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Live Again
The offer of a lifetime, and beyond...
He can bring his wife back, no strings attached...
But, keeping her here is another story all together...
LIVE AGAIN
True love never dies...if you don't let it.
Book
After a failed suicide attempt, widower Keith Lansing is finally getting his life back on track thanks to Live Again, a support group of men who have suffered losses similar to his own. But when the tragedy of the group’s newest member flattens them all, Keith finds himself back on a downward spiral.
Until he meets Simas.
This stranger offers Keith the opportunity of a lifetime--a way to call misdeal on the hand fate so cruelly dealt him--in the form of a simple question.
What if he could bring his wife back with no strings attached?
Keith jumps at the deal. Who wouldn't? But, while bringing back his wife held no repercussions, keeping her here may be another story all together. Because she didn’t return alone…
About the
L. R. Giles is a three-time contributor to the Dark Dreams anthology series edited by author Brandon Massey for Kensington Publishing (Dark Dreams, 2004; Voices from the Other Side, 2006; Whispers in the Night, 2007), a recipient of the 2006-2007 Virginia Commission for the Arts Fiction Fellowship, and a Top 10 finalist in the 2009 Tor UK and SciFiNow War of the Words competition. He resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife.
He can bring his wife back, no strings attached...
But, keeping her here is another story all together...
LIVE AGAIN
True love never dies...if you don't let it.
Book
After a failed suicide attempt, widower Keith Lansing is finally getting his life back on track thanks to Live Again, a support group of men who have suffered losses similar to his own. But when the tragedy of the group’s newest member flattens them all, Keith finds himself back on a downward spiral.
Until he meets Simas.
This stranger offers Keith the opportunity of a lifetime--a way to call misdeal on the hand fate so cruelly dealt him--in the form of a simple question.
What if he could bring his wife back with no strings attached?
Keith jumps at the deal. Who wouldn't? But, while bringing back his wife held no repercussions, keeping her here may be another story all together. Because she didn’t return alone…
About the
L. R. Giles is a three-time contributor to the Dark Dreams anthology series edited by author Brandon Massey for Kensington Publishing (Dark Dreams, 2004; Voices from the Other Side, 2006; Whispers in the Night, 2007), a recipient of the 2006-2007 Virginia Commission for the Arts Fiction Fellowship, and a Top 10 finalist in the 2009 Tor UK and SciFiNow War of the Words competition. He resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife.
172 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2010
2 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
L.R. Giles
12 books45 followersLamar "L. R." Giles writes books for teens and adults. FAKE ID, his debut Young Adult Thriller, will be published by HarperCollins in 2014. He is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency and resides in Chesapeake, VA with his wife.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 16, 2011
I read very little of the genre of "Live Again," but I easily recognize literary talent. Giles has put together a horror/fantasy tale guaranteed to get and maintain your attention. I will not attempt to write a synopsis of the book. That is readily available.
The book speaks to the deeply human instinct to try, in any way possible, to bring back any vestige of a departed dear one--in this case, a resurrection. The age-old tale of people accepting what appears to be a gift without examining the side-effects is carefully and uncomfortably demonstrated in "Live Again." The characters in the book are not "cardboard" people. The reader knows them, and sometimes wishes he/or she didn't.
Highly recommended.
The book speaks to the deeply human instinct to try, in any way possible, to bring back any vestige of a departed dear one--in this case, a resurrection. The age-old tale of people accepting what appears to be a gift without examining the side-effects is carefully and uncomfortably demonstrated in "Live Again." The characters in the book are not "cardboard" people. The reader knows them, and sometimes wishes he/or she didn't.
Highly recommended.
February 27, 2025
Can you imagine what it’s like to lose the love of your life twice?
Yay! I can start using my smiley face emojis to actually depict satisfaction with my reading again! That's thanks to L.R. Giles "Live Again", which I found to be a very entertaining and legitimately spooky one-sitting horror tale! Though not perfectly executed (where are the Blue Ride Mountains?), I was still able to become utterly enraptured by Giles well-formulated and definitely effective story of loss, rebirth and loss again.
I’m afraid I might’ve led you straight into Hell.
Our story starts with poor Keith, a young man that lost his wife to cancer a short while ago. To make matters worse - an idiom which we definitely see embodied in several ways throughout this story - it appears that her death was not exactly due to the cancer and was very likely unnecessary. It seems that her doctor "might’ve had too much coffee before performing a ‘simple’ procedure"? Only we later learn it was so, so much worse than that, a fact that sends Keith to even deeper depths. It is therefore no surprise that Keith is suffering from severe depression and even suicidal thoughts… and attempted actions. But fate - and perhaps even his own stubbornness - has different plans for the young man.
That is the nature of curses. They stay with you always.
On a night out seeking to drown both his sorrows and maybe even himself, he comes face-to-face in a dirty honky-tonk watering hole with someone who we will eventually piece together is an all-powerful, immortal Necromancer. Yep, one so powerful he's earned the Capital N. And it turns out this … gentleman can control time, space, and reality. Even so, he has one simple question for Keith: "Would you bring [your wife] back, say, if you had a wish?" But just as with so many stories featuring genies in bottles and other magical beings that offer rewards that seem just too good to be true, we all know that there has to be a catch to such a "kind and generous" offer. Who knows though? Maybe his wife can be brought back with no consequences. But keeping her here… now that may be another story entirely!
If I was in Heaven, can I ever go back? Will they let me in with these things inside me?
From here we see then just how quickly Keith's world starts to fall apart, especially as he makes the fateful decision to indeed resurrect the love of his life. Giles takes on a whirlwind journey of what effect this has on not only Keith - and the newly "reborn" Adair - as well as their remaining neighbors and friends. For it becomes all too apparent that the being that seems in all ways to be his deceased wife is very, very different to the woman he fell in love with. Almost as if she wasn't the only one occupying her body… which might explain her Herculean strength as well as certain "appetites" that she MUST satisfy on a yearly basis. Just do NOT say a blessing before you have dinner, you might burn the house down! Yeah, as you might have guessed, it gets pretty gruesome, especially when you're sleeping in bed next to what amounts to a mystically reincarnated zombie!
Red, wet holes rimmed with triangular piranha’s teeth appeared all over their bodies.
What I really appreciated then is that Giles uses every introduced "contact" that we make throughout the story - most of whom have equally difficult traumas to deal with - in some way. Sometimes they pass quickly by (or are perhaps just ignored) and other times they have more influence on the outcome of this journey than might be expected. Things get very, very messy for a while and it seems even that Keith's life is at its end as well… but we are then surprised with a destructive finale that would make any chapter of the Halloween franchise green with envy. Hm, maybe mentioning green things isn't the best idea what with some of gorier parts of our tale. But the book builds up nicely and just as we're thinking "ok, we've survived… well, some of us have survived", there is a really cool cliffhanger to enjoy! And yes, it's just a little too believable for comfort!
There was a blood detonation as they tore into him simultaneously. Fat, red drops drizzled all around.
Overall then, this is, again, a quick read; however, even though I wish it had continued, it felt like the author handled the shorter "format" if you will more than adequately. I mean, don't force it if its not there! And yes, again, the editing could have been improved … hang on, just let me confirm one thing. Yep, I was right: "If the quotation of a complete sentence is interrupted in the middle and then continues after the interruption, do not capitalize the second part of the quotation. Use commas to set off the explanatory words." But trust me, I've seen much more egregious examples among my last few selections (hint: that's putting it mildly). Bottom-line: this is a very enjoyable book with a great feel of warning to it! I've definitely got L.R.Giles on my radar now!
I love you, but I hate you a little, too.
But friends, do be careful what you ask for in life or even in death… after all, you just might get it!
Yay! I can start using my smiley face emojis to actually depict satisfaction with my reading again! That's thanks to L.R. Giles "Live Again", which I found to be a very entertaining and legitimately spooky one-sitting horror tale! Though not perfectly executed (where are the Blue Ride Mountains?), I was still able to become utterly enraptured by Giles well-formulated and definitely effective story of loss, rebirth and loss again.
I’m afraid I might’ve led you straight into Hell.
Our story starts with poor Keith, a young man that lost his wife to cancer a short while ago. To make matters worse - an idiom which we definitely see embodied in several ways throughout this story - it appears that her death was not exactly due to the cancer and was very likely unnecessary. It seems that her doctor "might’ve had too much coffee before performing a ‘simple’ procedure"? Only we later learn it was so, so much worse than that, a fact that sends Keith to even deeper depths. It is therefore no surprise that Keith is suffering from severe depression and even suicidal thoughts… and attempted actions. But fate - and perhaps even his own stubbornness - has different plans for the young man.
That is the nature of curses. They stay with you always.
On a night out seeking to drown both his sorrows and maybe even himself, he comes face-to-face in a dirty honky-tonk watering hole with someone who we will eventually piece together is an all-powerful, immortal Necromancer. Yep, one so powerful he's earned the Capital N. And it turns out this … gentleman can control time, space, and reality. Even so, he has one simple question for Keith: "Would you bring [your wife] back, say, if you had a wish?" But just as with so many stories featuring genies in bottles and other magical beings that offer rewards that seem just too good to be true, we all know that there has to be a catch to such a "kind and generous" offer. Who knows though? Maybe his wife can be brought back with no consequences. But keeping her here… now that may be another story entirely!
If I was in Heaven, can I ever go back? Will they let me in with these things inside me?
From here we see then just how quickly Keith's world starts to fall apart, especially as he makes the fateful decision to indeed resurrect the love of his life. Giles takes on a whirlwind journey of what effect this has on not only Keith - and the newly "reborn" Adair - as well as their remaining neighbors and friends. For it becomes all too apparent that the being that seems in all ways to be his deceased wife is very, very different to the woman he fell in love with. Almost as if she wasn't the only one occupying her body… which might explain her Herculean strength as well as certain "appetites" that she MUST satisfy on a yearly basis. Just do NOT say a blessing before you have dinner, you might burn the house down! Yeah, as you might have guessed, it gets pretty gruesome, especially when you're sleeping in bed next to what amounts to a mystically reincarnated zombie!
Red, wet holes rimmed with triangular piranha’s teeth appeared all over their bodies.
What I really appreciated then is that Giles uses every introduced "contact" that we make throughout the story - most of whom have equally difficult traumas to deal with - in some way. Sometimes they pass quickly by (or are perhaps just ignored) and other times they have more influence on the outcome of this journey than might be expected. Things get very, very messy for a while and it seems even that Keith's life is at its end as well… but we are then surprised with a destructive finale that would make any chapter of the Halloween franchise green with envy. Hm, maybe mentioning green things isn't the best idea what with some of gorier parts of our tale. But the book builds up nicely and just as we're thinking "ok, we've survived… well, some of us have survived", there is a really cool cliffhanger to enjoy! And yes, it's just a little too believable for comfort!
There was a blood detonation as they tore into him simultaneously. Fat, red drops drizzled all around.
Overall then, this is, again, a quick read; however, even though I wish it had continued, it felt like the author handled the shorter "format" if you will more than adequately. I mean, don't force it if its not there! And yes, again, the editing could have been improved … hang on, just let me confirm one thing. Yep, I was right: "If the quotation of a complete sentence is interrupted in the middle and then continues after the interruption, do not capitalize the second part of the quotation. Use commas to set off the explanatory words." But trust me, I've seen much more egregious examples among my last few selections (hint: that's putting it mildly). Bottom-line: this is a very enjoyable book with a great feel of warning to it! I've definitely got L.R.Giles on my radar now!
I love you, but I hate you a little, too.
But friends, do be careful what you ask for in life or even in death… after all, you just might get it!
November 16, 2018
This was a very scary story. Flint loses his wife in a botched surgery and tries to deal with his grief and missing the life they planned to have together. He joins a support group called Live Again. While he isn’t dealing well with his loss, he attempts suicide and isn’t successful. The groups despondency sends him to the bar where he meets someone magical and evil, he gives him the power to bring his wife Adair back who isn’t happy to be back. Flint compounds his bad decisions and starts a chain of events that aren’t designed to make him or the members happy again. This is the first I have read for this author and I look forward to more.
February 20, 2020
I read this book a while back and it remains one of the best modern horror stories I have ever read. The character development is top-notch and the plot is tense and increasingly terrifying. The writing is visual and visceral and we become a part of the misguided protagonist, Keith Lansing. I read the story back in 2005 and have read it three times since and it never gets old. I don't even like first person narrative and I loved this tale.
Was there ever a sequel?
Was there ever a sequel?
June 5, 2011
I did not want to die before I read Live Again. Now, I really don't want to die. There is a saying, "If you love something, set it free ... " After reading this book, you will do just that. "Be careful what you wish for."
Mr. Giles managed to bring tears to my eyes and smiles to my face. My heart raced for the love, the hate and the bloody terror.
Mr. Giles managed to bring tears to my eyes and smiles to my face. My heart raced for the love, the hate and the bloody terror.
May 11, 2011
What would you do if you could bring you loved one back? Keith soon finds out. Turns out nothing in life is free and more livesw have to be taken to keep your love.
View this review over at Doublehotreviews.com
View this review over at Doublehotreviews.com
July 31, 2011
Loved the concept. I felt that the author could have developed it more. I actually thought the story was going to end up differently than it did. There are too many unanswered questions for me to give the story a better rating.
August 4, 2013
Another great book by L.R. Giles. It was a fast read and I enjoyed every moment of it. Bringing a loved one back from the dead but with crazy consequences. It was spooky without all the corny Dawn of the Dead zombie nonsense.
August 27, 2013
I usually don't read science fiction, but I could hardly put this one down. Plus my book club picked this one. The romance, monsters and unexpected twists held my interest until the very end.
May 31, 2013
Pretty good and a bit creepy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews