Book Tour for Rebel Heartsong by Morgan K. Wyatt (Review & GIVEAWAY)

Author Morgan K. Wyatt is making a return appearance today to give us a glimpse into her new release, Rebel Heartsong.  Keep reading to get a glimpse into this book along with my impressions of it.  Make sure to leave a comment for your chance to win some great prizes.

Townsend Sewell, as heir to the biggest planation in Beaufort County, is also the biggest marital prize. Life is good, at least it was before the war. After the Civil War devalued Confederate money, and stripped their plantation, Townsend became a not so great catch. The only person who stands by him is Yvette, a mulatto companion to his sisters. She jokes that she stayed only to watch over him, which she does, quite well. He can't remember a time the beautiful servant hasn't taken care of him, almost like a wife. He's lucky to have Yvette, but someday some man will steal her away. The thought enrages him. He's unwilling to live without her by his side. Does she feel the same way? If she does, how will they survive when the law declares their love taboo?

EXCERPT:

Townsend cleared his throat. “Yvette, this is hard for me to say.”
What was so hard for him to say? If he didn’t want her around anymore why didn’t he just leave her alone? The sunny, large kitchen felt like it was closing in on her. Shoving back her chair, she stood. No reason for her to stay and hear all the reasons she had to go. She knew them all. She was no more than a horse in a corral looking at a field of clover she’d never have. No more. Her fingertips touched the rough table’s surface. “Don’t bother saying anything. Your mother made it clear to me.” She turned to go.
“Wait,” Townsend’s one word request stopped her.
What was she waiting for? Earlier, she’d made the decision that there was nothing here for her. The sound of a chair toppling indicated his haste as Townsend put his hands on her shoulder and slowly turned her. Looking up into his intense, blue eyes, she questioned if she could ever leave him short of death. Now, she was becoming as maudlin as the women in the novels she secretly read, too.
“Yvette, forget whatever my mother said. It means nothing. No one agrees with her. I know it had to be horrible to make you leave.”
The warmth of his hands burned through her light dress. It probably wasn’t the first time he touched her, but the first time in a long time, since they both grew into adults.

MY IMPRESSIONS OF THIS BOOK:

A lot happens throughout Rebel Heartsong to keep you constantly guessing and on the edge of your seat.  At times there was a soap opera feel to the action because when things started going well something immediately bad then befell the characters.  There was a whirlwind of action that kept you completely immersed in the lives of these characters even when I was sometimes frustrated by them.

Yvette is mulatto and after the death of her parents was brought into the Sewell's plantation home where she was made the companion of their daughters.  It's allowed her to have a foot in both the world of slaves and the world of freemen but to not be completely a part of either.  She's well educated and not had to work too hard for her place in the household.  She wants a future of her own choosing but is conflicted about what that future should be once she admits her true feelings to the heir of the plantation, Townsend.  Through numerous unwanted advances, through the hardships of the Civil War, to numerous kidnappings, life is difficult for her as she remains by Townsend's side to support him with no real promises from him for their future.  There were times I admired her fortitude but was frustrated by her constant jealousy and need to be saved.

I found much to admire about Townsend.  He was a true gentleman in his dealings with the ladies.  He never led them on and even before he knew of Yvette's love for him he was always her protector.  Even though she felt he didn't make any guarantees towards her I saw it differently as his actions showed more than words his devotion to her.  He constantly had to save her and got rewarded by her occasional coldness.  Many outside factors beat at him throughout the story but he never let them break him.  He was the rock in the storm that was Yvette's life.

There was a large cast of secondary characters both amongst the slaves and the rest of the Sewell family.  They added to the melodrama and for Emily and Eileen Sewell their journeys towards a HEA took place off page after laying the foundation here.  There was much heartache involved in this story and it was a relief to reach a clear-cut HEA after Yvette and Townsend had been put through the wringer.  Ms. Wyatt created a gutwrenching saga with a miniseries feel and its intensity kept me eagerly turning the pages.

My rating for this is a C+

*I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

BUY LINKS:   SECRET CRAVINGS PUBLISHING  |  BN  |  AMAZON

AUTHOR INFO:

Morgan K Wyatt, raised on a steady diet of superheroes, believed she could fly at a very young age. After using trees, barn lofts, sliding boards, and even a second story window as launch pads, she found her flying skills were limited to fast and downward. By the age of nine, her dreams to be a superhero needed some modifications, which caused her to turn to writing and horseback riding as alternatives to flying.
At the age of twenty, she had another chance at superhero greatness as being one of the few female soldiers trained for combat. The fact that women will be able to serve in combat soon indicates that all the witnesses to the grenade incident have retired. The grenade incident didn’t prevent her two sons or daughter-in-law from enlisting in the service. Having different last names probably helped.
Morgan recently retired from teaching special needs students to write fulltime, instead of in the wee hours of the night. With the help of her helpful husband and loyal hound, she creates characters who often grab plot lines and run with them. As for flying, she prefers the airlines now.

www.morgankwyatt.com
www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Morgan-K-Wyatt/160636730670958?ref=hl
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826299.Morgan_K_Wyatt

**********GIVEAWAY**********

Morgan will be awarding a $5 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop, and grand prize of the winner's choice of ivory, peach, or white, cultured freshwater pearl necklace to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

-To be entered, leave a comment, along with your email addy.

-Winners will be chosen randomly from all comments made throughout the tour, so the more you comment the greater your chances of winning.  A list of all participating blogs can be found here.

-Giveaway ends at 11:59 PM CST on 5/17.

*****Secret Cravings Publishing is offering a sale during the Rebel Heartsong and Escaping West tours.

All Morgan K Wyatt books bought May 15-31st are available for another 20% off publisher's site.

www.secretcravingspublishing.com The code is Morgan20