I’m delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for Joseph Barnaby by Susan Roebuck, and to have a giveaway for you to enter.
Joseph Barnaby
Stand by your beliefs – even if it means going to the end of the Earth
By standing up for his principles to save the life of a prize racehorse, farrier Joseph Barnaby loses everything. Now, a personal vendetta has become too deep to fight and he escapes to the island of Madeira where he finds work on a small farm at the foot of a cliff, only accessible by boat. The balmy climate and never-ending supply of exotic fruit, vegetables and honey make it sound like paradise but, for Joseph, it’s the ideal place to hide from the world. Can the inhabitants of Quinta da Esperança, who have more grit in them than the pebbled beach that fronts the property, help Joseph find his self-worth again? And can he escape the danger that draws ever nearer?
My review
Joseph Barnaby is an atmospheric novel of place, romance and journey, both physical and spiritual. For me it was also a novel of discovery, learning about the horse racing world from the inside, travelling to Madeira for the first time and finding out more about the experience of deafness. The author has a deft hand and whilst creating what outwardly appears a fairly placid, gently novel on the whole, there is a lot of depth to it and turmoil beneath the surface.
Both Joseph and Sofia, the female protagonist, are dealing with huge issues in their lives. Joe has a black cloud over his head that he’s trying to disperse and Sofia is in a rather one-sided relationship with local man Dario, who isn’t seeing the whole person. When Joe appears, Sofia is immediately interested and the two gradually get to know each other. The lively, Medusa-haired Lua is something of a complication, but the course of true love was never meant to run smooth. There are some twists and turns in the plot, some tension and conflict, to keep our attention fully riveted.
There is so much beautiful description in the novel. The author creates settings in immense detail, but it’s never overwhelming. This adds greatly to the richness of the story. There are some Portuguese words (explained in the glossary) and that’s a nice touch. I don’t think you can set a story in another country or culture without using some native words as language and place are interwoven.
This is an extremely enjoyable and accomplished novel. By the end of it we know who Joseph Barnaby is, and so does he, finally.
Purchase Links
Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Joseph-Barnaby-Susan-Roebuck-ebook/dp/B07FMVFLH1/
Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-Barnaby-Susan-Roebuck-ebook/dp/B07FMVFLH1/
Author bio
I was born and educated in the UK (I am British!) but now live in Portugal. I’ve been an English teacher for many years with the British Council and also the Portuguese civil service where I developed e-learning courses.
My first love is, of course, my husband, my second writing, and my third painting. And now I have time to be able to indulge in all three.
My debut novel, “Perfect Score” was published by Mundania Press on Sept 21, 2010 and the paperback launched on May 11 2011. It was a finalist in the 2012 EPIC e-book Awards in the Mainstream Category.
My second novel is a dark thriller/fantasy called “Hewhay Hall”. It won an EPPIE award in the 2013 EPIC (Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition) e-Book Awards in the Horror Category.
Next comes “Rising Tide”, published in 2015. Set in Portugal, published by Mundania Press. It is set in a tiny fishing village that the world, and most of Portugal, has forgotten. Read about the wonders of the ocean and see if Piper from Norfolk UK and Leo from Alaska, USA, can find what they’re searching for in the little village of Luminosa.
“Forest Dancer” was published on 20th February 2018 by CrookedCat Books. This is novel number 2 set in Portugal but this time in the forests outside Lisbon, Portugal. Instead of the sea (as in Rising Tide), now find out about the wonders of the forest and whether classical ballerina, Flora, can find what she’s searching for in the small village of Aurora.
On 5th October 2018 CrookedCat Books published my newest novel, “Joseph Barnaby”, another romance/suspense which is set on the island of Madeira.
Social Media Links – blog and website: http://www.susanroebuck.com
General Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuRoebuck
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SusanRoebuckauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sueroebuck
Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Susan-Roebuck/e/B0050B2O3U/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1526385163&sr=8-1
Giveaway – Win
- 1st prize an Amazon book token (£10) ,
- 2nd prize – 2 x signed paperbacks of Joseph Barnaby
- 3rd prize – 2 x ebooks of Joseph Barnaby
*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then I reserve the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time I will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494143/
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Thank you so much, Stephanie xx