Blog Tour Stop & Giveway: The Samaritan by Fred Venturini

The Samaritan
Author:  Fred Venturini
Publisher:  Blank Slate Press

ISBN:  9780982880609

Author's website:  http://www.fredventurini.com/

Received book from publisher to review. 

Dale Sampson lives in isolation, hiding a super-human gift that could change the course of human history—a gift he believes he doesn't deserve.  He is unemployed and unmotivated—a fractured friendship, love lost, and the tragedies of childhood have locked him in place.  Empty days tick away until a chance encounter with a woman from his past sets in motion one last shot at redemption and love—a spiral of small-town violence that will end a thousand miles away, with his flesh as the battleground, and millions will tune in to watch . . .


When I first read the synopsis for The Samaritan I knew that it was going to be different from what I am used to reading.  I wanted to take a step out of my comfort zone and I managed to do that with this book.  Dale's life is not a happy one and just when you think things are getting better for him, the rug is pulled out from under him once again.

While growing up, he was quiet, introverted, and shy and because of this, he was not a part of any social circles.  In school he is considered an outcast until a popular kid by the name of Mick manages to save him from ridicule. They become great friends and are there for each other through several life changing events.  It's at this point that I really wanted to take Dale and hug him tight.  These events changed his life in a way that truly makes you feel for him.  So as he transitions from teen to man, there just isn't anything in his life worth living for.  His days go by and they are all the same, until he happens to see an old acquaintance.  It's at this point that he stops thinking about himself, and thinking of others.

Dale also has a very unusual gift.  He has the ability to regenerate anything on his body.  He decides that his gift can be used to help others, so that he can obtain financial gain to help one particular person.  He gains fame and has his own show, but will he make the ultimate sacrifice, which is to give away his heart.

The Samaritan was a different kind of coming of age story. I thought it was extremely well written and the author did an excellent job making the reader understand just how desolate Dale felt at times.  You can't help but hope that something good happens for this character that ends up being an unlikely hero, when his own life needs help saving.


Thanks to Blank Slate Press, there is a giveaway of the book!  A paper copy of the book is available to US/Canada only, and a pdf copy is available to everyone as well!   Please include your email in comment and let me know which format you would like.  Giveaway ends 3/31/11 at 12pm EST.  Winner will be chosen using random.org and winner's name will be posted on blog the same day.

A big thanks to TLC Book Tours for including me on the tour!  Click on image to learn more about them:

Fred Venturini’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:

Monday, March 7th:  Bewitched Bookworms 

Wednesday, March 9th:  Supernatural Snark

Thursday, March 10th:  Reading with Martinis

Monday, March 14th:  Wordsmithonia

Tuesday, March 15th:  Reading Fairy Tales

Wednesday, March 16th:  Pensive Bookeaters

Thursday, March 17th:  Rex Robot Reviews

Friday, March 18th:  Fiction State of Mind

Monday, March 21st:  Musings of an All Purpose Monkey

Tuesday, March 22nd:  The Ranting Dragon

Wednesday, March 23rd:  JoJo’s Book Corner

Thursday, March 24th:  Hanging with Bells

Monday, March 28th:  Pornokitsch