Notes From
a Romantic’s Heart is pleased to welcome fellow
Canadian author J.A. Boulet to the blog.
We look forward to exploring the first book in the Olason Chronicles, The
Strong Amongst Us. You can find all the stops on this review tour at Goddess Fish Promotions. Don’t forget
to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway. The form is at the bottom of this feature.
GENRE: Historical Romance
About the Book
An epic 1875 immigration saga. A love story. An epidemic.
On a fateful day in October 1875, Nathan Olason steps foot onto the soil of a new foreign country called Canada. With natural sand beaches and breathtaking sunsets, it has been nicknamed paradise. Except it proves to be anything but.
With storm surges, emerging governments, racism and dwindling food supplies, Nathan and his family struggle to stay alive in this foreign wilderness. With the help of a beautiful Cree woman named Anwa, they learn to fish and hunt, surviving against all the odds.
Then just when they think they have prevailed, tragedy strikes an ominous blow, a smallpox epidemic that decimates villages, quarantines the town of Gimli, but most of all threatens to claim what he holds dear the most.
Would you survive?
Be one of the last men
standing. Follow Nath on a heroic journey of immigration, manhood, immense love,
resilience and perseverance beyond anything we know.
Enjoy an Excerpt
He stared at the beautiful
sun, peering over the horizon of gentle waves. The coldness stung, but he
embraced it. The lake was much calmer today. He loved it actually; luck was on
his side. They would most likely be able to send the funds request of the
remaining five-thousand-dollar loan to the Dominion today by boat.
A movement caught his eye. Someone was pulling in a larger boat. He stood and used his hand to shelter from the sun. He squinted into the bright rays. It was just one person, pulling in the boat. He strapped his boots on and scurried over to the dock.
“Hey, do you need a hand?” Nathanael shouted as he approached.
A woman’s voice lilted into the air, gentle but full of strength. “No, I am okay.”
“No, I must! Let me help you,” Nathan insisted.
She looked at him stubbornly, shook her head and relented. “If you must.”
Nath grabbed the rope and helped pull in the boat, anchoring it along the sand. “Is this the boat that will be taking the letter to the Dominion for us today?”
“It is, yes,” she replied. “Sorry for my English. I am still learning.”
“You are native to this land?” Nath asked. “How long have you lived here?”
“Forever,” she laughed. “Ma and Pa were born here, so was I.”
“Interesting,” Nath said. “It is a beautiful land. And a beautiful lake.”
“Yes, Nath, it is,” she replied.
“You remembered my name?”
The Strong Amongst Us is available from Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords
My Review
4 Stars
The romance, while well done, was not the focus. And, I’m fine with that. I think it could have easily overshadowed the book and taken away from some of the more important scenes in the story.
I did feel at times we were a bit bogged down in facts but, because they were relevant to the history, I was able to get past the slow down easily enough. The only drawback for me is that I’m not a fan of an unfinished story. This is purely a personal preference, so if you don’t mind stories that continue on into the next book, you will undoubtably enjoy The Strong Amongst Us.
Meet the Author
She currently lives in Canada with her two teenaged sons and a crested gecko named Mossio
Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Reddit
~ YouTube
Enter the Giveaway
J.A. Boulet will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
~ ~ ~
It has been my pleasure
hosting this new-to-me author. I look forward to reading more of J.A. Boulet.
Please come back again all next week for more authors, books, and giveaways.
Nancy
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the honest review!
ReplyDelete