Category: Civil War Era (1861-1865)

Book Review | “Daughter of the Regiment” by Stephanie Grace Whitson

Posted Wednesday, 1 June, 2016 by jorielov , , , 3 Comments

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

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, starting with FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been enthused to start reviewing for them, as I picked a small selection of stories I felt I would enjoy reading; three of which were from FaithWords.

I have been wanting to read the stories of Stephanie Grace Whitson for awhile, and felt this was a good author to start with as I become familiar with INSPY by FaithWords. Being an avid reader of Historical Fiction (including within the INSPY fiction market) I was delighted she focuses on this genre to tell her stories! I started my Whitson readings with “A Captain for Laura Rose” of which I loved!

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

Why I love reading Stephanie Grace Whitson:

Ms Whitson writes with a gentleness and ease of manner whilst curating this lovely image of the historical past – this story takes place just after the Civil War during a time in America where everyone was in transition. Her narrative is happily guided by strong characters and a portrait of life in this new America being defined by those who returnt from war and those who were helping the war effort back home. One thing I appreciated most is seeing how everything smelt and felt to the character’s eyes – she truly eclipsed what I would imagine for myself about St. Louis and the Missouri River region – she’s so well in-tune with that lifestyle you could nearly hear the river lapping on shore!

My favourite INSPY writers are the gentle story-tellers who light a beautiful story with illuminated spirituality through a character’s actions and how their faith intercedes throughout their life choices. I appreciate the gentleness of these kinds of stories because they feel so very true to life – how faith affects our own spirit, mind and heart as we face our own adversities and joys. I like seeing characters who feel like a composite to a real person but also, of whom can show their vulnerabilities and are writ with an honest impression of how someone might react given a certain set of circumstances.

Ms Whitson is a delight to read – her story-telling voice is a joy because she encourages your steadfast attention at the smallest of details and gives a hearty measure to taking a leap of faith alongside her characters. She’s stitched a few life lessons into the background of her story whilst giving freedom to let her characters decide for themselves where they want to go with their lives; including how to adjust to conflict and consequence. This is the type of story-teller that makes being an INSPY reader such a delight of joy to read – as you find a heart-warming tale that lifts your spirit!

-quoted from my book review of A Captain for Laura Rose

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Book Review | “Daughter of the Regiment” by Stephanie Grace WhitsonDaughter of the Regiment

Irish immigrant Maggie Malone wants no part of the war. She'd rather let "the Americans" settle their differences-until her brothers join Missouri's Union Irish Brigade, and one of their names appears on a list of injured soldiers. Desperate for news, Maggie heads for Boonville, where the Federal army is camped. There she captures the attention of Sergeant John Coulter. When circumstances force Maggie to remain with the brigade, she discovers how capable she is of helping the men she comes to think of as "her boys." And while she doesn't see herself as someone a man would court, John Coulter is determined to convince her otherwise.

As the mistress of her brother's Missouri plantation, Elizabeth Blair has learned to play her part as the perfect hostess-and not to question her brother Walker's business affairs. When Walker helps organize the Wildwood Guard for the Confederacy, and offers his plantation as the Center of Operations, Libbie must gracefully manage a house with officers in residence and soldiers camped on the lawn. As the war draws ever closer to her doorstep, she must also find a way to protect the people who depend on her.

Despite being neighbors, Maggie and Libbie have led such different lives that they barely know one another-until war brings them together, and each woman discovers that both friendship and love can come from the unlikeliest of places.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781455529032

on 24th March, 2015

Pages: 336

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

Formats Available: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #StephanieGraceWhitson, #INSPYbooks, #ChristFict or #ChrisFic

& #INSPYfiction or #HistFic

About Stephanie Grace Whitson

STEPHANIE GRACE WHITSON is a bestselling inspirational author of over 20 books. She's a two-time Christy Award finalist and the winner of an RT Book Reviews Reviewer's Choice Award for Best Inspirational Romance.

When she's not writing, she enjoys taking long rides on her Honda Magna motorcycle named Kitty.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Wednesday, 1 June, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Ancestry & Genealogy, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Book Review (non-blog tour), Civil War Era (1861-1865), Coming-Of Age, FaithWords, Historical Fiction, Immigrant Stories, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Irish Literature (Stories of the Irish), Mid-West America, Military Fiction, Missouri River, War Drama, Warfare & Power Realignment, Widows & Widowers

+Blog Book Tour+ I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Posted Tuesday, 16 September, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

Parajunkee Designs

 I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabe

Published By: Broadway Booksan imprint of Crown Publishing Group (@CrownPublishing)

and part of: Penguin Random House (@penguinrandom)

Official Author Websites: Site | @ErinLindsMcCabe| Facebook
Available Formats: Hardcover, Ebook

Converse via: #IShall (main tag), #IShallBeNearToYou

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Acquired Book By:

I was selected to be a tour stop on the “I Shall Be Near To You” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Crown Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read & Excitement Ahead of Time:

The beautiful cover art on the hardback edition I received to review is featured inside the Excerpt by the publisher’s Scribd page featured below my review. I must admit, I appreciate both versions of the cover-art designs, even if I’m a bit partial to the hardback as I think it gives a measure of mystery as to how a woman could hide behind the thin veil of a man’s clothes and walk onto the field of battle; serving her country alongside her husband. The second cover-art which is included on the Book Synopsis is a bit more elusive as to the central core of the story, as it draws you to think of a different thread of context. At least it had for me, as it appeared to be a woman who was caught in the middle of the era of war rather than a woman who joined the fight during the war itself.

I had the pleasure of participating in a Twitter chat ahead of my review posting on the 2nd of September, whereupon I was wrapped up in the excitement of this novel’s release and the joyous mirth of discovering book bloggers & readers who had already felt the inertia of its emotional pull. I was overjoyed being able to participate in a chat dedicated to one of my favourite branches of literature, and for giving me such an incredible start to this blog tour.

+Blog Book Tour+ I Shall Be Near To You by Erin Lindsay McCabeI Shall Be Near to You

In I SHALL BE NEAR TO YOU, McCabe introduces us to newlywed Rosetta Wakefield. More accustomed to working as her father’s farmhand and happiest doing what others might call “man’s work,” Rosetta struggles with how to be a good wife to her childhood beau and new husband, Jeremiah. When Jeremiah leaves home to join the Union army, Rosetta finds the only way she can honor Jeremiah is to be with her husband—no matter what..

Cutting off her hair and donning men’s clothing, Rosetta enlists in the army as Private Ross Stone so that she might stand beside her husband. Joining, however, is the easy part, and now Rosetta must not only live and train with her male counterparts as they prepare for imminent battle, but she must also deal with Jeremiah, who is struggling with his “fighting” wife’s presence, not to mention the constant threat of discovery..

In brilliant detail, inspired by the letters of the real Rosetta Wakeman, McCabe offers a riveting look at the day-to-day lives of these secret women fighters as they defied conventions and made their personal contributions to history. Both a tender love story and a hard look at war, I SHALL BE NEAR TO YOU offers a unique exploration of marriage, societal expectations, and the role of women in the Civil War through the lens of a beautifully written novel..


Places to find the book:

on 2nd September, 2014

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 336

Author Biography:

Erin Lindsay McCabe

Erin studied literature and history at University of California, Santa Cruz, earned a teaching credential at California State University, Chico, and taught high school English for seven years. Since completing her MFA in Creative Writing at St. Mary’s College of California in 2010, Erin has taught Composition at St. Mary’s College and Butte College. A California native, Erin lives in the Sierra Foothills with her husband, son, and a small menagerie that includes one dog, four cats, two horses, numerous chickens, and three goats.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

The [American] Civil War:

I learnt quite a heap about the Civil War whilst I was in high school, except to say, they left out quite a lot of important factors such as women who served their country alongside the men! I think I might have listened a bit closer to the lectures and the discussions, as to me, it was all starting to blur together after two terms of feeling as though we were going right round in a circle without any of it making a lot of sense in the end. Being the fact I grew up in the South, most of the lessons were focused on the Rebel Army rather than the Union; yet being that I’m from Northern Stock, I was more keen to know about Grant’s positions and where my ancestors might have fit into this war. It would take over a decade to learn about my Great Granddaddy who was a Captain with the Union, and fresh off the boat from Ireland. The best bit was learning how he was a farmer and how much he loved the land. In some ways, I was never surprised to have learnt more than half my ancestors who immigrated to America ended up as farmers; it seems right as rain to me, being that I’m a locavore who appreciates farm fresh fruit and veg, locally grown (without chemicals) and sourced.

It didn’t matter which side your family fought on during this war because it was a war to end all wars in of itself. It was a war where everyone fought side by side and both sides (the North & the South) felt they were in the right. It has a brutal history and it has an empowering moment of change; nothing was the same, and battles were won on the deaths of so many innocents. To find a story that places true-to-life characters in the middle of this great war and gives a searing arc of climax that befits the war itself as much as the barriers women faced during that time is an incredible find.

McCabe centers her story on the true grit of historical fact originating out of the Civil War itself; including having found a real-life Rosetta who was part of the inspiration for her own. She doesn’t hold back from revealing the cardinal truths of the battlefield or the wounded inside the hospital wards, yet she is sensitive to their plight and I felt lifted in spirit rather than bogged down in the horrors of war. I felt she tempered the truth with a narrative that gives you a breath to absorb the words without always taking the reality of what they are expressing to a shocking conclusion. McCabe’s best attribute is in knowing what to include and how what happens affects everyone you’ve come to know. The war is both the backdrop and the shifting force to pull everyone forward and apart at the same time. It is a testament of our past and a testament of the power to fight for everything you believe in.

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Posted Tuesday, 16 September, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Civil War Era (1861-1865), Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fly in the Ointment, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Military Fiction, Vulgarity in Literature, War Drama

+Blog Book Tour+ A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

Posted Tuesday, 27 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

Published By: Bethany House Publishers (),
a division of Baker Publishing Group
25 March, 2014
Official Author Websites Site | Facebook | Twitter
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, E-book
Page Count: 480

Converse on Twitter via: #ABeautySoRare & #TameraAlexander

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comAcquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A Beauty So Rare” virtual book tour through TLC  Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from publisher Bethany House, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Book Synopsis:

Plain, practical Eleanor Braddock knows she will never marry, but with a dying soldier’s last whisper, she believes her life can still have meaning and determines to find his widow. Impoverished and struggling to care for her ailing father, Eleanor arrives at Belmont Mansion, home of her aunt, Adelicia Acklen, the richest woman in America–and possibly the most demanding, as well. Adelicia insists on finding her niece a husband, but a simple act of kindness leads Eleanor down a far different path–building a home for destitute widows and fatherless children from the Civil War. While Eleanor knows her own heart, she also knows her aunt will never approve of this endeavor.Tamera Alexander

Archduke Marcus Gottfried has come to Nashville from Austria in search of a life he determines, instead of one determined for him. Hiding his royal heritage, Marcus longs to combine his passion for nature with his expertise in architecture, but his plans to incorporate natural beauty into the design of the widows’ and children’s home run contrary to Eleanor’s wishes. As work on the home draws them closer together, Marcus and Eleanor find common ground–and a love neither of them expects. But Marcus is not the man Adelicia has chosen for Eleanor, and even if he were, someone who knows his secrets is about to reveal them all.

Author Biography:

Tamera Alexander is a bestselling novelist whose works have been awarded or nominated for numerous honors, including the Christy Award, the RITA Award, and the Carol Award. After seventeen years in Colorado, Tamera and her husband have returned to their native South and live in Tennessee, where they enjoy spending time with their two grown children.

 

I generally prefer to read series in sequence:

Although I generally prefer to read series in sequence with each other, as this particular novel has one ahead of it A Lasting Impression, I had the unfortunate timing of being booked solid back to back on my blog! I was not able to read the book ahead of my readings of the next in line, and I do believe that perhaps this might be one series where reading the books out of order might actually be alright! There are series where if you miss the order you can find yourself a bit lost in the plot, but there are moments like these where the sequels are a continuation of part of the story but perhaps not all as a whole. Where you can re-enter the same world, resume a new vein of thought, and easily find yourself immersed into the series without the prior knowledge of what had happened previously!

Likewise, this is my first novel by Tamera Alexander I am reading, and the main reason I requested to be on the tour is due to the fact I am already attempting to spread my wings in the Inspirational Fiction branch of literature by the outline of my 70 Authors Challenge, in which I have selected 70 Inspirational Authors to read over a five-year grid of time! I originally was going to attempt to read their collective works within twelvemonths before I realised that that would be too little time to fully enjoy the challenge! As there is such a wide network of writers in Inspirational Fiction these days, I welcomed the chance to receive this book and associate myself with an author I have oft read about but have not yet read myself!

Historical fiction has always appealed to me, and although I typically read books set around the World Wars, I do not often read books set during the Civil War. I wanted to venture into new territory and I believe I could not have picked a better book nor author to do so!

My review of A Beauty So Rare:

I have always had a sensitive heart when it comes to war and the drama of medical-based stories, yet Alexander tempers the scenes inside A Beauty So Rare with the harsh reality of war against the tides of emotions the lead character faces whilst she is volunteering by the bedside of wounded soldiers. She gives you Eleanor Braddock’s emotional heart to run in line with the despair and loss of what a soldier faces in the middle of battle. She let’s you peer into a window of this particular time frame with a conscience focused on what is most important in each of our individual lives and how each of us should be mindful of how precious life can become when we elect to focus on the days we are given to live. Alexander has a gentleness about how she relays a story of war, allowing you to ease into the narrative with a heavy heart yet respective of how sensitive some of us can be if she had taken a different direction and focused more heavily on the visual side of war.

The contrast she knits together in the male lead of Marcus Gottfried against Ms. Braddock is rife with happenstance for this reader, as I love how she is crossing the barriers of society against the tides of each person wanting to change their stars. Braddock  and Gottfried each have their own reasoning and hankering to effectively change what society and duty dictate of their lives, and effectively want to change convention! What happiness to find two strong characters, each owning to the truth of their hearts!

The encroachment of Ms. Braddock’s father’s mental health plagues her conscience as she wants to be the one who can circumvent his needs and allow him the grace to be with her at home. My heart tugged reading the passages where she is trying to make the best choices on his behalf, whilst confronting her own heart’s conscience on the matter. Mental health issues are never an easy one to navigate as the effects of what is happening to the person differ from one person to another. My heart leapt out to her as I read the passages, and hoped that perhaps she would come in time to realise even caretakers need to have the strength to accept a bit of help.

The best folly for are always the characters which rustle up a flutterment of vexation for each other, and in Braddock & Gottfried’s case, it is all par for course! To betwixt your Aunt Adelicia with plans which run counter-current to her own for prosperity & convention was such a special treat to find as well! The threads of how all the lead characters start to interact and how their layers of commonality start to overlay with each other was a delight to find. Aunt Adelicia is based on a living person of whom I would lend to believe would appreciate how she was portrayed in the story! Such lightning strength, quick wit, and a temper for knowing how to control the destiny of others is not an easy task to take-on or execute with precision. At her heart, I felt Aunt Adelicia was attempting to make the best provisions she felt were worthy of her niece (as well as others) but part of her was held too quick and tied to the orders of the past era. To hold back from entering the new frontier of where more opportunities and tides of change could help progress move forward rather than stay stagnant.

The best enterprise is bourne out of necessity and out of a desire to re-direct the direction of our path in life. The hardest choice for anyone is to dig deeper into their own heart’s truest desire and walk into a path that they have to carve themselves. The more one listens others trying to convince them that one way of thought or one path towards living is the better of the lot, the more one grows distant from their own soul. Each person has to align with their spirit in a way that agrees with not only their nature, but with what uplifts them in the moment they are alive. A Beauty So Rare is an expression of being bold in knowing where our most desirous ideals are guiding us to venture. Giving our full heart to the cause in which we feel we can champion, and not allowing outside influences to cross examine our motives nor derail our intentions. The beauty for me is seeing how everything was properly stitched and knitted together, as you can soak into this novel as comfortable as sipping a cuppa tea.

Ms. Alexander has a gentle spirit as she writes:

What I appreciated the most about the distinction of her style is that she takes a gentle hand with her reader’s heart as she pens her stories! The oppressive nature of the Civil War could have in full effect come off a bit stronger than it had surely, but she took the gentleness of her story and used the war as a back-drop rather than a clear foreground setting. It was only half of the story truly, as most of the details of the character’s lives were lived and entrenched outside the fates of the war itself. It did serve as a starting catalyst to explain why certain characters elected to make changes in how their daily affairs were carried out, but what caught me the most is how she infused the history of the era in such a way as to leave it palatable, which is what I appreciate the most. I am always attracted to historical fiction writers (both mainstream and inspirational) who can give us a sense of ‘time’ whilst caught in a certain ‘setting’ and leave us at the end of their stories with a feeling as though we were quite literally living in that timescape for the time it took to read the novel!

I also appreciated how she inserted a gentle faith and guiding of spirituality, as to not overstep nor understate its purpose. I may have mentioned this previously, but I always love inspirational stories in fiction which guide the faith of their characters through the subtleties of how they live and engage in their everyday lives; with faith by their side and as their mainstay. Actions and sensibilities to me go a long way in narrative.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comThis Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of TLC Book Tours:

TLC Book Tours | Tour HostFun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Please visit my Bookish Events page to stay in the know for upcoming events!

{SOURCES: Book cover for “A Beauty So Rare”, Author Biography, Author photograph, and Book Synopsis  were provided by TLC Book Tours and used with 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.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Tuesday, 27 May, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Botany, Civil War Era (1861-1865), Family Life, Historical Fiction, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Orphans & Guardians, Realistic Fiction, TLC Book Tours

Day Two: Bout of Books, 8.0! The Ghosts have arrived!

Posted Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

Bout of Books Readathon
Day Two: Bout of Books, 8.0.

Day Two: Haunted {Book One: Ghost Harrison series}
by Heather Graham

Book Gifted By: Mum and Da gave me this unbelievable SURPRISE for my twentytenth birthday: all the published books within this particular series as available at the moment of my birthday!

A Most Curious Series: Originally, I thought this series was specifically called “the Ghost series” or “Ghost Harrison series”, yet I’ve seen it mentioned as “Harrison Investigation series” as well! The best way to sort through which books to read is to check out the author’s page on Fantastic Fiction! Whereupon I learnt the proper order of this series which simply captivates me! I believe due to the way the interactions are set up inside this series where those who are living are being asked to help those who are in-between, led me to become enamored with Ghost Whisperer starring Jennifer Love Hewitt the Summer of 2012.

All the books gifted to me for my twentytenth birthday:

  1. Haunted
  2. Ghost Walk*
  3. The Vision
  4. The Seance
  5. The Dead Room*
  6. The Death Dealer
  7. Deadly Night
  8. Deadly Harvest
  9. Deadly Gift

Therein lies the bit of confusion for me which I’ve finally begun to unravel, as you see, books 7-9 are actually a sub-trilogy called: Flynn Brothers! The actual next book past “The Death Dealer” is “Unhallowed Ground”, followed by “Nightwalker”.

I have been on Ms. Graham’s main website as well over the years, sorting through the book descriptions and noting which books are being published on a similar vein that might in effect be a continuation of the originals OR might be a new foray into the same general arena. Which is why, aside from the aforementioned “Unhallowed Ground” and “Nightwalker”, I want to gather these as well:

Bone Island: Ghost Shadow, Ghost Night, Ghost Moon, and Ghost Memories.

Krewe of Hunters: Phantom Evil, Heart of Evil, Sacred Evil, The Evil Inside, The Unseen, The Unholy, The Unspoken, The Uninvited, The Night is Watching, The Night is Alive, The Night is Forever,…

Motivation to Read: For reasons beyond any of my logical conclusions, the clock has shifted forward a few years, and I am still at a loss to understand why I haven’t progressed into this wicked sweet series! Therefore, without willing to waste time fretting about when or why I haven’t read the ghost series, I have included book one in my Bout of Books challenge!

Tuesday — The Ghosts have arrived!

Number of Pages Devoured | Out of: 111 | 379

Tally of Pages Read Thus Far: 159

Books in Progress | continuing onward | happily consumed: 2 | 2 | 0

A six word summary of today’s reading: not every ghost is without malevolence

Best Chapter: too early to speculate. at least there is a bit of humanness in the Sheriff; as i nearly lost all hope for him!

Favourite Character: Darcy, for sure! Although, Penny comes in a close second! I love strong women who know who they are and haven’t always had an easy road in life but feel strongly in what they do, and are determined to contribute something rather positive in life. Penny is an Aunt you wished you had with a cleverly open-mind!

Challenge Participation? not today.

Bout of Books blogs I visited: i honestly didn’t get the proper chance after all! i need to work on making amends on the morrow as i lost too many hours today! :(

Tick Tock, there goes the clock:

03:00a-3:30p: [consumed by unwellness, sleep took over!] i refuse to get down about succumbing to how physically unwell i have felt between last night & now. i saw the silver lining: now i have become better rested and most likely will be in a better place to get rolling with the rest of the Bout! thankfully, a good [12 hour!] rest appears to have cured my ills! :) :)

3:40p-?: [updating JLAS!] making my Bout’er blog rounds! checking out the Challenge of the Day! reading shall follow lateron!

|| I *love!* iHeartRadio! ||

[ramblings: 5:15p] The song: ‘Wake Me Up” by Avicii is super-encouraging & inspiring! I am loving the ability to listen to radio stations nationwide + throughout Canada! :) Ooh, my favourite is on!! “Ho Hey” by the Lumineers!! :) :) Hope everyone is having a good day!! Mine is looking up, despite the looming thunderstorm trying to make a hedge through the sunshine! Boston! Chicago! Vancouver! Hawaii! Dallas/Ft. Worth! Radio rocks my world! :) :) Oy, I shouldn’t have held off so long from going to iHeartRadio! I was just so disappointed in Pandora half an age ago, I didn’t want to set myself up again! :/

6:00p-6:30p: [long break] previous engagement: LIVE Author Chat via Booktalk Nation! Robyn Carr will be the guest!! :) :) i nearly missed this! i was logged onto the site at exactly 5:59!!! talk about cutting it close! i cannot wait to blog about this experience, as it will be my 3rd Booktalk Nation event! if you go to my “Topics, Genres, & Subjects” in the left sidebar [right below the Comments!] you’ll be able to track my experiences with Booktalk by clicking on: Booktalk Nation OR Live Author Events!! i love cross-referencing this blog!! :) :)

7:05p-8:13p: [dinner!] yummy 3-topping pizza special: loaded with onions, fresh spinach, & mushrooms! it was beyond YUM! plus, coconut, caramel, & chocolate bits yogurt ice cream! seriously, i was over the MOON for dinner!!

9:00p-10:00p: [Rizzoli & Isles] what can I say!? between the thunderstorms threatening outside, and my clear lack of focus since i woke up, i decided i best watch the new episode verse skipping it! i didn’t fully get into this until the start of the Summer Season (2013)!! imagine!? i used to watch Law & Order, so i am familiar with Harmon; and I currently cannot get enough of NCIS; still bothers me something fierce how Kate died! :( (ie: Isles was Kate in NCIS) what can i say? i love ensemble casts with ‘family’ at the heart! ooh, and did anyone else smile when they realised that Dalton (ie: MacGyver’s best friend!) is in this, too!! :) :)

| UPDATE: by far i never thought i’d say this but they are pushing the tolerance envelope for me; as far as what i am willing to accept. i quite literally boycotted tonight’s episode but returned for the last 10 minutes, whereupon i learnt the sad news that the man who played “Frost” [Lee Thompson Young] had passed!! I was beyond shocked! Thinking something rather tragic and sudden must have befell him — car accident or such. I am just not that fortunate: he committed suicide on Monday; the very day the series was renewed for a fifth season! :( :( I knew! that he was familiar to me, but I never could remember to look him up online; he played Jett Jackson, in Disney’s 1998 series “The Famous Jett Jackson”. Nearly every actor I grew up with and followed their career is in the grave. Most of whom committed suicide. I am beginning to wonder what is happening to young people in Hollywood. I felt gutted and anguished at the same time. :( :( So many lights have been extinguished. I grieve their loss and I pray for strength for their families. I even met one of these actors, years ahead of taking his life. He was full of life, light, and humour. I still remember his effervescent smile. I nearly had the chance to meet Mr. Young. 29 years old. Is too young to die, but is far too young to take one’s life. I read the cast was devastated and that production was halted. He was beloved on set and that gave me a bit of peace. Shakes head. My heart is heavy and I am not going to watch Rizzoli & Isles ever again.

Nor any show that chooses to cross the line. I grew up on murder mysteries, both in literature & film, but these days!? There is something rather brutal and sinister in the portrayals. Its darker than ever before and I am taking back the choice to switch my Tuesdays to “Who Do You Think You Are?” which is now featured on TLC, as they resurrected the series! Thank heavens, because I could use some light-hearted historical hunting mysteries about finding out your ancestral roots whilst travelling to the most unexpected places!Tea and Book badge provided by Squeesome Designs and used with permission.

10:00p-2a: READING! No, seriously, I am!! :) :) i am settling into “Haunted” with the faint rumblings of thunder now subsiding out of view, with a cuppa tea to warm me as i enter the chilling world of ghosts and the humans they need to aide them!! As I expected it to, Haunted didn’t fail to disappoint me in being one of the chilling stories where there are certain ghosts who are not willing to be helped nor are they able to explain what is wrong. I am settling into the pace of the story, whilst thinking about the potential history of any house over 50 years old; 100, 150, 200 at least in America; far more years stretch in the homes across the Pond, esp in England where you can get property from the 16th century! I am not sure where the story is taking me, but I am enjoying seeing the differences in the characters and the curious mystery behind Adam Harrison; the very man behind Harrison Investigations, which is the root of the heart of the series this book started. Originally published in 2003, I am reading it exactly 10 years later! Enjoyed a cuppa hot tea!

Reflections shortly after the ending is revealed:

Review: ? to be revealed later! ?

{NOTE: I actually originally read “Ghost Walk” through my local library, and thus went on to gather the rest of the series as known to me at the time {including starting “The Dead Room”} through our local branches as well as ILL’ing a few as well! What surprised me the most is that I couldn’t read one book past “Ghost Walk” because each book was tainted by the permeation of smoke! I have the most ghastly allergies which made it impossible to continue! This is why the gift my parents gave me was doubly sweet and appreciated! I have never again encountered this issue either as I regularly borrow books from my local library as much as through ILL’ing!}

All the posts interlinked to *Bout of Books, 8.0* are a work-in-progress post! Therefore, what you read on one visit, might alter/change or be added to by the time you swing back!!

{SOURCES: Bout of Books Badge created by Jorie in Canva to give readers & visitors who come to her blog a way to know of its existence and therefore increasing the mystery & lore surrounding it!! Seriously wicked bookish badges {entirely FREE!} provided by Squeesome Designs!}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2013.

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Posted Tuesday, 20 August, 2013 by jorielov in Bout of Books, Civil War Era (1861-1865), Modern Day, Parapsychological Suspense, Revolutionary War Era