Bittersouls by L.A. Morton-Yates | Review ~ Author Guest Post ~ $20 Gift Card
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
Bittersouls by L.A. Morton Yates Published by Synthesis Press on December 16, 2022
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Format: eBook, Paperback
Pages: 327
Source: Goddess Fish PromotionsA Shade. A Storm. A Soul.
Cursed with forbidden knowledge, 19-year-old Dela must hide her secret from her nomadic tribe or face exile into the frozen wasteland of the Bitters. When she becomes separated from her people during a blizzard, a mysterious and dangerous wanderer named Talon promises to help her find her way back to them. She quickly learns that nothing is what it seems, that her curse may actually be a gift, and that the Bitters are far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
Packed with unexpected twists, Bittersouls is a mixture of survival, adventure, and slow-burn romance that is sure to get your heart pounding.
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Excerpt from Bittersouls
A Storm
On the southern side of the Basin, the titanic peaks of the Skytooth Mountains broke the horizon from east to west. They’d all seen them before, every year on their pilgrimage, but the range never failed to invoke both awe and terror. The pass would be open for a month, at least, and beyond that, they’d find the herdlands where they tracked during the coldest part of the year.
They pitched camp in the lee of the mountains, just out of reach of the worst of a steadily rising wind. They ate their evening meal, speaking softly, each of them feeling a growing uneasiness even before the light descended. With the brilliance of the sunset to the west, it was tempting to focus on its beauty, ignoring all else. But as the Flame Above took shelter below the ice for the night, Dela found herself with the others on the eastern edge of camp, staring in horror at the horizon.
“A storm?” Dela’s eyes narrowed.
“Storm? No.” Hunter Umbar gaped at it. “That’s far too small a word. A squall like that doesn’t scour the Skytooths except for once every ten winters.”
“I remember nothing like it,” Mors said.
“We’re normally far ahead of it,” Minister Dolam muttered. “One protect us, we moved too slowly.”
“Or it came early,” the Carver suggested.
The Minister shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. That storm will close the pass. […] We must walk the night.”
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for Bittersouls
Amazon – OneLink for every country
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My thoughts on Bittersouls
Bittersouls by L.A. Morton-Yates is a thrilling novel that takes readers on an unforgettable journey into a world filled with secrets, danger, and the transformative power of self-discovery. Set in a nomadic tribe where forbidden knowledge holds dire consequences, the story revolves around 19-year-old Dela, a young woman burdened with a dangerous secret she must conceal at all costs.
Bittersouls is an adventurous and enchanting novel that seamlessly blends survival, adventure, and slow-burn romance. With its excellent character development, immersive world-building, and plot filled with unexpected twists, it is sure to captivate readers from start to finish. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking a thrilling tale that explores the power of self-discovery and the resilience of the human spirit.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About L.A. Morton Yates
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Guest Post from the Author
My Favorite Songs – “Fearless pt. II” by Lost Sky ft. Chris Linton
I love music. I listen to it when I write, I listen to it while I work, I listen to it while I read. Any time that I can get away with listening to music, I do it. According to Spotify this past year, I am in the 92nd percentile for listening time among their users (during the year of 2022). I’m sure I’m not alone among writers in my tendency to make playlists for different characters and settings. But I also have a playlist dedicated to songs that I feel relate to my journey as a writer. I’d like to talk about one of those songs today.
If you want to listen to the song, here’s the link: https://open.spotify.com/track/4y1nvncvBhdoelqPMyXxis?si=b0a041bc3d54499a
One line stuck out to me as early as the first listen. “I played it innocent, a feel of discontent.” Throughout the song, there is a frustration with life and its untapped potential. The singer tries to hide it, “spent all my life holding all of it closely”, but also blames themselves for what they haven’t achieved, “I need to kick the habit that my mind is breathing in.” All of these feelings were (and still are) intimately familiar to me. The more that I listened to the song, the more I felt it described my life and psyche.
The song does suggest a kind of solution to their discontent. “Break out, I’ve got to see”, “I’m finally facing it all, fearless.” This can be taken a few different ways, depending on the nature of the discontent. For me, I have always known that I needed to write—to create. Even so, “fear outweighed the person you are” and I found it difficult to put my work in front of other people.
I think this is a common internal struggle for artists of all kinds, but the solution is almost always the same. We have to be fearless. We cannot settle for what is “not the life I want to live”. If you want to find satisfaction and reach your potential as an artist, you have to “take it all, standing tall.”
But it isn’t a one-time decision. Every day is a struggle, “I am conflicted, watching where I step”. But its a decision that we have to make every single time. If we want to fight back against the feeling of discontent that comes from untapped potential, we must be fearless. We must create. We must put our work in front of others and learn everything we can from their (hopefully constructive) criticisms.
Cheers, fellow artists. I hope you break out today.
Be fearless.
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Easy Amazon Info Link
Amazon – OneLink for every country
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Please send me a note if your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
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Giveaway!
L.A. Morton-Yates will be awarding a $20 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!
Official Tour Page for Bittersouls
Full Tour Schedule:
June 5: Read Your Writes Book Reviews
June 6: It’s Raining Books
June 7: Fabulous and Brunette
June 8: Kit ‘n Kabookle
June 9: Sandra’s Book Club
June 12: Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
June 13: Literary Gold
June 14: The Avid Reader – review only
June 15: Andi’s Young Adult Books
June 16: Christine Young
June 19: Lynn’s Romance Enthusiasm – review only
June 20: Westveil Publishing
June 21: Straight From the Library
June 22: Long and Short Reviews
June 23: The Pen and Muse Book Reviews
June 26: Candlelight Reading
June 27: Gina Rae Mitchell – review
June 28: Jazzy Book Reviews – review only
June 29: Books in the Hall
June 30: Travel the Ages
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts on Bittersouls, I have my cops and am looking forward to reading this story myself
The book sounds very intriguing. Love the cover!
This story sounds really interesting. I like the cover. Looks great.
Sounds like a good book.
Do you have a time of day you prefer to do your writing?
Great question! My brain works best in the morning, but I usually don’t get the luxury of writing when I want to. More often I sneak words in whenever I get the chance in between other stuff that is going on.
Thanks for hosting! I should be around periodically to reply to comments.
Thank you for hosting.