Spotlight & Author Interview: Road to the Breaking + Giveaway

Join us for this tour from July 6 to July 26, 2021!

Book Title:  Road to the Breaking
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +) , 345 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher:  CPB Publishing, LLC
Release date:   January 2021
Content Rating:  PG-13. Cursing, violence and war scenes, etc.

Book Description:

​Nothing survived “The Breaking” unchanged; lives and fortunes, love and hate, freedom and slavery …

It’s early 1860, and war hero Captain Nathaniel Chambers, commander U.S. Army Fort Davis in the west Texas wilderness, has received shocking news – his father is dead.  He must return home to Virginia and claim his inheritance before a maniacal neighbor can murder his widowed mother and seize the family plantation.

But he’s torn by a terrible dilemma – to stay in the army and turn his back on his fortune, his mother and his beloved childhood home, or become the thing he despises; a slave master!  Is there no other choice?

An epic journey across a young nation seething with debauchery, brutality, corruption, and political intrigue, unwittingly on the brink of an unimaginable disaster; the American Civil War.  Nathan Chambers has left the violent army life behind in Texas, never imaging he’s on the very Road to The Breaking.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N
Bookshop
Add to Goodreads


Enjoy Book 2 in The Road to the Breaking series:

Book TitleEnigma (Road to the Breaking Book 2) by Chris Bennett
Category: Adult Fiction (18 +) , 514 pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher:  CPB Publishing, LLC
Release date:   February 2021
Format available for review:  print – softback, e-book ( mobi file (for Kindle), ePub, PDF)
Will send print books out:  USA
Content Rating:  PG-13. Cursing, violence and war scenes, etc.

​​Book Description:

“How can I call myself a man of good conscience, when I myself am no better than a slaver?”

It’s summer 1860, and former army Captain Nathan Chambers has returned home to Virginia to claim his inheritance: a large plantation with more than one hundred slaves.  Nathan wants no part of slavery and intends to sell the farm and all its slaves.  But even as he arrives home, enduring fearful and downcast stares from despondent black faces, he knows what he must do … and the price he must pay for doing it.    

As Nathan works to carry out his ambitious plans, he is troubled by
rumors of succession and war, even as a villainous neighbor plots a
violent end to their decades-long family feud.

And then Evelyn arrives … strikingly beautiful, spirited, and
intriguing, she is the daughter of an old family friend.  But the more
Nathan is drawn in by her charms, the harder she pushes him away … 

The Road to the Breaking Series is an epic tale of a young nation seething with debauchery, brutality, corruption, and political intrigue, unwittingly on the brink of a deadly precipice: the American Civil War.  In Book 2 of the series, Nathan Chambers has returned from the
violent army life out West, only to face a heart wrenching Enigma at home.


Author Interview:

  1. How did you do research for your book?

When I was in college (a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away …) you had to go to the library and dig through the microfiche files or card catalogs trying to find the source materials you were looking for. If you wanted to get down to first-hand, original materials you might even have to travel to the places where events took place, hoping someone had preserved those nuggets of information you needed. We are fortunate in that regard to live in the Internet age. If I dig hard enough, I can usually find original source materials that have been scanned into searchable digital files that are publicly accessible in government or university archives. A great example of this is I was able to find a scanned image of the official minutes of the Virginia Senate meetings in which they were first discussing secession, including who voted for and against each specific resolution. In the past I would’ve had to fly from the West Coast to Richmond, Virginia and hope that a librarian in the government archives would be able and willing to assist me in finding this information. I can also go online and purchase an electronic version of a book on a given topic, download it to my Kindle, and have it read in one day. I’m very grateful I don’t have to do it the old-fashioned way!

2. If you could go back in time, where would you go?

I suppose that depends on if you are talking about the real (dirty, gritty, brutal, short-life spans) version of the past, or the romanticized (chivalrous knights in shining armor) version of the past. I think in the romanticized version, the time before gunpowder, with swords and spears and one’s own strength and courage against ones enemies, has a lot of appeal. If you are talking reality, I think being around during WWII, part of the “greatest generation” would be my preference; they had heroic things worth fighting for that brought them together as a nation, but the lifestyle (hygiene, medical science, longevity, etc.) was very similar to today.

3. Which was the hardest character to write? The easiest?

The most challenging for me was writing female characters. In book 2 of my series there’s an entire chapter devoted to the female lead Evelyn picking out dresses and trying on makeup in preparation for her meeting with her prospective future husband. I definitely had to do a lot of research for that one! The easiest for me was my main protagonist, Nathan Chambers. Although he’s definitely not autobiographical, he still sees things and reacts to things in much the same way I would (or at least I would like to think I), so it’s fairly easy to write about what he would do or say in a given situation.

4. What is your next project?

I’m currently working on Book 6 of Road to the Breaking, and it’s looking like, according to the timeline, it’s going to be a ten-book series to get it to the end of the Civil War. After that I have a few things in mind:

  • Continuing with Nathan’s descendants through time, with a tradition of attending West Point and being involved in the nation’s major conflicts
  • Writing one of the WWII plots I had originally considered
  • A Road to the Breaking prequel (Nathan’s childhood?)
  • Or a standalone, spinoff novel focusing one or more of the interesting side characters of the original series.
  • I’m thinking I may ask my readers for input on what they’d like to see next (maybe do a poll?)

5. What genre do you write and why?

When I was a teenager I became a huge Lord of the Rings fan and went on to read all kinds of fantasy books and series. At the same time, I also really loved reading about and studying history, as well as reading historical fiction. When I decided to write a book, the first thing I thought about was something Tolkienesque. But the thought of having to invent an entire new world, with its geography, culture, races, languages, history, etc. was daunting. Much better to pick a genre that already had a pre-built “container” in which to insert fictional characters. And within historical fiction, so far I’ve been focused on American history (because it’s the most familiar) and I do enjoy the action and drama of a wartime scenario, though I don’t necessarily want to write a book that is only about fighting a war. I’m more interested in the characters involved, and how the war is impacting their lives, even their personal home lives.

6. What’s the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?

I guess continuing to play high school football after suffering multiple concussions. At the time nobody realized just how dangerous that was. But I was young, strong, and fearless and wasn’t going to let a little thing like “getting my bell rung” stop me. Looking back on it now, it’s amazing I can still hold a story in my head!

7. Any hobbies? or Name a quirky thing you like to do.

I like gardening; there’s something very satisfying and calming about it. I also enjoy something more adventurous: going fishing in Alaska with some of my long-time friends. There nothing like going out and getting wet and dirty in a wild part of the country with a group of fun, rugged guys.

8. If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?

I think I would have them remember that I like to create really memorable and relatable characters. People that may be totally different from you, but you still understand and care about; that seem real and become a part of your life while you are reading the books. I am regularly getting emails from readers who say, “I really love Stan,” or “Billy,” or “Harry the Dog,” which they usually follow with “please don’t kill them off in the series!” I think that means I’ve done my job well.


BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N
Bookshop
Add to Goodreads

 Meet the Author:


Chris A. Bennett grew up on the shores of Klamath Lake in southeastern Oregon. For a young boy it was a dream world of water, hills, forests, and abundant wildlife. His love for action and adventure morphed into a lifelong love for books when his Mom read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to the family on a long road trip.

Chris’s thirst for adventure never faded and he began to live out his love of history onto the pages of his first book, Road to the Breaking. Once he started writing he just couldn’t stop and the result is The Road to the Breaking series; an epic journey across a young nation seething with debauchery, brutality, corruption, and political intrigue, unwittingly on the brink of an unimaginable disaster: the American Civil
War.
 
Chris currently lives near Seattle with his wife Patricia. His three adult children Nick, Rachel, and Josh also live in the Puget Sound area.​
 

Connect with the Author:   website  ~ instagram ~ goodreads

Tour Schedule:

July 6 –
Cover Lover Book Review – books spotlight / giveaway

July 6 – Working Mommy journal – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / giveaway
July 7 – The Momma Spot – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / giveaway
July 8 – Books for Books – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1)
July 12 – Books for Books – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2)
July 13 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / giveaway
July 13 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / giveaway
July 15 – Jazzy Book Reviews – books spotlight / guest post / giveaway
July 16 – The Momma Spot – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2) / giveaway
July 19 – Splashes of Joy – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / author interview / giveaway
July 19 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / giveaway
July 20 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2) / giveaway
July 20 – Bound 4 Escape – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2) / giveaway
July 20 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING,  Book 2) / giveaway
July 20 – fundinmental – books spotlight / giveaway
July 21 – @twilight_reader – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1)
July 21 – Literary Flits – books spotlight / giveaway
July 22 – @twilight_reader – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2)
July 22 – Character Madness and Musings – book review of ROAD TO THE BREAKING (Book 1) / guest post / giveaway
July 23 – Splashes of Joy – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2) / giveaway
July 23 – Character Madness and Musings – book review of ENIGMA (ROAD TO THE BREAKING, Book 2) / giveaway
July 26 – Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway

Enter the Giveaway:

 A ROAD TO BREAKING Book Tour Giveaway

6 Replies to “Spotlight & Author Interview: Road to the Breaking + Giveaway”

  1. This does look interesting. And thanks for the author interview. I always think its fun to see how they think about their work.

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