Blog Tour: THE FOREVER HEART by Diana Bolianaz

The Forever Heart

by Diana Bolianaz

 

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GENRE:   Literary Fiction/Romance/

 

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BLURB:

 

Liza is a beautiful nineteen-year-old girl who comes from a strict Mennonite background. She lives at home with her mother, brother and domineering father. When Liza meets Melvin, a handsome young Black journalist, they fall madly in love. She has to keep the relationship a secret from her family because she knows her father would never approve. When Liza becomes pregnant, her world is turned upside down.

 

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Excerpt One:

 

Liza’s mom was a fanatic about cleaning. Obsessive, you might say. Everything had to be “just so.” Liza thought her mom went overboard most of the time. Her mom was fifty now and seemed to be getting pickier the older she got. Helga had short, curly, greyish-white hair. She was about five-feet-two inches tall and squarely built. She came from a German Mennonite background, just like Klaus. She was an excellent cook and loved to bake. Liza loved her mother’s cooking. Helga always stocked the freezer full of food and lots of baking. Her favourite trick around Christmas time was to put all the baking in special containers in the big freezer in the basement and label it “liver” so no one would find and eat the delicious treats she hid so cleverly. Or at least she thought she did. Everyone knew her little tricks, and soon the “liver” started to disappear. Liza blamed the disappearance on her brother, and her brother blamed it on her. They were careful not to leave any trails of crumbs anywhere. When Helga would find the empty containers, she would just sigh and bake some more. Liza went into the kitchen, picked up her purse and keys, and said, “Mom, can I use the car for a couple of hours? I want to go and meet Sarah at the mall.”

 

Sarah was Liza’s best friend and had been since kindergarten. “What about dinner? It’s almost ready.”

 

“I’ll grab something at the mall.”

 

“Fine, dear, just be home by nine.”

 

“Thanks, Mom! See you later.”

 

Of course, she wasn’t meeting Sarah. She couldn’t tell her mom that she had to go shopping for an outfit to wear for her hot date on Saturday night. Liza never had trouble finding clothes or spending money, and this day was no exception. In only a few hours, Liza managed to buy a sweater set, a pair of capri pants (even though it was the end of spring and not super warm out yet), and strappy sandals to die for—not Manolo Blahniks, but they were hot, and more in line with Liza’s budget. Helga was already looking out the window to see if Liza was nearing home when she pulled up in the driveway. Helga looked at her watch. It was 8:55. She waited for Liza as she came through the back door. “Liza, I was beginning to worry.”

 

“I’m okay, Mom. Just shopping. And you know what girls are like when they get shopping!”

 

 

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 Review: 19-year-old Liza hasn’t been the same since she saw HIM at the coffee shop. Around him, she became this giddy schoolgirl. It seemed like the perfect beginning to the perfect love story. Except…she was white and he was black. Her strict father would never approve of such a match.

The diary narrative was simple with the authentic voice of a shy, lovelorn teenager. It was rather tame, lengthy, and slightly repetitive. The pace is quite slow and doesn’t progress the story very much. The story, overall, is pretty mild and gentle with suitable drama within the family dynamics. It’s when the complications arise in this sticky love situation that things get a little more interesting.

The cover was plain and simple. Nothing too appealing with just a cursive text in white on top of an off-white background. It’s certainly not eye-catching and can easily be overlooked with all that white space.

Although this was a bit too long, this was a fairly nice interracial romance.

Rating: 3 stars

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Diana graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Education. She is currently working as a high school substitute teacher, affectionately known to her students as "Miss. B."

Diana's greatest joy is spending time with her family. She loves country music (especially the old stuff), champagne and Nanny's perogies. With help from above, she will venture to make some soon.

 

Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Heart-Diana-Bolianaz-ebook/dp/B0BQZGFC2K/

 

 

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GIVEAWAY :

 

Diana Bolianaz will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC, to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway