By Meladi Brewer

DailyAdvocate.com

GREENVILLE — Starting as a short story for her daughter, Tammera Mart’s book “Hidden Truths” progressed into an adventure romance appropriate for ages 14 plus.

“I first wrote Hidden Truths about eight years ago,” Mart said. “My daughter was living in China over her 19th birthday. Knowing a boxed gift might never reach her, I wrote a short story featuring her favorite monster at the time.”

The story is about 18-year-old, Ellie Mae, who tracks Bigfoot to search for answers surrounding her mom’s death. Mart expressed that the story “nagged” at her for the next few years because there was so much more to tell.

“In 2016 while taking a career break, I fleshed out the story and deepened the conflict between Ellie Mae and her dad,” Mart said.

Ellie Mae’s dad is keeping secrets but won’t tell her why. When out-of-towner Jake Harris arrives, sparks fly as he challenges Ellie Mae’s motives. She struggles to resolve past bitterness, and Jake reveals a secret that could tear her family apart—and blow the past wide open.

“I wrote my first novel in high school. A friend and I filled a five-subject notebook with a young adult romance, but my first published short story was in Darke County’s “Imprints and Impressions” back in the mid ’80s,” Marts said.

She won third place in the county-wide school competition, and after high school and college, work and family responsibilities took priority until her kids were grown. Along the way, she published several short stories in anthologies, magazines, and Sunday School take-home papers, but Martz didn’t get serious about novel writing until 2016.

“There are so many parts of this book that I love, Martz said. “Ellie Mae and her dad have a special bond that is fractured by the pain associated with loss. Every time they interact, there’s a battle between admiration and expectations. Neither are willing to yield until Ellie Mae’s life is at stake.”

Martz said there is also the unlikely romance between county-girl Ellie Mae and the oppulent Jake Harris. Victims of multi-generational conflict, who are torn between following their own paths and fighting to keep their families from falling apart.

“But my favorite part happens with Ellie Mae’s first close encounter with the Bigfoot. This is when she gains a bit of insight into her mother’s unusual and secretive life,” Martz said. “I hope that anyone who reads this story will see the value in telling the truth, even when it hurts, because this is the only way to find true healing.”

As a licensed social worker, former grief counselor, and victim of loss, Martz wanted to write a story that showed how to overcome the emotional pain associated with loss but also the devastating effects that occur when the truth is swept under the rug.

“Bigfoot was a fun element to the story that offered some depth to the plot,” Martz said. “As a side note, researching Bigfoot was a super-fun experience that resulted in my daughter, Mel, and I publishing a non-fiction book through Indiana University Press. That book is titled “The Legend of Bigfoot: Leaving His Mark On the World” and features over 40 of Mel’s Bigfoot designs.” This can be found on Amazon or at any bookstore.

Hidden Truths can be found on Amazon and is currently available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Audiobook coming in November 2023. More information about the book can be found on her website at tammeramart.com.

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