Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov A League of Her Own, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, HarperCollins Publishers, Karen Rock 2 Comments
A League of Her Own by Karen Rock
Published By: Harlequin Heartwarming (#HarlequinHeartwarming)
(an imprint of) Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks) which is now a part of HarperCollins!
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #ALeagueOfHerOwn & #KarenRock
Acquired Book By: A few months ago, I was visiting the blogs I love to read via my Bloglovin feeds, as I have found Bloglovin to be the best way to keep track of all the beautiful bookish blogs and/or author blogs I regularly visit! Especially after I self-hosted my blog as I only kept a few linked to my landing page (jorielovesbookishblogs.com) and the rest are happily organised into folders on Bloglovin! Truly the best part of it! It was whilst I was visiting a fellow book blogger, I took notice of the badge “Lola’s Blog Tours”. I had three blog tours which perked an interest in me, two of which were science fiction and then there was this Contemporary Romance set around baseball! I had previously interviewed Ms. Alexander on behalf of her novel “Dare to Kiss”; one of my December reads for #IndieWriterMonth! Therefore, finding a second baseball themed romance was a bit happenstance, don’t you think?
I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A League of Her Own” virtual book tour through Lola’s BlogTours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Karen Rock, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
With all the mergers happening in the book publishing industry, I must confess as a reader who is now a book blogger it is becoming to be quite daunting to keep everything organised and in line! I like to show the imprints of publishers as much as give credit per book for each post I am inspired to share with my readers (irregardless if I am hosting a blog tour, a non-tour book review or borrowing a book from my library, etc). Part of my heart fell a bit when I realised my beloved novella INSPY series Heartsong Presents might be capsizing so to speak as it was almost not bought out in time until Harlequin took it over! Then, within a year of that merger I learnt Harlequin was merged into HarperCollins! Oy vie. I nearly feel there needs to be a ‘road map’ of a guide to which imprints fall under which ‘main publishing house’ and thereby a bit less of a puzzle to riddle out for those of us who do attempt to give proper acknowledgement when it’s due.
Having said this, I was always attracted to what I refer to as ‘non-traditional Harlequin’ stories, wherein I sought out the romances centered on the ‘relationship’ and had nothing to do with the ‘bodice’ at all! Laughs. I cannot remember all of the lovely imprints and special edition series I read or attempted to read over the years, but one of my favourite imprints happened to be Mira. Mira has published a lot of Contemporary Romance authors I have come to enjoy reading including Debbie MacComber and Sherryl Woods! If you seek out a particular type of story, you just might be surprised that even a publisher like Harlequin can give you exactly what you are looking to read!
Heartsong Presents I believe is ‘safe’ once more as it was meant to be an anchor and compliment to Harlequin’s own (former competitive imprint) Love Inspired. As 2015 marches into focus, I’ll be reading quite a heap of the beauties on my bookshelf whose patience for me to pick up their sleeves and dig into their stories has been remarkably kind! I have quite a nice selection of Mira authors, so this is only the first of many more Harlequin books to be spotlighted on Jorie Loves A Story! You’ll find each time as I highlight another story full of relationship-based romance that Harlequin isn’t quite what your expecting it to be!
In combination for my previous love of a particular ‘Harlequin’ story and my forementioned love of baseball, “A League of Her Own” felt like a good fit to me! Not withstanding the fact “A League of Their Own” is one of my top favourite motion pictures and that had a lot to do with Rosie O’ Donnell and Geena Davis!
A League of Her Own
by Karen Rock
Source: Author via Lola's Blog Tours
He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.
Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…
I read the Large Print edition yet it felt quite regular to me!
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction Places to find the book:
Also by this author: Author Interview (Christmas at Cade Ranch) Karen Rock, A Cowboy's Pride (Spotlight w/ Notes), A Cowboy's Pride, Christmas at Cade Ranch, Winning the Cowboy's Heart, A Rancher to Remember
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming
on 1st December, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 312
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Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Baseball, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, California, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Humour Therein, Family Life, Fathers and Daughters, Foster Care, Lola's Blog Tours, Modern Day, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Romance Fiction, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne USA, Softball, Sports
Posted Wednesday, 10 December, 2014 by jorielov Catherine Ryan Hyde, Lake Union Publishing, The Language of Hoofbeats 3 Comments
The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #TheLanguageOfHoofbeats
Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Language of Hoofbeats” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Lake Union Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
When I originally heard about this story from a list of blog tours which may or may not become a tour with TLC, I cast my hat into the ring to be amongst the book bloggers who might be able to review it! One of the more interesting bits of revelation as a book blogger whose in her 2nd Year, is how extraordinary the blog tour schedules are set and how each book starts to curate it’s own unique history of going on tour! This particular book was slated to be on a blog tour, yet it was uncertain if it would be at one point. Part of me grieved a bit as even though I knew I could still read this novel through my local library (libraries are a booklover’s best friend!), there was an internal part of me who had hoped I could read and blog it for my readers!
I have been a bit open and honest about how I am going to be adopting out of (domestic) foster care in the future, as I have found different ways to broach the topic whilst either reading a book who has the same topic of interest knit inside it or if I find a window of where I could talk about being a future Mum in a way that worked with what I was blogging about at that point in time. This novel sparked an interest because it is about blended families, about having adopted children and fosters; whilst attempting to sort out how to bring a family together as a whole. To me that undercurrent of a theme for the novel spoke to me, as any Prospective Adoptive Mum never knows what is going to happen once you open your heart and home to fosters and adopted children. There is always a period of adjustment and then a moment of where all parties start to connect in ways no one could have seen but always had hoped. The journey of being a blended family through adoption or fostering of children is a path not everyone chooses to walk, but is one that is knitted into my own heart.
Therefore I am always mindful and aware of which books I want to read in the future to help encourage an open dialogue on my blog — for riveting and realistic fiction for adults as much as for stories inside Children’s Lit which can help children and teens in and out of the system find stories they believe are representative of their own life story. This particular focus on my blog began with a Middle Grade novel Red Thread Sisters and has evolved forward. In 2015, I want to take a moment out of each month to bring a spotlight on the books I’m finding through my library as there is a wonderful assortment of novels and non-fiction for foster and adoptive families right now. I even spoke about how these stories fit under my participation for seeking out more diverse literature as part of the national campaign for #WeNeedDiverseBooks.
What I hadn’t realised is the author penned the story Pay It Forward which became a bonefide motion picture! My whole focus on this book prior to the blog tour was the prospect of what I would find inside the pages and how the author would choose to focus on the harder hitting moments within. Her previous works are unfamiliar to me, and although I am aware of the film, I have not seen it. How lovely then, I came to know her through an Indie release focused on a non-traditional family!?
The Language of Hoofbeats
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours
From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes a story of the heartbreak and healing power of family. New to a small town, Jackie and Paula envision a quiet life for their kids: a young adopted son and two teenage foster children, including the troubled Star.
However, they quickly butt heads with their neighbor, Clementine, who disapproves of their lifestyle and is incensed when Star befriends her spirited horse, Comet. Haunted by past tragedy and unable to properly care for Comet, Clem nevertheless resents the bond Star soon shares with the horse. When Star disappears with Comet, the neighbors are thrown together—far too close together. But as the search for the pair wears on, both families must learn to put aside their animosity and confront the choices they’ve made and the scars they carry.
Plumbing the depths of regret and forgiveness, The Language of Hoofbeats explores the strange alchemy that transforms a group of people into a family.
Genres: Women's Fiction, Adoption & Foster Care Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 978-1477824689
Published by Lake Union Publishing
on 9th December, 2014
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 342
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Wednesday, 10 December, 2014 by jorielov in Adoption, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, California, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Foster Care, Go Indie, Indie Author, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Orphans & Guardians, Realistic Fiction, Siblings, Single Mothers, Social Services, TLC Book Tours, Women's Fiction
Posted Thursday, 27 November, 2014 by jorielov A Home for Christmas, MK McKintock, Trappers Peak Publishing 1 Comment
A Home for Christmas by MK McClintock
Published By: Trappers Peak Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #MKMcClintock, #AHomeForChristmasBlogTour, #ShortStory, #SweetRomance
Acquired Book By:
I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A Home for Christmas” virtual book tour through Book Junkie Promotions. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author MK McClintock, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
A Home for Christmas | 3 Historical Short Stories
by MK McClintock
Source: Author via Book Junkie Promotions
Includes three historical fiction short stories to delight and entertain this holiday season.
CHRISTMAS MOUNTAIN
In search of family she barely knows and adventure she’s always wanted, Katherine Donahue is saved from freezing on a winter night in the mountains of Montana by August Hollister. Neither of them expected that what one woman had in mind was a new beginning for them both.
TETON CHRISTMAS
Heartache and a thirst for adventure lead McKensie Stewart and her sister to Wyoming after the death of their parents. With the help of a widowed aunt and a charming horse breeder, McKensie discovers that hope is a cherished promise, and there is no greater gift than love.
LILY’S CHRISTMAS WISH
Lily Malone has never had a real family or a real Christmas. This holiday season, she might get both. From an orphanage in New York City to the rugged mountains of Colorado, Lily sends out only one wish. But when the time comes, can she give it up so someone else’s wish can come true?
Genres: Anthology Collection of Short Stories and/or Essays, Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Short Story or Novella, Western Fiction Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 9780996507653
Also by this author: Alaina Claiborne & the British Agent series (Author Interview)
Published by Trappers Peak Publishing
on 5th November, 2014
Format: Trade Paperback
Pages: 120
About MK McClintock
MK McClintock is the author bestselling historical western romance and award-nominated historical romantic mystery. She spins tales of romance and adventure inspired by the heather-covered hills of Scotland and the majestic mountains of home. With her heart deeply rooted in the past and her mind always on adventure, she lives and writes in Montana.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing
I truly have come to love finding short story collections, except to say, my previous wanderings have been within the Speculative Fiction realms (A Chimerical World & Moments in Millennia as a for instance), as not only do they give me a lovely introduction to new authors, but they allow me to soak inside a world whose length of story might be short, but of which has a spirit & heart stitched inside breathing a vibrant life over the characters, the setting, and the timescape therein. I love seeing where different writers take their shorts, as each writer has their own unique style to convey a story within the space granted to them.
I have mentioned previously about my affection for Westerns, and how residing in the world of a Western Historical fiction story is not only a true delight to my senses but it truly feels cosy inside! I have always curled inside a Western novel with such anticipated haste that I could barely see the words across the page — I was always happy to find adventure, love, and a deep resounding passion for the wilds of the West illuminated throughout the stories. There is a connective thread of joy between a historical story and a story set in the Old West; something magical lives within the hours and days of the frontier! I do not think I could ever read my full of these stories, as there are too many exciting writers emerging on the scene to give us something new to chew on and appreciate!
You can gather a ready sense that when this collection of shorts arrived, I was elated beyond the moon!
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Posted Thursday, 27 November, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, American Old West, Anthology Collection of Stories, Blog Tour Host, Book Junkie Promotions, Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Father-Daughter Relationships, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Orphans & Guardians, Short Stories or Essays
Posted Monday, 10 November, 2014 by jorielov C.A. Gray, Invincible, Piercing the Veil series, Wanderlust Publishing 1 Comment
Invincible by C.A. Gray
Published By: Wanderlust Publishing
Official Author Websites: Site | Blog | @AuthorCAGray | Facebook | GoodReads
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, E-book
Converse on Twitter via: #PiercingTheVeilSeries
Acquired Book By: I worked with Ms. Bauer (of Royal Social Media) whilst hosting Ms. Krupa (author of the debut novel “Safe & Sound”) and I always left the door open to work with her again as hosting T.S. Krupa was quite lovely and I considered myself blessed to be able to cross paths with both Ms. Bauer and Ms. Krupa at the same time. A writer I am highlighting in November Glynis Astie also shares a connection to Ms. Bauer (as she is her publicist) but this time around, Ms. Bauer approached me to host Ms. Gray and her Young Adult Fantasy series Piercing the Veil. I immediately fell in love with the series premise and the layering effect of the story overall out of the vision Ms. Gray had for her series. Therefore I received a complimentary copy of “Invincible” direct from the author C.A. Gray in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
The Afterword is a true gift:
Ms. Gray did a wonderful job at describing the finer points of the science included in the first two installments of the Piercing the Veil series as much as she went on to describe in broad terms what can be found throughout the trilogy. You can drink in information about the following: Penumbra, Nimbus, the Taijitu; including how the Penumbra can cross between worlds; why alchemy plays a part in the back-stories; further explanation on the Philosopher’s Stone and the role of the Arthurian legends. The layers of quantum physics, super-string theories, and the role of each of the extraordinary events etched out of theoretical science and chaos theory are given a special area of notation to break down the basics in layman’s terms to how everything provided the gateway for grounding the Piercing the Veil series in known science.
I appreciate seeing how the author’s research not only heightened the enjoyment of reading a Sci-Fantasy novel, but how each piece of her research went to building the structure of not only the world within the series but the elemental moments of where metaphysics meets the quantum realms of conceptability. It is a strong series for those readers who enjoy a compelling series wrought out of keeping science a forefront of merit within science fiction & fantasy.
Invincible
Peter Stewart is a dead ringer for the legendary King Arthur, and because of that, everyone in Carlion believes that he is the Child of the Prophecy, destined to destroy the Shadow Lord. But Peter doesn’t want to be a hero; all he wants to be is left alone.
Lily Portman also fits the prophecy. Having spent her entire life as an orphan and a misfit, Lily would love nothing more than to be the Child of the Prophecy, so she envies Peter… but she’s also developing a crush on him. And it seems to her that he couldn’t care less.
Isdemus and the Watchers believe that it is only a matter of time before Peter’s twin brother Kane betrays them all and frees the Shadow Lord. The winner of the war to come depends on who has the legendary Philosopher's Stone—the only problem is, it has been lost since the days of Arthur. With the help of a skeptical anthropologist, the Watchers attempt to decode the ancient treasure maps that lead them to the heart of Egypt and the dawn of time. Meanwhile, Lily and Peter discover that Peter holds the real key to the mystery... but will they be too late?
Places to find the book:
Series: Piercing the Veil, No. 2
Also in this series: Intangible
on 27th April, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 422
The search for the Child of Prophecy continues
to expand in proportion to the hunt for Excalibur:
Gray doesn’t allow her readers to take too much of a breath between installments in her Piercing the Veil series, as the opening Prologue of Invincible directly picks up where Intangible leaves off. A mortal wounding battle between the Light and Dark combatants forged in the ending of the first installment are not only attempting to make sense of what happened but the truer revelation of what was revealed by the disappearance of Kane. Kane from the moment he stepped into Peter’s life was a bane of his existence; always pushing Peter towards self-discovery in a near destructive way to pit Peter’s life against the knowledge of who Peter is within the Prophecy itself. Kane instinctively acts impulsively to further his own curious mind towards discovering the true meaning of all of their lives. He grew up with the stories of their worlds colliding into legend and prophecy but he is not entirely on the side of the Light; his heart became embittered by the fact he considered Peter’s role in his life to be a nuisance rather than a gift.
Kane is a character whose foundation of his spirit is hinged to a pursuit of glory whereas Peter’s heart was always tethered to his father and his mother. His parents grounded him even if he had a bit of growth to undertake as far as how to live without bitterness and how to grasp a hold of patience in the face of repetitive structure he felt was beneath him. Each of the young boys had a glimmer of insight towards what is right and what is inherently wrong, but one of them is closer to aligning themselves with a true darkness that could effectively worsen their lot in the life they were meant to ascend inside.
Kane pursued Excalibur for personal vindication and the glorified success finding it secure in his hands would afford him within the boundaries of his world and the laws therein. He was seeking a self-righteous path to outwit and outstep Peter; whereas Peter was merely trying to sort out how the logical side of his brain needed to start to accept what exists outside of science and tangible wisdom.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Monday, 10 November, 2014 by jorielov in Arthurian Legend, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Bullies and the Bullied, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Domestic Violence, Earthen Magic, England, Equality In Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore and Mythology, Foster Care, Genre-bender, Good vs. Evil, Indie Author, Light vs Dark, Mental Health, Modern Day, Mythological Societies, Naturopathic Medicine, Orphans & Guardians, Parapsychological Gifts, Parapsychological Suspense, Passionate Researcher, Quantum Physics, Retrospective Memories of a Series, Royal Social Media, School Life & Situations, Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays, Sci-Fi November, Science Fantasy, Seers, Social Services, Speculative Fiction, Spin-Off Authors, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, Superstrings, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Time Shift, Transfer Student at School, Writing Style & Voice, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Posted Wednesday, 5 November, 2014 by jorielov Georgia McBride Media Group (GMMG), King of the Mutants, Month9Books, Samantha Verant, Tantrum Books 0 Comments
King of the Mutants by Samantha Vérant
Published By: TantrumBooks (@TantrumBooks) an imprint of Month9Books (@month9books)
by Georgia McBride Media Group (@Georgia_McBride)
Tantrum Books is the Speculative Fiction imprint of Month9Books
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via:#KingoftheMutants & #Month9Books
Acquired Book By: My path crossed with Ms. Vérant during the blog tour for her memoir “Seven Letters from Paris”, and even before the blog tour began, we were communicating with each other via Twitter. She reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in reviewing the novel, after I had extended the offer to host a Book Spotlight as I was not sure if the book was available to review. I received a complimentary copy of “King of the Mutants” direct from the publisher Month9Books in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
On how I know Ms. Vérant: Our paths were brought together through her debut release “Seven Letters from Paris” as from the moment I found her book on tour with France Book Tours, I knew I wanted to get to know the writer behind the memoir a bit better. I host a weekly chat on Saturdays called #ChocLitSaturdays | @ChocLitSaturday, and I invited her to join us as time would allow her to do so. I knew anyone who was bold enough to write a memoir about her real-life romance could appreciate the lively chatter we exchange! Meanwhile, we started to converse via Twitter privately as well without meeting up on #ChocLitSaturdays. I have appreciated her friendship and following her journey as an author whose career is instantaneous dual in focus between non-fiction and middle grade!
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with her ahead of reviewing her books. 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.
My keen interest in Middle Grade fiction & Indie Pub releases:
I have been on a road back into Children’s Lit since 2009, when a new branch of a local library inspired me to not only seek out the new releases I would want to read as an adult, but the authors of whom were not even published whilst I was growing up within the realm of Children’s Literature. My inspiration backwards in time to the stories of innocence and stories of heart-warming coming-of age were directly due to my nieces and nephews; of whom were still a bit young to soak inside Juvenile Fiction, Middle Grade, or even Young Adult novels — I wanted to reach out to them when they were of age and recommend new choices as much as give them a few from my own childhood.
What I discovered was this incredible expanse of stories who had within them characters of every walk of life and a captivating arc of discovery for the young readers who would find them to read. I have always appreciated stories which seek to teach life lessons as much as to draw a line of empathy out of the readers who are still growing themselves at the times where these kinds of stories are needed most in their lives. I always celebrated stories that perhaps might have been a bit more unique and different from the regular faire, as they too, had something brilliant to offer me. By brilliant, here I refer to the fact that I was always the reader who was seeking out experiences through the joy of reading. I wanted to be challenged a bit, as that extended to gravitate towards stories outside my comfort zones and outside what I might have felt inclined at first to read. The beauty of reading is the exchanging of ‘hats’ and the experiences that are gained through walking inside a character’s shoes who ends up transforming your perspective.
Now that I have opened the door to Children’s Lit, I daresay, even if the selections I make do not interest my nieces and nephews; I can honestly say I have a newfound passion for this branch of the literary divide! I cannot read the books fast enough nor discover their writers as quickly as my heart desires to read what is being published! What wicked fun then, to find a new Indie Publisher who is giving all of us something to talk about through their published works! My heart will always be tied to the Indies, and I celebrate the fact I am now reading Indie Children’s Lit! Read More
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Wednesday, 5 November, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Book Trailer, Bookish Films, Bullies and the Bullied, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Foster Care, Literature for Boys, Middle Grade Novel, Modern Day, Month9Books, Prejudicial Bullying & Non-Tolerance, Realistic Fiction, Sci-Fi November, Science Fantasy, SFN Bingo, Teenage Relationships & Friendships
