Monday, June 20, 2011

Darkness Follows by Mike Dellosso

Have you read it yet? 

Alright friends, if you haven't read Darkness Follows yet from my last posting of it, then you need to catch up with the rest of us so we can read your thoughts on this book! My first review of it can be found here:
http://carolkeen.blogspot.com/2011/05/darkness-follows-by-mike-dellosso.html

This review will add more of my thoughts since I got to read it earlier. When I think about this book, I tend to think about how well Mr. Dellosso captured the mind of someone who is afraid they are loosing their sanity. I am impressed with how well he portrayed what can happen with what I was raised to call a generational curse. That is a Spiritual issue, a curse, since it is NOT a blessing, that came down to haunt/pester you through your family line. 

In Darkness Follows Sam is dealing with a generation curse. The interesting thing is that I know a family who has major generational issues all dealing with the mind and spirt. Most of them are diagnosed Bi-Polar or Bi-Polar and schizophrenic as well, but I firmly believe it has a spiritual aspect that can not be ignored if the one suffering is to ever be free, well, or whole. I feel that this was very nicely covered in this book. 

You see, Sam is hearing voices that he can't tell if they are real, or not. Then he winds up writing a story that he doesn't remember writing! So is he schizophrenic, loosing his mind, or just fighting the spiritual battle of a lifetime? His darling daughter wants him to know how much Jesus loves him. The more she tells him, the more he seems to feel like running away. The "Darkness" speaks, and the Light fights. Jacob keeps telling his daughter Eva what she needs to do, and how to pray, but her family brushes her off thinking she is just imagining things because of the trauma of her Daddy's accident at work. Meanwhile, Sam's mental and emotional condition continue to worsen at an alarming rate. 

Things only get way worse when people Sam knows start being murdered, and he is so out of his mind with issues he never dealt with from his completely dysfunctional childhood that those closest to him begin to wonder if he will be lost to them forever. Lost in the darkness of his mind, the darkness of his soul, and the darkness that is trying to consume his spirit. 

Darkness Follows is a gripping book, and for those who read it they should gain a deeper understanding to the fine lines we walk between the Spirit realm and our own sanity. And while my battles have not been this one, I  know I have dealt with enough that I too can speak the words of a famous quote:  
"There but for the grace of God, go I."  

Stay in the Light of His Love!

Carol 

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Mike now lives in Hanover, Pennsylvania, with his wife, Jen, and their three daughters. He writes a monthly column for Writer . . .Interrupted, was a newspaper correspondent/columnist for over three years, has published several articles for The Candle of Prayer inspirational booklets, and has edited and contributed to numerous Christian-themed Web sites and e-newsletters. Mike is a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance, the Relief Writer's Network, the International Christian Writers, and International Thriller Writers. His short stories have appeared with Amazon Shorts and in Coach's Midnight Diner genre anthology. He received his BA degree in sports exercise and medicine from Messiah College and his MBS degree in theology from Master's Graduate School of Divinity.

Mike Dellosso writes novels of suspense for both the mind and the soul. He writes to both entertain and challenge. In addition to his novels, Mike is also an adjunct professor at Lancaster Bible College and a faculty member at the Greater Philadelphia Christian Writer's Conference.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Sam Travis lives in a Civil War era farmhouse in Gettysburg, PA, where he awakens one morning to find an old journal with an entry by a Union soldier, Lt. Whiting…written in Sam’s own handwriting. When this happens several more times, both at night and during waking “trances,” Sam begins to question his own sanity while becoming obsessed with Lt. Whiting and his bone-chilling journal entries. As the entries begin to mimic Sam’s own life, he is drawn into an evil plot that could cost many lives, including his own.

Can the unconditional love of Sam's daughter, Eva, break through his hardened heart before a killer on the loose catches up with them and Sam’s past spurs him to do the unthinkable?


If you would like to read the Prologue and first chapter of Darkness Follows, go HERE

Watch the book video:



Author’s web site - http://mikedellosso.wordpress.com/


 In conjunction with the CSFF Blog Tour, I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
{Only this time since I had a copy, I did not order a second one, that didn't seem fair!} 

Participants’ links:

Noah Arsenault
Red Bissell
Thomas Clayton Booher
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Karri Compton
CSFF Blog Tour
Chris Deane
Cynthia Dyer
Nikole Hahn
Katie Hart
Ryan Heart
Bruce Hennigan
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Inae Kyo
Shannon McDermott
Allen McGraw
Shannon McNear
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Joan Nienhuis
Sarah Sawyer
Kathleen Smith
Jessica Thomas
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler

2 comments:

Mike Dellosso said...

Carol, thank you for your thoughts on Darkness Follows. I appreciate you taking part in the tour and sharing some of the impact the story had on you. Blessings!

Rebecca LuElla Miller said...

I really enjoyed your thoughts about the book, Carol. Isn't it true that we can often seem more as we think back over the story. So glad you were willing to take part in the tour and post more.

Becky