On why I’ve been enjoying reading this series:
I’ve been an avid reader of #INSPY Lit since I was a young girl – in fact, disappearing into the fiction shelves of my local Christian bookstore was as much joy as finding myself unable to become extracted from the local library; with one added bonus: the bookstore didn’t mind if a young kid was in the fiction section whereas the public library (this is in the ’80s) had a more firm mindset about such things. The librarians seemed to think children would only be interested in books contained in the Children’s Department which was a bit short-sighted of them but thankfully, bookstores were more enlightened.
Judith Pella and Lois Gladys Leppard were two of my first INSPY wanderings along with the Cooper Kids Adventure series – yet, I regularly would notice the boxed sets for Historical INSPY authors who were writing compelling series inasmuch as the fact when it came to Historical vs Contemporary offerings, I was forevermore leaning towards the historic past!
Over the years, I’ve bridged my interests in seeking out both timescapes as I’ve grown a fondness for Contemporary INSPY when it was originally one I felt was most under-read. When it comes to the Historicals, my heart swoons with swirls of happiness because I can’t wait to dive into the setting, observe the period details and just become a bit lost in the past. Even though I have begun a self-challenge to read *70 Authors!* of INSPY Literature – my wanderings into their collective works has been a bit slow going these first six years of Jorie Loves A Story. I also become a bit distracted by finding #newtomeauthors for INSPY Lit and/or I am smitten by the mainstream side of the ledger as well! Laughs. The life of a hybrid reader is never dull, that is for sure!
Today, it is a joy of my to feature a series by one of my yet to be read INSPY novelists, Ms Jody Hedlund whose stories have captured a curiosity in me to be read. I recognise these are Digital First Releases rather than being released across formats – hence why I wasn’t able to read them for review but could offer up an extract for my tour stop – however, I am always encouraged that perhaps one day, the stories which are Digital First might one day find a new release in either print or audiobook.
For now, I am simply celebrating finding a series of Ms Hedlund’s I desire to be reading and hope perhaps, it might be a series which tempts you to seek out as well! Enjoy the short entry into the series with the extract and have a lovely bookish Wednesdasy!
The Lost Princesses series:
Published by: Northern Lights Press
Genres: Historical Romance, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Sweet Romance
→ This is a Digital First Release
(*hoping the series will go into print and/or audio*)
Read an Extract from this series
– provided by Prism Book Tours:
I didn’t wait for Mitchell’s response. Instead, I shoved aside the tent flap and proceeded toward the lists. With spurs jangling and armor clanking, I joined the other knights with an air of confidence from years of training.
I rode Roland, Mitchell’s bay roan, to the cheering of villagers who sat on the ground as well as the wooden benches that had been erected along the cordoned-off center field. The colorful pavilions with their more elaborate galleries provided seating for the nobility, a place to which I’d been relegated too many times in the past.
Disguised as a squire, Mitchell took his place next to me, straightening the caparison covering the horse. The flowing cloth was patterned with a red vertical stripe across white with a golden eagle at the center, the Langley family coat of arms.
“Remember everything I have spoken.” He moved to the front of the charger and inspected the chanfron, making sure the iron shield sat securely in place over Roland’s head. “Especially keep in mind that Lord Mortimer is weaker on the left side.”
I nodded in reply and refrained from telling him I’d seen Lord Mortimer perform more times than he had and was familiar with every nuance of the lord’s strategy and maneuvers.
Always (novella – prequel)
A fierce elite guard. A loyal lady in waiting. They must work together to save three princesses from certain death.
On the verge of dying after giving birth to twins, the queen of Mercia pleads with Lady Felicia to save her infant daughters. With the castle overrun by King Ethelwulf’s invading army, Lady Felicia vows to do whatever she can to take the newborn princesses and their three-year old sister to safety, even though it means sacrificing everything she holds dear, possibly her own life.
Gravely wounded in battle and knowing all is lost to his enemy, the king of Mercia tasks Lance, one of his fiercest elite guards, to protect his family along with keys to an ancient treasure. As Lance makes plans to sneak the princesses out of the capital city, he doesn’t need or want Lady Felicia’s help.
With the dark enemy in pursuit, Lance and Felicia must put aside their differences to outrun King Ethelwulf and prevent him from killing the princesses. In a desperate attempt to hide the young girls, Lance and Felicia agree to a marriage of convenience, a decision that will change their lives—and hearts—forever.
Evermore (book one)
An ancient key. A secret treasure. And a princess destined to use them both to fight evil and restore peace.
Raised by a noble family, Lady Adelaide has always known she’s an orphan. Little does she realize she’s one of the lost princesses and the true heir to Mercia’s throne…until a visitor arrives at her family estate, reveals her birthright as queen, and thrusts her into a quest for the throne whether she’s ready or not.
Unable to tolerate King Ethelwulf’s cruelty and lawlessness, Christopher Langley left Mercia years earlier, training a group of rebels in neighboring Norland. When he returns home after his mother’s death, he discovers that not only is Adelaide all grown up, but she’s also the rightful queen of Mercia.
When King Ethelwulf discovers Adelaide’s location, he’ll stop at nothing to capture her and the key she holds to the ancient treasure. Christopher is just as determined to protect Adelaide so she can lead the growing rebellion. When feelings ignite between the two old friends, forces threaten to destroy their love and rip them apart forever.
Foremost (book four) – *forthcoming release 24th September, 2019
Hereafter (book three) – *forthcoming release 29th October, 2019
Converse via: #INSPY + #HistRom, #HistoricalRomance and #JodyHedlund
About Jody Hedlund
Jody Hedlund is a best-selling and award-winning author who loves fairy-tales and happily-ever-afters. She makes her home in Midland, MI with her husband and five teen-aged children. When she’s not writing another of her page-turning stories, you can usually find her sipping coffee, eating chocolate, and reading.
I happen to love Royal stories – any one-off novel or book series which talks about a Royal Court, the lineage of ascension through Kings & Queens or the heartache of being a princess or prince who have their own tribulations to overcome and/or want to make a mark for themselves and break with tradition are the kinds of stories I personally love to seek out to be read. There is something alluring about the whole closed shoppe atmosphere of a Royal setting – there are distinctive rules and regs the characters must endure but also, there is a measure of rebellious spirit, too!
There is nothing stronger than a Mum’s instinct to protect her daughters – the foundation of this series reminds me of others I’ve read where a parent has to sacriface their own safety in order to free their children. Also, as I read quite a heap of fiction set before, during or after a major malstorm of war, the more I learnt about the Lost Princesses series – the more eager I was to start consuming it!
The interesting bit is how the princesses themselves are given one of the hardest trials of their lives – being raised outside their ancestral home and away from their birth family. I think the most compelling aspect of the premise is how in this world – you have to rely on instinct and self-determined grit to survive. There are powerful forces working against you and your family to where the pursuit of the ‘treasure’ has blinded the enemies to logic and reason; they’d rather take what they feel is theirs than to act and behaviour in an honourable manner.
Even in the brief extract you feel their sense of pride and the honour in which they are fighting – they haven’t lost their hope but they also know how hard it will be to overcome those who seek to do them harm. I can imagine myself becoming lost inside this world, rallying behind the princessess and their allies and seeing how Ms Hedlund painted the journey of a good vs evil story where the battle to the future is a path you can’t wait to take alongside her characters!
This blog tour is courtesy of:
{SOURCES: Book covers for “Always”, “Evermore”, “Foremost” and “Hereafter”, book synopsises, author biography, author photograph of Jody Hedlund, the tour host badge and Prism Book Tours badges were all provided by Prism Book Tours and used with permission. Post dividers and My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets were embedded due to codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Stories in the Spotlight and the Comment Box Banner.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2019.
I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life
Personally *love!* finding #newtomeauthors of #INSPY who are writing stories which excite me to find – today, on #JLASblog I'm hosting a #bookspotlight for Ms @JodyHedlund's #LostPrincesses series – enjoy the extract & feel captured by this #HistFic dramahttps://t.co/dyAAMZUS35 pic.twitter.com/1QJDAy3RqS
— Jorie Story 📖🎧 (@joriestory) September 11, 2019
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