10/12/2026
We are excited to have local author Marisa Belanger at NoCo ARTS this Thursday evening for the debut of her new book ‘Eden’s Keep’.
‘The summer of 1925 finds Opal Jones dreaming of freedom beyond her family’s struggling farm. But while she longs for a life of her own, her older brother Jack bears the crushing responsibility of keeping the family farm afloat. Despite their different desires, both were drawn to the newly constructed speakeasy next door, where secrets flowed as freely as the liquor.
The events of a single fateful night shattered their plans, leaving love, betrayal, and murder buried deep below the rickhouse... until nearly a century later, when the past refuses to stay hidden.
Journalist Sophia Fletcher travels to Chestnut Creek, Kentucky, in hopes of uncovering the truth behind a family secret whispered through generations.
Her search leads her to Hollow Oak Distillery, where a chance encounter with Daniel Ellis, a rugged structural engineer inspecting the aging rickhouses, stirs more than curiosity.
But when Daniel falls into a forgotten Prohibition-era speakeasy, sealed for nearly a century, long-buried truths begin to surface. As they dig deeper, danger closes in, forcing Sophia and Daniel to confront not only the crimes of the past but those unfolding in the present.’
🍸 Following a talk about the book and a signing, everyone is invited to head down to Newton’s very own speakeasy Discretion Underground for cocktails.
🗓️ Thursday, October 15th
⏰ 6:00 p.m.
📍 118 N. College Avenue, Newton, NC 28658.
