2010 April 22

Book Review: Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky

Title: Firefly Rain
Author: Richard Dansky
Publisher: Gallery
Publication Date: April 6, 2010
Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN: 978-1439148631
Genre: Paranormal/Mystery/Triller

and 1/2

From the Publisher:

When Jacob left home for a new life, he pretty much forgot all about Maryfield, North Carolina. But Maryfield never forgot him. Or forgave him.

After a failed business venture in Boston, Jacob Logan comes back to the small Southern town of his childhood and takes up residence in the isolated house he grew up in. Here, the air is still. The nights are black. And his parents are buried close by. It should feel like home—but something is terribly wrong.

Jacob loses all his belongings in a highway accident. His car is stolen from his driveway, yet he never hears a sound. The townspeople seem guarded and suspicious. And Carl, the property caretaker with so many secrets, is unnervingly accommodating. Then there are the fireflies that light the night skies . . . and die as they come near Jacob’s home. If it weren’t for the creaking sounds after dark, or the feeling that he is being watched, Jacob would feel so alone. He shouldn’t worry. He’s not.

And whatever’s with him isn’t going to let him leave home ever again.

My Review:

Jacob Logan’s business has failed and he decides to pack up and take a break back at his childhood home in North Carolina, a place he has not been in many years, a place he has tried to forget. Thus begins Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky, a novel were things do more than go bump in the night. One fond memory Jacob holds is of catching fireflies, yet none appear to cross onto his property line. His car refuses to start, then is stolen without a trace while he sleeps, a set of toy soldiers mysteriously appear on his front door step, and most disturbing is his crabby caretaker Carl. Firefly Rain begins at a slower pace, transferring the reader from the fast-paced life of the main character’s Boston, back to his small hometown in North Carolina and from there, Dansky picks up speed and the novel becomes a fast paced thriller leaving the reader a series of clues to follow. Dansky makes certain there is just enough information about his characters, especially Jacob Logan, Carl and Officer Hanratty and a few others (no spoilers from me) to keep the reader on their toes as well as giving the reader a detailed look into life in this strange small town. Firefly Rain is similar to a cozy mystery insofar as all the information is given upfront, then all similarities end and the reader is in for a delightfully faced-paced thriller which will keep the reader engaged into the wee hours of the morning.

I received a complimentary copy of Firefly Rain by Richard Dansky from Simon & Schuster to review. Receiving a free copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.

Book Tour & Review: No Greater Love by Kathi Macias

Title: No Greater Love
Author: Kathi Macias
Publisher: New Hope Publishers
Publication Date: April 5, 2010
Paperback: 320 pages
ISBN: 978-1596692770
Genre: Fiction/Christian/General

About the Book:

Forbidden romance, an unlikely martyr, and an even more unlikely hero. Orphaned four years earlier when their parents, active in the African National Congress ANC movement against Apartheid, were murdered, 16-year-old Chioma and her 15-year-old brother Masozi now live and work on an Afrikaner family’s farm. When Chioma and Andrew, the farm owner’s son, find themselves attracted to one another, tragedy revisits their lives. Chioma escapes to join an ANC rebel band in her effort to survive and gain revenge for her family and culture. When cultures clash in life-or-death struggles, Chioma must choose between violence and revenge or forgiveness and selfless love. Loosely based on historical events and set near Pretoria, South Africa, just prior to the setting of the popular movie Invictus, during the violent upheaval prior to ANC leader Nelson Mandela’s release from prison and his ascendance to the presidency of South Africa, this story of forbidden romance produces an unlikely martyr who is replaced by one even more unlikely.

My Review:

No Greater Love is the first novel in Kathi Macias’ Extreme Devotion series and it is a captivating debut, which will grab the reader’s attention and tug at the reader’s heart from the beginning until the last page. Macias brings the reader to the harrowing times of a deeply divided country, nearing the end of apartheid in South Africa, filled with oppression, segregation, degradation as well as strong characters, strong leaders, and unwavering faith. The reader gains insights into apartheid through the victims of apartheid, the freedom fighters, and the Afrikaners. An orphaned girl, her martyred father’s journal, and the gift of a Bible help spread the word that Christianity and apartheid cannot co-exist. No Greater Love is told with vivid imagery, flowing prose, realistic characters, and the reader will be swept away with by Chioma’s resilience, Andrew’s questioning of right and wrong, Themba’s brutality, and the Vorster’s faith. Macias tells the tale through various sets of eyes, and while they are all of different stations each has a deep love for their country of South Africa. No Greater Love is an astonishingly beautiful tale of the brutality of apartheid and the grace of faith.

About the Author:

No Greater Love Join Kathi Macias, author of the Contemporary/International Thriller, No Greater Love (New Hope Publishers, April 2010), as she virtually tours the blogosphere in April 2010 on her fourth virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!
About Kathi Macias

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer and radio show host who has authored 30 books and ghostwritten several others. A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences, and recently won the prestigious 2008 member of the year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) at the annual Golden Scrolls award banquet. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband, Al, where the two of them spend their free time riding their Harley. You can find Kathi online and at her blog.

Kathi Macias’s NO GREATER LOVE TIME VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR ‘10 officially began on April 5 and will end on April 30. You can visit Kathi’s blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com during the month of April to find out more about this great book and talented author!

I received a complimentary copy of No Greater Love by Kathi Macias from Pump Up Your Book Promotion as part of the tour. Receiving a copy in no way reflected my review of aforementioned novel.