Between Darkness And Daylight
Gracie C. McKeever
ISBN-10: 1933563362
ISBN-13: 9781933563367
Siren Publishing
Reviewed By Josee Morgan
Official Apex Reviews Rating: 
Nova
Foxx is a hard-working, successful overachiever. Blessed with a doting
fiancé and charmed life, adversity is merely a foreign concept for her
– that is, until a freak accident leaves her debilitated and
near-death, suddenly thrusting her future into the realm of
uncertainty. During her recovery, she becomes aware of a "gift" left in
the accident's wake: compelling visions of a mysterious stranger so
vivid and real, she soon leaves the comforts of her Los Angeles home
for the unfamiliar streets of New York, obsessed with finding him…
Zane
Youngblood is no stranger to the dark side of the unknown. In fact,
after losing his wife and unborn son to a murder that remains unsolved,
he conditions himself to expect the worst; however, while this trait
helps him deal with the daily grind of his life as a high school social
worker, it can barely prepare him for the uncertainty that soon follows
once the alluring Ms. Foxx unexpectedly enters his life…
As
Nova and Zane grow closer, they can neither deny the passion of their
bond nor the mystery surrounding it. Also, what neither knows is that
both carry dark secrets from their pasts, which threatens the safety of
their collective future. As the layers of truth are ultimately
revealed, their lives – both individually and together – quickly evolve
into unavoidable realities neither could ever expect…
Between Darkness And Daylight
is a sharp story with even sharper characters, sure to keep the reader
on his/her toes. McKeever interweaves suspense, mystery, and romance
throughout the tapestry of her narrative with impressive ease. Also, in
recounting the visions experienced by both Nina and Zane, her skillful
use of metaphor as an effective storytelling vehicle is reminiscent of
Hitchcock in his heyday.
With its spicy plotline and timely twists, Between Darkness And Daylight is sure to add to McKeever's already considerable fan base. Highly recommended.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Gracie McKeever (Between Darkness And Daylight)
Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Gracie. We're looking very much forward to learning more about your books.
Gracie C. McKeever: Thanks for having me! I'm honored and thrilled to be here and talk about my books.
AR: We've reviewed your previous works, and we've always found them imaginative and unique. Where does your creativity stem from?
GM: I'm glad you've found my work imaginative and unique, as that's what I strive for in all of my writing. As to where my creativity stems from, that can be from anywhere and everywhere—a piece of conversation overheard in a restaurant or movie theater, a quote or unique name that I want to build a character around, television (who says it's a wasteland?), movies and other books that I've enjoyed. Most of all my creativity stems from a curious nature and an innate need to answer life's mysterious "What if's?"
AR: How long does it typically take you to complete a novel?
GM: After getting down a premise that I can live with and outlining the basic foundations of my characters, completing a novel can average somewhere between 4-6 months. My fastest time for a full-length novel was 2 months (this was for Beneath the Surface).
AR: How is it so easy for Nova to abandon her old life and relocate cross-country on the basis of a vague vision?
GM: It wasn't easy for Nova to abandon her life at all. She had a very hard time deciding to go. However, Nova's the sort of person whom once she makes up her mind to do something, she throws herself into it full out. And although her visions were vague, the sentiment and urgency behind them were compelling, compelling enough to make her act.
AR: How does Zane maintain his pleasant demeanor, despite the grueling realities of his everyday life as a high school social worker?
GM: Zane, like Nova, is resilient and a survivor. Also, deep down, he's an optimist and believes in the best of people rather than the worst. He's learned from his twin sister, mother and stepfather what faith, determination and positive thinking can do. He's also seen the negative and chooses to make a difference and turn negatives into positives, not only for himself but for his nephew to whom he wants (and needs) to be a positive role model.
AR: Are episodes of vengeance such as the one Zane is confronted with common for people in his profession?
GM: I don't believe so. For the purposes of telling a dramatic, larger-than-life story in Between Darkness And Daylight, I took the every day threat of a threatening phone call and a dissatisfied customer to the extreme. Zane's experiences were extreme, but there's no denying what a disgruntled but, more importantly, obsessed and mentally unstable client or family member can do if he/she feels he/she has been slighted and wronged by "the system."
AR: Lately, we've been asking all our authors about their experiences with their publishers. What's yours been like with Siren Publishing?
GM: My experiences with Siren have been absolutely fantastic! This publisher is everything a good publisher should be—accessible, professional, nurturing and supportive of its authors—with an eye toward gradual and steady expansion.
AR: You're becoming quite the prolific author. What's next for you?
GM: Ingenue's Choice: Zara's Bois 2 is due out this December 31st from Siren and continues the story of Zara as she tries to redeem herself by matchmaking a shy submissive financial analyst in Patryk Andrews and the talented but tortured artist/bartender he meets in Keir Monroe. The third and final story in this series, Bouncer's Folly: Zara's Bois 3 will be out sometime in early-mid 2008. I'm also looking forward to seeing the fourth story in my The Matchmaker series – Emilia's Emancipation – released some time in 2008. In March 2008 Sentinel's Hunger, a Sisters of Emsharra novella will be released in the Rapture 1 anthology with three other novellas by three other very talented authors. My erotica short story Leap of Faith has been accepted for publication in Zane's Eroticnoir anthology Caramel Flava 2 and I'm very excited about eventually seeing it in print and my name among some more very talented authors.
AR: Have you considered launching a publishing house of your own?
GM: Writing, promoting and a full-time 9-5 is work enough for me at the moment.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
GM: Just that I hope they continue to enjoy the stories I write and if they haven't read one yet, what are they waiting for?
AR: Thanks again, Gracie, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!
GM: Thanks for allowing me the time to talk about my books to your readers and I wish Apex all the best too!