Category: Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Blog Book Tour | “You’ve Got This” (How to Look UP when Life has you DOWN) compiled by Elise Hahl feat. Al Carraway and Hank Smith

Posted Monday, 14 November, 2016 by jorielov Al Carraway, Cedar Fort Inc, CFI (imprint) Cedar Fort Inc, Elise Hahl, Hank Smith, You've Got This 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “You’ve Got This” direct from the publisher CFI (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read this collection of inspiring stories:

I was invited to this blog tour by the author Elise Hahl of whom I was thankful who introduced me to this inspiring non-fiction collection of human interest stories and affirmations of positivity which can inspire teenagers to find courage and strength in their growing years. I find these kinds of collections cross-relatable and cross-applicable – as the wisdom and truth of what is being shared is timeless. When your growing up there are moments where you like to have self-reflection and self-motivating modes of inspiration to guide you on your path. You can have a wonderful support system within your family and/or community but there are times where it is best to withdraw internally and seek out the answers you’re pursuing through your continuing journey where you lean on your faith most directly.

As I will be adopting out of foster care in the future – I am keenly interested in finding books I will one day be recommending to my children. Either for fiction or non-fiction interests and pursuits as the joy of reading and seeking solace in literature is one of the blessings I want to instill in my children. You can gain so much through books – it’s something that I look forward to sharing with them. Therefore, this is one of those motivational books I was keen to read and become acquainted with in case down the road it would become quite handy to have knowledge of whilst giving me the chance to share it with my child(ren).

You've Got This
Subtitle: How to Look UP when life has you DOWN

Life is tough, but so are you! Learn how to work through life’s trials with advice from popular youth speakers, including Hank Smith and Al Carraway, who have endured a few challenges of their own. This encouraging book will help you see trials as essential stepping-stones to becoming who you’re destined to be.

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781462119424

on 1st October, 2016

Pages: 128

Published By: CFI (imprint) of Cedar Fort Inc (@CedarFortBooks),

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #LDSFaith and #INSPY #nonfiction

About Al Carraway

Al Fox Carraway has spent the last four years inspiring the world with her story of conversion, redemption, and finding faith. As a blogger and award-winning public speaker, her message has reached millions. This up-close look at her life will show you what it means to truly trust in the Lord.

Photo Credit: Al Fox Carraway headshot by Beka Price Photography.

Website | Twitter | Instagram

About Elise Hahl

After serving as a missionary to the Brazil Manaus mission, Elise Babbel Hahl completed her studies in English at Stanford University, married her mission pen pal, and went on to earn a master’s degree in writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her work has been published in Choosing Motherhood, Whereabouts: Stepping Out of Place, Education Next magazine, Do NOT Attempt in Heels, and recorded on “The World in Words” podcast. She lives with her husband and four children in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania area.

About Hank Smith

Hank Smith has been a full-time religious educator for the Church for 12 years, teaching seminary and in the Religion Department at BYU. Hank is a favorite speaker with Especially for Youth, BYU Education Week, and Time Out for Women. With his trademark sense of humor and his captivating stories and examples, Hank makes it fun to learn gospel principles and strengthen personal testimonies.

Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

The collection itself is portable – not only for the slimline publication but because it is broken into different sections by each of the contributing authors – each of whom have something unique to share about how their faith re-energised their hope and provided grace in their lives through their adversities. Each of them has a new perspective to offer and a life lesson to impart on the young reader who might be seeking advice but isn’t as sure about the kind of advice that needs to be sought. Sometimes you read inspiring stories just to let you mind wash over something positive even if the pursuit of the story isn’t readily known at the time. Read More

Posted Monday, 14 November, 2016 by jorielov in Balance of Faith whilst Living, Biblical History, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Christianity, Historical Perspectives, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Inspired by Stories, Lessons from Scripture, Mormonism, Non-Fiction, Questioning Faith as a Teen, Religious History, Short Stories or Essays, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Vignettes of Real Life, World Religions

Blog Book Tour | “The Unsaid” by Aaron Blaylock the author of “The Land of Look Behind”.

Posted Sunday, 30 October, 2016 by jorielov Aaron Blaylock, Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort Inc, The Unsaid 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I have been a blog tour hostess with Cedar Fort for the past two years, wherein I took a brief hiatus from hosting before resuming this August 2016. I appreciate the diversity of the stories the Indie publisher is publishing per year, not only for fiction and non-fiction but for healthy eats within their Front Table Books (cookbooks). I appreciate their dedication to writing general market, INSPY reads and LDS focused stories across the genres they publish.

I was selected to be a part of the “The Unsaid” blog tour wherein I received a complimentary copy of “The Unsaid” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I was curious to read this one:

Having read the author’s previous release and debut with Cedar Fort The Land of Look Behind, I was curious about his sophomore release with the publisher – where he would take an interesting thesis of an idea and run with it – regarding what becomes of our unspoken thoughts and how those thoughts can still have meaning even if we do not feel that they do, as to us, they are discarded before they become tangibly noticeable. OR do they?

It’s an interesting premise – especially regarding the old adage about ‘thoughts are things’ and the cautionary tales of keeping your mind in check, in case your thoughts are overtaking your focus, etc. Sometimes the things we think could have a negative effect on us without even our conscious being aware of the impact whilst there is a pause of thought towards ‘whom’ overhears us when we are merely thinking thoughts and working out our feelings in the cosy comfort of our heads. There was something about this one that sparked an interest to see where the author would take us in the story-line but also, how he would handle the juxtapositions of Maggie, his lead character(s) and the heart of the matter, too!

I marked this as a ‘time slip’ simply because it’s moving between Heaven and Earth – which in of itself, is a slip in time.

The Unsaid

"A bright white light consumed her field of vision as sh was rapidly pulled away from her station... the light quickly faded to darkness and closed in until all was black."

Maggie's job at the Department of Thoughts and Records in heaven is pretty simple. She is a spirit curator - an observer of human life who sorts and categorizes every unsaid thought. When Eric shows interest in the new girl at work, Maggie can't help ignoring the rules to understand the wonders of mortality and love. But meddling in mortal affairs has consequences that Maggie couldn't have ever imagined...

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781462119059

on 1st October 2016

Pages: 208

Published By: Bonneville Books (@BonnevilleBooks),

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #TheUnsaid

Posted Sunday, 30 October, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Content Note, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Men's Fiction, Modern Day, Realistic Fiction, Time Slip, World Religions

Blog Book Tour | New #PictureBook by Catherine Christensen and a workbook to encourage children to feel spiritually renewed!

Posted Tuesday, 27 September, 2016 by jorielov (Illustrator Jane Delve), (Illustrator Jay Fontano), Blessing the Nephite Children, Catherine Christensen, Cedar Fort Inc, CFI (imprint) Cedar Fort Inc, The Holy Ghost: Discovering your Extraordinary New Gift 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Blessing the Nephite Children” and “The Holy Ghost” direct from the publisher CFI (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I love Catherine Christensen Children’s Books:

The illustrations are bright and vivid, a true eclipse of childhood – painting together a young girl and her family, as they find time to pray amongst the hours they are living. It’s wonderful to see how varied a young girl’s prayers can be and how prayer by definition can be for a multitude of things; both seen and unseen. The illustrator matches keenly to the writer’s ability to offer a guide of possibilities to children; to take the guesswork out of what constitutes a prayer and where you need to be whilst you pray.

It’s a lively conversation waiting to be spoken between a child and their parents, where an open dialogue about sharing how parents approach their prayer life and how their child can approach theirs will be easily obtained after reading this beautiful picture book together! I love how the story is a celebration of what we can share within our prayers as much as how grounded our lives become through prayer.

I love learning books – always have – even when I was a child, because they help expand your world as much as they help re-define the world as well. You get to grow through the knowledge your internalising and in this particular case, I liked how the lesson was breaking down how prayer can become an active habit without complications, because prayer is portable and as convenient as remaining mindful about your thoughts and your emotions.

-quoted from my review of I Can Pray Everyday

Blessing the Nephite Children
by Catherine Christensen
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Jane Delve
Source: Direct from Publisher

Snuggle up with your kids and learn about Jesus’s visit to the Nephites. This colorful board book is perfectly designed for little fingers and small attention spans. Experience the beauty of Christ’s personal love in the Book of Mormon with your little ones and come to see the ways the Savior reaches out to them today.

Genres: Children's Literature, Artistic Adaptations &/or Picture Books

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781462118755

Also by this author: I Can Pray Everyday

Published by CFI (imprint) Cedar Fort Inc

on 1st August, 2016

Format: Hardcover Edition

Published By: CFI (imprint) of Cedar Fort Inc (@CedarFortBooks),

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Hardback, Ebook

Converse via: #picturebook, #KidsLit

Posted Tuesday, 27 September, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Children's Literature, Illustrations for Stories, Indie Author, Picture Book

Blog Book Tour | “Reclamation” (duology) by Adrienne Quintana The continuing saga of Jace Vega started inside the page-turner “ERUPTION”!

Posted Friday, 23 September, 2016 by jorielov Adrienne Quintana, Eruption, Eruption duology, Pink Umbrella Books, Reclamation 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: Originally my path crossed with Ms Quintana whilst I participated on the blog tour (via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media) for her debut novel “Eruption” wherein I found a compelling and tightly written technothriller with a heap of heart and suspense! After the blog tour, the author and I kept in touch as I was most curious about a potential sequel and I had hoped to feature her on my blog with an interview. Fast forward, Ms Quintana has since established her own publishing company (Pink Umbrella Books) and invited me to join the excitement of her duology sequel “Reclamation”. Quite overjoyed to learn what became of Jace Vega, I instantly agreed!

I received a complimentary copy of “Reclamation” direct from the publisher Pink Umbrella Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I loved reading ERUPTION:

Quintana breathes life into her novel within the first few pages of Eruption grounding the reader askance Jace as she goes about her routine to envelope herself inside her run; blocking out the world and the absence of memory from her dreams. It is an internal check-balance of seeing Jace from the moment she awakens to how she likes to stablise her life with routine. This is a girl who is adamant about routine and having a ‘neat and tidy approach to living’ wherein she would not grow surprised by any event, incident, or moment arriving up out of the blue! Not that that is characteristic of life but you can gather a sense of her character’s intentions through the anguish she feels on the death of her Mum. There is only a slight reference to this, but Quintana is a writer who can give depth to a few words; evoking a strong reaction out of her reader and characters alike.

Jace is at the apex of suspending her world between her current reality and the reality of how the future is intersecting with her present. The curious bit for me is how her present self is having trouble processing the future, as she’s approaching it from a rational point of view vindictive of someone who accepts plausible science fiction stories but hasn’t taken her belief to the point where she can fathom how ‘real’ science fiction scenarios can bleed into your own reality.

Eruption proves that you can formulate a new bridge between where techno-thrillers can merge quite beautifully with a time travel narrative arc, and this is a credit to Quintana whose given us a debut novel that entices you to seek out the continuing chapters inside this duology! Quintana included ‘just enough’ current events and tidbits of our modern 21st Century to encourage a balance of ‘when’ and ‘where’ the story takes place whilst providing a backdrop that we can instantly relate too as we read her debut. It was quasi-political without being a complete politico novel!

-quoted from my review of ERUPTION

Reclamation
Subtitle: Foreknowledge is power
by Adrienne Quintana
Source: Direct from Publisher

Sequel to Eruption, A Technothriller Exploring the Power of Foreknowledge and the Dangers of Technology Dependence.

When Jace Vega wakes up three years after the eruption of Mount Hood, her life is in turmoil. The future seems to match the images on the tablet, but Corey is missing, and nothing about her relationship with Damien feels right.

As Victor Trent continues to amass power, using information terrorism to make the world dependent on Omnibus technology and his private military force, Omnibus Global Security, Jace knows she doesn’t have much time if she’s going to stop him.

Jace’s reawakening begins a race to the place where it all began: the Point of Origin.
If she can only remember where it is.

Genres: Science Fiction, Techno-Thriller, Time Travel Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781523772148

Also by this author: Eruption

Series: Eruption Duology

Also in this series: Eruption

Published by Pink Umbrella Books

on 13th September, 2016

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 295

Published By: Pink Umbrella Books (@PinkUmbrellaBks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #EruptionDuology, #ReclamationBook

About Adrienne Quintana

Adrienne Quintana is the second of nine children born to professional oil artist, John Horejs, and his wife and business partner, Elaine. She spent her early years playing on the banks of the Snake River in southern Idaho while her father built a geodesic dome house. When the family wasn’t traveling around the country to art shows, Adrienne spent many happy hours reading in her unfinished, tent-like bedroom. Love of reading soon blossomed into a desire to write. If the family’s antiquated computer could be resurrected, a collection of short stories involving local characters and their epic battles with fire-breathing dragons would be sure to entertain.

After completing high school via correspondence, Adrienne studied Music Education at Mesa Community College. She took an 18 month break to serve a church mission in Montreal, Canada, where she gained invaluable life experiences and a few pounds from the local delicacies. After the completion of her mission and a month abroad in Europe, Adrienne moved to Utah with the intention of continuing her education at Brigham Young University, but these plans were short-lived when she met her husband-to-be while working at an investment company. Soon after their marriage, the Quintanas packed up and moved to Minnesota, where Adrienne worked while her husband earned a Law degree.

After four children and a move to Arizona, Adrienne completed her Bachelors of Science and Communication at the University of Phoenix. In the throes of housekeeping, potty-training, and carpooling, Adrienne discovered that she could find time to accomplish her goals—often in the quiet hours after the children were in bed. Since her graduation in 2012, those quiet moments have been used to fulfill a life-long dream of becoming a writer.

on re-aligning into the mind Of Jace:

I posted my review of ERUPTION on the 31st of January, 2015 and this September, 2016 I re-read the story in order to better re-align myself inside the mind of Jace Vega!

Memory is both elusive and ironic – I remember the feeling of urgency when I first read ERUPTION. The irony is that I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime since I read this story – yet it was only one year and nine months ago! I’d equae that to how I felt picking up The Clan Chronicles after nine months! There are moments where we place our memories on pause – especially those attached to stories, to the lives of characters we connect too – and then, someone encourages us to resume where we had left off.

I felt like Jace – I knew I had read these opening sentences where we find her jogging ahead of her work hours in the morning but it wasn’t until she reached for the discarded tablet that the pieces of her story started to ‘re-align’. Similar as said to the Clan – memories you etch into your heart, leave imprinted data and blessedly we can return to where we were originally. Yet, sometimes I like to humour my curiosity and re-read the familiar yet not altogether remember the passages before resuming a series or in this case a duology (two stories anchoured and aligned together). Jace in ERUPTION felt intense waves of deja vu where she would automatically feel as if she were re-living sequences of her everyday life and/or that portion of her life was bleeding into the future or the future was blending into her present, depending on how you perceived her story as it unfolded. Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#FuellYourSciFi

Posted Friday, 23 September, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Science Fiction, Time Travel, Young Adult Fiction

Author Interview | Debut novelist Heather Chapman and I converse about our beloved era in history, the Regency! Whilst celebrating her novel “The Second Season”!

Posted Tuesday, 20 September, 2016 by jorielov Cedar Fort Inc, Heather Chapman, Jane Austen, Sweetwater Books, The Second Season 2 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I have a special surprise for you today! The beautiful Regency I read recently granted me the opportunity to interview the authoress about our mutual love and adoration for the Regency era! This author originally contacted me about her debut novel “The Second Season” and I was so very delighted by the news of it’s publication – as the Regency is one of those eras that I fell in love reading about during my childhood hours where Romance & the era of the Regency seemed to walk hand-in-hand together!

I enjoyed being exposed to the regalia of the upper classes, the hardship of the lower classes and the beautiful courtship of the singletons – not all was glossy or rosy, mind you, but for the most part, it was the ‘allure’ of an era where propriety won over deceit and where marriage was not as a straight of an arrow to pitch forward for your own hand as one might hope! There were so many rules of etiquette young women had to navigate round it’s a miracle there were as many matches as history records!

Imagine my good cheer than, realising that this was going to be one novel I was nearly certain I’d find unputdownable as I had a good vibe by the author via her blog already! I was not disappointed – she wrote an unorthodox Regency – by the standards of the genre and by what I’ve been gathering of the rest of the blog tour – however, this is the true gift she gave us all! Something uniquely different – a new perspective, a new telling of a Rom that you think you understand all the moving parts, but there are things at play that simply need time to be explained.

For me, it not only held my attention but I liked that I had mixed reactions about Lady Hopkins – she wasn’t quite as hard-edged as she appeared but she wasn’t without her angst either! She was a complex woman – built out of her circumstances & the misguidings of a mind troubled by assumptions that she may or may not have fully been in the right to have! This is what makes for good fiction and especially for a dramatic Historical – those cunning human emotions & the tangible way in which life effects all of us!

I truly hope you’ll love settling inside our conversation – pausing to read my reflections afterwards on behalf of the novel and letting me know your thoughts or opinions after both your readings! All thoughts are welcome – including those of you who may have had a different takeaway than I did whilst reading the novel! Grab a cuppa and enjoy!

Enjoy a reading of excerpts from the novel in this book trailer:

The Second Season Book Trailer via heatherchapmanuathor.com

When did you first read the collective works of Jane Austen and what did you appreciate about them the most once you had? Was it the era (Regency), the style of the story itself or the way in which she wrote about society and Romance together!?

Chapman responds: I first read all of Jane Austen’s novels when I was 22, though it should have been much sooner. Not only did I miss out by not reading Austen’s works earlier, but I grew up watching Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma, and Kate Winslet as Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. I should have known better!

Books are almost always better than the movie, and Austen’s books are no different. From the time I started her first novel to the time I finished her last, only a week had gone by. I ate them up and loved every second. I loved the romance and the society, the scenes that Austen brought to life, the realness of the characters, but my favorite was all that Jane Austen had to say about human nature. I found myself chuckling to myself, as in every story I found similarities in her characters to those that I knew in my own life. Read More

Posted Tuesday, 20 September, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Regency Era, Romance Fiction, Sweet Romance, The London Season