SOUP The Future Is Past and Present
by Travis Haugen
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Adventure/Mystery
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BLURB:
Scott
Yonge exploded onto the national consciousness at the 2001 Garrett Awards and
quickly rose to legendary status on the wings of his music and his whirlwind
romance with independent film actress Michelle Zoe. What should have been a
perfect life was interrupted by an ultra-right wing militant group called the
American Freedom Force and its leader, Colonel Randall, who forces Scott to
choose between his life and that of his son. After his heroic sacrifice, his
family is left to pick up the pieces and forge ahead to a future in the vacuum
he left behind.
Now, in 2021, his son Hedley inherits music for himself, becoming a star in his own right as technology gives new life to the medium. Scott's daughter, affectionately known as Soup, throws herself into unravelling the mysteries of her family's history. Michelle commits herself to keeping them all together and trying to make sense of life without the one she loves. Through it all, the AFF looms in the shadows, threatening to resurrect the pain they have just begun to overcome.
Now, in 2021, his son Hedley inherits music for himself, becoming a star in his own right as technology gives new life to the medium. Scott's daughter, affectionately known as Soup, throws herself into unravelling the mysteries of her family's history. Michelle commits herself to keeping them all together and trying to make sense of life without the one she loves. Through it all, the AFF looms in the shadows, threatening to resurrect the pain they have just begun to overcome.
EXCERPTS
“I wish Brian could have come with us,” Carolyn says. “Mom,
how could this be? How could we have not known about the interconnections all
these years?”
“We were not supposed to know,” Margret says. “The links run
long and deep, too deep for coincidence. It’s beyond me, but we’re learning
what we need to know when we need to know it.”
“But why St. Louis?” Marki asks. “What brings us all together
on this day in this living room?”
“I believe I have the answer,” June says. “It pains me to
tell my story, but I understand now that it needs to be told.
“I grew up in Kansas City, in a house not far from the
Petersons’. I’ve known Duke and Harold all my life. We went to school together,
played together. Harold was the younger, a most serious young man, but I could
always make him laugh. Maybe that’s why he married me. Duke was quite the
opposite, more my type in many ways. He had a wild streak, what we used to call
a free spirit. They were both too young to fight, but Harold felt he was part
of the war while Duke despised everything about it. Harold loved Duke, but they
never quite saw eye to eye on anything. Everything, all the kind things you said
about Duke, are true. Take it from me, I know, I dated Duke back around 1952,
long before I married Harold, God bless his soul.
“I loved Duke, but I was eighteen and impatient. He had the
wanderlust. He joined up with the carnivals when times were tight, and I hardly
saw him. I ended it before we got started really, and he settled in Canada a
few years later. I moved to St. Louis chasing work, that’s when I again crossed
trails with Harold, back in ’62. Duke was out in 1964 for the wedding; that was
the last I saw of him. Harold and Duke came to blows over something and Duke
just disappeared from our life. That’s a shame. His influence might have
changed things for our Hughie, but who can say for sure.
“Hugh was born in 1968. I was getting on in years, so we
thought we’d best do it while we still could. He was an only child, so
naturally, we spoiled him. If I could go back and do things over, I would, but
that’s not the way of the world is it? I’m so sorry about what happened to you,
Hedley, that awful business with Robert Carlson—Colonel Randall to most of the
world. You and your sister lost your father. Your mother lost her husband. I
don’t know if I could have changed any of that, but I would have tried if I’d
known how. You see . . . Hughie was AFF.”
The room goes cold at the words, a light gasp involuntarily
escaping Michelle’s lips as she fights for air.
life,” June says. “But he never quite found himself, never
quite figured himself out. I was ecstatic when he was offered a high paying job
with E-Lok. Finally, he would settle down and get his life together. But that
man, Robert Carlson, he fed on people like my Hughie, people unsure of
themselves, directionless people ripe for the plucking. How could I have known?
How could any of us have known?” She breaks down then, sobbing uncontrollably
as the others look on.
Michelle walks to her, crouching down to her level in the
wraparound arm chair. She hands the elderly lady some tissues from a small box
sitting idly on a nearby end table. “You are as much a victim of the AFF as the
rest of us in this room,” Michelle says. “I have no idea the level of
involvement your son had in the scheme of things, nor do I wish to know. But
the knowledge would change nothing. I have no misgivings towards you. You’re
one of us, not one of them.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Review
4 stars
Scott is now in the spotlight due to his Garrett Award. Then he has a militant group after him. IN a selfless act he chooses to save his sons life and lose his own. Fast forward to the year 2021 Scott's children are still trying to cope and fill the void from losing their father. Carolyn is trying to find out their family history and Hadley has become highly talented musician. What will become of them and does the danger still exist?
I like the authors writing style. Their was so much detail in the story and you can tell that the author had a lot of knowledge and how well they knew the subject they were writing about. This story was fun, fresh, innovative, and very different. Great characters with some intensity throughout.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Travis was born and raised in
the prairies of Saskatchewan, lived in Calgary for over 25 years and presently
lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Travis
Haugen has spent forty years of his life touring on the road as a musician and
has spent hundreds of hours in recording studios. Travis spends much of his
time writing songs, writing stories, playing music and spending valuable time
with his family and close group of friends.
Links:
Where Soup Is Sold:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER
CODE:
Travis Haugen will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes
and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f3006">Enter to win a $30 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter
giveaway</a>
Thank you, Enchanting Reviews, for taking the time to review our book. Positive feedback feels good with the morning shower, lol. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the review! Glad you liked the story :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for following the book tour Rita!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and awesome giveaway, thanks for sharing :)
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria, Thanks for your comment. Good to hear from you.
DeleteYour book sounds like a great read and thank you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, James. I encourage everyone to pick it up (naturally, lol), just for the interactive aspect alone. The interactivity with the music, in that the music and lyrics are actually a part of the plot, is unique to this project. At least, as far as I know.
DeleteHow many hours a day do you spend writing?
ReplyDeleteHi Bernie,
DeleteWhen I'm actually writing a book, I write 'til I drop. I work during the day as a computer consultant, and I get around on a bicycle (because of my eyesight), which I love. When I'm riding, well, other times too, but especially when I'm riding, the story swirls around in my head, floating in the background, but always there. When I get home, I sit down to my computer and type and type, and type 'til I drop. Then I get up and do it all again until the book, or at least, the draft of the book, is done.
It is late, late for this ol' dude, lol (I'm in central time). Thank you, Enchanting Reviews, for your review of SOUP. Good night, everyone.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the review!
ReplyDelete--Trix
Thanks, Trix,
DeleteCandy and I do too!
Hi Folks,
ReplyDeleteI'm dropping in one more time to say thanks to all of you for stopping by on the tour. We had a blast this past three weeks. On behalf of my niece, Candy, and myself, we'd love to wish you all a great summer 2019!
Bye for now. Hope to see you again.