Posted Monday, 25 April, 2016 by jorielov Cedar Fort Inc, Joann Arnold, Sweetwater Books, The Buckskin Trail 0 Comments
Although, I did not personally connect with the story inside The Buckskin Trail, I wanted to converse with the author as a way to better understand her inspiration to tell this story as much as her approach to the craft of telling stories. Originally, what drew my eye towards wanting to read this particular novel was the strong influences on behalf of Native American culture and Spirituality of which I had a foreknowledge of from my own childhood.
The author is an accomplished artist and you can view her Gallery via her website.
A miracle saved Kelzi’s life when she was younger, and now it’s her turn to save others. When Kelzi discovers the truth about her parent’s deaths, she steps onto a dangerous path, one where she must avenge those who have died and protect the land of her Cherokee people – at any cost.
What drew your inspiration towards telling a mystery involving an orphaned young girl who has a strong Cherokee cultural heritage?
Arnold responds: I wish I could answer that question with more than the fact that one day I sat down to work on a new manuscript and my imagination took it from there. Read More
Posted Monday, 25 April, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Native American Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Orphans & Guardians, Parapsychological Gifts, Supernatural Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Thursday, 14 April, 2016 by jorielov Cedar Fort Inc, Joann Arnold, Sweetwater Books, The Buckskin Trail 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media whereupon I am thankful to have been able to host such a diverse breadth of stories, authors and wonderful guest features since I became a hostess! I received a complimentary copy of “The Buckskin Trail” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
An interest in Native American culture & spirituality:
I grew up in a metropolis where I lived amongst a wide diversity of people, cultures and religions; some of my most fond memories are visiting a Native American art gallery and bookstore, wherein I would speak with the owner on different occasions about tribal heritage, culture and spirituality. One of the things I have appreciated the most about their beliefs is how much they give back to the Earth and how centred they are in acknowledging it is our gift to be guardians of the natural world whilst realising that it’s up to us not to only protect the Earth but to ensure it’s longevity by not expelling the Earth of her resources.
When I first heard about the premise behind this novel, I was quite intrigued as I love a wicked good mystery especially one that is tightly crafted and keeps you guessing until the very end of the last chapters – as far as whom might be behind the angst and anguish of the story. I finished reading a Cosy Historical Mystery yesterday (The Secret Life of Anna Blanc) and was quite happy to settle inside another mystery straight-away as mysteries have a curious appeal which is why I read as many of them as I can per year! Even tomorrow, I am reading my first Tessa Arlen novel Death Sits Down to Dinner which strikes the reason I am never quite far from a mystery in hand!
I grew up reading the Mandie series by Lois Gladys Leppard wherein young Mandie would take travelling adventures with her Aunt and her dearly beloved cat (Snowball) in tow all the while looking forward to spending time with her Uncle Ned of whom was her Cherokee relation who kept this side of her heritage in full focus. I love finding writers who have a tangible way of bringing diversity to their stories where it’s organically occurring and warms your heart to read. This is why The Buckskin Trail appealed to me, as it felt like a mystery fit for someone who grew up on the Mandie series whilst appreciating her real-life conversations at an art gallery, as well.
The Buckskin Trail
A miracle saved Kelzi's life when she was younger, and now it's her turn to save others. When Kelzi discovers the truth about her parent's deaths, she steps onto a dangerous path, one where she must avenge those who have died and protect the land of her Cherokee people - at any cost.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781462118229
on 1st April, 2016
Pages: 240
Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #TheBuckskinTrail
About Joann Arnold
“The Buckskin Trail” is the sixth book in JoAnn’s library of authorship. Writing it invited her into yet another realm, one that charts a higher path.
“Miracles for Michael,” “Journey of the Promise,” “Pages From the Past,” “The Silent Patriots” and her first fantasy, “Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient,” have taken JoAnn on some amazing imaginative journeys. “The Buckskin Trail” is no exception.
JoAnn lives in Santa Clara, Utah, with her husband, Brent.
Website | Blog | Goodreads
Read More
Posted Thursday, 14 April, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Native American Fiction, New Adult Fiction, Orphans & Guardians, Parapsychological Gifts, Supernatural Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Monday, 23 November, 2015 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Liz Harris, The Lost Girl 0 Comments
I have come to appreciate finding new ways to help spread the word about the novelists and stories I personally enjoy reading via ChocLitUK. When Brook Cottage Book Tours first started to announce upcoming blog tours featuring the authors I’ve come to know as a book reviewer, I couldn’t wait to jump on board the tours! For you see, as a ChocLit reviewer, I haven’t had the pleasure of reading each ChocLit novelist as of yet – although my ChocLit Next Reads List on Riffle is a good indication of my earnest intention of reading their collective works!
Imagine my happy surprise finding in the batch of Autumn tours, one featuring a novel by Ms Harris (who is an auto-read author of mine!) and one novel by Ms Freeman of whom I have not yet had the pleasure of reading. Similar to my curiosities broached on a Cover Reveal by Ms Browne, I wanted to highlight what inspires me to read Ms Freeman; thus be sure to return on Friday to find out what I have to say!
Today, I am going to share a bit of insight into what I learnt about The Lost Girl during one of my #ChocLitSaturday chats inasmuch as share with you why I feel this will be my next unputdownable read by Ms Harris!
On my Connection to Ms. Harris:
I have been hosting #ChocLitSaturday chats on a regular basis for a bit over a year now. Eleven in the morning of a Saturday, has become a favourite hour for me to exchange conversation and joy with everyone who shows up to participate in a chat centered around ChocLit novels and the Romance branch of literature in general.
Similar to my previous thoughts I shared about Ms. Courtenay, I have come to appreciate chatting with Ms. Harris, either through #ChocLitSaturdays chats or privately. She is most giving of her time and I have appreciated the opportunity to know the writer behind the stories I enjoy reading! She always shares her happy spirit in the chats too, and her insights into why she enjoys writing the books that speak to her the most.
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Harris through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I host #ChocLitSaturday the chat as well as privately; I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time. Similarly this applies to spotlighting new books by an author I appreciate such as this one.
What if you were trapped between two cultures?
Life is tough in 1870s Wyoming. But it’s tougher still when you’re a girl who looks Chinese but speaks like an American.
Orphaned as a baby and taken in by an American family, Charity Walker knows this only too well. The mounting tensions between the new Chinese immigrants and the locals in the mining town of Carter see her shunned by both communities.
When Charity’s one friend, Joe, leaves town, she finds herself isolated. However, in his absence, a new friendship with the only other Chinese girl in Carter makes her feel like she finally belongs somewhere.
But, for a lost girl like Charity, finding a place to call home was never going to be that easy …
Places to find the book:
Add to Riffle
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
RELEASE DATE: 16th October, 2015 – ebook version
Formats Available: this is a Digital First release! print and audio should follow next!
Genre(s): Historical Fiction | Western | Adoption | Chinese-American ancestry
Liz Harris lives south of Oxford. Her debut novel was THE ROAD BACK (US Coffee Time & Romance Book of 2012), followed by A BARGAIN STRUCK (shortlisted for the RoNA Historical 2013), EVIE UNDERCOVER, THE ART OF DECEPTION and A WESTERN HEART. All of her novels, which are published by Choc Lit, have been shortlisted in their categories in the Festival of Romantic Fiction. In addition, Liz has had several short stories published in anthologies. Her interests are theatre, travelling, reading, cinema and cryptic crosswords.
Author Connections:
Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter
Converse via: #ChocLit
I wasn’t surprised that Ms Harris tackled another hard-hitting dramatic story-line in her new book The Lost Girl as I have previously come to find she has a way of elevating historical fiction to an emotional keel of clarity. There is a richness to her stories – she dares to capitalise on the emotional heart of her character’s journey; even within the pages of A Bargain Struck this was true, and she did it by taking a seemingly ordinary story-line and moulding it into such a convicting story of life, love and second chances.
Her stories give me a heap of pleasure to read due to how she layers her stories with honesty, conviction and soul-searching transparency of her character’s lives. Each of her characters is battling through a life difficulty when we meet them; as within A Bargain Struck it was a medical reality that altered the confidence of her Western Bride; whereas in The Road Back her character was facing breaking tradition and convention in order to pursue her true love to the man who connected directly to her soul. Read More
Posted Monday, 23 November, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Adoption, American Old West, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), British Literature, Brook Cottage Book Tours, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Historical Fiction, Immigrant Stories, Indie Author, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Orphans & Guardians
Posted Friday, 6 November, 2015 by jorielov Carla Kelly, Cedar Fort Inc, Summer Campaign, Sweetwater Books 0 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Summer Campaign” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
I discovered Ms Kelly’s writings whilst I hosted the blog tour on behalf of ‘Softly Falling’, wherein I found a most delightful story-teller who took historical fiction to a new level of appreciation for what you can find inside the genre for compelling fiction with realistic story-lines. I even appreciated the compassion and clarity she gave to the diversity of her characters, as much as the compassionate way in which she approached telling her character’s story.
Summer Campaign
Everyone agrees that Miss Onyx Hamilton is about to make a perfect match. The overwhelmingly respectable vicar Andrew Littletree is so taken by her virtue and beauty that he's willing to overlook the scandal clouding her birth and her lack of family and funds.
But then handsome Major Jack Beresford comes galloping into Onyx's sheltered life. Because of his wealth and aristocratic blood, Onyx knows it's highly improbable that he would ever ask for her hand. Fortunately, the laws of probability have no effect on what Onyx is ready to give this supremely unsuitable gentleman... her heart.
New and longtime fan alike will relish this delightful regency romance from the true master of the art. Charming, sweet, and full of fun, it's simply impossible to stop reading.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781462112258
on 10th March, 2015
Pages: 288
Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #histfic, and #CarlaKelly
About Carla Kelly
Carla Kelly is a veteran of the New York and international publishing world. The author of more than thirty novels and novellas for Donald I. Fine Co., Signet, and Harlequin, Carla is the recipient of two Rita Awards (think Oscars for romance writing) from Romance Writers of America and two Spur Awards (think Oscars for western fiction) from Western Writers of America. She is also a recipient of a Whitney Award for Borrowed Light, My Loving Vigil Keeping and Softly Falling.
Photo Credit: Marie Bryner-Bowles, Bryner Photography
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Friday, 6 November, 2015 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Brothers and Sisters, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Foster Care, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Jane Austen Sequel, Orphans & Guardians, Pride & Prejudice Re-telling, Regency Era, Siblings, Twin Siblings
Posted Thursday, 29 October, 2015 by jorielov Decorum, Karren Christopherson, Kensington Books, Kensington Publishing Corp. 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Decorum” virtual book tour through HFVBT: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Kaaren Christopherson, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Note of Gratitude to the author:
I was happily surprised by what came in the Post for me when Decorum arrived because the author included a few extras for me to enjoy finding tucked inside with my copy of the book! I was very grateful to her for being thoughtful enough to make this book one of my ‘book surprise parcels’ as whenever an author or publisher includes a few unknown extras for me to find in their parcels, it’s a wonderful gift of random joy for me on the other end! Finding the copy was autographed was a true delight, too! I tend to forget to mention this on previous reviews, but seeing the author’s handwritten note or signature is a mark of joy for me! Especially if they sign an ARC not just a finished copy, as it connects the moment of discovering their novel with the moment I’m reading it for the first time! Little bits of joy like these do a world of good for a book blogger who doesn’t expect to find anything except the book she’s reviewing!
Note on the Cover Art: I was captured by the image of this woman from the moment I first laid eyes upon the cover art. Not merely for reasons of sorting out if it followed the timescape of the novel but there was something ‘curious’ about her pose and the manner in which she held herself in this portrait. I love studying Art History and this particular portrait reminded me of that passion I have for classical artists and the confluence of period specific portraiture giving us a lens backwards into the historical past. The author has more info on her site.
Decorum
Kaaren Christopherson’s brilliantly observed novel captures the glamour and grit of one of the world’s most dazzling cities during one of its most tumultuous eras–as seen through the eyes of a singularly captivating heroine…
In 1890s New York, beautiful, wealthy Francesca Lund is an intriguing prospect for worthy suitors and fortune hunters alike. Recently orphaned, she copes by working with the poor in the city’s settlement movement. But a young woman of means can’t shun society for long, and Francesca’s long-standing acquaintance with dashing Edmund Tracey eventually leads to engagement. Yet her sheltered upbringing doesn’t blind her to the indiscretions of the well-to-do…
Among the fashionable circle that gathers around her there are mistresses, scandals, and gentlemen of ruthless ambition. And there is Connor O’Casey–an entirely new kind of New Yorker. A self-made millionaire of Irish stock, Connor wants more than riches. He wants to create a legacy in the form of a luxury Madison Avenue hotel–and he wants Francesca by his side as he does it. In a quest that will take her from impeccable Manhattan salons to the wild Canadian Rockies, Francesca must choose not only between two vastly different men, but between convention and her own emerging self-reliance.
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9781617735219
on 31st March 2015
Pages: 417
Published By: Kensington Publishing Corp. ()
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and E-book
Converse via: #KaarenChristopherson OR #DecorumBlogTour
About Kaaren Christopherson
Kaaren Christopherson is the author of Decorum—a novel about Gilded Age New York—that began taking form in 1999 during a course on writing historical fiction. From that moment, Connor O’Casey (who had been rattling around in her brain for months) finally appeared one night and said, “All right, woman. Here I am. What are you going to do about my story?”
So she began to put his words on paper, and he hasn’t kept quiet since. Soon Francesca, Blanche, Tracey, Vinnie, and the rest of the characters began arguing, gossiping, loving, and forming themselves into Kaaren’s first novel.
Kaaren has had a professional career writing and editing for over 30 years and is a senior editor for an international development nonprofit organization in Washington, DC.
She has written fiction since her school days, story poems, children’s books, historical fiction, and time travel, and continues to be active in writer’s groups and writing workshops. In addition to her career as a writer, Kaaren was the owner of a decorative painting business. She loves to travel and prowl through historical sites, galleries, and museums. She is active in several churches in DC and in her local Northern Virginia community, where she shares her home with feline brothers, Archie and Sammy.
A Michigan native, Kaaren received her BA in history and art and her MA in educational administration from Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan.
Photo Credit: Pat Everett Photography
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Thursday, 29 October, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Bookish Discussions, British Literature, Clever Turns of Phrase, Death of a Sibling, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Novel, Family Drama, Family Life, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Honeymoons & Weddings, Indie Author, Inheritance & Identity, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Life Shift, New York City, Orphans & Guardians, Passionate Researcher, Unexpected Inheritance, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage, Writing Style & Voice
