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 walked confidently to the group as the man spoke commandingly to him in the Arikaran language. Jesse looked at him in bewilderment.

 

“He said that he would take everyone into the village and save our lives in exchange for the bear pelt and the canoe,” the woman translated slowly. 

 

The Arikara guard spoke again, quickly, almost jumbling over his words with passion.

 

“He also says that this is not a free stay. Everyone must work once they are healthy enough.” The woman explained the rest of the agreement and looked at Jesse for confirmation.

 

Jesse looked back at the stranded Overland Astorian group. They were probably three more days away from dying, he thought. Losing the bear pelt was nothing, but the canoe would be a huge sacrifice. “Tell him we will give him what he wants,” Jesse replied, rubbing his long beard. “But he must allow us to rebuild a new canoe with the surrounding trees. It is our only survival to return to St. Louis.”

 

The woman frowned, turned to the Arikara guard, and relayed the message in their native tongue.

 

The Arikara man’s mouth frowned in deliberation. Then, a half smile graced his face. He spoke rapidly to the woman, then turned to his group of guards, gesturing for them to grab the canoe and bear fur. They began approaching the Astorians as the native woman spoke to Jesse. “They have agreed,” she translated, with a funny grin on her face. “He also said that you are stupid and young.”

 

Jesse laughed and patted her on the shoulder. “Thank you,” he said. “You saved our lives.”

 

“No,” she replied. “You did, Jesse.”

 

 

Review: 

The story starts out adventurous with young Jesse and others with the Overland Astorians team. Dangers in travel lie ahead. We get descriptive details on this journey from St. Louis westward. The group means to open fur trading posts to expand America.

 

As they go through a treacherous journey filled with perils, suspense is created. 

 

Characters are introduced who are complex and interesting. Zee, for instance, is not your typical young woman. She is interested in ranch life. Jesse is a brave young man who stands up for others. His challenges will change him.

 

Something unexpected happens to Zee, and she does not know what she is going to do. When war hits, things get tricky. When Jesse and Zee meet, their situations will clash, but they can’t deny each other.

 

Family comes into play here, and different types of relationships are explored. Certain questions in the moral gray area must be faced.

 

As someone who has studied the War of 1812, I was really impressed with the historic details written here and blended smoothly into an engaging story. Once or twice, actions done by characters felt anachronistic, and a character died under unusual circumstances. I didn’t see the point for the plot line for that death. Some of the steamier scenes had awkward phrasing, but overall, I loved the story. The author is talented, creating a setting that is atmospheric with enriching place and time details.

 

 

 

 

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

Link:

https://youtu.be/_ULhoNshAF4

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

 

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

 

Enter here:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4912

 

Follow the tour:

 

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