Category: Blogosphere Events & Happenings

#Blogmas | feat. #CleanRomanceForChristmas showcases | “The Marquess Meets His Match (Veteran’s Club series, Book One) by Julie Coulter Bellon

Posted Tuesday, 15 December, 2020 by jorielov , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Today’s featured book is a special one for me – as this year, during my favourite INSPY reading event (which occurs annually during the Summer) the Christian Fiction Reading Safari – I had the chance to win some INSPY and/or Clean Romance novels by #newtomeauthors, which is fitting because guess who won today’s featured book this past August!? Ooh, yes! I did!! And, the event itself gave me back a lot of the joy I had lost throughout the previous eight months when it came to ‘reading’.

This year I felt was one of the hardest years to find joy in reading – not just due to the pandemic & all the changes it effectively brought into our lives but I felt 2020 simply had a difficult beginning all the way round. From how the wildfires in Australia were raging out of control at the start of January to the earthquake which hit Puerto Rico to every month which seemed to bring something ‘else’ to worry over and/or give us a sombering glimpse into how the year was going to become one of the more memorable ones of the recent past. Each month, I admit, I struggled with reading – to connect to the stories and to find joy in the height of reading the books I had slated to be read.

I had certain moments of where I could settle into a story and find myself completely entrenched inside its pages but overall? I felt this year was one of the harder years to be a reader as every month just felt as oppressive difficult to get through as the one before it. Which is why I am thankful this story is part of the showcases for Prism this December as I haven’t even had the chance to look over the books I won in August – I unpacked them all (to ensure they arrived) but I just haven’t felt very motivated to ‘read’ them. I’ve been looking forward to reading a story by this author for quite a long while as I hosted her featured novella during 2019’s #blogmas!

If you struggled with reading this year yourself – what did you do to work through the harder hitting weeks/days/months you were unmotivated to read? Did you participate in any book blogosphere events, reading challenges or other monthly OR themed bookish events to help you realign back into reading and the joy of discovering stories? I’d be curious to know what you did to reset yourself back into books as I found events helped me but I still struggled to find my bookish and readerly mojo to tell the truth.

How wicked lovely then to be able to feature an author I won a book by this year and to know it is the first of a series. I look forward to queuing the book into my New Year’s Reads and delighting in the joy of a fresh start after the 1st of January to begin a new journey into the world of books, stories and the authors who pen them. For now, I am enjoying #blogmas as a bit of a precursor of what I want to seek out in the New Year and which stories caught my eye to feature this December. Thanks for continuing to take this journey with me!!

Curiously – have you participated in any readathons or reading challenges wherein you had the chance to win a book during the course of the event!? My favourite one for INSPY & Clean Romance is the Christian Fiction Reading Safari hosted by Singing Librarian Books every Summer. This is how I came to win my copy of today’s featured book and I am very thankful to all the writers & publishers who give their books throughout the event. It is an added bonus to being able to read the books I most desire to become acquainted with throughout the thirty day reading challenge!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

The Marquess Meets His Match promo badge provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

A traitor with a deadly plan.

Two agents sent to expose his identity before he strikes.

But danger is closer than they think . . .

Lord Christian Wolverton―known as Wolf in a covert group operating during the war against Napoleon―has been called home from his military duties. For the moment, his family responsibilities require him to suspend his more clandestine activities. But information falls into his hands that a traitor will soon try to tip the scales back into French favor and Christian doesn’t have much time to stop it from happening.

Going to the one person who can help him, the powerful Duke of Huntingdon, Christian comes face to face with Lady Alice. She’s a beautiful member of the ton with a very big secret―she’s also a trained agent and already on the case. Forced to partner with her to lure the traitor out of hiding, Christian wants to quickly close the case himself, before Lady Alice is more closely involved. But Lady Alice has ideas of her own and she’s going to prove her theories correct―with or without him.

Danger is closer than they think, however, and it’s a race against time to expose the traitor’s identity before British lives are endangered. Both Christian and Alice have strong opinions on who he is, but which one will be proven right?

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-0-9997946-4-7

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Veteran’s Club series:

The Marquess Meets His Match by Julie Coulter BellonThe Viscount's Vow by Julie Coulter BellonThe Highlander's Hidden Heart by Julie Coulter Bellon

The Marquess Meets His Match(book one)

The Viscount’s Vow (book two)

The Highlander’s Hidden Heart (book three)

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Converse via: #CleanRomanceForChristmas and/or #INSPYRomance or #INSPY
as well #ChristianFiction and/or #HistRom or #HistoricalRomance

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Posted Tuesday, 15 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

#Blogmas | feat. #CleanRomanceForChristmas showcases | “Love’s Sweet Return” (Keepers of the Light, Book One) by Krystal M. Anderson

Posted Monday, 14 December, 2020 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

As I move into featuring INSPY Romance and Clean Romance authors for this half of #blogmas, I am delighted to be be featuring an Indie INSPY Historical novelist first! As I love seeking out Indie INSPY authors – either those who are published through publishers and/or those who are taking the Self Publishing route as this is most likely the same route I’ll take when I move into my own publishing season (years down the road from now!). The main draw for me reading INSPY Historical Fiction is seeing a faith-based story set in the historic past – as I predominately read a lot of Historical Fiction throughout the year, as a book blogger I’ve also sought to balance my choices between #HistFic and Contemporary stories as well as shifting in and out of the other genres I am most especially keen on reading such as Fantasy, Science Fiction, Cosy Mysteries, Suspense, Thrillers, Cosy Horror, Paranormal or PNR and others subniches from all fronts of interest.

In recent years, I believe I’ve had a better handle on seeking this kind of balance of both story and genre – giving myself ample time to spend within a particular genre without forsaking another one I love just as dearly. As you’ve might have caught my @joriestory feeds the first 12 days of December, I’ve been tucked into a series of chats via the tag #12DaysOfCozies wherein I’ve learnt about new authors & new series of Cosies – from the traditionally published to the Indie authors who are rockin’ this genre right now. This week, you’ll see a series of posts about my memories of the chats themselves as much as which stories & which authors have made my #TBRList!! So, you see – I’m not just rockin’ my traditional focues of Fantasy & Romance on #JLASblog this year, I am also exploring the world of Cosy Mysteries starting on Monday, the 14th of December when this post goes live!

Likewise, as December ambles forward into Christmas & New Year’s – I am going to be finishing a certain number of stories I didn’t get to finish reading this 2020 – some of which are #HistFic titles and be sure to watch for my final 3x #HistoricalMondays featuring three Historicals I felt should be showcased through my featured reviews wherein I try to highlight new emerging voices and beloved authors during my own showcases for Historical Fiction.

On this post – you’ll be seeing an extract from “Love’s Sweet Return” and learning a bit more about Krystal M. Anderson. I hope it might be a story which will resonate with you and I hope one day this series will be available in print so I can read it as right now its digital first at time of release. Here’s to continuing to champion the genres we all personally love reading and celebrating the new authors of those genres we cannot read enough of due to how many stories are happily released every year!

Curiously – when it comes to finding INSPY Historical Romances – do you read both Major Trade & Indie publishers throughout the year or do you focus on certain publishers and/or authors who are your top preferences for this genre of interest? I like to mix things up and move between different publishing markets – major trade, Indie, Self published authors and of course, the stories I find via blog tours! I get excited about a strong premise and a wicked good storyteller whose synopsis lays the foundation of what I hope to find inside the story!!

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Love's Secret Return promo book photo provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

She lost the only thing she ever truly wanted: love. What could be worse? But when Charlotte Pullard’s ship wrecks off the Oregon coast in a terrible storm, she wakes in the unfamiliar keepers’ quarters of a lighthouse. When the keeper who pulled her from the wreckage turns out to be the man she loved and lost, can Charlotte find it in her heart to forgive him and embrace love’s sweet return?

Find out in this sweet historical small-town romance full of walks on the beach, the gathering of close friends, a simple coastal Christmas, and a sweeping love story centered around a majestic white lighthouse.

Add to LibraryThing | this is a Digital First release!

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Keepers of the Light series:

Love's Secret Return by Krystal M. Anderson

Love’s Sweet Return(book one)

Keepers of the Light is a multi-author series that I’m ecstatic to be part of. Set in a small coastal Oregon logging town, these sweet stories feature the two lighthouses that guide ships past the treacherous shoreline and the couples who find their happily-ever-afters.

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Converse via: #CleanRomanceForChristmas and/or #INSPYRomance or #INSPY
as well #ChristianFiction and/or #HistRom or #HistoricalRomance

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Posted Monday, 14 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

#Blogmas | feat. #FantasyForChristmas20 showcases | NEW Cover Art & a NEW edition of “Oath of the Brotherhood” (Song of the Seare, Book One) by Carla Laureano *previously published as C.E. Laureano!

Posted Saturday, 12 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

This is a first for me – a book series I wanted to read and showcased during the [2018] #FantasyForChristmas showcases for Prism Book Tours is going to be re-released through a new publisher and happily available in beautiful hardback editions! Complete with supplemental materials and a few new additions therein – just thinking about that made me giddy! Plus it is lovely to re-feature a series which now has brand-new cover art & which is going to be a limited run of hardbacks! I am not sure if I will be able to purchase these whilst their available as I was still putting my sights on borrowing this series through my local and/or my regional libraries – however, for those who can plan their book buying budgets in six month increments – I think you might find this series agreeable to your budget! (as they seem to be coming every 6mos from 2021 & 2022 until the trilogy is re-released in full)

My idea about finding Sword & Sorcery series definitely was on par with my reading habits because of how I reacted to reading the Gifted & the Cursed this year (book one) + (book two); whilst owning to the fact, I do regularly seek out stories which might fall shy of my comfort zones but if the world-building is solid and there is a compellingly convicting story within the pages of the novel – odds are in good favour I am going to want to be a reader of your tale!

I look forward to seeking out this series at my libraries in the New Year – as I would love to have a solid footing of fetching the stories from #FantasyForChristmas before my 4th year participating comes along in December, 2021! Whenever I find one of these lovelies, you’ll find me blogging about them on Jorie Loves A Story as part of the reason I like showcasing these kinds of posts is to give myself notes and notations about the books, the authors and/or the series which kick-start my memory as to what first drew my eye into reading them!!

The book photo attached to this post was special I felt because of how it showcases the Christmas tree and I loved how each of the writers (or someone close to them – as the photographers were not disclosed) were able to capture a snaphot of the books whilst giving us the impression that we’re all just a short distance away from having these books in our own hands to read!

Curiously – have any of the Speculative Fiction and/or Fantasy series you’ve discovered and have wanted to read become re-issued or re-released before you had the chance to read them the first go round? If so, which authors, stories or series fell into this category for you?

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Oath of the Brotherhood Book Photo provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

When evil threatens, who will find the faith to fight it?

In an island kingdom where the Old Ways hold fast and a man’s worth lies entirely in his skill with the sword, Conor Mac Nir is a musician and a follower of a forbidden faith—problematic for any man, but disastrous for the son of the king.

When Conor is sent away to a neighboring kingdom to secure a treaty, he learns that his ability with the harp is a talent that traces back to the magical foundations of a once-united Seare. But his newfound home is soon placed in peril, entangling Conor in a plot that has been unfolding since long before his birth.

Only by leaving both kingdoms behind and committing himself to an ancient warrior brotherhood can Conor discover the part he’s meant to play in Seare’s future. But is he willing to sacrifice everything—including the woman he loves—to follow the path his God has laid before him?

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1621841494

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The Song of Seare series:

ORIGINALLY:

Oath of the Brotherhood (book one)

The Sword & the Song (book two)

Beneath the Forsaken City (book three)

*however!*

Beneath the Forsaken City is now BOOK TWO!

→ forthcoming release, Summer, 2021!

Whilst The Sword & the Song is now BOOK THREE!

*Unless, I somehow confused the order originally?*

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Published by: Enclave Escape
an imprint of Enclave Publishing (@EnclaveBooks)

Converse via: #FantasyForChristmas20 or #FantasyForChristmas
as well #Fantasy or #INSPYFantasy or #WyrdAndWonder

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Posted Saturday, 12 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, YA Fantasy

#Blogmas | feat. #FantasyForChristmas20 showcases | The Dancing Realms series by Sharon Hinck

Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

This marks my second featured Fantasy novelists showcasing during the #FantasyForChristmas20 featured posts during my annual #blogmas schedule! I had to reschedule and re-adjust the schedule I had originally to post these lovelies on Jorie Loves A Story due to a moderate migraine (this week) and the stomach flu (last week). Thereby although my posts are a bit more randomised they are going to be showcased before the finale for the #FantasyForChristmas blogosphere event concludes!!

When it comes to choosing which stories within Fantasy I am most likely to feel as if I’ve gone back ‘home’ are the kinds of Epic Fantasy stories which have not just convicting backstories & histories but have a firmly built world behind the journey of the characters. This is duly important across all genres I regularly read but with Fantasy, if the world-building isn’t ironed out and adds a layer of credible believability I am not always able to suspend myself inside the world for as long as I would prefer. This is why I like seeking out worlds of Fantasy like this one – which talks about being an ‘island world’ and thereby expanding the kinds of worlds I have explored in Speculative Fiction!

It is lovely to dive into a world you haven’t always explored – seeking out its perimeters and truly taking stock about how the writer set the world to function as much as how everyone interacts within the world’s structures and/or confines due to culture, tradition or expectations of society. Sometimes those are a bit looser in context and tone but others are more firmly structured. I love the random discoveries – the ones where worlds give you something to chew on and consider as you’re reading the writers’ words and delving closer to their vision for the world you’ve become transported inside.

I love how nature plays an active role in this Fantasy as well – the first time I ‘met’ trees which were menacing was in the Drew Barrymore film “Babes in Toyland” which I believe was in theory a remake! I remember watching it several times as back then they offered a special dvd copy of it with your Happy Meal at McDonald’s which I felt was a complete upgrade to the usual toys! Thinking back on that childhood experience and all the readings I’ve had as a middle grade reader, a teenage reader and now an adult reader of Fantasy – I am quite intrigued to see how the natural world continues to offer a presence in Fantasy which can either be benign or slightly darker than the stalwart guardians we consider them in our realms.

And, there is that whole bit about saving one half of the world but forsaking your own return? Still. My. Heart. I am going to need gobs of tissues for this one I suspect as just the heart pull of that choice and the weight of what is at stake! I am such a lover of drama but sometimes the more guttingly realistic the dramatic story I read – the harder I find myself to put aside my emotions! Although, I am forever grateful for the experience – if you consider #ArmyWives as a baseline of proof!

Curiously – do you regularly read INSPY Speculative Fiction stories? Are you a newbie like I am and are happily surprised by the kinds of Fantasy stories you’ve found within the world of INSPY? Which authors and/or series have you currently read? For me, I’ve enjoyed Morgan L. Busse (see also Review) and am going to be reading “Kingdom Above the Cloud” before December concludes which I spotlighted earlier in Spring.

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Forsaken Island promo book photography provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

On an uncharted world, happiness is effortless and constant…
but can true joy exist without sacrifice?

The people of Meriel have long believed their island world floats alone in the vast ocean universe, so they are astonished when another island drifts into view. With resources becoming scarce, Carya and Brantley quickly volunteer to search the new land for supplies.

After navigating a barrier of menacing trees, the pair encounter a culture of perpetually happy people who readily share their talents and their possessions. But all is not what it seems. At the core of the island is a horror that threatens everyone, including Brantley and Carya.

Freeing the villagers of the bondage they’ve chosen may cost Carya and Brantley more than they could have imagined. Even if the two succeed, they’ll have to find a way to return to Meriel quickly … or be cut off from their home forever.

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1621841357

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The Dancing Realms:

Forsaken Island by Sharon HinckHidden Current by Sharon Hinck

Forsaken Island (book one)

Hidden Current (book two)

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Published by: Enclave Escape
an imprint of Enclave Publishing (@EnclaveBooks)

Converse via: #FantasyForChristmas20 or #FantasyForChristmas
as well #Fantasy or #INSPYFantasy or #WyrdAndWonder

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Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, YA Fantasy

#Blogmas | feat. “Roping Christmas” (Rodeo Romance, Book Eight) by Shanna Hatfield

Posted Thursday, 10 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

This spotlight is for a #newtomeauthor who is writing Western Contemporary INSPY Romances! I haven’t yet dipped back into reading INSPY Westerns as I’ve been super focused and happily entrenched inside my favourite Western Roms from Harlequin Heartwarming these past several years – which are considered ‘sweet & clean’ if audiences and readers are seeking a romance which are not focusing on scenes or language which might prove offensive to their readerly sensibilities. However, I also know those who read INSPY are not all hybrid readers like I am who read between both mainstream & INSPY markets of publishing. We all have to choose what we will read and what our readerly limits are within our genres of interest. For instance, I had to take a firm step back from the grit and realities of war and focus more on the humanistic stories set within war dramas than being placed inside the battles & descriptive narratives of most war dramas as they are regularly told today.

When it comes to reading Western Romances, what encourages my heart the most is the setting! I love horses & riding – ever since I was a young girl – which is why whenever I am lost in the chapters describing life on a ranch and/or in a Western Rockies community and towneship, I find myself wickedly delighted in the joys of ‘living this life’ as seen through the eyes and hearts of the characters who live there themselves. Now, of course, outside of the Western half of the United States there are other places you can set a Western Romance – as some states still have a lot of rural communities and agricultural heritage within their borders. We also have Eastern mountains on the East Coast which are a fine compliment (if albeit slightly less grand!) to the Rockies, too!

I believe to be a Western Romance it has to have a certain spirit about it – a certain legacy of familiarity built upon Western themes of interest and of course, *cowboys!* are surely a must as much as women who can be independently self-supporting of both themselves and the families they are raising on a ranch or other Western location. I love the ease of soaking into the natural world through a Western lens of influence as well – where you get to see the larger animals roaming free on the range and/or in the forests, whilst you have herds which need to be looked after (ie. cattle especially) and/or you have a horse farm which has its own set of standards and layers of hard-work woven into it as well. And, then of course there is the aspect of ranching life and the responsibilities of being self-reliant and sustainable however which avenue can turn a profit for the ranch.

In essence, I am in love with Western Romances from the start of the first chapter and I love the hours we can spend in the saddle next to the heroes and heroines which make this genre such a wicked delight to be reading! The closeness of family, the importance of hearth & home and the fabric knitted out of neighbours & friends alike is what helps shape a well-rounded Western for me! And, if there is a Western Romance set during Christmas!? Eek. *goosebumps!* As I consider Christmas Romances a special niche of joy in my Romantic wanderings every year!!

Curiously – do you *love!* reading Western Romances as much as I do? I’ve been reading and reviewing a heap of lovely series by my beloved Harlequin Heartwarming novelists over the past several years – from the Rocky Mountain Cowboys to Return of the Blackwell Brothers & this year’s sequel series the Blackwell Sisters to the Sweetheart Ranch series! There are so many wonderful Western Rom authors who are traditionally published as much as there are Indie Authors – either self-publishing their stories/series or are with an Indie Publisher or Press. I love focusing on Indie & Self-Published authors as much as traditionally published authors which is why featuring Ms Hatfield’s series is such a joy for me! I’d love to find more authors like her writing in a genre I dearly love devouring!

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Roping Christmas by Shanna Hatfield

A focused cowboy, a distracted executive,
and a hilarious quest make for an unforgettable holiday . . .

Wyatt Nash is a professional tie-down roper, a good ranch hand, and not too shabby when it comes to attracting women. But according to his five-year-old niece, he needs to work on both his roping skills and his dating game. His sister thinks he needs to settle down. And don’t get him started on the advice he gets from well-meaning friends. When his rodeo sponsor, billionaire Jon Sinclair, asks for his assistance in tutoring a clueless city girl about Sinclair Industries, Wyatt doesn’t feel like he can say no. Then he discovers he’ll be teaching none other than the one woman on the planet who wants nothing to do with him.

Ashley Jarrett would do almost anything to turn her small publicity firm into a huge success. When Jon Sinclair expresses interest in working with her, she readily agrees to his crazy idea to have her learn about his company through hands-on projects. Not only is she forced far outside her comfort zone, but the man documenting every bumbling misstep she takes is an infuriating cowboy she’s determined to ignore.

Packed with small-town charm and the wonder of falling in love, Roping Christmas is a sweet holiday romance sure to bring laughter and infuse hearts Christmas cheer.

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 979-8691116568

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This series has 8 books inside it including:

Rodeo Romance series graphic provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

Be sure to visit her FantasticFiction page to find the full listing!

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Published by: Wholesome Hearts Publishing

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance &/or #ChristmasRomance + #SweetRomance
as well #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads and #INSPYRomance + #WesternRomance

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Posted Thursday, 10 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction