Kandie L. Rosales

I read because I am interested in the how and why of world chaos and because I crave a continuing understanding of organized survival.  Now that I have read your manuscript entitled, 'Waltzing With the Wicked', I am more intimate with Mossad - but from the centre, from the front line, from the personal view of an ordinary man whose gunslinger experiences forces feelings like, 'I loved my women wild...and the booze made it so I didn't give a damn.'  You have, quite poignantly, described every-day people and added colour to the time, place and events that have moved you to write your story.  This is no mean achievement, David.  Your book doesn't disseminate structure and expected performance from a series of hired guns.  Your novel is a window into an extraordinary experience, a one-way mirror into your legacy, a legacy intended for a nation of people you have loved and protected. 

Partisan statements like 'Israelis never burn flags but the Arabs seem to delight in the symbolic [italics added] destruction of the enemy' add sizzle to your work.  Moreover, when you write '...because I discovered that I learned more in life from embracing the darkness, than I ever did when facing the light' I feel that you have really told me something about yourself.  I like this; I am sure others will too.

I think your book is an important read; I think you should add the prosthetic 'my life embracing the darkness' to your title.  I read your novel in three reading sessions whereby I was moved to a few tears, and yes, even grateful that you were out there - you were in the trenches doing the dirty work that needed to be done.  That's the story; that's the price you paid; that's the benefit you gave to society, a struggling populace that wants peace, will probably never totally achieve it and will never stop trying.

Yours truly,
Gary McDonald

'Waltzing with the Wicked', is the second book written by Dave Sheskin, and is an excellent read. Dave's latest novel is filled with excitement, danger, mystery, sex, love, hate and unremitting anguish. As you travel with Nathan Sheppard you get to know the man and his family, and find yourself becoming one with them. Nathan sacrificed everything including his beloved family, and paid a very high price for the choices he made in his life.

Nathan opens up his story by introducing us to his typical family that he left behind in Montreal, Canada. He needed, and continually searched for more fulfillments in his life, and was certain that he made the right choice by moving to the Holy Land. A warrior at heart, he gave his all for the sake of his country.

His life's experiences bring him to unbelievable adventures and breathtaking escapes from danger. All Nathan's adventures are based upon actual events which the author has personally experienced. This fictional/autobiography gives the exact touch of authenticity that makes the story you are about to read all that much more fantastic, because you know that these events did in fact take place in one form or another.

In today's political climate 'Waltzing with the Wicked' is an important book. His adventures took place primarily in Europe, in the 70s, when the radical Islamist terrorist organizations began their quest for global domination. The tactics and devices they utilized were so hideous, that the blood of many innocent people; Jews and non-Jews alike was needlessly spilt. The terrorist leaders had to be stopped, and that is when Nathans life changed forever.

Get ready to be swept into a life that one can only envision in their most terrifying of nightmares. Your heart will race with excitement, and you will experience an adrenaline rush at the danger. You will cry with Nathan as he must sacrifice what he holds dearest; and loses in the service of his country. How this man survived life's challenges is nothing short of a miracle.

Personally, I could not put the book down.

Eve Cohen

'Waltzing with the Wicked: Embracing the Darkness' written by Dave Sheskin, is a soul-bearing and often agonizing chronicling of the main character's struggles as he wrestles with the consequences of a horrific loss.  Leading the life of a highly successful professional, a father of three children is frequently absent.  Finding joy in his work accomplishments and the financial comforts they deliver, in his mind he is the epitome of a hard working, dedicated family man.  However, his entire universe is forever knocked from its axis when his beautiful teenage daughter tragically dies. 

Overwhelmed with guilt as he fervently believes her loss was preventable if only his presence was available, his mind is jolted from the brilliant lights of bright futures and endless days of joy into the dark abyss of self loathing, despair, and hatred.  Coming to understand that while God is a questionable entity, Satan is a tangible force evident in everyday life.  Refusing to accept comfort or solace in any form, he now embarks on a lifetime journey to find vindication, revenge, and confront evil on terms only those who reside in the darkest regions of hell can fathom.  From this foundation, the author constructs a riveting saga.

Composed in a captivating narrative and compelling dialogue, the story flows at a brisk tempo.  The plot contains more than a few strategically placed, unexpected twists which should maintain the reader's interest throughout.  The characters are developed and presented in a multidimensional fashion revealing the intricacies of their unique personalities and individual agendas.  In addition, Mr. Sheskin effectively manages to avoid artificially padding the work with superfluous material and unnecessary characters thereby keeping the focus directed towards the primary storyline.  Navigating the plot to a well conceived and logical conclusion, the author could leave the reader with the sense of time well invested in the reading of this story.

Dave Sheskin's highly creative style of writing combined with a keen attention to detail could further enhance the appeal of this work.

Jean Wahlborg,

Editorial Co-ordinator, Dorrance Publishing Co.

As we grow personal decisions can devastate or illuminate our lives. Dave Sheskin's book has characterized his life through Nathan dramatically, poignantly and with a romantic thrust revealing his professional and highly personal work: an activity with heart wrenching skill and dedication to a cause created by centuries of humanity's frailties.

Waltzing with the Wicked: Embracing the Darkness makes me want to dig deeper into Nathan's secret life. Bravo Major Sheskin. Bring out a sequel.!

Yours truly,

Terryl A. Smith

Mississauga, Ontario