Posted Wednesday, 11 February, 2015 by jorielov Harper Perennial, HarperCollins Publishers, Mary Helen Specht, Migratory Animals 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Migratory Animals” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Harper Perennial via HarperCollins Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
Each time I am given a set of books that are upcoming on a blog tour via TLC, one of the few characteristics I am seeking out of that set of stories is to seek a path to new authors who not only will challenge my mind and my heart as I read their narratives but perhaps they will take me somewhere not yet seen. I love the inertia of the discovery — to dare to seek out a story or an author who will write a story that will leave me wholly enthused by the experience for having sought out their literary work as much as the joy to write about their story will give me a heap of happpiness whilst their story is still fervently attached to my memory.
There are moments where I stumble across a book or an author who has left me quite curious for what I shall find inside their covers. What will I come across once the book is in hand? Once the character is known to me more intimately than a brief appearance in a short synopsis? What will my lasting thoughts be about the journey I took inside the book itself? These were some of my initial hopes and thoughts as I looked over the list of upcoming books for blog tours for Spring 2015.
Migratory Animals simply ‘stood out’ from the pack.
There was something uniquely different about this one.
Hence why I was quite on pins to read it and see where it’s story would lead me to travel. Read More
Posted Wednesday, 11 February, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, ARC | Galley Copy, Blog Tour Host, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fly in the Ointment, Literary Fiction, Modern Day, Realistic Fiction, TLC Book Tours, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Fiction
Posted Saturday, 7 February, 2015 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Dee Henderson, Deeanne Gist, Henriette Gyland, Up Close 0 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Up Close” from ChocLit via IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing) in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I love reading Romantic Suspense:
Don’t get me wrong — I love curling inside a lovely light and sweet Romance (although at first I took grievance with the ‘term’ Sweet Romance) yet there are moments where I like a bit of mysterious suspense underwrit into the Romance itself! I like feeling my heart pulse, my breath catch, and that sense of urgency — is whichever ‘something’ going to be found, caught, discovered, uncovered, or overcome? One of my favourite Romantic Suspense novels was actually a bit of an experiment for the writer herself, as she teamed up with a bloke who enjoyed writing traditional psychological suspense (to be honest, this is the category I am akin to myself!) whereas she appreciated writing stimulating INSPY Historical novels for modern women who wanted ‘a different turn of the page’ to traditional INSPY offerings. I’m referring to Deeanne Gist’s Beguiled which left me wanton for more!
I had the chance to enquire if there would be more books of this nature alighting on shelves in the future from her (as I used to take part in the author to reader conversations by live streaming video on YouTube and/or direct to author reader phone conversations by landline! via the now defunct and dearly missed BookTalk Nation!) to which she remarked she wasn’t quite as keen as I was to walk down that road again. She took me by surprise (not just in the reply but with the book itself!) as previously it was Dee Henderson who wrote psychological suspense with romantic undertones that gave me just enough ‘chill for me bones’ to keep me glued to me seat and the page whilst not growing hypersensitive about the nature of the story I was reading!
I’ve attempted to read mainstream Romantic Suspense novels (outside the INSPY world) but too oft-times I find myself pulling back — either from the dangerous vortex of ‘living too close to the action’ of the characters themselves or feeling a bit overcome by the story to where the joy factor left to read it. Then I discovered ChocLit’s method for publishing Romantic Suspense — and I must say, it’s now perking my appetite for what I appreciate!
Why do I love it as much as I do? Hmm, why did Helen want to go with her husband on a mission in True Lies? I think sometimes you want to break up the ruts you fall into during the patterns of your reading wanderings — mix it up, try something completely outside your level of comfort or go for the pulse of an adventure you can safety survive without having to leave your house! I’m sure even Jason Bourne wishes he hadn’t left the house sometimes!
Up Close
by Henriette Gyland
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher
Too close for comfort…
When Dr Lia Thompson’s grandmother dies unexpectedly, Lia is horrified to have to leave her life in America and return to a cold and creaky house in Norfolk. But as events unfold, she can’t help feeling that there is more to her grandmother’s death than meets the eye.
Aidan Morrell is surprised to see Lia, his teenage crush, back in town. But Aidan’s accident when serving in the navy has scarred him in more ways than one, and he has other secrets which must stay hidden at all costs, even from Lia.
As Lia comes closer to uncovering the truth, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. In a world of increasing danger, is Aidan someone she can trust?
Genres: Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author: Blueprint for Love, The Highwayman's Daughter
Published by ChocLitUK
on 7th December, 2012
Format: Paperback
Pages: 369
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print, & Ebook
Converse via: #ChocLit & #HenrietteGyland
Cover Art Design by: Berni Stevens @circleoflebanon | Writer | Illustrator
About Henriette Gyland
Henriette lives in London but grew up in Northern Denmark and moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen. She has worked in the Danish civil service, for a travel agent, a consultancy company, in banking, hospital administration, and for a county court before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist.
Expecting her first child and feeling bored, she picked up the pen again, and when a writer friend encouraged her to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association, she began to pursue her writing in earnest. Her debut Up Close won the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.
Novels: Up Close, The Elephant Girl, Blueprint for Love & The Highwayman’s Daughter
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
On how beautifully lovely this is bang-on brilliantly British:
I have blogged about my affection for British phrases and turns of speech, inasmuch as my particular penchant for British words in the more general sense as being the bits of language and speech I become quite giddy over discovering anew in the past. Yes, except, this novel (and there are a few before it too!) by Ms Gyland has truly lit up my eyes with such a delish array of *new words!* and small inklings of how to express oneself if you were bourne in Britain rather than an American bourne British descendant thrice over (such as I) to where you can start to piece together a patchwork of modern British vernacular! Read More
Posted Saturday, 7 February, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Suspense, Vulgarity in Literature
Posted Friday, 30 January, 2015 by jorielov Eternity4Popsicle Publishing, I Walter, Mike Hartner 3 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I joined Kate Tilton’s Book Bloggers as a way to seek out stories written by emerging Self Published and/or Indie Published writers who might not otherwise get highlighted by book bloggers. This was the first novel that interested me to request for review, as I enjoyed reading the premise inasmuch as the request was to read outside of a firm deadline. This is not an organised blog tour, thereby those of us who request to read the books and/or host the authors Ms. Tilton organises is scheduled around our own time frames. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Mike Hartner, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
I, Walter
by Mike Hartner
Source: Author via Kate Tilton's Book Bloggers
I, Walter is the first in a series of books in a saga which will span continents and time to arrive in present day North America.
Each in the series will be connected, though that connection may not be obvious for several more books.
It's almost like looking at a menorah. Many lines, seemingly individual, connect to center at different points.
Walter Crofter was born into Elizabethan England.
In a country and a time where favor and politics were both deadly, can an honest boy stay true to himself?
Especially given his family background?
Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Historical Fiction, Nautical Fiction, Young Adult Fiction Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 978-0973356137
Series: The Eternity Series, No.1
Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters
Published by Eternity4Popsicle Publishing
on 10th May, 2013
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 225
Published by: Eternity4Popsicle Publishing (Vancouver, British Columbia)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #MikeHartner, #IWalter, #YALit
About Mike Hartner
Mike Hartner was born in Miami in 1965. He’s traveled much of the continental United States. He has several years post secondary education, and experience teaching and tutoring young adults. Hartner has owned and run a computer firm for more than twenty-five years. He now lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with his wife and child. They share the neighborhood and their son with his maternal grandparents.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
- CanLit Reading Bingo Card 2015
Posted Friday, 30 January, 2015 by jorielov in 15th Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Canadian Literature, Cliffhanger Ending, Coming-Of Age, Elizabethan Era, England, Father-Daughter Relationships, High Seas Epic, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Kate Tilton's Book Bloggers, Kidnapping or Unexplained Disappearances, Nautical Fiction, Pirates and Swashbucklers, Spain, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Vulgarity in Literature, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Saturday, 24 January, 2015 by jorielov Deborah Heal, History Mystery series, Time and Again, Write Brain Activity 0 Comments
Time and Again by Deborah Heal
{ Book One in the History Mystery Trilogy }
{ Unclaimed Legacy (Book 2) + Every Hill & Mountain (Book 3) round out the trilogy }
Published By: Write Brain Activity
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook
Converse via: #HistoryMysterySeries & #TimeAndAgain
Acquired Book By:
My path originally crossed with Ms. Heal during her blog tour last year (2013), when her third novel in the History Mystery series was making it’s way through the book blogosphere whilst stopping on Inspirational fiction blogs I frequently visit. It was on one of these tour stops I had the happy joy in winning a copy of “Every Hill & Mountain” and ever since then, I had had it in mind to blog about this beautiful time travel series for Sci Fi November! I contacted the author about this particular idea and she offered to send me the first two novels in the series with matching cover-art to the third novel, as I have the original cover-art designs for the History Mystery series – where the house is featured but is not prominent as there is a girl featured as well on “Time and Again”.
Therefore, I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Deborah Heal, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read the Series:
What originally drew me into the folds of this particular time travel series is the overall premise, of how an old house can become a portal of a window into time travel! The idea of having the thread of a time travel narrative worked through the Inspirational side of literature was also an appeal, as I was quite curious how the science behind travelling in time might be explored and explained inasmuch as how the story would alter or change from traditional science fiction roots which are published through mainstream markets. As a hybrid reader whose mind is always open and seeking out new inventive ways of telling stories, I was most curious on how an INSPY writer would treat the scope of the story as much as the science behind it.
Time and Again
by Deborah Heal
Source: Direct from Author
An old house + A new computer program =
The travel opportunity of a lifetime…
…to another century.
Abby Thomas is spending the summer in a run-down old house with a bratty pre-teen named Merrideth she is supposed to tutor. Not a dream job. But it does come with perks.
There’s John Roberts, a devastatingly attractive neighbor who is almost too wonderful to be real.
And there’s the new computer program Beautiful Houses—also too amazing to be real. No one knows how it works, but with it she can rewind and fast-forward the lives of all the people who ever lived in the house, including Charlotte Miles.
In 1858, the house is a train stop on the Alton & Chicago Line. And Charlotte is stuck there serving meals to the passengers, wondering if she’ll ever get to have any fun. And then she meets two travelers who change her life forever.
There’s James McGuire with whom she falls in love. And there’s his boss, a young Springfield lawyer named Abraham Lincoln. His debate with political opponent Stephen Douglas catapults him onto the national stage. And it inspires Charlotte to take up the cause of abolition.
Genres: Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781613466698
Series: History Mystery, No.1
Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters
Published by Write Brain Activity
on 25th February, 2013
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 252
Time and Again Book Trailer via Deborah Heal
About Deborah Heal
Deborah Heal, the author of the Time and Again "history mystery" trilogy, which has been described as "Back to the Future meets virtual reality with a dash of Seventh Heaven thrown in," was born not far from the setting of her novel Every Hill and Mountain and grew up just down the road from the settings of Time and Again and Unclaimed Legacy.
Today she lives with her husband in Monroe County, Illinois, not far from the setting of Once Again: an inspirational novel of history, mystery & romance. She enjoys reading, gardening, and learning about regional history. She has three grown children, five grandchildren, and two canine buddies Digger and Scout, a.k.a. Dr. Bob in Unclaimed Legacy.
She loves to interact with her readers, who may learn more about the history behind the books at her website and her Facebook author page.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing
Time travelling within the walls of an older home:
Heal has a good way of giving small details out about the condition of the old house, where you become delighted in finding out about how the wood and/or the fixtures are represented now verse how they would have been viewed when the house was originally built. There are certain passages that elude to the craftsmanship of the care put into it’s structure, as much as a curiosity about certain staircases and what could be found outside in the barn. It has this rambling appeal to it, as if you think you know everything there is to be known about the house itself, yet it is within that moment of certainty that another mystery presents itself that is not as easily explained!
I liked the pace of how Abby encouraged Merrideth to seek out the charm of her new dwelling as much as to find how educational lessons of life and study can become if you ‘think outside the routine’ and ‘structure’ of traditional learning! Abby starts to seek a way to have the ‘house’ transform learning in a way that Merrideth can find tangible connections between what she’s learning and what she can see through experience. Read More
Posted Saturday, 24 January, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, Abraham Lincoln, African-American History, African-American Literature, Astral Projection, Author Blog Tour, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Book Trailer, Bookish Discussions, Bookish Films, Bullies and the Bullied, Civil Rights, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Divorce & Martial Strife, Drugs & Alcohol, Fathers and Daughters, Fly in the Ointment, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, History, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Lessons from Scripture, Parapsychological Gifts, Sci-Fi November, Single Mothers, Small Towne USA, Sweet Romance, Teacher & Student Relationships, The Deep South, The Sci-Fi Experience, Time Travel, Time Travel Adventure, Underground Railroad
Posted Saturday, 10 January, 2015 by jorielov Amanda James, Berni Stevens (Illustrator), ChocLitUK, Somewhere Beyond the Sea 2 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” from ChocLit via IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing) in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
On being an enthused ChocLit Reader:
Soaking inside a ChocLit novel is a lot of joy for me, as I know going in a few things I am going to enjoy finding are strong female and male lead characters, a stirring drama or a rib breaking comedy with a high concentration on relationships and the entanglements we find ourselves tied up inside when we elect not to trust the person we’ve anchoured our lives too. In Somewhere Beyond the Sea the pages evaporated before my eyes, as I was moving at such a clip to consume this novel, I daresay, I did not leave my comfy cosy reading nook til nearly reaching the last quarter of the novel!
I was on page 150 when I realised I hadn’t even written anything down to explain the intensity of what had me rooted to the page, whilst hoping against hope this could have an ending that I could handled being revealed! It is the type of suspense novel that pulls you into it’s vortex, giving you a fullness of the fright and the fear that Karen Ainsworth is attempting to forestall knowledge of (both to you, the reader and to her husband, Tristan) whilst everything in/around her life is starting to spiral a bit out of control!
It was at a luncheon with my Mum and Da, I started to become a bit animated talking about this story, the evoking of psychological suspense against the back-drop of a cat-mouse game of personal identity and past anguish from domestic violence intermixed with bullying. The further you delved into the heart of the novel, the more curiously inspiring it was on one level (as Karen’s life is anything but predictable nor dull) and a bit stomach churning on the other, as I am thankful after reading this story none of my bullies from childhood came back to haunt me as an adult!
At one point, as we had dined out that day, I took to notice those who were eating near us had become quite quiet, and I have a feeling they were eavesdropping on the conversation! I am not sure what they thought of what I was relaying, as if they hadn’t heard the bit about ‘the book’ or ‘my recent ChocLit read’ they could quite literally think it was ‘just another current news story going viral’. Ironically, I always smile when someone asks me, “Did you just say you read chocolate?” To which I love responding, “Yes! I most certainly do read ChocLit! I prefer it over most ChickLit!” Their facial expressions are quite priceless at that point!
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
by Amanda James
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher
When love begins with a lie, where will it end?
Doctor Tristan Ainsworth has returned with his family to the idyllic Cornish village close to where he grew up. The past has taught him some hard lessons, but he’ll do anything to make his wife happy – so what’s making her so withdrawn?
Karen Ainsworth daren’t reveal her true feelings, but knows her husband has put up with her moods for too long. A chance to use her extraordinary singing voice may set her free, so why shouldn’t she take it? Surely her past can’t hurt her now?
As a tide of blackmail and betrayal is unleashed to threaten the foundations of their marriage, Karen and Tristan face a difficult question. Is their love strong enough to face the truth when the truth might cost them everything?
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author: A Stitch in Time
Published by ChocLitUK
on 7th April, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback & Ebook
Converse via: #ChocLit & #SomewhereBeyondTheSea
NOTE: Did you see the “Public Library” link? Along with “Add to Riffle” these are new additions to my blog! They will slowly populate through the archives, however, “Public Library” re-directs to the holdings of each book on WorldCat! The world’s largest public library directory (and one of Jorie’s favourite haunts!) per where you’re located you can see if there are holdings nearby to borrow from your local library system! Quite wicked, eh? For instance there are listings for this novel in: Virginia, Ohio, Texas, New York, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and California! If your local library (for those readers of mine stateside) allow you to ILL (inter-library loan) outside your city and state, you can borrow “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” today! Fireworks of cheers are surely exploding, right!? IF you cannot ILL outside your city/state, remember: SUBMIT a purchase request for books you want to read! I always do! This helps your library grow and your collection to become quite eclectically reflective of the booklovers in your community!
Cover Art Design by: Berni Stevens @circleoflebanon | Writer | Illustrator
About Amanda James
Amanda James was born in Sheffield and now lives in Cornwall with her husband and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, singing and spending lots of time with her grandson. She also admits to spending far too much time chatting on Twitter and Facebook! Amanda recently left her teaching role (teaching history to sixth form pupils) to follow her ambition to live her life doing what she most enjoys—writing.
Amanda is a published author of short stories and her first novel with Choc Lit, A Stitch in Time was chosen as a Top Pickin RT Book Reviews magazine in the US in July 2013 and won a 2013 Reviewers’ Choice Award from Single Titles.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
Posted Saturday, 10 January, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Blogs I Regularly Read, Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Violence, Family Drama, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Fly in the Ointment, Green Publishing, Indie Author, Mental Health, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Oh the Books!, Psychological Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, School Life & Situations, Suspense, Sustainable Forest Certification, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Vulgarity in Literature
