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Defining Moments
Scientist Ellie Ward has discovered a window to the past. In fact, she discovered it at her childhood home when she was nine and she’s been using it to extract herself from bad situations ever since. Each time it's returned her to the 'defining moment' in her past - the point in time where a bad decision set her on the path to tragedy. The problem is, Ellie never knows what her defining moments were and so she never has any idea how much of her life she's going to have to repeat to avoid her latest ordeal. When Ellie’s research takes her to a remote area of northern Canada, she faces yet another crisis when her small plane crashes in the bush. Seriously injured and stranded more than 2000 miles from her portal to the past, this time Ellie has no way to ‘rewind the clock’.
- GenresTime TravelFiction
266 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2011
3 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Faye Hicks
8 books8 followersThanks for visiting my author page! I’m a Canadian writer and retired engineering professor. I love to write fiction and creative non-fiction, and I have a few books out right now that I hope you’ll check put.
Please explore this page or visit my website at www.fayehicks.com for more info on my other books and blogs.
Please explore this page or visit my website at www.fayehicks.com for more info on my other books and blogs.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 10, 2018
Ya. This book would make a fantastic club read, partly because it is controversial, not so much in a political sense, but in terms of the choices the protagonist makes. Would we do the same?
I loved this book in many ways, but the love is tempered by some things that really bothered me. Let's start with the good...
Quite a few books pass my eyes over the course of a year, and I've come to realize that finding a book I really look forward to picking back up is more rare than I had thought. This one kept me up late at night, and this morning it was the first thing I reached for. Yesterday I resented a hairsrylist for interrupting my reading so we could begin my haircut. Then I was disappointed she didn't ask me about the book, because I wanted to talk about it. :-P
Our protagonist is Ellie. All I can say is that she is a woman; her age fluctuates, since this is a story with time travel. The story alternates between a "current" story of trying to survive a plane crash in the wilderness, and the recordings of her life in a journal.
The journal elements dragged occasionally, because they were essentially just descriptions of a life, not particularly strong as stories in themselves, but intriguing enough to keep a reader interested. Because of the time travel aspect, it is a little harder to commit to some sections of story, since what might change, what might stay the same?
Ellie is selfish. For some this is just character building, to me it is a weakness, because it takes away from my enjoyment of the story by making empathizing more difficult. One thing I kept thinking of was how she only tried to help herself. Not to say she was incapable of loving and caring about others, but she never really tries to help anyone else. If you went back in time with the intention of changing things, wouldn't you also try to do more than just help yourself?
Now, some specifics that bothered me. First, all of the characters say "Ya." A lot. This of course results in them sounding either Swedish or like 80's valley girls, and it is really pretty annoying.
I pay attention to editing, and while this one was not rife with typos in terms of spelling, there was definitely some loose editing with quotation marks (missing ones, weirdly nested ones, etc. ).
So, while I found this book fascinating, I think one more editing swipe and a few well-placed lines to make Ellie more empathetic or endearing could have made it significantly better. Maybe even 5 stars.
Memorability factor 9/10
Follow this author? I'm torn. The ya's and editing bothered me, so I will just decide per book based on what the plot is.
I loved this book in many ways, but the love is tempered by some things that really bothered me. Let's start with the good...
Quite a few books pass my eyes over the course of a year, and I've come to realize that finding a book I really look forward to picking back up is more rare than I had thought. This one kept me up late at night, and this morning it was the first thing I reached for. Yesterday I resented a hairsrylist for interrupting my reading so we could begin my haircut. Then I was disappointed she didn't ask me about the book, because I wanted to talk about it. :-P
Our protagonist is Ellie. All I can say is that she is a woman; her age fluctuates, since this is a story with time travel. The story alternates between a "current" story of trying to survive a plane crash in the wilderness, and the recordings of her life in a journal.
The journal elements dragged occasionally, because they were essentially just descriptions of a life, not particularly strong as stories in themselves, but intriguing enough to keep a reader interested. Because of the time travel aspect, it is a little harder to commit to some sections of story, since what might change, what might stay the same?
Ellie is selfish. For some this is just character building, to me it is a weakness, because it takes away from my enjoyment of the story by making empathizing more difficult. One thing I kept thinking of was how she only tried to help herself. Not to say she was incapable of loving and caring about others, but she never really tries to help anyone else. If you went back in time with the intention of changing things, wouldn't you also try to do more than just help yourself?
Now, some specifics that bothered me. First, all of the characters say "Ya." A lot. This of course results in them sounding either Swedish or like 80's valley girls, and it is really pretty annoying.
I pay attention to editing, and while this one was not rife with typos in terms of spelling, there was definitely some loose editing with quotation marks (missing ones, weirdly nested ones, etc. ).
So, while I found this book fascinating, I think one more editing swipe and a few well-placed lines to make Ellie more empathetic or endearing could have made it significantly better. Maybe even 5 stars.
Memorability factor 9/10
Follow this author? I'm torn. The ya's and editing bothered me, so I will just decide per book based on what the plot is.
May 3, 2017
DEFINING MOMENTS
Hooker #2: Ya. But maybe I'm sayin' that, you know, cause he smoked Marlboros.
Marge: Uh-huh.
Hooker #2: Ya know, like a subconscious-type thing.
Marge: Ya, that can happen.
Hooker #2: Ya.
Hooker #1: They said they were goin' to the Twin Cities?
Marge: Oh, ya?
Hooker #2: Ya!
Hooker #1: Ya. Is that useful to ya?
Marge: Oh, you betchya, yaa.
Fargo - the movie
There's too many Ya's in this book.
It seems only women have reviewed this here book, so here's a bloke's perspective.
So Ellie thinks her current life has turned out pretty shitty – no worries, just press the magic reset button; go back in time and start over! This story is written as a series of “resets”.... flashbacks I suppose you'd could call them, supposedly written as journal entries. However each flashback reads like an episode of Days of our Lives. And just like Days of Our Lives, it gets you in...boring bits and all.
Will Ellie discover her latest love has poxy balls and a cheap toupee? Will she find out that the next man in her life is a philanderer and possibly a second cousin with kinky bedroom habits involving a large stuffed panda bear and was possibly born a man but had a sex-change operation which was reversed three times? Will she be able to do a complete air-bonking before opening her parachute on her first sky-diving episode? Or will it all end up with a nasty splat? Probably nasty splats are involved in either scenario. Will her wild monkey love-making sesh from last night result in a baby and was that thrill she got from his stupid mustache or one of his furry love toys?
I can't believe I got sucked into this stuff. When I told my wife what the story was about she laughed at me and called me a poof. Well I'm going to read all of it anyway...so there. I just HAD to find out what happened next! And so will you. Yeah sure, some of her reincarnations are a bit boring in large parts, and the author feels she has to describe each and every character in the book, but that doesn't really detract much from the goings on. Yep..a few typos and grammos – but I'm a forgiving guy and won't rant about them...but jeez, they came thick and fast towards the end. I give it a solid three stars – from a bloke's perspective of course. Probably five stars if I had a sex-change op...reversed three times.
And light aircraft windows are not made of glass, they're made of plexiglas plastic and a hungry grizzly bear would most likely push the whole window out of its frame before it shattered. Author take note.
Hooker #2: Ya. But maybe I'm sayin' that, you know, cause he smoked Marlboros.
Marge: Uh-huh.
Hooker #2: Ya know, like a subconscious-type thing.
Marge: Ya, that can happen.
Hooker #2: Ya.
Hooker #1: They said they were goin' to the Twin Cities?
Marge: Oh, ya?
Hooker #2: Ya!
Hooker #1: Ya. Is that useful to ya?
Marge: Oh, you betchya, yaa.
Fargo - the movie
There's too many Ya's in this book.
It seems only women have reviewed this here book, so here's a bloke's perspective.
So Ellie thinks her current life has turned out pretty shitty – no worries, just press the magic reset button; go back in time and start over! This story is written as a series of “resets”.... flashbacks I suppose you'd could call them, supposedly written as journal entries. However each flashback reads like an episode of Days of our Lives. And just like Days of Our Lives, it gets you in...boring bits and all.
Will Ellie discover her latest love has poxy balls and a cheap toupee? Will she find out that the next man in her life is a philanderer and possibly a second cousin with kinky bedroom habits involving a large stuffed panda bear and was possibly born a man but had a sex-change operation which was reversed three times? Will she be able to do a complete air-bonking before opening her parachute on her first sky-diving episode? Or will it all end up with a nasty splat? Probably nasty splats are involved in either scenario. Will her wild monkey love-making sesh from last night result in a baby and was that thrill she got from his stupid mustache or one of his furry love toys?
I can't believe I got sucked into this stuff. When I told my wife what the story was about she laughed at me and called me a poof. Well I'm going to read all of it anyway...so there. I just HAD to find out what happened next! And so will you. Yeah sure, some of her reincarnations are a bit boring in large parts, and the author feels she has to describe each and every character in the book, but that doesn't really detract much from the goings on. Yep..a few typos and grammos – but I'm a forgiving guy and won't rant about them...but jeez, they came thick and fast towards the end. I give it a solid three stars – from a bloke's perspective of course. Probably five stars if I had a sex-change op...reversed three times.
And light aircraft windows are not made of glass, they're made of plexiglas plastic and a hungry grizzly bear would most likely push the whole window out of its frame before it shattered. Author take note.
August 15, 2017
Great Book
I enjoyed this book immensely. Read it and see how exciting and different it is. I hope Faye Hicks has other books to read.
I enjoyed this book immensely. Read it and see how exciting and different it is. I hope Faye Hicks has other books to read.
February 20, 2014
This book truly awakened the imagination - can you imagine, going back and changing bits of your life? Heck, imagine being able to go back and experience it all! That's what Hicks does in this story - she gives her character the ability to return to points in her past. However, it all goes awry when Ellie is forced into a situation in which returning to her past is not an option.
I enjoyed the style in which this story is written. It reads much like a diary and there is something about the thoughtfulness of it that makes you feel like you have that personal link to the characters in the book. It really made me think about how there are these moments in all our lives - moments that can change everything. We just don't know it yet. Hicks does a wonderful job of entangling the reader with these feelings and making her characters come alive.
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I try not to give too much away - that's what reading for yourself is for! So, if you are interested in a story that is character driven and allows you to take a vacation from reality, this is definitely for you!
I enjoyed the style in which this story is written. It reads much like a diary and there is something about the thoughtfulness of it that makes you feel like you have that personal link to the characters in the book. It really made me think about how there are these moments in all our lives - moments that can change everything. We just don't know it yet. Hicks does a wonderful job of entangling the reader with these feelings and making her characters come alive.
Anyone who reads this blog knows that I try not to give too much away - that's what reading for yourself is for! So, if you are interested in a story that is character driven and allows you to take a vacation from reality, this is definitely for you!
May 10, 2012
I was privileged to be asked to read and critique Defining Moments during its creation/editing process, and can honestly state the the author, Faye Hicks, was completely open to any suggestions and comments I made.
So, having stated up front that I was one of Faye's beta readers of this novel, I have no qualms at recommending it to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story featuring a strong female character who, like most of us, makes mistakes by falling in love with the 'wrong' person. Unlike most of us, however, the protagonist in Defining Moments is given the opportunity to undo the bad choices she makes, even though it may mean reliving many years of her life over again.
But don't expect a simple love-story; Defining Moments is also a tale of tragedy and pain, as well as one of time-travel and adventure.
Readers can expect to become immersed in this page-turning story, and will want to read the entire novel in one sitting if possible and then ask the author for a sequel.
Highly recommended first-novel from this talented author.
So, having stated up front that I was one of Faye's beta readers of this novel, I have no qualms at recommending it to anyone who enjoys a well-crafted story featuring a strong female character who, like most of us, makes mistakes by falling in love with the 'wrong' person. Unlike most of us, however, the protagonist in Defining Moments is given the opportunity to undo the bad choices she makes, even though it may mean reliving many years of her life over again.
But don't expect a simple love-story; Defining Moments is also a tale of tragedy and pain, as well as one of time-travel and adventure.
Readers can expect to become immersed in this page-turning story, and will want to read the entire novel in one sitting if possible and then ask the author for a sequel.
Highly recommended first-novel from this talented author.
October 8, 2012
Rating: 4.5 Stars
It was an honor to have been asked to read Defining Moments. Ms. Hick's decision to have the story alternate perspectives, that of Brenda surviving the plane crash and coping with the hopes of being rescued, and Ellie's life as told from the voice in her journal, was quite remarkable.
But I guess this had been the defining moment in our relationship - the decision point that had precipitated our tragedy...
I enjoyed experiencing the moments in Ellie's life and how she could change the course of her life when a situation became unbearable. I found myself captivated by the tragedies she experienced and the lessons she took with her in the next chance at life.
I definitely recommend this book. Ms. Hicks did a fine job describing and setting up the various situations that Ellie experienced. You can see the author's humor and defintely can see the imagination and creativity throughout the book. One can not help but relate to Ellie. You find yourself going through a plethora of emotions right along with the main character.
It was an honor to have been asked to read Defining Moments. Ms. Hick's decision to have the story alternate perspectives, that of Brenda surviving the plane crash and coping with the hopes of being rescued, and Ellie's life as told from the voice in her journal, was quite remarkable.
But I guess this had been the defining moment in our relationship - the decision point that had precipitated our tragedy...
I enjoyed experiencing the moments in Ellie's life and how she could change the course of her life when a situation became unbearable. I found myself captivated by the tragedies she experienced and the lessons she took with her in the next chance at life.
I definitely recommend this book. Ms. Hicks did a fine job describing and setting up the various situations that Ellie experienced. You can see the author's humor and defintely can see the imagination and creativity throughout the book. One can not help but relate to Ellie. You find yourself going through a plethora of emotions right along with the main character.
June 29, 2012
Alternating between Ellie’s first-person narrative in 1970s Canada and a third-person depiction of Brenda’s quandary in the present day, Defining Moments presents a remarkably creative and truly unique story, delivered in an equally original way. Ellie is bold and brassy in her youth, and the reader is given a meaningful look at the depth of a woman’s character and passion as she discovers the blessing of second chances and grows to understand the fragility of love, the pain of loss, and the beauty of life. The reader is given the unique opportunity of cheering on not one strong female character, but two, as Brenda represents another generation and another struggle with the courage to fight and the bravery to open up one’s mind to unlimited possibilities.
Read my full review on Literary Inklings.
Read my full review on Literary Inklings.
August 19, 2012
Scientist Ellie Ward is part of a crew whose plane crashes in a remote part of Canada. To keep one of the younger crew members occupied, she offers to let the woman read her private journal.
That's when we learn that Ellie has figured out a way to go back in time to "defining moments" in her life to make different decisions about marriage, career and more.
Part literary fiction and part time travel fantasy, the book is entertaining and well-written. I thought that the author concept of the portal (I will not describe it to prevent spoilers) was interesting, well-thought-out and symbolic. I also liked seeing what Ellie learned about herself during each incident described in the narrative.
A fun "beach read" sort of book.
That's when we learn that Ellie has figured out a way to go back in time to "defining moments" in her life to make different decisions about marriage, career and more.
Part literary fiction and part time travel fantasy, the book is entertaining and well-written. I thought that the author concept of the portal (I will not describe it to prevent spoilers) was interesting, well-thought-out and symbolic. I also liked seeing what Ellie learned about herself during each incident described in the narrative.
A fun "beach read" sort of book.
September 23, 2012
Defining moments...
We all have them, and we sometimes wish for a chance to go back for a re-do...
Faye Hicks gives us the opportunity to do just that and it was an enjoyable journey. When I began reading, I was immediately glad for a "defining moment" of my own - an opportunity to share this experience with Ms. Hicks, and I wasn't disappointed. She writes in a way that you can feel part of Ellie's story. It took me to a style of writing I hadn't experienced before and I am exploring all kinds of writing at this point. It was funny, sad, included situations that we probably all wish we could redefine, and I am glad I read it.
I am looking forward to more from Ms. Hicks and hope that she and I can share more "defining moments" as her journey, and mine evolve..
Well done!
We all have them, and we sometimes wish for a chance to go back for a re-do...
Faye Hicks gives us the opportunity to do just that and it was an enjoyable journey. When I began reading, I was immediately glad for a "defining moment" of my own - an opportunity to share this experience with Ms. Hicks, and I wasn't disappointed. She writes in a way that you can feel part of Ellie's story. It took me to a style of writing I hadn't experienced before and I am exploring all kinds of writing at this point. It was funny, sad, included situations that we probably all wish we could redefine, and I am glad I read it.
I am looking forward to more from Ms. Hicks and hope that she and I can share more "defining moments" as her journey, and mine evolve..
Well done!
May 9, 2012
I must say right off that this was a really enjoyable book to read. It has just the right amount of detail to draw you in with the characters and their experiences. Who among us would not jump [no pun intended] at the opportunity to redo parts of our lives if we had a chance? The transition from past to present time was smooth and easy to follow. The Author has a great sense of humour and it came through in her writing. I will impatiently await her next book. I would love to see this book made into a movie!
May 10, 2012
I could only manage to put this book down twice...I haven't done that with a novel in a couple years at least. The story moves forward very quickly, and kept me hooked! Also, the some of the experiences that the main character Ellie are pretty unique - I don't think there are many stories out there about women in engineering 30 years ago, probably because the engineer/novelist combo itself is unique! Anyway it was a super fun read, perfect for my winter holiday.
May 11, 2012
What I really enjoyed about this book (there are many things, but this is the best part) is that it was a nice, fun read, but it also gets you thinking about all the what-ifs in your life. At the end of the story, you realise that Ellie is where she should be, and perhaps that is the lesson for all of us. There are so many twists and turns in the story, that it keeps you engaged until the very end. Great read for a book club.
May 15, 2012
Lots of fun! Enjoyed the book, lots of food for thought. The book gets really interesting once you are past the first 11 or 12 pages. The main theme of the story is a fun twist, that I won't spoil here!
The book is a little more unconventional than many books in this genre, lots of details about work and play that are refreshing.
Good sex scenes. No annoying fawning. What more could you ask for?
The book is a little more unconventional than many books in this genre, lots of details about work and play that are refreshing.
Good sex scenes. No annoying fawning. What more could you ask for?
May 3, 2012
Defining Moments by Faye Hicks is a compelling story with a unique plot. It is full of unanticipated twists and turns and the ending is quite unexpected. A clever and imaginative novel that will appeal to anyone who has ever longed for a do over in their own life. To read my review in its entirety, please visit http://www.bookreviewsandmorebykathy....
October 30, 2012
Intriguing concept with a number of unexpected twists. The beginning needed a bit of refining, but once “the diary” was introduced, the author’s sense of humour and unique quirky voice made this an engaging story. What could be more refreshing than the chance to start over at each gross miscalculation in one’s life. An enjoyable read.
September 25, 2018
(Sept. 2018 in TT group to discuss)
Entertaining. Discussable. But not all that smart. And way too much profanity, sex, and substance abuse. Not enough changes, no cleverness, no thoughts of consequences, no thoughts of other people. Her children are just erased and she doesn't care. I don't regret reading it, but I can't bring myself to recommend it, either. Sorry.
Entertaining. Discussable. But not all that smart. And way too much profanity, sex, and substance abuse. Not enough changes, no cleverness, no thoughts of consequences, no thoughts of other people. Her children are just erased and she doesn't care. I don't regret reading it, but I can't bring myself to recommend it, either. Sorry.
May 10, 2012
I loved this book. I was swept into Ellie Ward's life and could not put the book down. What a great escape from the everyday!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews