They pulled us off the line last night, kid. Out of the fire. But the air is burning still, tastes of ash, smells like wet charcoal. It gets sucked into your skin, where it grinds into your pores. When does it end? When do we stop burning the world with hate and anger, disinterest and disappointment? When does your love bring reconciliation? When do your eyes find peace? They say all this will grow back, the blackened land will heal, The scorched trees feed for rebirth. We’ve burned the earth before, ground it all to dust, smashed it with war, dirtied it, poisoned it. Gloried over destruction, reveled in the sodden pain; stolen the dreams of grandchildren. We could leave them a glowing cinder. I’ll sleep tonight and breathe the smoke. My dreams will be red, burning gold so hot my fingers will burn. I have the photo you sent me, buried under layers of fire gear to keep it safe. Your naked skin is tanned and your hair wrapped damp around your neck as we curled in the stream pool, the water so cold your skin burned and rippled, your mouth so fresh it brought life. That moment, that thing, is why I am here pushing back the fires that rage and destroy. There is clear water somewhere here. By fistfuls I’ll splash my face, and rub away the layers of ash from my lips so all I taste is you.
I am the author of the award-winning Frank Nagler Mystery series. "The Swamps of Jersey (2014); "A Game Called Dead" (2016) -- a Runner-Up in the 2016 Shelf Unbound Indie Author Contest; "The Weight of Living" (2017) -- “The Weight of Living” was awarded First Place for mysteries in the 2017 Royal Dragonfly Book Award contest;
Named A Notable 100 Book, Shelf Unbound 2018 Indie Book Awards;
Named a Distinguished Favorite, 2018 Independent Press Awards.
Named a Distinguished Favorite in the 2018 Big NYC Book Contest.
Named a Finalist in the 2019 Book Excellence Awards.
Named A Gold Star Award winner in the 2020 Elite Choice Book Awards
Named a Book Award Winner in 2021 by Maincraft Media Fiction Book Awards;
The Red Hand (2019) a Distinguished Favorite in the 2019 Big NYC Book Contest
Named Second Place winner for mysteries in the 2019 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards
Named a Notable 100 Book in the 2019 Shelf Unbound Indie Book Awards
Named a Distinguished Favorite in the 2020 Independent Press Awards
A Nominee in the 2020 TopShelf Book Awards
Named A Gold Star Award winner in the 2020 Elite Choice Book Awards
Dragony Rising (2022) First Place for Mysteries in the 2022 Royal Dragonyfly Book Awards; named a Notable 100 Indie Book in the 2022 Shelf Unbound Indie Book Awards; A Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 Independent Press Awards. A Distinguished Favorite in the 2023 Big NYC Book Awards.
THE SWAMPS OF JERSEY The Swamps of Jersey, Frank Nagler Mysteries Book One: They buried everything in the Old Iron Bog. But who buried the young woman? And why does the ring she was wearing remind Detective Frank Nagler of his old girlfriend? “You can practically smell the corruptive influences and the dank, putrid odor of the swamp in this book. A gritty crime novel that could be ripped from the headlines.” https://www.amazon.com/Swamps-Jersey-Michael-Stephen-Daigle-ebook/dp/B0DGYFCFML?ref_=ast_author_dp&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5PuY3o2z7o1AOorAzpirYsZ
