Category: Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author

+SSP Week+ Author Guest Post “On writing about Dwarves” by D.A. Adams

Posted Sunday, 26 January, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Proposed Topic for D.A. Adams: What was the foundation of his inspiration to tackle a series strictly focused on Dwarves? And, if this was inspired by Lord of the Rings &/or another author/series, or if he had the story come to him and followed his heart with the characters?!

The Brotherhood of the Dwarves by D.A. Adams
Artwork Credit: Bonnie Wasson

I welcome author D.A. Adams today to Jorie Loves A Story, where he took the heart of my proposed question and gave back his heart in his response! I was very appreciative of his generous approach to explain the wholeness of his choice in writing about dwarves. Adams has written four installments of The Brotherhood of the Dwarves series, published through Seventh Star Press. (Prior to SSP, the series was originally released by Third Axe Media for the first two books.) I believe there is a fifth installment slated to be released in 2015. I will be reading and reviewing the first book: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves lateron this week! Let us allow his voice to soak into us as he explains the impetus of his creation.

Shabby Blogs

When asked the question, “Why dwarves?” my initial reaction is often, “Why not dwarves? Dwarves kick butt.” However, there are much more interesting and more sophisticated answers to this question.

For starters, in the fantasy cannon, dwarves tend to be the blue-collar class. They are laborers – miners, blacksmiths, and structural engineers – typically depicted as hard-working, hard-drinking, and ready to fight at the tug of a beard. Elves are the elites, the refined and sophisticated wine sippers and art connoisseurs, as elegant and graceful as they are intelligent and beautiful. I grew up and still reside in rural Appalachia. My roots are in hard, dirty work, the kind that leaves you with a ripe smell at the end of the day, so in my youth, my affinity always leaned towards the dwarves, for they reminded me of the hard-working men I grew up around.

Then, there is the Dungeons and Dragons aspect to consider. During pre-pubescence, I was shy, awkward, and highly introverted. D&D offered me an outlet for my creativity and allowed me to grow out of my shell. I often ended up as the Dungeon Master because my friends loved the elaborate adventures I would create for them. Even when playing a module, I typically deviated from the script and developed my own story within the module’s setting. My character, a young, rowdy dwarf with a sharp temper, became a regular NPC on these adventures. My friends loved and hated him, for while he usually helped them achieve their task, he was just as likely to pick a fight with one of the party. When I began pre-writing for this series, I dusted off Roskin and rethought him. Though his background and nuances are much different today as when I was thirteen, the nucleus of Roskin is deeply-rooted in that D&D character of my youth.

Finally and most importantly, dwarves are the central figures in this series as an homage to C.S. Lewis. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe changed my life, being my gateway to fantasy literature. Near the end of The Last Battle, book seven in the chronicles, there is a scene where the characters have been trapped and surrounded in a barn. Aslan arrives and reveals to them the splendor of his land, all except the dwarves. They can only see the barn and the hay, for they are mired in the physical world. When I began this series, I wanted to create a realistic world and story devoid of any supernatural and/or religious elements. It’s true the elves have a hyper-developed sense of intuition, but I don’t see that as supernatural but more of a highly refined sixth sense attached to the physical world (And I based this trait on my grandmother, who was part Cherokee and had an amazing intuitive ability. She could spook you with the things she knew and saw). Outside of the intuition, everything in the series is grounded in the physical world, so I chose dwarves as the central figures as a tribute to Lewis and that scene in The Last Battle.

Those are the primary reasons why I chose dwarves and part of the genesis for the series. I wrote this adventure because I believe the world now more than ever needs a story rich with a diverse cast bonding together, flawed heroes overcoming their own limitations to achieve great things, and ordinary people standing up to tyranny. It offers strong female characters, realistic antagonists, and likeable heroes. At its heart, this series is about the triumph of humanity over materialism because I believe that issue to be the single most important one we as a society face today. And I made dwarves the central figures because I believe in the abilities of everyday working class people to change the world for the better. That and dwarves do kick butt, so why not?

You can follow D.A. Adams adventurous dwarves and stories at: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves site.

Shabby Blogs

You wrote a very compelling piece about Dwarves and I learnt quite a heap about you as a writer and as person as well! I think my readers will enjoy reading the background of how you first came to appreciate dwarves and what led you forward to giving them such a hearty piece of reality to exist in! I truly believe in intuition as my own maternal past has had its share of inclinations like your grandmother! Sometimes the greatest distances people place in faith is the inability to understand and accept the unknown. I’ve never had a problem with taking a leap of faith and in trusting what I feel, sense, and know internally.

My own teenage years were spent in D&D scenarios except to say that I sort of wrecked part of the joy for the Dragon Master because instead of sorting out the passages of his story ‘in gameplay’, I knew within one or two ‘plays’ where we were headed and the full layers of what he had built inside the world! I find that sometimes if the world building of the writer is solid enough at the jump-start I can draw the conclusions of where the writer is attempting to take their audience. This isn’t always the case, but as D&D was a role playing game, I believe it led way to my perception of what was ahead.

I wasn’t able to follow Narnia in book form – I had to follow it through motion pictures! As despite all my attempts I found the writing a bit droll for me to process. I actually compared it to Robinson Crusoe to my parents because that was the first book I never finished and gave up on principle! Now. Narnia in film? I can soak into that world very easily and its much easier for me to follow, process, and understand the depth of everything set in the world itself.

I sometimes find there is a disconnect with how I internalise stories and the full arc of the story-teller’s vision. I’ve always been a keen visual learner and there are moments where if I find a written story to be a bit of a leap for me to grasp, I take a chance on its motion picture variation. Odds are in favour the ebbings of live-action portrayals will help ease my imagination into the world it originally felt disconnected from.

I originally thought your inspirations for dwarves was from Lord of the Rings – as although I haven’t fully read the books, I gathered all! of them, including the Histories. I rallied behind Gimli the entire time! I always felt Dwarves were deeply misunderstood! No matter how we each came around to feeling about dwarves I tend to defend them myself!

I haven’t looked into the meanings behind the stories or the underpinnings of where each writer was attempting to take their audience, but I do agree with you on the working class. I think you always want to champion the class in which you were bourne and lived, bringing real stories of honest people trying not only to carve out a living for themselves but to shine a light on the hard work and the dedication of enjoying their lives as well. I always felt dwarves in particular are the epitome of ‘live hard, play hard’!!

Shabby Blogs

This Seventh Star Press focus week was brought together with the help of Tomorrow Comes Media, of which I am a blog tour hostess and book reviewer. To keep up to speed with which authors and books I will be featuring on Jorie Loves A Story in the near future via Tomorrow Comes Media, please check out my Bookish Events! 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.

This marks my second post in contribution of:

(“Strength and Honor” by Stephan Martiniere, used with the artist’s permission)
(“Strength and Honor” by Stephan Martiniere, used with the artist’s permission)

You can follow along on the official Sci-Fi Experience site!

Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings

{SOURCES: The 2014 Sci-Fi Experience was granted permission to use the artwork by Stephen Martiniere in their official badge for all participants to show their solidarity during the event! The Brotherhood of the Dwarves cover art provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. I requested an Author Guest Post on the topic of writing about dwarves through Stephen Zimmer and received the essay direct from the author D.A. Adams. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Blog News badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Sunday, 26 January, 2014 by jorielov in Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Heroic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Seventh Star Press, Seventh Star Press Week, The Sci-Fi Experience, The Writers Life, Tomorrow Comes Media, YA Fantasy

*Author Guest Post*| Gail Mencini [To Tuscany with Love] speaks on Reflections on To Tuscany with Love

Posted Wednesday, 8 January, 2014 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

“Reflections on To Tuscany with Love”, from the author of the novel of the same title Gail Mencini! The first book in a new women’s fiction series set in the romantically atmospheric setting of Tuscany, Italy!

Gail Mencini
Photo Credit: Ashography Event Photography

Today, it is my honour to welcome Ms. Gail Mencini to Jorie Loves A Story, of whose novel “To Tuscany with Love” I had the courtesy of reading by way of JKS Communications! My review of her novel preceded her stopover today whereupon she responds to my enquiry of how the story was spun into existence and what the impetus of inspiration drew the story to become stitched together! Setting is always such a powerful tool for a writer, and I was quite intrigued to learn of her own experiences on behalf of “Tuscany”!

I now yield to Ms. Mencini, as she beings to share her passion for Tuscany!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Reflections on To Tuscany with Love by author, Gail Mencini

Hi Jorie. Thank you for inviting me to submit a guest post on Jorie Loves a Story!

When people hear about the plot-line of my debut novel, To Tuscany with Love, they often ask: What inspired me to write this story and why this particular setting?

Gail Menicini Photograph
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: Gail Mencini’s photo originally shared via her blog in a post entitled: “Tips to Start Your Journey to Italy”. gailmencini.com.

College years are a period of remarkable growth, discovery, and self-revelation. The novel reveals how the lives of eight college students who first meet on a semester abroad in Italy become interwoven over time. The inspiration for this story came from a family friend who casually mentioned he was headed to Florence for a reunion of his college semester abroad class. I know nothing of his reunion, or his classmates, yet the concept of such a reunion wouldn’t let go of me. In one sense, it was similar to the presence I felt of the ghost of Ernest Hemingway when I toured his Key West Florida home and knew I needed to write. The prospect of a reunion of close friends who had shared the life-altering experience of a college semester abroad wouldn’t let go of me. When my characters started haunting my waking and sleeping hours, I knew I had to tell their story.

Why central Tuscany? I’ve been fortunate to have toured this area several times—by foot, train, car, and Vespa—and I love the landscape, the history and architecture, the people, and yes, the food and wine. Florence is home to many universities and semester abroad classes, so it is a logical setting for the story. I wanted to have my characters discover both a larger city and small hill towns, as both hold unique charm and mystery.

Photo by Gail Mencini
Photo Credit: (Gelato) Gail Mencini’s photo originally shared via her blog in a post entitled: “Tips to Start Your Journey to Italy”. gailmencini.com.

What’s the rational behind a thirty-year reunion? The “middle years” are when a person has been shaped by, and burdened with, successes, failures, regrets, and secrets and the naïve, youthful view of life has long since drifted away. I picture a person walking through life with a suitcase crammed full of all these life experiences. Thirty years after college is sufficient time for life to have changed direction dramatically, often more than once, yet the characters are young enough to have the potential of many years of life ahead. It is the perfect time for a person to ask themselves “if not now, when?” and a fascinating time to bring people together again.

What is essential about the reunion to the arc of the characters’ journey? Do you have friends that you do not see often, or perhaps that you only exchange holiday cards with year after year, and one day you meet them again? With some people, you may wonder what you ever had in common with them. For others, it is as if the intervening years never happened, your conversation and the warmth you feel for them picks up where it was years ago. This latter type of friend can help you see and rediscover the “you” from long ago. So it is with the characters in To Tuscany with Love. Their naiveté has long faded, and the intervening years created situations that they believe now define them. The reunion, during which they are forced to take a hiatus from their life, opens a door. It is an opportunity to settle old scores, reveal long-held secrets, and perhaps even provide an opportunity to change direction.

Thank you, Jorie, for your interest in To Tuscany with Love, and the opportunity to share these insights with your followers! Readers can connect with me and learn more about the book at my website: http://www.GailMencini.com .

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Thank you, Ms. Mencini for alighting on my blog today whilst giving my readers and followers a bit of an inside knowledge of how your crafted the story of the novel based on second-hand knowledge of another University student who lived abroad! I find as writers, we have an unlimited well of inspiration waiting to spark a story our heart is willing to pen! We fuse our observations and our keen sense of story-telling into each of our projects, giving a new dimension to our audiences as we do so! I am always intrigued by how stories take shape initially as each spark of light for a novel emerges out of such a unique passageway in a writer’s internal world!

I know instinctively you had personally traveled through Tuscany, because the chapters and sections which drew our eye directly to experiencing Tuscany for ourselves was writ with a deep passion and appreciation! The setting was not merely a backdrop in those instances but a character whose voice rang strong and true! I appreciated the little nuisances you included to give the impression of a ‘real living experience’ being read as it played out rather than reading a story which took place outside the scope of the time setting it was read. Sometimes stories read as though we’re complete outsiders, but the way in which you painted Tuscany, the world set there became a breathing essence of the story itself!

I oft wonder how I am a bit set apart in that one regard, as I haven’t become jaded in my thirties. I am still lit quite happily alive with the warm glow of happenstance joy in seeking out the adventures and the experiences which give me the most growth as much as the most diversity of knowledge. I am still rapt in awe in most of my everyday wanderings, including but not limited to exploring the natural world just outside my door! I oft feel badly for others who are in my generation who have let go of their childhood innocence of pure joy which alights in our lives as readily as a rainbow graces the sky after a rainfall! Life can feel like its become muddled, but its how we choose to set our attitudes as we walk through our lifepath which will ultimately decide how we emerge out of the adversities which unexpectedly blindside us.

Thank you for your warm honesty and openness to share your internal writing life with my readers! I appreciated seeing your point of view as much as your process as a writer! Your always very giving of your time, and I have appreciated our impromptu interactions via Twitter!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Be sure to catch the first half of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie reviews “To Tuscany with Love“,
which includes a virtual road map of this tour!
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.
Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events to mark your calendars!!
As well as to see which events I will be hosting with:

To Tuscany With Love Blog Tour - JKS Communications Publicity Firm

{SOURCES:  Photograph of the author Gail Mencini and the tour badge for JKS Communications were provided by JKS Communications. Ms. Mencini provided the photographs of Tuscany (of The Campo and of gelato). All author and book related materials were used with permission. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie requested to feature a Guest Post on JLAS by Ms. Mencini whilst signing up for the blog book tour for “To Tuscany with Love”. She was honoured her offer was accepted and received the guest post by Ms. Mencini through Ms. Lien. This marks her second Author Submitted Guest Post on her blog!}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Wednesday, 8 January, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Contemporary Romance, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Life Shift, Modern Day, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Time Slip, Tuscany, Women's Fiction

*Author Guest Post* | M.K. Tod [Unravelled] speaks on “Becoming a Historical Fiction Writer”

Posted Saturday, 9 November, 2013 by jorielov , , 1 Comment

Guest Post by Parajunkee

“Becoming a Historical Fiction Writer”, from the author of the historical fiction novel, “Unravelled”. M.K. Tod imparts her journey towards publication today on Jorie Loves A Story!

M. K. TodI would like to welcome a special guest contributor today: Ms. Tod who has penned the richly engaging historical fiction novel “Unravelled”, by which I had the honour of reading courtesy of France Book Tours. As soon as I read the synopsis for this novel, I knew I would be readily drawn into the world by which it is set! I am oft drawn into dramas during the World War eras, and especially ones that are wrought with both a measure of eloquence for the setting as much as delving into the human spirit and heart of the story.

I now yield to Ms. Tod, as she starts to share her fascinating story!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Becoming a Historical Fiction Writer ~ by M.K. Tod

Summer 2004 – the summer that changed my life. In July of that year, my husband’s company asked him to consider a three-year assignment to Hong Kong. We hesitated only long enough to consult with our children and mothers, then plunged into planning and moving, riding the waves of fantasy and euphoria for the next few months. Everything seemed full of possibilities.

Winter 2005 – the bite of reality set in as I struggled to find occupation and purpose and to satisfy intellectual, emotional and social needs. My husband was frantically busy, traveling every week to locations throughout Asia. I had found only a few friends and no job. For a woman accustomed to juggling career, family and social activities, endless free time felt like a burden rather than a luxury. Excitement was replaced by loneliness and intense dislocation. How would I survive?

I dithered. I continued searching for a job. I complained to those back home. I prowled the streets of Hong Kong extending simple outings to multi-hour, blister-inducing walks. I joined an association of expat wives who met for coffee every Thursday. I read books and bought stacks of DVDs. I shopped. I visited Cambodia, Taiwan, and Australia. Gradually, an idea emerged.

My grandmother died on the way to her second wedding. I had often thought this dramatic curtain on life would make a good story and one day, sitting in our apartment with a wonderful view of harbor and city, I decided to write about her life. I had some notes my mother had written about her family. I had my computer and oceans of time.

The first step was research. To create a story based on the lives of my grandparents, I would have to understand WWI, the Depression and WWII. Not being a student of history, I felt the need to begin at the beginning. What caused WWI? Who were the players? What did soldiers experience? What happened on the home front?

Happily, the Internet offered reams and reams of information on military and political events as well as maps and photos and stories of individual experiences of war. I found soldiers’ diaries lovingly transcribed by relatives to preserve and honor long ago sacrifice. I found regiments maintaining information about those who served in WWI, the weapons used and uniforms worn, the rations eaten and songs sung. A world of chaos and bungling and death emerged and I became utterly captivated.

But a novel requires drama: a plot with twists and turns, characters going through change, tension and conflict. Clearly, I would have to embellish. I was a mathematics and science grad with no writing experience except business articles and client reports. “Writing a novel can’t be that hard,” I muttered to myself.

I bought a book on writing, underlining advice that seemed most useful. “Always have a notebook and pen on hand.” “Borrow (and steal) from your favorite writers.” “Master metaphor.” “Accelerate the pace with invisible writing.” “Sentences are written like jokes. The punch line is at the end.” “Mix description, narration, exposition and dialogue.” “Resolve all conflicts by the end of the story.” Gradually these bits of advice made sense.

Back in Toronto that summer, my mother provided further ingredients for the story by telling me that my grandfather fought at Vimy Ridge in April of 1917 and went on to be part of the Army of Occupation in Germany after WWI ended. She spoke of my great-grandparents and what she knew of her parents’ wedding, a few memories of the Depression and more substantial memories of living through WWII. She gave me a box of old photos and newspaper clippings and my grandfather’s scrapbooks. She also relayed the story of my grandfather’s involvement with Camp X, a place not far from Toronto where espionage agents were trained in WWII. My grandfather and espionage – who would have imagined?

The plot started to take shape.

Writing gave me more than an occupation; it gave me the thrill of doing something new. Unwittingly, I had accepted the need to let go of my old world and reinvent myself, had taken charge rather than allowing myself to continue wallowing. I had emerged from the culture shock of moving to a foreign country with a sense of purpose. Contentment settled in. Time passed. The story and my writing skills evolved.

In June 2007, we returned to Toronto. Before leaving, I took several last walks to favorite haunts—The Peak, the walk along Bowen Road, Dragon’s Back, a lively Vietnamese restaurant in Soho, the streets of Central, Stanley Market, the Man Mo temple, Teresa Coleman’s gallery—these familiar places were friends, touchstones in that bustling Asian city.

My novel was in its fourth version by then, the outcome of almost two years of work contained in a small moving box of printed materials, books on writing, novels and non-fiction books about WWI and WWII along with a collection of computer files.  I set those aside to resume my business career, occasionally working on the story on evenings and weekends. But the pull of writing would not let me go. I longed to craft sentences, build images of long ago times, and explore the emotions of a man and woman coping with war and the consequences of death and destruction. Hong Kong had turned me into a writer.

After completing a lengthy consulting project, I took the plunge and walked away from thirty years of accomplishments. I remember feeling inordinately pleased the first time I used the word ‘writer’ to describe my occupation. Finally, in late 2010, I threw away my consulting files. Had Toronto regulations permitted, I might have had a ceremonial bonfire to mark the end of that life. A wonderful life, really. One in which I had been fortunate enough to work with talented people in frequently demanding circumstances.

And where am I now? I’ve completed two novels and have an agent for one of them. A third novel is ready for editing and plot tuning. I have a blog called A Writer of History. I’ve conducted a reader survey. I’ve taken two writing courses and collected additional books on writing. I’m active in the community of writers, particularly those who write historical fiction and have even been asked to speak on the topic.

“What about my grandmother’s story?” you ask. It has been self-published this past September under the title Unravelled. A fitting title for what happens in the novel and a fitting description of what happened when a woman from Toronto became an expat spouse in Hong Kong.

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction and blogs about all aspects of the genre at A Writer of History. Her debut novel, UNRAVELLED: Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage. is available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon (USCanada and elsewhere), NookKoboGoogle Play and on iTunes. Mary can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

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Thank you, Ms. Tod for giving us such a hearty overview of your writing history and journey towards publication! I must say, your story starts off on an adventurous note, whilst you and your family rather quickly relocated to Hong Kong! I would imagine the experience of being there would not only give you numerous memories for your lifetime, but provide you with curious possibilities for research and writing! I realise you didn’t have an easy road towards beginning your book, as you first had to sort through what it was that your heart was calling you to do, but once on that path! Oh, my goodness did you excel! As I read how your research started to give you a heartier glimpse of life during the World Wars, I fondly thought back on my own research jaunts and where they have led me! There are always hidden passageways we tread whilst researching a story, and for me, that is part of the reason I enjoy to write. It would appear the same is true for you as well.

You were also blessed with a family who kept excellent genealogical records and cared about preservation of your lineage! I am also a history buff whose passion for uncovering her ancestral past stems from the pursuits her Mum made long before I was even a whisper of a breath! The map of passageways leading into our ancestry is oft a tedious and rewarding journey, but I was most impressed that your Mum had such a collection of information to impart on you! Wow. And, your quite right, who expects to find such a juicy antidote as espionage!?

What I appreciated the most about your journey, is that it took an exodus of being elsewhere to have your true heart’s passion for writing not only emerge into the forefront but to grab a hold of your inner murmurings to where you decided that it was your calling afterall! The accumulation of everything you were prior to writing has given you the edging on being a writer because writing takes gumpshun, passion, determination, and bold self-confidence! Clearly these are attributes you brought with you from your previous career and they will be what carry you forward as your writing endeavours continue to expand!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Be sure to catch the second half of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie reviews “Unravelled“,
which includes a virtual road map of this tour!

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.

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:

France Book Tours

on my Bookish Events Featured on JLAS!

{NOTE: The links for bookstores carrying the novel “Unravelled” shared by the author, M.K. Tod are not affiliated with Jorie Loves A Story. As stated in my Review Policy I do not have affiliations, nor do I receive compensation for links shared on my blog.}

{SOURCES:  Photograph of the author M.K. Tod was provided by France Book Tours and used with permission. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie requested to feature a Guest Post on JLAS by Ms. Tod whilst signing up for the blog book tour for “Unravelled”. She was honoured her offer was accepted and received the guest post by Ms. Tod through Ms. Cazabonne. This marks her first Author Submitted Guest Post on her blog! France Book Tours badge created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers provided by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Saturday, 9 November, 2013 by jorielov in Adulterous Affair, Blog Tour Host, Canada, Debut Novel, England, Espionage, France, France Book Tours, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, The World Wars, Time Slip, War-time Romance