Category: Fallen Angels

Audiobook Review | “Heartborn: No.1 of Heartborn (series)” by Terry Maggert, narrated by Julia Whelan

Posted Tuesday, 7 February, 2017 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Audiobook Review Badge made by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Digital Audiobook by: I am a new blog tour hostess with Audiobookworm Promotions wherein I have the opportunity to receive audiobooks for review or adoption (reviews outside of organised blog tours) and host guest features on behalf of authors and narrators alike. I started hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions at the end of [2016] during “The Cryptic Lines” tour wherein I became quite happily surprised how much I am now keen on listening to books in lieu of reading them in print. My journey into audiobooks was prompted by a return of my chronic migraines wherein I want to offset my readings with listening to the audio versions.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Heartborn” via the publicist at Audiobookworm Promotions (of whom was working directly with the author Terry Maggert) in exchange for an honest review. The difference with this complimentary copy I received is I had a 90 day window to listen and review the book whilst given a soft deadline where I could post my ruminative thoughts at an hour which worked for me on the day the review was due; this differs from a blog tour which has a more set schedule of posting. The audiobooks are offered to ‘adopt’ for review consideration and are given to readers to gauge their opinions, impressions and insight into how the audiobook is resonating with listeners. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

NOTE: I had fully intended to listen to Heartborn somewhere between mid-to-late December and mid-to-late January; both months proved to be quite intense, most of which I recently blogged about on my latest #StoriesOfJorie. I had conceived this idea to host a live-reading tweet fest whilst listening to the novel itself. I decided despite the chaos of my connectivity and tech issues, I could still do this on the day my review is due to post, as blessedly I have an open ‘deadline’ for the day. Ergo, whilst I coloured inside “Wonders of Mandalas” by Leisure Arts I happily tweeted out my first impressions of Heartborn! Except part of my impressions were cut-off abruptly during my ‘intermission’ for lunch as something unexpected arose (re: my Dad) and I had to step away for a few hours. I resumed two hours ahead of posting my review.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

What initially prompted me to listen to Heartborn & why I was tentatively unsure about it’s scope:

Around the time “Heartborn” was being marketed and released, I believe is when the author Mr Maggert originally found me via Twitter. I vaguely remember at the time clicking through his feeds and scouting out his website (of which has since been revamped by Jess @ The Audiobookworm; she did such a lovely job, as she designs inasmuch as she works in book publicity) and finding his stories were quite intriguing to me. They had the kind of originality I love to seek out with a curiously well-conceived world for which characters can reside and readers can thrive whilst visiting them. I was questioning the content of the stories – were they just outside where I could take darker Fantasy and harder core Upper YA? Were they instead somewhere on the bridge between where I regularly reside and a few paces outside my comfort zone?!

Since I couldn’t quite make up my mind on where I would ‘fit’ in his writerly style, I put it off for another day to decide and somewhere along that period of indecision, I believe he unfollowed me, but I wasn’t deterred. It simply wasn’t the right time for me to sort out ‘Heartborn’ and Mr Magget. This is why I try to get into the frequent habit of adding ‘authors who find me’ on  Twitter to a special folder earmarked as such, so I can have a longer period of time to vet their writerly styles, seek out their releases and get a proper understanding for what they are publishing. Life moves at such a fast clip at times, sometimes when someone finds you, it’s simply the wrong hour for you to discover them. This doesn’t mean your uninterested, its just bad timing.

Hence why when a few months later Jess (The Audiobookworm) approached me to be a reviewer of audiobooks through her touring company, I jumped at the chance! I didn’t want more authors who had audio releases to ‘slip’ past me, even if I had to turn down a few to re-discover lateron, at least I could keep a running list of authors I was keen on ‘listening’ too or reading in ‘print’. Uniquely enough, ‘Heartborn’ went on tour but as I was still on the fence about my thoughts on the story and how the story would resonate with me – I yielded to wait. I was pleasantly surprised when this audio went up for adoption and thereby, I asked some questions about the programme, esp in regards to ‘trying stories’ we’re uncertain if we’ll love or find to be neutral-positive or perhaps even neutral-negative as I write the whole gambit of a reader’s perspective on Jorie Loves A Story; not just focusing on the books which are my cuppa!

Having a ‘greenlight’, I was ready to tuck inside this story after having read another reader’s insightful review as she gave a hearty depth into why she loved the story and why the story resonated with her on a personal level. She gave a well-rounded opine and as these are the reviews I personally seek to write myself, it is one I personally appreciate in finding in the larger community of book world. You can read her review here.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Audiobook Review | “Heartborn: No.1 of Heartborn (series)” by Terry Maggert, narrated by Julia WhelanHeartborn

Her guardian angel was pushed.

Keiron was never meant to be anything other than a hero. Born high above in a place of war and deception, he is Heartborn, a being of purity and goodness in a place where violence and deceit are just around every corner.

His disappearance will spark a war he cannot see, for Keiron has pierced the light of days to save a girl he has never met, for reasons he cannot understand. Livvy Foster is seventeen, brave, and broken. With half a heart, she bears the scars of a lifetime of pain and little hope of survival.

Until Keiron arrives.

In the middle of a brewing war and Livvy’s failing heart, Keiron will risk everything for Livvy, because a Heartborn’s life can only end in one way: Sacrifice.

Fall with Livvy and Keiron as they seek the truth about her heart, and his power, and what it means to love someone who will give their very life to save you.


Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

on 3rd October, 2016

Length: 6 hours and 24 minutes

The second novel of the Heartborn series publishes in *March, 2017!* Titled: Moondiver!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

About Terry Maggert

Terry Maggert

Left-handed. Father of an apparent nudist. Husband to a half-Norwegian. Herder of cats and dogs. Lover of pie. I write books. I've had an unhealthy fascination with dragons since the age of-- well, for a while. Native Floridian. Current Tennessean. Location subject to change based on insurrection, upheaval, or availability of coffee. Nine books and counting, with no end in sight. You've been warned.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Read More

Divider

Posted Tuesday, 7 February, 2017 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, Alternative History, Angels, ArchAngels, ArchDemons or Demonic Entities, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Author Found me On Twitter, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Clever Turns of Phrase, Cosy Horror, Cosy Horror Suspense, Dark Fantasy, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, Fallen Angels, Fantasy Fiction, Good vs. Evil, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Horror-Lite, Humour & Satire in Fiction / Non Fiction, Immortals, Indie Author, Light vs Dark, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Philosophical Intuitiveness, Premonition-Precognitive Visions, Realistic Fiction, Shapeshifters, Speculative Fiction, Spirituality & Metaphysics, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Suspense, Vulgarity in Literature

+Blog Book Tour+ Trinity Stones by L.G. O’ Connor Introduction to the Angelorum Twelve Chronicles!

Posted Sunday, 6 April, 2014 by jorielov , , , 5 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Trinity Stones by L.G. O' Connor

Published By: She Writes Press () 22 April 2014
Official Author WebsitesSite | Facebook | Twitter | Trinity Stones Site
Converse via: #AngelorumTwelveChronicles & #TrinityStones
Available Formats: Trade Paperback and E-Book
Page Count: 366

Acquired By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Trinity Stones” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author L.G. O’ Connor, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Paranormal Romance: Is a new genre I am engaging into the heart of as I had mentioned on my review of Ryder on the Storm  I had not even realised that I was already reading bits and bobbles contained within the genre itself ! After my readings of Violet Patterson’s opening of her Storm Sullivan saga, I decided to tread into the waters of the genre overall. What I find fascinating is how wide of a range the genre can entertain stories under its branch of literature! If I were to consider what is writ under the article on Wikipedia for Paranormal Romance, my inclinations lie as follows: ghost stories (i.e. mediums a la “Ghost Whisperer” OR cosy mysteries involving a ghost as a main or supporting cast character); heightened abilities such as telekinesis & telepathy; shapeshifters (i.e. the hawk in Reclamation by Jackie Gamber); and the mere fact it is a gene-bender for a crossover between science fiction, fantasy, & horror! For me, the fact that the horror is mostly kept at a distance or within what I consider ‘horror-lite’ is quite wonderful! The elements of time travel and of bending time against itself is also an appeal, as I love when science is brought out in such creative ways as to make you consider the epic realities of what could be plausible but are not yet probable!

I am thankful Trinity Stones came up for review via TLC Book Tours as I continue to make my ‘introduction’ into a genre I am still curious to become acquainted! One nice surprise was receiving a Trinity Stones novel card which has the cover-art on one side and the book synopsis & book information on the opposite. I used the card as a bookmark whilst reading the novel, and am thankful Ms. O’ Connor included it with the book!


 Angelorum Twelve Chronicles Synopsis:

The struggle between good and evil is eternal, but modern science offers an opportunity to upset the balance. Set in a refreshingly current environment, Trinity Stones: The Angelorum Twelve Chronicles by L.G. O’Connor, is the thrilling first story in this series about humans and angels brought together to fight a final battle against the Dark Ones.

Book Synopsis of Trinity Stones:

New York investment banker, Cara Collins, has little to smile about on her 27th birthday. Her boss is a misogynistic pig and the love of her life is married to someone else. Top that off with a creepy man in the subway and then a homeless woman on the street grabbing her and asking to be healed, and Cara’s panic disorder rears it’s ugly head. Cara wonders if things could get any worse until a mysterious letter arrives announcing she’s inherited $50 million–which must remain secret or those close to her could die. As Cara unravels the truth surrounding her inheritance, she makes a startling discovery: angels walk among the living, and they’re getting ready to engage in a battle that will determine the future of the human race. In the midst of these revelations, she meets the mysterious and sophisticated Simon who stirs her sleeping heart and offers her another chance at romance. But when the love of her life and his daughter are kidnapped by dark forces, Cara must choose: accept her place in a 2,000-year-old prophecy foretold in the Trinity Stones as the First of the Twelve who will lead the final battle between good and evil . . . or risk losing everything she holds dear.

Captivating and thrillingly romantic, Trinity Stones captures the eternal struggle of good and evil and the occasional need to bend the rules for the most important force of all: love.

Author Biography:

L.G. O' ConnorL.G. O’Connor is a member of the Romance Writers of America. A corporate strategy and marketing executive for a Fortune 250 company, she writes adult urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and contemporary romance. She is currently preparing the second book in the Angelorum Twelve Chronicles: The Wanderer’s Children, for publication at the end of 2014. In addition, her adult contemporary romance will launch later this year. A native New Jersey girl, she lives a life of adventure, navigating her way through dog toys and soccer balls and loaning herself out for the occasional decorating project. When she’s feeling particularly brave, she enters the kitchen . . .

Find and connect with her in any of these places:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads 


An opening which had me pinned to my seat:

I am never quite sure what to expect when venturing into a genre I have not read as well as others, but in the moment of uncertainty I sat back eager to dig into something new. Finding an opening which had me pinned to my seat and a breath of haste in my throat as I read the Prologue of Trinity Stones was not what I had expected! The gutting moment for me is the realisation of how tedious the balance is within the series of the Angelorum Twelve Chronicles between light and dark / good vs. evil. There is a curious back-story emerging out from under the narrative which eludes to the purpose of a prophecy shared within the pages prior to the Prologue. It’s quite the clever tie-in to yield the arc of the series.

My Review of Trinity Stones:

Aside from a furrowed brow over the language barrier issues, as I am a gentle reader who advocates for less vulgarity not more in the stories she reads, I was a bit surprised by the theory of power wielded in Trinity Stones. The fight between Angels and Demons has held deep roots in most religious histories, but to see how the interplay between who is aligned in the Light and who sides with the Dark in a fictional format was quite interesting. Especially considering that even on the level of those who walk in Light, information about how to overcome the evil of the future is withheld to prevent cross-repercussions stemming out of free will. The flow of the story is to introduce the reader to the backbone of the series, but in the beginning chapters your faltering a bit to understand the depth of what is being revealed. The little ruts in the road for me there would be the blight of vulgarity surfacing here or there, but to another reader they might not cringe as much as I did.

I was much more interested in the direct link between Hope (in the Prologue) and Cara who becomes the central character in the narrative. Each of them holds a dynasty of ancestry that is quite startling at first to conceive, but then, being loosely aware of mystic religious histories and how dangerous the world hangs in the balance without most of us realising the danger at hand; the theories presented had a level of plausibility. Especially as O’ Connor writes-in the ability for some of the entities to have the freedom to cloak out of sight of everyday humans. The veils of the worlds are thin but even within a short distance there is much for humans to be forthright worried about!

Cara is an woman everyone can relate too. She’s a bit flawed but loveable in the sense she is a work-in-progress. She’s attempting to sort out her life from the professional side to the woes of her heart. She was intuitive enough realise she draws a connection to Kai in a way that is not entirely natural. It’s her gift in which her grandmother bestowed as hint of a legacy at her birthday she’s perplexed about the most. In this train of thought, I was excited to watch her grow towards understanding and the realisation of how her life could affect so many others.

The stitchings of Genetics and science experiments to reveal a hidden agenda of the research Kai is working on implored me forward into the text. I’ve always been appreciative of science and the one class which surprised me in high school of being of keen interest was Genetics. The sequences of how our genes pool together to distinguish how we’re put together on a molecular level was fascinating! Along with of course the anomalous deviations which can stem out of our cell’s history and coding. Genetics is a fascinating branch when you stop and think about it because so much is carried within the cardinal run of DNA coding and sequencing; including through ancestral lines.

The battleground for souls and the balance of humanity are center-stage in this first exploit into a new series where Angels are at war with Fallen Angels. The cornerstone of the story is etched out of the depths of religious history and theory, of what can be foretold and what can be destined. The sanctity of free will plays a large role in determining the course of action. The hardest passages are when the Fallen Angels supersede the Angels & Guardians in power struggle. The imagery O’ Connor provides is a bit frightful but you have to put it into proportion of what is happening inside the story. She provides a lot of historical background to the Angelorum as well as to the time in which the story is set. Everything that has been put forward into this volume is opening the door of what is yet to come next.

And, I for one am eager to see where her muse leads her next!

Trinity Stones : the Trinity of Faith:

One of the interesting bits of the story for me is how the Trinity Stones are assembled and kept together; three halves of a whole which interconnect to work in tandem for protection, discovery, and enlightenment of destiny. The reason this was of a curiosity to me is because I’m a spiritualist who enjoys studying world religions. I found it incredible how O’ Connor managed to take religious thought and transmorph it into a paranormal romance & urban fantasy setting to where the theory of the Stones themselves hinge directly back into religion. I found it intriguing to watch where she took her mythology and where it dissected with mystic spirituality. The background research she must have conducted would have unearthed a great deal of insight and historical mysteries to last throughout the four-book series!

The way in which she represents the soul as an orb of energy as much as how each living soul has the choice to walk its own path during a lifetime spent on earth was truly along the lines of my own beliefs. I enjoyed the gentle guidance of the Angels, who took on different roles within the story: Guardians, gatekeepers, and administrative types of whom strived to maintain order from the ensuing chaos. The flip-side of representing the light of good is being as real and honest about the darkness and evil. I think she struck a balance to where those of us who walk in the light can respect the darkness as its presented in the story but with the encouragement of knowing that however fragile the balance; light pushes back the dark each chance that it can.

Fly in the Ointment:

I am never quite sure why explicit expletives have to be inserted into romance novels, as for me, they do very little to add to the character’s personality but rather detract from their character. The first curse word barely had me flinch as I sort of expected there might be the occasional word here or there when I noted this is referred to as ‘adult’ paranormal fiction rather than straight-up paranormal romance or YA paranormal romance. I think the main difference between the adult bracket and the young adult bracket is the language bar of concern. I clearly yield to the mindset that narrative can stand on its own merits without vulgarity at all. There is one explicit word in particular which is my absolute pet peeve to find in literature because of its strength and of its definitions. Inside Trinity Stones its used more as an adjective than an noun or explicit depending on which character was talking in the moment of use.

My personal opinion is that this story could stand on its own merits without the vulgarity being included. The characters are strongly fleshed out and the world in which they exist is sharpened to where you feel as though your living through their shoes. The details are bang-on in every inch of a way possible and to me, the quirk quips of cursing distracted from the narrative left behind.

*UPDATE: In the morning after this book review posted, the author graciously left a comment in the threads advocating that if any reader who alights on my blog finds the same to be true for them on the issue of language as I explain in my ‘Fly in the Ointment’ they are encouraged to contact her about a special digital version which has been edited into a YA version. Again, this is between you and the author Ms. O’ Connor herself as I do not host bookaways/giveaways on Jorie Loves A Story, but the graciousness she expressed in reaching out to all readers who want to read her novels touched my heart. Please see her full message below.

IF the YA version gets re-packaged for the quartet series in print format, I’d be one of the first readers to get a full set!


This book review is courtesy of:

TLC Book Tours | Tour Host

check out my upcoming bookish events and mark your calendars!

{SOURCES:  Trinity Stones Book Cover, synopsises, and tour badge were provided by TLC Book Tours and were used by permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Author photograph of L.G. O’ Connor provided by the author herself and used with permission.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Divider

Posted Sunday, 6 April, 2014 by jorielov in Angels, ArchAngels, ArchDemons or Demonic Entities, Blog Tour Host, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Novel, Fallen Angels, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Good vs. Evil, Indie Author, Paranormal Romance, Romance Fiction, Shapeshifters, Supernatural Fiction, Suspense, TLC Book Tours, Unexpected Inheritance, Urban Fantasy, Vulgarity in Literature