Thursday, October 17, 2019

About the Book

Book: No Turning Back

Author: Katie Vorreiter

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: December, 2016

Chronic panic attacks have stolen Livvy Fischer’s classically trained soprano voice and derailed her life. Due partly to a mix-up, partly to her crush on Pastor Lucas, Livvy joins a worship team bound for the chapel at San Quentin. But when a full-scale riot breaks out, she is separated from Lucas and the rest of her group. Survival becomes this song bird’s sole focus.

Snatched from the chapel by an inmate, Livvy doesn’t know who to trust. Tobin says he’s protecting her, but she’s been blindsided before. She struggles to put her trust in God, while all too aware that free will can wreak horrible consequences. Tobin wants her to hide and ride out the prison storm, but Livvy becomes the obsession of another inmate who is a serial killer. Will God protect her? Will Tobin?

It’s one thing if Tobin is turning his life around behind bars. It’s quite another to fall for him.

About the Author

Katie Vorreiter is an award-winning writer and copyeditor. She makes her home in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, two children rapidly morphing into young adults, and a ridiculously adorable cockapoo. No Turning Back is her debut novel.

More from Katie

I’m often asked where on earth I came up with the premise of No Turning Back. My good friend and pastor had me spellbound with his stories of taking softball teams into San Quentin, the maximum security prison for men. What a ministry! He had a few funny tales, but what stood out to me were the cautions the team was given upon entry: they had to sign a form acknowledging that in the event they were taken hostage, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation would not negotiate for their release.

Say what?

That got me thinking about what it would be like for a woman in such a situation. There are female corrections officers, certainly, as well as woman food service workers and volunteers in a range of capacities. But I wanted a true fish-out-of-water character, and thus Livvy was born. Because of a terrible event in her past, she’s hypervigilant about her personal security. She’s also tiny and, of all things, an opera soprano.

Once I had my Livvy, I threw her into a full-scale riot at a men’s correctional facility. Poor thing. But, of course, she’s got God on her side, and he tends to tip the scales. Yet, as all Christ followers are aware, prayer, even unto the God of the universe, is not a get-out-of-jail-free card. Pun intended. We know—all too painfully sometimes—that Jesus was right when he said we’ll have troubles here on earth. God is with us through the storm and works all things together for good, but there’s no guarantee that he’ll remove the storm and it’s often hard to see the good when we’re in the middle of not-so-good.

What role, then, does prayer have in the face of the free will of a person intent on evil? If you want to know the answer, read the book. Just kidding. The story is a fast, fun ride and delves into some deep areas, but I don’t pretend to answer the questions of the ages. If you like chewing on these kinds of issues—on your own or with friends—check out the No Turning Back discussion questions on my website.

Don’t worry: the story isn’t all dark. In most situations, I can’t stay serious for long, so you’ll find some humor, as well as not one but two hunky romantic options. I really hope you like it. If you want to chat, drop me a note on Facebook or on my website.

What a roller coaster ride this story is. The thought of going into a prison to minister is not high on my list. I admire people who feel called to do this. It is important to share the gospel with everyone and hopefully the people incarcerated can find forgiveness.

I was intrigued by the setting of San Quentin as it is a famous prison. What a shame that such a place is overcrowded and understaffed. It was easy for me to sympathize with Livvy and all the things she is dealing with from her past. Panic attacks are scary and often leave you feeling withdrawn. The gift God has given her to sing is one she treasures, but it has been hard to go out in the public to share that gift. Someone has hurt her and she is trying so hard to overcome her fear. I was quite surprised that she decided to go on the trip with the church to the prison. Maybe God has a reason for her being there.

Lucas is a compassionate pastor and is happy to have Livvy join him and others on the trip to minister to men at the prison. The author does a good job of using faith throughout the story. There is definitely an attraction between Livvy and Lucas but I felt that Livvy was holding back a bit.

The story gears up when a riot breaks out while the church group is there. Tobin who is an inmate becomes a focal point of the story. He takes Livvy under his wing and tries to protect her from other prisoners. There is a high volume of intensity in the story and very dark moments that only God can help get them through. It wasn't easy for Livvy to trust Tobin but I don't think she had any alternatives.

I was very impressed with the author and her debut novel. It is hard to believe that this is her first book. She writes characters with flaws and slowly allows them to explore their faith. She takes people through forgiveness and shows how free they feel. The author takes a convicted man and uses him to protect others without thinking of the consequences. It is a great story that made me think how God can use anyone. Forgiveness is a good focus in the story and I loved how the author used an unstable environment to see how people can change.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.