Posted Tuesday, 9 June, 2015 by jorielov Influence Publishing Inc., Return to Food, Sherry Strong 2 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was approached by iRead Book Tours to host another non-fiction title “Life Outside the Box” (which is upcoming on 22nd of June) prior to finding “Return to Food”. I decided to start hosting regularly with iRead Book Tours and their companion hosting company Italy Book Tours as a direct result of how welcoming they are to book bloggers. I received a complimentary copy of “Return to Food” direct from the author Sherry Strong in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
My initial interest in this author and book:
One of the best blessings to opening Return to Food was being greeted by the author’s own artwork on the illustrative plates which coordinate and cross-reference her messages throughout the book. My favourite illustrative plate is on page 3 which shows a portrait of a teenager and is talking about how teens can become unhealthy simply by the choices they are making in their diets. A fact I could relate to myself, as my school years were not my favourite years for eating as I found the time allotted for lunch was too rushed and only focused on getting us in/out of the cafeteria without any consideration for the time needed to consume the food we were eating. It was the first taste of the crazy rat-race of corporate America and the internal harried clock of the working man, because many professional careers do not allot a lot of time for meals much less for a persona life. Hence why this first illustration struck a chord with me, and I knew, having seen how she surrounded the graphic with words clarifying the key issues, that most of our downward spiral of unwellness due begin and start in childhood and/or adolescence.
The one thing I wanted to share as I was reading Return to Food is how I’ve never sought out a ‘diet’ per se but rather a lifestyle of eating that would allow my body to thrive in a way that was not co-dependent on foods which would only deplete my health and thereby, reduce the nutrition that I could have yielded if I had eaten foods differently. I have been on a quest for most of my life to source out the best way to balance food and the combinations of foods which would agree with my system. As for each person who is seeking a healthier lifestyle, we all have to remain mindful of what works for us and how to tap dance around allergies or other afflictions that make transitions a bit trickier than those who do not have them.
As I relay my experiences reading cookbooks inasmuch as hosting author guest features by the chefs or authors behind the books I am reading on healthy eats across the divide of where savoury and ambrosial meet each other in harmonic blissitude, I am hoping that perhaps something I am sharing about my own journey will resonate with other readers who are seeking a similar path. Underneath my blog posts are related posts which can give you a quick-step glimpse into where my wanderings as the Bookish Foodie have led me to go thus far along, inasmuch as you can scout out the cookbooks directly in either my Story Vault or my Publisher’s Story Vault (hint: scroll down to Cedar Fort’s imprint Front Table Books).
As you will find as you wind your way through my showcases on food, I have a penchant for whole foods, living foods, and a quirky attachment to gluten-free vegan baking! I personally love to eat vegan foods as much as I delight in the joy of fresh veg juicing with greens. A green smoothie to me is heavenly bliss and beet juice with a fusion of carrots, ginger, & other bits is a refreshing jolt of vitality. I don’t have to have a traditional plate of food in front of me to be happy because I have been on a journey towards living my inner truth of joy for over a decade now. I personally would love to become 100% vegetarian seeking out gluten-free and vegan compliments as often as I could. I love to eat by the seasons and I look forward to getting back to a simpler way of re-routing a food map which includes staples of must-haves that can co-relate and compliment other ingredients on a regular basis.
At the moment I’m an omnivore whose missing her herbivore days, but each of us is on a path that we must walk in order to get to where we’re going next. I don’t hide the fact I had to give up the herbivore lifestyle nor my quest to return back to where my own spirit thrived in the bliss of local farm fresh fruit and veg. I appreciate the dedication farmers are giving back to us as consumers, to where we can purchase fresh off the farm vegetables at farm stands and farmer’s markets or the new hybrid of the two: a you pick it yourself farm where your salad greens and your kohlrabi are practically kissing cousins! Laughs. Being able to find ways to understand the distance my food is travelling to my plate is important to me, especially in the world of Big-Ag and the propensity for creating fast food on a farm that is commercially produced in ways that I do not find ethical nor healthy.
For these reasons you can understand my interest in Return to Food
because I am already on a mission towards that end!
Return to Food: the life changing anti-diet
by Sherry Strong
Source: Author via iRead Book Tours
Chances are if you are feeling flat, fat and tired, or are experiencing chronic illness, you are not eating real food. If you want to bounce out of bed feeling fit and fabulous you must find out what is and isn't real food. This book challenges prescriptive approaches to diet, eating and food, with a revolutionary philosophical approach based on over 20 years of working with private clients. This approach has seen thousands of people develop a more pleasurable, healthier, and more sustainable eating lifestyle.
Genres: Cookery
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author:
Published by Influence Publishing Inc.
on 1st December, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 220
Published by: Influence Publishing Inc. (@influencepub)
Available Formats: Paperback
with Illustrations by Sherry Strong
Converse via: #ReturnToFood, #heathlyeats, & #vegan
About Sherry Strong
Sherry Strong is a food philosopher, chef and nutritionist who has travelled around the globe to do diet and lifestyle makeovers, and has worked with celebrities, elite athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, billionaires, and Jamie Oliver and his Fifteen Foundation. Sherry’s philosophies and simple strategies help people feel better and live their best life by developing a healthy relationship with food and their body. Sherry was the Victorian Chair of Nutrition Australia, the Melbourne Head of Slow Food, Curator and Co-Founder of the World Wellness Project Summit and founder of the Return to Food Academy where she teaches people to become Return to Food Coaches and Entrepreneurs.
Website | Twitter | Facebook
Read More
Posted Tuesday, 9 June, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Chefs and Sous Chefs, Content Note, Cookbook, Cookery, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Locavore, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Bookish Foodie
Posted Monday, 8 June, 2015 by jorielov Influence Publishing Inc., Return to Food, Sherry Strong 8 Comments
I appreciate seeking out books on wellness and healthier approaches to holistic living inasmuch as I appreciate a wicked good health-conscience cookbook which enriches my spirit to find better ways of combing the foods I love to consume. When I first learnt about the Return to Food blog tour, I was quite happy to realise I could interview the author whilst providing my own thoughts on behalf of her book.
I took this opportunity to ask some pointed questions about curating a healthier lifestyle and the reasons behind why society as a whole might have altered their perception about the realities of health and their mindfulness of approaching wellness from a plant-centered and seasonal point of view. I have been an advocate for the locavore movement in my own community, as I appreciate the farmers who are bringing naturally grown fruit and veg to the farm stands. I appreciate knowing where the food is coming from and how the food is being produced at the farm itself. It is a wonderful way to become involved with the cycle of food and the process of how what we eat (and it’s effect on our health) is in-part derivative of the nutrients the foods may or may not be able to give us depending on how they are sourced.
Join me as I start-up a stimulating conversation with Ms Strong!
Chances are if you are feeling flat, fat and tired, or are experiencing chronic illness, you are not eating real food. If you want to bounce out of bed feeling fit and fabulous you must find out what is and isn’t real food. This book challenges prescriptive approaches to diet, eating and food, with a revolutionary philosophical approach based on over 20 years of working with private clients. This approach has seen thousands of people develop a more pleasurable, healthier, and more sustainable eating lifestyle.
Published by: Influence Publishing Inc. (@influencepub)
Add to Riffle | Public Library | Available Formats: Paperback
Converse via: #ReturnToFood, #heathlyeats, & #vegan
When I first started to read Return to Food what I appreciated the most about the layout of the pages is how it felt like I was reading a personal journal about health. I was curious how did you develop your beautiful hand-drawn illustrations as the style reminds me of art journalists who combine art and words to fuse together thoughts, hopes, dreams, and an articulate guide towards what is deeply personal to them at the moment of creating the journal. The illustrations are a beautiful compliment to the text. Did this style evolve solely out of the life journal for your friend?
Strong responds: Thank you Jorie, I love how beautifully you phrased that question, the illustrations are a deeply person evolution of the book. My best friend was moving to London in 2006, it was also her 40th birthday at the time and we had a policy of no gifts for a gifts sake or more specifically out of obligation. She had the most interesting childhood and life story so in a flash of inspiration I decided to buy a beautiful green cloth-bound book and illustrate her life story. It was the best gift I’ve ever given in my entire life. She was delighted with it and her husband who is a prolific children’s author and novelist suggested I take my philosophies and use the same type of illustrations to express them. From there they continued to evolve over the following 8 years to be more dramatic and carry the themes and they really seemed to take on a life of their own from there. Read More
Posted Monday, 8 June, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Chefs and Sous Chefs, Cookbook, Cookery, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Locavore, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Bookish Foodie
Posted Friday, 22 May, 2015 by jorielov Alaina Claiborne, British Agent Series, MK McClintock, Trappers Peak Publishing 4 Comments
Originally I had fully intended to interview Ms McClintock when our paths had crossed last Autumn, as I was quite stirred by her Western sensibility to bring the culture of the West to such vivid reality inside her short stories contained within the collection of A Home for Christmas. Time swept me away into it’s folds, and when I caught sight of her next blog tour hosted by Amy Bruno, I was eagerly excited to sign-on, as I had already developed a healthy curiosity about her serial fiction!
I used to love riding horses and read Westerns hand-in-hand during my youth, where the days spent in the saddle were wickedly extended a bit as I drank in the novels I’d hungrily seek out! I appreciated serial horse dramas such as: The Saddle Club, Thoroughbred (it is my favourite breed!), The Black Stallion, and a lovely stand-alone Fiddler & McCann. I have never lost my appreciation for horse dramas (either in novels or on the silver screen) and I credit the writers like McClintock for enveloping us in worlds where the wilds of the forest lay the foundation for a mountain country spin on a traditional historical wherein small townes and the wits of man to survive both elements and hardships thrive.
It is a true pleasure and joy for me to welcome Ms McClintock to Jorie Loves A Story, today! I am revealling the conversation we shared ahead of my review on behalf of Alaina Clairborne, in order to give both posts a chance to catch an audience! I will release the review lateron ahead of the early evening hours, thereby allowing my readers and visitors off the blog tour to leave a comment or question for Ms McClintock in the threads below!
Alaina Claiborne by MK McClintock
{ Book No.1 of the British Agent series }
Published By: Trappers Peak Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback & Ebook
Converse via: #MKMcClintock, #BritishAgentSeriesBlogTour, #AlainaClaiborne
#Western + #CosyHistoricalMystery
Thank you for welcoming me to spend some time with your readers at Jorie Loves A Story. To your readers, thank you for the valuable time you’ve spent to visit; I hope you enjoy your time with us today.
As you’ve declared in the Author’s Note about this series, it was not originally planned to be extensive but rather a stand-alone story. Do you envision the series branching forward past the trilogy or do you have a preference for writing story arcs over trilogies rather than quads or serial fiction into the teens? What was the clarifying moment you realised this story had the scope to carry forward?
McClintock responds: Devon and Charles appealed to me so much during the course of writing Alaina Claiborne, book one, that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. It was then I knew they’d have their own stories. While writing book two, I foresaw the potential for books beyond a trilogy, but I always received emails from readers who said how much they loved a character and hoped they would get their own story. At this point there is a fourth book planned with the potential for two more after that. The characters would carry over, but each book will remain a stand-alone.
As for having a preference about carrying over story arcs, well, that depends upon the story. I’ve written both, and it all comes down to what’s right for the characters and the stories they have to tell. Read More
Posted Friday, 22 May, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Britian, British Literature, Castles & Estates, Cosy Historical Mystery, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Mystery, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Life Shift, Modern British Literature, Reader Submitted Author Interview
Posted Monday, 6 April, 2015 by jorielov A Novel of the Underground Railroad, Indi Publishing Group, Judith Redline Coopey, Redfield Farm 0 Comments
I am finding myself gravitating towards seeking out more biographical (historical) fiction stories whereupon the writers have found a beautiful impetus to write compelling dramas and novels spun out of the fabric of their ancestral past! Stories where the living persons who lived are part of the writer’s family, and within this nexus of choices, they are uncovering honest impressions of life from centuries not too far into the historical past which compel us to re-examine our own thoughts on not only these life-affirming subjects and topics but to pull back the veil on time a bit more to discover how far we’ve progressed forward whilst noting how much work is still left to do to resolve any leftover grievances.
I love curling inside historical fiction as a genre, because where else can you find the warmth of living inside an era you were not bourne into but with the safety of walking onto the holodeck? I like being able to time travel to any century of my choosing whilst finding stories seeking to endeavour my heart to find a new reason for a repeat visit. Writers have a way of inspiring their readers to find new niches of time and history to explore, and when it came to reading about Redfield Farm my own heart fluttered a bit because I had members of the Underground Railroad in my own ancestral past!
Unlike Ms Coopey’s connection to the Railroad being presumed rather than confirmed, I have found historical evidence where other members of my extended family unearthed confirmations where my great-grandfather not only had a stop on the Underground Railroad but he put his land and family at risk to save the lives of those who passed through.
No matter what your familial connection is to this tumultuous time in history, it was defined by the brave souls who not only ventured out of the South into the North, to start their lives over in a place where they were no longer judged through their differences but it is a testament to the moral will of man to stand against oppression and right the wrongs where history tries to forget where mankind erred on judging in lieu of accepting a tolerance for our own uniqueness which gives our world a melting pot of culture, tradition, and history.
I was thankful I had the opportunity to ask a few questions about the story itself as well as how uncovering hidden history and ancestral data can be exciting for a researcher! I hope you will enjoy reading the conversation as it unfolded!
Book Synopsis of Redfield Farm:
Ann Redfield is destined to follow her brother Jesse through life – two years behind him – all the way. Jesse is a conductor on the Underground Railroad, and Ann follows him there as well.
Quakers filled with a conviction as hard as Pennsylvania limestone that slavery is an abomination to be resisted with any means available, the Redfield brother and sister lie, sneak, masquerade and defy their way past would-be enforcers of the hated Fugitive Slave Law.
Their activities inevitably lead to complicated relationships when Jesse returns from a run with a deadly fever, accompanied by a fugitive, Josiah, who is also sick and close to death. Ann nurses both back to health. But precious time is lost, and Josiah, too weak for winter travel, stays on at Redfield Farm. Ann becomes his teacher, friend and confidant. When grave disappointment disrupts her life, Ann turns to Josiah for comfort, and comfort leads to intimacy. The result, both poignant and inspiring, leads to a life long devotion to one another and their cause.
Redfield Farm was inspired due to a real-life (potential) connection to the Underground Railroad, which perked my own interest to ask how did the story take it’s genesis from a plausibility undocumented to a novel in hand?
Coopey responds: The idea that my ancestors might have been involved in the Underground Railroad intrigued me and piqued my interest in the Underground Railroad itself. So I started to read about it, first to try to find some documentation of my ancestors’ involvement, but also because I found the whole operation fascinating. People willing to put their business and social ties on the line, willing to risk ostracism, jail, fines or even their lives. Wow! That’s dedication beyond anything I’ve ever been asked to do. So I wanted to know more, and the more I learned, the more the story emerged from my research. Read More
Posted Monday, 6 April, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, African-American History, African-American Literature, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, History, Indie Author, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Quakers, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Story knitted out of Ancestral Data, Underground Railroad
Posted Thursday, 26 March, 2015 by jorielov Leigh Statham, Month9Books, The Perilous Journey of the Not-So-Innocuous Girl 0 Comments
I have participated in Sci Fi November for the past two years, as it happened that when I created my blog on the 31st of March, 2013 (my blogoversary!) I did not launch Jorie Loves A Story to the world until the 6th of August, 2013. Therefore, I indeed gave myself plenty of time to prepare for Sci Fi November 2013! Each year, I seek out a way to read Steampunk, and sadly, for the past two years, I have faltered a bit in my reach to hit this mark of my SFN event plans. I even re-queued the notion to read a bit of Steam during this year’s Sci Fi Experience (another annual event I participate in!) except to say, I only made it through the lovely appendix of Ms Elliott’s icepunk/steampunk novel! A bit more on this will be revealed at a latter time!
I like to keep my eyes peeled for upcoming Steampunk authors as I am looking towards uncovering a particular ‘type’ of steampunk novel. Previously I have discovered the Dystopian Steampunk styling of J.L. Muvihill’s The Boxcar Baby inasmuch as the mech insects and mech-tech steam world of A MidSummer Night’s Steampunk by Scott E. Tarbet (based on a Shakespearean play!). Both novels were published by Indie Publishers who are dedicated to wicked quality and the craft behind world-building which gives a reader a firm grounding of where they are exploring once they pick up their books.
In this, I discovered the same dedication from Month9Books, and as I discover each new novel which whets a thirst of an appetite to read their selections, I endeavour to host their authors for special guest features in lieu of reading their novels for review (as at this time they only provide e-books). I must say, between the cover-art (which is eye-popping bang-on brilliant!) and the synopsis, this novel definitely held my attention! So much so, I am hoping my local library might take a chance and respond to a purchase request I submit for it in April!
My local library has a small collection of Steampunk novels, most of which I have explored or mentioned during one of the Sci Fi events I referenced above and/or on other exploratory blog posts such as my Library Loot where I discussed my hit/miss love affair with Steampunk! I am quite eager to continue my search for stories which invigorate my mind as much as capture my attention within the Victorian Steam worlds writers are happily creating for me to devour! If you haven’t picked up The Clockwork Man by William Jablonsky I highly suggest that you do! I read this one in conjunction with a steampunky event a book blogging friend of mine created, thus giving me my first foray into reading Steam!
I am hopeful as you go back through the links I’m sharing to see where and how my travels in stream have led me to traverse thus far along, you’ll be a bit closer to understanding how wicked happy I am to be hosting this lovely author interview on behalf of Ms Statham!
Lady Marguerite lives a life most 17th century French girls can only dream of: Money, designer dresses, suitors and a secure future. Except, she suspects her heart may be falling for her best friend Claude, a common smithie in the family’s steam forge. When Claude leaves for New France in search of a better life, Marguerite decides to follow him and test her suspicions of love. Only the trip proves to be more harrowing than she anticipated. Love, adventure and restitution await her, if she can survive the voyage.
{ Read Chapter One : via the author’s blog }
Published By: Month9Books (@Month9Books), on St. Patrick’s Day, 2015
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Public Library | Add to Riffle
Converse on Twitter via: #NotSoInnocuousGirl, #YALit & #Month9Books
What initially inspired you to create a story set within 17th Century France and bend it into a steampunky world where an adventure awaits your young protagonist as much as the reader who picks up the novel?
Statham responds: I first discovered Marguerite’s story while doing genealogy research. She is one of my great-great grandmothers. I knew I wanted to write her story, but when I started to do it straight up historical fiction, I was soon bored to tears. I had just finished reading Scott Westerfield’s Leviathan, and I thought – wait a minute, who says I can’t make something steampunky out of 17th century France? And that was all it took. I was in love once again. Read More
Posted Thursday, 26 March, 2015 by jorielov in 17th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, France, French Literature, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, Indie Author, Library Find, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Steampunk, The Writers Life, Writing Advice & Tips, Writing Style & Voice, Young Adult Fiction