Posted Wednesday, 13 March, 2024 by jorielov #WyrdAndWonder 0 Comments
a word about ‘waiting on Wednesday’:
I have decided to start participating in this book blogsphere meme with a few small changes of how it’s regularly blogged about by my fellow book bloggers. I will either be introducing my current reads of upcoming releases as I am in the process of reading them and/or I might be releasing a book review about a forthcoming title by which I had been blessed to read ahead of publication. The main purpose behind the meme is to encourage readers and your fellow book bloggers to become aware of new books being released which caught your eye and which held your interest to read. Sometimes if your still in the process of reading the books, its the titles which encouraged your bookish heart. I look forward to spending the next seasons of the year, talking about the books I have on hand to read, the books I’ve been reading and the books I might not even have a copy to read but which are of wicked sweet interest to become a #nextread of mine.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I intended to return to my bookish adventures on Jorie Loves A Story ever since late Autumn, 2023 – and, as my absences have attested, you will happily rejoice in finding my voice on my blog returning this Winter & Spring, 2024! I am knee deep into the lovely sequel of Anna J. Stewart’s Hawaiian Reunions series – whilst, I am re-writing my latest #TheSundayPost to reflect the last, er, wells, four or five months?! It’s been a bit, hasn’t it? Aside from that I have some wicked happy news to share with you all – as you know, for the past six years we’ve been bringing you a lot of bookish and celebratory joy in engaging in conversations and adventures of the fantastical through our community of #WyrdAndWonder!
Which of course means, (2024) marks our SEVENTH year of Wyrd and Wonder!!
This has parlayed itself into a lot of different interpretations and explorations – from books to film to television to music to gaming and even, board games! I, in particular, will be discussing a board game myself this year! (ooh, wait – was that meant to be a secret?!) Laughs. Here’s what I love about Wyrd And Wonder: the community continues to expand each and every year and whilst we have a lot of returning bloggers and voices on socials joining us – we happily welcome NEW PEOPLE to join us each May, as well as through the community we can continue to shine lights on new avenues of Fantasy to explore for ourselves each and every year thereafter.
And, that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? To continue to seek out new voices of Fantasy – whilst encouraging each other with our own reads and fantastical adventures across medias of interest and exploration!? It is a wicked good way to celebrate the genre every year and it is a wonderful outlet of joy to find like-minded souls to share your passion for Fantasy, too.
As one of the co-hosts and co-founders, you will be happy to know I’m going to be quite active this May, as last year, eh, I wasn’t as active as I had hoped but that was a major turning point for me in my work life as I was embarking on a new job and that particular job has become my main job as the months have progressed forward. I still work nights and I still moonlight at another job every odd moon but for the most part, that leap of faith I took last May turned out to be the best choice for me in regards to work and a career. It is also the reason why I am not as actively ‘seen’ online as the work hours can go above 40 or as the last week proved 50 hours — but thankfully that isn’t every week! I am not sure how I’d manage it if it were!
It took me a hard moment to realise what I did to participate last year – it was the Wyrd And Wonder I was mostly on Insta and attempting to read our RAL: Howl’s Moving Castle! Oyy. What a long year its been when a girl can’t even remember how she participated in an event that means so much to her like this one means to me! :( Oyy.
This is the first moment I’ve had to re-group and come back to my blog and to my readerly life and I am wicked happy it was a moment of celebrating the return of #WyrdAndWonder! As all work and nothing else is not exactly the best balance for me as a creative soul nor as one who loves the exploration and discovery of STORY.
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Posted Wednesday, 13 March, 2024 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Waiting on Wednesday
Posted Wednesday, 1 February, 2023 by jorielov Emma Lombard, Kickstarter, The White Sails series 4 Comments
a word about ‘waiting on Wednesday’:
I have decided to start participating in this book blogsphere meme with a few small changes of how it’s regularly blogged about by my fellow book bloggers. I will either be introducing my current reads of upcoming releases as I am in the process of reading them and/or I might be releasing a book review about a forthcoming title by which I had been blessed to read ahead of publication. The main purpose behind the meme is to encourage readers and your fellow book bloggers to become aware of new books being released which caught your eye and which held your interest to read. Sometimes if your still in the process of reading the books, its the titles which encouraged your bookish heart. I look forward to spending the next seasons of the year, talking about the books I have on hand to read, the books I’ve been reading and the books I might not even have a copy to read but which are of wicked sweet interest to become a #nextread of mine.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I haven’t put together a wicked lovely #WaitingOnWednesday in quite a long while – as the Sweetmakers last year were meant to be the last one I was to share with you all! Apparently, betwixt time, tides and life – that particular novel was swept away from my attention and it is earmarked to be read and reviewed this year – especially in conjunction with a chase-up to our 6th #WyrdAndWonder this coming May! However, between then and now, I’d love to start regenerating a focus on upcoming releases and/or new to be voices in Fiction I’m just discovering once again through this lovely book blogosphere weekly event.
When I saw a quick announcement about this particular release, I thought it sounded wicked brilliant because I was that kind of ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ fan who quite literally saw the first film 4x times the year of release (once per month) until All Saint’s Day. It was a method of shifting through my grief and sorrow – as I had lost my beloved (maternal) grandmother that July and through the adventures of Jack Sparrow and his friends and foes – I somehow found a way to smile, laugh and cheer on the hilarity of their exploits and explorations.
Ergo, just listen to how this series is fondly spoken about to know why it perked an interest in me as a Historical Fiction reader:
If Bridgerton and Pirates of the Caribbean had a love child.
Are you a fan of sweeping romantic adventures?
Do you fall for tall, brooding Naval Officers?
Love a feisty female lead who makes you yell aloud?
Then hop aboard Emma Lombard’s hardback Collector’s Edition
of The White Sails Series, and batten down the hatches!
I personally LOVE reading series in order but a small secreted joy of mine is reading an omnibus edition of a series as you have EVERYTHING you need all in one volume of entrance! I don’t oft get to purchase omis of series but on the occasion I do, they’ve become beloved sets of bookish joy because I can quite literally shift through a whole series start to finish and not worry about chasing after another installment after having finished the one prior to a new release.
And, as you know from a previous showcasing (see also Post) – I love to show a signal of support to writers & authors alike who are using platforms like Kickstarter to help promote and publish their stories.
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Posted Wednesday, 1 February, 2023 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Waiting on Wednesday
Posted Wednesday, 4 November, 2020 by jorielov Amy Vastine, Anna J. Stewart, Blackwell Sisters, Cari Lynn Webb, Carol Ross, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, Melinda Curtis, Return of the Blackwell Brothers 0 Comments
a word about ‘waiting on Wednesday’:
I have decided to start participating in this book blogsphere meme with a few small changes of how it’s regularly blogged about by my fellow book bloggers. I will either be introducing my current reads of upcoming releases as I am in the process of reading them and/or I might be releasing a book review about a forthcoming title by which I had been blessed to read ahead of publication. The main purpose behind the meme is to encourage readers and your fellow book bloggers to become aware of new books being released which caught your eye and which held your interest to read. Sometimes if your still in the process of reading the books, its the titles which encouraged your bookish heart. I look forward to spending the next seasons of the year, talking about the books I have on hand to read, the books I’ve been reading and the books I might not even have a copy to read but which are of wicked sweet interest to become a #nextread of mine.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
If your a regular reader of Harlequin Romances or their other imprints, I look forward to your comments – seeing what you love to read by Harlequin and of course, if you know of any mini-series or authors I might enjoy seeking out – kindly let me know! My local library has a hearty collection of their stories and I love finding new Harlequin authors to read!
The series that started it all:
Return of the #BlackwellBrothers:
The Rancher’s Twins by Carol Ross → my review
The Rancher’s Rescue by Cari Lynn Webb → my review
The Rancher’s Redemption by Melinda Curtis → my review
The Rancher’s Fake Fiancée by Amy Vastine → my review
The Rancher’s Homecoming by Anna J. Stewart → my review
Converse via: #Contemporary #Romance & #HarlequinHeartwarming
& #ReturnOfTheBlackwellBrothers
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming (@HarlequinBooks) | imprint of Harlequin
I have a lot of fond memories of reading through the Return of the Blackwell Brothers series as this is a series which is full of heart, family, community and the brilliant backdrop of a Western Romance series set in the heart of the Rockies. You immediately connect to the characters, feel caught in the dramas of their lives and quite soon after you’ve met them – become one of their cheerleaders, hoping to seek the redemption and the turning tides you feel they deserve.
Through each installment of this series, we have the added benefit of ‘switching’ voices & styles of the series vision per each author who is penning the installments – they all collectively have given us such a tome of #bookjoy to discover and through their collaborative efforts the Return of the Blackwell Brothers and now the newely released #BlackwellSisters series is a wicked good treat of loveliness for today’s Contemporary Western Romance reader!
I had the pleasure of being on the review tours for the Return of the Blackwell Brothers – dipping in and out of this series with renewed affection for the characters and the curiosity of intrigue set round ‘Big E’ and the devious nature of how he was affecting the lives of his relatives by his quirky antics and his unorthodox choices on behalf of their lives. Through each installment you only gathered a snippet of clues towards understanding his methods and of knowing where in the world he actual had set his hat throughout the series itself. In many regards, this unknown fact about ‘Big E’ is what enouraged me onwards deeper into Return of the Blackwell Brothers because point of fact, he was enabling them to either sink or swim on their own. And, there was a strong allure within me as a reader to see how those boys would handle their adversities and work through the challenges facing them in the wake of Big E’s disappearance.
Fast forward – as I was reading the series itself – I was hoping there would be a ‘sequel’ series – never realising until Ms Webb revealled the news in the comments of one of my reviews for her novels there was indeed a sequel series forthcoming in 2020 and through my conversations with Ms Stewart I was able to set-up a date where *all!* five authors will be chatting LIVE during @SatBookChat on the 14th of November!! I cannot even describe how thankful I am to the authors – for giving us this new series and for giving me the joy in hosting them in a live Twitter chat this month!
Today, I am helping to announce both the series and to shine a spotlight on Carol Ross’s installment of the Blackwell Sisters series – which is ‘Montana Match’. As you might have noticed, Ms Ross kicked off the original series with ‘The Ranger’s Twins’ and within those pages of the very first novel I read about the Blackwells – you could say I became smitten for life about the family, their community and the ways in which you find yourself rallying behind them.
It is feel-good Western Romance – the kind of stories you could see as a sequence of Hallmark movies and/or a Hallmark series – wherein similar to Chesapeake Shores or NetFlix’s Virgin River or Sweet Magnolias – you can see yourself settling into the setting, the towne and re-falling in love with the characters as they shift off the page to the screen. I am not sure if these series will make that leap but if they do it would be wicked good news for all of us who’ve taken their journey with them through the pages of the novels these lovely five women have given us to enjoy.
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Posted Wednesday, 4 November, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Contemporary Romance, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday, Western Fiction, Western Romance
Posted Wednesday, 9 September, 2020 by jorielov (Narrator) Amy Melissa Bentley, Ella Shane Mysteries, Kathleen Marple Kalb, Kensington Books, Kensington Publishing Corp. 3 Comments
a word about ‘waiting on Wednesday’:
I have decided to start participating in this book blogosphere meme with a few small changes of how it’s regularly blogged about by my fellow book bloggers. I will either be introducing my current reads of upcoming releases as I am in the process of reading them and/or I might be releasing a book review about a forthcoming title by which I had been blessed to read ahead of publication. The main purpose behind the meme is to encourage readers and your fellow book bloggers to become aware of new books being released which caught your eye and which held your interest to read. Sometimes if your still in the process of reading the books, its the titles which encouraged your bookish heart. I look forward to spending the next seasons of the year, talking about the books I have on hand to read, the books I’ve been reading and the books I might not even have a copy to read but which are of wicked sweet interest to become a #nextread of mine.
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
I am wicked thankful to bring news about a sequel for a series I am still wickedly absorbing through the first installment wherein I have the most delightful joy in both reading the story and listening to the narrator narrate it in my ears! However, I am getting a bit ahead of myself! Let me first explain how this series [the Ella Shane Mysteries] came to alight on my bookish path and how delighted I am to be championing the author behind them as I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know her better in the weeks & months since she first guested on my @SatBookChat!
Ms Kalb sought me out to be a guest on my bookish chat which celebrates Romance & Women’s Fiction (how I founded the chat) whilst throughout 2020 I have expanded on our roots to now become inclusive of all genres which represent strong female characters and/or Feminist Lit. It is a merger of change which better represents the stories I am most intrigued to be reading myself a a reader whilst continuing to offer a bridge of focus between my blog Jorie Loves A Story and my chat @SatBookChat. The reviews are generally featured during my #SaturdaysAreBookish featured showcases running on Saturdays but sometimes if I fall behind schedule, they are re-funnelled into other showcases I have such as #RomanceTuesdays and/or #HistoricalMondays depending on the genre in which the stories represent within them.
I was so dearly thankful Ms Kalb had found my chat and wanted to become a guest – as most of this past year of 2020, the chat itself has been organically knitting itself together with guest authors & stories to discuss as it was one year where I had intented to give it my all to help grow the chat and also help re-direct it further from where I had regenerated it in Autumn, 2019. This year just felt a bit more oppressive than others personally and having authors step forward to query me about the chat was an unexpected blessing of grace and it allowed me to continue hosting without feeling the guilt of not being able to send as many queries out myself.
What struck my interest about this Cosy Historical Mystery series is how it takes place in the world of theatre and is set during the 19th Century Gilded Age! A place in history that I am most curious about exploring further and one I do not always get the chance to read about myself. As you will see, I am already fully anchoured into the story and the narration by Ms Bentley for this first novel – I am hopeful she will be the narrator for the sequel but I haven’t heard the news about whose narrating book two as of yet.
Today, I wanted to help shine a light on this series and also to give a few early glimpses into my reactions to reading “A Fatal Finale” whilst championing the announced release of the sequel “A Fatal First Night”!! If you haven’t seen this series on your Cosy Historical Mystery radar – be sure to follow the links to the archives of #SatBookChat, as we happily discussed the series and the author’s style of writing it in full detail.
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Posted Wednesday, 9 September, 2020 by jorielov in Book Spotlight, Bookish Memes, Indie Author, Waiting on Wednesday
Posted Wednesday, 11 March, 2020 by jorielov HarperCollinsUK, Kathryn Freeman, One More Chapter, The New Guy 4 Comments
a word about ‘waiting on Wednesday’:
I have decided to start participating in this book blogsphere meme with a few small changes of how it’s regularly blogged about by my fellow book bloggers. I will either be introducing my current reads of upcoming releases as I am in the process of reading them and/or I might be releasing a book review about a forthcoming title by which I had been blessed to read ahead of publication. The main purpose behind the meme is to encourage readers and your fellow book bloggers to become aware of new books being released which caught your eye and which held your interest to read. Sometimes if your still in the process of reading the books, its the titles which encouraged your bookish heart. I look forward to spending the next seasons of the year, talking about the books I have on hand to read, the books I’ve been reading and the books I might not even have a copy to read but which are of wicked sweet interest to become a #nextread of mine.
Today I am linking with Can’t Wait Wednesday via Wishful Endings!
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!
It has been a long while since I’ve had the chance to soak into a Contemporary Rom of Ms Freeman’s – as the last entry I’ve read was “A Second Christmas Wish”; which coincidentally was my first ChocLit Christmas novel. Since my initial readings of “Search for the Truth”, “Before You” and this Christmas Rom – Ms Freeman has moved to a new publishing house Once More Chapter which is the digital imprint house for HarperCollinsUK! As you might have remembered – I used to be a reviewer for ChocLitUK and this is how my path originally crossed with Ms Freeman’s novels.
I was wicked excited I could be one of her book cheerleaders to boost the news of her newest release “The New Guy” – which is a light-hearted Contemporary Romantic Comedy about the head of a company and the one bloke who might be the one who needs to stay in her life but he’s also the bloke she sort of hadn’t considered much past the fling they shared once. The premise is an interesting one – because it talks about what happens when you encounter someone in one set of situations and then, they re-enter your life in another – how do you co-merge the two encounters OR do you endeavour to keep them separate but equal in your life? There’s the rub isn’t it though? As Sam is the person in charge at her company and you could see where the complexities would evolve if rumour let out about how she and ‘the new guy’ at work first met!
I admit, I have the tendency of reading harder dramas, evocative Historicals and generally in Romance I opt for second chances, new beginnings or meet-cute scenarios whenever I am not reading my beloved Love Inspired Suspense novels which keep me on my toes for jarring suspense with a dash of romance woven into the background! When it comes to Romantic Comedies I am a bit shy of exploring the genre overall as I tend to find the stories aren’t always my cuppa – however, when I find a writer I’ve previously have loved reading in the past, taking a chance on one of their Rom-Coms isn’t a hard choice! This is why I was keenly interested in finding out more about “The New Guy” by Ms Freeman.
A bit of this new story also reminded me of my readings of “Search for the Truth” – about the complexities of workplace romances and how corporate life can be its own tricky sea of navigating a personal and professional life!
Let’s introduce you into this new novel & have you brew a cuppa whilst you read the extract Ms Freeman graciously has provided! Afterwards there is a mini Q&A, too!
The New Guy
Subtitle: She's the CEO. He was the One Night Stand.
by Kathryn Freeman
Sam Huxton doesn’t do one-night stands, especially not with men she’s just met! But the hot guy at the bar was hard to resist and one night is all they share – no names, no numbers, just some much needed fun…
Until the same guy walks into Sam’s life the next day as her new employee. Sam never mixes business with pleasure and makes it clear an office fling with Ryan is off-limits. But after-hours…one thing can lead to another. Can Sam trust her heart and her business with the new guy?
Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945), Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy (Rom Com) Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
ASIN: B07WQ2G7QL
Also by this author: Search for the Truth Cover Reveal, Before You Cover Reveal, Search for the Truth, A Second Christmas Wish Cover Reveal, Before You, A Second Christmas Wish
Published by One More Chapter
on 13th March, 2020
Published by: One More Chapter (@0neMoreChapter_)
the digital imprint of HarperCollinsUK
This is a Digital First Release – #PubDay is 13th March, 2020!
The GOOD NEWS is the print release is scheduled for 11th June, 2020!
Converse via: #TheNewGuy + #KathrynFreeman
along with #ContemporaryRomance or #Romance
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Posted Wednesday, 11 March, 2020 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Contemporary Romance, Modern Day, Reader Submitted Q&A, Romance Fiction, Waiting on Wednesday