BELIEVED Blog Tour
I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the BELIEVED by Michael James Emberger Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: BELIEVED
Author: Michael James Emberger
Pub. Date: October 4, 2021
Publisher: Michael James Emberger
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook(FREE)
Pages: 429
Find it: Goodreads, books2read (find all FREE audiobook links here and other purchase links), Free eBook download here! https://www.michaeljamesemberger.com/believed
Kelsea Jones is like a lot of girls at the University of Northern Minnesota. She has a boyfriend, she works at a coffee shop, and she’s on the swim team. But she’s not a girl. She’s a mermaid.
Trouble brews when star hockey player Chad Andersen takes an interest in her. She tries to avoid him, but he won’t leave her alone. A son of wealth and privilege, he takes what he wants, and he gets away with it. He wants Kelsea, she says no, and so he rapes her. Kelsea stands on a tail and two fins to fight the most painful trial of her life. Despite her trauma and a crisis of faith, she speaks the truth of what Chad did, but will she be believed?
A note from the author:
1 out of 4 college girls experiences rape or sexual assault. That breaks my heart. It’s a crime that has affected people I love, and it has to stop. This novel is my way of raising awareness and showing survivors that someone hears them.
Believed is a product of my friendship with a survivor who is an author and advocate. She opened my eyes to a world of trauma and PTSD that had been largely invisible to me before I met her, and it was life-changing. I needed to share that with others. The burden on my heart was too great to not say something, and fiction is the method I know best to convey the thoughts, truths, pains, and struggles that I see.
Sexual assault is not my story. I haven’t experienced it, I don’t live with the resulting trauma, and I do not wish to profit from the pain of survivors. This is a book for them. It’s a book for those who love them. It’s a book to encourage readers to think and to empathize and to consider the realities of so many whose lives have been affected by this crime. If you purchase a copy here, know that the prices are the minimum allowed. I make no royalty on print copies. If you would like to read for free, you can download the book at my website: https://www.michaeljamesemberger.com/believed
If you find value in this work, please consider donating to an organization that fights against sexual violence or offers support to survivors. Tell your family and friends about the book. Review it online. Let the survivors in your life know that you care, that you believe them, and that you are there for them.
What do I hope survivors will take from the book?
Believed is a story for survivors. I wrote it to encourage them and to help raise awareness about sexual assault. When a survivor reads, I hope she’ll feel seen, heard, acknowledged, and understood. I want her to know that other people, even men, can grasp the severity of this crime and the pain it leaves behind. Here are some responses I’ve received from survivors who have read:
“I will not lie, I would not have expected a man to be able to write on behalf of women when it comes to sexual assault, harassment, and rape. Many shy away from the topic, let alone are unable to discuss it on a real and honest level. Perhaps this will encourage more men to do the same. The more we talk about this, the less uncomfortable people will be, and the more survivors will be heard and believed. Good job sparking the conversation.”
“Survivors are often dismissed and ignored. We are left alone with our pain or punished because of it. It has been a struggle to even prove ourselves. Your novel unashamedly shows that. It is an honest reflection of our society. Many are not ready to talk about or even face the injustice in our justice and religious systems. Your book challenges that.”
“It is the goal for us survivors, that we are heard and believed. Your book could be a step in that direction. If at the very least, it will light a fire or plant a seed. I was unable to stop reading once Kelsea hit the courtroom. I yelled at the book a few times and cried through the last few chapters. I relived a lot while reading. In a way, it felt healing to do so.”
“My heart breaks for Kelsea and the pain she is forced to experience. You have accurately represented the internal turmoil of a rape victim and you allow the reader to understand what a victory it is for a victim to even come forward when all the odds are against them.”
“I must be honest; the courtroom chapters were quite difficult to read. I was hurt and I was angry – I was Kelsea in those moments. That’s how powerfully you wrote those scenes. Such an authentic portrayal of these types of trials. Well done!”
“Kelsea is an inspiration! It’s as simple as that. She is a channel through which victims will be able to understand their emotions and know their options. She may be fictional, but she allows victims to know that they are not alone!!”
These are just a few of the comments I’ve received, but they represent my hopes for this book.
About Michael James Emberger:
Michael James Emberger is an author of thrillers and suspense residing in Wilton, NH. He enjoys weaving narratives of conspiracy and misguided intentions around divisive topics. Where there is debate, there is always room for a villain with goals far out of alignment from either side. Michael is a graduate of Messiah College, where he studied Engineering and met his wife racing solar cars cross-country. When he’s not working on home renovations or writing, he enjoys visiting the ocean and exploring the majesty of God’s creation on the summits of New Hampshire’s mountains.
Michael wrote Believed, a heartbreaking and inspirational tale of a Mermaid in college in Minnesota. It was the most difficult book he’s ever written, but also the most important. He’s made it available for free in audiobook and e-book formats, and he hopes it will encourage and inform.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon | BookBub
There isn’t a giveaway for this tour. Instead Michael is giving away the audiobook and ebook! You can download a FREE copy of the audiobook here! https://books2read.com/u/bzVLlD OR a FREE copy of the eBook HERE! https://www.michaeljamesemberger.com/believed and if you love the book please help spread the word with a review or share the links with your friends!
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
| 9/1/2022 | Viviana MacKade | Excerpt 2 |
| 9/2/2022 | BookHounds | Guest Post/IG Post |
| 9/3/2022 | A Dream Within A Dream | Guest Post/IG Post |
Week Two:
| 9/4/2022 | Jazzy Book Reviews | Excerpt 1/IG Post |
| 9/5/2022 | #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog | Excerpt 2 |
| 9/6/2022 | Epic Book Society | Guest Post/IG Post |
| 9/7/2022 | pick a good book | Excerpt 1/IG Post |
| 9/8/2022 | @allyluvsbooksalatte | IG Spotlight |
| 9/9/2022 | Rajiv’s Reviews | Review/IG Post |
| 9/10/2022 | A Blue Box Full of Books | IG Spotlight |
Week Three:
| 9/11/2022 | Two Chicks on Books | Excerpt 1/IG Post |
| 9/12/2022 | Nerdophiles | Review/IG Post |
| 9/13/2022 | Lady Hawkeye | Excerpt 2/IG Post |
| 9/14/2022 | @jaimerockstarbooktours | IG Spotlight |
| 9/15/2022 | Beersbooksandboos | Review/IG Post |
| 9/16/2022 | Wanderingwitchreads | TikTok Review/IG Post |
| 9/17/2022 | GryffindorBookishNerd | Review/IG Post |
Week Four:
| 9/18/2022 | OneMoreExclamation | Review/IG Post |
| 9/19/2022 | Book Reviews by Taylor | Review/IG Post |
| 9/20/2022 | Write. Read. Live | Excerpt 1/IG Post |
| 9/21/2022 | Books With A Chance of Traveling | Review/IG Post |
| 9/22/2022 | The Momma Spot | Review/IG Post |
| 9/23/2022 | I’m Shelf-ish | Review/IG Post |
| 9/24/2022 | Brandi Danielle Davis | Review/IG Post |
Week Five:
| 9/25/2022 | Sadie’s Spotlight | Excerpt 2 |
| 9/26/2022 | @jypsylynn | Review/IG Post |
| 9/27/2022 | More Books Please blog | Review/IG Post |
| 9/28/2022 | @enjoyingbooksagain | Review/IG Post |
| 9/29/2022 | RavenzReviewz | Review/IG Post |
| 9/30/2022 | hodophile_z | Review/IG Post |
Thank you for sharing this 🙂
Despite the increased publicity and so-called ‘no tolerance’ policies, it is very obvious that all too many people (including prosecutors and judges) still feel that rape is ‘not really a crime’, since (pick your choice of answer): a. she shouldn’t have been drinking; b. she really wanted it c. he’s too nice a person to do that; d. she wasn’t beaten or killed; e. a multitude of other excuses.