I enjoy trying new authors. It is almost a game—to see if they’re ones I’ll read again or if one book is enough. When it comes to Natalie Walters, I’ll be looking out for another book from her.
Natalie deals with such a difficult topic in Living Lies: depression, suicidal thoughts, self-blame, and PTSD. And all of that is mixed up in a murder investigation of a teen girl that just doesn’t make sense. The mystery was veiled and gave me the challenge of not knowing off hand who was involved—or why. I thought the mystery was done in a very good way.
Lane was a very real and relatable character. She was flawed and needy. I can’t say so much about Charlie. He was just a little too perfect and understanding. Don’t get me wrong—he seemed like a fantastic guy, but beyond his little disagreement with his dad, he really was the perfect guy. I absolutely loved how Lane’s and Meagen’s sister-relationship strengthened throughout the novel. It gave greater emphasis on the family life of Lane. And Miguel! Personally, I think he was the best character in the book—so very well done. My heart went out to him (knowing that there are so many real veterans like him).
Personally, I like a stronger Christian thread. The strong Christians in this novel were not the main characters, but an older couple. It left me wondering if Lane and Charlie had personal relationships with Jesus or if they were just good people who prayed when they needed help. I know… one of my pet peeves is when I can’t clearly tell if a character became a Christian during the novel or they just turned over a new leaf. That was this novel. Lane started the novel almost doubting God’s existence and somewhere there was a turning point in her thought process, but no point of her actually coming to Christ for salvation. And I guess I’ll go ahead and mention it here… I do realize the difficulties and struggles of depression and how very important it is to have people there for you, but Lane found her hope and recovery in a person rather than turning to God. This was all wonderful for her, but what about people who don’t have a strong person who accepts them how they are? That void can only be filled through Jesus Christ. There were also some hints that people with chronic depression were “made that way by God.” I personally believe that it’s due to sin entering the world, not God’s handiwork. So yeah, I’m being ultra sensitive here, I realize. I just can’t stop my brain from analyzing while I read a fictional book.
I do admire Natalie for tackling the difficult topic of depression and its repercussions. I thought she presented it well and showed the importance of an individual making the choices that either help or hurt their journey with depression.
The romance was constant thread in the book almost from page one and yeah… I’m not a romantic. There was one scene where she was drawn to Charlie’s shirtless body and then some kisses. Nothing explicitly inappropriate was in the novel. Just some subtle hints.
As far as mystery goes, as I already mentioned, this one was very well done. I’ll not give a spoiler, but when they finally linked Sydney to the “bad guys,” it was like, “Wow—but that makes perfect sense.” I learned something new about a certain process about a certain thing (yeah, no spoilers).
This book has left me hoping that book two is about Deputy Frost. Just sayin’. (okay, so I had to look it up and yay!!!!)
*I received this book from Revell and happily provided my honest review*
In the little town of Walton, Georgia, everybody knows your name–but no one knows your secret. At least that’s what Lane Kent is counting on when she returns to her hometown with her five-year-old son. Dangerously depressed after the death of her husband, Lane is looking for hope. What she finds instead is a dead body.
Find on Amazon
About Carrie Turansky
CARRIE TURANSKY is an award-winning author of twenty novels and novellas. She has won the ACFW Carol Award, the Crystal Globe Award, and the International Digital Award, and was a finalist for the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award and the Maggie Award of Excellence. A prolific writer of contemporary and historical romance, women’s fiction, short stories, articles, and devotionals, Carrie lives in central New Jersey with her husband, Scott. They have five adult children and six grandchildren.
I’ve loved being able to get back to writing this month! God has really blessed my time editing this month. I feel like I have a solid foundation for Dumphey’s story (finally!) and it’s almost edited and ready for my second batch of beta readers THEN it will be ready for reviewers!! If you’re not already following me on Instagram and FaceBook, I post more regular updates on there (they’re both public, so even if you don’t have an account, you can see my updates 🙂 ).
I’m so excited to be getting ready for the next stage of “Protecting the Poor” — getting it into the hands of my readers!!!! Eek! I’m so excited! Lord willing, it will be ready for a late-August release.
How can you be a part?
I’m SO glad you asked! 😉
I’ve got three sign-ups floating around here… 🙂
Cover Reveal (June 1)
This is when everyone gets to see the new cover! If you’d like to be a part of the social media blast, sign up here. Sign-ups close on May 29.
Tales of Faith Tour (June/July/August)
Not everyone has read “Befriending the Beast” and “The Secret Slipper.” Though “Protecting the Poor” can be read as a stand-alone, I do have an epilogue where I conclude everything from everyone in all three books. So yeah… I want to introduce Belle and Lia for those who haven’t yet met them.
My plan is to have a three-month blog tour featuring individual posts on FaceBook, Instagram, and/or blogs–each person only needs to post once a month for me (and I’ll be providing unique posts for each sign-up). I have only fourteen places, though! Sign up HERE.
“Protecting the Poor” Release (August 26-31)
And last but surely NOT least! We’re all looking forward to this week: when Dumphey and Noel’s story is open to the public! I’m looking for any forms of social media to be a part of the release. You can volunteer to review (and get a free eBook), spotlight, share a quote, etc. Sign up HERE.
So yeah, a busy book summer ahead for me! What are some things you’re looking forward to this summer??
Who wants to help share the cover of “Protecting the Poor” on June 1? I’m accepting sign-ups now! All forms of social media and blogs welcome 🙂 Oh… and it will also come with a sneak-peek: the prologue!
Sign up here (until May 29):
https://forms.gle/BDCbmLni5BREUE3q9
This is the third “10 Minutes in the Word” book that I’ve reviewed and I love this series!! The devotionals are solid but short, so they are a good addition to whatever Bible plan you’re already doing. I like that you can use your preferred translation for this study, as they assign the reading instead of printing the reading on the page. There is also very applicable insight in the prayers and questions at the end of each entry. The one thing I did notice, though, is that if you follow their reading plan to go along with the devotionals, you will skip some verses in John. This may not be a big deal to some people, but if I am to study through a book, I kind of like to hit all the verses.
As with the others I’ve revied, I love the format and compact style. It is cute and easy to read.
*I received this book from Book Look Bloggers and happily provided my honest review*
Purchase your copy here
Yesterday I sat down and actually wrote a long email update for my lovely readers. If you’d like to see what’s been going on, what I’ve learned from college (as in, life-skills… I’ll save you from all the details like music theory algorithms and college algebra formulas…)… read on here!
Summer is almost here! I have a few slots available for cover design and/or interior book formatting.
I enjoy working with authors to capture their mental image in design. I offer 3-5 consultations and will send you a sample cover before you are required to pay me.
$55 per simple eBook cover (1-2 images, front only)
$75 per simple paperback cover (1-2 images, front, spine, back) plus $5 to convert into eBook.
(Note: I can do more than just book covers; just let me know the project and I’ll work with you)
$.0012/word (minimum $40)
Amanda Tero Books 