Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Jean
M. Grant and her new book, “Soul of the Storm”!
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 $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Jean
and to increase your chances of winning!
Thanks for stopping
by! Wishing you lots of luck in this
fabulous giveaway!
Soul of the Storm
by Jean M. Grant
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
Charlotte
MacGregor lost the thrill of conquering mountains five years ago when her
sister disappeared on a hiking adventure without her. Still guilt-ridden,
Charlotte heads for a vacation to rustic Vermont with a friend—where she's
surrounded by reminders of her devastating loss and plagued with unanswered
questions.
Matiu
Christiansen is an outdoors buff. He works multiple jobs to save for his dream
of owning an outfitter in New Zealand. He's never quite felt at home in the
United States and he yearns for his Maori roots, but his attraction to
Charlotte puts a kink in his plans to move home later this year.
Thrown
together by coincidence, Charlotte and Matiu form a kindred bond through their
shared love of the outdoors. Can Charlotte surmount her demons to assist Matiu
on a rescue when a late-season snowstorm hits? And can Matiu help Charlotte
heal from the pain of the past?
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EXCERPT ONE:
She
went to feel her ring on her finger with her thumb…but the ring wasn’t there.
That old habit would not die even years later.
A
dog bark intruded. The man crossed to the back door. “Reka, sweet girl, take
your nap. Only a few hours here and then home, okay?” He spoke to her like a
father to a toddler. The dog barked again. “A swim and walk this morning
weren’t enough for you?”
He
approached the dog, petted it, and whispered affections.
Charlotte
made a soundless “Aww” and kept perusing.
The
man returned, nearer. Residual sweat traced his brow. He pointed to a selection
of books in the middle. “These are the best. Depends on what you’re looking
for. Honest reviews or glorified fantasies?”
“Honest
reviews, always.”
He
stroked a hand through his neck-length black hair, the longer top layer falling
over his forehead. He squatted and withdrew a few books from the lower shelf.
“You could go with the popular or famous names, sure, but I like these
authors.” He handed her one.
A
book on South America sat in her hands. She muttered, “Thanks. Don’t need that
one.”
“Oh,
already been there, eh? All good, all good.” He took it and shoved it back on
the shelf. “Where do your dreams lie then?”
She
swallowed. No, I wasn’t there in that way. I was supposed to have been there.
Five years ago. Instead she said, “Well, Vermont for now.”
“You’re
in luck. I’m from Willow Springs.”
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GUEST POST:
Everyone loves a hero!
Tell us all about this genuine character and the inspiration behind
their development.
The Maori in Matiu
I
like to dig deep with authenticity in my books. I’m aware I’ll never be a full
expert on anything except for my own personal life experience or perspective,
but I do my best for each of my characters, storylines, and settings. Maybe
it’s the scientific researcher in me. Maybe it’s because I love learning new
things.
My
hero in Soul of the Storm is of Maori descent (his mother is Maori and his
father is New Zealand Caucasian/European, referred to as Pakeha). Writing this
character pushed me out of my comfort zone, but I was eager to explore his culture
and perspective more. First, I used my own experience having traveled to New
Zealand, but that’s an outsider’s/vacationer’s view, which is admittedly,
limiting.
Then,
I researched reputable resources online. After that, I asked a few New
Zealanders (fellow Wild Rose Press authors) to read my book for any areas where
I might have slipped with slang and vernacular and Kiwi-isms I may have gone
overboard on or conveyed incorrectly.
Lastly,
I found a few sensitivity readers from cultures/countries who moved to the USA
and had a different viewpoint/perspective than mine growing up; and one of the
readers identified as Maori-American. It’s amazing if you put the request out
there, who knows somebody who might help you! I wanted to make sure I was
sensitive to my acquaintances’ experiences and how I conveyed Matiu (though no
two experiences in any country or culture are the same). I did what I could to
dot my I’s and cross my T’s. It was also a learning experience for me.
From
that came Matiu Christiansen, a man with a restless spirit itching to find
home, wherever it may be. He’s got a bit of humor, a down-to-earth nature,
adores hiking mountains big and small, and a soft spot for a gal name Charlotte
who’s come to visit the inn he works at. He works far too many jobs to save
money to pursue his dream of opening his own outfitter back in New Zealand. He
yearns to be home, closer to an ailing cousin. He sprinkles in some good ol’
Kiwi slang and shares stories of his culture. I hope the reader enjoys him as
much as I do!
Speaking of slang, how about a few found in the story?
Some of my Kiwi favorites:
Choice,
sweet as, bugger/bloody (used sparingly), egg, mate, bro, all good, cuz, good
as gold, cheers, straight-up, chocka, footy, knackered, nah yeah, jandals,
gumboots, Godzone, tramping (no, it’s hiking; get your mind out of the
gutter!), Aotearoa, hokey pokey, she’ll be right, plus a handful more…
And a few Maori sayings are sprinkled in, too:
Kia
Ora (Hello, Good day), Ata mārie (Good morning), Po mārie (Peaceful night to
you), plus a few more Maori words.
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AUTHOR BIO:
Jean’s background is in science and she draws
from her interests in history, nature, and her family for inspiration. She
writes historical and contemporary romances and women’s fiction. She also
writes articles for family-oriented travel magazines. When she’s not writing or
chasing children, she enjoys tending to her flower gardens, hiking, and doing
just about anything in the outdoors.
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CONNECT WITH JEAN:
Website:
Blog:
Facebook:
Twitter:
BookBub Author Page:
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
Goodreads Book Page:
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon Kindle eBook:
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
Kobo eBook:
Apple iBooks eBook:
Google Play eBook:
The Wild Rose Press eBook:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Jean 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 is 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!
ReplyDeleteJean ~ Good morning! Welcome back! It is so great to have you here again! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting me again! I enjoyed writing and researching Matiu for this book! He comes to live on the page (one of my favorite heroes I've written)...and makes me want to return to New Zealand!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book.
ReplyDeleteI agree, every character needs to be as individual as we are. You do that well. Best Wishes, Jean.
ReplyDeleteI've really enjoyed following the tour for Soul of the Storm and I'm looking forward to reading it. Thanks for sharing all of the great posts along the way.
ReplyDelete