Quite happily #WyrdAndWonder has kicked off in a HUGE way this past weekend – wherein all of us behind the event (Imyril, Lisa and I) are wicked humbled by how everyone has started to catch our passionate joy for hosting fantastical content during a month where Fantasy can be a celebrated joy amongst us all.
To carry this onward – I’ve set out to host Indie Fantasy novelists throughout May by different Indie publishers who are curating a lovely niche of Fantasy stories and series for the discerning reader who is seeking something outside the mainstream. I love hosting Indie Authors (as you all well know) and I love championing Indie Speculative Fiction – as I cut teeth on Science Fiction and Fantasy from a young age and have grown into an adult who is wicked addicted to all aspects of where Speculative Fiction can take us visually and emotionally as readers.
When it comes to Dark Fantasy – I have a slight aversion to most stories which fall into this category and am extremely particular and picky when it comes to sorting my way through this niche of offerings because I’m definitely what you’d consider a sensitive reader who has a few things which trigger her bookish turnoffs and take her out of a narrative. However, having said that – similar to how I finally found a Dystopian writer who is penning a series I find wicked brilliant and intriguing – I am starting to find certain Dark Fantasy novelists who are intriguing me into a area of Fantasy I am dearly under-read but still a bit curious to seek out.
Previously I was caught inside the works of Stephanie Burgis, Jamie Robin Wood, Rebecca J. Greenwood and Sarah E. Boucher. As you can see, I am seeking out certain aspects of darker fantastical worlds but which evoke a sense of what I love about my regular Fantasy wanderings – where it isn’t too dark where there isn’t any light and where its not graphically violent – though in that note, Burgis pushed me a bit in ‘Congress of Secrets’.
Today it is an honour to host my first blog tour with Storytellers on Tour – a blog touring company whose championing Indie Storytellers and giving us all a lovely chance to feature their collective works. I am looking forward to working with them as oft as I can and I look forward to the conversations and features which hosting will inspire to bring to my readers on Jorie Loves A Story!
Brew yourself a cuppa and hug close to the convo!
Disenchanted Subtitle: A cursed princess A crestfallen killer And a witch who can save them both by Brianna Sugalski
A Breton princess at the peak of the French Renaissance, Lilac lives prisoner in her parents' castle after a wicked secret is revealed on the eve of her tenth birthday soirée. Years later, her coronation ceremony looms, and between the riotous townsfolk and scheming nobleman bent on snatching the throne, Lilac prepares for the worst... Until a mysterious letter arrives from The Witch of Lupine Grotto, detailing a curious offer to cure her darkness forever.
Lilac begrudgingly trades her coronet for a cloak and ventures into the forest Brocéliande in pursuit of the impious enchantress at the edge of town. With only the protection of an inherited dagger— and unsolicited help of the sardonic stranger who inserts himself on her quest—she must traverse Brocèliande and return in time to claim her rightful position as sovereign monarch.
This is the story of a cursed princess, A crestfallen killer,
The town that wants them to burn,
And the witch that can save them both.
Today kicks off #WyrdAndWonder – a month long Fantastical celebration of Fantasy Lit (for those of us who are book bloggers – we tend to do an all-out binge fest of #Fantasy) and all the wondrous ways in which Fantasy can become a forethought of interest in our lives. This can express itself through exploring other mediums wherein Fantasy can reign and become a celebration of the fantastical. As the event gets underway, I have a rather uniquely new post to share with my readers this morning which showcases a Speculative Fiction novel which I felt was quite a lovely discovery due to how interesting the plot felt to me when I first read the premise!
I realise it might fit better under the @SciFiMonth (ie. Sci Fi November, #SciFiMonth) umbrella of inclusion being this is a Science Fiction Post-Apocalyptic novel – however, I like other #WyrdAndWonder participants like to blur the lines between Science Fiction & Fantasy – where even if I’m celebrating one of the genres during one of the yearly events, there are strong odds I could be caught reading the other genre! Laughs.
Perhaps the same is true for you, dear hearts!?
The reason why is because I LOVE Speculative Fiction so dearly much – its hard to just read it twice a year! lol This one is a special selection of mine to be featuring as it dips into one of the genres I do not generally seek out to read – Dystopian & Post-Apocalyptic – as these are themes I find harder to source when seeking out stories to read which are not gritty in graphic violence and are a story I can sink my Speculative teeth into without feeling overcome by the theme itself. This particular story also focuses on two other interests of mine as a reader: astral projection and telepathy – as I was definitely the girl who grew her paranormal love off of tv series which focused on parapyschological investigations! I definitely want to read this lovely one day – if only to see how the author treated those sections and to see how she pulled us through her vision of how those concepts can be explored in literature.
I’m hopeful once my library re-opens this can become one of my next purchase requests – as I dearly wanted to read it but I have to await a print copy. My libraries are quite helpful when I want to seek out Indie Authors & Indie Publishers to be reading – they accept either print (locally) or audio (regionally) which keeps me well consumed I must admit in a lot of lovely Indie writ stories!
My featured author today is the first author I’m hosting for OWI – Other Worlds Ink Blog Tours – a touring company I discovered whilst I read a wickedly delightful Historical Fantasy novel by Edale Lane. I’ll be hosting a blog tour focusing on Ms Lane’s sequel to “The Merchant’s of Milan” lateron this May – however, I am thankful I found her via Tomorrow Comes Media otherwise I might not have found OWI whilst following her blog tour route – as more than one of the stops had someone hosting for OWI! (big smiles)
This post was a lovely surprise for me as I signed on to host something special by the author and I am wicked thankful I had! I *love!* grab bag surprises – for me, getting a wholly original post by an author on a blog tour is just about as wicked sweet as it can get – I loved how she approached how to ‘interview’ herself and how to give a well-rounded impression about her personality as well. I hope you’ll enjoy getting to know the author through this quirky interview and conversation!
The cost was great. The population has been devastated. But for the survivors, utopia has arrived.
Then the suspicious death of a young person forces Amber to question her world like she never has before. The Contentedness Council is after her, determined to protect their perfect society. Now Amber must unbury her city’s repressed past, expose the crimes that led to their utopia, and find a way to stop the Council from killing the world… again.
Join astral-projecting asexual Amber and her telepathic sister as they fight to save the human race from extermination!
As you might have noticed – I’ve been gathering a keen interest in Viking Historical Fiction, sagas set round Anglo-Saxons and after canon stories about Camelot in recent years – continuing into this vortex of interest, I came across a rather curious novel called “Forged by Iron” – which I immediately wanted to read except to say it is a digital first release – meaning, there isn’t a print copy yet available to be read!
My interest in this story and the series it is attached to parlays into my interest I’ve been expressing in regards to the following authors: Marissa Campbell (ie. Avelynn series), Nicole Evelina (ie. Guinevere Trilogy), Signe Pike (ie. The Lost Queen), Jon Black (“Bel Nemeton”) and others like them I haven’t yet discovered! As I have come to realise there are a few niches of Historical Fiction which are curiously drawing my attention towards reading areas of History I might otherwise have overlooked or felt were just outside my zone of comfort to read.
Part of the allure is delving into lost histories of people who lived long enough not to be remembered by contemporary descendants is also an appeal because it allows the writers to draw a strength of believability in how they approach writing their character’s stories. I love getting lost in those kinds of stories where there is a lot of supposition about what actually happened and a wealth of industrious guesswork towards how these people not only lived but thrived, struggled and overcame their adversities just as readily as we face our own paths to walk in our own lives. There is a cunning sense of research stemming out of these kinds of stories intermixed with the human condition and the belief that despite the age of where the story can become set, there is a permeating confluence of interest in how these characters can tuck themselves into our heart for their compellingly brilliant courage and the strength of their character as they lived rather extraordinary lives indeed!
As soon as I read the premise of this lovely, I knew I wanted to host an interview with the author – if only to dig out a bit of the story itself, as a way of presenting what you can find as a reader if you delve into “Forged by Iron” whilst I want in the wings for a day wherein a print copy might surface and I too, can take this journey inside his story about Olaf. For now, I hope my questions and my curiosities help you choose to decide if this is also a saga you feel is right for you as a reader – as that is why I love blogging my readerly life – sharing my route into literature might spark a newfound curiosity for another reader as they stumble into a new area of literary adventure they might not have known about previously!
Brew yourself a cuppa and hug close to the convo!
Forged by Iron (Interview) Subtitle: Olaf's Saga (Book One) by Eric Schumacher
From the bestselling author of Hakon’s Saga comes Forged by Iron, the first in a series of thrilling tales about Olaf Tryggvason, one of the most legendary and enigmatic kings of the Viking Age.
Norway, AD 960. The fabric that has held the Northern realm together is tearing. The sons of Erik Bloodaxe have returned and are systematically killing all opposition to the High Seat. Through treachery, Harald Eriksson slays Jarl Trygvi, an heir to the throne, and then he comes for Trygvi’s wife, Astrid, and son, Olaf.
Astrid and Olaf flee their home with the help of Astrid’s foster father, Torolv Loose-beard, and his son, Torgil, who are oath-sworn to protect them. The group escapes east, through the dark, forested land of the Swedes and across the treacherous East Sea, all the while evading the clutches of Harald’s brutal henchmen.
But the gods are fickle and the group is torn apart, leaving them to fend for themselves in Forged by Iron, a must-read for all who enjoy action-packed historical fiction.
Converse via: #Viking/s, #HistFic OR #HistoricalFiction
This is a Digital First Release – however, hours after my interview posted I received word the paperback release is now available to be seen. I’ve added the ISBN to the book info section. I’ve also edited the pub date to reflect the new paperback now available to be purchased.
Acquired Book By: I had to take a leave of absence hosting for this touring company in [2015] whilst I worked towards finding better balance in my blogging and personal life. I returnt to hosting for Lola’s Book Tours in [2018] before having to take a small hiatus from requesting future blog tours for a second time. By [2020] as my health afflictions from 2018/19 started to recede I realised I could start to host for her authors with better confidence in being able to participate on the tours themselves. Thereby it was with the Dream Horse Adventures series I decided to mark my return and was quite thankful this was a series she was celebrating through her touring company.
I received a complimentary copy of “Ultra Squad (Graphic Novel)” direct from the author Julia Devillers in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I wanted to read 2x Graphic Novels during #IndieApril:
I haven’t had the chance to read Graphic Novels in a long, long time – I felt this might be a good month to take a chance on a seemingly lovely series which showcases individuality & equality amongst girls who are striving to share not just friendship but adventures in life! I love series for Middle Grade readers which talk about collecting experiences & going on adventures because these are the roots of how all of us learn, grow and develop our understanding about the world round us. I love finding series which also talk about our uniqueness as individuals & how our differences do not need to become a dividing line to separate us – any story which features inclusivity and acceptance is a winner in my life!
When I was younger I would read Graphic Novels which were more like fan fiction narratives based on popular film franchises during the 1980s. I didn’t quite step into the full spectrum of Graphic Novels as I was a reader who was definitely a ‘mood reader’ as a child and young adult – as I would move in and out of both genres and areas of interest at the drop of a hat! My main mainstays though were the kind of genres I showcase through my Story Vault – Speculative Fiction played a strong role as did Mysteries & Suspense as well as INSPY narratives of Historical Fiction. When it comes to #HistRom & #HistFic alike – why it took becoming a book blogger to realise I’ve read more of those respective fields of literature than any Contemporary genre is still unknown to me!
I’ve researched Manga and other contemporary graphic novel styles – there are some artists & illustrators who truly gave my attention but overall, I haven’t truly found my niche in the Asian market of what is available. What I do enjoy are solid graphics, wicked illustrative plates which showcase dialogue & action sequences and of course, the layering of the story, the personality of the characters and how the story itself is tracking through the nature of how a graphic novel presents its subject and message. These are the areas I was looking at reviewing and using as talking points as I moved into reviewing this series for Lola’s Book Tours featured blog tour this April & May. (as my second review will be featured in May rather than the final week of April)
ULTRA-FIERCE
ULTRA-SMART
ULTRA-BRAVE
ULTRA-UNIQUE
ULTRA-UNSTOPPABLE
THEY ARE. . .THE ULTRASQUAD!
When an evil force from the far reaches of the galaxy threatens Earth, the UltraSquad, a secret superhero team, with a mission to save the universe through teamwork, positivity, and justice, is enlisted to battle the overly smug villain. Along with their bizarro-cute extra-terrestrial sidekicks the Pallies, the kick-butt girls employ their magical ultra-superpowers to save the universe! This first book in a new graphic novel series inspires girls to reach for their dreams, work together, and make a difference.
What a busy *April!* it has become for myself and my family – I haven’t been focusing on reading, I must admit, these past few weeks. There has been such a lot to get done – especially as I wanted to do whatever I could to help my Mum recover from her accident – which was three weeks ago this past Sunday.
Whilst at the same time, last week felt like a humdinger of a week simply due to have we had to stack our hours – wherein we were stuffing five hours of things to get done ahead of Mum’s double shifts! Oy. It did take its toll – this is why over the weekend, I focused more on cooking dishes in my new Instant Pot Rice & Grain cooker than I did sorting out where I left off with the books I was attempting to read! I just needed a bit of downtime – however, in regards to this blog tour directly, I had to shift a few things round how I am participating on the blog tour.
With everything going on lately, I had overlooked the fact the novel hadn’t yet arrived by Post – as I was originally meant to feature a book review on behalf of “A Whole New Me”. In lieu of having the book in hand to read – I’ve quickly taken a moment to put together a short & concise Author’s Q&A wherein I asked the author Ms Schuh a few questions I felt were pertinent to her story as well as a bit of a look behind her writerly style.
I am hoping you will enjoy getting this small preview about “A Whole New Me” whilst I await the book by post! I look forward to settling into the context of the story – as this is a New Adult novel and a Contemporary Romance all tied together! I rarely read New Adult – as the story truly has to speak to me before I’ll consider it – this one felt like a story I might find to surprise me. Let me know in the comments what your thoughts are and if you are a regular reader of New Adult Contemporary Romance!
Be sure to brew your favourite cuppa and enjoy this delightful convo we shared!
Tessa has something to prove and she wants to use Ricky to do it.
She's not surprised when he agrees to her friends with benefits plan, but she is surprised when it seems like Ricky wants more than she's willing to give.
Can she keep Ricky without giving him hope for something more?
Disenchanted
The Qinali Virus
Forged by Iron (Interview)
Ultra Squad
A Whole New Me