The answers lie buried in the past
I gave up the city life about four years ago when I retired and re-established my wife and I in a country surrounding. How could I pick up and shift my lifestyle after thirty years in a city? Truth is, I never left my roots in the countryside. I always had a yearning to return someday to the serene vistas of the south, the small town environment where everyone knows you. This yearning became the seed for my romantic suspense, BLIND CONSENT, which examines a truth for many of us: the answers we seek lie buried in the past.
It’s based on a young man that, after twenty years, can no longer deny the drive to return to his hometown of Tanglewood Falls. Problem is, he doesn’t understanding the urge, the need to return. He is visited by confusing dreams, visions he doesn’t comprehend of a boy and a young girl with an intertwined past that reaches into his present life. The heroine was based on a childhood sweetheart. The images and events were feed by the nurturing care of my southern aunts and cousins that formed the foundation of why I respect and adore women (notice, I did not say understand).
As with many authors, the scenes are derived from actual events and memories of an era gone by, with a slight twist. When the hero returns to his past, things are not what they seem. The town of Tanglewood Falls offers breath-taking views, yet the serendipity is misleading. The impoverished people and their forgotten community have been unwittingly exploited. Their act of trust and blind consent altered their existence and the secret has remained buried, until Ryan returns to explore his heritage. He’s been haunted for twenty years by confusing dreams that provoke guilt about some forgotten event. He’s driven to understand their meaning, to obtain answers to his lost memories. Ryan’s search for truth collides with the folklore of the simple people and the belief that their beautiful Annie is blessed. Together, they unravel the mystery, but at a price. They become targets of those responsible for what happened to the town. As the truth is exposed, Ryan must grapple with his own reality; the fact that his past, his nightmares, and Annie’s secret, everything is entangled in the desperate act of one lonely man.
The novel was released in April/09 and excerpts are available at Davisstories.com. Oh, and if you stop by, check out the reviews and excerpts from my other stories. My first novel, TAINTED HERO, received six 5 star reviews, and my second release, FORGOTTEN CHILDREN was just nominated as the best romantic suspense of 2008 by two sites, and novel of the year by the publisher.
Michael Davis
Davisstories.com
Romancesuspensenovels.com
TheWritersVineyard.com
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi, Michael! I’ve loved all of your books and have just emailed Heather with a review for Blind Consent this weekend. I loved it. You have such a unique way of writing that it draws me in and pulls at the mind. I can honestly say I have loved all three of your books and eagerly await the next!
Michael,
What a great post! We moved out of the “big” city about 10 years ago, and haven’t really looked back since. It was an adjustment at first going from everything at your fingertips to having to travel for whatever you’re looking for. It all was for the best, though. I enjoy being away from the traffic and such. It’s nice to be able to hear the bird chirping.
I’ve almost finished “reviewing” the review and will get it up and email you (and post here or everyone to see) as soon as it’s up. :-)
Interesting cover. It leaves a lot to interpretation.