I’m focusing on Jackie Gamber’s the Leland Dragon series as I was given the amazing opportunity to discover the beauty within Gamber’s YA Fantasy series last Autumn; whereupon I received Redheart in exchange for an honest review ‘off-tour’. From the very first moment I broached the covers of this novel of #dragonfiction, I *knew!* I had stumbled across a writer who breathed her heart and spirit into her literary exploits. This was a special story for me to read, as I always wanted to read about dragons in fiction, inasmuch as I was a bonefide reader of Science Fiction & Fantasy since I was quite young until my reading wanderings took an abrupt stop in my late teens.
Author Biography: Jackie Gamber
As an award winning author, Jackie writes stories ranging from ultra-short to novel-length, varieties of which have appeared in anthologies such as Tales of Fantasy and Dragons Composed, as well as numerous periodical publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, The Binnacle, Mindflights Magazine, Necrotic Tissue, and Shroud. She is the author of the fantasy novels Redheart, Sela, Reclamation and writing an alternate history time travel novel. She blogs professionally for English Tea Store.com, where she reviews classic science fiction and fantasy novels and pairs them with the ideal tea-sipping companion.
Jackie is a member of the professional organizations Science Fiction Writers of America and Horror Writers Association. She was named honorable mention in L. Ron Hubbard’s Writers of the Future Award, and received a 2008 Darrell Award for best short story by a Mid-South author. She is the winner of the 2009 Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Award for Imaginative Fiction for her story The Freak Museum, a post-apocalyptic tale that looks closely at perceptions and outward appearances and how they affect the way we see ourselves. Jackie Gamber was co-founder and Executive Editor of Meadowhawk Press, a speculative fiction publisher based in Memphis. One of their novels, Terminal Mind by David Walton, won the Philip K. Dick Memorial Award in 2009. Jackie also edited the award winning benefit anthology, Touched By Wonder. She has been a guest lecturer at Memphis Options High Schools, and is a speaker at writers’ conferences from Michigan to Florida. Jackie is also the visionary behind the MidSouthCon Writers’ Conference, helping writers connect since 2008.
Wordsmiths are my favourites next to research enthusiasts:
Ms. Gamber has a way of weaving the opening bits of this tale in such a way that your hungry for each new sentence that alights in your mind! She has a way of showing the interactions between a freaked out of her skull human and a disgruntled and reclusive dragon as though this were an ordinary tale, set in an ordinary time, and one that would easily be taken as ‘written’ and ‘true’. Her ease of giving the reader the chance to soak into her narrative is brilliant when you consider this is an epic fantasy, with a world created fully unknown to the reader who picks up the book!
Next to (writers who are) research enthusiasts, my next favourite writer is the wordsmith! The one who uses a palette of words to paint the portraits of what evolves into the stories that light up our imaginations with such a vigorous intensity! They use words in a fashion that infuses emotion, heart, and observation in a way that is both poetic and brilliantly unique. And, being emotional beings (dragons), I would wager could lead to disappointments, misunderstandings, and grievously difficult emotional keels! She eclipses the depth of their personality with deft skill! Soulful! Dragons to me, have always come across as being ‘soulful’, filt to the brim with an ageless wisdom and a mission to seek out understanding in things that they do not always understand at first.
Discovering a touring company (Tomorrow Comes Media) whilst browsing the book blogosphere last September and seeing this curiously purple & black logo winking at me in the sidebar of one of my click through visits changed my life as I couldn’t sign-up to be a Tour Hostess fast enough! My first blog tour to host for TCM (I always smile at the initials because I am always thinking of Turner Classic Movies when I use it!) was for “The Boxcar Baby” by J.L. Mulvihill where I tackled a Dystopian Steampunked world for the first time. My review for The Boxcar Baby posted on 29th of September whereas Redheart followed on 30th of October, making it my fourth novel from Seventh Star Press and my fourth Indie Science Fiction or Fantasy author to be read of all-time. As even though I always grativated towards Indie Press & Publishers as much as I did Self-Published authors — there was never an easy route to seek them out on a regular basis. By becoming a book blogger not only was I discovering how wide of a net the Indies encompass nowadays but I was able to cross paths with more writers like me who think outside the box of the traditional paradigm of the world of publishing. Being in a position to ‘host!’ the author and their stories was both an honour and an absolute incredible blessing!
Redheart had such a strong effect on me, as the world within where Kallon Redheart lives is such an intricately created world with layered dimensions at every turn. The fact that I *devoured!* this novel rather than slowly soaked into its heart, is an understatement!
I was so new to hosting for TCM when I posted my review for Redheart I didn’t have the official author’s biography for Gamber nor did I realise I could have posted the Book Synopsis! I was still in the opening months of understanding how I wanted to blog and share my reading adventures as much as defining myself as a Blog Book Tour Hostess. I’ve kept my archives as true to my posts as they were posted originally with only updating font, size of typography, and/or updating badges or post dividers. I wanted an honest recollection of my journey and of the materials I had at my disposal when I was blogging about the books as I met them. I still remain true to how I started, however, in that I am always seeking permission to use Press Kit Materials on behalf of novels & their authors. To me it is not only a courtesy but a rule of thumb as a book blogger.
I truly need to re-read and re-visit the entire trilogy of which I reflected recently and even included my ‘dream setting’ in which to do it:
@SGZimmer@frellathon I didn’t get to re-read the series in full either; but I have this dream of a blizzard, a hearth & a cuppa tea for it!
I am involved in a world-wide globally connected blogosphere challenge where each blogger who signs into the participant linky is quite literally confirming their express desire to blog straight [except on Sundays!] for *26 Days!* whilst writing *26!* most intriguing & thought-producing alphabet essays! Or, to be comically inspiring, randomly cheeky, and otherwise delightfully entertaining! The bloggers who have signed into the challenge are from all walks of blogosphere life: book bloggers united alongside lifestyle gurus; writers of all literary styles nudged up against travelogues; the gambit runs the full course of each and every theme, topic, subject, and genre you could possibly light your heart with joy to broach in a blog! And, the curious bit to the journey is where your posts lead you as much as where other blogger’s posts inspire you! It’s this fantastic community to celebrate the spirit within the blogosphere as much as the spirit of connection amongst the bloggers who might not have crossed paths with each other otherwise. After all, the road map for blogs is as wide and large as the actual world outside the nethersphere of websites, pixels, and memes! Walk with us whilst we discover a bit about ourselves, our blog, & each other!
I am blogger #552 out of 2279!
D R A G O N F I C T I O N has been a part of my life ever since I first saw Pete’s Dragon, as it combined two of my favourite loves: fantasy & musicals! The interaction of the cast and of course, the dragon is what endeared me to dragons throughout my childhood! And, yet it wasn’t until I was in my late teens to where I started to seek out D R A G O N F I C T I O N with a passion for finding works of literature which bespoke of the dragons I had hoped to encounter! There is such a cross-sect of literary works featuring dragons that its hard to pick amongst them to bring forward the ones that I am hoping will become the dragons who fill my heart with joy!
Dragons to me, always felt to encompass human-like characteristics that gave you the impression that if any species could live in an accord with us, it would be the dragons! They are generally emotionally driven, feel things deeply with their hearts, and they have keen observation and hearing skills that make them in a position to have empathy and tolerance. I always had the sense inside me that a dragon is as curious in nature as humans, and oft-times could get themselves into a bit of trouble untoward that regard!
I am not necessarily against dragons who have less empathy and humanity inside them such as the more brutish types found in the Harry Potter series, but I do happen to lean more towards the dragons of the Leland Dragons series by Jackie Gamber! I had the honour of reading the complete series whilst hosting either a book review or blog tour with Tomorrow
Comes Media on behalf of the Seventh Star Press trilogy! The dragons inside Gamber’s series has a penchant for heart and soul, a dedication to community, and a willingness to seek peace over violent warfare. The stories soaked straight into my heart and overflowed me the kind of happiness a reader hopes to stumble across whilst finding both a new author to pursue reading as much as finding a new niche in literature which excites her! It was my honour and pleasure to blog about each installment as they alighted into my hands, and I was thrilled to peaches to be a part of the blog tour for the final novel Reclamation as it contained such a powerful and spiritual ending of epic scale!
My heart still flutters back to the very beginning, when I first became invested into the lives of Kallon and Riza, as it was the singular moment I had realised that there is truly a niche inside dragon fiction which has captured my heart! I was struck by the breadth of the world-building as much as the genuine dialogue of how dragons live, work, and interact with not only their kind but with the humans who live on the fringes of their societies. Not everything was always roses, mind you, but it was a bit like gathering an insider’s glimpse into a world you never expected to have such an intimate portrait of! As I walked further into their realm, I started to see the similarities and the differences between their culture and the humans they were always afeared to become close too.
Prior to reading this lovely series, I was one of the ones who went to see How to Train Your Dragon with the high hopes of nestling into a new dragon film which harked back to my love of Pete’s Dragon! Who wouldn’t love seeing how the Vikings would interact with the misunderstood and oft-times persecuted dragons!? I longed for this particular film to spark a sequel, and I am bursting with excitement for Summer 2014 when it become a release on the silver screen! Sometimes your dreams come true in ways that your not always expecting, and for me, finding ways to have D R A G O N F I C T I O N a focal point in my life has been this book blogger’s life’s ambition! Through book blogging, I am getting the proper chance to exchange conversations with a wider audience of readers, and therein lies the joy! I am meeting fellow fantasy lovers who not only read dragon stories, but are forthcoming about which authors they appreciate and which authors they are hoping to dig into next! Prior to being involved with my own book blog, I found the waters of how to traverse this exciting branch of literature beyond daunting as those readers I would come across at libraries or bookshoppes were not as straight forward on which narratives spoke to them the most! I am thinking this might have something to do with the fact most of those in-person readers were blokes, and I oft noticed there was a discrepancy between their views and my own. As if perhaps a girl couldn’t hold her salt in the fantasy realms. Sad, yes. True, most definitely! Online I notice the divide doesn’t exist. If you dig fantasy, you rock to the fantasy lovers! Gender doesn’t even enter into the conversation, and that is something to celebrate! Of course, this might not be true ‘everywhere’ but I can only relate what my personal experiences have been and hence how my experiences might differ from others. I do hope in the future to be in an area where there is a wider net of readers and ones who are not as prejudicial towards each other as readers are here.
Next to (writers who are) research enthusiasts, my next favourite writer is the wordsmith! The one who uses a palette of words to paint the portraits of what evolves into the stories that light up our imaginations with such a vigorous intensity! They use words in a fashion that infuses emotion, heart, and observation in a way that is both poetic and brilliantly unique. And, being emotional beings (dragons), I would wager could lead to disappointments, misunderstandings, and grievously difficult emotional keels! She eclipses the depth of their personality with deft skill! Soulful! Dragons to me, have always come across as being ‘soulful’, filt to the brim with an ageless wisdom and a mission to seek out understanding in things that they do not always understand at first.
In March, whilst visiting Fantasy Cafe [one of my favourite fantasy-based book bloggers!] I started to have a bookish discussion about ‘D R A G O N F I C T I O N‘:
@JLovesAStory I haven’t yet read any of the dragon books you were thinking about, but I loved Robin Hobb’s related 3 trilogies.
I had not realised that I had written down Robin Hobb as a perspective D R A G O N F I C T I O N author whilst curating a short list underneath my review of Redheart, which proves that sometimes time and memory are not as they ought to be! I was most esteemed of this conversation because it proved to me that I am on the right path as far as the writers I am seeking out and the novels of which interest me the most! When she had mentioned the series by Marie Brennan I was enraptured as soon as I pulled up information about the book series! I mean, who wouldn’t want to soak into a world based on a ‘dragon naturalist’ perspective!? I have always been properly hinged to the natural world, and this felt to me as though a piece of my own world was crossing into my fictional wanderings! The sketches and illustrations which are featured in the novel’s cover-art is beyond impressive!
Likewise, I’ve been attending the #genrechat sessions on Twitter, whereupon a heap of topics are discussed but mostly we’re appreciators of science fiction & fantasy, and thereby this conversation was a lead-in:
@JLovesAStory Some authors you might want to check out include Robin Hobb, Rachel Hartman, James Stevens, and A.D. Trosper.
On my own, I have stumbled across a few authors who speak to me as being writers I could sink my teeth into their fantastical worlds where dragons roam and my heart can alight inside a well-built world. Enchanted Forest Chronicles byPatricia C. Wrede is one of the series I latched onto due to the following reasons and I happily stumbled across an interview of Wrede’s whilst typing this post!
The Temeraire series byNaomi Novik is another series I came across as I tried to unearth series that were a bit set aside from the norm. I wanted to try to find dragons I would appreciate reading but also have an undercurrent heart of a story which would resonate with me as a deep appreciator of historical fiction. In fantasy, I love the writers who build these well-lit worlds where you can nearly fill your eyes with their entirety by the time you conclude each individual story. Your mind and heart fill with such a warm glow of visiting that you immediately want to duck back inside and see what has happened since you last had been there.
Crucible of Gold by Naomi Novik : Book Trailer viaNaomi Novik
There are a few book bloggers I try to regularly read who have the same affinity for fantasy as I do:
Fantasy Cafe – I enjoy how she goes beyond the basics of the books she reads and her fondness for chatting about the books she enjoys!
Bookish Whimsy – She actually first inspired me to seek out Finnikin of the Rock & Classics Re-Told! Always inspiring on my visits!
On Starships and Dragonwings– Hostess of the Friday link exchange for Science Fiction & Fantasy reviews, discussions, & giveaways!
Once Upon A Time – One of the book bloggers who most inspired me whilst I was creating Jorie Loves A Story!
Each of these book bloggers brings something new and different to the table. In the way they shape their reviews to the way they are willing to engage with readers and book bloggers alike! I have always appreciated their kindnesses and once I get back into visiting blogs on a more regularly basis, I am hoping to leave comments regularly and continue to seek out the books they are introducing me too! They have a wealth of information that I do encourage you to seek out yourself!
Being that I am posting my “Letter D” a full day after it was meant to be featured, I had the pleasure of dropping by:
I was attempting not to reveal my pure joy in seeing that Amrita posted about ‘dragons’ on her Letter D day!! I was elated beyond what I can express seeing that we share such a wicked sweet affinity for the lovely creatures! And, to think that we each are seeking out the same ‘humanness’ in D R A G O N F I C T I O N is quite stellar indeed!
A short listing of books & authors of D R A G O N F I C T I O NI have uncovered:
Eragon (The Inheritance Cycle, Book 1) by Christopher Paolini (*earmarked to read for TBR Challenge)
A Natural History of Dragons (Memoirs of Lady Trent, Book 1) by Marie Brennan
The Dragon Keeeper (The Rain Wilds, Book 1) by Robin Hobb after reading Farseer, Liveship Traders, and Tawny Man series!
His Majesty’s Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) by Naomi Novik
the World of Pern by Anne McCaffrey (I am still trying to sort out where to ‘begin’)
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
The authors Mr. Hallowell recommended Rachel Hartman, James Stevens, and A.D. Trosper (the last two of whom I need to research!)
I will not know for sure which new stories of D R A G O N F I C T I O N will take my breath away, but I do know this, the mere fact that there are new dragons to meet and new characters outside of dragonkind to embrace, I am going to be a happy dragon girl for a very, very long time yet to come! In the meantime, I was inspired to create my own contribution to spreading the joy of reading this sub-genre of fantasy by giving those of us on Twitter a hashtag to use for conversations &/or book suggestions: #dragonfiction! Start using it today! Rock on, dear hearts! Rock on!
Thank you for joining me on DAY 4 | A to Z Challenge!
I am a girl named Jorie who loves a story!
I am a bookish library girl on a quest for literary enlightenment!
I am predominately self-taught and library educated!
I am Mademoiselle Jorie!
Thank you for joining me on this journey!
This marks my fourth post for the:
And, might I ask a Question I previously broached on Jorie Loves A Story on Day 4?
IF your a reader of dragon lore and fiction, which books and series stand out in your mind as the next ‘best’ read for me to engage in!? I’ll compile a list, and when I go to sit down with more books of this nature, I will pull your suggestions together and see how many I can read! I do have copies of “Eragon” & “Brisinger” on my self as much as I am curious about: the Temeraire series byNaomi Novik, the Rain Wild Chronicles byRobin Hobb, Pern byAnne MacCaffrey, and the Enchanted Forest Chronicles byPatricia C. Wrede, of which I have stumbled across thus far! IF you’ve read any of these, which were your favourites!? And, what warmed you to the story of Leland Province, as I reviewed the trilogy!? Have you read and enjoyed any of the other authors or books I have mentioned!?
{SOURCES: A to Z Challenge Participant & Letter D Badge provided by the A to Z Challenge site for bloggers to use on their individual posts & blogs to help promote the challenge to others. Trilogy book covers for the Leland Dragon series provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. The book trailers Crucible of Gold & Seraphina as well as the author interview by Open Road Media Videos had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel & film. Tweets were able to be embedded by codes via Twitter.}
Jackie Gamber’s Leland Dragons series is about to get a third installment, picking up where Book 2 {Sela} left off! IF you may recall, I had the extreme pleasure of reading Book 1 {Redheart} not too long ago! I was consumed by the visceral imagery Ms. Gamber paints into the breadth of her fantastical world! You drink in the narrative as a traveler would observe his surroundings whilst visiting a foreign land, wholly unknown and unfamiliar. She pulls you into the setting by directly etching your heart into being sympathetic to the plight of the Dragons! I have been dreaming of returning into the Provinces ever since I was pulled back into my own everyday reality!
About the Author | Jackie Gamber
You can read Gamber’s Full Biography, on her website, however, I learnt quite a few things about her whilst I was composing my questions for an interview! For instance, the essence of what she knew of dragons that originated from a dream she had that was the impetus to create “Redheart” shattered the misconceptions and perceptions of dragons, thus known in fantasy! She has a wicked sense for knowing which teas pair nicely with the books your palette is whet to taste! She took up knitting for its meditative qualities. If music is in the background whilst she writes, it has to be instinctively nondescript and ambient in nature, as if she hears a curious lyrical line it could shift her scene whilst its being penned! She is a retired servicewoman, secretary, and beloved Mum! She finds a keen balance between her writing and her family life. She adores the zoo beyond what words can express. She is a prolific short story writer. She runs a multi-verse platform for story-telling entitled: Allotrope Media, alongside her husband. Believing that a story has the freedom to express itself through multiple mediums. Insofar as being an accomplished playright and screenwriter! She excels at genre jumping but her heart is attached to science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
“Reclamation” : Book Three
Book Synopsis:
Leland Province remains in danger. The sinister Fordon Blackclaw has returned from the shadows to strike at the heart of neighboring Esra, killing its Venur and making clear his intentions to retake what was once his: Mount Gore, seat of the Leland Dragon Council.
All around, the land grows weaker and weaker. Leland, once thought saved by Kallon Redheart, is without purpose, and within its borders, Murk Forest, a place of mystery and danger, has driven its inhabitants to seek aid. Esra is in flames, and the Rage Desert grows. Dragon and human alike struggle to find their way, and the wizard Orman can sense that there may be more at stake than the affairs of dragons.
Hope remains, yet it is not without obstacles. In Esra, Sela, the daughter of Kallon and Riza, found the well, a source of life, and made herself whole again. But her homecoming is not what she had imagined.
Old wounds buried deep must reopen if life is to continue. Dragons, humans, wizards, and shape shifters are all at risk as the peace between dragon and human has finally been broken.
War is here.
The stakes?
Perhaps the whole world.
I am not sure about you, but as I haven’t yet had the pleasure of reading “Sela”, … I am a bit in the dark on full knowledge of Kallon & Riza’s daughter! Therefore, how do you think a happy-hearted reader reads this lovely wicked news!? She shouts out from the giddy bits of her soul, “EEK! They had a *daughter!* A daughter! Ohh, boy!” I was over the moon in merriment over this smashingly brilliant news because as foresaid, I simply adore this entire world of Leland Province! I didn’t want the narrative to end, nor did I want to exit the world completely once the story drew to a close! I felt akin to the principle leads in a way that I haven’t always felt connected to characters! Especially considering that I am re-discovering my niche in high fantasy and science fiction! Even if I am not able to read “Sela” in time, I have already put my hat into the toss to be included on the blog book tour for “Reclamation!” This book blogger is seriously stoked for its pending release!! And, she hopes you are too!
Shh!! I have a sneaking feeling I know what is behind “held on high” in this rather pivotal clue of the story!
Matthew Perry : Shines as Dragon Illustrator
I am never fully prepared for what I am going to see included in the illustrative plates by Mr. Perry! He has a way of conveying emotional conviction and heart in each of his illustrations for the Leland Dragon series! The fullness of his designs, allow the reader to proportionate the action of the story against the innocence, joy, and terror of heightened danger! The dragons themselves are humanistic in quality, as you can see exactly what they are thinking, feeling, and conveying by body language and mannerism! A true gem to be inclusive of a series which paints such a hearty portrait of life not so very far away, in a world not entirely different from our own, where survival and the freedom to choose how one is meant to live is always in a constant battle against propriety and the struggle for power. I was enthralled with the first installment of this story, as you were able to absorb the scope of the history of this land without feeling as though you had to read a historical artifact to ascertain the depth of what was at stake. I credit this first to Gamber’s intuitive choices of narrative design and secondly, to Perry who takes her words and uses his palette of illustrative art to construct the realism which aides the reader’s journey!
Be sure to catch previous Gamber lovelies on JLAS:
Jorie reviewed Redheart {Book One} and interviews Jackie Gamber, author of the Leland Dragon series! This Book Cover Reveal was made possible by Tomorrow Comes Media. They have my full gratitude!And, Gamber is published by Seventh Star Press!
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
IF you want to hang out with authors of Seventh Star Press, book bloggers, authors at large, as well as the serendipitous twist of conversations which erupt out of an internet radio show? You’ll settle into a wicked hour-long podcast full of bookish content to not only entertain you but enlighten you: hop over to The Star Chamber Show main page on BlogTalkRadio! Tune in Wednesdays, at 9p! {including *Christmas DAY!*} Jorie is the unofficial live-tweeting secretary of the Chamber! You can read ‘near-transcripts’ of each podcast whilst digging through her TW Feed: @JLovesAStory !! Her own appearance was in Episode 2!
Check Out Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with The Star Chamber on BlogTalkRadio
IF you’re a regular reader of Seventh Star Press titles, what draws you into their fantasy selections? What do you appreciate about Gamber’s visual scope of story-telling? Do you seek out other writers of dragon fiction? Which are your favourites? Stay and converse for a spell letting me know what gets you jazzed about stellar fantasy releases such as “Reclamation!”
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Reclamation” and the illustrations therein by Matthew Perry, Jackie Gamber’s photograph, and Book Synopsis were all provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. Seventh Star Press logo badge provided by Seventh Star Press and used with permission. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Cover Reveal badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Podcast of Jackie Gamber on BlogTalkRadio was able to be embedded due to codes provided by The Star Chamber Show’s page on BlogTalkRadio.}
You can read Gamber’s Full Biography, on her website, however, I learnt quite a few things about her whilst I was composing my questions for an interview! For instance, the essence of what she knew of dragons that originated from a dream she had that was the impetus to create “Redheart” shattered the misconceptions and perceptions of dragons, thus known in fantasy! She has a wicked sense for knowing which teas pair nicely with the books your palette is whet to taste! She took up knitting for its meditative qualities. If music is in the background whilst she writes, it has to be instinctively nondescript and ambient in nature, as if she hears a curious lyrical line it could shift her scene whilst its being penned! She is a retired servicewoman, secretary, and beloved Mum! She finds a keen balance between her writing and her family life. She adores the zoo beyond what words can express. She is a prolific short story writer. She runs a multi-verse platform for story-telling entitled: Allotrope Media, alongside her husband. Believing that a story has the freedom to express itself through multiple mediums. Insofar as being an accomplished playwright and screenwriter! She excels at genre jumping but her heart is attached to science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
By which the interview commenced,
between Jorie and Ms. Gamber!
I am thankful to announce that I have my second Seventh Star Press author dropping by my blog for an interview today! I am always seeking to propose questions that are not overly asked previously, and I am hopeful, that if you have known of Ms. Gamber’s work previously, you will find something new to learn about her through her visit on Jorie Loves A Story! I look forward to listening to her replies and learning more about a writer who showcases dragons, as they are one of my favourites in the fantastical realms to encounter! Let me yield, to Ms. Gamber!
I presume that dragons are your favourite fantastical creature who reside outside our physical realms, as they are at the forefront of the Leland Dragon series? Was this a lifelong passion to bring dragons into a sweeping epic such as the Leland Dragons, or did it develop a bit more slowly, taking you for an adventure as it unfolded?
Gamber responds:
My writing of the Leland Dragon Series definitely came as an adventure as I went along. I’ve always been drawn to science fiction and fantasy as a reader, and as a writer, because of the “what-ifs” and the vast storytelling capabilities; I love the challenge of making something utterly fantastical seem perfectly probable and real. Kallon Redheart and Leland Province grew from that place. I had a germ of an idea, and wanted to make Kallon and his world as real as possible.
I can appreciate this myself, because whenever I settle my heart and thoughts to write in a fluid moment of clarity, I find that my pen yields to the adventure of discovery! I never know precisely where my pen will lead, as I always have attributed writing as being a vehicle that is inspired by One not of ourselves but as a Guide to allowing the creativity to flow through us and outwardly fuse inspiration into ink which spilts onto the page! The adventure for me in pursuit of story and characters is singularly one of the best moments a writer can experience! And, I could not have stated it better ‘making something utterly fantastical seem perfectly probable and real’ as this is a sentiment I could have spoken myself on behalf of my own writings! We breathe life into nothingness which paints a palette of pictures through the words which give life to our stories!
What draws your eye when it comes to story-telling in general?! Were you a natural bourne writer or did you have to develop it as you progressed from one story to another!? Did your pursuit of writing stem out of your love of reading, such as my own path developed!?
Gamber responds:
I’m not sure which came first; my love for reading or my love for writing. I remember loving books as mysterious little tickets into great unknowns. I remember teaching myself to read, and struggling over words that didn’t look like something I remembered hearing. I wanted to read, so I could go to the places books promised to take me. I wanted to write, too, because I had so many worlds in my own head, so many places I’d escape to in my imagination, and I wanted to make stories for others to escape into.
In a sense, then, I must have been born into writing. But just as I was driven to improve my reading, I have also been driven to always improve my writing. If talent is a seed, it must also be nurtured and cultivated, and practiced. My ultimate goal is that each story I write is a little more skillfully told than the last; in that way, I get closer and closer to opening each world a little more real.
You struck a chord inside me with this response, as I have always referred to myself as ‘a natural bourne writer’ yet I think I mistakenly left out a significant piece of the puzzle! As like you, the lines between when I became the ‘writer’ and the ‘reader’ are blurred,… due to my learning difficulties as a child I did not have the ability to learn to read on my own, but I yielded the words inside the stories to my Mum! She had this magical way of imparting the inflections of character, story, setting, and locale in such a way that I had my favourite ‘go to reads’ of which she read to me nightly! A winding path lateron led me to a quirky out-of-the-box 4th grade teacher who helped me develop my ‘passion for reading’. Yet. At the very same time, I was ‘writing’ solely through the influence of my maternal grandfather’s insistence that I ‘play a game’ called “Once Upon A Time” — a game that involved world-building and story structure! No action. Just your thoughts and your creativity! I concur with your ability to rise in your growth as a writer – each story I craft I notice stepping-stones of progression that although rather microscopic in size I can see the transformations!
Has your writings always developed out of your dreams? In this way, would you consider yourself a think-writer!? Whereupon your characters and stories stir together through your mind’s eye, traversing the gates of your imagination before you bring them into the present?
Gamber responds:
Wow, I really like that term, “think-writer”. That’s exactly how I would describe my process. I’m rarely ready to sit down to a story without a good lot of pondering, first. I do find that morning time, in between sleeping and being fully awake, to be some of my richest fodder for creating. When I’m starved of that time, I generally suffer for it.
Ahh, yes, I wish I could explain exactly ‘when’ and ‘where’ I first learnt of the expression “think-writer” but ever since the very day a fellow writer imparted the merit of what this term encompasses; I have had the honour and privilege to pass on the term to other writers who create their stories in this manner! It opened a door inside my mind as a way of self-reflection and self-expression of ‘how’ I create and in that truth, I understand a cardinal piece of who I am as a writer. I am thankful that I not only recognised it as a possibility in you (smiles) but that in my mentioning of it you have found it applies to you! I love random joy! No one has quite put into terms my own methodology of writing practice until I read this reply of yours! Its one of the moments in this interview I saw myself looking through a reflection of a mirror and was touched by the blessing of our paths crossing each other!
Do you remember the origins of your passion for epic fantasy? Do you recollect a singular book, author, or character that leapt off the page, and gave you the impression that your heart would be warmed by fantasy evermore!? I am not necessarily asking about your ‘favourite’ or ‘go-to’ author/book, but rather, where the underpinnings of your passion for the genre first developed!?
Gamber responds:
I know exactly what book I was reading when something clicked. I didn’t realize at the time, of course, that it would be considered “fantasy”, I only knew it was a story about kids just like me who got caught up in a supernatural adventure. I realized then that stories didn’t have to be about here, and now, they could be about anything! Anywhere! I decided then that’s what I wanted to figure out how to do. The book, which I still own today, was “The Frightened Forest” by Ann Turnbull. It was a Scholastic Book I ordered through my elementary school back around 1974.
Oh, my dear stars! Books through schools! A programme they had whilst I was growing up a few years following you (as I was in elementary school in the early 80s) which sparked a curiosity inside me! They were called ‘book faires’, where inside the libraries (ironically my grades never had the option to go to the library very often! perhaps too crowded?) on such rare occasions we could go in them to find a long table (several put together into one long line) stacked high with books! I was the cheeky girl (as I was told by the attendants!) who refused to find books ‘in her own age group’! I had special permission to choose a book a good two grades if not more higher than my ‘supposed’ reading age! This is even before I met my 4th grade teacher who helped me find true enjoyment in reading without making it arduous! I had the curiosity, I had the will to read, but I had hurdles! Ironically or naught, my inspiration to write and read fantasy fiction came from two motion pictures (rather than books!): “Pete’s Dragon” and “The Neverending Story”!! (the latter is a book but I didn’t realise this at the time!)
Are there storytellers, artists, musicians, artisans, and other creatives in your family who might have planted the seed for the creative arts in your life from an early age!?
Gamber responds:
My mom is definitely a creative who has always strived for outlets. She was involved in Community Theater and similar pursuits. She loved to sing. She had a box of snippets of writing; stories, I think, and poetry. I didn’t understand the significance at the time, but I remember now how she had enormous bookshelves, always filled, and that many of the books were “how-to’s” for writing. She never talked about it, but I think she wanted to be a writer, too.
I smiled whilst reading about your Mum and her secret dream of being a writer. I have a grandfather in my family who dreamt of being a writer as well, and am thankful I too, have pieces of his writings left behind to not only cherish but to see the beginnings of his own writing life! At first I felt sorrowful that he couldn’t obtain his dream, but then, a part of me reflected that if he hadn’t worked on writings and drawings in his spare time – the legacy of his talents might not have filtered down in my family line! As creativity is one of those rare gifts that is best given through passion and time ignited in harmony. All creatives, whether professional or amateur give back to the greater whole simply by leaving a fingerprint of their creative soul behind for others to find! How lovely you had someone to inspire your own path too!
I learnt in a previous interview you had mentioned that you were ‘a soldier, a secretary, and a Mum’, of which I found fascinating, because writers’ live such dynamically different lives, as the whole of our experiences shape our perceptions and inspire the stories that nestle into our spirits that find their way spilt onto the page! I would well imagine you’d have a lot to draw from given this revelation! First and foremost, thank you for your service, as I always try to give back a bit of gratitude to soldiers’ whenever I can (which is why I volunteer with Soldiers’ Angels), and secondly, my own Mum was a secretary so I know that the fast pace of an office can be such an interesting set-up for diverse characters and personalities! Do you find that people you’ve either interacted with or met have formed the basis of a character of yours?
Gamber responds:
Thank you for appreciating those who serve!
I think everyone I meet, or even observe, has become the basis for any number of my characters. Many of my “why” questions come from meeting or knowing someone whose choices puzzle me. I get to wondering about motivation, about what might have happened in their past to set the framework for their life perception…all that stuff. Those are the good bits that get tucked away into the corners of my mind for me to do my “think-writing”. Somehow, and at some point, from all that pondering, characters are born from it.
Your quite welcome! Its my pleasure and honour to give back to those who give so much to all of us! Little ripples of gratitude I am thankful I can give freely and randomly! Its nice to give a piece of joy to someone who least expects to receive it! I smiled seeing you incorporated your new favourite superlative into this response! I do this as well, but more than naught, not necessarily from ‘people watching’ but rather from environment watching! I get caught up and lost in the small details of everyday hours. Usually attached to my museful eyes peering out into nature through the windows of the car and/or whilst walking in nature. My mind’s eye is free to associate wherever a creative thought wants to take me. I created some lovely poems lost in my daydreams, think-writing in the supreme sense, only to wander back inside to my desk and pen — the words lost and tangled in the thoughts which resumed from whence I returned! I think though seeds of those ramblings etch themselves back into my writing when I least expect them too! Do you find this as well?
Have you ever found your creative voice to take a backseat or absence, whilst you had to live through a particular period of your life?! How did you walk through that time, and what led you back to the pen, so to speak!? IF you’ve never experienced writers’ block, what do you think helped forestall its arrival, in case others’ are worried it could affect them!?
Gamber responds:
There have been long, dry periods in my life when there has been no writing. At all. Sometimes it’s been by choice, thinking my real life needed me to be perfectly present. Other times, I’ve suffered a block, when I haven’t been able to get my thoughts in line to make any kind of sense worth writing. I used to think that people who say, “I write because I have to, or I’ll go crazy!” needed a reality check, because I thought I was able to set aside writing as I needed, if life needed me to, and I was just fine. Becoming older (and hopefully wiser), though, I’m realizing that even during dry periods, whether by choice or by block, I never really stopped processing. That whole “observe life, input questions, fill in the blanks, make character-people” is so much of part of how I live, not just write, that it goes on whether I’m aware of it, or not. Sometimes it’s in full swing, under a bright, blue sky—other times it’s getting smothered, as though I’ve thrown a blanket over it. The more I learn to release the process as a part of who I am, the better I feel. And the stronger I become.
Any time I’ve suffered a block, it hasn’t been my writing that’s stoppered up. It’s me. When I understand that being blocked isn’t a wall, it’s a signal, it helps me find that thing in my life that’s out of alignment. Address that, and the words flow again.
When I first read your response I was partially confused – did I write a longer paragraph of a question than I remembered? OR was Ms. Gamber’s response so bang-on accurate for my own inner reflections that I could not distinguish her voice from my own! It was a brilliantly classic moment of seeing how the writing world is as small as the art world! You tend to seek out and find others’ who create in a manner in which is familiar to your own style as much as you find others’ who write in a different vein. At this moment, I found happiness in seeing another writer I could directly relate too speaking on a subject I could personally attest to being one of my own struggles as much as one of my own transitions! This particular question I asked to better understand what was rather dear to me to know! Thank you for helping me connect the pieces!
I know you’ve referenced your heritage in several interviews, as you disclosed how you passed on the gene for webbed toes to your son, however, I was curious, did your family pass down living histories of generations past!? Mine did, but even with that blessing, my Mum and I are still unearthing family lore and hidden ancestral roots that we could only have dreamt possible a few years ago! Do you find research into your family’s history an enjoyable adventure that sparks ideas of setting, time, place, and locale!? I am starting to find that my own wanderings are encouraging me towards historical fiction, even moreso than my own readings of that branch of literature! Have you uncovered anything particularly smashing to share? For us, it was sorting out that our fabled Civil War Captain was actually bourne of immigrant parents who crossed over from Ireland! Learning about our connections to the Underground Railroad is also rather exciting, but for each piece we recover, we find a labyrinth of questions!
Gamber responds:
Much of my family history is an enigma. Dysfunction has splintered generations; I knew my paternal grandmother, but that’s as far back as any real history I’ve got. However, my dad has done a lot of research on his side of the family, and discovered a whole book written about “The Gentle Johnstones” (that’s my maiden name) and our ancestry from prehistoric Scotland, to Northern Ireland, and into the New World. “Gentle” was meant to be ironic. Apparently they were fiercely territorial! And I remember reading a passage that described their women as just as fierce, and hefty, with big arms that could swing weapons with all the might of their male counterparts. And the men were proud of their women for it. It clicked something in me to read that; a sort of acceptance of myself I hadn’t previously had, because I’m no petite woman. My husband likes to say I’m “strong like bull”. And I’ve fought my whole life against my own body; starving it, punishing it, hating it, wishing I could fit into today’s standard of waif-like beauty. But look at my ancestry! This body has been hundreds of years of genetics in the making, and today’s fads don’t have anything to do with it. I’m healthy and strong, and finally, I’m okay with the way I’m made. My dreams don’t have anything to do with the size of my jeans. Or genes.
Thank you for being fearless, honestly open and forthright in your sharing of such a impactful moment of your life! This is such a powerful and empowering statement of growth and self-acceptance! The connecting ties to your ancestry as much as pulling forward from the annals of time a singular truth which as it was brought forward to the present directly impacted your own self-image and self-confidence! Rock on, Ms. Gamber!
What do you like to do when you decompress from writing!? Do you like to travel, walk in nature, or pick up an interest or pursuit that has to fall by the wayside whilst your either knee-deep in research OR wholly consumed by the current story at hand!?
Gamber responds:
I love nature, nature, nature. The more I’m in it, the better I feel, and the more fuel I have for more writing. My husband has a love for motorcycles, and when he finally talked me into riding on one with him, I accidentally discovered I loved it! I get to be up close and personal with nature, all over the place! I love to be with trees, and to touch them and smell them, and to hear them shimmying about in the wind.
By Jupiter’s moons, I could not agree with you more! Every daring chance I get to resume my sojourn in nature, I take the chance! Even the day before this interview went live I had a small window of where I could take a walkabout drinking in the Wintry breezes, clean air, and lumbering stillness of the natural world. I stumbled across a lazy alligator (a baby by all counts!) rolling through the drifting waves of the lake-shore as he ambled along to a berm! His entire countenance was of ease, tranquility, and joy. You could barely make out the essence of his head above the surface of the water, whilst his tail haphazardly appeared every so many feet strokes! (alligators tend to swim by dog-paddling using their tail as rudders!) Off in the distance as the crow flies was a lovely elegant White Egret who took flight just as I was dipping around a corner as the softest blue sky you ever did see was shrunken from sight due to the foliage of the forest obscuring its view! Do you know trees speak to you? I would love one day to visit a tree long enough to hear its whispers! My favourite embrace of a tree was given at a Welcome Station in New England as I met the biggest tree of my years and simply had to give the tree a big ole bear hug! I never fail to acknowledge the gentle lullings and movings of trees as the winds shift through their branches,… absolute bliss if you ask me!
I read in a previous interview that you took up knitting, (back in 2011), have you continued this pursuit as you were lamenting that you weren’t sure if you were going to improve OR simply enjoy the mediated repetitiveness that knitting can provide? I speak as a novice knitter, who took up the needles herself, infused with yarny dreams in the Spring of 2009, and can actually assert she can ‘cast on’ in 2013! As previously, I had to have a bit of assistance, as I was better at the ‘stitches’ than I was at beginning the casting! I celebrate each milestone I achieve, as I find knitting to be my balm in the sea of life! If you continued to pursue it, do you have a favourite type of yarn or pattern?
Gamber responds:
I do still pick up knitting here and there, in fits and spurts, and usually have to re-learn again each time I want to make something. I love wool, and the wool blends of today that make it softer and practical for washing. As an extremely tactile person, yarn is such a boon for my creative senses. When it comes to really decompressing, from writing or otherwise, the best of both worlds is to knit outside. An ideal life would be a front porch rocking chair, looking out onto leafy mountains, with soft yarn in my hands.
To borrow a sentiment of knitting from my Mum (whose my knitting soul sister!), the textural joy of threading natural fibers through your fingers is both a blessing and a blissful joy of comfort! I was like you for most of the years since my first cast-on project – constantly having to re-learn and be re-taught how to do everything. I tend to be the tortoise in the room, where I might take a bit to pick up something I am learning but then, I reach the stage where I even surprise myself, tucking my skirts into a rhythm of knowledge that flows freely through my fingers! My Mum put it best when she said working with wool and natural fibers (she and I adore alpaca and baby llama!) is such a tactile love of happiness! Ohh, I want to live inside your dream as to where to ‘knit’ and ‘be’.
Have you always been a tea drinker!? I read in one of your interviews (from 2012) that you’ve mastered the art and delicacy for making homemade green tea lattes! I find this wicked sweet, as I, myself, have started to make green chai infused tea lattes with almond-coconut milk! My journey towards incorporating natural medicines, green and herbal teas started in my early twenties. Nowadays, although I do indulge in a sinfully smooth coffee latte, my favourite is still soaking into the aroma of a tea latte! I have found that this can change per region (whilst on my travels I noted this!), as I had a Dragonwell Tea Misto in Fargo, North Dakota, but to interpret this in the Southeast I nearly found it impossible to duplicate without confrontation! Have you noticed differences in tea culture as well!? And, do you still continue to match tea with books?
Gamber responds:
Your green chai sounds delectable! I do enjoy almond and coconut, both. I find that tea culture seems to be spreading throughout the U.S. of late, with even grocery stores carrying a far wider selection than they ever used to. The advent of online shopping has brought all sorts of teas into anyone’s home; it’s so great! I do see the tea cultures, though, in differing regions, and I enjoy experiencing it that way. I still have a lovely website for my Booktasting (www.book-tasting.com)* although it has been a while since I’ve added new content. I have a bookshelf of books awaiting their tea pairing! It’s still one of my favorite hobbies.
*Am not certain the website is active at the moment. I could not get it to launch. Am checking on it!
It is quite delectable! All you need to do is put in 3 mugfuls of almond-coconut milk (it comes in a blended form in the refrigerated milk section?) into a medium saucepan, turn the heat up a bit, and place the green chai tea bags (or you can use loose tea if you happen to have them!) inside one of those tea steepers? I used to have the metal ones which clasp to where you can have them bob or sink depending? I could not find those for the life of me, so I took out our mesh steeper which has a ‘loose fitting top’ and placed that in the center of the saucepan? I turnt up the heat ever so slightly (so not to curdle the milk!) until the temperature reached perfection. I steeped it for approx. four minutes or so, as I used three tea bags once the temperature of the milk was level! You simply remove the steeper and pour the decadent liquid into your favourite mug! Enjoy the cuppa!! I put the footnote on your website as at the time of this interview posting I could not get the url to go live? :(
What is the one thing that readers might be surprised to learn about you, that you haven’t previously disclosed in an interview!?
Gamber responds:
I can moonwalk! Yes, like Michael Jackson. Also, I can do a pretty darn good robot. I’ve been doing the robot as a dance since before it really became one
Loved your response here! That’s the coolest thing you could say as I love how unexpected and wickedly brilliant the answer truly is!
If you could change any part of your life, would you take the steps to make a radical change OR have you already arrived at the place by which you hoped to be!?
Gamber responds:
I’ve definitely taken steps to make radical changes in my life. I’ve always endeavored to not let fears and anxieties keep me from pursuing the things I really want (even though I don’t always manage it the first or second try. If worrying burned calories, I’d be Kate Moss). But I also believe the moment I believe I’ve “already arrived”, I’ve stopped growing. Living. I’ve still got plenty of steps to take!
You and me both on this level! I am in a season of transition and I think whilst these occur in our lives, we have to live through our faith as a guiding source of courage! Life is best lived when we embrace the risks that alter our stars in the best ways possible! Generally speaking, the serendipitous nature of change can affect our lives in such creatively curious ways, that the journey becomes an adventure in being mindful of the hidden paths are feet will walk in order to arrive where we are meant to be! The time in which we find ourselves where we are going is not always when we perceive ourselves to arrive but rather, we are led to where we are needed at the time that is right. None of us are ever fully grown until the day the world offers us no inspiration, curiosity, or a healthy thirst for adventure! May our hearts always be open to the unexpected and embrace all the seasons that life will bring us. For knowledge arrives in gentle whispers whilst we are making plans that may not be meant to transpire!
Jackie Gamber is the award-winning author of many short stories, screenplays, and novels, including “Redheart” and “Sela”, Books One and Two of the Leland Dragon Series, as well as the upcoming Book Three of the series, “Reclamation.” For more information about Jackie and her mosaic mind, visit http://www.jackiegamber.com
Thank you, Ms. Gamber for dropping by Jorie Loves A Story today! And, thank you to Mr. Zimmer for making this Interview possible as a bookend to my review of “Redheart”!! Ms. Gamber I was humbled and honoured to not only have you here today on my blog, but to peer into a window of a writer’s life which mirrored my own! The little murmurings of our synchronicity made me smile as wide as the moon! I am forevermore grateful that our paths have crossed in this way, as you truly touched me by your ability not only to be earnestly honest in your answers, but share such an intimate view into who you are as a woman, a writer, a nature-loving soul, and as a creative! My heart is full of gratitude which is overflowing! Please leave a note for the author if you have anything you’d like to say or ask!
Be sure to catch the first half of this showcase:
Jorie reviews “Redheart“, Book One of the Leland Dragon series!
This interview was made possible by Seventh Star Press! They have my full gratitude!
{NOTE: There is no affiliation with Amazon and Jorie Loves A Story,
the link to the author’s page was provided by the author herself.}
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
I decided to include this for:
as I simply want to spread the joy of this interview!
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Redheart” by Matthew Perry and Jackie Gamber’s photograph were all provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. Seventh Star Press logo badge provided by Seventh Star Press and used with permission. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie submitted her Questions to Mr. Zimmer, who forwarded them to Ms. Gamber, for which she replied in earnest. Jorie was grateful to have this opportunity to interview her. “That Friday Blog Hop” badge was provided by XOXO Rebecca!}
Forthcoming Reviews, Book Tours, and Exciting News!
{A JLAS Update!}
My dear readers, I took a bit of a short reprieve from posting my SFN-related content over the past several days, but have no fear, I am returning to my regularly scheduled SFN-events! If you keep a pertinent eye on my SFN Page you will start to see the posts ‘populate’ over the next three days! I have already started to back-blog two features that were meant to be on JLAS on the 6th and 7th of last week! One speaks about the motion pictures that I am going to be watching for SFN and the other is my approach of reading Dystopian literature from a Skeptics POV! If you haven’t been swept up into the excitement of Sci-Fi November do click on the badge below:
And, join in on the mayhem of conversing with science fiction appreciators from around the world! There are events and features going on 24/7 throughout the month! You never know if your going to find someone whose read a book your mad for to read or if someone else shares your enthused response to a sci-fi motion picture or tv serial like “Doctor Who” — including this Nu-Whovian! Jump in!
Meanwhile, do you remember I reviewed the lovely dragon fiction novel “Redheart” by Jackie Gamber!? I have some wickedly smashing news to share with you tonight!! The second half of my showcase for Gamber arrives on my blog *this!* Friday, the 15th of November as I interview Ms. Gamber!! If you’re a hearty fan of the fantasy side of science fiction, cannot get enough dragon lore and fiction, and simply want to get to know an indie author a bit better, I recommend that you mark this date on your calendar! Be sure to read about the book before you drop back!
Prior to Ms. Gamber arriving on JLAS,
I have two exciting book tours coming up this week!
The first one arrives on the Tuesday, the 12th of November, which is where I re-read a story that I read originally for Book Browse’s First Impressions programme! It’s an exciting moment for me to re-visit a story that I felt such a strong connection too! Stop back to see my juxtaposition commentary from reading this lovely book exactly one year after I read it for the first time!
“The House Girl” by Tara Conklin
This blog book tour stop marks my first in conjunction with TLC Book Tours, a touring company I hope to work with regularly in the future! I am thankful to have the opportunity not only to be a stop on the tour which celebrates the release of the paperback, but to be given a chance to speak about the novel itself!
I am reviewing “Gracianna” and interviewing the author Trini Amador on the 13th of November! I am most esteemed to be a part of this tour as it’s the second blog book tour for “Gracianna”! I have a special interview to share with you, so please remember to drop back and see how the interview starts to unfold!
Before I close my announcements for the evening, I wanted to share with you one lovely honour I was given recently, which is “Blogger of the Month: November”!! I was quite excited and happily surprised to have been awarded this honour by one of my blog tour hosting companies! For the entire month of November 2013, my blog’s badge will be featured under the heading “Blogger of the Month” on their main site! Isn’t that wickedly smashing!? Drum roll,… it was presented to me by:
Its going to be an exciting week here on Jorie Loves A Story, and I look forward to seeing everyone dropping by, conversing on the posts that draw a breath of interest, and sharing my thoughts and impressions of the books that I was thankful to be a part of the blog book tour of which they are represented! As always, you never know what I might post about next, so stay tuned for more SFN Book Reviews as well as more SFN Goodies yet to come! I appreciate all my lovely subscribers, faithful followers, and regular visitors who consistently drop by JLAS! Goodnight, dear hearts!
SOURCES: Book cover for “The House Girl” by Tara Conklin provided by TLC Book Tours. Blog tour badge for “Gracianna” provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. Sci-Fi November Badge provided by Rinn Reads.}