Book Blitz with Giveaway: Running with Wolves by Summer Lane

Book info:
Title:  Running with Wolves
Author:  Summer Lane
Publication date: September 22nd 2017
Genres: Adventure, Historical, Romance, Young Adult

Synopsis:

Alaska, 1898
“They always come back,” she whispers. “Always.”
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He spilled their blood. Now, she’s out for revenge.
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Jenna Renee is a woman wronged. When her adoptive parents are brutally murdered by an outlaw named Conroy Parker and his gang of thugs, they take everything from her: her family, her happiness, and her money.
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Determined to bring Conroy and his boys to justice, she hires a gruff but dangerous gun-slinging trapper and guide, Jeremiah Black, to help her hunt Conroy down.
But there is more to Alaska than meets the eye.
The cold touch of the arctic winter is dangerous, and the corruption of Conroy Parker and his comrades runs deep. The tundra is unforgiving, and so are the wolves. Nothing is as at seems.
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If the wilderness doesn’t kill Jenna, the pack will. Revenge comes with a price, and so does love. There will be no mercy….only the hunt.
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A romantic adventure from #1 bestselling author Summer Lane, set amidst the gritty and awe-inspiring setting of Alaska during the last great Gold Rush.

Goodreads / Amazon

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Interview with Bestselling Author Summer Lane
(Courtesy of Writing Belle Publishing)

This is your first historical fiction. How different was the writing process, as opposed to the past 17 novels you’ve written – which have all been post-apocalyptic?
A historical novel is more strictly attached to the time period in which it takes place. The way people talk, dress, act, and even eat are different than how we do all of those things modernly. I had to do a lot of research, of course. I have been slowly working on this book for roughly 2 years, when the idea originally occurred to me. I have read so many books about Alaska…toward the end of the writing process, I was devouring whole college textbooks and double fact-checking everything I had until I was entirely sure my eyes were going to fall out of my head.
With my apocalyptic books, the research is tactically-oriented, if that makes sense. With Wolves, I had to make sure the slang and vernacular was correct and that the history was right on target. I took a few artistic liberties with the story, as all writers do, but everything is based in fact. Everything.

Where did the idea for Running with Wolves come from?
I have always loved animals. I have always loved dogs. I first was enraptured by the idea of setting a story in Alaska when I was a little girl, after watching the animated film Balto for the first time. The concept for this particular novel sprung up about 2 years ago. It took me a long time to cultivate the plot to a point where I liked it enough to go ahead and write the book. I have always wanted to write a western-style novel, and that’s what Wolves is. A western novel set in the snow, with adventure and romance.

Where does the story actually take place?
I have constructed a fictional tale within the boundaries of the boomtowns and mining camps that existed in 1898. The main character, Jenna Renee, lives outside of a town called Dyea. I used prominent and famous historical hotspots, such as the Chilkoot Pass and Dawson City, in the book, too.

Can we look forward to some romance, in addition to adventure?
Yes! One of the central themes of the novel is the romance story between Jenna Renee and the rather callous but handsome United States Marshal Jeremiah Black. I love Jeremiah’s character – he’s got a lot of surprises up his sleeve, and I think readers will love him as much as Jenna does.

What are your upcoming projects?
Well, I have a non-fiction novel coming up in the next several months: Prolific: Writing a Hit Novel. I’m also releasing the first installment of the anticipated Resurrection Series in January 2018. Resurrection will continue the adventures, fights, and romances of Commander Cassidy Hart from the hit Collapse Series.

Author Bio:

Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 18 novels, including the smash-hit Collapse Series. She owns Writing Belle Publishing. Lane is also an experienced journalist and creative writing teacher. Writing Belle is her online magazine, where she has interviewed and featured hundreds of writers from around the globe.
Look for her upcoming books, Prolific: Writing a Hit Novel, and Resurrection: Shadows of Omega, the hotly anticipated continuation of Cassidy Hart’s post-apocalyptic adventures.
Summer lives in the Central Valley of California with her husband, Scott, and their German Shepherd, Kona.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Review - Calamity Jane: How the West Began by Bryan Ney

Book info:
Title:  Calamity Jane - How the West Began
Author:  Bryan Ney
Genre:  YA Historical Fiction
Published:  August 9th, 2016
Source:  Book received from author for fair review
My rating:  5 stars

I'm definitely behind on reading and reviewing this one.  Back in July I responded through Wordslinger Publicity to read a copy of this.  In August I was sent a finished copy of the book.  I didn't get around to reading it however until this past November.  Once I picked it up though, I was very pleased, and I enjoyed it quite a bit.  I really do love historical fiction when it makes me more interested in a certain time period or historical figure that I'd not really thought a lot about in the past.  

This story is about, as you probably guessed, Calamity Jane, or Jane (Martha) Canary, her real name.  The story was based on an autobiography that Jane had shared at one point in her life.  This story talks about how she got the nickname, as well as how she might have grown up in the time period and place where she lived, Montana.  The place she lived had been built up after a gold rush, but now the town is dying out because of all the gold having been found it seems.  However there is crime going on, people getting beat up, or even murdered for the gold or cash that they have from their gold.  You know, the wild west!  Jane's family has been hard up since her father isn't able to work.  Her mother has even resorted to prostitution in town to make money for the family, something that has caused Jane to be extremely embarrassed when she is in town.  Jane meets a boy named Andrew and they become friends.  She also goes to get a job herself, learning to be a Faro dealer in a saloon.  

When there is talk of a new gold find, everyone decides to pack up and move, including Jane and the Chos, who she works for.  Because those out looking for gold will have it to spend on alcohol and gambling, so they will also make money there even without panning for gold themselves.  

This was a fun to read story, and really hard to put down as it kept you pulled into the story the whole time, and you didn't really have any down moments in the plot.  It was a short story, less than 200 pages.  I will be adding this finished copy I received from the author to the high school library where I work.

 

Waiting on Wednesday: Like a River Glorious (The Gold Seer Trilogy #2) by Rae Carson

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting. I've chosen the 2nd book in a trilogy that I just adored the first book.  The first book, Walk on Earth a Stranger, was such a great historical fiction with a tiny element of fantasy in it that I loved.  The realism of the life on the gold rush trail, and for a girl at that, was just incredible.  I cannot wait to see what will happen to the characters now that they have arrived in California.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns.

I highly recommend this series for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, or stories about this time period especially.  And the author, Rae Carson, is just such a wonderful writer, she makes the characters and the world around them come to life.

So, what book are you eagerly awaiting this week?  

Review: Walk on Earth a Stranger (The Gold Seer Trilogy #1) by Rae Carson

First, thanks to Greenwillow Books and Edelweiss for allowing me to read an e-galley of this title.  I really enjoyed the first book in this author's other series, The Girl of Fire and Thorns, when I read it for the Truman Award nomination in Misssouri, back in 2013.  Even though I haven't read on in that series yet, I knew I had to try this one when I heard it.  And I guess I had assumed it would be more of a fantasy story, when really it is a historical fiction story with a tiny fantasy element in it.  But it doesn't matter that it was different than I thought, I still loved it!  And knowing it is part of a series, I am so eager for the 2nd book, and don't know how I'll wait until next year for it! 

The story is set back in the time of the Gold Rush.  The main character is Leah, and she lives in Georgia with her mother and father.  Leah has an ability that she can sense gold.  If it is anywhere near, she gets a little tickle in her brain and it is something that gets stronger as she gets closer, or as the amount of the gold gets bigger.  To the point she can barely avoid it without getting a horrible headache or sick.  Her best friend is a boy named Jefferson who has an Irish father and a Native American mother.  His father has a horrible temper and treats Jefferson really bad.  One day Jefferson shows up at school with a flyer about people traveling to California in search of a treasure trove of gold that is proclaimed to be there.  After one horrible day with his father, he comes and tries to convince Leah to leave with him.  He tells her she could come as his wife, or they could be brother and sister. But she doesn't want to leave her parents, her father is sick, and anyway, she loves them.  And she's sure that at some point they will probably head that way. 

Then the unthinkable happens. Leah comes home to find her parents have been killed.  Whoever it was has also taken the gold they had hidden away.  Her Uncle Hiram, who she's rarely seen, shows up about the same time to take over as her guardian.  And with her senses, she is able to sense that he is probably the one who killed them and took their gold.  It seems he knows what she can do, and she doesn't want to stay to help him. She knows it will not be good. So she finds a way to take off on her own, she cuts her hair, dresses as a boy, and follows others on their way.  She leaves a false trail for her uncle.  Along the way she is able to get hooked up with some other wagon trains and groups.  She even runs into Jefferson again in Independence, Missouri. 

On the trail there will be many hard times, she will learn to work hard to try to keep her cover as a boy.  At the same time things will happen to her, she will start to have her body change, as any girl her age might be doing.  There will be injuries, and deaths, and need to find food and water.  They will run into Indians and other dangers.  The whole time she must try to keep being a girl a secret, and try to figure out just what her relationship with Jefferson is.  Not to mention hiding her ability to find gold.

Such a great book, I could barely put it down any time I was reading it on break at work.  As I said in the first paragraph, I loved it so much, I don't know how I'm going to wait until the next one comes out.  Hopefully I can get an egalley of it as well.  I highly recommend this historical fiction for teens.  It will be a definite addition to the school library where I work as well!

Book Review 33: Hard Gold by Avi

This is in a series of children's books called I Witness. I looked on the Internet, and other than the book I read last year by Avi called Iron Thunder, I haven't seen what other books are part of this series, or if there are any other authors. But like Iron Thunder, this had lots of diagrams and maps showing scenes from those times. While Iron Thunder was during the Civil War, Hard Gold takes place during the gold rush as you might guess. The Pike's Peak gold rush in particular. The main character is named Early, his family is close to losing their farm due to mortgages being called in, and the fact that the railroad wants to run their track right through Early's family's farm. Early's uncle, who is actually only a few years older than him is named Jesse. He wants to go out west to get the money they need in the big gold rush, but Early's father says they can't go, they're needed to stay and help at the farm, and it costs money to go that they don't have. Well, one night, the bank is robbed, and the next day, Jesse is gone. Early decides to go out and look for Jesse without telling his parents. So, he sees a sign and signs up to help a family go. This family is a man who is a barber, his sickly wife, and his daughter Lizzy, who her father wants her to be more ladylike. Early and Lizzy hit it off, and we get to follow their trip through the Nebraska and Kansas territory to get to Pike's Peak. There are good times and sad times, as well as dangerous times as a Mr. Mawr is following along, trying to find Jesse and get the money from the bank robbery back as well.

I did like this story quite a bit. But I liked Iron Thunder really well as well, and it was not a finalist on the Mark Twain for this year, so who knows if my vote on this will go far either.

Next book I started last night is The Mysterious Case of the Allbright Academy by Diane Stanley, it is starting out pretty good.