Hi lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host James W. George and his new book, “The Prophet and the Witch”! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this
Be
sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $20 Amazon or Barnes
and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back
daily to interact with James and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks
for stopping by! Wishing you lots of
luck in this fabulous giveaway!
The Prophet and the Witch
by James W. George
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GENRE: Historical Fiction
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BLURB:
Puritans.
Quakers. Pirates. Mohawks. Witches. And a brutal war…
If
you thought New England was dull in the 1670s, get ready for a history lesson.
In
the critically acclaimed “My Father’s Kingdom,” debut author James W. George
transported his readers to 1671 New England, and the world of Reverend Israel
Brewster. It was a world of faith, virtue, and love, but it was also a world of
treachery, hatred, and murder.
Four
years later, Brewster is a disgraced outcast, residing in Providence and
working as a humble cooper. Despite his best efforts, war could not be averted,
and now, “King Philip’s War” has begun.
The
rebellion is led by Metacomet, known as “King Philip” to the English colonists.
He is the tormented son of the great Massasoit, and leader of the Wampanoag
nation. Once the most reliable of Plymouth Colony’s allies, they are now the
bitterest of enemies. Meanwhile, Metacomet’s mysterious counselor, Linto,
despises this war and will do anything to end the bloodshed.
Meticulously
researched, “The Prophet and the Witch” is a tale of hope and brotherhood in
the face of evil and violence. It features the remarkable cast of fictional and
historical characters from book one, including Josiah Winslow, Linto, Increase
Mather, Constance Wilder, and Jeremiah Barron. Additionally, new characters
such as America’s first ranger, Captain Benjamin Church, bring this chapter of
history to life like never before.
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EXCERPT TWO:
“Vous
êtes malheureux?”
Linto
morosely drew another card, and ignored Captain Alain Fontaine.
“Qu'est-ce
qui ne va pas?”
Linto
should have been using the opportunity, as Captain Fontaine expected, to study
the language of their new allies. As the
captain repeatedly conveyed, within a few years New England would merely be an
extension of New France, and a working knowledge of French would be vital.
“Are
you unhappy, Linto?”
The
shift back to English stirred Linto from his dull torpor. He briefly made eye contact, played his card,
and sighed. They were playing “one and
thirty,” and this would certainly be the fourth consecutive hand Linto would
lose. His three cards currently added up
to a paltry seventeen points, and he knew Fontaine would capitalize on his
discard.
“I
will take your three, and…voila. I have
thirty-one. Or better yet, I have trente
et un.” Linto stared vacantly into
space.
“Linto,
speak to me. You miss your family,
no? I miss my family as well. My daughter is named Madeline. She is with her grandmother in Lyons. Tell me, what are the names of your
children?”
Linto
blinked and stared at the table. “Will
Father Jacques ever come back, Cahp-ee-tehn Alain?”
Fontaine
remained cordial. “I do not believe
so. I have told you before. He will spend the spring to the west of here,
on the shores of the ocean lake. It is
very far, but he will save many souls.
But I can answer all of your questions.
You wish to know more about the English heresies? How they revile the Holy Father?”
Linto
reached absent-mindedly for the cards, and lethargically shuffled them, much to
Fontaine’s surprise. “A fifth hand, Linto?
Surely, your luck must be ready to change?”
Linto
briefly ruminated on the concept of luck.
“Cahp-ee-tehn Alain, do you confess your sins?”
“Excusez-moi?”
“Father
Jacques told me true Christians will tell a holy man all the things they have
done wrong, and they will ask to be forgiven.
Do you think people are punished if they don’t tell a holy man all the
things they have done wrong?”
“You
think of such serious matters all the time, Linto. The sky is clear, the English are on the run
all over the land, and we are roasting ducks today. There will be a big lacrosse game to watch in
the afternoon. I think we will also see
at least thirty more warriors arrive this week, and they will bring muskets.”
Linto
continued his ineffective shuffling.
“How often do you tell the holy man your sins? What if you do bad things every day?”
Fontaine
reached for the cards and took them.
“Linto, you have been moping like a sad Puritan ever since you went to
see the Nipmuc. Weren’t they overjoyed
at the news? Aren’t they making
preparations for two hundred new warriors?”
The
reminder of deception and falsehood triggered an even deeper gloom in Linto. He sat silently, and was relieved when one of
Cahp-ee-tehn Alain’s attendants came in with cheese and brandy. Linto hoped the
subject would now quickly change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GUEST POST:
Ten Reasons You Should Read My Book
1.
You won’t be disappointed.
Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of historical fiction, I’m
confident you will love this book. I’m
very proud of the reviews it has garnered.
Don Sloan of Midwest Book Review awarded it five stars and said it was
“a remarkable book that should be required reading for anyone who believes that
history is just a dry procession of facts, dates and faraway places.” Thomas Anderson, of The Literary Titan,
awarded it a gold medal for October and said it was “Expertly written and
instantly engaging from the first few pages...An exceptionally drawn historical
fiction account. I was captivated...one
of the more intellectual of reads."
2. Perfect
for the Holiday Season. Here’s an
opportunity to spend Thanksgiving and the holiday season with the
grandchildren. The Pilgrims’
grandchildren.
3. The
opportunity to learn about one of the most astounding, yet obscure events in
American history. When it comes to
American history, chances are we know the tale of the Pilgrims, the Mayflower,
and 1620. We probably also know the
events of the American Revolution in the 1770s.
But did anything interesting happen in the intervening 150 years? Anything at all, besides the Salem Witch
Trials? YES! King Philip’s War was a war between the New
England Puritans and the Native Americans in the 1670s. It was one of the most catastrophic events in
American history, and it needs to be a topic of greater study and reflection.
4. The
opportunity to hate the villain.
Jeremiah Barron, the screech owl… Grrrrr…..I hate him so much!
5. Seventeenth
century drinking songs! Huzzah!
6. The
opportunity to immerse yourself in deep, probing ruminations on the nature of
faith, religion, love, war, and friendship.
7. Unsettling
depictions of nightmares and insanity.
8. The
inspirational love and romance of Israel Brewster and Constance Wilder.
9. Three
maps, a comprehensive character guide, and a detailed summary of book one –
yours at no extra charge!
10. A
scheming, Scottish dandy. A beautiful,
scarlet-haired, Quaker pacifist. A
hulking, heroic son of a carpenter. A
disgraced minister wrestling with insanity.
An obnoxious, drunken pirate. A captivating
young Native American on a spiritual quest.
Seafood feasts. An erotic wedding
night. Witchcraft. Frenchmen.
Lacrosse. A slow, obstinate,
flatulent horse. Mohawks. Betrayal.
Sorrow, joy, and hope. All in one
modestly-priced book!
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AUTHOR BIO:
James W. George is a
lover of history and historical fiction.
He is a graduate of Boston University and a military veteran. He is currently residing in Virginia with his
wife and children.
He
published his critically-acclaimed debut novel, My Father’s Kingdom in January
2017. The novel described the prelude to
King Philip’s War in New England in the 1670s.
The Indie View gave it five stars: “This is high historical drama
handled wonderfully…a tale that will fully engage you on every level.”
My
Father’s Kingdom is a planned trilogy, and book two, The Prophet and the Witch,
was published in September 2017. This is
an epic novel that spans the entire conflict of King Philip’s War, and includes
such notable historical figures as Josiah Winslow, Increase Mather, Metacomet,
Benjamin Church, and Mary Rowlandson.
The Literary Titan awarded it five stars and a gold medal for October
2017.
The
author is looking forward to book three of the trilogy, and he can be found on
Goodreads – and at the links below.
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CONNECT WITH JAMES:
Facebook:
Goodreads Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Amazon Author Page:
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AMAZON BOOK BUY LINK:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
James will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to
a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
**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.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteGood morning. It is great to be here, and thank you for hosting, Ally!
ReplyDeletecongrats on the tour and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteGood morning. I always like to ask my fellow authors this question: Can you read or write when it's noisy or do you need peace and quiet to focus as I do myself?
ReplyDeleteHi Bea! Thanks for the question. I find optimal conditions include peace and quiet, with some classical music in the background. With two teenagers in the house, however, and one shredding guitar like a pro, I'll take what I can get!
ReplyDeleteLol. Classical and instrumentals like Native American flute are okay for me, but my preferred setting is with white noise like my fan running on high. Thanks so much for your response.
DeleteHow about yourself? Any other authors care to chime in?
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing the great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Cindy, thank you for the question!
ReplyDeleteRight now, I'm working with voice narrator Angus Freathy on the audiobook of "The Prophet and the Witch." The book is a tremendous challenge for a narrator, with plenty of different characters, accents, and exotic pronunciations. I'm happy to say Angus handles it all with ease. He even does the drinking songs!
Hopefully after the audiobook is out, I can get moving on book three. Fifteen years into the future, there's yet another war in New England, not to mention the Salem witch panic!
What do you find to be the most challenging part of writing? And the most rewarding?
ReplyDeleteHi Peggy
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I missed your question. I think as a writer of historical fiction, trying to ensure everything aligns properly with historical fact is the most challenging part. I think I need to accept that a little flexibility is OK, as long as I make the reader aware of it. One example from "The Prophet and the Witch" is the fact that Middleborough, MA was attacked and burned during the summer, and not the fall. For my purposes, I needed it to be in the fall.
I'm also trying my hand at a contemporary thriller, and I find it to be SO much easier. Characters can be however you want them to be, the plot can be anything you want it to be, and you don't have to worry about historical accuracy.
The most rewarding thing is clearly the positive commentary. When people tell me they've never heard of this war, and they loved the book, it's very rewarding for me.
Thank you for hosting me at "Fabulous and Brunette!" I feel just a little bit more fabulous having been a part of things here.
ReplyDeleteWhat made you interested in the subject/ideas to write this book?
ReplyDeleteI just love your cover and I would Love to read your book.
ReplyDeleteIf you could travel back in time and meet anyone or experience any event, what would it be and why?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your favorite time & place in history to learna bout?
ReplyDeleteCindy, I'm sorry I missed your questions! There is so much history I'd love to see. Obviously, I would love to witness the subject of my books; the interactions between the Puritans and Native Americans in 17th Century New England. I'd love to see the holy land during the time of the Bible, and I'd love to see some of the ancient empires of South America.
ReplyDeleteHistory is never boring, there's only boring historians!