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Two 'Til Midnight
Winner of the 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards
“[A]n amazing job of storytelling while integrating several of today’s hard-to-discuss topics . . . [N]ot for the faint of heart.” –San Francisco Book Review
The winner of the prestigious 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Two ’Til Midnight is Dillard’s exemplary debut novel. Possessing the pace of a thriller, the intensity of a drama, and the humor of a late-night comedy set, Two ‘Til Midnight takes a chilling look at the citizens of a close-knit town in a USA led by Trump. Dr. Garnet Gibbs, the protagonist, is content with living her day-to-day routine, teaching at the local university. She finds herself, however, often caught in the middle of the community’s theatrics, as her family and friends alike experience challenges with coexisting with those who are unlike them in a number of ways. As residents are forced to face issues related to racism, sexuality, the military, terrorism, and much more, the ability to forge civility is proving to be quite a tall order. What's more, the element of the supernatural is weaving its way into the town's already-volatile state of affairs, adding an extra dimension of suspense. With plots extending from Vegas to Afghanistan to Jamaica, Two ‘Til Midnight serves as a literary mirror, a subtle social commentary, and an undeniable barometer for gauging where a modern-day America falls on the diversity continuum.
“[A]n amazing job of storytelling while integrating several of today’s hard-to-discuss topics . . . [N]ot for the faint of heart.” –San Francisco Book Review
The winner of the prestigious 2020 Next Generation Indie Book Awards, Two ’Til Midnight is Dillard’s exemplary debut novel. Possessing the pace of a thriller, the intensity of a drama, and the humor of a late-night comedy set, Two ‘Til Midnight takes a chilling look at the citizens of a close-knit town in a USA led by Trump. Dr. Garnet Gibbs, the protagonist, is content with living her day-to-day routine, teaching at the local university. She finds herself, however, often caught in the middle of the community’s theatrics, as her family and friends alike experience challenges with coexisting with those who are unlike them in a number of ways. As residents are forced to face issues related to racism, sexuality, the military, terrorism, and much more, the ability to forge civility is proving to be quite a tall order. What's more, the element of the supernatural is weaving its way into the town's already-volatile state of affairs, adding an extra dimension of suspense. With plots extending from Vegas to Afghanistan to Jamaica, Two ‘Til Midnight serves as a literary mirror, a subtle social commentary, and an undeniable barometer for gauging where a modern-day America falls on the diversity continuum.
406 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2019
2 people are currently reading
17 people want to read
About the author
Bernard L. Dillard
4 books26 followersBERNARD L. DILLARD was born in Durham, NC. He is the author of Two ‘Til Midnight: A Novel, which was declared a 2020 Winner in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards. He is also the author of Lemonade: Inspired by Actual Events, a 2013 Winner in Dan Poynter’s Global eBook Awards. Further, he has authored Moneymatics and co-authored Elementary Statistics, two textbooks widely used in colleges across the country. An associate professor, he teaches Statistical Analysis and The Mathematics of Financial Life Management at Fashion Institute of Technology. He has had a few acting stints (The Wire) and several modeling assignments (Sean John). He earned his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Morehouse College and obtained graduate degrees from Emory University and University of Maryland. He currently resides in Brooklyn.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 16, 2019
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (1/19)
“Two ‘Til Midnight” by Bernard L. Dillard is a complex contemporary novel that focuses mainly on the lives of a history professor named Dr. Garnet Gibbs and the people around her. This includes her daughter, grandson and his father, friends and colleagues. Gibbs is the most stable of them all. Her faith is strong, and she lives according to her beliefs. Underlying everything is an unseen battle between good and evil that is taking place around their lives. The angels hear the prayers of the supplicants and act to help answer them. Gibbs’ prayers tend to be answered. The demons act as tricksters and try to direct those that are weak and vulnerable down the wrong path. Unfortunately, the demons have a great deal of success with their attempts. But of course, this makes for a much more interesting story!
Dillard skillfully weaves each character’s part into the plot. I enjoyed being able to step into each person’s life so that I could gain a better understanding of their motivations and temptations. To some degree, all the characters have flaws, with some being much more flawed than others. The majority are likeable, and I found their stories intriguing and easy to follow. The unlikeable characters have large roles to play as the drama unfolds, so their presence is necessary and greatly adds to the underlying war between good and evil. The author has done an exceptional job creating a novel that will be enjoyed by adult readers. I specify adult because he covers topics with adult themes and there is an incredibly well-written erotic scene in the story as well! He also includes a discussion guide which would help lead to some interesting discourse by reading groups.
“Two ‘Til Midnight” by Bernard L. Dillard takes place in our modern times and covers contemporary topics with issues such as racism, modern religion, politics in the United States and the middle east, gender identity, and academia. The events that take place in the main plot are very realistic and attention grabbing. The underlying subplot with the angels, demons and an occasional word by the Holy Spirit, might seem unbelievable, but with what I see happening in the news today, it is unsettling that I could see this other reality actually existing and influencing my reality. I found that this aspect made the story even more compelling and believable. This is highly recommended reading.
“Two ‘Til Midnight” by Bernard L. Dillard is a complex contemporary novel that focuses mainly on the lives of a history professor named Dr. Garnet Gibbs and the people around her. This includes her daughter, grandson and his father, friends and colleagues. Gibbs is the most stable of them all. Her faith is strong, and she lives according to her beliefs. Underlying everything is an unseen battle between good and evil that is taking place around their lives. The angels hear the prayers of the supplicants and act to help answer them. Gibbs’ prayers tend to be answered. The demons act as tricksters and try to direct those that are weak and vulnerable down the wrong path. Unfortunately, the demons have a great deal of success with their attempts. But of course, this makes for a much more interesting story!
Dillard skillfully weaves each character’s part into the plot. I enjoyed being able to step into each person’s life so that I could gain a better understanding of their motivations and temptations. To some degree, all the characters have flaws, with some being much more flawed than others. The majority are likeable, and I found their stories intriguing and easy to follow. The unlikeable characters have large roles to play as the drama unfolds, so their presence is necessary and greatly adds to the underlying war between good and evil. The author has done an exceptional job creating a novel that will be enjoyed by adult readers. I specify adult because he covers topics with adult themes and there is an incredibly well-written erotic scene in the story as well! He also includes a discussion guide which would help lead to some interesting discourse by reading groups.
“Two ‘Til Midnight” by Bernard L. Dillard takes place in our modern times and covers contemporary topics with issues such as racism, modern religion, politics in the United States and the middle east, gender identity, and academia. The events that take place in the main plot are very realistic and attention grabbing. The underlying subplot with the angels, demons and an occasional word by the Holy Spirit, might seem unbelievable, but with what I see happening in the news today, it is unsettling that I could see this other reality actually existing and influencing my reality. I found that this aspect made the story even more compelling and believable. This is highly recommended reading.
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June 4, 2019Since its introduction in 1947, the Doomsday Clock has represented how close mankind is to total destruction. Although the clock was originally set at seven minutes to midnight, it has fluctuated over the years from as far away as seventeen minutes (in 1991, marking the fall of the Soviet Union) to two minutes, the current setting as of 2018. While the real-life Doomsday Clock setting refers to imminent disaster from climate change and nuclear escalation, the title of Bernard Dillard’s second book, Two ‘Til Midnight, refers to rising tensions between angels and demons that threaten the lives of one community.
The heroine of this novel, Garnet, is a professor just like the author. In her personal and professional life, she and those around her are swayed toward and away from sin by two groups that are fighting for their souls. The angels and demons are introduced early on in the book, and they discuss their plans to lead Garnet and her loved ones to salvation, or temptation, respectively. The omnificent beings have a hand in the events that follow, although the characters are all seemingly unaware of their presence.
In one scene, a character is tempted by his ex, who suggests in a phone call that he abandon his faith and return to their relationship. As this happens, the Holy Spirit implores him to hang up the phone. The benevolence of the angels (Gabriel, an angel, is late for his meeting with the others because he has been watching over one of his subjects) is juxtaposed against the chaotic nature of the demons (Mictian, a demon, is late for his demon meeting because he stops to cause a highway accident). Against the backdrop of the battle between good and evil being waged by the angels and demons is an exploration of modern, tolerant Christianity.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/as-the-c...
The heroine of this novel, Garnet, is a professor just like the author. In her personal and professional life, she and those around her are swayed toward and away from sin by two groups that are fighting for their souls. The angels and demons are introduced early on in the book, and they discuss their plans to lead Garnet and her loved ones to salvation, or temptation, respectively. The omnificent beings have a hand in the events that follow, although the characters are all seemingly unaware of their presence.
In one scene, a character is tempted by his ex, who suggests in a phone call that he abandon his faith and return to their relationship. As this happens, the Holy Spirit implores him to hang up the phone. The benevolence of the angels (Gabriel, an angel, is late for his meeting with the others because he has been watching over one of his subjects) is juxtaposed against the chaotic nature of the demons (Mictian, a demon, is late for his demon meeting because he stops to cause a highway accident). Against the backdrop of the battle between good and evil being waged by the angels and demons is an exploration of modern, tolerant Christianity.
The rest of the review: https://booktrib.com/2019/06/as-the-c...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews