IMAGINE THIS:
You're hiking in a rain forest far from civilization when your wife is severely injured. Unknown to you, the terrain you are exploring is forbidden territory controlled by a malevolent force. You apply rudimentary first aid, then run for help, but can’t navigate your way out of the dense flora. When you return to the spot you had left your unconscious wife, she is gone.
How would you react? Could you react?
And if the sole reason for your retreat to the Pacific island of Re’enev was to reconcile what was once a beautiful marriage—a marriage whose decline prompted your wife to attempt suicide—how would you feel? Could you feel? Or would you be numb?
This is where I’ve placed Luke Ferless. Tragedy has separated him from his wife once, emotionally; they are trying to recover. Now it has struck again, this time physically. He has to find her. And he has nothing on his side but his mind, which can be both an ally and an enemy.
Hi. My name is Mike Maranhas. Welcome to my site. What you have just read is a description of my recently published novel, Re’enev <[b>ree-uh-nev]. Some acclaim it has received includes:
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Selected by Independent Publisher Magazine as one of its Highlighted Titles for 2006.
Chosen as a finalist by Foreword Magazine for its General Fiction Book of the Year (2006) Award.
The following evaluation and recommendation by Midwest Book Review:
"A superbly crafted mainstream novel by Mike Maranhas, Re'enev deftly combines the elements of romance, suspense, mystery, as well as the vulnerability of human life in general, and marital love in particular. ... Highly recommended reading and a welcome addition to community library contemporary fiction collections, Re'enev is an original, imaginative, compelling, and accomplished work of engaging, at times almost lyrical storytelling."
An academic view from Dr. Jose B. Gonzalez, Professor of English at the United States Coast Guard Academy and co-editor of Latino Boom: An Anthology of U.S. Latino Literature:
“Re'enev's plot pulls you along, and just when you think you have it all figured out, another twist and turn pulls you in a different direction. Mike Maranhas has a talent for pulling in the reader and presenting characters with depth. This is a story for anyone who has ever loved and lost and loved again. It will make you think twice about what lurks behind the beauty of paradise ... Re'enev is a tale with an important lesson about how we treat ourselves and each other. I especially enjoyed the way [Mike uses] metaphor to pull it all back together."
"Whatever ya do," the driver said, "stay on the paths. Don't go makin' no new ones."
"Why?" I asked.
"Cuz ya can get killed."
He then told me the reason; and I felt, right there and then, that there existed a novel I just had to write.
Since most of my writing is character driven, starting with a setting and the skeleton of a plot felt a bit awkward--not my typical approach. Therefore, I created vacant personae to anchor my story, where necessary, so I could progress.
As I developed the plot, I added psychology and flesh to these personae. Their construction was organic and iterative; every day, I made each character fuller, more complex. I asked myself questions such as:
What kind of guy would want to go hiking in a hot, stifling jungle, while he's vacationing on an island with beautiful beaches?
What is his wife like?
How did they meet?
What attracted each to the other?
What are their physical traits? Their fears and desires? Their strengths, insecurities, and deficiencies? Their similarities and differences?
What brought them to the island?I squeezed my imagination, infusing each character with as much humanity as possible. Their characteristics flowed from my subconscious; and the more that flowed, the further my burgeoning characters carried the plot. They took over from where I had begun. I ended up with the following story: Luke and Meesha Ferless, college sweethearts now professionals in their thirties, are hiking in a rain forest far from civilization. Their vacation to the idyllic island, Re’enev, is a major step toward rejuvenating what was once a beautiful marriage—a marriage whose decline, due to Luke’s betrayal, prompted Meesha to attempt suicide. While hiking, they unknowingly venture into forbidden territory. When they separate briefly in the dense flora, Meesha vanishes.
Tragedy has separated Luke and Meesha once, emotionally; they were beginning to heal. Now it has struck again, this time physically. Luke has to find her; but the elements are against him while his mind, his only ally, can also be an enemy.Mainstream fiction spiced with mystery, romance, action, and suspense, Re’enev captures both the beauty and fragility of marital love and human life. The story is unique in the way it conjoins an urbane couple with primitive danger, blissful sensuality with unbridled brutality, and a cerebral protagonist with a world that seems to lack reason; then, the conclusion brings unexpected redemption, but with a stunning twist and a lethal caveat.
Re’enev is that rare novel that appeals across genders and genres with its intense plot, poetic prose, sharp dialogue, and candid depiction of the human psyche through relationships, crises, perceptions, and emotions—most notably, love and fear.
Harriet Klausner, Amazon's #1 Reviewer and a Time Magazine 2006 Person of the Year, in a pre-publication review, wrote: "Great characterizations, lots of action, and a fantastic story line make Re'enev a fantastic reading experience."Then, in a post-publication review, Harriet elaborated with: "Great characterizations, a fast paced plot, an exotic locale and a touch of intrigue make Re'enev a novel that will appeal to readers who like mainstream fiction, romance and suspense. The two protagonists are so realistic that readers know people like them."Grady Harp, an Amazon Top Ten Reviewer, wrote: "Mike Maranhas makes an impressive debut as a writer of romantic fiction and mystery, a book that seems to have at its heart some healthy messages about self perception, about relationships, and about the influence of familial expectations in carving out a personality of one's own. It is an interesting story, paced with a speed that drives the reader to the surprising end, and it demonstrates some very strong characteristics of an emerging fine writer ... Maranhas has the ability to write poetically ... and when he is describing nature or thoughts waxing philosophical, he sets a standard for storytelling that promises to be elegant. ... the writing is accomplished and often exemplary.
"...Maranhas remains a very promising writer, one who will doubtless grow after his first exposure to the reading public. Re’enev is a terrific airplane book as it holds attention from beginning to end. ... the jolt provided at the end of the tale proves that ... this writer has something to say. There is depth of thought in addressing the very human way of approaching life that is as hefty as many of our finest writers today. He is most assuredly a young writer to watch!"
To sample an excerpt from Re'enev, please click here to read the Prologue.
It is my pleasure to make the Prologue of Re'enev available to the public under the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License .
To listen to Jen Nemo (host of Write on Radio!, a literary show at Independent Public Radio station, KFAI, broadcasting from Minneapolis/St. Paul) interview me about Re'enev and writing per se, please click off the music player above, if still playing, then click the arrow on the following MP3 player.
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To view a short video of me discussing Re'enev, please click here.
To learn more about my writing and me, please visit my website by clicking the following link: www.mikemaranhas.com.
To purchase copies of Re'enev directly from the publisher, please click the following link: www.pinkgraniteproductions.com.
Copies of Re'enev are available directly from the publisher, Pink Granite Productions, at the DISCOUNTED RATE OF $12.50, for a limited period of time. Don't spend more for a used copy when you can get a new one at this cheaper rate.To read Re'enev consumer reviews and/or purchase copies from Amazon.com, please click Here.
Every new copy of Re'enev is sold with a NO QUESTIONS ASKED, FULL MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE, regardless of the vendor from which it is purchased. If you are not satisfied with Re'enev, just tear off the book's entire cover and mail it, along with a copy of the purchase invoice, to the following address; and you will be refunded, via a company check, for the book's full purchase amount.Pink Granite Productions
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Rockport, MA 01966-1143
Should you have any questions, please call Customer Service at Pink Granite Productions via telephone number: 978-546-3239.