Richard Evans finds himself in the high desert of Nevada searching for a path out of financial ruin after years of loss and failure. What he discovers along the way is something altogether different. This revelation and reawakening of long buried emotions will drive him relentlessly toward home as the greatest natural disaster in recorded history strikes.
The Darkness takes hold of our world while Richard begins a 2,000-mile journey. His path crosses many lives along the way. Some need his help, some help him, and others seek to destroy. Richard’s physical endurance, iron will, and most of all, his heart will each be pushed beyond measure as every turn of events brings one more challenge.
The essence of his humanity is tested in ways no one would ever choose. Will he break? Will he give in to hopelessness? What he does during those profoundly difficult moments will create ripples touching many lives before his journey is over. But at what cost to himself and the family who wait for his return…
Lance Haynes writes from his experiences, and those of people around him. He creates deep characters and compelling, thought-provoking stories to draw the reader into the narrative. He draws upon his experiences, past and present, as husband, father, firefighter, paramedic, oilman, home remodeler, elected official, newspaper publisher, photographer, cottage builder, among other things. Lance shunned the well-traveled road in favor of an adventure-filled life, but may have wandered off the less-traveled path into the woods at some point... Communicating and examining the deeper meaning of the human existence is his passion.
On Twitter, I call myself a Devourer of Books. This friendly author messaged me and said, I MUST devour HIS book. I told him I loved devouring books more if it's free. He gave me a copy. Now, that's what I call people skills. He was interesting and friendly, and caught attention. So I read his book which he promised would satiate my appetite. It surely did.
I've read many books from Indies and One More is one of the best stories I've read so far. Indie authors never fail to astound me. I must acknowledge that there are a lot of trashy books out there, that's why when I read a good one, I endorse it. Just like One More by author Lance Haynes.
The writing is crisp and tight, but at the same time, the writer effectively describes sceneries and emotions with such depth that you can't help but feel entangled in the story. That's rare. I've edited many books where writers overuse words in their effort to effectively describe something. This author has a way with words, no doubt about it. I'm starting off with that point because "tight" is very rarely used to describe a self published book. Especially one that's self-edited. Sure there were a few typos, but very few to even be noticeable.
One More is the story of a man fighting his inner demons. I can see Denzel Washington as the main character. The death of his son and financial failures have brought him to a dark place, and his life and marriage were falling apart. While on a surveying trip, Richard Evans finally realizes what he must do to take control of his life once more. He couldn't wait to go back home and patch things up with his estranged wife and children. Unfortunately, a solar surge occurred which brought down power grids and communication satellites. The whole world was in chaos. Still, Richard will not let anything stand in the way of reuniting with his family. The book goes on to chronicle Richard's experiences on his way back home. The people he met, and situations that will test any man's character. You will stay by his side and keep him company on his journey. You will want to know how the story will end. How can you leave him? He only wants to go home. Sometimes the easiest things are the hardest to accomplish.
One More is a book that will touch you in many ways. An adventure into what life is really about. It gives you a realistic view of what humans are capable of, both good and bad. We all go through struggles, trying to be the best person we can be - and we all know, it's not that easy. I highly recommend One More. It has become one of my favorite self published book. The author is an exceptional writer.
What a wonderful and inspiring read! Rich and full characters and fantastic plot! Well worth a special place on your bookshelf! Can't wait for the second book to come out!
Written with a personal clarity and understanding of self and humanity, this author presents a world before and after a global disaster as he journeys within the human condition and inside one’s mind posing unique and challenging situations that are sometimes evil and inhumane juxtaposed with the better man, perseverance and opportunities for redemption whilst providing a glimmer of hope for humanity.
Paced with enough action to pull you in yet leaving behind a slow burn of contemplation about life, love and the pursuit of happiness this debut novel is well written with anticipation, twists, and a rare trust that the reader will relate to a depth of complicated emotions which is personified in each unique character. This emotional novel with sacrifice, persistence and conquering ones own demons assists to reinforce or restore your hope through tragedy and most of all, love.
Every now and again, the sun throws out a massive solar ejection, wherein huge amounts of plasma are ejected into space at serious velocities. The last one was in the second half of the 19th century, and it only caused modest damage to civilization. However, now we have a massively connected electric system, and massively moving charge generates a massive changing magnetic field, and such a field interacting with such wires generates huge charge surges. The story here begins with Richard in outback Nevada, looking for oil. Richard's life has tanked, largely due to his self-destruction following the death of one of his sons. Richard gets his samples, comes back to civilization, to find the US no longer has electricity. What we now find is Richard finding his real character, and we see Haynes' view of how modern US society would react to such a disaster. There were a number of really good people, but also a lot of scum. I cannot say more without spoiling.
The author apparently wrote the start of the book based on his own life, and he was writing from the heart. This leads to a degree of unevenness, and every now and again some of the author's philosophy sneaks in, often in overly lengthy segments. Of course, what happens after the event is pure fiction, and for a while the story is really touching. Unfortunately, in my opinion anyway, the final climax goes on too long, and it needs some editing. Creating a gripping climax is a skill, and like adding spice top cooking, there is a certain amount that is great, but overdo it and it turns on itself. I think this was overdone in the climax. Nevertheless, apart from this blotch, the book has great emotional weight.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. This is one of the best books I have ever had the pleasure of reading. I was given this book, but was not asked to leave a review. I loved this book so much that I purchased it so I could show my support to the author. I will only say how I felt, and how I think you will feel if you read it. I will not give away any major details or spoilers. I will say that I did not expect the ending although I can see how that specific ending had to happen in order for me, as a reader, to experience the message of the story.
Once things started happening they never stopped! Richard ran into one person after another. Some aided him in his journey while he was the one helping others. Each experience with the characters he comes across leaves you with a different range of emotions. It may leave you feeling anxious, angry, hopeful, excited, happy, ticked-off, it may break your heart, and it leave you with a smile from how Richard impacts so many people on his journey home to his family.
When you are finished with this book you will be left with a sense of wanting to be a better person for yourself and those around you. There are so many lessons to be learned within the beautiful story and words of this book, and you will want to pass them along. You will feel an urge to go out and do good, to tell people you love how you feel, and never take for granted one single moment.
I could go on forever about this book, but I won't. I will, however, tell you that you should buy this book...you will not regret it. It will be money VERY well spent.
In Lance Haynes’s One More, the story is character driven. Devastated by the recent loss of his child and financial failure, Richard Evans, the main character, decides to take control of his life for once. But something unexpected comes up that puts him in a situation where he needs to confront anything and everything in the dark. He embarks on a fateful journey back home, determined to see his family again despite the circumstances.
Although at first reading you feel that the book will lead you to a man seeking a second chance, singing a familiar redemption song, the tune will surprise you as One More is not actually leaving everything to chance. It is taking risks to achieve one’s goal in life. Since this book, to me, is character driven, I must admit that the author is certainly able to develop the lead character without fooling around. Lance Haynes veers away from creating a maze out of his characters just to make it more interesting and mysterious. He is straightforward and presents a tight characterization that readers can depend on.
At the end, hope is all that matters. Without it, how can a human spirit survive a journey that no one can even imagine? One More is seeing the light in the dark with a different, if not new, set of eyes. I think Lance Haynes knows the importance of finding the courage to see hope in the hopelessness. His book is proof of this.
Richard is preparing to travel home to Texas from a job site in Nevada, but the night before he leaves a giant solar flare occurs, knocking out all power. In the days that follow, Richard travels a sometimes precarious path to return home, while at the same time journeying deep into his soul to reconcile his feelings over the death of his youngest child. Along the way, he encounters an assortment of people, some who help him, others who he must help, but all of them will affect him deeply. Even when fatigue, hunger and injury try to prevent him reaching his goal, he is determined to reunite with his wife and children, and repair the damage he has done.
The author did a great job of placing the reader in the story along with Richard, and his insight into his character’s thoughts is written admirably. Richard is a very complex character who is quite troubled as the story opens. Readers may find themselves inspired by his persistence in his journey, both mental and physical.
Who would enjoy this book: if you enjoy psychological books you may like this one. The world described here is on the brink of dystopian as the loss of power throws everyone back a couple hundred years.
What age is this book appropriate for: this book is for adults. Richard is a middle-age man so teenagers and young adults may have a hard time relating to him.
Alinefromabook’s recommendation: I give it a NEUTRAL rating. It didn’t completely capture my imagination.
The author combines his real life experience with fiction in this tale of redemption, love and hope. Richard Evans is a man who has allowed the pitfalls of life to overshadow his spirit. He had just realized that he needed to change for his family when the solar flare occurred knocking out the grid across the world. I was not surprised at how quickly morality went downhill when people were deprived of basic necessities. I believe that the adventures Richard had were very astute and real. I also felt like the characters were complex and down to earth, it made me feel like this could be an actual event.
Richard's focus was to get home to his family but he took the time to help others on the way. I was saddened that he didn't get the chance to see how many lives his acts of kindness touched. Haynes captured the nitty-gritty of the internal struggle that Richard fought as he traveled home. I found myself cheering him on to make it against the odds to get back to his family. It is so unfortunate that despite the advances of the human race when bad things happen it still brings out the bad and ugly in so many people. Overall, great read for anyone who likes personal growth mixed with action adventure.
This was my book club selection for the month. Since it was a local author, someone asked him to join us for the discussion of his book. I was apprehensive because it was another book about an apocalypse. The first 2 or 3 chapters were a little hard to read, but after that the story really caught my attention and I was hooked. This is a tale of a man fighting his way out of his own darkness at the same time darkness descended upon the whole world because a solar flare knocked out the power grid. The resulting novel is full of the whole range of human emotion written from a man's perspective. It was authentic and refreshing.
A talented author! This story will stay with you for days after you finish reading it. Richard, the main character teaches us all some important life lessons when dealing with life choices and reality.