Lighting the Dark Side is an excellent read!

By Warren C. Reider

Lighting the Dark Side is a fiction-short story collection from author William Potter. This book hooked me from the opening title; "Bent, Not Broken" and I couldn't put it down. "Bent N B" is a modern romance taught with suspense where an OCD man meets a Goth love interest that will have you fearing for the girl's life.

 "May 18, 2010," recalls some of the better time-loop plots from Star Trek TNG. Trek inspired or not I read the piece in one sitting and was late for work in the process.

The closing tale, "Surviving the Fall," has all the necessary ingredients of a page-turning thriller, the unlikely hero vs. the vicious gangster, with gunplay and a dash of forbidden love. All six stories were well written and paced and left me thinking about them days after. I recommend that you give this new author a chance, you won't regret it!

Engaging Stories

By Cassandra Mae (Wisconsin)

The author (Potter) has written an engaging book. The characters are so well-developed that you can "feel" them.

My favorite short story is the first one (Bent, Not Broken). It captured me as I see a lot of the main character's actions the same as my own. Thankfully, as I read on more and more I found out I am not as OCD as he is.

For the life of me, I could not put this book down until I finished it in one day! This is only the second book in my 43 years that that has happened to me. 5 Stars

A Captivating Read

By Heather Shockney (Greensboro, PA USA)

William Potter has done an excellent job of writing six short stories that draw you in from the beginning. Mr. Potter makes you feel so connected to the characters. You feel like you are right there with them, going through the same things they are.

My favorite story was Bent, Not Broken. I have dealt with OCD my whole life and I could relate so much to the way Dwayne felt each day. Dee-Dee was such a special person for accepting Dwayne as he was.

I would recommend Lighting the Dark Side to everyone. They will be hooked from the start. It takes a great author to keep my attention when reading a book. Mr. Potter has done that wonderfully. I was not able to put the book down until I was done reading the last page. 5 Stars

This is a great book!,

By C. Eversole

I'm so glad I decided to get Lighting the Dark Side. I love books that are compiled of short stories, so this one was right up my ally.

While I realize there are many people out there who truly deal with OCD, I also believe that everyone has their own...tendencies. This piece really shed some light on what people deal with on a day to day basis, as well as being told in a riveting, entertaining way.

The author has made it easy to really connect with the characters in this book through these detailed stories. In fact, you might not notice how time flies when you're reading this one; it really is hard to put it down! 5 Stars

Bent, Not Broken

By R. Malove
This was one of the most unusual pieces of fiction I have read in quite a while. The stories displayed the characters in all of their dysfunctional glory, but my favorite was Dwayne-he reminds me so much of me sometimes! Readers will enjoy this realistic view into lighting the dark side, and they will fall in love with the men and women brought to life just like I did. 5 Stars

Believable Characters

By Sophie S,

Interestingly, I was able to relate to the characters in each of the stories that made up Lighting the Dark Side. I am not OCD or anything, but there are parts of people and parts of myself that you can see in each person, and that is what I liked the most about this set of short stories.

The thoughts and storyline keep you very involved and invested in what you are reading, so I wasn't bored with it at all as I sometimes get with short stories.

I appreciated the feelings and emotions, like those in “Surviving the Fall” and “May 18^th,” more than I thought I would. Overall, I really liked this book of short stories because of the well laid out stories that didn't leave you confused, guessing, or bewildered. They are still intense without being a total wash. Nice job. 5 Stars

A Look at the Darker Side of Life

By James L. Smoot (Tallmadge, OH)

If you are looking for an easy, light-hearted read, Lighting the Dark Side is probably not the book you are looking for. If you are looking for a book with rich character development and an unafraid look at the darkness in those characters lives, be prepared for a good book.

Potter has a way of building the characters in his stories so that you can begin to understand what they are going through, and you care what happens to them. That's not to imply that all of the characters are nice, or even likable, but that only adds to the realism of this collection of short stories. We all have to deal with people like the type found in these stories in our daily lives.

These stories show a lot of insight into the dysfunction of people as they deal with love, betrayal, and a host of personal/family/relationship issues in a realistic world where nothing is perfect and sometimes the best you can hope for is to live to try again tomorrow.

Potter has a gift for getting down to what really makes his characters tick. He examines their hopes fears and motivations in a way that captivates the attention and makes you want to keep reading to find out more.

It was a very captivating book, and one that was well worth the time I spent reading it. 4 Stars

ALL Reviews Posted to Amazon.com
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/1436312531/

 Lighting The Dark Side is now selling at Amazon.com in Trade Paperback for $16.19 or less.