Monday, April 9, 2018

Review Tour: Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption by Annette Oppenlander


EVERYTHING WE LOSE:
A CIVIL WAR NOVEL OF HOPE, COURAGE AND REDEMPTION
by Annette Oppenlander




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GENRE: Historical Young Adult

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BLURB:

Two friends--one black, one white.
Torn apart by an attack gone wrong.
One escapes into war, the other is sold into slavery.

Told from alternating viewpoints, one black and one white, Surviving the Fatherland author Annette Oppenlander delivers another stunning historical tale set against the epic backdrop of the American Civil War--a breathtaking examination of the power of hope and friendship, and the endurance of the human spirit to find a way home.

Tennessee, 1861. Fifteen-year-old farm boy Adam Brown would do anything to protect his friend Tip, a slave at the neighboring plantation—even if it means fighting Nathan Billings, the rich and obnoxious landowner’s son. But when it seems his attack has killed Nathan, Adam has no choice but to run away and join the Union Army under an assumed name. Together with Wes, a chatty soldier with a few secrets of his own, Adam embarks on a traumatic odyssey through the war-torn Midwest. As his soul darkens with the atrocities of war, all he wants is to go home. But in order to do that—if he survives—he must face his past.

Unbeknownst to Adam, sixteen-year old Tip is sold to a farmer who takes drunken pleasure in torturing his slaves. Tip quickly realizes that if he wants to survive he must run. Ahead lie hundreds of miles of unknown country, infested by slave owners, traders, starvation and cold. And so begins a journey of escape and recapture, of brutal attacks and unexpected kindness. When a rescue by the Underground Railroad goes terribly wrong, Tip finds himself caring for a pregnant runaway, his journey seemingly at an end. They have reached the Ohio River, a vast watery expanse impossible to cross. It is only a matter of time before roaming slave traders will pick them up—he will never see his mother and his best friend again.


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NOTE: The book will be on sale for $0.99 during the tour.

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EXCERPT

Adam rushed to the opening that was closest to the stables and peeked out. Nathan’s mother, wearing a gown of crisp cotton with a soft pattern of cornflowers, its blue reminding Adam of his own mother’s eyes, stood waiting outside. She held a dainty umbrella of cream-white lace to shade out the sun and a pair of riding gloves. “If you don’t come soon, I must go back inside,” she said, her voice almost too quiet to hear. “It is dreadfully hot today.”

“You think she look in here?” Tip whispered.

Adam shook his head and kept watching the yard. His mind screamed leave. Yet he stood with indecision. He couldn’t go outside while Janet Billings was near. Thoughts of what he’d done roiled inside his head, panic drying his mouth.

To his relief, Janet Billings slowly wandered back toward the main house when Wilkes crossed her path. She was too far for Adam to hear, but Wilkes’s voice boomed easily across the lawn. “Sure, M’am, I’ll be happy to search for him. Give me a few minutes…I’ll be right back.”

To Adam’s horror, Wilkes headed straight toward the stables and then made a sudden turn toward the grain shack. Obviously it was well known that Nathan Billings liked to torture Tip.

Adam leaped from the window, grabbed Nathan’s feet and pulled him toward a stack of burlap sacks. He had mere seconds to hide them both. From the corner of his eye he saw Tip turn on his side, pretending to be asleep. Desperately yanking at the sacks to make space, he pushed Nathan, who felt soft as a bag of flour, and himself into the opening and cowered low.

The door flew open. “Mr. Billings, are you in here?” Wilkes rushed to Tip’s cot. “You awake, Boy?”

Tip grumbled and rubbed his eyes. “Something wrong?”

“Have you seen Master Nathan?”

Tip shook his head, his brown eyes wide. “No, Sir.”

“I wonder why the shack was unlocked,” Wilkes mumbled as he turned and walked back out.

“They pick up wheat for the kitchen earlier,” Tip offered, but the overseer was already gone, the chain rattling on the outside.

Adam slowly rose as Tip sat up on his cot. Their eyes met.

They’d both be hanged come morning.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Annette Oppenlander is an award-winning writer, literary coach and educator. As a bestselling historical novelist, Oppenlander is known for her authentic characters and stories based on true events, coming alive in well-researched settings. Having lived in Germany the first half of her life and the second half in various parts in the U.S., Oppenlander inspires readers by illuminating story questions as relevant today as they were in the past.

Oppenlander’s bestselling true WWII story, Surviving the Fatherland, was elected to IWIC’s Hall of Fame, won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award and is a finalist in the 2017 Kindle Book Awards. Her historical time-travel trilogy, Escape from the Past, takes readers to the German Middle Ages and the Wild West. Uniquely, Oppenlander weaves actual historical figures and events into her plots, giving readers a flavor of true history while enjoying a good story. Oppenlander shares her knowledge through writing workshops at colleges, libraries and schools. She also offers vivid presentations and author visits. The mother of fraternal twins and a son, she recently returned to her home, Solingen, Germany where she lives with her husband and old mutt, Mocha.

Website: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annetteoppenlanderauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aoppenlander
Pinterest: annoppenlander
Blog: http://www.annetteoppenlander.com/blog/
Amazon Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WQBQQ5

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GIVEAWAY

Annette Oppenlander will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




DON'T FORGET TO FOLLOW THE TOUR AND COMMENT
ON EACH STOP TO EARN MORE ENTRIES TO WIN!

March 26: Unabridged Andra's
April 9Bookaholic
April 16Rainy Day Reviews
April 16Books Direct








My Review


Everything We Lose: A Civil War Novel of Hope, Courage and Redemption is a great book!  Adam and Tip’s story is heart wrenching and full of heartache, as well as, exhibits the bravery of many of the time. The author did a great job of vividly describing how horrific the times were during this moment of history in our country. This is one of those books a reader would have a hard time putting down. I could not and had it read in a few hours.

I give Everything We Lose a well-deserved 5+ stars. I hope to read more books by Annette Oppenlander in the future.

I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion. 



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13 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the review! I'll be around today if anybody has questions.

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  2. Shared on G+ to help spread the word, good luck with the book tour! 🦋

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  3. I enjoyed getting to know your book; congrats on the tour, I hope it is a fun one for you, and thanks for the chance to win :)

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  4. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block and, if so, how do you overcome it?

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  5. I liked the excerpt, thank you.

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  6. Fantastic Blurb and excerpt! This sounds like a wonderful read!

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  7. Thanks 4 sharing and congrats on the tour.

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  8. I find the cover very startling in a good way.

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  9. Do you like any other genres in fiction to read or write?

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  10. Do you prefer ebooks or print versions?

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  11. Do you prefer audio or books to read on your own?

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