"Fantastic Adventure" - The Tory by T.J. London - Audiobook
"This cast and their narration are stellar. I eagerly look forward to the next story in the saga." —Audible Review
"Narrated by 4 voice actors, the story is brought to life. Shane East, Patrick Zeller, Marnye Young and Tara Langella are fantastic storytellers and together brought out the essence of this story. Each character its own voice, inflections and nuances drawing out the frustrations, fear and emotions. This is an amazing cast of narrators and they brought me hours of entertainment." — Audible Review
The Tory
His King or His Conscience…which will he choose?
It is the winter of 1776, and Captain John Carlisle, one of His Majesty’s not-so-finest, has gone back to the scene of the crime to right a wrong so dark it left a permanent stain on what was once an illustrious career and left a man broken, defeated, in search of justice…
In an effort to win back his commission, he must discover the true nature of the relationship between the Six Nations of the Iroquois and the Colonial Army. Undercover as a war profiteer, John travels to the treacherous Mohawk River Valley and infiltrates local society, making friends with those he’s come to betray.
But a chance meeting with a beautiful half Oneida innkeeper, whose tragic history is integrally linked to his own, will provide him with the intelligence he needs to complete his mission—and devastate her people.
Now, as the flames of war threaten to consume the Mohawk Valley, John has the chance to not only serve King and country, but to clear his name. When the truth he uncovers ties his own secrets to those in the highest positions of the British military and threatens the very life of the woman he’s come to love, he will be forced to make a choice…
***This book contains graphic content and depictions of war***
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"Let me tell you this, I was absolutely blown away by the audio performance. Coming into this audio, I had heard prior performances by only one of the 4 narrators. I knew the caliber to expect from one of them, but the others were new to me. Every single one of them was outstanding! They all were able to bring T.J.'s characters to life. Trust me, you're gonna want to buy this audiobook." —Audible Review
Q&A with Author
T.J. London
What makes The Tory special or unique to you? Can you give us a little story behind the story?
The answer to your question is: It’s a loooooooooooong story, but for the sake of brevity I’ll try to make it short.
I always dabbled in writing; as a matter of fact, I wrote an early version of The Tory—which my husband threw in a dumpster after we got into a huge blowout twenty years ago when I was in college working on my PhD. (Never let it be said that the Revolutionary Author is not a forgiving soul, cuz he has all his limbs, anatomical parts vital to being male, and he’s still my DH.)
Now, where was I? Oh, yes, writing The Tory. I actually started writing as part of counseling. Two very catastrophic events happened simultaneously; one was the onset of my father’s manic depression and me having to commit him, and the other a harassment case at my place of work which forced me to leave my beloved job. As everything spiraled downwards, I went to a terrible place and started counseling. When I would sit with my counselor every day (yes, every day, as I was not well), I would start crying, have a panic attack, and never resolve my problems. We tried meds, we tried all different techniques, but things were just getting worse and worse. So, Lorrie, my beautiful and wise counselor, suggested I write. Hence, I pulled on old inspiration, the original version of The Tory, and started re-writing it. Each appointment, I’d come to her office and read to her what I wrote the night before, and we’d talk through it. Why does John Carlisle drink? Why does he hate his life? Why is Stuart schizophrenic? Why is Dellis’s father dead? All of that was mirroring aspects of my life, actually, down to some of the genuine dialogue. As Lorrie and I discussed the story, I slowly unraveled what was going on my life and got the courage to face my pain and speak my truth.
When the book was done, it was actually called The Traitor (what one of my work colleagues called me when I exposed the harassment situation at my place of work). My counselor then told me she wanted me to let someone read the book. So, I did. It was crude, but my few readers really liked the story and thought it was compelling. With a bit of coaxing, I went to some writing conferences and met with several editors and publishers, but found many naysayers who panned the story. I did eventually hook up with Kathe Robin, my concept editor, and she loved it and believed in it from the get go. Together, we split The Traitor into two books, and I decided to go independent. After that, I found my copy editor, Jo Michaels, and now she’s my indispensable guru of writing.
That’s a very, very abridged version of the story, but it’s the indisputable truth, and I’m happy to say I’m still in therapy, I have a new job, Dad went to Heaven, and I now have 4 books under my belt (and a very proud counselor).
That being said, I think this makes The Tory very unique!
What story are you working on next, and what inspired it?
I’m working on book #5, The Rebel, and book #6, The Renegades, as we speak. For those two books, we’re going to pick up alongside The Traitor and then after The Turncoat, but Alexei McKesson is going to lead the saga for a little while. This story is about: are we doomed to become our parents, and it really explores that overarching theme. Again, it comes from my personal counseling, and my own demons I’m struggling to overcome.
What is something about your hero or heroine that only you know?
If I told it here, then it wouldn’t be a secret. HAHAHAHA! And there are some things about my characters that are uniquely mine, and I don’t wish to share. I’m very covetous of my characters, because Dellis and John are both based on me. That being said, some of the lines they speak come directly from my counseling, and some of the events they live through are based on my own life experiences. What those are, well, that’s a secret.
Are any of your characters based on real people you know?
John and Dellis are both based on me and my life as I was writing The Tory. John was me in my harassment case, and Dellis was me in the personal issues I’d long suppressed. They were far too easy to write because they were warring in my head day in and day out. They were me, yes, steeped in lots of history, fiction, and drama, but the core of their story comes from my life, some of which is too personal to discuss here.
Do you believe in the concept of a muse? What is yours like?
Ahh… my muses. LOL. If only I could control this part of the process. Some of my muses are strong, and they demand every bit of my attention, i.e. John Carlisle in The Tory. He never stops talking. I could write twenty books about him and Dellis alone because he’s so wonderfully present, and he speaks with such bravado and humor I can’t help but indulge him. Merrick, from Man of War, was much harder, more subtle, honorable, and respectful, often waiting his turn until John shut up. LOL. Just like Merrick reads in Man of War. Eventually, as the character and I worked together through scenes, his personality shined through, and in the end, we created the brave, charismatic, slightly broken, devilish warrior that is Merrick McKesson. India is a mix of characters because she’s going through a serious trauma in her life. The ideas for her personality came from my talks with women who’d lived through domestic violence and similar events, coupled with my own personal vision for her. She comes to us broken, defeated, a woman who’s seen a lot of stuff and has learned a few lessons, and she’s not afraid to fight for what she wants.
B&B: What a great Q&A, T.J., thank you. You've done a fantastic job channeling all your real-life experiences into a series of great books.
Enjoy an Audio Excerpt from
The Tory
“A story to captivate your mind, The Tory is phenomenal. T.J. London takes us on a journey in the winter of 1776. Captain John Carlisle is undercover to clear his name. Posing as a war profiteer, he meets Dellis an Oneida Innkeeper. These two have the most interesting relationship, both intellectual and slow burn romantic. She introduces John to people to sell his goods and lets him gain trust and support of those around him. With unfortunate circumstances, dangerous characters, and intriguing partners, John takes us on an adventure. London’s descriptive writing lets us visualize each scene as it unfolds and experience the story as if we were there. It’s an amazing story, and I can’t wait to find out where John takes us next.” —Goodreads Review
Meet the Author
T.J. London is a rebel, liberal, lover, fighter, diehard punk, and pharmacist-turned-author who loves history. As an author her goal is to fill in the gaps, writing stories about missing history, those little places that are so interesting yet sadly forgotten. Her favorite time periods to write in are first and foremost the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolution, the French and Indian War, the Russian Revolution and the Victorian Era. Her passions are traveling, writing, reading, barre, and sharing a glass of wine with her friends, while she collects experiences in this drama called life. She is a native of Metropolitan Detroit (but secretly dreams of being a Londoner) and resides there with her husband Fred and her beloved cat and writing partner Mickey.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Series: The Rebels and Redcoats Saga, Book #1
Narrated by: Shane East, Tara Langella, Patrick Zeller, Marnye Young
Audiobook Release Date: August 31, 2020
Type: Novel - Paperback & Ebook - 517 pages
Audiobook Length: 15 hrs and 15 mins
Content Note: R - This book contains graphic content and depictions of war
During the blog tour, the author is giving away an audiobook + paperback copy of The Tory by T.J. London to one lucky winner! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.
The giveaway is open to US residents only and ends on October 2, 2020. You must be 18 or older to enter. Void where prohibited by law. This giveaway is hosted by the author and Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours.
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