The Origins by JA Boulet, a Historical Romance is on tour with Goddess Fish Promotions.
Today I’m featuring a guest post from JA Boulet, author of The Origins, along with an excerpt and book info for her newest novel. You can read my review of The Origins on August 31st.
I am a huge fan of JA Boulet books. You can find my reviews here:
The Strong Amongst Us, The Olason Chronicles, Book 1
The Strong Within Us, The Olason Chronicles, Book 2
The Wars Between Us, The Olason Chronicles, Book 3
Thank you to JA Boulet, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
The Origins by J. A. Boulet Series: The Olason Chronicles #4
Published by J. A. Boulet on 06/08/2022
Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance, Saga
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 250
A young mother, Mt Askja, and an unbreakable love
In the harsh landscapes of Iceland in 1850, a young girl loses her mother and struggles to grow into a woman alone with only her father’s help. Throughout the breathtaking 20-hour daylight summers and the bleak darkness of winters, Margret falls in love and dreams of a large family but the path to her future is rougher than she expected.
The Origins will take you back in time delighting you with endearing Icelandic heritage, visual feasts for the mind, and gripping you with the struggle to stay alive on a volatile island.
THE ORIGINS: Experience the rich journey of a 19th-century woman who proves that even the weakest people can become stronger than anything you can imagine.
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Excerpt from The Origins by JA Boulet
Margret looked down at her mother’s slim hand and grasped it within her tiny palms. The morning rays scattered beautifully into the room, highlighting the yellowish hues of the walls and the brownish tones of the blanket that covered her mom’s body. Momma was barely awake, and Margret was worried.
Mother had been sick for the past few weeks. It had all happened so suddenly. Just a month ago, her momma was labouring with the animals in the fields with Pappa. Then the cold weather descended, and influenza snuck into their home like a devil in the night. First Margret was sick, then Pappa and then Momma.
But Momma wasn’t improving as Margret and Pappa had. Momma always had a wheezy breath, and this terrible influenza just made it so much worse.
Mother coughed hard, and Margret could feel her convulsions rock the bed. The coughing fit shook her Momma’s body, and Margret could do nothing but watch helplessly. She whispered a silent prayer and held her mother’s hand tighter.
“Get her some water,” Pappa said from the corner of the room, his eyes red from lack of sleep.
Margret rushed to the kitchen and poured a glass of water. She returned quickly to the bedroom, sitting down lightly and carefully tilted the glass to her mother’s lips. Momma drank it sloppily, some water spilling onto her nightgown.
Margret adjusted the glass to a trickle so her mom could swallow better, but the cool liquid still spilled over. It was almost as if her mother couldn’t swallow.
Mother coughed hard, and water spurted into the air as another coughing fit racked her body.
Margret looked at her father in alarm. “Pappa!”
He stood and tilted his head in distraught. “Let me take that water, Margret,” he said. “I wish you’d call me pabbi like every other child in Iceland. Go in the kitchen and warm up some soup for dinner.” Pappa laid his hand on his wife’s forehead and was alarmed at the heat emanating from his wife’s head.
Margret looked worriedly from her mother to her father but didn’t budge. She had always called her pabbi and mamma by the English versions, much to the dismay of her parents. “You are Pappa to me,” she said lightly for the millionth time. Margret curled over her momma and hugged her fiercely, trying to crawl into the bed with her.
Pappa squeezed his eyes shut, hoping to quell the tears threatening to escape. His daughter was a defiant child, but she was just as scared as he was. He could see it in her eyes.
After a few moments, Pappa laid his hand on Margret’s small head. “Sweetheart,” he said. “Go heat up the soup.”
Her small 12-year-old body uncurled from the bed and stood as strongly as she could muster. “Alright,” Margret said simply, then walked away into the hallway.
Pappa watched her retreating form and then laid another hand on his wife’s forehead. He leaned over and hugged her warm body as another coughing fit shook her chest. Pappa fisted the sheets together and tightly grabbed his wife, rocking her back and forth. He knew it was serious, but he was hoping she would make it.
The doctor was going to be here tomorrow morning to save her, he hoped.
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for The Origins
Amazon – OneLink for every country
Bookshop/IndieBound Kobo Blackwell’s
AppleBooks/iTunes Chapters/Indigo The Book Depository
Waterstones Smashwords The Wordery
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Falling in Love by JA Boulet
I chose to have Margret fall head over heels for a handsome charismatic man at the age of eighteen. In 1875, women married young and on an island like Iceland, there weren’t too many men to be overly picky and choosy.
The story resonated with me because like so many other women, I have fallen in love and felt heartbreak, sometimes making me question why I choose certain men or how it all even started.
The feeling of falling in love can be so intense, so thrilling, and all-consuming that sometimes you do things you wouldn’t normally do otherwise. There will be times that your normal brain doesn’t even seem to work properly because your love brain has moved in. Mistakes are made and those decisions can have a serious effect on your long-term future.
I felt this story was a true adaptation of the struggles young women go through in any time period. We have to choose wisely and sometimes our choices are not always right. And at other times, we have to weigh the values of our family and friends into the decision.
I thought it was wonderful writing about falling in love because it’s not always a perfect romantic story. Sometimes, your husband is the one man you least expected it to be! Throughout life, it seems, you need to look around you and realize that Mr. Right might be hiding right beside you.
Be smart when falling in love and even if you made some bad choices, remember that the path is not always straight. The path to finding your true love may be a meandering trail but just trust in the journey. It will always lead you in the right direction.
I hope you enjoy The Origins and thank you all for following my book tour!
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About J. A. Boulet
J. A. Boulet is the passionate author of six historical fiction novels. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with a strong moral foundation, which she has stood behind all her life.
Ms. Boulet began writing poetry at a very young age and progressed to short stories and novels easily. She quickly became a history geek and became fascinated with ancestry and the rough path of immigration. Her university studies ranged from photojournalism to accounting.
After decades of working in accounting, J. A. published her first book in 2020 and has since published one to two books annually.
She lives in the Niagara region of Canada with her two sons, a crested gecko, a large Doberdor dog, and a small orchard of fruit trees.
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Purchase The Origins online from a local bookstore.
Amazon – OneLink for every country
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Giveaway!
JA Boulet will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Full Tour Schedule:
July 11: Romance Novel Giveaways
July 12: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
July 12: Candrel’s Crafts, Cooks, and Characters
July 13: All the Ups and Downs
July 14: Gina Rae Mitchell
July 14: Our Town Book Reviews
July 15: Fabulous and Brunette
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Goddess Fish Virtual Book Tour Host
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Sounds like a great book!
This sounds like an intriguing read. Thanks!
Loved the guest post and I enjoyed the excerpt, The Origins sounds like a book that I really want to read! Thanks for sharing it with me and have a terrific day!
I hope you love it from the first page right to the end! 💕 Keep your eye out for sales and giveaways happening soon on Goodreads and Smashwords
I think it is interesting that you have a unique pet – a crested gecko named Mossio!
Haha! I’m allergic to most pets, except lizards and frogs, so I naturally grew quite fond of the cute little guys!! 😍😍
Thanks for hosting!
Thank you so much for hosting me today. I love your blog, you support authors everyday with what you do and that, in itself, is a blessing. I’m looking forward to seeing your review in August!!