Category: Cliffhanger Ending

Non-Fiction Book Review | “The Mother God Made Me To Be” by Karen Valentin

Posted Friday, 13 October, 2017 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva using Unsplash.com photography (Creative Commons Zero).

Acquired Book By: I am a reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, where I started reading titles by FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been wicked happy I can review for their imprints Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords & Center Street.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Mother God Made Me To Be” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I have been purposely seeking out titles like this one:

As you might have noticed, every so often I focus on stories of motherhood & mumhood – which can be seen on the reading schedule I have for #20BooksOfAutumn (previously known as #20BooksOfSummer) as well as the stories you’ll find in my Story Vault. I take an active glance at emerging Fiction & Non-Fiction for stories of motherhood as I’m a Prospective Adoptive Mum (which I talked a bit about whilst reviewing ‘Red Thread Sisters’). I enjoy finding wicked good real and fictional stories which focus positively on Adoption &/or Foster Care whilst appreciating motherhood from more traditional angles as well.

When I first read the synopsis for this memoir, I felt led to read it because something about this woman’s story felt it was meant for me to read it. You might know what I’m talking about – readers have a built in sixth sense about the stories they feel motivated to read. This is one of those for me – in truth, every story I’ve blogged about these past four years I felt were ones I should be reading at one point in time or another – as being a book blogger is a walk of faith in of itself. Yet, on a personal note – I felt inspired by the small bits of this mother’s journey I knew about ahead of reading her fuller story and I wanted to be fully engrossed inside the rest of it. This is why I requested this for review – because I felt inspired even before I opened the book to the first page!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Non-Fiction Book Review | “The Mother God Made Me To Be” by Karen ValentinThe Mother God Made Me To Be
Subtitle: My journey from newlywed, to mother of two, to single mom - trying to heal - and become the mother God made me to be.

Karen lived an adventurous single life but longed for a family of her own. After years of maintaining her vow of purity and waiting for a man who shared her Christian faith, she fell in love with her best friend and co-worker. They married. She bore two sons. They divorced.

With humor, honesty and raw emotion, Valentin tells her story of wrestling between God's will and her own, with visions of happily ever after. In the midst of her weakness and grief, she experiences God's strength and restoration like never before. Through her family and friends, mission workers, the pastor of Graffiti Church, and her two beautiful boys, God turns her ashes to beauty and her sorrow into joy.

THE MOTHER GOD MADE ME TO BE contains a discussion guide for book clubs and church groups.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781455539871

on 5th September, 2017

Pages: 192

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Hardback & Ebook

Converse via: #NonFiction, #INSPY, #Christian

About Karen Valentin

Karen Valentin

KAREN VALENTIN is an American born writer who is proud of her Puerto Rican heritage. Her books--ranging from narrative, to YA fiction and children's--have been published by Doubleday Religious, Judson, Harlequin and JustUs/Kensington. She is a graduate of Fordham University and taught English as a second language in France. An avid traveler who speaks English, Spanish and French, she resides in New York City with her two little boys.

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Posted Friday, 13 October, 2017 by jorielov in Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Cliffhanger Ending, Equality In Literature, FaithWords, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Fly in the Ointment, Journal, Life Shift, Memoir, Mental Health, Midwife | Midwifery, Mother-Son Relationships, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Non-Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Siblings, Sociological Behavior, Vignettes of Real Life

Book Review | “CORVIDAE: an #anthology of corvids” [edited by] Rhonda Parrish published by #IndiePub World Weaver Press

Posted Saturday, 21 November, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: Did you ever grow curious about a new publisher who produces science fiction, fantasy, and horror genre selections in both novel length and short stories? Did you ever decide to enquire with the publisher you’ve found to see if they were open to book blogger requests to read and review their selections!? This is the situation I found myself in as I was quite mystified by the offerings of World Weaver Press! Such a delightful discovery on my behalf, and a website full of inspiring reads across SFF!

When the publicist at the Press realised my passionate reaction on behalf of FAE (Volume One of this serial collection of anthologies) she instinctively knew I’d appreciate the next two in line! I received a complimentary copy of “CORVIDAE” direct from the publisher World Weaver Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Keen interest in the world of Speculative Fiction | side note: creatures:

I regularly attend #CreatureChat on Twitter wherein I get to be amongst Fantasy writers who appreciate writing creatures into the forefront of their stories. I, entered the chat as a reader who happens to be a writer of non-creature stories of SFF. Except for the surprise encouragement I had one fateful chat to write dragon fiction of which I am passionately seeking out to read more of by the authors who write dragons in a style and method I enjoy reading.

On occasion, I am happily surprised by the breadth of their creative voices for the Fantasy genre, including how they write the back-stories for their species (as they are not all dragons who gather!) and the layers upon which they give a depth to their world-building. I hadn’t set a time to think about it previously but I do happen to enjoy reading about fantastical creatures, something that came forefront to mind when I picked up CORVIDAE. I love little insights into ourselves as we read!

Book Review | “CORVIDAE: an #anthology of corvids” [edited by] Rhonda Parrish published by #IndiePub World Weaver PressCorvidae
Subtitle: A flock of shiny stories!
by (Editor) Rhonda Parrish
Source: Direct from Publisher

Associated with life and death, disease and luck, corvids have long captured mankind’s attention, showing up in mythology as the companions or manifestations of deities, and starring in stories from Aesop to Poe and beyond.

In Corvidae birds are born of blood and pain, trickster ravens live up to their names, magpies take human form, blue jays battle evil forces, and choughs become prisoners of war. These stories will take you to the Great War, research facilities, frozen mountaintops, steam-powered worlds, remote forest homes, and deep into fairy tales. One thing is for certain, after reading this anthology, you’ll never look the same way at the corvid outside your window.

List of Stories included in this anthology:

“Introduction” by Rhonda Parrish
“A Murder of Crows” by Jane Yolen
“Whistles and Trills” by Kat Otis
“The Valravn” by Megan Fennell
“A Mischief of Seven” by Leslie Van Zwol
“Visiting Hours” by Michael S. Pack
“The Rookery of Sainte-Mère-Église” by Tim Deal
“The Cruelest Team Will Win” by Mike Allen
“What Is Owed” by C.S.E. Cooney
“Raven No More” by Adria Laycraft
“The Tell-Tale Heart of Existence” by Michael M. Rader
“Sanctuary” by Laura VanArendonk Baugh
“Knife Collection, Blood Museum, Birds (Scarecrow Remix)” by Sara Puls
“Flying the Coop” by M.L.D. Curelas
“Postcards from the Abyss” by Jane Yolen
“Bazyli Conjures a Blackbird” by Mark Rapacz
“Seven for a Secret” by Megan Engelhardt
“Flight” by Angela Slatter

Genres: Anthology Collection of Short Stories and/or Essays, Cosy Horror, Fantasy Fiction, Sci-Fantasy, Science Fiction, Suspense, Thriller



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0692430217

Also by this author: FAE

Series: Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries No.2


Also in this series: Scarecrow


Published by World Weaver Press

on 7th July 2015

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 234

Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards Badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Published By: World Weaver Press (@WorldWeaver_wwp)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook

Genre(s): Fantasy | Horror | Speculative | Stories of the Corvidae

War Drama | Steampunk | Folklore | Ghost Story

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Collection No.1 in this series is FAE | Info on Editor’s Blog | Info on Pub | my review

Collection No.3 in this series is Scarecrow | Info on Editor’s Blog | Info on Pub

Collection No. 4 in this series is SIRENS (click banner for info, scroll a bit)

SIRENS Anthology Submissions for Volume 3 Rhonda Parrish Magical Menageries by World Weaver Press.

Converse via: #DiverseSFF, #SFF, #scifi, #Fantasy & #anthology

+ #MagicalMenageries (the series tag!)

About (Editor) Rhonda Parrish

Rhonda Parrish

Rhonda Parrish is a master procrastinator and nap connoisseur but despite that she somehow manages a full professional life. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the forthcoming benefit anthology, Metastasis. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing.

Starting July 1, 2014, Rhonda Parrish will be reading for Corvidae and Scarecrow, two new anthologies in the same series as Fae. Like Fae, each of these new anthologies will focus on a single construct treated in many varied and enthralling ways by new speculative fiction short stories.

The twin anthologies also present a unique opportunity: to create a conversation between the two volumes, between the crows and the straw-men, between the bird tales of Corvidae and the totem tales of Scarecrow. Anthologies to be published in 2015. More information at WorldWeaverPress.com.

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Posted Saturday, 21 November, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Anthology Collection of Stories, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Castles & Estates, Cliffhanger Ending, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Cosy Horror, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Horror-Lite, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Parapsychological Suspense, Short Stories or Essays, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Superstitions & Old World Beliefs, Urban Fantasy, Vulgarity in Literature, World Weaver Press

Blog Book Tour | “Silver Tongue” by AshleyRose Sullivan a story where Seventh Star Press tackles ‘alternative historical fiction’ and the #revwar!

Posted Friday, 4 September, 2015 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a stop on the “Silver Tongue” genre-bending alternative historical fiction release tour from Seventh Star Press. The tour is hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media who does the publicity and blog tours for Seventh Star Press and other Indie and/or Self Published authors. I am a regular blog tour host with Tomorrow Comes Media and originally had misconstrued the plot behind this novel; overlooking it’s potential! Something I read made me think it was more Horror than Historical, then after I realised my error I helped champion the blog tour to my book blogosphere friends whilst helping book bloggers come to know more about Seventh Star Press and hosting for TCM.

I received a complimentary copy of “Silver Tongue” direct from the publisher Seventh Star Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. Likewise, I did not receive compensation for helping to promote the blog tour to other histfic book bloggers who might appreciate finding a ‘next read’ whilst on the tour or to review it outside the tour.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Blog Book Tour | “Silver Tongue” by AshleyRose Sullivan a story where Seventh Star Press tackles ‘alternative historical fiction’ and the #revwar!Silver Tongue
by AshleyRose Sullivan
Illustrator/Cover Designer: AshleyRose Sullivan
Source: Publisher via Tomorrow Comes Media

The Colonies lost the Revolutionary War. Now it's 1839 and the North American continent is divided into three territories: New Britannia, Nueva Espana, and Nouvelle France where seventeen-year-old Claire Poissant lives.

Claire has a magical way with words-literally. But a mystical power of persuasion isn't the only thing that makes her different. Half-French and half-Indian, Claire doesn't feel at home in either world. Maybe that's why she's bonded so tightly with her fellow outcasts and best friends: Phileas, a young man whose towering intellect and sexuality have always made him the target of bullies, and Sam, a descendant of George Washington who shares the disgraced general's terrible, secret curse.

But when Sam's family is murdered, these bonds are tested and Claire's special ability is strained to its limits as the three hunt the men responsible into dangerous lands. Along the way they cross paths with P.T. Barnum, William Frankenstein and other characters from both history and fantasy as they learn the hard way that man is often the most horrific monster and that growing up sometimes means learning to let go of the things you hold most dear.

Genres: Alternative History, Fantasy Fiction, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, War Drama



Places to find the book:

ISBN: 9781941706800

Also by this author: Lona Chang: A Superhero Detective Story

Published by Seventh Star Press

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 274

Published By: Seventh Star Press (@7thStarPress)
Available Formats: Softcover, E-book

Converse via: #AshleyRoseSullivan & #7thStar

(I would have used #SilverTongue but it was being used in-progress for an event and festivities on Twitter. Perhaps #SilverTongueBook might be more advantageous?)

About AshleyRose Sullivan

AshleyRose Sullivan

Born and raised in Appalachia, AshleyRose Sullivan now lives, writes, and paints in Los Angeles. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Spalding University and her first novel, Awesome Jones: A Superhero Fairy Tale is available from Seventh Star Press. She can be found at her website or her blog, My Year Of Star Trek.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Friday, 4 September, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Alternative History, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Cliffhanger Ending, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Cosy Horror, Creative Arts, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, French Literature, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, Illustration for Books & Publishing, Indie Art, Indie Author, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Native American Fiction, Parapsychological Gifts, Revolutionary War Era, Seventh Star Press Week, Tomorrow Comes Media

Book Review | “FAE: an #anthology of Fairies” [edited by] Rhonda Parrish published by #IndiePub World Weaver Press

Posted Sunday, 30 August, 2015 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: Did you ever grow curious about a new publisher who produces science fiction, fantasy, and horror genre selections in both novel length and short stories? Did you ever decide to enquire with the publisher you’ve found to see if they were open to book blogger requests to read and review their selections!? This is the situation I found myself in as I was quite mystified by the offerings of World Weaver Press! Such a delightful discovery on my behalf, and a website full of inspiring reads across SFF!

Choosing which book to select for review was a bit tricky, but as I love short stories and in particular short stories within the realms of Fantasy, I elected to select this collection of stories of the fae! I received a complimentary copy of “FAE” direct from the publisher World Weaver Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

A bit of an introduction to World Weaver Press:

World Weaver Press is an independently owned publisher of fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. We believe in great storytelling. Launched in March 2012 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, World Weaver Press is currently based in Alpena, Michigan, owned and operated by Editor-in-Chief Eileen Wiedbrauk.

We believe in great storytelling. We believe in challenging genre boundaries and engaging the fundamental human drive to tell stories that resonate emotionally. The way we do it is by partnering with great writers to craft and edit the best fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction stories possible. By creating beautiful, well designed paperbacks and ebooks. By growing their publicity. And by fostering a family of authors excited to work with us. We believe that publishing speculative fiction isn’t just printing words on the page—it’s the act of weaving brand new worlds.

Indie publishers are on the cutting edge of encouraging interactive reader to author events, and World Weaver Press has poised themselves to curate one of the most stimulating chats in the twitterverse for booklovers of Speculative Fiction! I’ve been a resident chatterbox in weekly, bi-monthly, and quarterly Twitter chats hosted by a variety of individuals, publishers, authors, and Entertainment Industry outlets as well, however, one of my favourite topics of interest being a writer of SFF myself, is opening up a convo with other readers, book bloggers, writers, editors, and the bookish community surrounding Science Fiction and Fantasy as a whole!

I used to frequent the #FantasyChat on Sundays until time became a bit of a barrier for me at that timeslot, wherein the same group who meets-up on the weekends, happily found the same niche of interest I did in #CreatureChat Wednesdays @ 9pm. This is where you can talk dragons, gryphons, and all other sorts of fantastical and mythical wonders of beasts and animals! It’s a broad chat for Fantasy lovers, but I truly can admit, I’ve been seeking out alternatives to talk with others who are keen on SFF as a whole rather than limited by one group of topics. I found several SFF chats on Twitter, but my favourite now is the #SFFLunch hosted by World Weaver Press.

Ironically or not, I’ve only been able to attend one of these wicked awesome chats (thus far!) as try as I might to *stalk!* the homepage of the publisher, I truly wish they had a newsletter and/or a tweet reminder system in place for those who are busy and forgetful about when these events are happening! I nearly thought I was clued into the June meet-up, except to say I was thinking it was *today!* Wednesday when in all honesty they met-up yesterday on Tuesday! *le sigh* One of these months, the moons shall be kind and align,…

Outside of the chat, I had the pleasure of writing a response to one of the writers whose short is included in FAE: Kristina Wojtaszek, who wrote a #DiverseSFF story involving a character of special needs. She was featured on the publisher’s website with a well-writ Guest Post entitled: A Hob, a Mom, and a son with Asperger’s. Prior to my review, I started to share my discovery of World Weaver Press on my first entry into a new weekly meme feature I am kicking off on Jorie Loves A Story Summer 2015: 10 Bookish and Not Bookish Thoughts! Likewise, I left a comment on the editor’s blog when she announced books two and three in this continuing series of fantastical mischief and mayhem! Be sure to read my highlights of attending my first #SFFLunch!

World Weaver Press Banner of Books provided by the publisher and used with permission.

Keen interest in the world of Speculative Fiction | side note: the fae:

My interest in the fae and the communities of the faeries grew out of my childhood focused on Speculative Fiction as a whole across different mediums of story-telling. My knowledge of the fae is not as evolved as my love of SFF, but my curiosity has become quite piqued by other authors who are writing compelling and wicked stories of these curious people who are short in statue but not in heart! Truly, it was the anthology collection by another Indie publisher (Seventh Star Press) which first perked my attention to anthological collections of shorts being one of the best gateways into appreciating new-to-me authors of Fantasy fiction. (with an empathsis on the fae!) Their collection A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court proved to be one of my most beloved anthologies read to date.

This led me to seeking out more stories by E. Chris Garrison (due to Ms Chris writing about the Seelie Goose!) and launched a search for other Indies who were publishing wicked quality collections and/or novel length stories within the realms of SFF. My heart is divided equally between science fiction and fantasy, with a slight bent of newfound interest in Cosy Horror (yes, this is a new term I coined during Horror October 2014 and apparently it’s ‘catching on!’)

Yet, whilst I broached a discussion question during a recent #CreatureChat, I noticed there was an absence of response on the merits of where the fae originated in fiction and of whom the grandfathers / grandmothers of this niche of Fantasy originally sourced their ideas or picked up ideas through their research. I realise a heap of story craft is interwoven into our imaginations, but writers are curious creatures, and we do like to research as much as we love to create from scratch.

Here is the Q:

[ more of the same thread of context w/in the convo ]

I suppose you could say I’m on a self-motivated journey into the world of the fae. I seek to understand their nature and to understand their world(s). I have several books earmarked off in mind to read of the fae, but I was hoping perhaps someone out there might have recommendations for me as to help paint the path towards knowing how they started to emerge into popular Speculative Fiction and how they become as established as they are for a muse.

I do not oft talk about my own writerly pursuits as I am living in the season of a book blogger whose an avid reader giddy happy for discovering new genres, new stories, and new authors. However, my heart always had a special place for SFF due to the enormity of freedom on where you could take a story. You can lead your reader down a road of science grounded realism or you can jump the rails directly into the unknown and guide a reader into a world you’ve fully realised and created yourself. It’s such a lovely branch of literature because of the incredible breadth of choice and selection. The very first manuscript I conceived into being was science fiction based on science fact, however, the more I read Fantasy, whilst being tempted by the ‘cosier’ and ‘psychological’ side of Horror, I’m starting to spread my wings on where my own fiction might reside.

I read across the full spectrum of literature from Major Trade to Indies, with a special appreciation and fondness for Indies as I grew up supporting a wicked awesome Indie bookshoppe who first introduced me to ‘local authors’ and ‘local author events’. As I step back through the doors of SFF, I’m settling inside a heap of lovelies from Indie writers moreso than Major Trade, but this is partially due to the fact my own personal collection of stories are ferreted out into boxes and are not accessible to be read. Hence why I rely on my local public library for ILL’ing (inter-library loan) and borrowing through our local catalogue of SFF.

I am an appreciator of stories;
irregardless of their route to publication,
if they are print and bound in an edition I can hold by hand whilst
reading off the printed texture of a page — I’m one bonefide happy reader!

Book Review | “FAE: an #anthology of Fairies” [edited by] Rhonda Parrish published by #IndiePub World Weaver PressFAE
Subtitle: An Anthology of Fairies

Meet Robin Goodfellow as you've never seen him before, watch damsels in distress rescue themselves, get swept away with the selkies and enjoy tales of hobs, green men, pixies and phookas. One thing is for certain, these are not your grandmother’s fairy tales.

Fairies have been both mischievous and malignant creatures throughout history. They’ve dwelt in forests, collected teeth or crafted shoes. Fae is full of stories that honor that rich history while exploring new and interesting takes on the fair folk from castles to computer technologies to modern midwifing, the Old World to Indianapolis.

Fae bridges traditional and modern styles, from the familiar feeling of a good old-fashioned fairy tale to urban fantasy and horror with a fae twist. This anthology covers a vast swath of the fairy story spectrum, making the old new and exploring lush settings with beautiful prose and complex characters.

With an introduction by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman, and all new stories from Sidney Blaylock Jr., Amanda Block, Kari Castor, Beth Cato, Liz Colter, Rhonda Eikamp, Lor Graham, Alexis A. Hunter, L.S. Johnson, Jon Arthur Kitson, Adria Laycraft, Lauren Liebowitz, Christine Morgan, Shannon Phillips, Sara Puls, Laura VanArendonk Baugh, and Kristina Wojtaszek.

List of Stories included in this anthology:

“Introduction” by Sara Cleto and Brittany Warman
“Rosie Red Jacket” by Christine Morgan
“The Queen of Lakes” by L.S. Johnson
“Ten Ways to Self-Sabotage, Only Some of Which Relate to Fairies” by Sara Puls
“Antlers” by Amanda Block
“Only Make-Believe” by Lauren Liebowitz
“F.C.U.” by Jon Arthur Kitson
“Water Sense” by Adria Laycraft
“The Cartography of Shattered Trees” by Beth Cato
“Possession” by Rhonda Eikamp
“And Only The Eyes of Children” by Laura VanArendonk Baugh
“Seven Years Fleeting” by Lor Graham
“The Last King” by Liz Colter
“Faerie Knight” by Sidney Blaylock, Jr.
“Solomon’s Friend” by Kristina Wojtaszek
“A Fairfolk Promise” by Alexis A. Hunter
“The Fairy Midwife” by Shannon Phillips
“The Price” by Kari Castor


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780692207918

Series: Rhonda Parrish’s Magical Menageries, No.1


Also in this series: Corvidae, Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters


on 22nd July 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 250

Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards Badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

Published By: World Weaver Press (@WorldWeaver_wwp)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook

Genre(s): Fantasy | Horror | Speculative | Stories of the Fae

Equality in Lit | Diversity in SFF

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Collection No.2 in this series is Corvidae | Info on Parrish Blog | Info on Pub

Collection No.3 in this series is Scarecrow | Info on Pub

Converse via: #DiverseSFF, #SFF, #scifi, #FAE, #Fantasy & #anthology

+ #MagicalMenageries (the series tag!)

About (Editor) Rhonda Parrish

Rhonda Parrish

Rhonda Parrish is a master procrastinator and nap connoisseur but despite that she somehow manages a full professional life. She has been the publisher and editor-in-chief of Niteblade Magazine for over five years now (which is like 25 years in internet time) and is the editor of the forthcoming benefit anthology, Metastasis. In addition, Rhonda is a writer whose work has been included or is forthcoming in dozens of publications including Tesseracts 17: Speculating Canada from Coast to Coast and Imaginarium: The Best Canadian Speculative Writing.

Starting July 1, 2014, Rhonda Parrish will be reading for Corvidae and Scarecrow, two new anthologies in the same series as Fae. Like Fae, each of these new anthologies will focus on a single construct treated in many varied and enthralling ways by new speculative fiction short stories.

The twin anthologies also present a unique opportunity: to create a conversation between the two volumes, between the crows and the straw-men, between the bird tales of Corvidae and the totem tales of Scarecrow. Anthologies to be published in 2015. More information at WorldWeaverPress.com.

Read More

Divider

Posted Sunday, 30 August, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Adoption, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Anthology Collection of Stories, Archery, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Bookish Films, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Castles & Estates, Cliffhanger Ending, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Cosy Horror, Dreams & Dreamscapes, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, Equality In Literature, Faeries & the Fey, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Folklore and Mythology, Good vs. Evil, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Horror-Lite, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspired by Stories, Inspiring Video Related to Content, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Orphans & Guardians, Parapsychological Suspense, Re-Told Tales, Short Stories or Essays, Siblings, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Supernatural Fiction, Superstitions & Old World Beliefs, Twin Siblings, Urban Fantasy, World Weaver Press

Blog Book Tour | “Two Hearts: When I Said I Do, I Meant Forever” by James Eric Richey

Posted Friday, 31 July, 2015 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a part of the blog tour for “Two Hearts” hosted by iRead Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author James Eric Richey in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Suspense-filled Love Stories turn quite Epic:

Are a bit hard to find but are treasured once they are discovered; the type of love story where despite the adversities and the entangled woes of life itself, the two dearly beloved souls find a way to make it against the odds stacked ontop of them. I like finding romance rooted in realism and a conviction of experiences where both sides have to make marked steps towards keeping their relationships healthy. Marriage isn’t for the weak of heart nor the faint of circumstances because life has a way of endearing us with tides of uncertainty and unknown disasters.

Finding characters who are writ to such a strong degree as Jax and Annie is a rare gift indeed; partially why I love seeking out ChocLit novels as I have come to treasure the strength and beauty of the authors’ conjoined focus on ‘relationship-based romances’ whilst painted against a back-drop of real-life situations that will test their wills for a strength to endure at all costs. I am finding there are other authors out there of whom are a bit harder to find; their novels are released by either Small Trade, Hybrid, or Indie publishers not yet known for their titles; Richey falls under this category, and it was a joy to be able to read his story on this blog tour, if only to help readers find the quality and the depth of his novel.

This is one reason I celebrate Indie Authors – because the routes they take to reach their reading audience differ from one another, but their strength of the craft of story-telling remains acute and self-aware in knowing which types of stories we readily want to consume. Those who hunger for Romance novels like the ones I appreciate myself, enjoy the relationship bits and the in-between moments where characters show their flaws as much as their keen ability to champion adversity blighted against their path. To seek out characters who live as wholly true to contemporary composites will always be a joy for me, but to find an ‘epic love story’ out of the blue is golden!

Blog Book Tour | “Two Hearts: When I Said I Do, I Meant Forever” by James Eric RicheyTwo Hearts:
Subtitle: When I Said I Do, I Meant Forever
by James Eric Richey
Source: Author via iRead Book Tours

Jaxon Tagget is a cattle-rancher's son, born and raised on the Double T, just outside of Dillon, Montana. In love with his high-school sweetheart, Annie, Jaxon proposes on graduation night, presenting her with a wedding ring made from gold he mined himself. Annie accepts immediately, to the horror of her bitter, man-hating mother.

Jaxon's a wonderful husband, but the warnings of Annie's mother linger in the young bride's ears. And it doesn't help that women continue to fall all over the markedly handsome Jaxon.

Unaware of his wife's persistent doubts, Jaxon is struggling with his own troubles when he finds out his dad is sorely in need of money to save the ranch. But hope glimmers gold when he rediscovers the old mine on the Double T.

While Jaxon travels to verify the mine's productivity, Annie grows increasingly suspicious. Is Jaxon's absence what it seems, or does he have another, less faithful reason for his travels? When Annie sees a picture of the beautiful laboratory owner whom Jaxon is visiting, she's sure the only gold he's interested in is long, blond hair. Is Annie right, or will it be her doubts that forever sever their Two Hearts?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Western Fiction



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Published by JER Books

on 15th December, 2014

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 426

Published By: JER Books (@JERBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

About James Eric Richey

James Richey

James Eric Richey was born and raised in California. He attended Brigham Young University, studying English with an emphasis in Literature. After graduating from BYU he returned home to California to further his education by attending law school. After passing the bar, James practiced in California for several years, but he quickly learned that he did not have a passion for the law.

In 1998 James obtained his real estate appraiser license, which has given him a flexible work schedule and allowed him to pursue his true passion, writing books. Besides his writing, he also enjoys reading, running, and sailing. James currently lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife, Heather, and their two daughters.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Friday, 31 July, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Cliffhanger Ending, Contemporary Romance, Creative Arts, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Divorce & Martial Strife, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Life Shift, Modern Day, Montana, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Passionate Researcher, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Single Mothers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, South America, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Women's Fiction