Category: Book | Novel Extract

A #ContemporaryJanuary Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Fly Girl” by R.D. Kardon

Posted Friday, 18 January, 2019 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I happen to sneak off into the historical past quite a heap which is why when I first stumbled across the marathon to read Contemporaries in January (ie. #ContemporaryJanuary) I was off like a rocket seeking out #newtomeauthors inasmuch as Contemporary authors who have backlist titles (a la #BeatTheBackList reading challenge I am participating in this year) – when I saw this particular title go into a blitz with an extract to share, I knew it was one I wanted to feature on Jorie Loves A Story!!

Here’s why – I *love!* Aviator stories! Generally, I seek out the ones which are interconnected to the military – specifically either the US Air Force or the Marines or even the Navy – depending on the port of entrance. I also loved my years of watching JAG which became an extended bout of joy when I fell into NCIS (and the 2x sequels thereafter!) – this one felt authentically realistic to today’s world whilst it hugged close to the women’s perspective which is something I love to seek out to read. I regularly read Feminist Lit from a Historical point-of-view which is why I am reminding myself I need to invest the same kind of gusto into seeking stories which are writ in the modern eras.

There is a Historical novel of the same title “Fly Girl” by Sherri L. Smith I dearly want to read as well. I want to see if my library can purchase this title and then, I could read two novels of the same title for the Pop Sugar Challenge. If your curious about all the reading challenges I’m tackling this year, you’ll find them over here!

Let’s get into why this novel jumped out at me and why I dearly want to be reading it! I’m going to share an extract with you and then, my thoughts about the story afterwards! If you love reading stories of this nature, I hope this becomes one of your #mustread #nextreads of Winter 2019!

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A #ContemporaryJanuary Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Fly Girl” by R.D. KardonFly Girl
by R.D. Kardon

It’s 1997. Women stand beside men in combat and fly fighter jets. Pilot Tris Miles is not content with her job as a First Officer for tiny Clear Sky Airlines. She wants to be a Captain—the only way she knows to prove her worth as a pilot and atone for a deadly mistake.

To further her career, Tris accepts a prestigious job with Tetrix, Inc. But her dream of becoming pilot-in-command twists into a nightmare.

As the company’s first woman pilot, she encounters resistance, marginalization and harassment on a daily basis. Fortunately Tris has one thing her co-workers can’t deny—skill.

When Tris finds herself in a crippled airplane thousands of miles from home she must prove she can lead. With her career on the line, can Tris earn the respect she’s been craving? And if this is the end, can she find the strength to forgive herself?

Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Realistic Fiction, Women's Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781947392212

Published by Self Published

on 27th December, 2018

Published By: Acorn Publishing (@AcornAuthors)

Formats Available: Paperback and Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #Contemporary #FlyGIRL

& #AviatorGirls #WomensFiction and #AdventureFiction

About R.D. Kardon

RD Kardon

Robin "R.D." Kardon had a twelve-year flying career as a corporate and airline pilot. She holds an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and three Captain qualifications. Her travels took her all over the world in every type of airplane from small single-engine Cessnas to the Boeing 737. Robin earned her B.A. in Journalism and Sociology from NYU and J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law. A native New Yorker, Robin now lives in San Diego, California with her beloved rescue pets.

"Flygirl," a work of fiction inspired by her own aviation experience, is her first novel.

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Posted Friday, 18 January, 2019 by jorielov in 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Feminine Heroism, Indie Author, Modern Day, Realistic Fiction, Self-Published Author, Women's Fiction, Xpresso Book Tours

Book Spotlight w/ Notes and Extract | “Off-Island” by Marlene Hauser

Posted Tuesday, 23 October, 2018 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As you know, I have a keen interest in Women’s Fiction & Contemporary Romances – not just from the fact I host my own chat (@SatBookChat) but due to the nature of the stories themselves! I love reading dramatic fiction – of tucking into the realistic lives of women who are striving to either overcome a personal adversity or situations out of their control or simply pick up the pieces of their lives when something has gone awry. Sometimes this can be early-on in their careers, in the middle of a marriage, after a divorce or the sudden loss of a spouse – or in other instances, it is when they reach a cross-roads of their lives – where they need to make an honest choice about their futures irregardless of what others in their lives might think about their final decision(s).

This novel deals with a woman’s right to choose what is right for her in regards to her reproductive health and her overall wellness. It is a right we’ve had in our country since Roe vs Wade and it is explored through different genres as much as it is a critical journey explored by various authors of both mainstream & INSPY Women’s Fiction. Previously, I read a very heart-centred story-line about the choice and the remorse of abortion through one of the Coming Home series novels by Brenda S. Anderson which explores this through an INSPY lens of perspective. Anderson stands out for her realistic grit and her ability to tuck into hard-hitting subjects in a refreshing style that is not typical of today’s INSPY Lit but a new direction I hope continues to take hold as others like her are paving the way towards this new level of insight for INSPY readers (such as Dee Henderson, Kellie Coates Gilbert & Becky Wade for Contemporary novelists and Julie Lessman for Historical).

When I read the premise of ‘Off-Island’ I knew I wanted to read Ms Hauser’s novel to see how she approached the subject herself and how she took us through Krista’s journey.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Spotlight w/ Notes and Extract | “Off-Island” by Marlene HauserOff-Island
by Marlene Hauser

Krista Bourne has always been surrounded by the strength, love and wealth of her family and their homes in New York City and Martha’s Vineyard. She has never had to think for herself. Living with boyfriend Michael and her elderly grandfather, she can also summon up the comforting ghosts of her beloved father and grandmother. In vivid dreams she flies with her pilot father, and when awake remembers idyllic childhood holidays spent with her bohemian grandmother.

When Krista impulsively walks out on her career as a professional dancer, it is the beginning of a new chapter in her life. She feels unsettled and excited by the sense of imminent change around her.

This feeling turns to panic, then fear when she realises that she is pregnant and is uncertain whether or not she wants to keep the baby, bringing her and Michael to a crossroads in their relationship. Adamant that she alone must deal with the situation, Krista rejects all offers of support from him, isolating her at a time when she most needs help.

Krista’s journey and emotional upheaval take her back to her summer home on Martha’s Vineyard, where she is surprised to find out that she does not know her family history quite as well as she imagined.

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Realistic Fiction, Women's Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781789014495

Also by this author: Off-Island

on 28th September, 2018

Format: Trade Paperback

Published By: Troubador Publishing (@matadorbooks)

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #RealisticFiction, #WomensRights, #WomensRightToChoose + #WomensFiction

About Marlene Hauser

Marlene Hauser

Marlene Hauser is a professional writer based in Oxford, UK, where she lives with her husband and teenage son. She served as editor of the Writer’s New York City Source Book and originated the television film Under the Influence, going on to serve as Associate Producer and Technical Consultant. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and has received numerous awards, including a residency at the Millay Arts Colony in Upstate New York.

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Posted Tuesday, 23 October, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Women's Fiction, Women's Right to Choose (Health Care Rights), Women's Rights

Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Cursed Rebel” by H.G. Lynch a potential selection for #WyrdAndWonder’s #SpooktasticReads

Posted Tuesday, 9 October, 2018 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I had so much going on this first week of *October!* – from a migraine to the tides of life – I effectively *forgot!* I had signed on for this lovely s/o announcement! The key reason I even was able to trigger a memory of the signup is when I read the gifted surprises for those who are participating in the giveaway attached to it!

I happen to love the legend, the lore & the symbolism attached to the Claddagh ring which I first learnt about when I watched the Hallmark Channel film “Daniel’s Daughter” starring Sebastian Spence, as this particular kind of ring has significance in the story-line. A slight bit of personal irony is this was just shy a few years of a fourth removed cousin finding my Mum and re-connecting our own ancestral lore of being Irish. Turnt out, we’re Irish as they come and that was a lovely confirmation for me as I’ve felt so dearly attached to Celtic Mythology, Celtic music & this particular ring (as I researched the origins, the stories & everything interconnected to it) since I first saw the forementioned film. And, yes, I have a copy of the dvd – courtesy of intuitive parents!

Thereby, when I spied one of the prizes attached, I thought – ooh yes, I need to look into the premise of this one and see how it interconnects to the Emerald Isle!

I happen to love finding Paranormal Romances – it isn’t oft I find ones involving the fey as in recent years I’ve been happily enjoying the Urban Fantasy series ‘Tipsy Fairy Tales’ which has cheeky humour and delightful drama!

Being a reader who is tempted to read darker Fantasy Lit but finding her traction within the realms of #DarkFantasy to be a complicated road to walk – when I saw this particular story going up for a blitz I was hopeful I might learn a bit more about it and might find myself being inspired to read it when it eventually goes into an edition I can read. As you will gather – I think I have accomplished answering my questions about its contents but what is rather keenly lovely is the extract I selected for you to read – to see if perchance this title appeals to you?

This is October – a time for finding #SpooktasticReads & the stories which might take us outside our comfort zones a bit whilst we embrace the spookier side of literature! I love Gothic stories & I do love the paranormal – sometimes I find myself mistrustful of the fey (as they do not have a strict ethical code!) but I must admit – ahead of our #WyrdAndWonder mini-event – this one just felt wicked fascinating!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Cursed Rebel” by H.G. Lynch a potential selection for #WyrdAndWonder’s #SpooktasticReadsCursed Rebel
Subtitle: I never believed in fairies,.. until I was kidnapped by one.
by H.G. Lynch

My grandma always warned me never to trust a Faery. I never believed they were real…until I was kidnapped by one.

Finn is an obnoxious, mercurial Fae whose job it is to bring me to the King. He’s gorgeous, but in this world, the prettiest things are the deadliest.

But if I want to survive the Fae realm and find a way home, I’ll have to trust him…for now.

Genres: YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal Romance, YA Paranormal Suspense, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B07FSGQJB6

Published by Self Published

on 5th October, 2018

A Self Published Story

This is a Digital First publication | I am hopeful a print or audio release will follow

Converse on Twitter via: #YALit, #PNR or #ParanormalRom

& #YoungAdult with #DarkFantasy #YAFantasy

About H.G. Lynch

H.G. Lynch

H.G. Lynch is a Paranormal Romance author from Scotland. She is an avid reader, and cat-lover. She spends most of her days writing, while wrestling her cat off her laptop. She loves horse-riding, Star Trek, and snow. Her books are dark paranormal romances.

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Posted Tuesday, 9 October, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Dark Fantasy, Gothic Literature, Indie Author, Paranormal Romance, Parapsychological Suspense, Self-Published Author, Xpresso Book Tours, YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction

Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Montana Dreams” (Book Four: The Wildes of Birch Bay) by Kim Law

Posted Friday, 28 September, 2018 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

 

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am wicked thrilled to announce I found a *new!* Contemporary Romance series set in Montana whose lovely installments are available via #Scribd on audiobook!

I personally love small towne fiction series such as The Wildes of Birch Bay – where you get to settle into a family and/or a towne, returning time & again to the continuity of the series where you move through one dramatic story arc after another (such as my love of Ms Rock’s Rocky Mountain Cowboy series and others like) – to where you truly feel you have gathered a unique perspective on both the characters and the writers’ style for engaging your heart into their story-lines.

I had wanted to listen to the first novel in this series by the time the Blitz came round – however, I spent most of September dealing with health issues which took me away from both reading & listening to audiobooks. I am thankful for the few stories I could focus on – though in truth, there were quite a heap on #Scribd alongside this one which had to be placed on *hold* til I felt more like ‘me’ and less like the variation I had become instead!

The brief moments I spent listening to “Montana Cherries” gave me the impression I would enjoy digging into this series and listening to one installment after the other! The narrator’s voice (Natalie Ross) had a strong presence with just the right kind of pacing to make listening to a Romance rather enjoyable. This is the first time I’ve become introduced to Ms Law’s stories and to Ms Ross’s narration style – a double pleasure!

I can see already my *Autumn!* is shaping up to be a lovely renewal of reading through books already on my shelf, purchase requests the library has blessed me with accepting, audiobooks via #Scribd & the few purchases I made via #Audible before I switched scripts as well as lots of lovelies I haven’t yet mentioned – such as my personal reading challenges and some leftover reads from #Audiobookmonth, the new #WyrdAndWonder mini event & even a few I’ve been keeping ‘mum’ about mentioning! lol A reader is never short on the stories which tempt us into their chapters & hearts, eh?!

Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Montana Dreams” (Book Four: The Wildes of Birch Bay) by Kim LawMontana Dreams
by Kim Law

Sometimes dreams change…and sometimes it takes a dream reader to make it happen.

When Jaden Wilde’s girlfriend turns down his marriage proposal just months before he receives his master’s in counseling, he’s convinced that it’s cold feet. Until he learns that her no came at the advice of a new age “dream reader.” But Arsula’s hardly the woo-woo hippie his scholarly mind imagined. She’s charming, smart, and uncannily perceptive. And before long, he’s drawn to her—despite his ongoing skepticism for how her practice works.

Arsula’s intuitions led her to Birch Bay not to guide Jaden’s girlfriend—but to guide him to his best life possible. As the odd one out in an unsupportive family, Arsula can relate to the struggle to find one’s path, and she wants to see Jaden with the woman of his dreams. Although she’s cautious of being the rebound girl, what she’s starting to feel for him is too real to ignore.

When Jaden’s own volatile family issues come to a head and his doubts are made resoundingly clear, Arsula worries she’s misread the signs. Maybe they’re all wrong for each other. Maybe he should be with his ex. She’s supported him, but if he can’t believe in her, how will they ever find out if they’re truly meant to be?

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781503902855

Published by Montlake Romance

on 25th September, 2018

Length: 10 hours (unabridged)

Published By: Montlake Romance an imprint of Amazon Publishing

Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

The Wildes of Birch Bay series

Montana Cherries (book one) | Synopsis

Montana Rescue (book two) | Synopsis

Montana Mornings (book three) | Synopsis

Montana Dreams (book four)

Converse on Twitter via: #Contemporary #Romance

About Kim Law

Kim Law

As a child, award-winning author Kim Law cultivated a love for chocolate, anything purple, and creative writing. She penned her debut work, "The Gigantic Talking Raisin," in the sixth grade and got hooked on the delights of creating stories. Before settling into the writing life, however, she earned a college degree in mathematics and worked as a computer programmer. Now she's pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels. She has won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award, has been a finalist for the prestigious RWA RITA Award, and has served in varied positions for her local RWA chapter. A native of Kentucky, Kim lives with her husband and an assortment of animals in Middle Tennessee.

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Posted Friday, 28 September, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction, Small Towne Fiction

#PubDay Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Jaclyn and the Beanstalk” by Mary Ting A new #YAFantasy novel which re-invents the tale surrounding #JackAndTheBeanStalk with an impressive premise driving it forward!

Posted Tuesday, 4 September, 2018 by jorielov , , 3 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Happily this is my second of featuring stories I would love to be reading through spotlighting the titles I am discovering through Xpresso Book Tours! Earlier this week I was highlighting a new Digital First release for a New Adult Romantic Suspense whilst tonight I am drawing your eye to a fairy tale re-telling of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ – set within a Young Adult Fantasy world. I would speculate this one is a bit darker than I normally might be drawn to read – however, when it comes to Dark Fantasy, I dearly remember how charmed & enchanted I was by ‘Bearskin’ which gives me the hopefulness to find more Dark Fantasy writers out there who can give me a chillingly thrill of a read *but!* in such a way I can handle the context of their stories without feeling I’ve become :pushed: outside my zones of comfort (to a negative effect).

What do you love about fairy tale re-tellings & after canon sequels on behalf of the stories / series / canons you draw a thirst of interest in re-exploring? Do you read a heap of adaptations per each original you love OR do you hop round like I do and only occasionally read the same story told through different variants every odd moon!?

‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ has a lot of room to work with in regards of how to re-tell this particular Classic and still have room to breathe! This is partially why I was enchanted by the premise but also, in finding new voices within the bracket of Young Adult Fantasy which is a niche of Fantasy literature I happen to be drawn inside more oft-times than naught! The worlds within YA Fantasy worlds are just as compelling if not moreso than their Adult variants – I have spent many enjoyable hours (including recently!) spellbound by how writers are curating their worlds, deepening our awareness of how wide the realms of Fantasy can become explored & of the convicting plot threads which carry us into the final chapters where we might not be fully ready to depart reading the story!

I selected two extracts from this novel, which I am happy to announce *celebrated!* its #PubDay for print today on the 4th of September – isn’t that especially grand for those of us who are traditional readers!? These extracts and the quote banners which accompany them I felt gave the best ‘introduction’ to who Jacyln is in the story but also, the direction of Ms Ting’s vision for this novel! 

The artwork gracing the cover was brilliant – between the colour palette and the combination of seeing Jacyln near the beanstalk with the ready sense she was affirmatively ready for whatever was awaiting her – gave you the strong impression there would be quite a heap of adventuring to be done alongside her as we ventured into the story left behind for us to read!

#PubDay Book Blitz with Notes and Extras | “Jaclyn and the Beanstalk” by Mary Ting A new #YAFantasy novel which re-invents the tale surrounding #JackAndTheBeanStalk with an impressive premise driving it forward!Jacyln and the Beanstalk
by Mary Ting

What fate awaits a girl who hears monsters at night…

Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.

But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.

Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

Armed only with her sword and three magic beans—a gift from a mysterious old woman—Jaclyn sets out for Black Mountain to save her father.

On her climb, one bean drops and grows into a beanstalk, catching her when she falls.

She isn’t the only one that takes the ride. Jack, her childhood friend and secret crush, is following her.

Together, Jaclyn and Jack must battle to save not only their fathers, but the townspeople the beasts plan to lay waste to before it’s too late.

Genres: Dark Fantasy, Fairy-Tale Re-Telling, Fantasy Fiction, YA Fantasy



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781944109745

Published by Vesuvian Books

on 4th September, 2018

Published By: Vesuvian Books (@VesuvianMedia)

Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #YAFantasy, #YoungAdult + #Fantasy

OR #DarkFantasy #JackAndTheBeanstalk re-telling

About Mary Ting

Mary Ting

International Bestselling Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry.

Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading New Adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great.

Why the pen name, M Clarke? She tours with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

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Posted Tuesday, 4 September, 2018 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Coming-Of Age, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Upper YA Fiction, Xpresso Book Tours, Young Adult Fiction