Rejoice When Fireflies Outshine the Glare of Showboats -- by Reb MacRath

Get this: over the course of a couple of days two handfuls of distinctive words soared above my news feed like wildings of fireflies.

The first one took me by surprise. It had nothing to do with writing. And it was almost buried in comments on an ad for a pricey cardio test. But, at a glance, the author's personality stood out...she took a stance against the medical establishment...and ended with a war cry:

I don't need this.

I eat fruit and vegetables.

So stuff your test.

I came across these words  in the lobby of a Tucson cardio medical mill, where scores of us were processed, billed in advance, and then herded to assorted rooms for exam--then scheduled for further batteries of tests when some of us at least were feeling reasonably well. While I thought about this, I reflected on how these 13 words had led me to seek out the author's FB page, where I filed a Friend request quickly.

The next day I chanced on a quote from a poet mourning 'a San Francisco that sadly is no more and yet tragically still exists.' * No big-name blurb or Kirkus rave could have moved me more quickly to check out this book. The phrase was that distinctive.

Once again, 13 was the lucky number.

I felt driven to buy and to friend because I hadn't been hustled. Instead, I'd been twice-blessed by fiery flights of independence and charisma.

This is my report.

*P.S.: San Francisco noir author Joe Clifford referenced this phrase from Joel Landmine's book of poems Yeah, Well.

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Welcome to MacRathWorld, if you like premium blends of mystery, action, and suspense. From Caesar's Rome to Seattle today, the twists fly at the speed of night. If you're unfamiliar with my work, I recommend starting with the new Seattle BOP mysteries. Here's the link to my AuthorPage on Amazon for a detailed look at the variety of 'rides' in my amusement park.

https://tinyurl.com/y3fdxo7q