SPOTLIGHT: Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes

PHOTO SOURCE:
TYPORAMA
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LITTLE FALLS

BY ELIZABETH LEWES

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Information in this post is courtesy of Kristen Ludwigsen, Mindbuck Media.

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Publisher: Crooked Lane/Penguin Random House

Distribution: Worldwide Publish Date: Aug. 11th 2020

Genre: Mystery & Thriller

Publicist: Mindbuck Media

Contact: Kristen@mindbuckmedia.com

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US Navy veteran and debut author, Elizabeth Lewes, expertly crafts a heart pounding story of mother and daughter and their fight against small-town evil.

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ADVANCED PRAISE FOR LITTLE FALLS:

“Little Falls snaps with suspense from beginning to end. With skilled execution of setting and plot, Elizabeth Lewes shuttles the reader between continents on a thrilling journey that reveals haunting secrets. I couldn’t put this book down!” —Margaret Mizushima, author of the award-winning Timber Creek K-9 mysteries 

“A dark, dangerous read populated by distinct, well-drawn characters. The tormented heroine is a woman on the edge and fascinating in her unpredict- ability. You’re rooting for her, afraid for her, but never fully confident that she won’t succumb to her multiple demons. There is a desperate sense of urgency right up until the very end.” —P. J. Tracy, New York Times bestselling author of the Monkeewrench series

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ABOUT LITTLE FALLS:

Sergeant Camille Waresch did everything she could to forget Iraq.

She went home to Eastern Washington and got a quiet job.

She connected with her daughter, Sophie, whom she had left as a baby.

She got sober. But the ghosts of her past were never far behind.

While conducting a routine property tax inspection on an isolated ranch, Camille discovers a teenager’s tor- tured corpse hanging in a dilapidated outbuilding.

In a flash, her combat-related PTSD resurges—and in her dreams, the hanging boy merges with a young soldier whose eerily similar death still haunts her.

The case hits home when Sophie reveals that the victim was her ex-boyfriend—and as Camille investigates, she uncovers a tangled trail that leads to his jealous younger brother and her own daughter, wild, defiant, and ensnared.

The closer Camille gets to the truth, the closer she is driven to the edge. Her home is broken into. Her truck is blown up.

Evidence and witnesses she remembers clearly are erased. And when Sophie disappears, Camille’s hunt for justice becomes a hunt for her child.

At a remote compound where the terrifying truth is finally revealed, Camille has one last chance to save her daughter—and redeem her own shattered soul.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elizabeth Lewes is a veteran of the United States Navy who served during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. An analyst and linguist by training, she now practices law in Seattle. Little Falls is her debut novel.

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Cover Reveal and Advanced Digital Giveaway of SAVING SAVANNAH by Patti Callahan

SURVIVING SAVANNA by New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan (Berkley hardcover; on-sale March 9, 2021)

It’s inspired by the true and forgotten story of the sinking of the “Titanic of the South” 

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All information in this post is courtesy of Tara O'Connor of Penguin Random House.

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About the Book:

New York Times bestselling author Patti Callahan delivers a breathtaking novel based on true events.
It was called "The Titanic of the South”—the luxury steamship that sank in 1838 with Savannah's elite on board. Through time, their fates were forgotten—until the wreck was found.

Now their story is finally being told.

When Savannah history professor Everly Winthrop is asked to guest-curate a new museum collection focusing on artifacts recovered from the steamship Pulaski, she's shocked. The ship sank after a boiler explosion in 1838, and the wreckage was just discovered, 180 years later. Everly can't resist the opportunity to try to solve some of the mysteries and myths surrounding the devastating night of its sinking.

Everly's research leads her to the astounding history of a family of eleven who boarded the Pulaski together, and the extraordinary stories of two women from this family: a known survivor, Augusta Longstreet, and her niece, Lilly Forsyth, who, along with her child, was never found. The women were part of Savannah society, but when the ship exploded, each was faced with difficult and heartbreaking decisions. This is a moving and powerful exploration of what women will do to endure in the face of tragedy, the role fate plays, and the myriad ways we survive the surviving.

Perfect for fans of Before We Were Yours, Sold on a Monday, and Orphan Train, Callahan’s highly anticipated novel tells the story of a little known chapter of history that has long deserved a spotlight. This transformative tale told from alternating past and present perspectives will sweep readers away and move them to their core.

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Q&A With Patti Callahan:

What inspired you to write Surviving Savannah?

 

Originally I was inspired by the Pulaski tales of survival, how the city of Savannah was part of this story, and how the Lowcountry was affected by this tragedy. I was also inspired and curious about the transformation of each passenger and the ways that each survivor not only lived through the explosion, but also how they chose to live their lives after the sinking.

How, I wondered, do some come to live better lives and others turn toward bitterness and cruelty? Who do we become after such great loss?

AND then!, everything shifted because after a hundred and eighty years, along came a shipwreck hunting crew who found the remains of the Pulaski a hundred feet beneath the waves, thirty miles off the coast of Wilmington, North Carolina. While the team went deep to bring up the artifacts and treasure of this beautiful ship, I dug deep to bring up the stories.  

My exhilarating hunt for the forgotten story began.

 

What kind of research was required to write the novel? Did anything surprise you?

 

The research was as fascinating as it was extensive – from the archives at the Georgia Historical Center in Savannah and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum to books, newspaper archives, personal accounts and letters, I read everything that I could get my hands on. I devoured books on steamships and Savannah in the 1800’s. I read about the rich history of the colonization of Savannah with General Oglethorpe. I walked the streets of Savannah and visited museums and artifact collections. I interviewed shipwreck experts and became enchanted with the world of wreck salvaging and treasure hunting.

During this journey, I was surprised over and over, but one surprise that opens the novel is the true narrative about a fifteen-year-old passenger named Charles who survived the sinking to become a slave trader with a horrific reputation. As he grew into a man, he earned the nickname “the Red Devil”. How had this young boy survived to become so cruel? I wanted to know. 

Finally, after years of research, I put together a complete story of that calamitous night, and one family in particular.

 

Your story follows three women – Lily and Augusta on the ship in 1838, and Everly in present day. Which of the three women did you relate to the most and why?

 

While I was writing each section I always felt the most connected to the woman I was writing about at the moment. I don’t think I felt more for one woman than another but of course our modern-day character, Everly felt more relatable only because I know today’s Savannah and I know today’s southern norms and ideas. The historical narratives were almost two hundred years old, and yet I still felt as close to Lilly and Augusta because their plight and their desires and their inner lives feel familiar. As far as women have come in their roles in society, there is still the struggle for independence and agency. There remains the need to burst through familial and collective norms to build a life of one’s own.

All three women had their own tragedies, hardships and losses to navigate. All three needed to discover how they would make meaning and purpose out of their situation. All three found out what they were truly made of and if they wanted to merely survive or if they wanted to thrive and build new lives.

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Giveaway:

You can enter for a chance to win an advanced digital review copy of the book HERE. 

(NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. US Residents, 18+. Ends August 17, 2020. See official rules at official website.)

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Additional Links:

Add SURVIVING SAVANNAH to your GOODREADS shelf HERE. 

 

Visit Patti online HERE.

Pre-order it HERE.

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Until I Find You by Rea Frey

How can she cope with so many losses in her life?

Rebecca lost her sight, her husband, her mother, and now the nightmare of losing her son seems to have come true. 

When Rebecca absolutely knows this is not her baby, she goes to all lengths to find him even though no one believes her because they see no difference between this baby and Jackson. 

Rebecca’s friends do help her, but they can’t be there 24/7 if she needs help.

Besides all these things happening and her friends seeming to help, they appear to be a bit shady along with the babysitter of one of the friends.

I actually didn’t like or trust any of Rebecca’s friends.  They just seemed to not be sincere, and they all seemed to have problems of some sort and secrets.

I felt something sinister as I read, and as odd things happened, and as authorities reacted, the tension increased and I believed her that this baby was not her son.

UNTIL I FIND YOU has a tension-filled build up, and you can feel the dread and fear Rebecca has.

The ending is a big surprise.

Those readers who enjoy thrillers and solving mysteries, will not be disappointed. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks

We meet Simon and Daisy who had been married for a while and were desperate for a child.

They finally conceived, but when they try for a second child, Simon finds out that he is sterile.  Is Millie not his child? Did Daisy have an affair?

All these questions and insecurities have Simon drinking more and being absent more.  It also has him lying more than usual.  Will Daisy start to lie too?

Friends begin to notice his drinking and his and Daisy's marriage getting rocky so a friend suggests they renew their vows at a shared party since they both have the same anniversary.

Was this party the biggest mistake of their lives? As it turns out what happened after the party was the biggest mistake ever.

LIES, LIES, LIES was very slow moving until the party and then secrets started popping up.

If you can make your way through the slow buildup, LIES, LIES, LIES gets better, but it still dragged for me and didn't have me anxious to get back to reading.

The characters are pretty much unlikable because of their habits, the way a few of them betray friends, and because of their secrets.  

Do we really know who’s lying? Do the characters really know what is the truth and what isn’t?

Be aware there is domestic violence and alcohol abuse in this book. 3/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This Week At Silver's Reviews - 8/10 - 8/15

Are you planning to stop by this week?

I hope so.

Best of 2020 So Far

I LOVED every book I have read so far this year, but these stood out as I was looking through my reviews.

Thank you to all authors!!

Louisiana Lucky by Julie Pennell

The Breaux sisters played the lottery every month.  They let the computer pick two tickets, and the third ticket always had their special numbers.

Years went by using the same numbers and the same routine, but they never won until one evening all the numbers came up.  They were instant millionaires.

They couldn't contain their excitement because now they could have whatever they wanted, help their parents, and give some to charity.

I enjoyed this lighthearted read and enjoyed hearing about the life of each sister both before and after winning the lottery.

Having that much money has its good points and its bad, but the characters were delightful, and you were able to share in their joy and their lives.

LOUISIANA LUCKY is for those readers who need a change of pace and some wishing and hoping that they might be the next lottery winner. 

A charming, sweet read.  5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.