Hidden Falls: Ordinary Secrets - Episode One

Hidden Falls is a new 13-part e-series by Olivia Newport. The story centers around the small town of Hidden Falls, and the complicated lives, problems, and secrets of those who live there.

In Ordinary Secrets, the first episode in the series, we're introduced to several pivotal characters, including the man of the hour. Ted Quinn is a much beloved professor who is somewhat reluctantly getting ready for a big banquet and event being held in his honor. As his former students, friends, family, and townspeople gather to celebrate him, personal and professional lives are in turmoil. Secrets are being kept, and insecurities are coming out.

I had a bit of a difficult time getting into the initial flow of the story, but I eventually enjoyed it. The writing is fast-paced, cutting from one set of 3-dimensional characters to another, and the unknown of what's really going on is intriguing. There is very little back story or description... instead the story unfolds largely through real-time dialogue, almost in the style of a one act play. There were a lot of different characters introduced in a short amount of pages, so it was a bit difficult to keep everyone straight at first. Unfortunately, by the time I really felt invested in the story, it was over... leaving me with a big cliff-hanger, needing to read the next installment to see what happens next. In that sense then, the book was a success. It made me interested enough to want to read more, even if it meant buying subsequent episodes.

The first four episodes are available on Amazon right now (Ordinary Secrets is free!), and the rest will be released weekly, with the 13th, and final, episode released on April 11th. Check out the first installment now, and see if it grabs you!

Last Light, by Terri Blackstock

Last Light, by Terri Blackstock, is the first in a series of books called the Restoration Series. It focuses on the Branning family, as their lives are suddenly thrown into turmoil when their city, and all its surrounding areas, suddenly loses all power.   Unlike a regular electric blackout, they lose all modern conveniences. Cars stop dead on the highway, airplanes fall out of the sky, and phones go dead.

Deni Branning, a somewhat spoiled and driven college student, is flying home for a visit when the catastrophe strikes.  She and her father must make their way home from the airport on bicycles, through all the stalled cars on the highway, their growing panic, and the fights and riots that are already starting to break out in the city.

Last Light pulled me in with its opening scene and never let me go.  Fast paced and evenly measured, it unfolded like the most gripping of thrillers.  The characters were well developed and believable, and the story line was full of twists and turns.  From misery to self-pity, to grit and determination, to looting and mysterious murders... it kept me reading page after rapidly turned page.   I enjoyed the element of mystery, but it's possible I enjoyed the basic story of pulling-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps survival during a difficult situation even more.  

At its core, it is a story of faith, trust, and family. And a good one at that.  I look forward to reading the rest of the books in the series.

Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes, by T Neal Tarver

Wow.

Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes, by T Neal Tarver is the best book of its kind (sort of a spiritually-themed science fiction) since the Left Behind series.  I ordinarily approach this type of book with a little bit of caution, as I never know quite what to expect, but I couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised.  I could not put it down!  I read the whole thing nearly in one sitting.

Dark Eyes, Deep Eyes tells two parallel - and eventually intertwining - stories..... one of a pastor who dies of a heart attack and finds himself in heaven, and another of a young man who's in a tragic car accident and ends up descending into hell.  Both of these stories are told in an alternating fashion, switching back and forth from each point of view with every other chapter.  This was a great plan on Tarver's part, as it keeps the suspense building and pages turning, from chapter to chapter.

T Neal Tarver is a master story teller.  His vivid descriptions of hell in particular are unlike anything I've ever read.  The imagery he uses invokes all the senses, leaving you feeling like you're actually experiencing the pain and the agony and the stench of hell right along with the character of Nick.  And just when you think you can't take it anymore, you're in heaven with Wayne... full of beauty, laughter, and love.

This was truly a great book, both for its thought-provoking message, and for its thrill-ride of a story.  Two very enthusiastic thumbs up.


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I received this book for free from the BookSneeze program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.  

A Plain Disappearance, by Amanda Flower

A Plain Disappearance, by Amanda Flower, is the third book in the Appleseed Creek Mystery Series. It is set in an Amish community, although its two main characters, Timothy Troyer and Chloe Humphrey have chosen not to live the Amish lifestyle. The story begins with Timothy taking Chloe out on their first real date, where they happen upon the body of a young Amish girl in the snow. They call the police, and an investigation begins, with much assistance from Chloe (despite the fact that she is not in any way employed in any type of law enforcement.)

The story was well-written and well paced, and the characters were likeable. I enjoyed reading about the Amish way of life, and it was obvious that the author was well-versed in this area. She really made the community come to life. There was an interesting dynamic between the Amish, and those in their families who'd decided to leave the way of life and become "Englischers", which added a certain richness to the story.

My only real complaint about the book - which isn't technically a complaint at all - is that being the 3rd book in the series, I did feel like I was missing a bit of back story. The story itself did stand on its own, but there were certain characters and events referenced from previous books that would have felt more relevant had I read those books. This is not a problem with the book, or the writing, of course... more a matter of preference.

I'd definitely recommend this book if you enjoy 1) any sort of book set in the Amish community, and 2) sort of sweet, light-hearted mysteries. You probably just want to start with book one.

How We Love Our Kids, by Milan and Kay Yerkovich

How We Love Our Kids:  The 5 Love Styles of Parenting is a must-read if you are a parent... whether you are a brand-new parent, or have been a parent for decades.  In a refreshing change of pace from far too many parenting books today, it takes the focus off  what the kids may be doing "wrong",  and puts the responsibility for good parenting on the shoulders of the parents, exactly where it belongs.  

Milan and Kay Yerkovich give us an in-depth look into understanding WHY we parent the way we do, what our individual triggers may be, and how best to work with our strengths.  They explain the pivotal that role our past experiences, and particularly our own nuclear family growing up, play in shaping the parents that we eventually become.

This was truly one of the most eye-opening books on parenting that I have ever read.  It was the impetus for much self-reflection.  While it was somewhat painful to delve so deeply into my own issues, as well as their causes, it was also an immense relief.  The book doesn't just identify what type of parent you are, and why.  It gives you the specific tools, resources, and encouragement to make changes and do better.... starting right now.

The one part of the book that I disagreed with (a small section on time-outs as punishment) was fairly easily overlooked, as the overall message and delivery of the rest of the book was such an important one.

This should be on every parent's book shelf.

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I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Afloat, by Erin Healy

Afloat, by Erin Healy, is a fictional story that combines faith, suspense, and the supernatural for what amounts to an overall fascinating book and interesting read.

Eagle's Talon is an architectural wonder: A series of beautiful condominiums floating on the Rondeau River. The project is still under construction, although some of the units are already complete and occupied. Danielle Clemente, a young single mother and the girlfriend of the owner, lives in one of those units with her five year old son. They both narrowly escape major injury in the beginning of the book, when what is presumed to be a sinkhole causes a piece of construction machinery to topple, tearing off the balcony to her apartment.

In what eventually becomes the perfect storm, torrential downpours flood the only way in and out of the cove, and Danielle and her son are trapped, adrift, along with a handful of other builders, investors, and residents. What follows is the story of their fight to survive, and the conflicts that arise when multiple personalities, opinions, and egos are thrown together in a crisis situation. Should they wait for rescue? Should they chance going out by boat?

Woven throughout the story are various pieces of back-story, particularly about Vance Nolan, the architect who designed the buildings. He's struggling with demons from his past, all of which he's forced to face as the group makes decisions about their survival. People's true characters come to light, in ways that are both shocking and poignant. More than anything else, I think this was a book about human nature, and about our relationships with ourselves, with our faith, and with others, especially during times of trial.

This was a gripping story, with plenty of unexpected plot twists to keep it interesting. The characters were real and well-drawn, and the element of wondering if they would survive kept me turning the pages. I did get a little bogged down in some of the details occasionally, and found myself skimming in certain sections, but it didn't detract from what was an overall enjoyable and fast-paced read.

I received this book for free from the BookSneeze program in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Fearless, by Eric Blehm

Fearless, by Eric Blehm, tells the inspiring true story of Adam Brown, an elite Navy SEAL, devoted husband, and father, who was killed on duty as a member of Team SIX.  While the book does discuss both his training, and to a lesser extent some of his missions as a SEAL, what this really is is a story about Adam the man... from the carefree recklessness of his youth, to the drug addiction that threatened to consume him over and over, to the charming but exasperating young man that his wife fell in love with, to the faith that ultimately led him to choose a life of honor, compassion, and courage.

Adam's story, largely told through the words of those who knew and loved him best, both inspired me and broke my heart.  What struck me the most about him was his undeniable passion, in everything he did.  Adam Brown was a man who lived life at 150%, all the time.  The word, "can't" just wasn't in his vocabulary.  This was evident again and again, from the time he was a small child jumping off the roof of his house, to his fighting his way back through the grips of drugs, to the numerous injuries that should have ended his Naval career, right up until what would be his final mission.  He was a man who literally gave it all.  He was by all accounts a hands-on and fun-loving father, and a devoted and loyal husband.  His family and his faith were far and away the most important things in his life.

The thing that transformed this book from great to outstanding was the inclusion of all the little personal (and often hysterical) stories about what made Adam who he was:  a crazy, passionate, fearless, accident-prone goof ball who loved God, his family, his country, and his work.  Not only did I feel like I got more than a glimpse into who he was, I felt like I genuinely would have liked him.  I rooted for him and cheered him on as I read, and found myself dreading reaching the end of the book.

Even though I knew how it was going to end, a part of me was hoping and praying that somehow it would end differently... that somehow the past could be altered, and this time he would live.

It's a word that I don't use lightly, but Adam Brown was a hero.  I feel significantly touched having read this book, and am grateful to those who instinctively knew that his was a story that had to be told.



*WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.*