Category: Self-Published Author

+Book Review+ Gilded Feathers [book one: of the Gilded Feathers series] by J. Woods

Posted Monday, 12 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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Gilded Feathers by J. Woods

Self-Published: J. Woods () 30 October, 2013 (e-book version)
Official Author WebsitesSite | Facebook | Twitter
Converse via: #GildedFeathers
Available Formats: E-Book (Soft-cover forthcoming)
Page Count: 341

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Acquired Book By: When I was first approached through the Book Blogging Community by self-published author J. Woods to read her paranormal romance Gilded Feathers I was most esteemed! The story sparked the series which followed known as “the Gilded Feathers” and the premise is quite supernaturally enticing! I received a complimentary ARC direct from the author herself, J. Woods in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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J. WoodsAuthor Biography:

J. Woods is a Toronto based writer, mother, and non-conformist. She lives between the space of her green tea and humming laptop when she isn’t chasing after her free spirited daughter. She has studied too many things to count including radio broadcasting and entrepreneurship. Grasping at sanity, she realized writing stories about her insane thoughts was easier than explaining them to a doctor. Not to mention cheaper.

Book Synopsis:

An alluring choice. A fantastical revelation. But what if it changed… everything? Familiar with the art of the nightmare, twenty-two year old university student Cole Evans can’t help but feel a deep connection to the horrifying illusions of her slumber. Irrevocably drawn to obscure fantasy, Cole faces a defiant temptation of romance and her first encounter with the mysterious Drex. Covered in tattoos, she unexpectedly finds herself attracted to his dark magnetism and emerald eyes. Before her life takes an impossible turn. Uncovering Drex’s true Guardian identity, she is forced on a terrifying journey through the stars into his world – one that brilliantly weaves together the struggle of danger and desire. And the impossible reality of gilded feathers.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comMy Review of Gilded Feathers:

There is an urgency to the author’s opening chapter, where you truly feel empathic towards a character you have only just encountered, without yet knowing a name to the face and feel compelled to protect them outright because they are being violently attacked without cause! Woods finds a way to pull in the audience without having a traditional entrance into the story as you’re led along seeing what the lead character sees in the moment of being cast out in the dark and cold streets where innocent souls are not meant to travel alone. And, yet the opening is just the first portal into how Collette (Cole)’s life is far more unique and layered in mystery than meets the eye!

The one bit I found truly interesting is how Woods chooses to characterise and actualise Cole’s conscience through the symbolism and expression of the devil and angel on her shoulders. To bring out of her head so to speak the thought processes of choosing one action over another and for having a moral marker as a guide-point to know when and where she might be going against her heart and soul. She wants you to understand Cole from the inside-out in order to follow her process of what is happening to her which is not altogether normal or plausible at first. Most of the first half of the book is taken up with the regular goings-on of University life (a la dorm or sorority-type escapades and of girls who are infatuated with their Professors) whilst still providing a glimpse into the mindset of Cole & Chloe and how their friendship works into their dynamic as partners in crime.

The dreams Cole experiences go from brutal physical pain to intense domestic violence by the second attack where she nearly doesn’t escape without injury to both body and spirit. I was having trouble following the story at that point on page 99 as most of what was leading up to that particular moment was her life at the University and sorting out her place within her peer group as much as falling for her Professor. I was at first thinking they might be premonitions or precognitive dreams about other people’s lives but it felt jarring to me to shift from one reality into the reality of the dreams.

I think the story would be better served in the hands of a reader who understands this type of paranormal medium of narrative. I simply could not get my footing to alight where it needed to be in order to best understand the story overall and convey my observations therein. Due to the nature of the story I do not recommend this for young adults as it is is most decidedly adult in content and nature of dialogue.

A notation about YA Paranormal & Adult Paranormal stories:

{a wrinkle or two of a ‘Fly in the Ointment’}

This book blogger has come to the conclusion that she’s a YA Paranormal reader NOT an Adult Paranormal reader, if for the sole reason of avoiding the corrosive language and intense innuendos towards vulgarity, crude humour, and gestures made in the adult side of the paranormal ledger. As I had not had previous knowledge of the main differences between the two branches, I accepted this book for review as well as a few others which are threaded through the categories and Story Vault. To be honest, my own wanderings up until this point were far, far more tame and although contained a heap of heat spun out of love, the less vulgarity of inclusion within a story is the best for me! I’m not a prude, but I’m not a girl who likes to read vulgar words and/or have insinuations that run counter-current to her personal tastes. I erred in this one regard in not realising the differences set to the standard of the two genres, as I suppose I was innocent in thinking that not every paranormal book I’d pick up could possibly have this much vulgarity inside it!

Alas, the books I gravitate towards the most are not only on the cosy side of paranormal (give me ghosts, give me undead spirits who are caught in-between life & death or even humans gifted with parapsychological gifts) but they are the stories which do not make my eyes cringe denoting ‘another’ abrasive expression or word that could quite literally make my great-grandmother question my sensibility! I’d rather read a guttingly honest story with devastatingly horrific drama than any story fitted to the max with words that I do not even use in my everyday life. Words whilst reading them silently still have the innate ability of making my eyes turn to ash as they are read.

Therefore, if I am approached to read Adult Paranormal stories I will whole-heartedly have to turn the offer down on the grounds that I have experienced enough of the genre and have politely moved on. In other words, I will seek out YA Paranormal stories for review instead and keep the few paranormal authors, book series, and stand-alone stories I have thus found to my liking as ones to carry-on forward reading. This is a classic example of ‘to live and to learn’. And, since I am on the subject, I am not even going to broach a breath of an idea at entertaining the notion of “New Adult”! I therefore from this moment onward have updated my Review Policy!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

And, despite saying all of that I am still proud of this collage

I made as a surprise for J. Woods:

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comGilded Feathers series by J. Woods

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comThis book review is courtesy of the author J. Woods.

check out my upcoming bookish events and mark your calendars!

{SOURCES: Book Covers for the Gilded Feathers series, J. Woods  author photograph,  author biography, book synopsis, and series synopsis were provided by Ms. Woods and were used by permission. Collage of the Gilded Feathers series & of the series synopsis created by Jorie in PicMonkey. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Monday, 12 May, 2014 by jorielov in Book Review (non-blog tour), Bout of Books, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, New Adult Fiction, Paranormal Romance, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Romance Fiction, Self-Published Author, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Urban Fantasy, Vulgarity in Literature

+Author Guest Post+ The author of “City of Promises” examines what implored him to write about Mexico City in the 1940s!

Posted Wednesday, 7 May, 2014 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

D. Grant Fitter

Proposed Topic: I am most curious how the Mexico City of the 1940s captured your imagination to bring it bustling to life in “City of Promises” as much as the undercurrent of the story led you to create Arturo? Were you inspired to resurrect this particular age of Mexico City’s history from your research pursuits or was it due to spending time in the city itself? How did “City of Promises” alight in your mind’s eye and how did it change you after you wrote its story? 

I elected to enquire about City of Promises originally as I have fond memories of my week in Mexico, where I not only discovered the delights of the Federal District of Mexico City, but I found a lifeblood and infusion of culture, food, and a diverse collection of Mayan artifacts and architectural history etched into the legacy of their ruins. I fell in love with the ambiance of how relaxed the Mexicans approach life and how enthused they are to live each day not only to the fullest, but enriched by community, family, and food. They remind me a bit of Tuscany and Sicily, where families center their lives around the dinner table and/or thereto otherwise where food plays a center role in the gathering. There are others of course who believe in this as most of Europe approaches life in a similar vein, but I wanted to highlight Italy as like Mexico, there is such a passionate vibe towards earthen foods rooted in their local environment and in the stitchings of passed down recipes from one generation to another. The fusion of herbs in mixtures different than their European counterparts was nothing short of divine consumption on my part! I loved seeing how they would gather together their flavours and how elements like pink onions add dimension to open-faced grilled chicken fajitas and a root vegetable which tastes like a sweet potato can be transformed into a delish offering for breakfast!

I might not have been a cook when I was in Mexico, but I exited the country with a heart full of Mexican cuisine and a distinct taste for true Mexicali cooking!! I have not once since my travels there found a chef or restaurant who understands the local produce and infusions of Mexican cookery to whet my palette like the places I ate whilst I was there. Aside from the ready allure of food, what struck me was the remnants of living history in each street and historical site you visited, because modern Mexicans live amongst the ruins and the historical artifacts which have withstood time and weather. When I write my post about this novel for review on Friday, I shall include a bit of an antidote about being in the Yucatán and my first impression of Uxmal!

For you could say, part of me has remained curious about Mexico and about the legacies of the Mayans since my wanderings in the mid-1990s. My attachment to the 1940s in America and France grew out of my love of the Jazz Age and Flappers in pre & post war eras where life was set to a different beat and mindset. I was then further curious about how Mr. Fitter was inspired to enchant us with this tale!

City of Promises by D. Grant Fitter}: Book Synopsis :{

Is there an economic value of one’s soul? “By divine good fortune I live in the most glamorous era of a famously enticing city. By obscene misfortune I’m shut out by its ruling elite.” Daring ways to make it big are on offer in Mexico City in the 1940s, but best watch your back! If Arturo Fuentes barters virtue to maneuver in on the action, will the consequence of his choices be too much to bear?

The rebirth of one of the world’s most colorful cities forms the rich backdrop for this historically discerning tale of treachery, intrigue and political corruption.

“My entire family was stuck for generations in that isolated village south of Veracruz where I was born. When you’re fourteen, know you are a dreamer and learn to be a schemer, you can’t stay and so you start planning for the day.”

In 1941, 21-year-old Arturo Fuentes followed the beat to Mexico City.

Bottles of rum in smoke-filled bars, sultry women and impassioned conversation, music and bright show lights calling. Murder and corruption.

 

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How Mexico & the 1940s inspired this story from the author 

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comI am so glad to be invited to post on Jorie’s blog as part of my Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour. So far, there has been great reviews from bloggers who have read City of Promises on this tour and today I welcome the opportunity to talk briefly about the background behind what reviewers have been calling unique, dazzling, vivid and captivating.

As blogger/reviewer Ashley LaMar of Close the Cover said earlier this week, “The 1940’s Mexico City setting is fantastic! It’s unique, mesmerizing and vibrant allowing readers to easily fall in love with the locale and understand the excitement of young Arturo who left the country behind in order to seek his fortune under the lights of the big city”, as quoted from her book review of “City of Promises”.

So how is it that such an unusual place as 1940s Mexico City captured my imagination in such a way that I could bring it bustling to life in my novel?

Mexico City is so many things, but most of all it is an intriguing city of contradictions moved along by the amazing personalities that the Mexican people truly are. Just like their city, they can revel in a festival or stare down the barrel of despair with a smile, and it was my good fortune to work in Mexico City for years enough to find the people and the place irresistible. It is a huge, modern, iconic city of some twenty-two million with a contagious pulse and eclecticism that begs description.

I have strolled the finest of her streets, walked some of the worst and battled choking traffic. I have taken in the architectural delights of 900 years of history, enjoyed the artistic and cultural achievements on view even where one least expects, and the constant of music everywhere. Daily meals at sidewalk cafes, the art of conversation, business meetings surrounded by the influential at a chic restaurant or tradition steeped hacienda, or the magic of a street vendor taco have all contributed to and influenced my perception.

So, of course I had to at least try to understand it and with some good fortune, describe it. Get to know Mexico well and it becomes obvious the current incarnation of this place is connected through an almost suspended animation of the 1940s. That decade was in so many ways Mexico’s “Golden Years’ and the cultural, artistic, and sentimental attachment that lingers is much more, much different than a nostalgic one. The 1940s through its dance, its music, its film, its promise, is very much alive today.

It is the decade that defined a nation.

That is the feeling and the perception I knew I wanted to get across and it wasn’t very difficult to dive into the research of actual events leading to a storyline that would accomplish my goal. True to the ever-present contradictions of life here, the tale absolutely had to involve the darkly sinister undercurrent tugging and gnawing away at a peaceful existence. The overwhelming majority of locals and characters introduced in my story are true and the few that aren’t are an amalgamation of actual identities living in the novel under assumed names. My protagonist Arturo and his two girlfriends, Mercedes and Ana are the main ones and yes they are modeled after actual personalities, but they developed their persona as they dealt with situations history presented and they grew on me as the story progressed. I think their lives were mostly admirable and I became attached to them as they sorted out their future.

But I am probably rambling on here in a non-conformist style for the rapid-fire statement of an electronic blog post. Guess it happens when one loves the subject matter.

There, I said it. That is the essence of a living novel right there. I was inspired to resurrect this particular age of Mexico City’s history because of a love affair with the topic.

And that is why I enjoyed writing City of Promises so much.

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Author Connections: Site | Twitter | Facebook
Converse on Twitter: #CityOfPromisesTour

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As Mr. Fitter was describing his memories of being in Mexico City, so too, did my own flit to life in front of my eyes of memory! The congested city streets where pedestrians never had the right away, and where there were more 1960s Beetles on the streets than I dare thought possible to have room to breathe! The pulse the author is speaking about was everywhere you walked and explored: as even though I was a teenager participating in an educational tour of Mexico, soaking up as much history as I attempted to soak up the everyday culture, being in Mexico is a life-changing experience. You see things through a different pair of eyes whilst your down there, as the dichotomy of those with and without is living out in stark contrast inasmuch as the raw beauty of their culture befit for admiration. You can walk a lifetime simply by moving from street to street, and stumbling across one neighbourhood after another or rather even, an excavation of the streets can reveal hidden mysteries of the past which had not yet been told. I loved the Square as well, a bit smaller than Red Square in Moscow, but with the presence that leaves you breathless. For all the splendors and beauty, even I could feel a sense of history yet told whilst I allowed my eyes to observe what was not yet readily known to mind. The street vendors were my best allies as well as little shoppes on corners as that is how I staid hydrated in the sweltering heat which was a switch of severity from my home state on the opposite side of the Gulf of Mexico! I always felt I *knew!* heat, but Mexico proved that I only had a hinting of what true heat can be! Oh, how I could have read more on behalf of Mr. Fitter’s reasons for digging into the past and finding himself engaged in the history of a country I shall always fondly remember as I had my own adventure there which shall never be anything but a joyous expedition of youth! Like Mr. Fitter, as he will soon realise if he visits my blog both after this goes live and on Friday when I post my book review, I am not the modern-age book blogger who writes with an absence of length, but rather a book blogger who harnesses the true joy of her designation as a blogger by allowing the breadth of a topic or subject a fitting well of unfiltered and unmonitored freedom of words! I never limit a Guest Post by an author anymore than I limit myself. There are times when words can falter to express how we feel, but in most cases, I find that I am a bubbly book blogger eagerly awaiting conversations to alight in her comment threads! May this keep you dear hearts until Friday, as I start my journey soon into “City of Promises”!

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Blog Book Tour Stop, courtesy of Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

City of Promises Virtual Tour via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

Return on Friday when I review “City of Promises”!

Check out my upcoming bookish events to see what I will be hosting next for

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours - HFVBTand mark your calendars!

Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.

{SOURCES: City of Promises Book Cover, synopsis, tour badge, author photograph and HFVBT badge were provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and were used by permission. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Wednesday, 7 May, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Blog Tour Host, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Mexico City, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Self-Published Author, the Forties

+Blog Book Tour+ Inscription by H.H. Miller

Posted Friday, 18 April, 2014 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

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Inscription by H.H. Miller

Self-Published: H.H. Miller () 9 January, 2014
Official Author Websites:  Facebook | Twitter
Converse via: #InscriptionTour
Available Formats: Trade Paperback and E-Book
Page Count: 278

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Inscription” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author H.H. Miller, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Book Synopsis:

The year is 1851 and the Grand Guard is ravaging Mainland. Arrests. Floggings. Swift executions. Twenty-year-old Caris McKay, the beautiful heiress of Oakside Manor, is sent to live with distant relations until the danger has passed. It’s no refuge, however, as Lady Granville and her scheming son plot to get their hands on Caris’s inheritance with treachery and deceit.

Soon, alarming news arrives that the ruthless Captain James Maldoro has seized Oakside and imprisoned Caris’s beloved uncle. And now he’s after her.

Caris escapes with the help of Tom Granville, the enigmatic silver-eyed heir of Thornbridge. But when a cryptic note about a hidden fortune launches them on a perilous journey across Mainland, Caris and Tom must rely on wits, courage, and their growing love for each other if they hope to survive.

Filled with adventure, intrigue, and romance, Inscription will transport you to a historically fictional world you’ll never want to leave.

                                                                    

Author Biography:

H.H. Miller

H. H. Miller is the author of the novel Inscription, a historically fictional romantic adventure. In real life, she’s content director at Stoke Strategy, a brand strategy firm in Seattle, Washington, where she specializes in transforming what some might call “boring” technology jargon into compelling, readable, memorable stories. Her favorite escape is Manzanita, Oregon – a place of beautiful beaches, wild storms, chilly nights around the bonfire (even in July), and time to enjoy life with her husband and three children.

For more information please visit H.H. Miller’s Facebook Page.


On how I enjoy beginning a novel:

I am not sure the rituals other readers go through when they start to delve into a novel, but for me, I like to take a bit of time coaxing myself into the narrative hidden beneath the pages of the covers! I like to note the subtle definitive descriptions of the story on either the inside flaps of hardcovers or the back-covers of soft-cover editions. I like to take a nod and a pause to read the Acknowledgements, the Dedications, the Author’s Foreword, as well as see if the writer included a Table of Contents. This last habit is a bit remiss these days, but thankfully Inscription is the exception! Quite a lot can be found about a writer and their story prior to consumption, and what I appreciate the most are all the little hidden bits you can wander around a book and find! For instance, Miller likes to leave a bit of a trace of humour and intellectual curiosity for those who like me, are always a bit on a search for interesting words and turns of phrase. To include a scientific word I had not yet seen but knew was a nibbling of a clue of sorts was the kind of folly I cherish! For you see, a quick whirl of the One Look Dictionary Search I came to denote that the word ‘lepidopterist‘ is the particular person of interest who appreciates moths & butterflies!

My Review of Inscription:

The ominous beginning of Inscription left me murmuring about the atmospheric way a novel can transport us into that humming void of forethought and regret once we begin an adventure. Miller has the instinctive nature of writing a level of intrigue into her narrative that propels you forward, whilst yearning to see what shall happen next at the same time. Her deft skill is in giving such a vivid display of well-bodied characters set amongst the backdrop of turmoil. She eludes to the devastatingly brutal eclipse of a military state of fear all the while noting the charm of an Uncle’s love for his niece. Maddox and Caris are two characters you want to stand behind, due to the fullness of their heart and character.

I personally love to see authors knit in a proper dose of moxie into young female leads. To break the barriers and reveal the unique few who lived boldly in the 1800s. Pioneers so to speak who were rebels with the cause towards equality and the freedom to choose your own destiny as a woman. Care and attention was taken to have a flushed out back-story to weave together the in-between bits of Caris’s past. I love the broad and layered strokes Miller etches into the story-line.  She makes reading Inscription a delight for the imagination. I truly celebrated her choice in giving her female lead the advantage over William Granville who is far more rake than gentleman! Even denoting this, Miller envelopes him with a dash of intrigue as he foolishly cannot make the leap as to how any woman can dismiss his advances. And in that bit of self-conceit, I always mirthfully feel a twitching in knowing an electric battle of the wills shall ensue!

Caris blessedly held her head and her carriage to an astute level of calm when facing down an adversary as thick and slick as William Granville. Her disdain for his reckless behaviour and his ill-wont attitude of elite privilege was never lost on her either. In never giving him the upper hand he craved she was slowly and calculating nibbing away at his ego. A trait that served her well as the danger started to heighten and her more immediate concerns turnt to survival.

The extenuating circumstances which led Caris to Thornbridge (relatives by marriage not blood) and away from her Uncle’s estate at Oakside Manor would reappear in her life to lead her back to the starting block. The entirety of her life was properly out of balance and sync with her heart, as she was running from danger from the moment she first left her Uncle. Danger has a cheeky way of catching up with you, as though a mark of its arrival is attached to you and only when you finally unravel the full scope of the deceit can you firmly step outside its reach.

Every inch of detail is set to the rhythm of events as they are unfolding for Caris; Tom William’s long-lost brother who returned home with quite the barrage of ill-justice attached to his heels. A motley crew of two seeking to find redemption and revenge on behalf of their circumstances and situations, they travelled together towards Oakside to see what if anything had become of Caris’s home. Whilst they travelled, I felt Caris was shedding her childhood skin a bit with each click of the horses hooves. She had become aware of her independence at Thornbridge surely, yet on the road back home she started to settle into her skin and realise this for herself. Part of reading her story felt like a woman on the verge of owning her own life, emerging out of a period of respite and entering into her future a bit stronger despite the grief of her adventure.

Inscription is told in three parts, much like a play on the stage. For all the entrances and exits, you find yourself so emerged into the story you struggle to re-adjust your eyes to the reality around you. It is a story enriched by courage, faith, love, and the determined grit to overcome all odds which become stacked against you. It is not for the faint of heart in some passages, as it does ruminate about the floggings (lashings by a cat-o-nine-tails) and the grisly vigilante murder by a lawman consumed by madness; but at the core of Inscription is the plight of one woman (Caris) and one bloke (Tom) finding their true destiny. And, that dear hearts is far worth the anguish of a few passages of turmoil! I devoured this text in one sitting as I could not bear to wait to know the outcome!

On Ms. Miller’s writing style :

Ms. Miller’s writing style reminds me distinctively of Jane Austen & Charlotte Bronté as she takes the best of what I love of both women’s style of the craft. She has picked up on the subtle grace of Austen’s observational narrative and of the beguiling atmosphere of Bronte. She has writ such an alarmingly brilliant drama that each page turn meant digging deeper into the suspense of the Granville family! In this, the joy of reading Inscription truly lay as it was within the layered threads of the Granville tapestry which beheld the best bits of intrigue!

Of course, one of the most startling revelations was in finding that William was a mere apple fallen too close to the tree! His mother Lady Granville was the spitting image of Danielle’s step-mother in Ever After! Where pride fell strong towards marital wealth and how the coffers of a family were paramount towards all other pursuits. As if the notion that wealth would bring true happiness rather than the gift of love providing true joy. Miller lets her readers think hard on the thematic she explores whilst giving a well-written story to be savoured.

I cannot wait to see what Ms. Miller writes next. She is one of the self-published authors who is re-defining the bar of excellence in self-publishing. Even the copy of the final draft was free of errors from my eyes!


This book review is courtesy of:

Inscription Book Tour via HFVBT

Check out my upcoming bookish events to see what I will be hosting next for

Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours - HFVBTand mark your calendars!

Have you ever opened a book and begun to read what was inside its pages completely unaware of the story which would unfold? Only to realise that the story you are reading is writ in such a unique fashion, that your heart doesn’t want the pages to end? You want more of either this story or more titles by the author to consume next? This is how I felt as I read Inscription! It is even hard to describe *exactly* the kind of novel it is as at the heart of the story its a romance between two young twenty-somethings caught up in the middle of events that are beyond their control. Their harrowing journey is both towards each other and away from the danger others seek to see befall them. I could not take my eyes off the pages, as I loved how Miller elected to tell this story. Which book have you recently read which mirrored my own thoughts on this story?

{SOURCES:  Inscription Book Cover, synopsis, tour badge, and HFVBT badge were provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and were used by permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Tweets embedded by codes provided by Twitter.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Comments via Twitter:

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Posted Friday, 18 April, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Clever Turns of Phrase, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Feminine Heroism, Genre-bender, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Life Shift, Passionate Researcher, Psychological Suspense, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Self-Published Author, Suspense, Treasure Hunt, Unexpected Inheritance, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage

Jorie’s Box of Joy No.1 : Every Saturday should be a Chocolate Romance Day! Whilst a dash of intrigue is good for the soul!

Posted Monday, 14 April, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

Jorie's Box of Joy | A Feature of Jorie Loves A Story

One of the happiest moments for a book blogger is eagerly going to their postbox & seeing what delightfully wicked print books have arrived for their reading pleasure! I have always held a keen interest in postal mail, being a long-term postal letter correspondent which has given me such a heart of joy seeing envelopes & bundles of love arrive from dear friends around the world. Imagine my new excitement in seeing the books I am reviewing arriving by publisher, author, publicist, or literary agent! Such an exciting new chapter in postal splendor!

I have been wanting to blog about my excitement about being placed on certain blog tours and/or in receiving books for review direct from authors, publishers, or publicists. I originally came across a weekly meme on Mondays entitled Mailbox Monday and you could say, that my new feature on Jorie Loves A Story is an extended idea from the original! Except to say, with one minor switch-up! Although I attempt to write down when books arrive by Post, I am never quite as certain when the books arrive as I am always reading the next book in hand! Therefore, please join me as I get excited about the books on my shelf which are next in line to read!

#ChocLitSaturdays Collage of Upcoming ChocLit Book Reviews

  • ChocLitUK postal bundle: The Maid of Milan by Beverley Eikli, Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover, Romancing the Soul by Sarah Tranter, The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay, & The Road Back by Liz Harris arrived with much elation as I have created a bit of a niche of celebrating ChocLit Romances in my exclusive feature entitled: #ChocLitSaturdays!

Each Saturday that I am able too, I highlight a ChocLitUK author & novel! I also strive towards hosting the authors for extra features as they are available to do so! Curling up with a ChocLit novel is quite delightful indeed, as you know your going to meet such a wonderful cast of characters, with the warm comfort of romance soaking into your heart as you enter the narrative! I appreciate the well-built back-stories, the honour of courtship and/or marriage, and the ability of a story being wholly wholesome as it is appealing to the senses!

Being a book reviewer for this lovely Indie Publisher from England is a true honour for me as I have always appreciated well-written and conceptualised romance! They tuck in a special goodie for me to find alongside the four books I requested to review, and as you can see from the list of books I mentioned, my surprise this time around was a book! Previously I have been surprised with mocha chocolate covered pencils which declare “Where heroes are like chocolate – irresistible!” For a free taste visit: www.love.choc-lit.com!! The hardest part by far is settling on which books to request, as I am always finding there is such a large breadth of choice! A happy problem to have yet a daunting one at the very same time!

Imagine my happy shock to realise that these particular mocha coloured pencils were not merely chocolate in appearance but how they can be smelt? I suffer through horrid seasonal allergies (i.e. pollen) and the entire time I’ve been receiving the pencils I never could ‘sniff out’ the smell! IF I had not caught a whiff of the chocolate scent attached to these wicked sweet pencils in a ChocLit newsletter (they were relaying the success of the chocolate pencils & pink shirts at a book festival) I am not sure when I would have realised it? I can happily report my nose is overjoyed! I am planning on using the pencils for sketching and illustrations! What a happy day it will always be when I sit down to draw!

I knew I wanted to re-visit the writings of Ms. Liz Harris after having read A Bargain Struck as much as having a delightfully spontaneous conversation with her on Twitter about writing and Oxford. The bits she shared with me about her début novel The Road Back, as much as the trivia about how she came to know the writer behind the Inspector Morse novels (who enscribed a blurb on this novel) inspired me to want to read this myself! In times like these, I feel very blessed for Twitter and for the ability it gives all of us to reach out to the writers we are reading and the writers of whom touch our hearts with the stories they compose! Twitter is a conveyor of conversations and of connecting readers to writers. Such a wonderful moment though, to realise that whilst I am sitting in the East Coast of America, Ms. Harris was typing back a reply to me settled in Oxford, England! This reflection reminded me of the initial phone calls I would make aboard whilst calling my dear friends for the first time and hearing their voices coming through with accents and clever turns of phrase! The world is not as large as we may think as it draws closer than we can sometimes believe possible.

Whereas with Romancing the Soul, I decided to embrace a story centered around a past life regression and entertain the idea of how love can become entwined throughout time and not limited to a single life lived. I spoke about this a bit whilst I reviewed a wicked sweet short story entitled: Time Out of Mind. I like seeing different approaches of a story being explored and as the soul is immortal, there is always a certain element of surprise in how far we are willing to eclipse conventional reasoning and enter into the realm of the impossible where dreams, past lives, and elements of the supernatural envelope into our everyday lives. I find it all rather exciting! Flight to Coorah Creek was a bit of a given I would request because I have always held a long-term fascination with Australia and with small Western townes in the United States. Partially out of my love of small townes, frontier settlers, and cattle ranches I eked out a passion for Western & Cowboy literature! Likewise, the Australian Outback mirrors the Western Mountains & Plains due to the long stretch of miles in-between settlements and civilisation! Not to mention the fact, that air ambulances arrived in Florida during my childhood years to help forestall major trauma patients from expiring before they could reach the hospitals who had the right staff of doctors and specialists who lived hours outside of where they were injured or taken ill. The helios that fly the skies with the medical cross are always the ones I try to remember to say a silent prayer over as much as after having witnessed or driving past a newly found accident on the road. First responders have always had my utmost respect due to their selfless dedication of saving lives where nanoseconds count and love hangs in the balance.

The book they surprised me with is The Maid of Milan penned by my very first ChocLit novelist I consumed! Ms. Beverley Eikli wrote the smashingly brilliant The Reluctant Bride! I have decided to read this unexpected ChocLit novel for my next ChocLitSaturdays – the 19th of April!

The Maid of Milan Book Trailer via Beverley Eikli

The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

Whilst visiting the Wenches (over at The Word Wenches; a favourite haunt of mine) I was caught up in a discussion about time slips & time travel! The visiting author that day happened to be Christina Courtenay of whom I have started to get to know via Twitter (as she is one of the ChocLit authors who tweets quite regularly; inasmuch as the Wenches truly!). I had not expected to win her lovely book but it also happened to be the very book I was betwixt about requesting via ChocLitUK! You see, I could not quite decide whether or not to request this title OR The Silent Touch of Shadows,… I felt that whichever book I did not request I’d make sure to request the next time around! Ha! The stars aligned and I am able to read both! I think what was fantastic about her visit with the Wenches, is finding that I am not the only reader plumb addicted! to time slips and/or time travel stories! I am always quite bemused to see how each writer handles the differences in time, setting, and scope of creating the reality ‘between the layers’ as I am to be fully engrossed into two separate yet equal time eras! I cannot wait to find out how ChocLit authors choose to venture into this exciting realm!

As I have two examples of time slips from Ms. Courtenay to absorb into and find what motivates her as a writer to create the allure for those of us who seek to read time slips in fiction! The last time I was taken by surprise by the utilisation of a clever time slip was when I read Letters from Sky by Jessica Brockmole! To take letters and correspondences to a heightened level of narration was simply the icing on the cake for me! It is the treatment of interweaving a time slip into a story which attracts me the most! This extra special treat of receiving The Secret Kiss of Darkness will round out my #ChocLitSaturdays!

Oh, and I nearly had forgotten to mention that Ms. Courtenay surprised me with a bookmark for The Secret Kiss of Darkness and a miniature crystal ball which is a remarkable likeness to the one on the book cover! I am always happily surprised to see what an author tucks into the book and/or the package in which the book is sent inside! I am not sure about my fellow book bloggers, but I always lit up with such pure joy in seeing the little touches which makes receiving these little bundles of books by post such a wonderful mail day for me! I get all giddy and excited when I find they have enscribed the book to me as well! A little surprise I am not always expecting as most of the books I receive are direct from the publishers or publicists alike! Little moments of happy joy sprinkled into my ordinary days!

I have always fully supported self-published and independently published writers, as I personally always loved the different avenues authors take towards publication. Gilded Feathers by J. WoodsThis is one reason why you will oft-times find me showcasing an author from every different side of publishing: mainstream, independent, self-published, and inspirational. Which are truly the four main branches in today’s publishing world, except to say, that I do not put more weight on any single branch, as I accept all writers and all stories on equal ground. Therefore, when I was first approached through the Book Blogging Community by self-published author J. Woods to read her paranormal romance Gilded Feathers I was must esteemed! The story sparked the series which followed known as “the Gilded Feathers” and the premise is quite supernaturally enticing!

I had originally planned to read and review her début novel late last week, but due an unexpected series of life moments running interference with my blog life and my reading adventures, I have had to unfortunately push back my posting schedule. Not only for Gilded Feathers but for my A to Z Challenge posts as well. It is my goal now to read my third foray into paranormal romance alongside a gutting fictional testimony of overcoming insurmountable odds to restore your right to be a mother and to keep your family intact. The book I am Etched On Me by Jenn Crowellnow speaking about is Etched On Me by Jenn Crowell who is a traditionally published author I crossed paths with through a weekly twitterverse chat called “#LitChat”. What struck me about her novel is that she is bold about the stories she tells in giving a portal of a glimpse inside the world of a harsh reality many might not realise is completely ‘etched out of one woman’s living reality’. The dichotomy difference between the two will be most apparent, but I also find Ms. Woods to be of equal strength in daring to believe in her writings to the brink of making them available to the world through a lot of grit and determination by choosing the self-publishing route. Each woman strives to give stories which will challenge the perception and the empathy of their readers in different genres. My review of Etched On Me will post on Tuesday, 15th of April whereas my review of Gilded Feathers will post on Monday, 12th of May.

What inspires me the most about stories and the art of story-telling is how varied the diversity of choice is within what is being offered right now in the world of publishing. Old established literary branches are getting dusted off and revitalised by ingenuity and passion from the voices of today whereas emerging platforms of story craft are bursting out seeking an audience who wants a refreshing change from the passage of what used to be considered the norm. I even find it remarkable how ChocLit is redefining the world of ‘Chick-Lit’ by providing the alternative voice within the already netted and complex world of Romance! Hence why I am always lamenting I am a ‘Choc-Lit’ girl rather than a ‘Chick-Lit’ girl! Laughs heartily. And, although I would truly love to be wrapped inside the comfy cosy soft world of romance on any given day of the week — alas, this girl aches for a healthy relationship-based meeting of the souls; I do find a great amount of joy in mixing it up and adding dashes of intrigue, thought-provoking historical narratives, and books which entice me to stretch further outside the realms of my traditional go-to narrative settings, styles, and time periods. To keep an eye out for the cutting edge daring souls who are a part of a collective movement to write a story which stands on its own wings and feet as to be representative of a new wave of literature. This is what excites me as a reader and what makes being a book blogger such an incredible gift!

Inscription by H.H. Miller

Coming up on Friday, 18th of April, will be my review of Inscription a decidedly epic historical romance set amidst intrigue, adventure, and courageous wit! When I read these affirmations attached to the plot, I wasn’t sure if I had bit off more than I could chew OR if I was about to settle into the most wickedly intriguing jolt of my life! Methinks the latter will come into play moreso than the former! Laughs. I must confess that although I oft considered myself to be a daredevil reader, never pinned into any particular genre or styling of story, it was not until I started to host blog book tours that I started to notice that part of my reading world was a bit cut-away from the rest of what was being offered! I think the years I have been without an Indie bookshoppe have hindered me a bit, as I remember the days of my youth in being transfixed by the local author shelves and the event lists of upcoming authors & bookish events treating my heart and mind to the larger sea of fish publishing affords to an eclectic reader. When your a bit out of touch with an Indie bookshoppe, even though I have a beautiful local library, what I am missing are the random conversations overheard about such and such author who is either self-published or using a local press to get their feet wet. Therefore, I am evermore blessed to be crossing paths with all the lovely writers I am right now because as a book blogger who is inspired dearly by the stories and characters she encounters, the girl behind the blog feels an intense gratitude for the opportunities to engage with the stories which alight in her hands!

I am curious then, if any of the newly arrived books for review which are upcoming this week on Jorie Loves A Story, would entice a visiting reader to pick them up for themselves!? OR, if they perchance had the opportunity already to read them, what were their impressions?! What drew you to the author or the narrative within!? And, if you are a fellow book blogger how do you feel your literary wanderings have increased since you started blogging about your reading life? Do you find the twitterverse an exciting portal towards extending friendship and conversation? And, what do you feel is the best gift you’ve received since you started your book blog!?

Cross-posted with Mailbox Monday (a weekly meme) on Monday, 14th of April where book bloggers & readers alike share their inbound books for review, newly purchased books, or otherwise added to their shelves to read. Conversing via: #MailboxMonday My feature was inspired by Mailbox Monday, however as I am always in throes of reading books for review and/or borrowing books from my library, I am never quite as certain which week the books have arrived!

{SOURCES: Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits in Fotoflexer by Jorie. The Maid of Milan, The Secret Kiss of Darkness, The Silent Touch of Shadows, Flight to Coorah Creek, Romancing the Soul, and The Road Back Book Covers provided by ChocLitUK for both review and promotion; used with permission. Gilded Feathers book cover was provided by the author J. Woods for promotion and review; used with permission. Etched On Me book cover was provided by Simon & Schuster for promotion and review; used with permission. Collage of #ChocLitSaturdays created via PicMonkey. The book trailer for The Maid of Milan had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Monday, 14 April, 2014 by jorielov in Action & Adventure Fiction, Book Trailer, Bookish Discussions, Books for Review Arrived by Post, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Jorie's Box of Joy, Paranormal Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Self-Published Author, Small Towne Fiction, The Word Wenches, Time Slip, Women's Fiction