The Way of Wildfires and Hard Luck Believers

"Brian David Cinadr's The Way of Wildfires and hard luck believers is an achingly poetic meditation on the transient nature of love, luck, and life itself. Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles-a city both intoxicating and indifferent-Cinadr weaves a narrative that feels as timeless as the tides and as urgent as the wildfires that rage throughout the novel.

The writing is visceral and evocative, balancing a raw, streetwise sensibility with moments of breathtaking lyricism. His protagonist, Michael, is a man both haunted and defined by his past, struggling to reconcile what was with what remains. Through a deeply introspective lens, Cinadr captures the contradictions of modern existence-the push and pull of fate, the beauty found in the mundane, and the inescapable weight of regret.

What sets The Way of Wildfires apart is its ability to immerse the reader in the very soul of its setting. From the neon glow of Chinatown restaurants to the smoky, salt-tinged air of California's burning hills, the novel pulses with atmosphere. Every scene, every moment, is steeped in longing-whether for a lost love, a second chance, or simply an answer to the unknowable.

At its core, this novel is about survival-not just of fire, but of the emotional wreckage we leave in our wake. It is a book that lingers long after the final page, a poignant reminder that we are all shaped by the flames we endure. Cinadr has crafted something truly remarkable: a novel as relentless, as unpredictable, and as devastatingly beautiful as the wildfires themselves. Highly recommended." - Liz Dubelman, Editor & Contributor to What Was I Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories (St. Martin's Press), founder of VidLit, Published in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, and NPR.