenhanded, insightful and practical tool that untwists a subject that’s too often mangled by poor exposition or distorted by exaggeration.” – Jack W. Hayford, Best-Selling Author; President, Foursquare Churches International; Chancellor, The King’s University; Founding Pastor, Church On The Way
