Something Radiates

by Brenda Marie Smith

"Baton Rouge 1989 Sarah Stevens is awakened by a sharp crack of lightning and a howling wind that’s railing against her little frame house and rushing through the hall to her room. Sarah leaps up and runs to the living room, stopping short when she sees her front door standing wide open – a door she’s certain she bolted and locked. Fighting against the battering wind and rain, Sarah calls to her teenage sons, Quincy and Daniel, and the three finally force the door shut. Then the boys discover their father’s wristwatch on the floor – the watch he was never without. But their father, Dietrich Peters, disappeared two years ago, after Sarah left him to escape fourteen years of abuse. Now Sarah fears that Dietrich is back. Wouldn't it be just like him to do something this crazy to scare her back into submission? Didn't Dietrich insist when he married Sarah that she belonged to him forever because he’d taken her to God? Hadn't he vowed repeatedly to never – NEVER, EVER – let her go? And hasn't Sarah been dreaming of a white-haired man trying to warn her about something she can’t understand, something to do with Dietrich? With her life suddenly tumbling once again into a state of dread, Sarah meets hunky carpenter Johnny Trahan and surprises herself with the depths of her feelings for him, passions she’d always longed for but doubted she’d find. But her feelings also enrage Dietrich. His intrusions grow ever more threatening while Sarah’s dreams take on a horrifying intensity, causing her to doubt her own sanity. Resolved to have the love and life she deserves, Sarah plunges into a life-and-death conflict with Dietrich that crosses several state boundaries and numerous realms of reality, forcing her to revisit her abused past, absorb the teachings of Timothy Leary, Carlos Castaneda, Carl Jung, and Zen Buddhism, and hone her own psychic skills, all culminating in a frightening and powerful climax near the peak of the Continental Divide. ""Brenda Smith infuses her thriller with elements of urban fantasy and new age wisdom, as if Deepak Chopra rewrote Twilight."" - Andy Johnson, Author of Wince, Two-Time 2013 Pushcart Prize Nominee"

Audible Audio

First published October 22, 2013

About the author

At 67-years-old, Brenda Marie Smith is finally having the writing career she's longed for all her life. Her second novel (and the first to be published by someone besides herself), IF DARKNESS TAKES US, won the 2018 Southern Fried Karma Novel Contest and was published by SFK Press in October 2019. The book is post-apocalyptic science fiction, unique in that it features an aging grandmother, Bea Crenshaw, and it takes place in a slightly altered version of the author's own neighborhood.

Now Brenda's sequel, IF THE LIGHT ESCAPES, will be published in August 2021, again by SFK Press. The story's told in the voice of Bea's 18-year-old grandson, Keno Simms, a stalwart young man who must lead his broken family and neighbors to survive life without electricity, cars, phones, or running water.

IF DARKNESS TAKES US is a true-to-life apocalyptic tale. It portrays a grandmother and her four grandkids struggling to survive after a solar electromagnetic pulse takes out the entire U.S. grid and vehicles with internal computers. No running water, telephones, or doctors to boot. But Grandma has secrets that could help them survive.

Brenda studied fiction in the UCLA Writers Program. She self-published her first novel, Something Radiates, after raising the funds via crowd-funding. A sequel to If Darkness Takes Us called If the Light Should Come is under consideration by the publisher. The story is written in the point of view of Bea’s 18-year-old grandson, Keno. More books in the series are in the works.

Brenda has lived in Austin, Texas for thirty-nine years. Prior to that she was a member of The Farm (a vegan hippie commune based in Tennessee, where she studied spiritual phenomena and her sons were delivered by midwives, including the famed Ina May Gaskin).

In Austin, she helped to found Soy Foods of Texas (maker of tofu salads still available today), the Austin Peace and Justice Coalition, Mockingbird Productions (a concert promotion company), and Green Earth Oil Distributors (a supplier of biodegradable motor oil). She was General Manager of the Inter-Cooperative Council (student housing co-ops near UT) for fifteen years, and she does bookkeeping, business writing, and income taxes today.

Brenda and her husband own a solar-powered home in South Austin and have more grown kids and grandkids than they can count.

Reviews

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although Something Radiates reminds one of Tom Robbins, Ken Kesey, Stephen King, and Robert Mailer Anderson's "Boonville," it really is a completely fresh take on modern horror tales and 1960s' counter-culture. Here, there are echoes of Timothy Leary, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Toni Morrison, and yet Brenda Marie Smith's voice is singular and unmistakeable. The novel on one level is extraordinarily down-to-earth, and yet at times reaches epic heights beyond ordinary consciousness. Is there another novel from the hippie generation with the point of view of a strong woman raising two kids amidst such challenging circumstances? I can't think of one. And once the drama unfolds, you won't want to put it down. The second half of Something Radiates shifts into high gear and culminates in a stunning climax.

[Cindy Widner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am pretty stingy with my five stars, and the only reason I gave this four instead is because ... I'm a snob about genre fiction? Whatever the case, this is a great read-- not normally my kind of book, but I found it compelling, well-written, and imaginatively plotted. I am pleasantly surprised at how well the original the premise works; I would not have expected a crime thriller that coalesces around psychic battle to be so witty, well-paced, and down to earth. The characters are smart, working-class Southerners with a countercultural bent -- specifically and naturalistically drawn -- and Smith imbues them with a love of life and humor in the face of their sometimes frightening, sometimes workaday struggles.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I haven't been on Goodreads lately, but I had to come back on, because I totally forgot to review this wonderful book. Distractions aside for now and focusing on Something Radiates , I really enjoyed reading this book. It was definitely a refreshing read--something different from what I usually reach for. Highly recommend to those who are fond of thrillers but also savor a little healthy sprinkle of romance. Who doesn't like that combo?

[Jordan Quesada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is and adult almost science-fictionesqe. The story follows Sarah and her struggle with her abusive, controlling, astral planing ex. I'm really not sure how to describe this book, it is definitely different than anything I have ever read.

Sarah's ex-husband is entering her mind and causing her physical harm-without being physically present. The idea or concept explored in this book is quite scary and nerve wracking. The idea that someone can have so much control, impact, and knowledge without physically being there is terrifying. The idea that drug use can take a persons mind to places/consciousness otherwise unknown is interesting. (not that I'll jump on that train, but nonetheless it is interesting)

This book reminded me a lot of the movie Suspect Zero...

Brenda's writing skill is phenomenal, but did find the story sort of dragging a bit in places. I would recommend this book to anyone into different perceptions of religion, anyone who wants a suspenseful read which introduces unspoken topics. This book does contain sexually explicit pieces, vulgar language, rape, emotional and physical abuse, drug use, and paranormal events-so if you do not wish to read about these things, or if these things could be a possible trigger, this book may not be for you.

[Debbie Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal, captivating, suspenseful free goodreads thriller Something Radiates by Brenda Marie Smith.
After fourteen years of an abusive marriage, Sarah Stevens divorces her husband, Dietrich Peters, and leaves with her two teenage sons, Quincy and Daniel. She starts a new life, works as a waitress, rents a house, and starts dating a wonderful, loving man, Jonathan. Just as Jonathan and Sarah start to date, Sarah's ex-husband enters the picture as an astral projection, harasses her, causes a car accident that lands Sarah and her two sons in the hospital, and won't leave her mind or her alone. Dietrich threatens Sarah's sons and her new found love, Jonathan. Meanwhile, Jonathan doesn't understand what is going on with Sarah and wants to help her.
Read the captivating, suspenseful, highly recommended Something Radiates by Brenda Marie Smith and find out if and how Sarah can stop her ex-husband, Dietrich, from hurting the ones she loves.

[Shirley Berwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the read. It is so real, you feel like you were right there when all this is happening.

[M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Different fantasy thriller. I look forward to reading more by this author! I won this in a contest and it was a good read!

[Jennifer-Eve Workman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this through Goodreads First Reads Giveaway.

[Aden Polydoros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Something Radiates took me by the hand and didn't let me go until the final page. Through immersive writing and outstanding character development, Brenda Marie Smith drew me into the story and had me totally invested in Sarah's character. The sweet and swoon worthy moments with Johnny provided nice interludes between high-tension, action-packed scenes. The setting is described in such vivid detail, while reading it I felt like I was actually there. I also greatly enjoyed the cultural references, which I feel added a lot to the story. I look forward to reading more of Brenda's work in the future.

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had so many different elements and provided a lot of action from very diverse characters. The book touched on the supernatural, homosexuality, sexual themes, love of family, and drugs. The basic story was pretty good but had some foul language and strong sexual tones that ruined it for me. The supernatural part was really creepy and I have trouble with attributing something to God and using foul language all at the same time. The book was well-written with a great wealth of vocabulary and the author does a terrific job of presenting a scene that can be easily visualized by the reader. I won this book from Goodreads.

[Neveen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway.

The premise of this book is intriguing and sounds like a consuming ride from beginning to end but I just couldn't finish it. The writing is wonderful and I felt that the pacing was well set and rarely slowed. I think it was the adult themes that had me unable to finish this book. From what I read if adult psychological thrillers with romance and sci-fi this is your book.

[Judy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a free book from Goodreads and I was certainly looking forward to a good read and follow-up good review. Unfortunately, this book was not to my taste. It was more romance novel and less psychological thriller.