The General's Wife by Sara R. Turnquist - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!

Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Sara R. Turnquist and her new book, “The General’s Wife”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble Gift Card.  Also, come back daily to interact with Sara and to increase your chances of winning! 

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this exciting giveaway!

The General's Wife

by Sara R. Turnquist

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GENRE: Historical Romance

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BLURB:

“Go home!” Ismene is speechless as she reads those words written in blood on the walls of her new home. The young, raven-haired Grecian beauty had traveled all the way from her homeland to marry the Pharaoh’s top general. But she never expected this. The hatred of the Alexandrian mob for their Greek rulers is right in front of her. It is the first of many threats she will receive.

Things are escalating out of control. Damaged crops and horses turned loose at night are one thing. But when Ismene receives a death threat, it becomes clear that there is a spy within her own household. She would turn to her husband to deal with this issue, except he left for battle by order of the Pharaoh. Not knowing whom to trust, she fears for her safety as well as the entire ruling class of Egypt.

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EXCERPT THREE:

“Can you please take this blindfold off?” Ismene loved surprises, but couldn't stand the waiting. Alistair had risen early to prepare a special breakfast for them and served her in bed. Then he had told her that he had something special planned for them today—a special place for them to visit.

“Not yet,” Alistair said as he gripped her waist. Their chariot went over a bump which caused him to pull her to him even more tightly. She smiled at the feel of his secure embrace; even after this short time it still caused butterflies in her stomach.

She felt the chariot continue to move down the smooth path with a little rocking here and there as the wheels found imperfections in the road.

“We're almost there, I promise,” he assured her. His voice was close to her ear and it gave her warm chills. She thought of the feel of those lips on her neck. There wasn't much time to daydream, though, because, true to his word, it wasn't much longer before she felt him slow the horses and still the chariot.

“Ready for your surprise?” he asked.

“Yes!” She feigned exasperation.

Only then did he reach up, untie her blindfold, and let it fall. “The great Library of Alexandria.”

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GUEST POST:

REVIEWS: TO READ OR NOT TO READ

I am an author. My books have. And, while many people have enjoyed my work, there are those that do not. And they will let the whole world know about it through their reviews. I have read some of these reviews. And cried. And cried. And cried.

Putting out a book into the world is like putting out a piece of ourselves. We become quite vulnerable to everyone's opinion. And, for some reason, we believe that everyone is going to love our work. We may say we don't, but, in our hearts, we seem to think they will.

I received the advice long ago to NOT read reviews. Period. Did I take that advice? No. Because I thought I could handle it. Could I? Nope. So, my support group was left picking up the pieces of my broken confidence. Now, I know (a little) better. And I am the one advising authors NOT to read reviews. Why?

It is one person’s opinion. There is not a whole lot to gain from one person's opinion. Especially someone from a random walk of life who is not a writer and doesn't understand the context of your work. If you must read reviews, read through this lens: it is their opinion. What can I gain? Can something they are saying make me a better writer? If so, you can walk away more informed. If not, it is not worth dwelling on.

Believe it or not, there are those out there who thrive on writing bad reviews. I know, I attracted one. Honest. This reviewer's profile stated that he/she enjoys dishing out harsh reviews on authors that deserve them. Maybe I did deserve some of the things he/she had to say. It was my first novel. I have learned SO MUCH since then. But the tone of the review was definitely meant to tear me down, not simply review the book. So, be aware of this. It's just best not to go there.

Having “haters” must mean you hit a chord. What on earth could you have possibly done to upset someone so much to leave not just a negative review, but a nasty review in some cases? This must be something beyond you. Maybe something in your book did strike a chord that made them uncomfortable. This is what I'm left thinking.

Having negative reviews is a part of it. All authors have negative reviews. Look up "Pride and Prejudice". Yep...negative reviews. Can you believe it? Poor Jane Austen is, as they say, "turning over in her grave" I suspect. Not a chance. People come in all shapes and sizes and walks of life and experiences. So, there are going to be those that just don't care for your work. Just as much as there will be those that love your work. It's not you, it's because we, here on earth, are blessed with wondrous diversity.

I truly hope I have given you some reasons to ignore negative reviews, or at least, take them in stride. Better yet, let's not even read them. But that means we're not reading any reviews. Well, that's okay. As much as we like the warm fuzzies that come from positive reviews, they, too, can have an impact on our writing. And I choose to write from the places of my inspiration rather than write to my critics (positive or negative). But that's me. And that is how I handle my art.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Sara is originally from middle TN. After a short stint in Memphis, where she earned a degree in Biology and began a career as both a Zoo Educator and a Sleep Technician, she then followed a dream to work for a large zoo in Orlando, FL as an Educator. Once she and her husband started their family, they moved back to Tennessee. Sara and her husband now enjoy a full life with their three beautiful and very active children. Sara enjoys many creative outlets – singing, piano, drawing, drama, and organizing anything. And even though she has enjoyed her career as a Zoo Educator, Sara's great love of the written word continued to draw her to write. She has always been an avid reader and, for many years, has been what she terms a “closet writer”. Her travels and love of history have served to inspire her to write Historical Fiction. Sara has made several trips overseas to the Czech Republic. Her time among the Czech people and the landscapes of the country inspired her and greatly influenced her work on her debut novel, The Lady Bornekova, set in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic. Sara is also a member of the ACFW.

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CONNECT WITH SARA:

Website:

saraturnquist.com

Twitter:

@sarat1701

Facebook:

www.facebook.com/authorsararturnquist

Pinterest:

www.pinterest.com/saravturnquist/

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon:

http://amzn.to/2cquuLZ

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-generals-wife-sara-r-turnquist/1123223438?ean=2940157880965

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-general-s-wife-1

Smashwords:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/606098

iTunes:

https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-generals-wife/id1076223420

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Sara R. Turnquist will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.