T's Stuff: IRead book tours

Showing posts with label IRead book tours. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 2, 2020

COPY BOY by Shelley Blanton-Stroud

Join Us For This Tour from August 24 to September 18, 2020

BOOK DETAILS:

Series Title: COPY BOY by Shelley Blanton-Stroud

Category: Adult Fiction (18+)

Genre: Noir, Historical Mystery, Literary

Publisher: She Writes Press

Release dates: June 23, 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 + M. The book includes: the F-word 7 times, the word "g--dammit" 4 times, and one violent fight in the beginning.

Book Description:

Jane’s
a very brave boy. And a very difficult girl. She’ll become a remarkable
woman, an icon of her century, but that’s a long way off. Not my fault,
she thinks, dropping a bloody crowbar in the irrigation ditch after
Daddy. She steals Momma’s Ford and escapes to Depression-era San
Francisco, where she fakes her way into work as a newspaper copy boy.
Everything’s looking up. She’s climbing the ladder at the paper, winning
validation, skill, and connections with the artists and thinkers of her
day. But then Daddy reappears on the paper’s front page, his arm around
a girl who’s just been beaten into a coma one block from Jane’s
newspaper―hit in the head with a crowbar. Jane’s got to find Daddy
before he finds her, and before everyone else finds her out. She’s got
to protect her invented identity. This is what she thinks she wants.
It’s definitely what her dead brother wants.

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org
Audible ~ Libro ~ Kobo
GooglePlay ~ Scribd ~ Chirp
Walmart Audio
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

Shelley Blanton-Stroud grew up in California’s Central Valley, the daughter of
Dust Bowl immigrants who made good on their ambition to get out of the
field. She teaches college writing in Northern California and consults
with writers in the energy industry. She co-directs Stories on Stage
Sacramento, where actors perform the stories of established and emerging
authors, and serves on the advisory board of 916 Ink, an arts-based
creative writing nonprofit for children. She has also served on the
Writers’ Advisory Board for the Belize Writers’ Conference. Copy Boy is
her first novel, and she’s currently working on her second. She also
writes and publishes flash fiction and non-fiction, which you can find
at such journals as Brevity and Cleaver. She and her husband live in
Sacramento with an aging beagle and many photos of their out-of-state
sons.

Connect with the author: website ~ twitter ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ bookbub

Tour Schedule:

Aug 24 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Aug 25 - Locks, Hooks and Books – audiobook review / giveaway

Aug 25 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 26 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway

Aug 27 – I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 28 – Reading Authors Network – book review / giveaway

Aug 28 - PuzzlePaws Blog - audiobook review / giveaway

Aug 31 – Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight

Sep 1 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / giveaway

Sep 2 – T's Stuff – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Sep 2 - Literary Flits – book review / giveaway

Sep 3 – She Just Loves Books – audiobook review / giveaway

Sep 4 –Pick a Good Book - book spotlight / giveaway

Sep 7 – Svetlanas reads and views – book review

Sep 8 – 100 Pages A Day – book review / giveaway

Sep 9 – Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight / author interview

Sep 9 - Olio by Marilyn – book review / giveaway

Sep 10 – Books for Books – audiobook review

Sep 11 – Hall Ways Blog – audiobook review / giveaway

Sep 14 – Amy's Booket List – audiobook review / giveaway

Sep 15 – Casia's Corner – book review

Sep 16 – Dab of Darkness Audiobook Reviews – audiobook review / author interview / giveaway

Sep 17 –Pen Possessed - book review / giveaway

Sep 18 - My Fictional Oasis – book review

Sep 18 - PuzzlePaws Blog - book review / giveaway

Guest Post by Shelley Blanton-Stroud

Though I’ve always been a traditional reader—that’s my secret superpower—I only discovered audiobooks ten years ago, 2010, when I was asked to help put together a program of Audio Book Clubs in a Box for California libraries. It was an amazing project for which I listened to 32 audiobooks. It wound up hooking me on audio reading.

When I recently published my first novel, Copy Boy, it was important to me to find just the right narrator. In my experience, when I listen to an audiobook, the story seems to get even closer into my consciousness than when I’m eye-reading. The story, the characters, are with me when I’m not controlling them, entering my ear, my brain, as I drive or walk or garden. Somehow, this way of storytelling feels very intimate, a whisper in the ear. Just as the wrong narrator can ruin an audio experience, the right one can make it.

I wrote Copy Boy literally with an ear for what it should sound like, my main character’s dust bowl Okie accent, her attempt to hide it, her failure at that, the way it slips out under stress, anger, fear, happiness. The way it affects her interactions with sophisticated city people. The way it gives her vivid authority when she asserts herself over those same people.

I was thrilled to hear narrator April Doty’s audition. Her voice was perfectly accented, scratchy, cranky, quirky, just the way I wanted Jane to be. But it went beyond her voice. April is a perceptive, intelligent reader. We met over Zoom to talk about my book, and she asked questions that showed me she really got who Jane is, the troubles in her life and in her character, troubles that should be revealed in her voice.

I sing April’s praises wherever I have the chance. I think you’ll be hearing a lot from her.
Enter the Giveaway:

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Friday, August 21, 2020

Legacy of Secrets by Helen Starbuck

Join us for this tour from August 10 to August 28, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: Legacy of Secrets by Helen Starbuck

Category: Adult Fiction, 243 pages

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Routt Street Press

Release date: March 2020

Content Rating: R for two explicit sex scenes, bad language, mild violence.

Book Description:

Other families pass down their stories, Kate Earnshaw’s family’s
secrets disappear from one generation to the next. Kate Earnshaw's
father's suicide has left many unanswered questions. In handling his
estate she wonders if she ever really knew him. He never explained why
he let his childhood home in Eastern Colorado fall into ruin or why he'd
kept the property a secret. And he never told Kate about his close
friendship with Evan Hastings, the handsome and somewhat puzzling man
who lives on the property near the abandoned house. Evan seems to have
as many secrets as her father and knows more about him than Kate did.
But there’s something about Evan that calls her back to her father’s
home. Something that threatens to unearth more than the past. Legacy of
Secrets explores family secrets, a daughter's grief and her search for
answers, and a chance for love.

Buy the Book:

Amazon.com ~ Audible

Add to Goodreads

My Review:
In the book Kate has just lost her father to suicide but cannot comes to grips with it. After the will is read she inherits a piece of property and a house she knew nothing about. She goes on a personal journey to get to know her father better so she can understand the reasons for his suicide but all the time in her mind she feels he did not commit suicide.

When she gets to the house she inherits her life actually takes many turns. The house is dilapidated and falling down. While there she meets Evan Hastings. The man who lives next door to the property and the self appointed caretaker so to speak. Sh learns that not only did her father come to the property many times but also has a friendship with Evan.

Jealousy seems to rear its ugly head. There is an immediate connection between Kate and Evan but Kate cannot get past the part that Evan knows a lot about her father that she never did. When Evan tries to let her into the friendship he had with her father she blows up and stalks off, multiple times may I add.

In the end she feels she pulled even tighter towards murder. The story is filled with twists and turns. The narration was pretty good. As with any book there were parts I enjoyed and Parts I did not but it was still worth my time.

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Meet the Author:

Helen Starbuck is a Colorado native, former OR nurse, and
award-winning author of the standalone romantic suspense novel Legacy of
Secrets, and the Annie Collins Mystery Series. She loves mysteries,
suspense, romance, and any book that is well written. She’s a huge fan
of books with independent, strong, women characters and, as Neil Gaiman
says, “…stories where women save themselves.”

Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

GUEST POST from Helen Starbuck,

author of LEGACY OF SECRETS

I love my characters. A plot without characters the reader (and author) can relate to isn’t worth reading in my opinion. I draw from my nursing and writing background, my love of reading, and my counseling psychology degree to flesh out my characters. I write what I love to read, romantic suspense and mystery. Overhearing a conversation, seeing a photograph, walking and letting my mind wander, listening to music, and attending writing retreats and seminars are all sources of inspiration for characters and plots. And sometimes characters and plots just pop out of my imagination fully grown.

Legacy of Secrets, my new book, is set in Eastern Colorado, a ranching and farming area made up of both large and small towns. As a native Coloradan, I’m familiar with the setting. The town of Ardwell, Colorado, is a figment of my imagination, but representative of small towns in the state.

The idea for the book was the result of a writing seminar where the presenter spread photos of iconic paintings on a table, asked participants to choose one that spoke to him or her, and write for fifteen minutes. I chose one that showed an old house sitting in the midst of a field of overgrown grass. That house became the abandoned Earnshaw family home, which figures prominently in the story about a father with many secrets.

I wanted to tackle the subject of suicide and the effects it has on those left behind. As children I don’t believe we ever really know our parents. We think we do, but we know them as parents not ‘people.’ I wanted to explore a daughter’s grief and her discovery of the many secrets her father had kept. I wanted to explore a small community and it’s residents, and how these affect my main character, Kate Earnshaw, during her journey to discover who her father was and why he committed suicide.

My next romantic suspense novel is, Finding Alex. A woman assaulted, left for dead, and now amnesic, may be the only surviving victim of a killer who’s targeting prostitutes and leaving their bodies without fingertips to complicate their identification. She has her fingertips, but Denver homicide detective Blake Halloran must try to identify her and hope her memory returns so he can find the killer. I think readers will enjoy it.

Tour Schedule:

Aug 10 – Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnita – book spotlight

Aug 10 - From the TBR Pile – audiobook review / giveaway

Aug 11 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review / giveaway

Aug 11 - I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 12 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 13 – Olio by Marilyn – book spotlight / author interview

Aug 13 – Olio by Marilyn – book review / giveaway

Aug 14 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 17 – Read and Review – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Aug 18 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Aug 19 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway

Aug 20 – Books and Zebras – book review

Aug 20 - Books for Books – book spotlight

Aug 21 - T's Stuff – book review /guest post / giveaway

Aug 21 – Celticlady's Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 24 – Mystery Suspense Reviews – audiobook review / guest post / giveaway

Aug 24 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight

Aug 24 - Rajiv's Reviews - book review

Aug 25 – Amy’s Booket List – audiobook review / giveaway

Aug 26 – Pen Possessed – book review / giveaway

Aug 26 - Rebecca Graf on Medium - audiobook review

Aug 27 – Library of Clean Reads – book review / giveaway

Aug 28 – Adventurous Jessy – book review / giveaway

Aug 28 - The World As I See It – book review

Aug 28 - My Fictional Oasis – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

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Monday, August 17, 2020

LOST AND FOUND by Maggie Clare

Join us for this tour from August 11 to August 24, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: Lost and Found (Tactical Solutions International, Book 3) by Maggie Clare

Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 220 pages

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Wave Equation Media, LLC

Release date: August 2020

Tour dates: August 11 to August 24, 2020

Content Rating: R for some swearing, violence, and mature themes.

Book Description:

Dr. Lissa Morgan has had a crush on her best friend’s older brother
since they were kids, but handsome, brooding Cam Taylor has never given
her a second glance. When Cam unexpectedly shows up on Lissa’s doorstep
bleeding and bruised, his personal life in shambles, things between them
take a steamy turn. After an incredible weekend with the sweet, sexy
doctor, Cam realizes what he’s been missing. But he’s run from intimacy
his whole life, sure he doesn’t deserve a woman like Lissa. He’s doing
her a favor by walking away – or so he tells himself. Frustrated and
hurt by Cam’s distance, Lissa must nonetheless rely on his private
security firm when an annoying admirer becomes a threat. The more time
Cam spends with Lissa, the faster his defenses crumble. When the
disturbed stalker finally makes his move, Cam will do whatever it takes
to save the woman who’s slowly healing his wounded soul. Lost and Found
is the third book in the Tactical Solutions International series but can
be read as a stand-alone.

Buy This New Release Today:

Amazon.com

Meet the Author:

Maggie Clare is the pen name of award-winning speculative fiction
author Tabitha Lord. When channeling Maggie, she writes all the naughty
things! Her Tactical Solutions International romantic suspense series
features hot hunky heroes, smart sexy gals, and nail-biting narratives.
Count on Maggie to pair great story-telling with an erotic edge.

Connect with the Author: Website ~ Facebook ~ Twit ter ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Author Interview: Maggie Clare, author of Lost and Found

What was the inspiration for the story?

While Lost and Found is the third book in the Tactical Solutions International series, I actually wrote parts of it first. I’d just finished the final draft of the second book in my science fiction series, and I wanted to take a break from that story for a little while.

As often happens, key scenes from a new story will take shape in my mind, choreographed out like action sequences on television. There is one scene in Lost and Found where Lissa is trying to escape from the stalker. She sprays him with a bottle of bathroom cleaner and runs through the house, only to find all the doors padlocked. Even though there wasn’t much of a story yet, this scene was pulse-pounding and terrifying enough that I really wanted to keep it!

After just a few weeks of working on my new idea, I had to return to writing my science fiction series, and Lost and Found sat in my files for about a year. When I eventually began developing the TSI series, I dusted off that partial manuscript, gave Cam a new and better backstory, and turned it into book 3.

Lost and Found is set against a military backdrop. Why did you choose that as the setting?

The company founded by Cam and his buddy A.J. is a private security and military contracting firm. In this line of work, danger, adventure, and intrigue are always just around the corner. A military background made sense for most of the guys in the stories, and some of them actually served together. It made for great backstory, and they all needed the skillset a military career would provide in order to be the heroes I needed!

I’ve noticed that each installment in the Tactical Solutions International series features different characters. Do any of your featured characters return in future installments? Do you ever give your readers an update about what has happened to characters from previous books in the series?

As with many romantic suspense series, readers will get either a preview of new characters who will likely be featured in a future book of their own, or an update on beloved characters whose tales have already been told. In this case, an early chapter of Lost and Found will take place at Jake and Fiona’s wedding (the cast from Sing for Me). Readers will also get a little check in on Mike and Lucia (cast of Run and Hide), since Mike is Fiona’s brother.

What is the significance of the title?

The title has a dual meaning. First, Cam pushes Lissa away rather strongly and almost loses his chance with her. Second, when Lissa is abducted by her stalker, she is lost to Cam and the police for days. Of course, there is a happy ending when she is found, and they both have found the love of a lifetime!

What do you hope your readers take away from this book?

With any book I write, I want to tell a good story. I hope readers are entertained, absorbed, and come away feeling satisfied. I want to create characters who are multi-dimensional and who readers can fall in love with.

Each one of my books also has some darker elements. In Lost and Found, in addition to the obvious stalker plot line, Cam has suffered a terrible trauma that he’s kept secret for years. When I add something like this to my stories, I try to do it with great care. While I aim to give all my couples a happily-ever-after, I also want to show that trauma has far-reaching consequences. Love helps heal, certainly, but it doesn’t erase everything.

What’s next for Maggie Clare? What are you working on now?

I have outlined four more books in the series. If all goes as planned, Teagan, Fiona’s drummer, will have his story next, followed by A.J., Cam’s business partner, then Devon Marco, the mysterious TSI operative, and finally, Charlie, Jake’s best friend. Readers have asked for Alex’s story, and I actually have planned a spin-off series where he will be featured in the first book.

Of course, it’s always possible that a new character will capture my imagination. I had no plans to write Mike’s story, but I had to once I finished Sing for Me. So, you really never know!

Tour Schedule:

Aug 11 – Adventurous Jessy – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 12 – Viviana MacKade – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Aug 13 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Aug 14 – Pen Possessed – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 17 - T's Stuff – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Aug 17 – I'm Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 17 - Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 18 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 18 - Mystery Suspense Reviews - book spotlight / guest post

Aug 19 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 19 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 20 – Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight

Aug 20 - Pick a good book - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Aug 21 – Seaside Book Nook – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 23 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 24 - Books for Books – book spotlight

Enter the Giveaway:

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Wednesday, August 12, 2020

FINDING HOME by Corinne Joy Brown & Ginny McDonald

Join us for this tour from August 3 to August 21, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: FINDING HOME by Corinne Joy Brown and Ginny McDonald

Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 130 pages

Genre: General Fiction

Publisher: Loose Cayuse Productions

Release date: June 2019

Content Rating: G. There are no expletives, sex scenes or bad language anywhere.

“Born in the flatlands of Rock Springs, Wyoming, newborn mustang Pahaska
tells the heart-wrenching story of her separation from her mother and
the wild horse herd she was born into. Captured by strangers, her entire
world has disintegrated. Penned in the filthy, manure-filled confines
of a horse hauler’s trailer, her life is changed forever. Finding Home, a
2020 Spur Finalist for Juvenile Fiction, is a brilliantly written story
about the adoption of the mustang “Curly Girl” by a teen who has always
dreamed of having her own horse. Ginny McDonald’s illustrations convey
fine detail and emotion in the images of the horses, bringing each one
to life. This heart-warming tale will appeal to those with a love for
animals.” - Joni Franks, RoundUp Magazine, Western Writers of America

“This beautifully written and illustrated book will appeal to any animal
loving young reader. Differences (equine and otherwise) are applauded,
working through complicated human relationships, a philosophical, well
balanced approach to difficult issues (wild horse roundups), and
positive animal training techniques are included in this educational,
riveting new book!” - Nancy Sachs, Director Platte Valley Pony Club

“To see the world through the eyes of a newborn filly as she grows into
adulthood, or an excited young girl in search of her first horse, is a
treasure found in Corinne Joy Brown’s novel Finding Home, a
story of loss and recovery told in a brilliant way. The illustrations by
Ginny McDonald help to refine the wonderful writing which places the
reader squarely in the experience of Curly Girl and Jesse, her adopter. Finding Home
is a wonderful story for our time, in consideration of the wild horses
whose freedom is threatened across the West and the people who adopt the
captured ones into loving homes.” - James A. Holmes CEO and Executive Director, Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation

Book Description:

For every girl or boy who owns a horse, or wished they did, Finding
Home brings all the drama and beauty of America’s wild horses to the
middle-grade reader.

A coming-of-age story and a tale about friendship, trust and
understanding, both horse and owner have powerful lessons to learn.
Together, young Jesse Nolan from Colorado and her wild mustang, Curly
Girl, rounded up in Wyoming, discover what it means to rely on oneself,
as well as those who love you most.

Buy the Book:

Finding Home

Amazon ~ B&N

Meet the Authors:

Ginny McDonald is an award-winning, professional Colorado
illustrator and a longtime advocate for wild horses. She is the adopter
of an American Curly mare, and more recently, a second mustang named
"Lil Bit". Ginny's skill in the use of Prismacolor pencils brings this
story to life with rich detail and heartfelt emotion.

Denver native Corinne Joy Brown is a multi-published,
award-winning Colorado author, magazine editor and freelance writer
focused on the West ." Recent publications include "Young Rider",
"Cowboys & Indians," and "Working Ranch." She's also been a horse
owner most of her life. Corinne is committed to teaching the next
generation about the power of horses to teach and heal. "Finding Home"
is her eighth book.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Facebook

Author Interview with Joy Brown & Ginny McDonald

Q What was the hardest character to write in this book? The easiest?

A: The hardest character to write was Jesse's father, a man who loves his daughter so very much and yet, doesn't know how to reach her. Coping with a mid-life crisis, a career change and trying to find himself, he leaves wife and daughter to sort it all out. I had to think long and hard about how to create this character so he still appears loving and reliable. The easiest character? Why, Jesse of course. I was 13 once. And I have adored and ridden horses since I was a kid. Jesse came to life immediately.

Q: In the book you make a reference to "Wild Horse Annie". How did you come up with this idea?

A: I had known about this amazing woman, a champion of wild horses, for years but it took Ginny, my co-writer and illustrator, to remind me of just how important she was to the survival of our wild herds in general. A mere citizen, she was one who pushed for legislation to protect them from mustangers (men who killed wild horses for profit) and other hunters. It seemed important to tell the modern history of what has transpired in the last 50 years. Children need to know.

Q: If you could cast yourself as a character in the book, who would you be?

A: I'd like to be Curly Girl, as difficult as that seems, being born wild and learning how to adapt to a new life and a new friend. I can only imagine what learning to trust another foreign species feels like. Horses are loyal and faithful to handlers they feel comfortable with. I would like to experience Curly Girl's feelings, learning she could live out her life with someone who cares for her .

Q: The book is set in the Front Range of Colorado and Southern Wyoming. Have you ever been there?

A: Yes, I've been through both areas. Colorado's front range communities are set, in part, amidst richly forested foothills . The town of Evergreen is idyllic, in the nearby mountains, close to Denver. It seemed a perfect setting for this story. Besides, Curly Girl actually started her life in Colorado there. I've been to Wyoming too. Harsher land. We tried our best to keep it real.

Q: What is the last great book I've read?

A: I'm in a book club I started over 25 years ago. We read a major work of literature every month for 10 months each year by writers from all over the world. This past spring we read "Bless Me Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya who recently passed away. I loved it. More recently, I read "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles. Incredible. I learned a lot about Russian history.

Q: What advice would I give to a budding writer?

A: Follow the heat. Write about whatever you feel passionate about. Don't worry about syntax and structure. Get that first draft out and clean up later. Once you find your starting point, nothing should stop you.

Tour Schedule:

Aug 3 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway

Aug 3 – Corinne Rodrigues | Booksnista – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 4 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 4 - Splashes of Joy – book review / guest post / author interview / giveaway

Aug 5 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway

Aug 5 - My Journey Back – book review / author interview / giveaway

Aug 6 – I'd Rather Be At The Beach – book review

Aug 7 –T's Stuff – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Aug 7 - Books for Books – book spotlight

Aug 10 – Reading Authors Nework – book review / giveaway

Aug 11 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Aug 11 - Priya's Lit Blog – book review / giveaway

Aug 12 – Older & Smarter? – book review

Aug 12 - Read and Review – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway

Aug 13 - A Mama's Corner Of the World – book review / giveaway

Aug 13 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight / giveaway

Aug 14 – Rosepoint Publishing – book review / giveaway

Aug 14 - Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway

Aug 17 – authors.ace – book review

Aug 18 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway

Aug 18 - Sefina Hawke's Books – book spotlight

Aug 19 – Krisha's Cozy Corner – book review / guest post / giveaway

Aug 19 - Library of Clean Reads - book review / giveaway

Aug 20 – My Reading Journey – book review / guest post / giveaway

Aug 20 - Pen Possessed - book review / giveaway

Aug 21 – Svetlanas reads and views – book review

Enter the Giveaway:

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Tuesday, August 4, 2020

IN THE HEART OF A MUSTANG by M.J. Evans

Join us for this tour from July 27 to August 7, 2020!

Book Details:

Book Title: PINTO! Based Upon the True Story of the Longest Horseback Ride in History by M.J. Evans

Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 243 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Dancing Horse Press

Release date: October, 2019

Content Rating: G. This
book is taken from the actual journals that were kept by the men on the
journey. There is no bad language or explicit scenes.

Book Description:

In 1912, four men, calling themselves the “Overland Westerners,” decided fame and fortune awaited if they embarked on the longest horseback ride in history. Their goal was to visit all forty-eight state capitals over the course of three years and complete their journey at the San Francisco World’s Fair on June 1, 1915. Facing rugged roads, raging rivers, thieves and near starvation, the men went through seventeen horses. Only one horse completed the entire journey…Pinto, a little horse with a heart as big as the whole country! This is Pinto’s account of his arduous adventure.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ B&N ~ Books-A-Million
Book Depository ~ IndieBound

ALSO ON THIS TOUR:

Book Details:

Book Title: In the Heart of a Mustang by M.J. Evans

Category: YA Fiction (Ages 13-17), 359 pages

Genre: Contemporary Coming of Age

Publisher: Dancing Horse Press

Release date: October, 2017

Format available for review: print, mobi file (for Kindle), gifted Kindle copy, ePub, PDF, NetGalley download

Will send print books out: USA

Tour dates: July 27 to August 7, 2020

Content Rating: PG. Some suggested violence but not explicit

Book Description:

A
boy is told that his father was a brave and virtuous man, a soldier who
traded his life to save the lives of countless others. He was the man
that Hunter needed to emulate. The only problem is the whole story is a
lie, all of it. The truth, which Hunter discovers as he begins his
sophomore year of high school, is that his father has actually spent the
boy’s entire life in jail, paying his debt to society, but not mending
his ways. A wild mustang mare, is rounded up by the BLM. The spring
rains had been sparse, the forage on the plains even more so. The mare
and her herd are rescued from certain starvation and placed for
adoption. In a sandy corral at Promise Ranch, a home for troubled
teenage boys, the boy and the mare meet. A weathered, old cowboy brings
them together – a mentor for one, a trainer for the other. The bond that
forms between boy and horse becomes one that saves the lives of both.

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ B&N ~ Books-A-Million
Book Depository ~ IndieBound
Add to Goodreads

My Review:

This is the 2nd book I have read by M.J. Evans. This is such a meaningful but yet sad story and I really enjoyed it. Yes this book is more geared towards teens and young adults but even us Granny's can and do enjoy it. There is a message in the story that a lot of parents could stand learning. I also love how M.J. Evans shows us the truth in training horses. Her knowledge of horses is not just a made up version.
In the book Hunter learns that his /father is not what he thought he was. His whole life he has been told about his Hero Father only to find out he is actually in Prison. Hunter's life goes into a tail spin after this. He ends up into drugs and trouble. When he is sent to Promise Ranch, a home for troubled teenage boys he finds his best friend in the form of a horse. There is a special connection between man and beast. Hunter and Mustang Sally will need each other to save their lives.
If you love horses you will love this book no matter your age.

Meet the Author:

Award-winning author M.J. Evans grew up in Lake Oswego, Oregon.
Upon graduation from Oregon State University, she spent five years
teaching high school and middle school students. She retired from
teaching to raise her five children. Mrs. Evans is a life-long
equestrian and enjoys competing in Dressage and riding in the beautiful
Colorado mountains. She has published fourteen books, most of which are
fiction.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

Tour Schedule:

July 27 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of PINTO! / guest post / giveaway

July 27 - Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

July 27 - My Journey Back – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / guest post / giveaway

July 28 – Splashes of Joy – book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway

July 28 - She Just Loves Books – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

July 29 – Svetlanas reads and views – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

July 29 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

July 29 - Krisha's Cozy Corner - book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway

July 30 – Splashes of Joy – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / guest post / giveaway

July 30 - My Reading Journeys – book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway

July 31 – Literary Flits – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

July 31 - T's Stuff - book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 3 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 3 - T's Stuff - book review of PINTO! / author interview / giveaway

Aug 3 - My Journey Back – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

Aug 4 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 4 - She Just Loves Books – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

Aug 5 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

Aug 5 - Adventurous Bookworm – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 5 - My Reading Journeys – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 6 – A Mama's Corner of the World – book review of In the Heart of a Mustang / giveaway

Aug 6 - Blooming with Books - book review of PINTO! / giveaway

Aug 7 - Svetlanas reads and views – book review of PINTO! / giveaway

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Friday, July 31, 2020

PINTO! by M.J. Evans

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ B&N ~ Books-A-Million
Book Depository ~ IndieBound

ALSO ON THIS TOUR:

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com ~ B&N ~ Books-A-Million
Book Depository ~ IndieBound
Add to Goodreads

My Review:
Wow what a book. Yes this is a middle grade aged book but even this Grandma got into it. I love how M J Evans gives Pinto a voice. Pinto is a horse. This book is a true story that I have never heard of. With the twist of giving you the story by the horses point of view
you also get an account of a historical event that took place between 1912 and 1915 in the USA. This book is taken from the journals and community records such as newspapers.

The story covered in the book is about 4 men who decide to cross the country stopping at the Capitals of 48 states and end up at the San Francisco Worlds Fair in 1915. Along the way they come across many hardships, weather, bandits, starvation, and more to complete the Longest Horse Ride in History. Along the way all of the horses they rode on except Pinto were hanged out at different places. Pinto hung in there and is the only horse to complete the full journey of 3 years and 20,300 miles.

Interview with M.J. Evans :

“PIINTO!”

1. Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story? This was a new writing experience for me as the story didn’t come out of my head. Rather, it is based upon a true story…the experience of others. It is a historical fiction mainly because it is told from the horse’s point of view. Nearly all of the events depicted in the story really happened. I had to create some filler when things were missing from the actual accounts related in the journals. For example, one newspaper article from the time said that a couple of horses died on the journey. Some journals are missing, but of those still in existence, the men made no mention of a horse dying. So, I made up the stories of one horse dying of colic (very common and believable,) and one dying of a rattlesnake bite. My vet gave me the details of how that would happen. So, to answer your question, the characters ran this story and Pinto just told it for the men.
2. Convince us why you feel your book is a must read. I think the lesson that people can take away from this story is what makes it so valuable. Too many of us just give up when things get hard or don’t go the way we want. The Overland Westerners never gave up. They carried on and actually completed the arduous task they began, seeing it through to the end. Yet they didn’t get the fame and fortune they expected. How would any of us have reacted? Probably not well. We can all learn from what they did even though they faced tremendous disappointment.
3. Have you written any other books that are not published? Well, if you count the book that is now in process, yes. However, I am just now awaiting the print proof on my next book: “Mr. Figgletoes’ Toy Emporium.” It is a fantasy for middle-grade. It is supposed to come out in October.
4. Pen or type writer or computer? When I am home, I compose on my computer. If I am traveling, I take along a legal pad and a pen.
5. Anything you would like to say to your readers and fans? I want you to know that I appreciate the time you invest in reading my books and I try very hard to make your reading experience both enjoyable and inspiring. I want to leave something good in the world. Writing can be a lonely job, especially for an extrovert like me. So, when I get a letter (email) from you I am encouraged and motivated to keep going. I also appreciate those who take a few minutes to post reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Goodreads. Those reviews really help.