**When the Sky Fell on the Mountains**
They were supposed to have forever. Then her mother's lies tore them apart.
Eight years ago, Mary Whitaker fled her mountain hometown and the only man she had ever loved, believing Cal Morgan had betrayed her. Now, as Hurricane Helene forces her back to North Carolina, she finds herself straight in his arms and facing a deadly truth that could either destroy them or set them free.
Mary's mother's deathbed letter reveals devastating lies, but that's just the beginning. Hidden journals uncover a conspiracy of murder that stretches back decades-corrupt officials, staged accidents, and witnesses who died for asking the wrong questions. Mary's own father was one of them.
Every secret has a body count.
As the hurricane tears through the mountains, Mary and Cal race against time to expose a network of killers who will stop at nothing to protect their empire of corruption. Their investigation turns them into the next targets, ensnared in a deadly game where love may be both their only weapon and their greatest vulnerability.
In the North Carolina mountains, some storms wash away more than trees and houses. Sometimes, they reveal the secrets buried beneath.
**About the Author**
Walter A. Cook is what locals in the Great Smoky Mountains call a "Halfback"-not the football kind, but the type of person who fled the cold of New England, got sand in his shoes and shorts in Florida, and eventually retreated to the relative sanity of Franklin, North Carolina, before he could be swallowed whole by a condo developer or eaten alive by invasive iguanas.
He's lived enough lives to make a cat jealous, and like that cat, he is still alive. Armed with a few degrees (real framed ones, not honorary tattoos from dive bars), Walter has sold sailboats to dreamers, served drinks and grouper sandwiches to schemers, and baked dog treats for pooches who were much more appreciative of his culinary skills.
This wasn't the plan. The plan veered off course years ago-detoured by fate, folly, and a muse named Mary Susan, who is part co-conspirator, part soulmate, and fully responsible for making the detour look like destiny.
Walter's journey reads like a Jimmy Buffett B-side: part memoir, part misstep, and full of motion. There's tragedy in the tequila and magic in the moonshine, and through it all, he's embraced the chaos with a grin and a shrug that says, "The GPS lied, but the view's pretty damn nice."
He's telling stories now, layered with wit, grit, and a healthy disdain for the absurdities of modern civilization. So, if you're ready for crooked politicians, eccentric small-town heroes, and a dash of environmental vengeance, saddle up. Walter may not know exactly where he's headed, but he promises the ride will be worth it, and the view will be loved.
���� You in?
