Fire Dance by Mike Sirota

In Mike Sirota’s Fire Dance, the dead still dance in the fire that consumed Concordia Sanitarium over a century before. Deep in the Anza-Borrego Desert in Southern California, the spirits of the sanitarium – patients and doctors alike – are trapped between this world and the next, forced to reenact the terrible scene that took them so many years ago. When Mark Alderson and Tracy Russell stumble upon this ghostly scene, they begin the strange project of ushering the dead from their endless dance to their final rest. But there is one spirit they have not taken into account: Bruno Leopold. A violent murderer in life, now in death a mindless spirit of destruction – when he finds a vessel to possess, a body to use at his will, who will stop him?

So goes the story of Fire Dance, the new paranormal thriller from legendary author Mike Sirota. When Sirota first decided to release the novel, he had long since “retired” from publication. After years of making a name for himself as one of the pioneers of the Sword and Planet subgenre of SciFi/Fantasy with his Ro-lan, Dannus, and Bicycling Through Space and Time series and other similar works, Sirota decided to hang up his pen and pursue a career in editing and coaching. Since then, he’s become an iconic figure among writers all over the country – both published and hopeful alike.

When the independent publishing company, ZOVA Books, first approached him about releasing Fire Dance in 2011, Sirota decided to return to publication for the first time in almost seventeen years. Though mainly known for his fantasy/SF, horror novels are certainly not new to him. His first works in the genre, Demon Shadows and The Well, continue to be staples for horror readers everywhere. Even so, Fire Dance promises to appeal to a whole new generation of readers. Publisher’s Weekly, in their December review, called Fire Dance “atmospheric” and said that “Readers will enjoy this updated take on the western ghost town.” The book draws on everything from western grit to edgy, Southern California mystery – not to mention the thrills and chills of a true ghost story.

A must-read for the not-so-faint of heart, Fire Dance promises more than horror. It is plain old good storytelling at its finest, and a fitting return to fiction from a long-lost favorite writer. Thriller giant John Lescroart wrote, “Mike Sirota is an absolute pro of a writer and, even for non-aficionados of ghost stories, these pages sing.” Lescroart is not the only one to take notice. New York Times bestselling author, Lisa Gardner brings it home: “So great to have a new book from legendary writing coach Mike Sirota. When he writes, you should listen!”

And so we do.

Mike Sirota is the author of twenty published books with houses that include The Berkley Publishing Group (Penguin-Putnam), Bantam Books, Pocket Books, and Kensington Publishing Corp. For fourteen years he was an award-winning feature writer and editor for a Southern California newsmagazine. Mike has facilitated many read and critique workshops, and has taught seminars and classes for various educational systems. He is an instructor for the University of California, San Diego Extension and is presently a workshop leader for the Southern California Writers’ Conference, the La Jolla Writers Conference, and the Alaska Writers Guild Conference.

Mike’s journalism honors include a prestigious Simon Rockower Prize for investigative reporting, and an award from the San Diego County Medical Association. He was also honored as the first “Person of Letters” by the 2002 La Jolla Writer’s Conference “for his ongoing and unselfish contributions to and support of the writing community.”