DARYL’S BOOKS

Disappear into stories that speak to how heart grow. Daryl’s historical fiction brings to life Israel’s dramatic struggle for freedom and the conflicts that shaped its destiny through the eyes of characters who will stay with you long after you’ve read the last page. In non-fiction, he blends memoir and biblical wisdom to explore grief, purpose, and relationships. Coming soon, The Orangery will venture into speculative fiction and the ways healthy hearts outgrown stale institutions. Each book offers a unique journey that is emotional, meaning-filled, richly layered, and evocatively written.

 
Cover of Keziah's Song by Daryl Potter, featuring a young girl with long hair, standing against a backdrop of ancient ruins and battle, evoking themes of war, survival, and music in historical Israel.

Keziah's Song

FICTION
Jerusalem frees itself from the Greek Empire at great cost to the people of Galilee while a young woman loses her family and finds her home.

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Cover of Blind Man's Labyrinth by Daryl Potter, featuring a young boy navigating a dark, chaotic landscape, symbolizing his journey through war, cults, and personal struggle in ancient Israel.

Blind Man's Labyrinth

FICTION
The Jewish nation uses its hard won freedom to descend into civil war and a young boy strikes out alone, looking to make sense of this world gone mad.

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Cover of Bitter for Sweet by Daryl Potter, showing the fates of Pninah, a Jewish girl, and Cypros, a Nabataean princess, colliding amid political turmoil in 76 BCE Jerusalem.

Bitter for Sweet

FICTION
In a world fractured by treachery, the mother of Herod the Great, an Arab woman, enlists Roman legions to conquer Jerusalem, in an effort to save Israel from itself.

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Cover of Even the Monsters by Daryl Potter, chronicling the author's journey through grief and loss, intertwined with a deep exploration of the Book of Job, offering hope and healing.

Even the Monsters

NON-FICTION
A poignant blend of personal memoir and commentary on the Book of Job, this deep dive into scripture explores grief, loss, and depression, making the ancient text both gripping and relatable for 21st-century readers.

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Cover of Something More by Daryl Potter, blending personal stories with the wisdom of Ecclesiastes to explore life's deepest questions, offering a path to fulfillment, resilience, and joy in a broken world.

Something More

NON-FICTION
A fascinating blend of memoir and commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes, this deep dive into scripture offers practical insights and personal reflections for readers seeking answers in Something more: Living Well in A Broken World.

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Cover of The Orangery by Daryl Potter, a speculative fiction novel that explores themes of growth, friendship, and the passage of time, celebrating nature and reflecting on the decline of old institutions.

The Orangery

FICTION
The Orangery is Daryl’s first foray into the world of Speculative Fiction. It is a love letter to all things green, a requiem for expired institutions, and a tale about maturity, friendship, and the soil in which hearts grow.

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Author Daryl Potter, pictured on the About page, with a thoughtful expression reflecting his deep connection to storytelling, history, and the human experience.

MEET DARYL POTTER

“What do you want to be when you grow up?" I knew I wanted to be a writer when I was ten years old. Growing up homeschooled in a rural community, in an era before the internet, and without even a television in the house, I used to travel 10 miles by bicycle to the nearest library where I started with authors whose last names began with A and worked my way to Z. When I needed a break from books, I read the library's magazines—everything from Life, Time, and Newsweek, to Field and Stream, Car and Driver, GQ, and Cosmopolitan …

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AS SEEN & HEARD IN

 

Explore the collection of interviews and discussions from various platforms. Click on each to hear the full interview and gain unique insights directly from Daryl.

 

WHAT CRITICS ARE SAYING

Testimonials

“I’ve never read such an engrossing book...[T]he story of a Nabatean princess, and a poor Jewish girl afflicted with seizures shows the personal impact of the politics of the time. Cypros and Pninah illustrate the enduring resilience of women, the terrors and triumphs of their positions in the roiling hotbed of intrigue and violence, and the indomitable spirit that allows both to rise from the wreckage of old dreams to build new and better realities for themselves and those closest to their hearts ...”

Booksprout (reviewer: Michelle S)

“Bitter for Sweet is an example of historical fiction at its best, firmly resting on facts, but powered by the dilemmas and strengths of characters faced with transformative encounters that change their life trajectories and their relationships. Libraries looking for historical fiction able to attract beyond its genre readership will find Bitter for Sweet a strong pick recommended not just for historical novel readers, but followers of women’s fiction, history, and experience.”

Midwest Book Review

“Startlingly beautiful....terrifying and suspenseful, but at the same time... heart-tugging, entrancing ...”

Booklymatters

“A haunting novel that deserves to be savored and pondered…Potter fuses relevant themes of courage, survival, honor, race, class, and gender disparity into this tale of riveting tensions. Impossible to put down.”

The Prairies Book Review

“... a book that will haunt you, move you and fascinate you”

Book Sirens (reviewer: Mochiato)

“Bronze medal winner in 2022 Book of the Year contest”

Historical Fiction Club

“Even the Monsters is a well-written and insightful book about one of the most challenging books in the Bible. Daryl’s knowledge of this ancient poem’s structure and explanations make the poem much easier to understand. Daryl’s personal story moved me to tears at points and audaciously tackles an obstacle to many people’s faith: unjust suffering.”

Book Sirens (reviewer: H. Peach)

“Even the Monsters: Living with Grief, Loss, and Depression: A Journey Through the Book of Job offers a powerful spiritual journey through loss, and searches for understanding in the face of tragedy…. highly recommended for discussion groups about grief, Job, or Biblical studies in general. These audiences will find plenty of specific links and revelations that are perfect for encouraging further inspection, discussion, and enlightenment.”

Midwest Book Review

“Over the years, I’m sure I’ve read the book of Job at least 30 to 40 times and, while certainly not an expert, considered myself to be well acquainted with the Biblical narrative. However, Daryl Potter showed me how much more there was to discover! Even the Monsters is a tremendous reserve of fresh insight and perspective, bringing Job’s story alive in ways I had never before experienced. What Daryl Potter has done is masterful.”

Guy Hammond, Author & Lecturer

“…a unique, remarkable exploration of the intersection between the book of Job and life. It is part commentary, part meditation, part personal story about a living nightmare. The parts are woven together in a compelling way….Even the Monsters is about hope in God who is greater than all the monsters in our lives.”

Jim Holston, Minister at Impact Houston Church