Jorie Loves A Story, is a blog that was inspired into creation due to a reader's love and passion for the written word. She reads bookish industry newsfeeds, keeps a pertinent eye on newly published authors, is readily eager to book travel to independent book shoppes, athenaeum libraries, historical landmarks of literary interest, and book festivals, conventions, or symposiums; absorbs herself into the written word, cherishing each book she comes across that has the ability to transport herself into another time, place, and world. This is her journey, as she uncovers one book at a time that leaves her musefully happy for the discovery.

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Category: Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition)

ChocLit Exclusive Q&A about #DarkChocLit and an interview by the first featured novelist of this new imprint: Laura E. James!

Posted Saturday, 28 November, 2015 by jorielov Chesil Series, ChocLitUK, Follow Me Follow You, Laura E. James, Truth or Dare, What Doesn't Kill You 0 Comments

This ChocLitSaturday, is quite a special one as I have an exclusive SURPRISE reveal to share with my readers and the lovely ChocLit authors I’ve been blessed to get to know during our ChocLitSaturday chats! I hadn’t even realised I had tipped my hat towards this reveal until I received the reply back from ChocLit about the questions I had pitched regarding their new imprint #DarkChocLit!

As soon as I heard of the news being tweeted, I had to respond directly and therein, I decided hosting a *special* interview between the publisher and the novelist who would debut the imprint would be quite a smashing way to celebrate *Dark Choc Lit*!

Who knew ChocLit had a cheeky surprise of their own?!

A foreshadow of what was to come as Jorie took to the twitterverse to converse about what #DarkChocLit might contain and how the ChocLit authors themselves happily conceived ideas of where the imprint would lead them to traverse as writers.

This initial tweet of mine was posted soon after finding there was something quite smashing afoot at ChocLitUK – there was a new IMPRINT about to make it’s debut to ChocLit readers (and authors); wherein we would be challenged by the context of the stories for harder hitting story-lines and a gritty realistic edge of where real-life composites of character and life circumstances might give us a heartier read than a traditional Rom; as this new imprint was navigating the waters of ‘Realistic Rom’ rather than a traditional HEA.

Ooh wow! #ChocLit has a #darkchocolate side to their offerings!? Sounds quite murderous to me! @ChocLituk @Laura_E_James #awesomesauce news!

— Jorie Loves A Story (@joriestory) October 29, 2015

This initial chatterment of joy started a bantering between myself and Ms James, before a full broach of the topic was launched during #ChocLitSaturday (on Halloween!) when Ms Harris tweeted out this curious Q:

What does 'Dark Choc Lit' signify? #ChocLitSaturday

— Liz Harris (@lizharrisauthor) October 31, 2015

As you will read shortly, I’ve gathered together to give the conversation new life and a continuance of thought on the topic itself, you will find that #DarkChocLit begs to ask questions of both readers and writers; whilst giving you a delish new imprint to read for a challenging new read of Romance!

The Chesil Series:

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

Book One: Truth or Dare?

Love’s a dangerous game…

Kate Blair’s sick of unrequited love. She’s quietly waited for Mickey for the past six years and finding a compass-carved heart, with their initials scratched through the middle, only strengthens her resolve: no more Mickey and no more playing it safe. It’s time to take a chance on real love and Declan O’Brien’s the perfect risk.

He’s handsome, kind and crazy about her so it’s not long before all thoughts of Mickey come few and far between. But old habits die-hard. Kate may have started to forget … but has Mickey?

Formats Available: E-book *sadly I thought this was in paperback

Book Two: Follow Me, Follow You

You save me and I’ll save you

Victoria Noble has pulled the plug on romance. As director of the number one social networking site, EweSpeak, and single mother to four-year-old Seth, she wrestles with the work-life balance. Enter Chris Frampton, Hollywood action hero and Victoria’s first love. His return from LA has sparked a powder keg of media attention, and with secrets threatening to fuel the fire, he’s desperate to escape. But finding a way forward is never simple.

Although his connection with Victoria has lasted the test of time, has he been adrift too long to know how to move on? With the risk of them breaking, will either #follow their heart?

Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook and E-book

Book Three: What Doesn’t Kill You – launching #DarkChocLit

What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – but how strong can one person be?

Griff Hendry knows what it is to be strong. After a turbulent past, he’s dedicated himself to saving lives, working as a coastguard along the breath-taking shores of Dorset. It’s Griff’s belief that everyone is worth saving – which is why he can’t forgive his father, Logan, for what he did. Griff’s future is plunged into uncertainty when his wife, Evie, tells him she wants a separation.

The revelation is a shock and leads Griff to question what Evie could possibly be hiding – and she isn’t the only one holding back. Griff’s troubled stepdaughter, Tess, also harbours a dark secret. As the truth is uncovered, Griff is forced to accept that perhaps he’s never understood what real strength is.

RELEASE DATE: 26th November, 2015 – ebook version

Formats Available: this is a Digital First release! print and audio should follow next!

Genre(s): Contemporary | Romantic Suspense | Realistic Rom | Emotional Drama

For a look inside this story visit Ms James post on What Doesn’t Kill You | The Romaniacs

Converse via: #DarkChocLit + #ChocLit

Thank you so much for indulging me today, Jorie, and for your interest and enthusiasm for ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’ and the new Dark imprint from Choc Lit.

What Doesn’t Kill You is being released under Choc Lit’s new imprint Dark Choc Lit, however, this is the 3rd novel in the Chesil series. What was your reaction in finding out this release in particular would help launch the new imprint and how do you feel it celebrates the intentions behind Dark Choc Lit?

James responds: I felt honoured, excited and thrilled at the same time. What an incredible opportunity! My two cats and I were the only ones in the house when I found out, so I celebrated with them. By celebrate I mean they gave me a strange look and then shot through the cat flap while I whooped and cheered in the kitchen. I couldn’t wait to let my family know. Their reaction was more in line with mine. And they can’t fit through the cat flap.

My style of writing has been described as ‘romance without the soft edges’ ‒ a line I’ve borrowed for my author tag ‒ and, ‘romance with its feet firmly set in reality’. I write issue-led romances, which can travel down dark alleys. Choc Lit describes its new imprint as ‘compelling, emotional, hard-hitting novels. Not your typical romance story’, and I think that captures the heart of ‘What Doesn’t Kill You’. But however treacherous the journey, readers of romance know they will end up in a happy or hopeful place. Read More

Posted Saturday, 28 November, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Bookish Discussions, British Literature, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Debut Novel, England, Indie Author, Life Shift, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Reader Submitted Q&A, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense

ChocLit Spotlight | “Search for the Truth” by Kathryn Freeman a ChocLit author I’ve been curious about reading!

Posted Friday, 27 November, 2015 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Kathryn Freeman, Search for the Truth, Too Charming 0 Comments

I have come to appreciate finding new ways to help spread the word about the novelists and stories I personally enjoy reading via ChocLitUK. When Brook Cottage Book Tours first started to announce upcoming blog tours featuring the authors I’ve come to know as a book reviewer, I couldn’t wait to jump on board the tours! For you see, as a ChocLit reviewer, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading each ChocLit novelist as of yet – although my ChocLit Next Reads List on Riffle is a good indication of my earnest intention of reading their collective works!

Imagine my happy surprise finding in the batch of Autumn tours, one featuring a novel by Ms Harris (who is an auto-read author of mine!) and one novel by Ms Freeman of whom I have not yet had the pleasure of reading. Similar to my curiosities broached on a Cover Reveal by Ms Browne, I wanted to highlight what inspires me to read Ms Freeman; as I had happily shared my joy of finding a new adoption story during my spotlight for The Lost Girl.

I vaguely remember chattering about this novel on Twitter, yet when I went to find the tweets I shared about the story, I came up a bit empty! I am unsure why, as I tried to remember the wordings I had used to describe the exchanges, but for whichever reason, those tweets are lost somewhere in my feeds! The main reason I wanted to share them is because I believe I had mentioned the reason why this particular story leapt out at me to read initially? It’s hard to tell – that’s the irony of Twitter, you can share all these lovely convos, but trying to find where those tweets go weeks and months lateron is a bit of a mystery!

One thing I can say for certainty: I am finding myself drawn into heart-stirring contemporary fiction whose layers of intrigue and relationships are keenly becoming of interest to read.

Sometimes the truth hurts …

When journalist Tess Johnson takes a job at Helix pharmaceuticals, she has a very specific motive. Tess has reason to believe the company are knowingly producing a potentially harmful drug and, if her suspicions are confirmed, she will stop at nothing to make sure the truth comes out.

Jim Knight is the president of research and development at Helix and is a force to be reckoned with. After a disastrous office affair he’s determined that nothing else will distract him from his vision for the company. Failure is simply not an option. As Tess and Jim start working together, both have their reasons for wanting to ignore the sexual chemistry that fires between them. But chemistry, like most things in the world of science, isn’t always easy to control.

Places to find the book:

Add to Riffle

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

RELEASE DATE: 13th August, 2015 – ebook version

Formats Available: this is a Digital First release! print and audio should follow next!

Genre(s): Contemporary | BigPharma | Suspense | Espionage Fiction

A former pharmacist, I’m now a medical writer who also writes romance. Some days a racing heart is a medical condition, others it’s the reaction to a hunky hero.

With two teenage boys and a husband who asks every Valentine’s Day whether he has to buy a card (yes, he does), any romance is all in my head. Then again, his unstinting support of my career change proves love isn’t always about hearts and flowers – and heroes come in many disguises.

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #ChocLit

My best friend from high school went into the Pharmacy Industry, and coincidentally we reconnected after a long search to find each other again whilst she was at the latter stage of graduating as a pharmacist. I still remember our long conversations on the phone about the particulars of what was involved with her studies and how her impression of pharmacy had changed since before she started her studies; as the industry wasn’t quite what she imagined it was to be. I could sympathise as sometimes our initial impressions about something does not match or hold up against further enquiries and research. I oft think about her as she has a demanding schedule of hours and responsibilities, I had hoped might have calmed down after her last promotion. Read More

Posted Friday, 27 November, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), British Literature, Brook Cottage Book Tours, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Espionage, Indie Author, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense

ChocLit Spotlight | “The Lost Girl” by Liz Harris a new historical drama by an author I automatically get excited to read her next releases!

Posted Monday, 23 November, 2015 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Liz Harris, The Lost Girl 0 Comments

Imagine my happy surprise finding in the batch of Autumn tours, one featuring a novel by Ms Harris (who is an auto-read author of mine!) and one novel by Ms Freeman of whom I have not yet had the pleasure of reading. Similar to my curiosities broached on a Cover Reveal by Ms Browne, I wanted to highlight what inspires me to read Ms Freeman; thus be sure to return on Friday to find out what I have to say!

Today, I am going to share a bit of insight into what I learnt about The Lost Girl during one of my #ChocLitSaturday chats inasmuch as share with you why I feel this will be my next unputdownable read by Ms Harris!

On my Connection to Ms. Harris:

I have been hosting #ChocLitSaturday chats on a regular basis for a bit over a year now. Eleven in the morning of a Saturday, has become a favourite hour for me to exchange conversation and joy with everyone who shows up to participate in a chat centered around ChocLit novels and the Romance branch of literature in general.

Similar to my previous thoughts I shared about Ms. Courtenay, I have come to appreciate chatting with Ms. Harris, either through #ChocLitSaturdays chats or privately. She is most giving of her time and I have appreciated the opportunity to know the writer behind the stories I enjoy reading! She always shares her happy spirit in the chats too, and her insights into why she enjoys writing the books that speak to her the most.

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Harris through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I host #ChocLitSaturday the chat as well as privately; I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. Similarly this applies to spotlighting new books by an author I appreciate such as this one.

What if you were trapped between two cultures?

Life is tough in 1870s Wyoming. But it’s tougher still when you’re a girl who looks Chinese but speaks like an American.

Orphaned as a baby and taken in by an American family, Charity Walker knows this only too well. The mounting tensions between the new Chinese immigrants and the locals in the mining town of Carter see her shunned by both communities.

When Charity’s one friend, Joe, leaves town, she finds herself isolated. However, in his absence, a new friendship with the only other Chinese girl in Carter makes her feel like she finally belongs somewhere.

But, for a lost girl like Charity, finding a place to call home was never going to be that easy …

Places to find the book:

Add to Riffle

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

RELEASE DATE: 16th October, 2015 – ebook version

Formats Available: this is a Digital First release! print and audio should follow next!

Genre(s): Historical Fiction | Western | Adoption | Chinese-American ancestry

Liz Harris lives south of Oxford. Her debut novel was THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time & Romance Book of 2012), followed by A BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013), EVIE UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION and A WESTERN HEART. All of her novels, which are published by Choc Lit, have been shortlisted in their categories in the Festival of Romantic Fiction. In addition, Liz has had several short stories published in anthologies. Her interests are theatre, travelling, reading, cinema and cryptic crosswords.

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #ChocLit

I wasn’t surprised that Ms Harris tackled another hard-hitting dramatic story-line in her new book The Lost Girl as I have previously come to find she has a way of elevating historical fiction to an emotional keel of clarity. There is a richness to her stories – she dares to capitalise on the emotional heart of her character’s journey; even within the pages of A Bargain Struck this was true, and she did it by taking a seemingly ordinary story-line and moulding it into such a convicting story of life, love and second chances.

Her stories give me a heap of pleasure to read due to how she layers her stories with honesty, conviction and soul-searching transparency of her character’s lives. Each of her characters is battling through a life difficulty when we meet them; as within A Bargain Struck it was a medical reality that altered the confidence of her Western Bride; whereas in The Road Back her character was facing breaking tradition and convention in order to pursue her true love to the man who connected directly to her soul. Read More

Posted Monday, 23 November, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Adoption, American Old West, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), British Literature, Brook Cottage Book Tours, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Historical Fiction, Immigrant Stories, Indie Author, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Orphans & Guardians

Month9Books Friday Reveal | “Serpentine” by Cindy Pon a new release for #DiverseSFF #readers who appreciate wicked epic #Fantasy yet in a #YALit world!

Posted Thursday, 21 May, 2015 by jorielov Cindy Pon, Month9Books, Serpentine 0 Comments

As per my return to the Month9 Friday Reveals, I am happily on the look-out for wicked new stories about to hit bookshelves as much as celebrating the authors who are being published by Month9Books! When I caught sight of today’s reveal author [ Cindy Pon ] my first thought was — wait a second! I know who this is because I remember tweeting a s/o to her whilst her ARCs were being shipped! Lovely print edition ARCs of whom I had hoped would find a happy return of readerly support!

Let me share the short exchange with you:

@JLovesAStory @Month9Books 💖🐍

— cindy pon (@cindypon) May 2, 2015

Now when it comes to icon speak on Twitter I’m at a loss but when a creature is preempted by a heart, I knew it was a compliment! Imagine my happiness in being able to feature the *Cover Reveal!* for the same book I was happily tweeting out a bit of joy to the author earlier this month!? I love when serendipity plays a central role in our lives, because we truly are all connected and sometimes things are meant to be before we even realise the why and how we find the authors and stories which alight on our paths. Read More

Posted Thursday, 21 May, 2015 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, China, Chinese Literature, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, Historical Fiction, Illustrations for Stories, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Library Love, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Month9Books, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Parapsychological Gifts, Stories on the Rise, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Author Interview | Conversing with debut novelist, Julie Reece on behalf of her #Month9Books #YALit novel “The Artisans”!

Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2015 by jorielov Julie Reece, Month9Books, The Artisans 0 Comments

I honestly have been properly smitten with the book releases coming out of Month9Books, which is quite easy to understand if you follow the category threads for my book showcases & guest author features highlighting the new releases coming out of this Indie Publisher! When it comes to reading Gothic Literature, this is a topic I’ve explored on my blog as it has a tendency to be a genre I am quite intrigued by and readily find myself seeking out authors who write either Southern Gothic or Traditional Gothic Lit stories! And, of course, there is the realisation that I am still attempting to dig back inside Jane Eyre after picking it up for the first time in September 2013! One day. One day I shall find myself happily entrenched and will not re-emerge until I know how it all ends as it was originally written!

Late last year, I came across Sarah E. Boucher’s fairy-tale style of story-telling where she took on the legend, lore, and essence behind Beauty and the Beast. Becoming introduced to this style, I started to notice how many times I was being drawn forward into modern writer’s take on the classic fairy-tale story by re-aligning it inside their own worlds of fantasy and/or taking the lesser travelled historical fiction route. I have believed the key elements inside Beauty and the Beast, have always been arching back into the Gothic sub-genre sections due to it’s broodingly dark tone hanging over the Beast and the castle itself.

Part of the appeal for me to seek out these modern variants on the classics, is a step forward into reading fairy-tales as a previous #ChocLitSaturday chat already proved that more than two of us in our huckleberry circle of chatters are not meant to read the originals due to how dark and how horridly horrific they read on the page! I am finding enjoyment in seeing a new thread of chapters which pull back the dark horror side of the fairy-tale segments and instead fuse our imaginations into a story we can honestly enjoy reading without being on pins on what our eyes will drink in.

This is how I came to approach a yearning to read The Artisans and why I requested to be placed on the tour to host the author in an interview, such as the one your about to read below! I know each time I catch sight of a Month9Books title I dearly want to read, I will be hosting the author for a conversation or a guest post in lieu of reading the book(s) in print editions. It is my hope after six months from publication, I can start to query the books out of inter-library loan. I find I have quite a good bit of luck in this regard, as I recently queued up another Young Adult release I had yearned to read last year (not Month9Books) which was Snow Like Ashes. Until then, the Month9Books & Swoon Romance novels I wish to read in the near future will be populating my Riffle Lists!

As an aside, I was attempting to participate in the Book Blitz for this novel last week, but due to a variety of different reasons not worth mentioning I lost the hours to do so. However, in the end, it worked out for the best as I hadn’t realised there were ‘required bits to include’ as I was going to write a bit more about the book itself and why it entranced me to read it whilst giving the First Chapter a bit of a go too.

I received a copy of the ePub version of this novel (as this is a new compliment to hosting Month9Books blog tours), but as mentioned several times on my blog, I can only read novels in their full length in print. Therefore, the best I can do is settle inside the opening bits of the First Chapter or even a smaller portion of that if it is a chapter on the longer end of the spectrum. I consider these little ‘tastes’ prior to reading the novels in full. To understand what I mean, you might want to visit how I expressed my appreciation for another Fantasy novel for Middle Grade readers based on a Chapter Sampler. I will be separating my thoughts on behalf of The Artisans from this interview and publishing them (hopefully) lateron in the day.

Book Synopsis:

They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad’s drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven’s stepdad’s drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she’s ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries’ clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can’t imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?

Published By: Month9Books (@Month9Books)

on 12th of May, 2015

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook | Public Library | Add to Riffle

Converse on Twitter via:

#TheArtisans & #YALit OR #Month9Books

Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspired By Author OR Book, Month9Books, Re-Told Tales, Stories on the Rise, Urban Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction