Author Interview (And a giveaway!) : Izzy James and Max!

 

Welcome to the Blog Tour for Max by Izzy James, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

Title: Max

Series: The Yorktown Christmas Time Travel Series
Author: Izzy James
Publisher: Bent Knee Press
Release Date: December 2019
Genre: Christian Romance, Time Travel

Trapped in his conservatory for 250 years by the curse of an enraged woman, Max appears to Olivia
just before Christmas.

Olivia is a young woman waiting for the right man to recognize her strengths and talents. Can Olivia
help Max break the curse without breaking her heart?

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub

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Author Izzy James Q&A

Me:  Where did you get your inspiration for "Max"? 

Izzy:  I was walking through Yorktown. I love that place. As I passed Thomas Nelson’s house I could almost see him and his wife having tea in their garden. “And what would you think of us now, Mr. Nelson?” I thought. And the story was born.

Me:  Whose character was easier to write, Max or Olivia's?

Izzy:  Max. It’s not always true that the male character is easier to write, but this time he was. He stepped into being for me that day in Yorktown.

Me:  What advice would you give to an aspiring author of writing time travel?

Izzy:  Research a lot. Use primary sources and don’t rely on what you’ve seen in movies.

Me:  Who do you relate to most, Olivia or Max? 

Izzy:  I relate to both of them, but if I have to choose, probably Olivia. As a general rule I don’t have Max’s confidence. Olivia’s path has had some serious rocks in it and she perseveres. I am like that. Life is not perfect, and yet, I have so much to be thankful for.

Me:  Would you say you're a history buff and do you plan on writing more historical fiction? 

Izzy:  I am a huge history fan. Living where I do, in coastal Virginia, I don’t know how I could have escaped it! J  I write mostly historical fiction. My series starting with The Shopkeeper’s Widow and the Yorktown series all take place in coastal Virginia during the 1770s.

Me:  What is bringing you joy today? 

Izzy:  The fresh cold weather. The sunlight as it glints off the water outside my window. The warmth of the tea in my cup. The knowing that I am not alone because the King of the Universe has allowed me to be His.

About the Author

Izzy Jamesis the pen name of Elizabeth Chevalier Hull. Elizabeth grew up in coastal Virginia surrounded by the
history of the founding of our nation. She lives there still with her fabulous husband in a house
brimming with books.

Connect with Izzy by visiting izzyjamesauthor.comto follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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Tour Giveaway

(1) winner will receive a print copy of the book and a $25 Amazon gift card!

(1) additional winner will receive a print copy of the book!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight January 24, 2023 and will last

through 11:59 PM EST on January 31, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the

giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. Open internationally. Void where

prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

Enter Giveaway

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

The Forever Farmhouse - Excerpt & Giveaway

 

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for The Forever Farmhouse by Lee Tobin McClain, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Forever Farmhouse

Series: Hometown Brothers #1

Author: Lee Tobin McClain

Publisher: HQN Books

Release Date: September 6, 2022

Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance

A Chesapeake island homecoming—and a life-changing discovery

When Ryan Hastings first came to Teaberry Island, he was a troubled teen on his last chance. He’s returning as a renowned scientist, checking in on his widowed foster mother. But one thing hasn’t changed—Ryan’s feelings for the girl next door whom he loved…and left. Mellie Anderson has a son now, and a good life that Ryan believes he’s still too damaged to share. But he knows he can help young Alfie, who’s getting picked on at his new school.

Mellie is grateful her gifted son is getting extra support, and torn about where it’s coming from. Ryan has no idea he’s Alfie’s father. No matter how valid her reasons were, could Ryan ever understand why she didn’t tell him? But in this close-knit community, friendship and forgiveness are always near at hand, and forever love might be waiting just next door.

Excerpt

The big rambling farmhouse wasn’t fancy, but it was the best place Ryan had lived throughout a chaotic
childhood. Situated at the end of a residential street—one of only a few on the island—it overlooked the bay and adjoined a marshland that had been the key to Ryan’s love of the area, the beginning of his interest in the bay’s ecosystems. Next door, with plenty of yard in between, was Mellie’s much smaller house, where she’d grown up with her father and two sisters. It was surrounded by flowers, a rainbow of them, pretty enough for a garden magazine. Even as a teenager, Mellie had liked growing flowers and plants, and it looked like the hobby had become a passion.

Mellie and her sisters had been in and out of Mom’s house constantly; Ryan had seen her with skinned
knees and covered with mosquito bites and mud, far more often than he’d seen her dressed up. In fact, there was a streak of mud on her leg now. He quelled a very inappropriate urge to wipe it off with
his finger.

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES 

The Bluebird Bakery

The Beach Reads Bookshop

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | BookBub

ALSO AVAILABLE

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Tobin McClain is the New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels. A professor-turned-writer, she finds inspiration in her beautiful and brilliant daughter, her goofy goldendoodle, and her aptly named cat, Trouble.

Connect with Lee by visiting leetobinmcclain.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.

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TOUR GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a print copy of The Forever Farmhouse, a cute tabletop farmhouse decor piece, and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight September 6, 2022 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on September 13, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

Where the Forest Meets the Stars Review

 

Where the Forest Meets the Stars

By: Glendy Vanderah

Synopsis:

In this gorgeously stunning debut, a mysterious child teaches two strangers how to love and trust again.

After the loss of her mother and her own battle with breast cancer, Joanna Teale returns to her graduate research on nesting birds in rural Illinois, determined to prove that her recent hardships have not broken her. She throws herself into her work from dusk to dawn, until her solitary routine is disrupted by the appearance of a mysterious child who shows up at her cabin barefoot and covered in bruises.

The girl calls herself Ursa, and she claims to have been sent from the stars to witness five miracles. With concerns about the child’s home situation, Jo reluctantly agrees to let her stay—just until she learns more about Ursa’s past.

Jo enlists the help of her reclusive neighbor, Gabriel Nash, to solve the mystery of the charming child. But the more time they spend together, the more questions they have. How does a young girl not only read but understand Shakespeare? Why do good things keep happening in her presence? And why aren’t Jo and Gabe checking the missing children’s website anymore?

Though the three have formed an incredible bond, they know difficult choices must be made. As the summer nears an end and Ursa gets closer to her fifth miracle, her dangerous past closes in. When it finally catches up to them, all of their painful secrets will be forced into the open, and their fates will be left to the stars.

My Review:

Where does one start when they are writing a review of probably one of the best, most intricate novels they’ve ever read? Seriously, I wasn’t expecting this book to be what it was. Not for any reason other than that it was a debut novel by an author I’ve never heard of and it was adult contemporary fiction which I do enjoy, but never thought of as a favorite genre.

This novel blew me away. I’m tearing up right now just thinking of things that occurred in the pages. The emotional rollercoaster that I was on did not disappoint in the slightest. It was revolutionary. It was powerful and raw and quaint and hilarious and comforting and hopeful. The main characters, each with their own perfect character arcs kept me interested from start to finish. The world building was even more than others I’ve read in this genre. I felt like I was there with Jo, Ursa, and Gabe. I wanted to grab a hold of each of them and hold them and cry or laugh with them.

The research for this story was thought out. The story unfolds flawlessly. I want to be careful to say anything else because I do not want to spoil anything for anyone, but please read this novel! You will love it. You will recommend it to everyone you know.

Girl In Pieces ~ A Heart Wrenching Masterpiece of a Contemporary

Girl In Pieces

Kathleen Glasgow

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Delacorte Press 

For fans of Girl, Interrupted, Thirteen Reasons Why, and All the Bright Places comes a novel Nicola Yoon, author of Everything, Everything, calls "a haunting, beautiful, and necessary book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page."
 
   Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she’s already lost more than most people do in a lifetime. But she’s learned how to forget. The broken glass washes away the sorrow until there is nothing but calm. You don’t have to think about your father and the river. Your best friend, who is gone forever. Or your mother, who has nothing left to give you. 
   Every new scar hardens Charlie’s heart just a little more, yet it still hurts so much. It hurts enough to not care anymore, which is sometimes what has to happen before you can find your way back from the edge. 
  A deeply moving portrait of a girl in a world that owes her nothing, and has taken so much, and the journey she undergoes to put herself back together. Kathleen Glasgow's debut is heartbreakingly real and unflinchingly honest. It’s a story you won’t be able to look away from.

"A haunting, beautiful, and necessary book that will stay with you long after you've read the last page." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything

My Thoughts: 

A bold and emotional tale of a young girl suffering from a mental illness, Girl In Pieces, is a tale like no other.  From the beginning of the book, Charlotte Davis is at rock bottom, where a lot of us have been before or are at in the current moment.  The setting of the book is mainly at a mental institution, where through a long and trying journey, Charlotte, or Charlie, strives to fight her illness and regain her sense of independence.  

The empathy I felt for Charlie is what really drove me into reading this story so quickly.  One may not be able to connect with the character instantly if they haven't undergone anything similar to Charlie's story; however, if one keeps reading, the experiences this girl is coping with are almost unimaginable.  To read of a 17 year old girl going through such trauma, is heart breaking and devastating.  I admit I cried more than once while reading.  Kathleen Glasgow, has such a uniquely intense and blunt style of writing that draws the reader in and puts them right there in situation with her character.  I truly felt like I was walking in those halls with Charlie.  I could almost feel the pain on my own arms and my heart, well quite frankly, it's been a very long time since I've read something that was so real and truly authentic.  

The topics Glasgow covers are legitimate real life issues, such as drugs, sex, violence and discrimination from health care to patients on any type of state funding , making this a perfect crossover book for adults too.  I myself am 30 and was utterly and completely captivated by this novel.  

Charlie is a very complex character fighting to overcome a mental illness but at 17 years old is still trying to find her own identity as well. I truly appreciated that this novel didn't focus too much on a romance, considering Charlie's state.  I think the book community needs more of young men and women pulling themselves up, saving themselves from real life situations.  Glasgow portrayed exactly this.  I was mesmerized, and completely enveloped by this story and would recommend this to all.