This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.
J. A. Boulet will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
See below or Click on "read more" to sign up for the Giveaway.
A struggle. A war. The past. Would you recover?
Nathan Olason picks up the pieces of his life in
1893 and becomes a devoted father and grandfather. Except something from his
past is holding him back.
His grandson, Mike grows up in a loving family with
Nath almost raising him as his own. Mike develops a passion for hunting and
guns, while his family supports him with trepid hearts as WWI looms.
Nath feels helpless to stop this dangerous chain of
events, as Mike announces that he is joining the Great War. Armed and deadly,
Mike hones his marksmanship skills to a perfection not seen in any other
soldier. He is taken on a wild ride of following his passions, courage and
gruesome fighting, arriving at Vimy Ridge, France for the fight of his life.
Nath fearing the worst, flees to a place that he
thought was his salvation; an old weathered cottage that holds the key to his
future.
Follow in the footsteps of heroes.
Be vulnerable.
Would you recover?
My review...
Really enjoyed this strong story. It is of the true Historical
Fiction genre. This book is a story of war taking us to different countries.
It’s full of conflicted feelings and even a little romance. The author seems to
be a good storyteller. Maybe I should say a good painter. By that I mean I felt I could picture the
characters, even some events through her descriptive writing. It is a story
that really evokes a lot of emotion. Some information was so realistic seeming
that I often had trouble remembering I was reading fiction.
Having not read Book 1, obviously a mistake on my part, I would say this book could be read as a stand-alone. Although there were obviously characters in this book that were in Book 1, I can’t say I had any trouble keeping up with the story or becoming familiar with them.
However, if Book 1 is as good as this is, both
should be read. Hope we’ll see more from J.A. Boulet.
read an excerpt...
She was a stunning woman with beautiful long black hair,
shockingly rare blue eyes and tanned skin. She was captivating and absolutely
gorgeous. Ivan thought that he didn’t have a chance until he found out that she
lived down by the pier with her father. He bought fish from her father
regularly, trading vegetables and grains some days. Every time Ivan visited the
large fishery at the pier, he was always scanning the crowd for the beautiful
blue-eyed fisherman girl. He found out that she was almost the same age as
himself; she was 18, and he was 19. How she had managed to remain single was
something beyond his stretch of knowledge. Maybe she was too beautiful, he
thought. No man was courageous enough to approach her. Until this day, he
thought.
Ivan straightened his tie and proceeded to the fishery. He ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting his cowlick. The pesky tuft of hair at his crown annoyed him greatly. It seemed to have a mind of its own, especially in tense situations; it would stick up like a fork in a haystack. Otherwise, he thought that he was quite a handsome fellow, standing at six feet tall, slim but fit, with dark blonde hair, a young uneven beard and captivating green eyes. Women looked at him often, so he knew that he was attractive, but he still felt unsure of himself some days, especially around stunning women like her. Ivan pulled the door to the fishery open, unconsciously licking his hand and smoothing down the cowlick again as he stepped inside.
about J.A. Boulet...
J. A. Boulet was born many years later, raised with strong morals and values, which she stands behind to this day. She started writing poetry at the age of five and progressed to short stories and novels. She has a keen interest in settlers, healing, family bonds and military history. J. A. Boulet writes with a spine-tingling realism like none other, grabbing your emotions and refusing to let go. The Strong Within Us Book 2 will be the book you’ve been waiting for.
She currently lives in Canada with her two teenaged sons and a crested gecko named Mossio. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit.
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/S
NOTE: the book will be on sale for $1.99 at Kobo during the tour
Website: https://jaboulet.ca/
Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Strong-Within-Us-J-Boulet/dp/1777211239
Twitter https://twitter.com/love_walk_life
Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/
YouTube link: https://youtu.be/yl_CnBze4ds
Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/user/NormalFemale
Kobo (US): https://www.kobo.com/us/
Kobo (Canada): https://www.kobo.
Barnes and Noble: https://www.
Chapters Indigo: https://www.chapters.
more personal "stuff" about J. A. Boulet...
Does this book have a special meaning to
you? i.e. where you found the idea, its symbolism, its meaning, who you
dedicated it to, what made you want to write it?
Yes, I feel very deeply about this book. It
is the satisfying completion of the original story in Book One. The Strong
within Us is the completion of the vision I had stumbling across the story at
my cottage in Gimli. The entire story just hit me like a ton of bricks; I felt
compelled by a potent force to write and share this saga.
Where do you get your storylines from?
Museums mostly.
Was this book easier or more difficult
to write than others? Why?
This book was easy to write because the
flow was exceptional but technically, I did have some hiccups. The story and
characters came to life the minute my words hit the paper. I had to restrain
the flow to get the research done properly and make sure the plot developed
nicely. The war and training scenes were the most difficult part. I researched
the battalions and formations extensively. Then I edited it multiple times to
polish the infantry scenes as much as possible. I would say this book was
equivalent to Book One in terms of difficulty because of the necessary
research.
Do you only write one genre?
Yes. I have tried to write spy novels, romance
and even futuristic wars, but I always ran out of steam halfway through.
Historical fiction seems to be the only genre I can write in successfully from
start to finish. I do write poetry as well, though. My poetry is wide and
varied, mostly romantic but also describing life’s hardships.
Give us a picture of where you write,
where you compose these words…is it Starbucks, a den, a
garden…we want to know your inner
sanctum.
I write on my comfy sofa, with my laptop
balanced on my lap. My feet also get cold so I usually wear my cozy woolly
socks too!
And finally, of course…was there any
specific event or circumstance that made you want to be a writer?
I started writing poetry when I was five
years old. My siblings were also artists, painters and musicians. Being the
youngest child, I guess I wanted to be different. I was always very artistic
and I found writing to be the most natural outlet for me. I have a strange
ability to reach into people’s minds and write out their emotions in an
uncannily accurate manner. Writing is my passion in life, always has been.
***Thank you for reading and thanks to Our Town Book Reviews for hosting me! I hope you enjoy my book and it fills you with hope for the future.
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the fantastic interview and the amazing review! Love your blog! I'm so glad you liked Book 2!😀
ReplyDeleteI liked the excerpt, sounds good.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I would love to read.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great new book read.
ReplyDeleteHi nice reading your blog
ReplyDelete