WHICHEVER WAY THE ROAD LEADS by J.A. Boulet

 

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. 

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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

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http://owenhabel.com/  

Did you have a minor character who insisted on playing a larger role in the story? If so, please tell us about it. 

I always seem to have that character who insists on playing a larger role in my story! In this current book, Whichever Way The Road Leads, that character is Zee Collard’s father, George. Even though he will appear in another book in the series, he is still a supporting character and will never be the main character. But George fought tooth and nail with me! LOL 

I gave him a bit of freedom and he helped progress the story along during the military war scenes of 1812, so I am grateful for that. It all came together wonderfully in the end. You’ll see when you read the book.

 George Collard’s character and his love bond with his wife, were originally part of the outline so it wasn’t too far off, but he is just one of those characters that gained muscle and strength in this book, despite my attempts to cool him down.

 In the end, George showed readers where Zee Collard gained her indomitable spirit. Her father and mother were pivotal influences in Zee’s life and made her into the strong woman that she grew into. As they say, the fruit doesn’t fall too far from the tree!

 Thanks for following along on the tour and I hope you enjoy the book!

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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 and RAFFLECOPTER CODE 

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

a Rafflecopter giveaway