Review & Giveaway: Far Away Bird by Douglas A. Burton

Far Away Bird by Douglas A. Burton

Publication Date: February 6, 2020

Silent Music Press LLC

Paperback; 394 Pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Inspired by true events, Far Away Bird delves into the complex mind of Byzantine Empress Theodora. This intimate account deftly follows her rise from actress-prostitute in Constantinople's red-light district to the throne of the Byzantine Empire.

Her salacious past has left historians blushing and uncomfortable. Tales of her shamelessness have survived for centuries, and yet her accomplishments as an empress are unparalleled. Theodora goes on to influence sweeping reforms that result in some of the first ever Western laws granting women freedom and protection. More than a millennium before the women's rights movement, Theodora, alone, took on the world's greatest superpower and succeeded. Far Away Bird goes where history classrooms fear to tread in hopes that Theodora can finally take her seat among the greatest women in history.

Theodora seems impossible--yet her transcendence teaches us that society can't tell us who we are deep down. Before there was a legendary empress, there was a conflicted young woman from the lower classes.

And her name was Theodora.

Award Winner!

Grand Prize Winner 2019 Manuscript Contest for historical fiction-Writers' League of Texas

Bronze Medal for Best Debut Novel in historical fiction-The Coffee Pot Book Club

Gold Medal Book of the Year historical fiction- The Coffee Pot Book Club

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | IndieBound

Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What does a reader do when it's cold and rainy all weekend? You forego all chores and curl up on the sofa and read a good book, of course! If you're looking for an un-put-downable read about one of the most influential Empresses of all time, I highly suggest Far Away Bird by Douglas Burton! I absolutely inhaled it!

My word, Theodora was a mesmerizing and inspirational woman! And Burton does a phenomenal job at bringing her fascinating story to life. The action begins with the first page when Theodora and her sister are caught up in a political protest and their beloved father, the city's bear trainer, is killed and their lives are changed forever. When her mother receives an offer that will help them from a life on the street, she accepts and Theodora's destiny begins.

Gripping from the first page to the last, Far Away Bird is an exceptional debut from Burton and I cannot wait for more! Highly Recommended.

About the Author

Douglas Alan Burton is a speaker, author, and expert storyteller whose work depicts heroic figures and their deeper connection to the human experience. Doug blogs about heroes, heroines, and villains in pop culture with some unexpected and refreshing perspective. He grew up in what he describes as “the heroic boyhood culture of late Generation X” that has gone mainstream around the world. He also shares strategies with fellow writers for writing compelling heroic characters in fiction.

Douglas recently began outlining a breakthrough storytelling model that reveals a fascinating “heroine-centric” model for story structure he calls The Heroine’s Labyrinth. He believes a powerful new archetype is emerging for women in fiction. His forthcoming novel, Far Away Bird, which centers on the early life of Byzantine Empress Theodora, won the 2019 Manuscript Content for Historical Fiction from the Writers’ League of Texas and will be published in February of 2020.

Follow Doug on Facebook and Twitter and stay in the conversation, and follow his blog at www.douglasaburton.com.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 27
Review at Passages to the Past

Tuesday, January 28
Guest Post at Let Them Read Books

Wednesday, January 29
Review at @ya.its.lit

Thursday, January 30
Review at Books and Zebras
Review at Tales from the Book Dragon

Friday, January 31
Interview at Jathan & Heather

Monday, February 3
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Tuesday, February 4
Feature at I'm All About Books

Wednesday, February 5
Review at Historical Graffiti

Thursday, February 6
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Friday, February 7
Review at 100 Pages a Day

Sunday, February 9
Review at Reading is My Remedy

Monday, February 10
Review at History + Fiction + Adirondack Spirit

Tuesday, February 11
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Wednesday, February 12
Review at @bookishbellee

Thursday, February 13
Feature at Just One More Chapter

Friday, February 14
Review at Broken Teepee

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two copies of Far Away Bird by Douglas Burton! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on February 14th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is to the US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.

Far Away Bird