A peek into the Underground Railroad and the tumultuous period before the American Civil War.In 1833 Philadelphia, the northern states of America were changing, and not everyone was keen on altering the status quo. Black slaves were being freed, and new slaves were no longer allowed.
But the southern states didn't always agree. Natives were being thrown out of their homes for living too close to gold, and escaped black slaves were being hunted down. Jesse Eastman controls the affluent Eastman Empire and frees a former slave, his half-sister Georgina. But some family members don't like it.
When an estranged brother gets the idea to let a ruthless gang of property buyers initiate a takeover, all hell breaks loose.
1833 Brothers & Sisters will pull you into an old western-style family saga, filled with greed, marital love, family conflict, and smoking gun shootouts.
I started writing 1833 Brothers & Sisters in August of 2024. Here is a list of fun facts about the book:
Originally, I wanted to write about the underground railroad. 1833 Brothers & Sisters metamorphosized into a story about the struggles of long-term marriages, western shootouts, a truly evil antagonist, and, of course, the underground railroad.
My antagonist, Bartholomew! I don’t always write novels with one evil antagonist. Usually, my antagonists are the events, wars, or government, things we cannot control. But I LOVED writing about Bartholomew! The evil antagonist was probably the most wickedly joyful part of writing this book! Getting into the head of the antagonist and trying to make readers love and hate him at the same time is truly wicked!
Zee Eastman is the beautiful 40-year-old wife of Jesse Eastman. She is empowered to try to start taking care of herself again. My own path from divorce most likely led me on this path. Long-term marriages are not easy, and rediscovering yourself is a tough road.
Another truly wicked enjoyment in this book is the plot twist! Let me know if you saw it coming, or if it took you by surprise!
While writing this book, I came upon an interesting piece of research regarding the Trail of Tears. In 1830, Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, which forced Native Americans to relocate to the West. I felt compelled to include one character in my book, Bemidii, a young Native American man who survived the Trail of Tears. Bemidii wasn’t originally in the book, but he somehow squeezed his way in.
I am considering writing another spin-off book entirely about Bemidii and the Indian Removal Act of 1830.
Jesse Eastman is a 40-year-old, handsome gentleman who will protect his family at any cost. Watch out, and don’t make the wrong move or else he’ll stop you in your tracks!
My antagonist, Bartholomew! I can’t say enough about him. LOL, you’ll love Bartholomew! Let me know if you hated him at the end or felt sorry for him.
I had to include a dog cameo in my book, LOL. See if you can find him in the book!
Jesse grasped the large oak front door. “You are no longer an Eastman,” Jesse stated angrily. “Get out.”
“I live here too,” Billy stated incredulously.
“Not any longer,” Jesse replied.
“I have my belongings here.”
“I will have the servants collect your belongings and deliver them to you by carriage.”
“You can’t do this!” Billy yelled, indignantly.
“I sure can!” Jesse shouted back, systematically rolling up his sleeves. “I noticed that you signed this agreement today, probably at Bartholomew’s office, and you came here right after. Big mistake, Billy. You are officially estranged from the Eastman Empire as of today. Get out and don’t come back. Your signature officially means nothing as of today.” Jesse straightened his shoulders and braced himself for the physical fight. “We have witnesses to attest to this.” Jesse waved his arms around the room.
Billy’s eyes darted toward the stairs where Zee was watching the entire event unfold, and to the hallway where several servants gathered from the kitchen. Almost ten people stared at Billy, waiting for his next move.
“You always were the one that Father hated,” Billy sneered, hoping that his brother would do something stupid.
Jesse leapt at Billy. The younger brother took a few steps back and narrowly escaped the range of Jesse’s arms.
Jesse came closer and growled in Billy’s face angrily. “If you don’t leave now, I will pick you up myself and throw you out.”
The looming War of 1812 and a rugged farm woman from Upper Canada may prove him right.
Zee Collard and her father, George, are half-American, and half-Canadian. They will stop at nothing to protect their livelihoods in Upper Canada. The Collard's family history goes back to the Revolutionary War and their past is not something many Americans are keen on.
Whichever Way The Road Leads will pull you into the lives of two American families on both sides of the border who struggle as war breaks out in 1812. This engaging and graphic first book of The Eastman Saga will take you through raging mountainous rivers and early Northwestern Frontier landscapes to the bloody Niagara battlefields of 1812.
Be careful which road you take, you never know where it'll lead.
J. A. Boulet is a passionate historical fiction novelist weaving tales with strong romantic themes. Raised in a Hungarian refugee family, J. A. was born and grew up in Canada with strong moral convictions, 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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We appreciate you featuring 1833 BROTHERS & SISTERS.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for having me! I enjoyed the guest post and love your website! To all those readers out there, I hope you enjoy my book 1833 Brothers & Sisters! Love ya all 💕
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