Category: Blog Tour Host

Book Spotlight | “Of Darkness and Light” (Soli Hansen Mysteries, Book One) by Heidi Eljarbo

Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2020 by jorielov Catching A Witch, Heidi Eljarbo, Of Darkness and Light, Soli Hansen Mysteries 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Similar to why I had to change my post yesterday, I was just as excited to host an interview for this blog tour when I first signed on to host the author and her story – however, whilst I was in the throes of co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder (see also Post) for our 3rd Year of celebrating the fantastical throughout May, I was also succumbing to wicked horrid seasonal allergies which truly upturnt my world for the month. Somehow I managed to forget to finish my questions for the author in time for my tour stop and requested to change it to a spotlight as this is an author I’ve been intrigued about reading for quite a long while now.

You might remember my announcements for #WitchAThon this past March?

I had planned to read & review “Catching A Witch” by this author during the readathon for #WitchyReads – however, this was the month my parents both ended up in the ER and my reading life took a bit of a hiatus along with losing a bit of interest in blogging. Sometimes the crises of life can divert our attention and we have to hug close to family and faith to get through them. It took me until #WyrdAndWonder to finally find the joy again in both reading & blogging – as the event helped reset my focus and renewed my joy of diving into stories. Until Wyrd And Wonder – I’ve been struggling since last Autumn to have that same kind of joyfulness I experienced whilst reading “Christmas Once Again”.

You’ll be finding my #WitchyReads are coming to Jorie Loves A Story this June – as I’m co-hosting a new event with Armed with a Book (@_armedwithabook) which focuses on our #ReviewReads (more details soon!).

Today, I want to talk about this new Historical Mystery series and why this series caught my attention as much as Ms Eljarbo’s “Catching A Witch”.

Of Darkness and Light
by Heidi Eljarbo

In this first book of a new historical mystery series, a young art historian faces a tough choice in German-occupied Norway.

Oslo, 1944. Soli Hansen’s passion for art history is and always has been a way of life for her. While she spends her days working in an art shop, WWII is taking its toll on everyone. Apprehensive of the consequences, Soli avoids becoming entangled in the war resistance efforts. She closes her eyes in hopes the enemy will retreat and leave her beautiful country for good.

But when a woman is found dead in the alley alongside the art shop and a painting from the last auction goes missing, Soli is thrown into the thickest of the fray involving both Nazi art theft and the Norwegian resistance.

Once Soli finds her courage, there’s no turning back. Her personal life is turned upside-down with danger, lies, spying, and an incredible discovery.

In this dual timeline novel, Heidi Eljarbo paints a vivid picture of what people are willing to do in desperate times. With unforgettable characters and rich historical details, Of Darkness and Light will keep the reader mesmerized until the last satisfying page.

Perfect for fans of Kate Morton, Lucinda Riley, Katherine Neville, and Kate Mosse.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, War Drama

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9798639681653

on 2nd May, 2020

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #HistoricalThriller and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Heidi Eljarbo

Heidi Eljarbo is the bestselling author of Catching a Witch. She grew up in a home filled with books and artwork and she never truly imagined she would do anything other than write and paint. She studied art, languages, and history, all of which have come in handy when working as an author, magazine journalist, and painter.

After living in Canada, six US states, Japan, Switzerland, and Austria, Heidi now calls Norway home. She and her husband have a total of nine children, thirteen grandchildren–so far–in addition to a bouncy Wheaten Terrier.

Their favorite retreat is a mountain cabin, where they hike in the summertime and ski the vast, white terrain during winter. Heidi’s favorites are family, God’s beautiful nature, and the word whimsical.

Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Book Spotlight | “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” by Abigail Wilson

Posted Monday, 1 June, 2020 by jorielov Abigail Wilson, Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey, Thomas Nelson 2 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I was wicked eager to host an interview for this blog tour when I first signed on to host the author and her story – however, whilst I was in the throes of co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder (see also Post) for our 3rd Year of celebrating the fantastical throughout May, I was also succumbing to wicked horrid seasonal allergies which truly upturnt my world for the month. Somehow I managed to forget to finish my questions for the author in time for my tour stop and requested to change it to a spotlight as I truly wanted to talk about why this story leapt out to me to be read!

I have a sweet passion of joy reading INSPY Literature – as throughout my blog – you’ll find reviews for INSPY Contemporary Romance, INSPY Contemporary Realistic Fiction, INSPY Historical Romance and/or INSPY Historical Fiction – whereas I have this addiction to reading Suspense novels by INSPY novelists who are being published via the imprint Love Inspired Suspense! This is something I enjoy reading in tandem with my Mum – as getting the chance to read novels and talk about them shortly afterwards with someone who equally appreciates the same kind of stories as you do is pure blissitude.

When it comes to reading INSPY Historical Fiction & Romance – it began in my childhood when I first became a hybrid reader of both mainstream & INSPY literature – Judith Pella and Lois Gladys Leppard were two of my ‘first’ beloved authors in this vein of interest. They were writing the stories and series I was excited to find a a young girl who was thriving on their wonderfully realistic worlds and characters of whom were their own heroines.

The Regency is a timescape I love re-visiting – it is one of those cosy comforting eras of joy for me as a reader second only to the Victorian. I’ve been seeking out stories set in both time periods since I was nine years old and read my first Regency Christmas Romance anthology! It was a turning point for me because it not only showed me period Historical Fiction but it also showed how wicked intriguing a Historical Romance (ie. #HistRom) could be where you find yourself caught inside the fever of what a Historical Romance can give you during the Regency. From the balls to the pretense of courtship – there is a lot to delight inside of a Regency Rom!

Thus, having this background of readerly enjoyment – when I saw this announcement for the blog tour featuring “Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey” – I truly squealled with delight as I definitely knew I wanted to be reading this lovely new release! When I realised print copies were on hold due to the virus and the limitations in shipping books during the more intense months of lockdowns and isolated quarantines in our country, I opted for an interview and now a featured extract. I’ll definitely be reading this novel – but for now I simply want to help get the word out about its release!

Masquerade at Middlecrest Abbey
by Abigail Wilson

In this new Regency romance, Elizabeth knows she must protect her heart from the charm of her new husband, Lord Torrington. She is not, however, prepared to protect her life.

When the widowed Lord Torrington agreed to spy for the crown, he never planned to impersonate a highwayman, let alone rob the wrong carriage. Stranded on the road with an unconscious young woman, he is forced to propose marriage to protect his identity and her reputation, as well as his dangerous mission.

Trapped not only by her duty to her country but also by her limited options as an unwed mother, Miss Elizabeth Cantrell and her infant son are whisked away to Middlecrest Abbey by none other than the elder brother of her son’s absent father. There she is met by Torrington’s beautiful grown daughters, a vicious murderer, and an urgent hunt for the missing intelligence that could turn the war with France. Meanwhile she must convince everyone that her marriage is a genuine love match if her new husband has any hope of uncovering the enemy.

Determined to keep her son’s true identity a secret, Elizabeth will need to remain one step ahead of her fragile heart, her uncertain future, and the relentless fiend bent on her new family’s ruin.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9780785233077

Also by this author: The Vanishing at Loxby Manor

Published by Thomas Nelson

on 26th May, 2020

Converse via: #HistFic or #HistNov
+ #MasqueradeAtMiddlecrestAbbey and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

About Abigail Wilson

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A registered nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the national parks, attending her daughter’s gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA’s Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW’s First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense.

She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children.

Posted Monday, 1 June, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

A #WyrdAndWonder Author Interview | Conversing with Kathryn Gossow [author of “Cassandra”]

Posted Sunday, 31 May, 2020 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder, Cassandra, Kathryn Gossow, Odyssey Books 1 Comment

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

All week long I’ve been introducing my readers of Jorie Loves A Story and the participants and blog travellers of #WyrdAndWonder to the Indie Fantasy novelists who are published via Odyssey Books! This afternoon I am bringing to you the final guest author feature I have for Odyssey Books – which is both a wonderful celebration of the publisher I’ve come to find has many authors I now desire to gather to read and a sombering finality to knowing #WyrdAndWonder is about to end.

These authors helped make my 3rd Year of Wyrd And Wonder wicked wonderful! Each of them has brought a different perspective on #amwriting Fantasy, reading Fantasy and breathing a fantastical world to life – as they are a diverse group of authors who are offering new & dynamic voices in Fantasy which hopefully will become our next wicked #mustreads!

I have become increasingly aware of Mythological Re-tellings in Fantasy and other genres through my pursuit of Speculative Fiction stories which parlay into the back-histories of Mythology ever since I first participated in @Mythothon! This wonderful celebration is hosted by a dear friend of mine (Louise @foxesfairytale) in September – wherein this year we’re tackling Celtic Mythology! This will be my 3rd Year of participating and I am hopeful between then and now, I can read some of the lovelies I’ve discovered from past #Mythothon’s! As it is a self-directed intuitive study of the folkore and Mythos of each group of Mythology which is the focus of the events.

Thereby, the whole concept of “Cassandra” by Ms Gossow truly excited me because it was my next ‘Mythological Re-telling” to uncover and discover! The fact I had the chance to interview the author asking her questions about this world she’s crafted and how she wanted to entice readers into the story behind ‘Cassandra’ was a gift of joy. I am hopeful through this conversation – others might consider reading more Mythologically inspired works of Fiction as much as Louise & I and the rest of the #Mythothon community have appreciated these past few years!

Speaking of #Mythothon – similar to #TheClassicsClub – this is OPEN to everyone who reads and loves sharing their readerly lives with others. You can have a blog, a Twitter feed, a #bookstagram or #booktube or being active on GoodReads, LibraryThing, Litsy, etc – wherever you share your bookish life, welcome to the #Mythothon community!

I didn’t get a chance to gather a copy of this novel during #WyrdAndWonder – however, this conversation we’ve shared has definitely left me with a solid connection to the world within “Cassandra” and I will be looking forward to reading this when I’m able to bring the book home.

Brew yourself a cuppa and enjoy what I have to share with you,…

Cassandra (Author Interview)
by Kathryn Gossow

On a remote farm in Queensland, Cassie Shultz feels useless. Her perfect brother Alex has an uncanny ability to predict the weather, and the fortunes of the entire family hinge upon his forecasts. However, her own gift for prophecy remains frustratingly obscure. Attempts to help her family usually result in failure.

After meeting with her new genius neighbour Athena, Cassie thinks she has unlocked the secret of her powers. But as her visions grow more vivid, she learns that the cost of honing her gift may be her sanity.

With her family breaking apart, the future hurtles towards Cassie faster than she can comprehend it.

Genres: Australian Lit, Fantasy Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Greek Mythos | Legacies, Young Adult Fiction, YA Fantasy, Re-telling &/or Sequel

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1922200785

Also by this author: Cassandra

Published by Odyssey Books

on 6th February, 2017

Published by: Odyssey Books (@OdysseyBooks)

About [ “Cassandra” ] by the author:

My book Cassandra is a reimagining of the myth of Cassandra, set in Australian in the 1980s. It was a finalist for Best Fantasy Novel in the Australian Aurealis Awards.

Converse via: #Fantasy, #YAFantasy, #Cassandra
as well as #OdysseyBooks & #WyrdAndWonder

Posted Sunday, 31 May, 2020 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event

A #WyrdAndWonder Book Review | “Esme’s Wish” (Esme’s Series Trilogy: Book One) by Elizabeth Foster

Posted Saturday, 30 May, 2020 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder, Elizabeth Foster, Esme's Series (Trilogy), Esme's Wish, Odyssey Books 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I first heard from Odyssey Books late last year, however, the timing of accepting their review request for “The Monster Apprentice” wasn’t the best timing for me due to my health and my migraines. As I was setting to mind what I wanted to do for Wyrd And Wonder this year, I decided to reach out to the publisher to see if I could schedule guest author features and perhaps finally accept the chance to read and review “The Monster Apprentice”. I was thankful I could put together a mixture of guest features (guest posts and interviews) as well as two reviews for this Indie publisher in New Zealand. This marks my second book review and I am humbled in joy for the conversations and the stories I’ve discovered this 3rd Year of Wyrd And Wonder through Odyssey Books!

I received a complimentary copy of “Esme’s Wish” direct from the author Elizabeth Foster and the publisher Odyssey Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

What truly attracted me to read “Esme’s Wish”:

I was caught up in the essence of where this novel could take me as a reader – I love poetic stories which seek to give us something wonderful from their stories. I have been enjoying my journey back into Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction – however, most of the stories I enjoy the most from those branches of literature are within the Speculative realms. Writers who are writing #SpecLit for these readers are truly tapping into a beautiful vision of how Science Fiction and/or Fantasy can be imagined – whilst giving us layered stories in which to feel we’ve lived elsewhere for a short spell outside our own living experiences.

I knew this was going to become an emotional read for me – the heart of the story, even before reading it is a daughter’s search for her Mum; in different ways in how a daughter can look for her Mum whilst dealing with the realities of having this chasm of ambiguous loss between what Esme remembers from the past and where she currently finds herself in the future. Esme doesn’t remember exactly what became of her Mum – only that she knows others treat her mother’s absence as if she died and despite the tragedy of that moment, they’ve chosen to move on. Yet for Esme how can you move on when you cannot reconcile the past?

This story I felt would be an entry into how Urban Fantasy can feel wonderfully grounded in a contemporary lifestyle and yet, have small touches of the fantastical slowly take over the scope and depth of where the story can take the reader. This gentle hand in guiding us forward into the Esme’s Series is what I loved more about Foster’s writing style. She gives you such a firm grounding of place and setting – of allowing us to better understand her characters and then, she takes us on this wild adventure we simply are better for having experienced. This is why I wanted to read Esme’s Wish and this is why I am wicked thankful it became a part of my #WyrdAndWonder journey this 3rd Year!

Two things I was attempting to do differently this year is to participate more in the #WyrdAndWonder Challenge (wherein I could take photos and share them on #bookTwitter) but I also wanted to create posts outside reviews & guest features. As the month wore on I realised the few times I was able to respond to the challenge prompts and the vlog video I had made featuring my #bookmail for #WyrdAndWonder might be all I would be able to contribute this year. I am most proud about how this turnt out as I have only released a handful of these so far overall!

I put together a short teaser of a #booktube #vlog #unboxing video which I shared on Twitter. I had a most delightful time answering one of the #WyrdAndWonder challenge prompts which was “The Best Things Come in Threes”.

.@wyrdandwonder?#BookPhoto Challenge during #WyrdAndWonder
A: The best things come in threes

A trifecta of #newtomeauthors featuring #MGFantasy & #YAFantasy from #IndieAuthors: @FBanksBooks @e_foster3 and @owencrane ???‍♂️#bookpost @OdysseyBooks #bookbloggers #booktube pic.twitter.com/qmhromT5xq

— Jorie (#WyrdAndWonder) ?? (@joriestory) May 5, 2020

Esme's Wish
by Elizabeth Foster
Source: Direct from Author

When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father’s wedding, her protest is dismissed as the actions of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme’s mother, Ariane – so why can’t she?

But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother’s disappearance – that ‘lost at sea’ is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know.

After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother’s steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane’s double life. But the more Esme discovers about Ariane, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.

Genres: Dragon Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Mythological Fantasy, Portal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1925652246

Published by Odyssey Books

on 30th October, 2017

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 252

Published by: Odyssey Books (@OdysseyBooks)

Esme’s Series (trilogy):

Esme’s Wish (book one)

Esme’s Gift (book two)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #EsmesWish, #YALit, #YAFantasy
as well as #YoungAdult; #IndieAuthor, #IndieFantasy and #WyrdAndWonder

This story received my award for Best Middle Grade Fantasy.

About Elizabeth Foster

Elizabeth Foster read avidly as a child, but only discovered the joys of writing some years ago, when reading to her own kids reminded her of how much she missed getting lost in other worlds. Once she started writing, she never looked back. She’s at her happiest when immersed in stories, plotting new conflicts and adventures for her characters. Elizabeth lives in Sydney, where she can be found scribbling in cafés, indulging her love of both words and coffee.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#WyrdAndWonder

Posted Saturday, 30 May, 2020 by jorielov in #Unboxing BookMail, #WyrdAndWonder, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Book Review (non-blog tour), Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Content Note, Dragon Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Greek Mythology, Jorie Loves A Story, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Juvenile Fiction, Life Shift, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Portal Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

A #WyrdAndWonder Author Interview | Conversing with Carolyn Denman [author of the Sentinel of Eden series]

Posted Friday, 29 May, 2020 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder, Carolyn Denman, Odyssey Books, Songlines, The Sentinels of Eden series 2 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am having a wicked sweet blast this week featuring the Indie Fantasy novelists who are published via Odyssey Books – as these authors helped make my 3rd Year of Wyrd And Wonder wicked wonderful! Each of them has brought a different perspective on #amwriting Fantasy, reading Fantasy and breathing a fantastical world to life – as they are a diverse group of authors who are offering new & dynamic voices in Fantasy which hopefully will become our next wicked #mustreads!

I wanted to talk a moment about what fuelled my interest in wanting to seek out the Sentinel of Eden series to read and why I wanted to host Ms Denman during #WyrdAndWonder! I found it truly an interesting spin on where Urban Fantasy can take us as a reader whilst at the same time, I have a healthy appreciation for spiritual stories and cultural heritage which can be explored through topical themes in genre fiction. I grew up with a passion for learning about cultures and religious heritages outside my own background – there is such a wide world out there and I wanted to see if I could bring it a bit closer to home by understanding more about our differences and what unites us together.

I find whenever an author can seek to draw us together – through empathy, understanding, tolerance and a layer of enlightenment towards fundamental truths and a unique perspective about something which is familiar to us all but whom has found a way to shed a new perspective on known history is an author I am most desiring to read. It is also why I wanted to work on an interview which would not only highlight how she approached telling this story but what is waiting for us to find inside it once we’re able to read it. I love delving into the stories and/or series ‘back-history’ and seeing how they were inspired to be written and/or developed.

I didn’t get a chance to gather a copy of this novel during #WyrdAndWonder – however, this conversation we’ve shared has definitely left me with a solid connection to the world within The Sentinels of Eden series and I will be looking forward to reading this when I’m able to bring the series home.

Brew yourself a cuppa and enjoy what I have to share with you,…

Songlines
Subtitle: The Sentinels of Eden, Book One
by Carolyn Denman

In the heart of the Wimmera region of Victoria, an ancient gateway to Eden is kept hidden and safe by a creature so powerful that even the moon would obey her commands – at least it would if she had any idea that she wasn’t just a normal girl about to finish high school.

When a mining company begins exploratory sampling near Lainie’s sheep farm, a family secret is revealed that makes her regret not having learnt more about her Indigenous heritage. What she’s told by their farmhand, Harry – an Aboriginal elder – can’t possibly be true, but then the most irritating guy in class, Bane, begins to act even more insanely toward her than ever, until she can no longer deny that something very unusual is going on.

When Harry doesn’t return from his quest to seek help to protect the area from the miners, Lainie sets out to discover the truth of her heritage, and of the secret she’s been born to protect.

Genres: Australian Lit, Fantasy Fiction, YA Fantasy

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781922200600

Published by Odyssey Books

on 20th August, 2016

Published by: Odyssey Books (@OdysseyBooks)

About [ The Sentinels of Eden series ] by the author:

(The Sentinels of Eden) so here is a quick summary. The series is YA fantasy, set in rural Australia, and explores the possibility that the Garden of Eden has been hidden away in the Aussie bush. When Lainie discovers that she’s been born to protect the secret of the Garden, and has been gifted with supernatural powers to do so, she (naturally) wants to see the place for herself. Of course, finding a portal to another world somewhere in ‘the back of beyond’ isn’t that easy.

The series showcases a laid-back sense of Aussie humour, feelgood romance, and good old adventure, all woven through with some deeper Australian Indigenous and spiritual themes.

My passion is to entice early YA readers to explore the Fantasy/Urban Fantasy genre, and hopefully help to bridge the gap between Middle-Grade and YA novels. The full four book set has just been released on Amazon as a bundle deal, so now would be a great time for readers to check it out.

Converse via: #Fantasy, #YAFantasy, #TheSentinelsOfEden
as well as #OdysseyBooks & #WyrdAndWonder

Posted Friday, 29 May, 2020 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event