Monday, July 29, 2024

Whichever Way The Road Leads

 


WHICHEVER WAY THE ROAD LEADS

J.A. Boulet

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GENRE:  Historical Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Meet Jesse Eastman, a young man from a powerful and wealthy American family. When he joins a group of rough fur traders on a journey to open up the American Northwestern Frontier, Jesse thinks his days are numbered.

 

The looming War of 1812 and a rugged farm woman from Upper Canada may prove him right.

 

Zee Collard and her father, George, are half-American, and half-Canadian. They will stop at nothing to protect their livelihoods in Upper Canada. The Collard's family history goes back to the Revolutionary War and their past is not something many Americans are keen on.

 

Whichever Way The Road Leads will pull you into the lives of two American families on both sides of the border who struggle as war breaks out in 1812. This engaging and graphic first book of The Eastman Saga will take you through raging mountainous rivers and early Northwestern Frontier landscapes to the bloody Niagara battlefields of 1812.

 

Be careful which road you take, you never know where it'll lead.



Excerpt


Jesse Eastman cradled his head in his calloused hands and wondered when he had lost his mind. He thought back to several incidents and still could not accurately pinpoint what had prompted him to make the ridiculous decision to risk his life with the Overland Astorian explorers. However, one event was obvious. The argument with his father two years ago had changed his life, for better or for worse. Jesse had never fully recovered from the sting of being thrown out of the Eastman family.

 

He looked up as his friend threw another log on the fire. Samuel was a tall, gangly fellow he had met last year in St. Louis when the Astorians were adding men to the team. Samuel was as close to a best friend as he’d ever met.

 

“Still wondering how crazy you are to be here, boy?” Samuel chuckled as the Mad River  sloshed menacingly behind their backs. Samuel spit and kicked a stray log with his dirty boot into the camp fire. His long hair was firmly slicked back from his forehead, and the stray ends wisped onto his shoulders with every movement.

 

“Yes,” replied Jesse. “I’m wondering when I’m going to die, too.” Jesse wiped his grimy hands on his pants. The Mad River was so loud it almost drowned out the conversation at times. Jesse shouted towards the river. “How the hell are we going to ride those rapids tomorrow?”

 

Samuel grimaced and spat again. “With difficulty,” he responded manically.

 

Jesse laid down on his cot and gazed up at the night skies, feeling a shiver run through his spine.

 

It would be September 30, 1811 tomorrow, and Jesse imagined this was the date that would appear on his young gravestone. That is, if anyone ever found his body



A Word With the Author


1. Did you always want to be an author?

Yes, I always knew that my calling was to write. I started out in poetry, then progressed to short stories then full-length fiction novels.

2. Tell us about the publication of your first book.

My first book, The Strong Amongst Us, was published in April 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Coincidentally, it has a smallpox epidemic in the storyline. I wrote it in 2019 before any mention of Covid. It was eerily relatable, even though it was based in 1875. 

3. Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in? Ken Follett is probably the closest to my top pick in historical fiction. JA Johnstone is quickly overtaking his status, though!

4. What is the best part of being an author? I find the best part of being an author is that I am doing what I truly and absolutely love! 

The worst? Editing! It is a necessary part of any good book and I know this very well. I am grateful and happy with the final polished version of the book once all the editing is done, but when you are in the thick of it, well, it can be daunting.

5. What are you working on now? I will start on Bk 2 of The Eastman Saga (American history 1835) when the tour wraps up in August 2024 for Whichever Way The Road Leads. I like to devote all my time and attention to completing the tours, marketing, and signings before embarking on another book. This way I can let my passions fly, straight into readers’ hearts.

 



 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

J. A. Boulet is the passionate author of six historical fiction novels. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with a strong moral foundation, which she has stood behind all her life. Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to accounting. After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually. 

 

She lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.

 

Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Reddit.

 

Website: https://jaboulet.ca/

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Whichever-Road-Leads-Eastman-Saga-ebook/dp/B0D4FCQ66D

Twitter link: https://twitter.com/love_walk_life

Instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/jabouletauthor/

YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHyJHrncBj09F5119oxt6Vw

Reddit link: https://www.reddit.com/user/NormalFemale

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 


J.A. Boulet will award a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.


 


 


a Rafflecopter giveaway



4 comments:

  1. What a wonderful interview! Thank you so much for having me today! I enjoy being here 💕 hope this book touches your hearts ❤️

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great interview. This looks intriguing. Thanks for hosting.

    ReplyDelete