Amid the Ashes and the Dust

Deep in the piney woods of East Texas, a sprawling reservoir waits. Below its surface, something vile has been hidden for over forty years, but the tragic explosion of Space Shuttle Columbia ignites a chain of events that brings old secrets to the surface-for Tyler Morgan, in particular. Leaving his faith behind, Tyler left for the Texas coast years ago to escape the constant reminders of his tragic mistake, only to be drawn back by news of his mother's terminal illness. Things have not changed in East Texas. Tyler's friends and the surrounding inhabitants are still just as dysfunctional as they were when he left, and he soon finds himself thrust into an unwanted battle with the ruthless Radcliffe family. Following the death of his mother, Tyler must fight to protect his family's land, and to free the woman he has always loved, trapped in an abusive marriage. When events turn against him, Tyler-beaten and exhausted-finally surrenders his will. His rise from the valley begins when a letter from his dead mother gives him the courage to get back up. With his faith restored, Tyler accepts a diving assignment in the reservoir, intended to salvage pieces of Columbia. Aided by the gift of his afflicted brother, and with the help of his old friend, Deputy Karl Dupree, the mysteries of his past begin to unravel, and he discovers secrets in the water that, one by one, will free his heart and finally bring justice to his small part of the world.