Brotherhood Beyond the Yard

MARTY SHIMMEL National Sales Manager, Time Warner Cable, Western New York “Tough To Put Down. Once you pick up this well written intriguing tale of deception it can be very tough to put down. Sally Fernandez does an outstanding job of telling the story of five extremely intelligent and daring college buddies as they plot and succeed in deceiving the American electorate, U.S. government officials and the international banking system.  In a story that takes you from the United States to the magnificent city of Florence and back again you’ll find yourself on the edge of your seat from beginning to end! Upon finishing this book some people will ask themselves the question ‘could something like this really happen?’ While others will think it already has…”

MAESTRO DEBRA CHEVERINO Fulbright Recipient, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Florence, Italy  “Ingenious harmonic conception – Dazzling plot with infectious power, nuance, and sparkling wit – in a true potential enigma. Only a select few can ignite the palette of curiosity and blend together fantastical overtones with such power, nuance, and transformative persuasiveness. Sally Fernandez’ debut Brotherhood Beyond the Yard invites you to ponder the contemporary enigmas of our age and leaves you longing for the sequel. A resounding ovation!”

GARRETT B. VONK President – Keiser Career College & Southeastern Institute Florida  “OMG! Two stories, two themes, one artfully crafted story. The trip through the intrigue filled political ‘plan’ was great. So timely yet easy to ‘pretend’ it was fiction. Both fiction and fact roiling in my head. Very fun. The entire ‘plausible’ story resonating. The message is clear…red or blue, this story is fun…. in a scary sort of way. And then the trip through Florence, absolutely stunning. Recreating for those of us who have spent too little time in this fabulous city, why there are a thousand reasons to go back. The Part Two was written in a fabulous style that was less crime drama and so much more concerto! I could read each as a separate novel and be pleased, together they are wonderful… Can’t wait for the sequel. I could go on, but know that it is bellissimo!”

BRIDGET SHERIDAN Human Resource Executive, Healthcare Industry, Wisconsin  “It was excellent. The description of the characters, scenes and technology was outstanding. Often the descriptions in the book can lose my interest, this was not the case. Truly a great story and I found myself thinking that this would make a great movie. Ending was a real surprise. I look forward to the next book.”

ALFRED S. VEDRO Independent Media Producer (Ret.), Florida  “Great read! Unfortunately, all the clichés in English are true and have become so firmly entrenched in our vocabulary that few or no fresh phrases have entered the language. So, when we want to give praise we are stuck with the all-too-familiar ‘compelling,’ ‘page-turner,’ ‘riveting,’ and the like — all appropriate for Brotherhood, but I lack the talent to come up with anything more complimentary.  So, I hope readers will accept my very simple WOW!    I thoroughly enjoyed Brotherhood — plot, characters, setting, and the many subtle little clevernesses and clues the author drops in as the plot progresses — that I can’t quote here for fear of giving it away.”

BRIAN LEAHY Owner, Frost Lighting, New York, Chicago, Washington D.C., Florida  “Riveting, powerful, absorbing…”

DR. PATRICIA AMES Fulbright Scholar, Maine  “Fascinating story, intriguing title. It certainly is thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating. It easily brings to mind the power of the Pericles quote at the beginning of the book. Kudos to a new and exciting author!”

BETH LITTMAN-QUINN Vice President at Marketburst, Massachusetts  “What if…??? Very well written political ‘what if?’ Couldn’t put it down. Wanted to know what is going to happen to us! Perfect book for these questionable times”

EDWIN CHADBOURNE PhD Human Resources Professional, Australia  “Unquestionably, this is a book for the thinking reader. Sally Fernandez has painted this story on a large canvas. It is certainly no ‘itsy-bitsy’ paperback exploring the inconsequential, that’s for sure. The book’s combination of intellect, authenticity and believability, led me on several occasions, to almost forget that I was reading fiction. The author’s use of language is quite exceptional. The characters in the story come across as being very real people. I like the way the author very cleverly introduced them upfront and then incrementally unveiled further aspects of their personality’s right through to the very end. And what a disparate group of people that were assembled, too. I’m still pondering the book’s serious dose of reality and am impatient to get my hands on a copy of the sequel!”

LOU SANANDRES International Bank Executive (Ret.), Florida  “Perhaps 30 years ago The Brotherhood might have been considered ‘kinda out there’, but in today’s complicated world it’s a ‘yeah…it could be’. I am an impetuous and undisciplined reader — I scan, I skip pages, characters names (other than Smith and Jones) are, to me, only images…I make no attempt to get the pronunciation of complicated names and places. I took a different approach with The Brotherhood only because of who the author is. Initially, this new way of reading frustrated me. However, fact that Fernandez took the time to really introduce the main players allowed me to now only really get to know each one, but I could even visualize many of them. It made for a better reading experience. If it sounds like I enjoyed the Brotherhood, you’re right.”

RAMON J. FERNANDEZ Commercial Real Estate Investment (Ret.), Florida  “MMMMMMM? You will like this book for the plot, writing style, pace, characters, and sense of place (especially Florence). What you won’t like is the frightening plausibility of its premise.”

>PHILIP AMES Marketing Director, General Electric (Ret.), Florida  “Two Thumbs Up! Brotherhood Beyond the Yard is a gripping story of intrigue from beginning to end. The reader is captured by the ingenuity and daring of the Brotherhood and their unprecedented impact (one hopes) on the political and economic future of our country and the world. In its daring exploitation of the national political process with worldwide implications, the reader is left to ponder the possibility of reality and its consequences. truly a mystery one is left pondering could it really happen. Can’t wait for the sequel.”

HORACE W. GIBSON Co-Founder of the International School of Florence, Italy  “I have finished reading Brotherhood Beyond the Yard. I commend the author for her imagination and for her use of her expertise and knowledge of politics, finance, academe, and electronics. the plot is a natural for a Hollywood film: I can see George Clooney in several of the roles. Complimenti!! I eagerly await the sequel.”

DAN DULIN Senior Editor, A&U Magazine  “Simon Hall, one of the characters in Sally Fernandez’ addictive novel, BROTHERHOOD BEYOND THE YARD, is an ace puppeteer, manipulating the people he encounters, taking them and you on a thrilling political roller coaster. Timely – Could it be paralleled to the current administration? — and masterly crafted, Sally’s action prose will have you riveted right up to the last page. I impatiently anticipate a sequel to see Simon’s next strategic move.”

RICHARD COBELLO Director, Information Technology, Schenectady County Government, New York  “A hidden treasure.  The type of books I have read over the years included Michael Crichton, John Grisham, David Baldacci, and RJ Pinerio. I now have a new favorite author. Sally Fernandez has a tightly written gem that captures the essence of intrigue and intelligence in the formulation of and intellectual thriller. The plot and character development are superb in weaving a tale from fun to fruition. The characters are well defined and compartmentalized in their purpose and personality. The fast pace of a game gone wrong will keep your interest and you will hope it never ends…You’ll get your wish as the end has unexpected twist that will grab you back for the next one… Fantastic read for all seasons!”

PHILIP CLAYPOOL Acclaimed Country Western Singer/Songwriter, San Francisco  “Amazed and Amused. Brotherhood Beyond the Yard far exceeded my expectations from a new writer on the scene. I was pleasantly drawn into the plot, and as it developed I was often amazed and amused at how well the author manipulated my curiosity and intrigue regarding the characters as they intertwined their lives in order to devise and undertake a ‘master’ plan. Now I am left wanting to read more of what I hope will the first part of an epic story to come. Did someone say the future is now….?”

LINDA CABE HALPERN Dean of University Studies, James Madison University, Virginia “The Brotherhood Beyond the Yard is a wonderful story—compelling and all too believable. It is masterfully plotted, with every episode revealing an increasingly tangled but utterly plausible scheme in which fundamentally decent people perpetrate a despicable fraud, manipulated by a master puppeteer. The fast-paced denouement satisfies all the expectations of a political thriller and yet leaves just enough unfinished business to leave readers anxiously awaiting the next installment. I enjoy reading mysteries and thrillers, and found the story and the characters both original enough to capture my interest fully and at the same time well within the expectations of the genre. This is a story that unfolds both psychologically and visually, almost begging for a cinematic rendering, and I found myself visualizing many of the individual chapters as scenes in a movie.

PHIL OTTO Veteran Silicon Valley CEO and Harvard MBA  “Kudos to Fernandez on her first novel. I just finished reading  ‘Brotherhood’ which  had I ordered from Amazon. Great fun, great read with lots of twists and turns – some predictable, some not –with a very creative plot which makes one wonder about our “real” politicians here in the U.S. Interesting reference to the special application of the Datamars ISO Max V Chip Scanner… I thought it was only for pets with embedded chips. A scary example of what uses technology can be put to for nefarious purposes. I also enjoyed  vicariously Noble’s erudite tour of Florence toward the end of the book, and  wish I could have joined in on the lunch at Ristorante Birreria Centrale. Might there be a next installment?”

DONNA POST Banking Consultant (Ret.), Florida  “FABULOUS! Absorbing tale with twists and turns that make the read enjoyable and entertaining. A contemporary, well thought out and clever plot – the phrase ‘page turner’ was invented for this book!!”

JOHN PEARL Partner, Pearl Associates, Greenwich, Connecticut  “I recently read BEYOND THE YARD a very topical novel capturing the essence and trauma of today’s political drama. It is a wonderful catharsis for those of us looking for a revelation as we move from crisis to crisis both domestically and internationally. Wonderfully developed characters emerge from their mutual college experience at Harvard [ergo, the yard] to shape the today’s events.

RICHARD HALPERN  B.A. University of California at Berkeley, B.A. (Honours) Oxford University, M.A. and Ph.D. Princeton University  “Not A Bedtime Read!  Perhaps the most revealing comment I could make about Brotherhood Beyond the Yard is that both my wife and I tried at first to make it bedtime reading. This proved entirely impossible, because after reading even only ten pages or so, we both found we couldn’t sleep—too much adrenalin flowing! That tells you a lot about the nature of the book.

AURELIUS FERNANDEZ U.S. Diplomat (Ret.), Maryland  “An engaging page turner! If you like mystery novels with lots of contemporary political overtones, you’ll love Brotherhood Beyond the Yard. You will enjoy many thinly disguised aspects of the contemporary Washington political scene treated in a measured and non-polemical style that make for an engaging read. The story happily takes place before the debilitating August 2011 debt/deficit fandango in Washington, which has spoiled the summer for so many mystery readers around the globe who can devour this book as welcomed relief. So, run, don’t walk to your nearest book store and buy it…An appealing aspect of the narrative concerns the way the writer takes the reader, inter alia, from Harvard to Washington — convincing scenes in the White House — Menlo Park, CA and most of all, Florence, Italy, a key site in the story. As a bonus, read the final chapters with attention and you will learn about the best sites to take in the beauty of Florence, passages that would serve well in a travel guide…The dialogue is direct, like the narrative style throughout the book that makes for straight forward and uncomplicated reading as the author clearly intends. Read and enjoy!”

ANGE ZHOU Associate Professor, California State University  “Great plot twists, artful storytelling, the author has a way with words!”

DONNA DAVIDSON Davidson Associates, San Francisco, California   “You’ll want to fasten your seat belt to navigate the twists and turns of this global political thriller. Fernandez combines knowledge of banking, technology, and politics to offer a ‘back to the future’ reading adventure. And, the author’s intimate familiarity of Florentine life makes one want to buy a one-way ticket.”