Thirty-Six

Thirty-Six #1

by Daron D. Fraley

When Aaron Cohen buys a souvenir from an antiques store in Lyon, France, and then sees the police raid the store right after he leaves, he has no idea that this is only the beginning of his troubles.


Back home in Chicago, Aaron is stalked by an old man from the antiques store. Mandie, a single mother in his apartment complex, has asked that they just be friends, but Aaron can’t help developing strong feelings for her, especially now that she is being harassed by her abusive ex-husband. And in the midst of all his emotional turmoil, the souvenir he purchased turns out to be an ancient holy relic that triggers shared dreams and prophetic visions.


A mysterious dream shared with a jewel smuggler whose arrest makes the nightly news. A nightmare of horrifying tornadoes shared with Ethan, Mandie’s eight-year-old son. A dream shared with Mandie that shows Aaron her true feelings for him.


And visions . . .


Visions of historical events, centuries in the past. Visions of the Lamed Vovniks. Visions of dangerous possibilities to come.


And if Aaron doesn’t get to her in time, Mandie will die.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Ebooks

ebook

First published July 26, 2012

About the author

Daron Fraley was born in Powell, Wyoming, but doesn't consider himself a cowboy. Living in France for a couple of years provided him the opportunity to hone his cooking skills and to become addicted to good food and chocolate. Apart from his loving family, teaching and writing are his two most favorite things in the world. A classic computer geek, he still likes to fish and camp, makes a mean apple or pumpkin pie from scratch, and once fixed a gas clothes dryer using photocopier parts. With all of his interests in music, art, the sciences, and religion (especially religion), he would have been quite comfortable living during the Renaissance. Having toured chilly castles while in France, he is glad he didn't live during that time. This is his first novel.

After ten total years in the wonderful state of Indiana, Daron, his wife Jennifer, and their six children once again live in the beautiful Rockies, close to friends and family in Wyoming and Utah.

Reviews

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Thirty-Six” is a story of mystery and adventure, with some Old Testament tie-ins to keep things interesting.

Read full review in the November 2013 issue of InD’tale Magazine.

[H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently read a lovely little book called Thirty Six, By Daron D. Fraley. I really got into this book because I could so fit myself into the man's shoes. This MC is pretty much the guy I married. He's a complete and unrepentant geek but brilliant and kind. My Sweetheart once tried to pry a gecko out of a glue trap intact. He nurses baby doves back to life. He once lent an online friend money he never got back so the man could eat. Yeah. Just like Aaron, he's that kind of man.

So when I read about Aaron Cohen, who befriends and defends friendless little boys and their waif-like mothers, I knew what Daron was talking about. These are men who would go clear across the country to save a friend from an abusive boyfriend or feed homeless guys in the park.

And these are the kinds of things the Thirty Six will need to do in order to keep God from utterly fire-storming the Earth. I found this book engaging and sweet. I wanted to see what happened to Aaron and Mandie and whether they would end up together. I felt his angst when he thought of Mandie. I wanted things to be right for Aaron, even though in real life that will often not be the case. Some people make incredible sacrifices without any visible payback in this life.

I enjoyed the mysterious artifact part, and the Hebrew element. It gave the story just the right amount of spice.

So. I've read Thirty Six, enjoying the delicious mystery and adventure of it. Now I want to read the sequel. Hurry up and write it, Daron. I'm impatiently waiting.

[Terry Deighton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty-Six is the type of story that makes you want to do some research to learn more about the subject matter. The background story is a bit predictable, and I found that I wasn't as invested as I'd like to be in the plot. When the darkest moment arrived, I didn't feel the depth of feeling that I usually do when such horrible things happen in a book. I found I was a little confused at times and had to go back and reread to clarify. This happened at the end of the book. Maybe I was distracted by other things around me at the time, but I had to go back and make a connection that should have been very poignant to me at that point. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the Jewish history and legend that were presented in the book.
That thread, and the religious elements, kept me reading when the plot may not have been enough. It was well worth the time it took to read it.

[A.L. Sowards]

I was a test reader for this book, so I read the pre-edit version. I’m guessing the final project is 4 or 5 stars, because the version I read was an enjoyable read. The main character is Aaron, a nice, average, slightly-quirky guy who gets more than he bargains for when he buys an old cube in a souvenir shop. It turns out that the souvenir is a stone from the breastplate the ancient Aaron (brother of Moses) used, and it comes with some mystical powers.

If average-guy getting mixed up in an ancient legend sounds like your type of book, I’d recommend checking this one out. It includes a clean love story along with some action. I found the main character easy to like and easy to cheer for. And the Old Testament tie-ins were pretty cool.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book from Goodreads. I really enjoyed this book and found the story quite interesting. Daren Fraley is a very good writer and holds your interest in the story.

I have never before heard this legend about there having to be thirty-six righteous people on earth at all times to keep God from destroying the earth. This goes back to the bible and the story of Sodom. Each of these thirty-six people are the guardian of a stone that was in the breastplate of the priest of the temple in Jerusalem.

This story keeps the reader wanting to learn more of what is happening and who these people are. It also show us that if we have faith and believe we will be directed on the right path. Look forward to more books by Daren Fraley.

[Jeffrey Olsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daron does a wonderful job bringing to life an ancient Jewish legend and putting it into a modern context. I had a difficult time putting the book down, especially the last half of the story, and I thought the ending was well thought out. I had never heard of this legend before, but I already can't wait to read the next installment. I hope at some point, all of the characters will be brought together with their powers to form some type of Israelite Avengers, but time will tell. Very good book!

[Andrea Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. There was the right amount of action and even hints at romance. The main character was awkward at times - yes, it was cute. He's a little geeky and it's heart warming. :-) Thirty-Six is definitely a book I'll be reading more than once. I had a hard time not putting it down, and found myself thinking about it long after finishing the book. The new world that is opened up to readers was exciting and fun to discover. I can't wait to read follow ups in the series!

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating book in a series about the Lamed Vovniks, a legend that requires thirty six righteous people to be on the earth at all times, or God will destroy the world. This book is about one of them. Can't wait to read the others!

[Valerie Steimle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a great adventure, story with biblical back ground history. A little romance thrown in and just an all around great book. A good one to get away from the world for a while.

[Leanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was fairly interesting. I believe I had the same excitement level for this book about 1/4 of my way in until the end.
I've never read a book with this theme, so originality was definitely there.
Overall, I found this book enjoyable ...

[Marsha Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang it, Daron D. Fraley, you've had me up half the night! I just finished reading THIRTY-SIX. I couldn't put it down to go to bed, and now it's 4 a.m. I'll need toothpicks to keep my eyelids open today. Terrific book!

[MisterFweem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review here:

http://misterfweem.blogspot.com/2012/...

[Carlajo Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the mixture of religion and mysticism in this story. Looking forward to more!

[Book Geek Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this. The characters were very strong. I liked the speculative elements. Very good book!