On why I am showcasing a Book Spotlight in lieu of the book review:
Originally I was going to contribute a book review for this blog tour, however, I had several personal circumstances arise since the time I received the book(s) for the tour and my re-scheduled tour date. As I had previously expressed on my reviews for Death Comes to London& Death Comes to the VillageI was taken ill last week and it took a long while for me to catch up on both my energies and my sleep; yet there were other things that had occurred as well, which is why I continued to lose hours to read the books I had in queue. I was fighting the clock to become current and losing ground on the hours I had left to spare in order to resume where I had left off — therefore, as I had the kind blessing of being able to receive all three of the John Chase mysteries: The Rose in the Wheel, Blood for Blood, and Die I Will Not I will be tweeting my reading adventures within the novels whilst making amends by posting my reviews after the blog tour has concluded. All three reviews will be on Jorie Loves A Story in December, as they were always meant to be showcased. I do regret I couldn’t contribute more to the blog tour, as I had planned to interview the author as well; which I had to cancel.
What initially drew my eye into wanting to participate on this blog tour is the fact these are mysteries set within the era of the Regency; one of my most highly read periods of British life and history! As I had previously disclosed on my Kurland St. Mary mysteries posts, I have the tendency to overlook reading about the Regency outside the world of Romance — so imagine my delight in finding not one, but two new mystery series!? This one is quite different from the Kurland St. Mary mysteries — the tone is set differently and the series has a uniquely different pace to it. I love curling inside mysteries of suspense where you never quite know what you will find inside whilst getting to know who the investigators are and how the writer has written the puzzle of the crime!
Let me introduce you to the novels I am in the process of reading and perhaps I shall tempt you to read them as well? I am most curious if there are other Regency Romance readers who are finding themselves happily entrenched in the Mystery / Suspense genre?
Book Synopsis:
This well imagined, carefully detailed, and cleverly plotted debut draws on actual historical events of 1811 London.
Regency London knows Constance Tyrone as the conspicuously celibate founder of the St. Catherine Society, dedicated to helping poor women. One wet November evening a carriage mows down Constance outside her office. Curiously, while her corpse’s one foot is bare, the other is shod in a clean satin slipper despite the muddy road. Why was a gentlewoman abroad in the night? And if she died under the wheel, whose hands bruised her neck and stole her monogrammed crucifix?
Dismissing the idea of an accident, Bow Street Runner John Chase forms an unlikely alliance with Penelope Wolfe, wife of the chief suspect. A young mother paying the price for an imprudent marriage, Penelope is eager to clear her husband Jeremy, a feckless portrait painter whose salacious drawings of the victim suggest an erotic interest. Chase’s first task is to learn the identity of the mysterious benefactor who goes bail for Wolfe while Penelope traces the victim’s last movements. Barrister Edward Buckler, intrigued, shakes off his habitual lethargy and joins their investigation.
As horrifying murders on the Ratcliffe Highway claim all London’s attention, the trio discovers that it won’t be easy to unravel the enigma of Constance Tyrone, a woman who revives the legend of martyred St. Catherine. Read More
One of the happiest moments for a book blogger is eagerly going to their postbox & seeing what delightfully wicked print books have arrived for their reading pleasure! I have always held a keen interest in postal mail, being a long-term postal letter correspondent which has given me such a heart of joy seeing envelopes & bundles of love arrive from dear friends around the world. Imagine my new excitement in seeing the books I am reviewing arriving by publisher, author, publicist, or literary agent! Such an exciting new chapter in postal splendor!
I have been wanting to blog about my excitement about being placed on certain blog tours and/or in receiving books for review direct from authors, publishers, or publicists. I originally came across a weekly meme on Mondays entitled Mailbox Monday and you could say, that my new feature on Jorie Loves A Story is an extended idea from the original! Except to say, with one minor switch-up! Although I attempt to write down when books arrive by Post, I am never quite as certain when the books arrive as I am always reading the next book in hand! Therefore, please join me as I get excited about the books on my shelf which are next in line to read!
I am always attempting to keep myself open to reading books which push me outside the comforts of what I regularly read in order to keep my reading life an evolving journey towards exploring every facet of literature that I can as I shift from one author to another. When I first saw this particular book being offered on tour with JKS Communications, part of me was excited in seeing a book step forward that was not the traditional story to empathsis our need to be more environmentally conscience in our livelihoods as much as in how we approach living day to day. This book I felt would not only challenge me as a reader but it would challenge a few precepts of where I thought we had broached to head next on an environmental level and where we still have a heap of work to undergo towards reaching a pinnacle of progress as a society with a green-mindset in place to help future generations make better choices than the ones who came before them. I find the topic of environmental conservation and preservation as stimulating as discussing green-minded practices in business, commerce, and trade. To uncover green sources of energy, materials, and supplies which take the burden off the Earth and allow us to live a healthier life overall is quite enticing.
Happily in the wake of my first #ChocLitSaturdays Chat on Twitter {Backstory of the Chat & Info prior to Launch} I am going to be reading a new-to-me ChocLitUK author: Janet Gover! Her book stood out to me for several reasons, but one is my love & appreciation for small townes combined with the Australian Outback! I wanted to take a step outside my natural tendency to read historical fiction and enter into the realm of a Contemporary Romance set in a remote location where true to a small towne flair of sensibility everyone knows the affairs of your life and truly looks out for you at the same time. I wanted to try out stories from ChocLit which could introduce me to not only more new authors but new styles of writing as well. I do not often read Contemporary Romances, although I simply adore Sherryl Wood’s Serenity series (wait, I think that is my endearing name for it! oh, yes, “The Sweet Magnolias”!) as much as books by Debbie Macomber! I have settled inside the Victorian & Regency eras so readily the past several years, that I have forgotten that I do indeed appreciate a lovely story set in the modern world with contemporary characters! I also felt this one might have a heap of intriguing scenery to boot, as the name simply implied to me a part of the country that would be an interesting place to set the story!
My review will post 3rd May, 16th of August 2014 ahead of #ChocLitSaturdays Chat which begins at 11am EST | 8am PST | 4pm UK | 1am Australia! I am thankful that my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature not only encompasses book reviews, Guest Posts, & Author Interviews but the ability for Romance readers to converse about romantic themes inside the novels we gravitate towards as much as a healthy appreciation of tea and chocolate! I previously mentioned this title in Jorie’s Box of Joy No.1.
My second tour to host for Ms. Amber Stokes (Editing Through the Seasons) will be for a lovely devotional which is quite devoted to an animal close to my heart: the cat! I have oft felt blessed to have the cats in my life that I have over the years, as each one would bring a certain level of serenity and calm into my life. As much as give me the gifted blessing of learning things such as cheeky humour in the midst of chaos that are simply too incredible not to acknowledge! Cats are truly my favourite companions next to dogs and hamsters, as they know how to impart unconditional love and pure grace in spirit.
When we expanded to have more than one cat, I started to have the honour of seeing how the inter-dynamics of a family can change simply by not having one cat but a handful. Different litters always have the presumption of not behaving well with each other, but I can attest that even a motley cat family from different litters can not only learn to adapt but they adjust to a comfortable level of ease around each other. I am always amazed and blessed to observe my cats, as they give so much love back to me as I give to them. I cannot wait to dig into this devotional to see where the lessons of living with cats endeared Ms. Vincent to write a devotional about how the lessons of life can alight in our lives at the most unexpected moments on the wings and shoulders of messengers we might not have realised to believe could give us so much truth.
Whilst following the blog tour for The Boleyn Bride my path crossed with the author Ms. Purdy, which led to an opportunity for me to receive this book to review. What was so incredible about the timing of it, is that it was one book that I felt I could draw myself inside and visit with the characters for quite a spell afterwards! Some stories you read about give you this itch to read the book as soon as your able too, and for me, this is one of those books! The clever bit is that I do not recall knowing too much about the Boleyn’s much less the Tudor era of England, as I have predominately always alighted between the text of Shakespeare straight into the Victorian, Regency, or Edwardian (of late) eras of visitation! The Tudors for some reason escaped my radar until recently. My interest started to pique when I found a bookish blog devoted to the Tudors and the literature which flows out of the pens of historical fiction writers: The Tudor Book Blog. I am hopeful that this will mark my start of selecting Tudor era novels and writers to help me not only learn more about this section of British History, but to help me settle into an era that I know so very little about and am thirsty to learn more!
When City of Promises came available to tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I must confess, I was teetering on the edge of saying ‘yes’ to accept this book for review. My only hesitation was due to the fact that I have been to Mexico City and therefore, was uncertain if I could return to a fictional account of the city and maintain my memories of her in the ensuing decades since this particular sliver of the city’s history takes place. In the end, I decided that if I can handle reading about the Jazz Age in America as much as Prohibition and the upturnt tides of Chicago & New York City’s histories, can I can surely handle reading what happened in Mexico City! After all, when I was there the city was undergoing a bit of a Renaissance, in an attempt to re-strengthen the city’s identity as much as to re-define the city itself. It was the heart of the story given inside the premise that pulled at me, and for which I am most anxious to see where the corridors of this particular historical fiction will take me! I am always eager to traverse into the passageways of history that might not always lend a happy ending but will lend itself a portal glimpse into a part of history that needs to be told.
Whilst attending the #LitChat of comedienne Monica Parker, I had the unexpected joy and pleasure of being able to receive her debut book Getting Waisted after an exchange of conversation between Ms. Parker, her literary publicist Ms. Chan, and myself! I had reached out to Ms. Parker after the literary chat and felt quite honoured I was given this opportunity as health & wellness holds fast to my heart! As I have been on a path towards wellness for years, seeking out the best way to maintain wellness and knowing which foods agree with my system over others. Personally, I am the most happiest in my spirit whilst eating a vegetarian and vegan diet enriched by whole foods, natural & ancient grains, as well as local farm fresh vegetables and fruits.
I can relate directly to finding inner harmony, balance, and confidence to be who you are and accept yourself at where you are on your lifepath because everyone can struggle with self-image and self-confidence no matter what age they are or where they are on their journey! I was ever so thrilled to bits seeing her book had arrived by Post, as I cannot wait to settle inside the pages as I know not only will I have the pleasure of reviewing this book but in hosting an interview with Ms. Parker at the conclusion of my reading! I had even further excited by having found a video interview of Ms. Parker’s which I will share with you now as a preview of what is yet to come:
Shannon Skinner Interviews Monica Parker on Extraordinary Women
My forthcoming review of Getting Waisted and my Author Interview with Ms. Parker will occur during the #ArmChairBEA week in which I am participating as a #bookcheerleader (the tag I created to help celebrate the fact I love cheering for books & authors!)! I am getting underway to begin reading the memoir now as I will have a lot to talk about with Ms. Parker once I reach the last page! She has already inspired me to create the sinful chocolate cake in a mug which was a curious surprise in the opening bits of the memoir!
I am curious then, if any of the newly arrived books for review which are upcoming on Jorie Loves A Story, would entice a visiting reader to pick them up for themselves!? OR, if they perchance had the opportunity already to read them, what were their impressions?!What drew you to the author or the narrative within!? And, if you are a fellow book blogger how do you feel your literary wanderings have increased since you started blogging about your reading life? Do you find the twitterverse an exciting portal towards extending friendship and conversation? And, what do you feel is the best gift you’ve received since you started your book blog!?
Cross-posted with Mailbox Monday (a weekly meme) on Monday, 28th of April where book bloggers & readers alike share their inbound books for review, newly purchased books, or otherwise added to their shelves to read. Conversing via: #MailboxMonday My feature was inspired by Mailbox Monday, however as I am always in throes of reading books for review and/or borrowing books from my library, I am never quite as certain which week the books have arrived!
{SOURCES: Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits in Fotoflexer by Jorie. Book cover for “Seeing Green” was provided by JKS Communications for both review and promotion; used with permission. The Book Cover for “Flight to Coorah Creek” was provided by ChocLitUK for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for Cats Are Part of His Kingdom Too provided by Editing Through the Seasons for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for The Boleyn Bride provided by Brandy Purdy for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for City of Promises provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book cover for “Getting Waisted” provided by Darlene Chan (Publicist) for both review and promotion; used with permission. The interview for Monica Parker by Extraordinary Women TV 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 and the author who penned it.}
One of the happiest moments for a book blogger is eagerly going to their postbox & seeing what delightfully wicked print books have arrived for their reading pleasure! I have always held a keen interest in postal mail, being a long-term postal letter correspondent which has given me such a heart of joy seeing envelopes & bundles of love arrive from dear friends around the world. Imagine my new excitement in seeing the books I am reviewing arriving by publisher, author, publicist, or literary agent! Such an exciting new chapter in postal splendor!
I have been wanting to blog about my excitement about being placed on certain blog tours and/or in receiving books for review direct from authors, publishers, or publicists. I originally came across a weekly meme on Mondays entitled Mailbox Monday and you could say, that my new feature on Jorie Loves A Story is an extended idea from the original! Except to say, with one minor switch-up! Although I attempt to write down when books arrive by Post, I am never quite as certain when the books arrive as I am always reading the next book in hand! Therefore, please join me as I get excited about the books on my shelf which are next in line to read!
ChocLitUK postal bundle: The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikli, Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover, Romancing the Soul by Sarah Tranter, The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay, & The Road Back by Liz Harris arrived with much elation as I have created a bit of a niche of celebrating ChocLit Romances in my exclusive feature entitled: #ChocLitSaturdays!
Each Saturday that I am able too, I highlight a ChocLitUK author & novel! I also strive towards hosting the authors for extra features as they are available to do so! Curling up with a ChocLit novel is quite delightful indeed, as you know your going to meet such a wonderful cast of characters, with the warm comfort of romance soaking into your heart as you enter the narrative! I appreciate the well-built back-stories, the honour of courtship and/or marriage, and the ability of a story being wholly wholesome as it is appealing to the senses!
Being a book reviewer for this lovely Indie Publisher from England is a true honour for me as I have always appreciated well-written and conceptualised romance! They tuck in a special goodie for me to find alongside the four books I requested to review, and as you can see from the list of books I mentioned, my surprise this time around was a book! Previously I have been surprised with mocha chocolate covered pencils which declare “Where heroes are like chocolate – irresistible!” For a free taste visit: www.love.choc-lit.com!! The hardest part by far is settling on which books to request, as I am always finding there is such a large breadth of choice! A happy problem to have yet a daunting one at the very same time!
Imagine my happy shock to realise that these particular mocha coloured pencils were not merely chocolate in appearance but how they can be smelt? I suffer through horrid seasonal allergies (i.e. pollen) and the entire time I’ve been receiving the pencils I never could ‘sniff out’ the smell! IF I had not caught a whiff of the chocolate scent attached to these wicked sweet pencils in a ChocLit newsletter (they were relaying the success of the chocolate pencils & pink shirts at a book festival) I am not sure when I would have realised it? I can happily report my nose is overjoyed! I am planning on using the pencils for sketching and illustrations! What a happy day it will always be when I sit down to draw!
I knew I wanted to re-visit the writings of Ms. Liz Harris after having read A Bargain Struck as much as having a delightfully spontaneous conversation with her on Twitter about writing and Oxford. The bits she shared with me about her début novel The Road Back, as much as the trivia about how she came to know the writer behind the Inspector Morse novels (who enscribed a blurb on this novel) inspired me to want to read this myself! In times like these, I feel very blessed for Twitter and for the ability it gives all of us to reach out to the writers we are reading and the writers of whom touch our hearts with the stories they compose! Twitter is a conveyor of conversations and of connecting readers to writers. Such a wonderful moment though, to realise that whilst I am sitting in the East Coast of America, Ms. Harris was typing back a reply to me settled in Oxford, England! This reflection reminded me of the initial phone calls I would make aboard whilst calling my dear friends for the first time and hearing their voices coming through with accents and clever turns of phrase! The world is not as large as we may think as it draws closer than we can sometimes believe possible.
Whereas with Romancing the Soul, I decided to embrace a story centered around a past life regression and entertain the idea of how love can become entwined throughout time and not limited to a single life lived. I spoke about this a bit whilst I reviewed a wicked sweet short story entitled: Time Out of Mind. I like seeing different approaches of a story being explored and as the soul is immortal, there is always a certain element of surprise in how far we are willing to eclipse conventional reasoning and enter into the realm of the impossible where dreams, past lives, and elements of the supernatural envelope into our everyday lives. I find it all rather exciting! Flight to Coorah Creek was a bit of a given I would request because I have always held a long-term fascination with Australia and with small Western townes in the United States. Partially out of my love of small townes, frontier settlers, and cattle ranches I eked out a passion for Western & Cowboy literature! Likewise, the Australian Outback mirrors the Western Mountains & Plains due to the long stretch of miles in-between settlements and civilisation! Not to mention the fact, that air ambulances arrived in Florida during my childhood years to help forestall major trauma patients from expiring before they could reach the hospitals who had the right staff of doctors and specialists who lived hours outside of where they were injured or taken ill. The helios that fly the skies with the medical cross are always the ones I try to remember to say a silent prayer over as much as after having witnessed or driving past a newly found accident on the road. First responders have always had my utmost respect due to their selfless dedication of saving lives where nanoseconds count and love hangs in the balance.
Whilst visiting the Wenches (over at The Word Wenches; a favourite haunt of mine) I was caught up in a discussion about time slips & time travel! The visiting author that day happened to be Christina Courtenay of whom I have started to get to know via Twitter (as she is one of the ChocLit authors who tweets quite regularly; inasmuch as the Wenches truly!). I had not expected to win her lovely book but it also happened to be the very book I was betwixt about requesting via ChocLitUK! You see, I could not quite decide whether or not to request this title OR The Silent Touch of Shadows,… I felt that whichever book I did not request I’d make sure to request the next time around! Ha! The stars aligned and I am able to read both! I think what was fantastic about her visit with the Wenches, is finding that I am not the only reader plumb addicted! to time slips and/or time travel stories! I am always quite bemused to see how each writer handles the differences in time, setting, and scope of creating the reality ‘between the layers’ as I am to be fully engrossed into two separate yet equal time eras! I cannot wait to find out how ChocLit authors choose to venture into this exciting realm!
As I have two examples of time slips from Ms. Courtenay to absorb into and find what motivates her as a writer to create the allure for those of us who seek to read time slips in fiction! The last time I was taken by surprise by the utilisation of a clever time slip was when I read Letters from Sky by Jessica Brockmole! To take letters and correspondences to a heightened level of narration was simply the icing on the cake for me! It is the treatment of interweaving a time slip into a story which attracts me the most! This extra special treat of receiving The Secret Kiss of Darkness will round out my #ChocLitSaturdays!
Oh, and I nearly had forgotten to mention that Ms. Courtenay surprised me with a bookmark for The Secret Kiss of Darkness and a miniature crystal ball which is a remarkable likeness to the one on the book cover! I am always happily surprised to see what an author tucks into the book and/or the package in which the book is sent inside! I am not sure about my fellow book bloggers, but I always lit up with such pure joy in seeing the little touches which makes receiving these little bundles of books by post such a wonderful mail day for me! I get all giddy and excited when I find they have enscribed the book to me as well! A little surprise I am not always expecting as most of the books I receive are direct from the publishers or publicists alike! Little moments of happy joy sprinkled into my ordinary days!
I have always fully supported self-published and independently published writers, as I personally always loved the different avenues authors take towards publication. This is one reason why you will oft-times find me showcasing an author from every different side of publishing: mainstream, independent, self-published, and inspirational. Which are truly the four main branches in today’s publishing world, except to say, that I do not put more weight on any single branch, as I accept all writers and all stories on equal ground. Therefore, when I was first approached through the Book Blogging Community by self-published author J. Woods to read her paranormal romance Gilded Feathers I was must esteemed! The story sparked the series which followed known as “the Gilded Feathers” and the premise is quite supernaturally enticing!
I had originally planned to read and review her début novel late last week, but due an unexpected series of life moments running interference with my blog life and my reading adventures, I have had to unfortunately push back my posting schedule. Not only for Gilded Feathers but for my A to Z Challenge posts as well. It is my goal now to read my third foray into paranormal romance alongside a gutting fictional testimony of overcoming insurmountable odds to restore your right to be a mother and to keep your family intact. The book I am now speaking about is Etched On Me by Jenn Crowell who is a traditionally published author I crossed paths with through a weekly twitterverse chat called “#LitChat”. What struck me about her novel is that she is bold about the stories she tells in giving a portal of a glimpse inside the world of a harsh reality many might not realise is completely ‘etched out of one woman’s living reality’. The dichotomy difference between the two will be most apparent, but I also find Ms. Woods to be of equal strength in daring to believe in her writings to the brink of making them available to the world through a lot of grit and determination by choosing the self-publishing route. Each woman strives to give stories which will challenge the perception and the empathy of their readers in different genres. My review of Etched On Mewill post on Tuesday, 15th of April whereas my review of Gilded Feathers will post on Monday, 12th of May.
What inspires me the most about stories and the art of story-telling is how varied the diversity of choice is within what is being offered right now in the world of publishing. Old established literary branches are getting dusted off and revitalised by ingenuity and passion from the voices of today whereas emerging platforms of story craft are bursting out seeking an audience who wants a refreshing change from the passage of what used to be considered the norm. I even find it remarkable how ChocLit is redefining the world of ‘Chick-Lit’ by providing the alternative voice within the already netted and complex world of Romance! Hence why I am always lamenting I am a ‘Choc-Lit’ girl rather than a ‘Chick-Lit’ girl! Laughs heartily. And, although I would truly love to be wrapped inside the comfy cosy soft world of romance on any given day of the week — alas, this girl aches for a healthy relationship-based meeting of the souls; I do find a great amount of joy in mixing it up and adding dashes of intrigue, thought-provoking historical narratives, and books which entice me to stretch further outside the realms of my traditional go-to narrative settings, styles, and time periods. To keep an eye out for the cutting edge daring souls who are a part of a collective movement to write a story which stands on its own wings and feet as to be representative of a new wave of literature. This is what excites me as a reader and what makes being a book blogger such an incredible gift!
Coming up on Friday, 18th of April, will be my review of Inscription a decidedly epic historical romance set amidst intrigue, adventure, and courageous wit! When I read these affirmations attached to the plot, I wasn’t sure if I had bit off more than I could chew OR if I was about to settle into the most wickedly intriguing jolt of my life! Methinks the latter will come into play moreso than the former! Laughs. I must confess that although I oft considered myself to be a daredevil reader, never pinned into any particular genre or styling of story, it was not until I started to host blog book tours that I started to notice that part of my reading world was a bit cut-away from the rest of what was being offered! I think the years I have been without an Indie bookshoppe have hindered me a bit, as I remember the days of my youth in being transfixed by the local author shelves and the event lists of upcoming authors & bookish events treating my heart and mind to the larger sea of fish publishing affords to an eclectic reader. When your a bit out of touch with an Indie bookshoppe, even though I have a beautiful local library, what I am missing are the random conversations overheard about such and such author who is either self-published or using a local press to get their feet wet. Therefore, I am evermore blessed to be crossing paths with all the lovely writers I am right now because as a book blogger who is inspired dearly by the stories and characters she encounters, the girl behind the blog feels an intense gratitude for the opportunities to engage with the stories which alight in her hands!
I am curious then, if any of the newly arrived books for review which are upcoming this week on Jorie Loves A Story, would entice a visiting reader to pick them up for themselves!? OR, if they perchance had the opportunity already to read them, what were their impressions?!What drew you to the author or the narrative within!? And, if you are a fellow book blogger how do you feel your literary wanderings have increased since you started blogging about your reading life? Do you find the twitterverse an exciting portal towards extending friendship and conversation? And, what do you feel is the best gift you’ve received since you started your book blog!?
Cross-posted with Mailbox Monday (a weekly meme) on Monday, 14th of April where book bloggers & readers alike share their inbound books for review, newly purchased books, or otherwise added to their shelves to read. Conversing via: #MailboxMonday My feature was inspired by Mailbox Monday, however as I am always in throes of reading books for review and/or borrowing books from my library, I am never quite as certain which week the books have arrived!
{SOURCES: Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits in Fotoflexer by Jorie. The Maid of Milan, The Secret Kiss of Darkness, The Silent Touch of Shadows, Flight to Coorah Creek, Romancing the Soul, and The Road Back Book Covers provided by ChocLitUK for both review and promotion; used with permission. Gilded Feathers book cover was provided by the author J. Woods for promotion and review; used with permission. Etched On Me book cover was provided by Simon & Schuster for promotion and review; used with permission. Collage of #ChocLitSaturdays created via PicMonkey. The book trailer for The Maid of Milan 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 and the author who penned it.}
I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. 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 Should Be Reading to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) 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!
What are you currently reading!? {a two-week retrospective!}
I am continuing to read Crown of Vengeance by Stephen Zimmer, as it will mark my last post tied to the Sci-Fi Experience! I had wanted to read a few more books towards this reading challenge, but I lost too many hours during January to accomplish this task. I, am, however, continuing to read the books I outlined on my participation page for the Experience! I selected a few books for the Wicked Valentine’s Readathon which are as follows:
{*} As previously disclosed, this boomeranged back to the local library; am awaiting its return!
Alongside the books I pulled for Wicked Valentine, I am also in position to start reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (as part of the #LitChat War & Peace Book Club), & Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (as part of the @RiverheadBooks RAL). Once I start to dig into these select classics, I am on my way towards revealing how I have such a hearty affinity for reading classical literature! Over the years I have dreamt of which classics to read first and which to follow in their wake. 2014 marks the year I am finally able to set aside time to start to explore the classical literary world with a curious eye towards the unknown adventures which lie ahead!
What did you recently finish reading!?
I have only finished a handful of novels within the past fortnight or thereabouts, all of which I posted reviews on my blog: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves, Dangerous Decisions, Sebastian’s Way, and the Writers Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The latter of course, was an anthology collection of essays and interviews compiled together to present an excellent primer on genre writing; even if your genre is outside the scope of the title! I found myself writing quite a heap about my recollections and the musings therein which were extracted from the readings!
I am in the process of reading several novels at the moment for each of my different reading challenges as well as having finished my first blog tour book review stop for Penguin Group (USA). As I am reading multiple books concurrently, I will be revealing where I am by page count rather than by chapter or section next Wednesday! I am hoping to be at the end of Chapter X or XI of Wuthering Heights by the 21st (Friday) as well as complete my reading of Crown of Vengeance to round out my focus week for Seventh Star Press! At the close of February, I am equally as hopeful to have read approx. 200 pages of War and Peacewhereas my goals for the 23rd of February are too complete Somerset & most of Roses! The Ladies Paradise is on my reading table as well, as I am attempting to read in tandem at the moment! I felt best to initiate a bit of a page count goal per book in order to best ignite a pattern of reading classics in-between modern literature I explore either outside of blog tours or within them! I always have such a fanciful heart to explore literature in all of its beauty, that I felt this might help me focus on books I truly want to finish reading within the time I am allotting! Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s journal of WWW to see how well I did!
A Fall of Marigoldstook me backwards into my memories for the shirtwaist factory fire of 1911 as evidenced and exhumed into a breath of life by Meredith Tax’s Rivington Street; whilst bringing forward haunting memories of observing the horrors of September 11th by telecast. I felt honoured to be asked to be a book review stop on her blog tour, and as you can read in my review, the novel itself touched me on a very deep level. It was a blessing to find closure and peace after two events in history profoundly affected me.
I received word that my ILL holds are in queue to arrive within a few week’s time in which I cannot wait to see what is waiting for me inside Leviathan Wakes, Jaran, and The Divining!
Oh, happy book discovery day for me! Ms. Wood I found "The Divining!" via ILL! (inter-library loan!) Now, I'll sit back & wait: #LitChat
Launched myself into a bit of mini-quest to find other “foodie fiction” titles that I could plausibly devour at some point in my reading future! Laughs within a smile! Oh, the wondrous thrill of the ‘discovery’!!
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (started; need to finish!)
The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister (sequel to above; goes w/o saying!)
Chocolat by Joanne Harris (birthday gift; need to read!)
The Colour of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe (borrowed; returned unread)
Julie & Julia by Julie Powell (opted for the motion picture!)
Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl (always saw the films!)
How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’ Neal (loved!)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (murmurs of curiosity!)
When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy
The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe by Mary Simses (borrowed, need to finish!)
The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santos
Eat. Pray. Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (opted for the motion picture!)
The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle (need to read all of them!)
White House Chef mystery series by Julie Hyzy (need to keep up to date!)
The China Bayles mysteries by Laura Childs (revolves around a teahouse!)
Courtesy of Ms. Lisa via TLC Book Tours the following were also suggested:
The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge
The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher
Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan
Hungry by Darlene Barnes
& the forementioned The Colour of Tea & The Lost Art of Mixing
The next books I am drinking in will be books for review and I am quite excited for them to grace my mind’s eye! For I get the absolute pleasure of re-entering the world of the #LelandDragons, as I re-read Redheart by Jackie Gamber before continuing forward into Sela and the bookend third of the trilogy: Reclamation! The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien is a hearty tome of an account of a side of the Bonaparte family I never had heard of beforehand! My pursuit of Bonaparte has re-strengthened since I read Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb! Whereas Citadel by Kate Mosse is an interest which was encouraged by my Mum when she gave me Labyrinth; in lieu of knowing where I put the book, I have borrowed the two previous books from my local library!
I had a bountiful bookish postal surprise day
in which I happily welcomed in the following books for review:
I decided to join the 2014 Chunkster Challenge, as I had no idea how many novels I’d read over the score of the year which would qualify as being labeled ‘a tome of a book greater than 450 pages!’ Clearly, I have already begun to read stories in greater quantity of depth, but this is going to be a good record of seeing how many I gravitate towards over a regular year’s worth of reading!
Likewise, I have released posts in part of my participation of:
All of which I curate on my RALs & Challenges page, of which I update my progress as well as on my Part II of Reading Challenge Addict! I decided to pull back from several reading & bookish challenges this year, as although they appealed to me in the beginning when I was on the verge of signing into them, I decided in the long-term I would be better off honing in on the ones which were at this point in time the most keen of the lot to participate in! There will undoubtedly be more RALs, Thons, & Challenges forthcoming but these will be the main ones I am concentrating on except to say for the two Jane Austen novels I am reading to correlate with the Jane Austen Readings hosted by Reading is Fun Again!
Quite the exciting time for a bookish soul, eh!?
Have your literary wanderings been as expansive and lovely as mine!?
And, do you have a ‘foodie fiction’ recommendations for me!?
{SOURCE: The WWW Wednesday badge created by Jorie in Canva as a way to
promote the weekly meme for those who want to take part in it.}
I am not entirely sure about you, but when I start to see a heap of tweeting conversing about #wwreadathon, and nearly all of said tweets are flying through the twitterverse by bookish blogosphere friends & acquaintances, wouldn’t you be a wee bit curious as to what *everyone!* is clued into save you? Yes. Wells, add-on the fact your editing your #ChocLitSaturdays post for 8th of February whilst sorting through your Home Feeds on Twitter, and you have my Friday Night Special! Cheers! Whoa? There is a sweet readathon surrounding one of me favourite holidays?! Who knew? Not I! No! IF I had known I’d have been better prepared! Wouldn’t be writing this completely off the cuff in other words! Laughs with a hoot in her voice!
The fact that this particular *readathon!* started on the 7th of February is coincidentally the very day I was meant to compose a “Stories of Jorie” post to get myself started off on the right foot in 2014 by journalling my bookish blog experiences! The 6th of February marked my seventh month as a book blogger! *Leaping Lizards!*
+ Motivations & Goals +
I truly want to sit back and relax into some wicked sweet romances which celebrate St. Valentine’s Day essence of friendship, romance, and relationships! Valentine’s Day is for friends & lovers alike as it’s a holiday which celebrates the joy of having ‘love’ in our lives! Love can be platonic or it can be romantic; the greatest gift is the reception of love and the gift of love. I have a few titles in mind but as I pick off books from both my personal library shelf and my library shelf, all I want to do is soak into a narrative which carts me off someone quite fantastically absorbing,… to where the hours slip past me and I nearly forget to blog because the characters have held onto me so tight and thick, I dare not let them go! This will serve as my journal update master post, but I am most likely going to be blogging as the days go by as well as tweeting up quite a storm (via @JLovesAStory!)! Give me a wink or a nod if you’re participating! I appreciate conversations here on Jorie Loves A Story, so please scroll through my Story Vault if your stuck on what to read! Kindly drop me notes throughout the readathon & I’ll be returning the favour in kind! Let’s all get bookish and geeky this St. Valentine’s!!
Rather than counting the days of the readathon itself,
I will be journalling the days I can participate!
Day 1: 7th February 2014 A brilliantly wicked day for Jorie who received quite a heap of good news via her Inbox on the bookings of near-future blog book tours! To see what is evolving on Jorie Loves A Story during the months of April, May, June, & July kindly click over to Bookish Events! Smashingly exciting! A brief walk in misty grey skies and ethereal Wintry rain, revealed a pair of woodpeckers absent-mindly but rather productively tapping into trees; barely aware of Jorie standing in rapt awe shooting digital stills! Rather than reading, she spent time editing her bookish blog! And, considering she was unaware of the readathon, she considers Friday a ‘free’ day!
Day 2: 8th February 2014: The day began by editing her ChocLitSaturdays feature post “Dangerous Decisions” by Margaret Kaine (a ChocLitUK author!) as well as assembling the latter days of Seventh Star Press Week! I was re-reading passages of the novel, but for the most part I was blogging my impressions & getting the post ready to go live.
Day 3: 10th February 2014: I am finishing reading “The Brotherhood of the Dwarves” by D.A. Adams & reading book one of the “Fires of Eden” series “Crown of Vengeance”. Both are fantasy novels from Indie Press Seventh Star, and each will have a featured review on my blog! Tuesday & Wednesday respectively! D.A. Adams guest posted his inspiration on writing on dwarves & Stephen Zimmer stepped forward with his inspiration behind Ave, the world in which “Fires of Eden” resides. After I conclude both books, I am going to be stepping outside review reading and engaging in a book I have been itching to read since it arrived from the library! Shh! Its a surprise! :)
Day 4: St. Valentine’s Day 2014: I have been progressing a bit slower than I had hoped with both the readathon and my reading adventures! I am still wrapped up inside “Crown of Vengeance” by Stephen Zimmer, looking towards posting the review on *Monday!* whereas I had previously had hoped to post my review this past Wednesday or Thursday at the latest! I don’t want to rush the narrative, as this is a High Fantasy story with a full-bodied world! I am torn between what book to read next, as I am itching to dive into “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy (reading alongside LitChat; the twitter chats I duck into on Mondays/Wednesdays), “The Spymaster’s Lady” by Joanna Bourne (one of the dear Word Wenches!), and “The Ladies Paradise” by Emile Zola (one of my Back to the Classics selections). I had mistaken the date of when “Under the Wide & Starry Sky” by Nancy Horan was due to go back to the library. Therefore, whilst it boomerangs back I’m in a re-queue waiting pattern of 10th position! Which isn’t too bad, actually! I simply adore finding *biographical fiction* selections & this one appealed to me as I know very little of the author it focuses on: Robert Louis Stevenson! Previously (prior to Jorie Loves A Story) I had read “Girl in a Blue Dress” by Gaynor Arnold, which I am including on my list for Bree’s “Rewind Challenge 2014!” (note to self: complete list for rewind challenge!) A bit envious of Audra being able to read it over Valentine’s weekend! :)
I had a bit of a wickedly bookish week, as two review books came in which I was most delighted in seeing up close & personal:
&
Such a delightful St. Valentine’s to receive a book in the Post, eh!? The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte arrived in Monday’s Post, but I had the delightful pleasure of receiving Citadel on 14.2.14!!
I also discovered there is a wicked sweet readathon beginning the very day “Wicked Valentine” concludes:
I ended merging out of Wicked Valentine straight into Love for Books!!
{SOURCES: Badges for “Wicked Valentine’s Readathon” & “My Shelf Confession” were provided by My Self Confession’s blog. Permission granted due to the embed codes provided. Blog dividers are provided by Shabby Blogs. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. So Many Books, So Little Time book badge provided by Squeesome Designs; who give free resources for bloggers.}
I am always attempting to keep myself open to reading books which push me outside the comforts of what I regularly read in order to keep my reading life an evolving journey towards exploring every facet of literature that I can as I shift from one author to another. When I first saw this particular book being offered on tour with JKS Communications, part of me was excited in seeing a book step forward that was not the traditional story to empathsis our need to be more environmentally conscience in our livelihoods as much as in how we approach living day to day. This book I felt would not only challenge me as a reader but it would challenge a few precepts of where I thought we had broached to head next on an environmental level and where we still have a heap of work to undergo towards reaching a pinnacle of progress as a society with a green-mindset in place to help future generations make better choices than the ones who came before them. I find the topic of environmental conservation and preservation as stimulating as discussing green-minded practices in business, commerce, and trade. To uncover green sources of energy, materials, and supplies which take the burden off the Earth and allow us to live a healthier life overall is quite enticing.
Whilst attending the #LitChat of comedienne Monica Parker, I had the unexpected joy and pleasure of being able to receive her debut book Getting Waisted after an exchange of conversation between Ms. Parker, her literary publicist Ms. Chan, and myself! I had reached out to Ms. Parker after the literary chat and felt quite honoured I was given this opportunity as health & wellness holds fast to my heart! As I have been on a path towards wellness for years, seeking out the best way to maintain wellness and knowing which foods agree with my system over others. Personally, I am the most happiest in my spirit whilst eating a vegetarian and vegan diet enriched by whole foods, natural & ancient grains, as well as local farm fresh vegetables and fruits.
This is one reason why you will oft-times find me showcasing an author from every different side of publishing: mainstream, independent, self-published, and inspirational. Which are truly the four main branches in today’s publishing world, except to say, that I do not put more weight on any single branch, as I accept all writers and all stories on equal ground. Therefore, when I was first approached through the 
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