Month: August 2022

#WWWednesday No. XVI | And, it’s audiobooks for the win! Find out why audio reads are luring Jorie back into reading whilst #SelfPubFanMonth kicks off this September!

Posted Wednesday, 31 August, 2022 by jorielov 4 Comments

#WWWednesdays graphic created by Jorie in Canva.

I ♥ the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity it gives the reader! Smiles. Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read providing a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! Smiles. ♥ the brilliance of it’s concept!

This weekly meme was originally hosted by Should Be Reading who became A Daily Rhythm. Lovingly restored and continued by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:

  • What are you currently reading!?
  • What did you recently finish reading!?
  • What do you think you’ll read next!?

After which, your meant to click over to THIS WEEK’s WWWWednesday to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! Score! Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!

Join the Convo via: #WWWWednesday

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And, it’s audiobooks for the WIN!

Find out why audio reads are luring Jorie back into reading!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Who knew the best way to JUMP START your readerly life which has been on an unexpected sabbatical for the Summer was to queue up some audiobooks!? You did? I did not. Until I started hearing narrators in my ears who were luring me back into reading in such a fantastic way! I might have had a few misses this week, as you’ll notice throughout this post but boy! Was I charmed and grateful for the narrators all the same! Just because I wasn’t able to fully anchour myself into each of their narrated stories – what did pull me through the week was the JOY of discovering their style of narration and the dexterity they had for giving us such a promising selection of voices, accents and characters to tuck close to as their voices reached my ears and imagination.

I’ve also been kinder to myself about the time I have to read and/or listen to audiobooks – rather than block out HOURS to devout to one story or audiobook, I’ve been selectively choosing which hour, half hour or afternoon/evening where I am off work and able to give attention to stories again. By breaking it down into smaller helpings of reading and listening to audiobooks, I’m finding my way forward and out of the drought that Summer gave me where I was unable to focus on reading and thus, found myself quite miserable because the lost hours between May and August almost felt like too deep of a chasm to climb out of and return back to my regular patterns of reading.

Even those short moments are improving my state of mind when it comes to resuming my visitations with stories and also, unlike months and years in the past before I worked two full-time jobs as I have been doing this year (er, wells, technically since mid-October, 2021 as I went back to work originally in February, 2021) — where I could devout more substantial time to reading, blogging and engaging – I am happy to announce I am finding my new rhythm and it is wonderful. It is hard when you have to take a pause on something you love and just get through the daily grind until something improves lateron. For me, I missed the discovery of characters, the immersion of story and the joy of seeing a writer’s vision come through their narrative and world. I ached to re-experience those moments again and finally, at long last I can say with confidence, I am back reading regularly — albeit with a bit of a different methodology of execution but all the same, I’m reading and listening to audiobooks and it FEELS GREAT!

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What Jorie is currently reading:

The Living Waters by Dan FitzgeraldDead as a Dodo (Wonderland Detective Agency) by Jeannie Wycherley

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley WeaverThe Secret at Sunset Hill by K.T. McGivens

A Peculiar Combination by Ashley Weaver (*audiobook) via NetGalley

The Secret at Sunset Hill by K.T. McGivens (*re-read & continuation)
: guest of @SatBookChat from July, 2021

→ My first #WyrdAndWonder Wednesday selection:
The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald (*re-read & continuation) : (see also Post)

→ My first #SelfPubFanMonth selection:
Dead as a Dodo (Wonderland Detective Agency) by Jeannie Wycherley (*audiobook)
*the writer behind my beloved Wonky Inn series : (see also Reviews)

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Back in May, I found out about the Wonderland Detective Agency novels which were released into audiobook by the author behind my beloved Wonky Inn series which is narrated by Kim Bretton. She has brought Alf to life so dearly brilliantly – her narration goes through til Book Five. I’ll be purchasing the following books ahead of #SpooktasticReads (in October, 2022): The Witch Who Killed Christmas (in paperback as it’s a special release), Fearful Fortunes & Terrible Tarot (Book Four) and The Mystery of the Marsh Malaise (Book Five) — which is why I’m shifting forward during #SelfPubFanMonth to start listening to another of her series – brought to life by Joanna  Lee!

She fast became an autobuy/autolisten author of mine – due to the fact I dearly LOVE to DEVOUR her stories and I love her wickedly entertaining sense of wit and humour, too! I can’t wait to see what awaits me in the Wonderland Detective Agency and I am thoroughly blessed for the chance to listen to Dead as a Dodo during my first year participating in Self Pub Fantasy Month! Read More

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Posted Wednesday, 31 August, 2022 by jorielov in #SelfPubFanMonth, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, WWW Wednesdays

An #Audiobook for Children | “Out, Mouse!” by Valerie L. Egar, narrated by Paul Collins courtesy of #NetGalley

Posted Monday, 29 August, 2022 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Children's Lit blog badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: In February (2020) I joined NetGalley for the first time as they finally announced they were going to be offering full-length audiobooks for reviewers. I was never able to join NetGalley due to having chronic migraines and being unable to read ebooks. I started requesting audiobooks to review as soon as they opened their audiobook catalogue in July, 2020. I am an eclectic reader and thereby, you will see all genres in Fiction explored from both markets of interest: mainstream and INSPY as well as from Major Trade, Indie Publishers & Press and other routes of publication, too. There might be the occasional Non-Fiction title appearing in my NetGalley queue of reviews as well. This marks a new adventure for me seeking stories for review consideration and I look forward to seeing where the stories lead me to venture.

I received a complimentary digital and temporary audiobook copy of “Out, Mouse!” direct from the publisher Whistle Oak Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All audiobooks via NetGalley are able to be heard via the NetGalley Shelf which is why I was thankful to be gifted an android tablet by my parents to celebrate my 7th Blog Birthday on Jorie Loves A Story in 2020. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: As a new reviewer on NetGalley, I’m sorting out how to get the Press Materials for each of the audiobooks I’m reviewing when I share them on my blog Jorie Loves A Story. When I contacted NetGalley Support they informed me that if a separate Press Kit is not included on the audiobook’s book page we’re allowed as reviewers to use the book cover and synopsis provided when we go to share our review of that audiobook on our blogs; as long as we give attribution as I have done at the bottom of this review in “Sources”. Those materials are provided with permission of the publishers to be used by reviewers via NetGalley.

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Why I wanted to read &/or listen to “Out, Mouse!”:

I have been wanting to find Children’s Literature audiobooks for a while now as I’ve been dipping my toes into this section of audioreads for a few years now. I’ve enjoyed where my adventures have previously taken me especially when it came to exploring the world of a circus within the audio narrative of  “The Marvelwood Magicians” which I listened to during Year 4 of #WyrdAndWonder!

When it comes to short story formats in audiobooks, I notice that if a narrator can hook me into the story within the first few minutes of their narration, I am on pins to find out how it ends! This time round, it took seconds not minutes to feel captured by Collins narration style as he rounded out the character of Finn so dearly charmingly it pulled you directly into the spirit of the story Egar had written whilst allowed you the lovely escape into the world of Mr and Mrs Mouse as their lives expanded dimensionally through the letters of Finn!

Originally in print this would be considered a picture or chapter book for younger readers but as an adult reader, who is still happily charmed by Children’s Lit across the board – (including Middle Grade & Young Adult) – it is a timeless story for all ages as you will find out from my ruminative thoughts on my review. It was mentioned this is based on Irish folklore though I am unfamiliar with the original story attached to this adaptation – it works wonderfully as a ‘first listen’ kind of story without the further background of its origins, too! One day I hope to chase down which Irish folk story it was attributed to having been inspired by and thus, expanded. Perhaps that information is in the print edition?

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An #Audiobook for Children | “Out, Mouse!” by Valerie L. Egar, narrated by Paul Collins courtesy of #NetGalleyOut, Mouse!
by Valerie L. Egar
Source: Audiobook Direct from Publisher via NetGalley
Narrator: Paul Collins

Mouse Problems? Professor Dunderbutt advises writing a polite letter to the mice suggesting a better place to live. If the first letter doesn't work, try again. And again. His method NEVER fails. But....the two mice in Finn's cottage are fussy. They expect indoor plumbing. A library. Raisin scones. Finn searches the Irish countryside for a house that will please his unwelcome guests. He writes polite letters. Will the professor's advice work?

Based on an Irish folk belief, Out, Mouse! is a humorous early chapter book for children 6-9.

13 chapters, 78 pages (print version).

Genres: Children's Literature, Early Reader Stories



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1733593335

ASIN: B094JTPHD3

Published by Whistle Oak Publishing

on 12th May, 2021

Format: Audiobook | Digital Review Copy (NetGalley)

Length: 32 Minutes, 58 Seconds (unabridged)

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Published By: Whistle Oak Publishing

Converse via: #KidsLit, #ChapterBook, #AudioReads for Children
and #audiobook or #audioreads as well as #OutMouse #NetGalley

Available Formats: Trade paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Follow the author: Site

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2022 Audiobook Challenge
  • 2022 Backlogue Reviews
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Posted Monday, 29 August, 2022 by jorielov in Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Audiobook, Book Review (non-blog tour), Children's Literature, Early Reader | Chapter Books, Folklore, NetGalley, Picture Book

An Audiobook Blog Tour | “Search for the Holy Grail” (Volumes: 1-3 Boxed Set) produced by The Audiobook Empire, writ by MJL Evans and GM O’Connor

Posted Saturday, 27 August, 2022 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Audiobook Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

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Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how you’re reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring, knitting and playing solitaire agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions.

Through hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions (which is now Audiobook Empire*), I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories. Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive and/or CloudLibrary for their digital audiobook catalogues. Aside from my libraries, I also enjoy having Audible & Scribd memberships as my budget allows. It has been a wonderful journey and one I enjoy sharing – as I am now fully expanding how many audiobooks I listen to per year whilst enjoying being a part of the LibroFM ALC programme and an audiobook reviewer for NetGalley as well.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Search for the Holy Grail” via Audiobook Empire who is working with the author on this blog tour in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: (*) The Audiobook Empire is run and owned by Jess @ Audiobookworm Promotions; as a reviewer and book blogger with her promotions company for audiobooks, audio publishers, narrators and authors – it felt like a natural transition to find titles I would be interested in reviewing via Audiobook Empire. Some of those reviews will run during audio blog tours and some will run outside of them. In 2022, she decided to merge the promotional side of Audiobookworm Promotions into Audiobook Empire rather than maintain the two separately.

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am starting to dive back into reading per my latest #WWWWednesday wherein I discussed my unexpected sabbatical from reading, blogging and engaging whilst mentioning that it is through audiobooks and Cosy Mysteries, I am starting to make my journey back into stories and the joys they have always given me as a reader. For today’s post, I am taking part on an audiobook blog tour – one of my first in a long absence from hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions which is now known directly as Audiobook Empire. Jess made the transition this year to merge her promotional side of her business into her audiobook producing company which I felt was a fantastic move on her part as everything is inclusive and together now.

It is a credit to Jess @ the Audiobookworm who first tipped my hat into considering to listen to audiobooks and to this day is one of the key reasons why I fell in love with audiobooks as much as I have throughout the past six years. By participating on her blog tours, I’ve developed a good sense of narration styles that I prefer and have found many beloved narrators who unexpected walked into my life through their audiobooks which arrived in my ears! It has been such a clever journey – to re-discover the artfulness of a story through an audio presentation.

Thereby this marks my first listen as a returning audiobook listener and my first blog tour as a returning blog tour hostess. If you haven’t yet heard of the Audiobook Empire, I encourage you to check out their website and also, if you’re a book blogger who is just getting familiar with audiobooks, I encourage you to consider hosting for the Empire, too. If you’re already a huge fan of audiobooks, the Empire is where you want to become a part of as a listener.
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An Audiobook Blog Tour | “Search for the Holy Grail” (Volumes: 1-3 Boxed Set) produced by The Audiobook Empire, writ by MJL Evans and GM O’ConnorSearch for the Holy Grail
by MJL Evans, GM O' Connor
Source: Audiobook Empire
Narrator: Anne Marie Lewis

Every pirate in the Caribbean is searching for The Holy Grail - a ship carrying the treasury of Hanover and the countess Aurora of Calenberg, suspected of orchestrating the theft. Prinz Maximilian will stop at nothing to catch her and regain the fortune, even if it means following her into the deepest, darkest recesses of Samaná Bay. With pirates and cutthroats at every turn, will she be reunited with her handmaiden, Helena and her portrait painter, Dodo? Aurora’s only solace is in a bottle of Cognac with a chaser of coca-leaf powder in this vibrant, fast-paced chase through the Caribbean.

Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Pirate Fiction, Historical Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B0B6RSD9Y6

Published by Audiobook Empire

on 18th July, 2022

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 19 hours and 20 minutes (unabridged)

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Published by: The Audiobook Empire (@AudiobookEmpire)

Converse via: #HistoricalFiction, #HistFic or #Pirates
as well as #TheAudiobookEmpire

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Posted Saturday, 27 August, 2022 by jorielov in 19th Century, Audiobook Empire, Blog Tour Host, Content Note, Fly in the Ointment, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Sexually Explicit Content (Erotica)

#WWWednesday No. XV | Jorie Returns, after a long hard Summer and only a faint echo of Wyrd And Wonder now that it’s August.

Posted Wednesday, 24 August, 2022 by jorielov 0 Comments

#WWWednesdays graphic created by Jorie in Canva.

I ♥ the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity it gives the reader! Smiles. Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read providing a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! Smiles. ♥ the brilliance of it’s concept!

This weekly meme was originally hosted by Should Be Reading who became A Daily Rhythm. Lovingly restored and continued by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:

  • What are you currently reading!?
  • What did you recently finish reading!?
  • What do you think you’ll read next!?

After which, your meant to click over to THIS WEEK’s WWWWednesday to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! Score! Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!

Join the Convo via: #WWWWednesday

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

August is nearly consumed,

Summer’s fiery wrath is unrelentingly brutal

but Jorie is returning to reading after an unplanned sabbatical!

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I hadn’t intended to be GONE for such a long time — in regards to updating Jorie Loves A Story, engaging on Twitter and being an active reader. Nearly 90 days since Wyrd And Wonder and I’ve had one heck of a Summer this year. In fact, it is a bit ironic that this year rather than 2020 or 2021 was the year where I felt the months fell forward and into each other without a lot of downtime to read, blog or engage with the bookish community.

To be honest, I’ve been working more hours and picking up more shifts whenever I could and dealing with a lot of personal and professional stress throughout June, July and now, August. Just to login to my blog has felt wonderful despite the fact everything goes back to Wyrd And Wonder with only a few posts between then and now to sustain my followers (and myself!). Not exactly as I had envisioned my Summer to go but at the same time, considering everything that has happened, I’m just thankful to recapture the joy of reading and blogging again.

I am sure I’m not the first book blogger whose found herself in this kind of a pickle – where IRL priorities supersede the joys of reading and the hours needed to blog and/or engage. However, it has been personally frustrating because I haven’t had any time to just do something outside of WORK. And, for good reasons – as by early June, my car’s air conditioner died and I spent a month and a half commuting in HIGH HUMIDITY and extremely high temperatures – as Summer’s fiery wrath was in full swing. It’s at least 90 but over 100+ with the heat index and humidity. I swear I live on the volcanic edge of sanity. The fact I could qualify for a new to me used car was an unexpected and much needed blessing which turnt the tides a bit by mid to late July.

However, as much as May was a bit marred by unexpected woes and stress at the start of Wyrd And Wonder and which nearly upset my plans a bit — this Summer has been a brutal one personally. I usually have to deal with lightning storms and intense thunderstorms – as Summer brings heavier rains and can knock connectivity into oblivion. That’s been a bit diminished compared to years past, especially considering it used to be so bad I could barely log onto my blog or even compose my notes for a review! Nowadays, we’re dealing with less storms in early Summer and more of them are collectively accumulating towards the end rather than having them as a steady presence throughout the season. Compared to other places, we’ve been blessed but evenso, there are some storms you just know are going to have deadly lightning within their clouds.

As I shift back into reading, I’ve decided to shift back into writing posts betwixt and between the reviews and/or author showcases, if I can schedule them as I’m a bit out of the loop all round and felt it best to just start reading again and then, hopefully other kinds of posts and engagements will follow suit thereafter. I’m also trying to chase down an Indie Fantasy event I remember happening September ahead of October’s #SpooktasticReads and Novembers duo: #Norsevember and #SciFiMonth. It would focus on Indie Fantasy authors and publishers but for the life of me at the moment, I am forgetting the name of the event and who hosts it! (oyyy vie)

Alas, right as I was writing this — I was able to connect to some of my bookish friends via Twitter and learnt it’s called: Self Pub Fantasy Month hosted this year by Tyra @SelfPubFanMonth!! I am wicked happy to announce now that I am participating this year and I’ll be joining the rotation of reviewers who will be featured during #SelfPubFantasyMonth as well! Eek. I can’t wait to sort out a plan of action on Jorie Loves A Story, too! As comparatively whether SpecFic is independently or self-published – those authors and their stories tend to be my wheelhouse of choice to read! As I tend to read a more limited number of traditionally published SpecFic! I’ve been wanting to join this event for ages now – so very thankful how connective we all are and how even after a lapse of connection you can reach out to people you know in this bookish community and find an event you accidently forgot the name of!

This begins my return, and I am thankful if you’ve been hovering in the background awaiting me to resume my blog and my life in the twitterverse. I appreciate everyone who visits with me and converses either on my blog or on Twitter, too. Let me know how your Summer has fared and if it went off the rails like mine did, too! Also, curious what your drawn to be reading right now – as you’ll note, my return involves an audiobook and it’s not the only one, too.

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What Jorie is currently reading:

Search for the Holy Grail MJL Evans and GM O' ConnorbyDeath on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal

Search for the Holy Grail by MJL Evans & GM O’ Connor (*audiobook)

Death on the Boardwalk by Caleb Wygal

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I decided to dip my toes back into reading this week – I had heard a sampler of an audiobook whose narrator truly caught my ears and I was thankful to find I was on the audio blog tour for this story called: Search for the Holy Grail. I’ve started listening to the story, as I didn’t get the notification I was on the tour until today, as I was knocked offline this past week due to all the fierce lightning storms – per usual for this time of year, but just as maddening all the same! I am enjoying the new format for listening to audio reads via Authors’ Direct as previously I wasn’t finding that particular app to be my favourite in regards to audiobook apps as it was harder to use when I first installed it. Now, it apparently has been updated and the format is a lot easier to navigate – at least for me. The only key issue I’m finding is that despite my love of the narrator’s voice and her wicked delight at narrating with accents for the characters is that the story itself is a bit hard to follow and/or a bit of a miss for me as a listener. Read More

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Posted Wednesday, 24 August, 2022 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, WWW Wednesdays