"A Must-Read"...

 

I mean, that's not an order, or anything, but I am humbled by this wonderful review from Carol Thompson of Readers' Favorite. I think she captures what I was going for, better than I could sum it up! At any rate, grateful for the kind words and incisive analysis. Anyone interested in the book may access it here or on the margins of this website. Thanks for your support!

Book Review

Reviewed by Carol Thompson for Readers' Favorite

Daryl Rothman’s Gospel melds the raw essence of human frailty with moral dilemmas and existential depth. The novel explores themes of redemption, sacrifice, and the lasting impact of guilt. The main character, Jacob Fallon, is a writer facing financial difficulties, a troubled marriage, and the pressure of unfulfilled expectations. His life darkens after meeting Justus, a mysterious figure who compels Jacob into a life-or-death pact involving strangers he must justify through writing. This premise initiates a haunting journey exploring the cost of dreams, the weight of choices, and the complexity of human connections.

Daryl Rothman’s writing is full of intricate details, drawing readers into Jacob’s emotional struggles and the vibrant settings of his life. It skillfully contrasts ordinary moments, like those shared with his son Gabriel, with tense meetings involving Justus. The recurring imagery of the Crooked River symbolically conveys life's unpredictable and chaotic nature. The indistinct boundaries between good and evil are thought-provoking and compelling. Through his cryptic motives and disturbing charm, Justus provokes Jacob (and readers) to face uncomfortable realities regarding morality and survival. The philosophical themes in the novel provide readers with more than just a suspenseful story. The duality makes Gospel an engaging and insightful read. The theme is unique. I’ve never read a book with this plot, and it’s a refreshing addition to the suspense genre. Rothman’s ability to weave a deeply personal and universally relatable story makes this novel stand out. It’s a must-read for those who appreciate masterfully written literary fiction that doesn’t shy away from the complexities of life and moral ambiguities.

Release Day!--GOSPEL

At long last, I am grateful to share that my literary-suspense novel has released. A harrowing tale of hope and fear, love and loss, and that which, after all else is stripped away, truly authors our lives, Gospel is a labor of love and one which I hope you will enjoy.

Good pricing, and a variety of options, both ebook and paperback, by consulting this link, or clicking the image on my homepage.  As ever, I am grateful to the EP Team for their support, and to my family for theirs. And to each of you, whether you opt to purchase  or would even consider sharing this information through your networks. My deepest appreciation. 🙏

I hope also to soon have some news re. some possible author events/signings, and other updates.

Thank you for your support!

Theme Party: The Rewriting of a Novel

About 1/3 through with revisions, trying to stay on pace. Or, get back on it. After letting it sit for several months, it's a challenge to immerse back into my story and characters, because it's really about waking them up, not me. But I've found the cooling off period in fact indispensable: the editing is easier, the flaws stand out more readily, this far removed from the blinders conferred  by familiarity and pride.

Really appreciating the power of purging--not just total words, but the right words--well, scrapping the right "wrong" words, and preserving the right "right" words(hmm, there were probably better words for that). Wondrous, though, how much more lustrous those words we retain can be, unencumbered by those superfluous ones we'd once been so sure of.

And, of course, it's never just about the words: character, story, theme, are paramount. Cucariva is literary-suspense, a pretty dark(but hopeful, hopefully) tale. A few overarching themes: human nature(what is is that, when all luxury and pretense are stripped away, truly authors our lives?), redemption, perseverance, and lost love. Imperative when rewriting, to ensure the themes are credibly, and impactfully conveyed.

A snippet:

A sensibility cellular in nature: she was the love of his life, this he knew in his blood and in his bones. The one person for whom he’d been procreated into existence—blood and bones and organs and musculature and tissue—his, in its precise assembling—that he might those decades hence meet and love this woman. Who until recently had professed a devotion no less profound. And so he brimmed with this imperative and wanted to tell her he loved her, for so he did. Not to persuade her toward some starry end, but simply, because it was truth, of the most unassailable type.  And truth had become an inestimable, if faltering beacon, upon the fringe of this fathomless sea.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night...

And, I shall not. But the light, or enthusiasm for Cucariva, my literary-suspense novel to which I devoted some 18 months, had been waning. Many dozens of queries unrequited. But today,  I had an agent say she was very intrigued, and request a full manuscript. She's giving me a little time(I have no time, but shall make it) to polish up. Still a longshot, but any progress affirms perseverance, and rekindles the flame. Here's a snippet from an early chapter:

He clambered up the stairwell to the street, which tilted crazily, so that he had to steady himself on the railing. Something brushed his ankle and he looked down like an oafish giant and stared as a bevy of rats scampered past. He would cut through the park. It loomed pitch and silent beyond the pale glow of the streetlights, but soon his eyes adjusted and the park’s architecture budded into resolution like a strange, post-modern birth. The benches, the walking path, the oaks looming tall and imprinted like midnight sentries.

It was a perfect night, really. Almost enough to persuade him that the ordeal now before him was as ethereal as the stars dropping away along the slope of the blue-black firmament. The city slept. He crossed in darkness through the park, which fell out before him, flat and dark and promising ahead only darkness still, a great promontory at the edge of the earth.

We'll see what happens, but either way, I need to finish final revisions so I may do justice to the effort. There's a lot of my heart in that book. Thanks as always for your support, and I'll keep you posted.

PS: Amazing, I am reminded as I dive back in tonight, how no matter how many times you edit, you always find more...