Category: Adoption

+Book Review+ The Road Back by Liz Harris #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 5 July, 2014 by jorielov , , , 5 Comments

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The Road Back by Liz HarrisThe Road Back by Liz Harris

Author Connections: Personal Site | Blog

Facebook | Twitter | Converse via: #ChocLit

Illustrated By: Berni Stevens

 @circleoflebanon | Writer | Illustrator

Genre(s): Fiction | Romance | Time Shift

Forbidden Love | Drama | Historical

Published by: ChocLitUK, 6 September, 2012

Available Formats: Paperback, E-Book & Audiobook

Page Count: 314

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Acquired Book By:

I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “The Road Back” from ChocLit via IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing) in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. 

On my Connection to Ms. Harris & my inspiration to read this novel:

When I began reading this novel, I was already hosting #ChocLitSaturdays chats on a regular basis. 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. Ms. Harris and I had exchanged a few conversations ahead of the chats beginning, and during one of those lovely moments she had mentioned to me about how she met Mr. Dexter (the writer behind Inspector Morse). I had an inkling I would appreciate reading this novel ahead of her mentioning that story to me, but afterwards, I knew I wanted to read this sooner rather than later! The fact that this story centers around an adoption story solidified my interest, as I will be adopting in the future myself.

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 #ChocLitSaturdays 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.

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Book Synopsis: 

When Patricia accompanies her father, Major George Carstairs, on a trip to Ladakh, north of the Himalayas, in the early 1960s, she sees it as a chance to finally win his love. What she could never have foreseen is meeting Kalden – a local man destined by circumstances beyond his control to be a monk, but fated to be the love of her life.

Despite her father’s fury, the lovers are determined to be together, but can their forbidden love survive?

A wonderful story about a passion that crosses cultures, a love that endures for a lifetime, and the hope that can only come from revisiting the past.

Author Biography:Liz Harris

Liz was born in London and now lives in South Oxfordshire with her husband. After graduating from university with a Law degree, she moved to California where she led a varied life, trying her hand at everything from cocktail waitressing on Sunset Strip to working as secretary to the CEO of a large Japanese trading company, not to mention a stint as ‘resident starlet’ at MGM. On returning to England, Liz completed a degree in English and taught for a number of years before developing her writing career.

Liz’s debut novel, The Road Back, won a 2012 Book of the Year Award from Coffee Time Romance in the USA and her second novel A Bargain Struck was highly praised by the Daily Mail in the UK.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comGeographically Specific: Ladakh (north of the Himalaya Mountains):

Ms. Harris has a way of capturing the scenery and the depth of locale in such a beautiful scale of visual fortitude! As I was reading the passages expressing the angst and anguish of Patricia’s life in London, England and then, juxtapositioned that life against the life of Kalden in Ladakh, and the imagery is quite startling! She gives the reader such a window into their everyday worlds as if to breathe in a piece of that scenery for the very first time and know that you’ve gone to the location rather than merely ‘visiting’ the locale off the printed page. For Ladakh, she even used local words which would make sense from the character’s point of view to be authentic and true to his identity, as much as writing in the everyday elements I have always appreciated which are stitched into the fabric of the background.

I love how through Kalden’s eyes we are seeing the lush beauty of the glaciers within the Himalayan mountains, as much as we see the stark isolating quiet of being present in a place that has more silence than sound. She gives you the essence of being in Kalden’s shoes, and for that I am celebrating ‘going somewhere’ quite different and alluring from what I have previously read. I love Eastern Religions and Spirituality, and having this story set in a mystical place as a backdrop to the enveloping story was a very special treat.

My Review of The Road Back:

Grabbing you in the heart with her opening bits of narrative to explain the journey Amy is about to embark on to seek out her birth parents now that her adoptive parents have passed on is gripping to say the least! The fact that I am reading this novel as a Prospective Adoptive Mum, of whom is planning to adopt children out of foster care in the future puts the story firmly in the forefront of my mind and heart. I have always had a strong empathic heart for children who either do not know their birth families if removed from their homes as infants or young toddlers, or children who know of their birth families but have been removed as school-aged children. The connective ties of family stitched together become fragmented memories and a heartache of ambiguous loss for the ones who never knew them at all. My heart went out to Amy as she’s on the brink of breaching back into her past, uncovering the secreted mysteries of her birth mother, and wondering if she is brave enough to handle what she discovers.

Patricia is the elder sister of a special needs brother, who was physically affected by the siege of war; her childhood is altered the day her father chooses him over her in his affection. For a young child to realise how a father can choose which child to adore, dot, and love more than the other, has ramifications as the child grows. I felt for her in the sequences where not even her mother was strong enough to stand against her father when he was in the wrong. And, how disconcerting it was to watch as he did not realise how he was affecting his daughter.

Kalden’s entrance into the story is heart-wretching as his position in his family is that of the fourth son, a designation that has him sentenced towards being a monk rather than a husband and father. In his culture, a fourth son cannot inherit land at least not in his family, where the land is divided by three and unable to be partitioned off into fourths. For such a young lad to enter the story, the weight of his heart bleds out of his scenes, giving us a heartfelt grasp of his reality despite the youth of his eight years.

The beautiful irony is that both Patricia and Kalden’s upbringings were a bit similar to each other, in that neither of their families elected to place their needs first or in any measure of importance. They were each self-reliant at a young age, and they each treasured their family’s affection but knew that for whichever reason, they were not the children in the family of whom theirs would consider had worth. Their lifepaths were already on a route towards convergence long before their encounter in Ladakh. Two souls from two very different worlds, and yet on the heart level, their spirits were entwined by the circumstances of their lives.

Tragedy affects people in different ways, and the unique twist in the story for me was in realising that out of the grief for her brother, Patricia turnt her full attention to her father rather than drawing closer to her Mum. Whereas Kalden’s world was tethered and tied to a missionary family whose only hope in life was to bring education to his village; yet the prejudice his village gave them in return shattered his hopes for a familial connection. Each of them were searching for something outside the tangible and outside the scope of what they fully understood. Life is lived forward and understood only in the hours in which we truly take a pause to resolve the angst of our souls.

An emotionally gutting story about two entwined soul mates who are magnetically connected to each other despite distance and circumstances attempting to separate them. My heart was full, my head was wrenched with a desire to know the ending, but it is not an ending you want to rush. You have to go through each step of the narrative, allowing their story (Patricia & Kalden) to absorb into you and become a part of you. Theirs is a love story that lifts up your own soul as you read the passages, and gives new meaning of hope through the transcendence of love set against the greatest odds two people could ever want to survive. This started out as an adopted daughter seeking her birth parents, but in the end, it is about a romance between two people who were forbidden from being together and found solace in their union.

Time Shift rather than Time Slip:

I appreciated the flow of the story being encapsulated inside of a ‘time shift’ rather than a ‘time slip’ sequencing, as it gave a strong sense of each character’s reality as the story was told. The start of the novel itself was with a proposition of unearthing information about Amy’s birth parents, yet it is where her journey takes her to find her birth mother & birth father that has such a confluence of drama and heart;  you will find that you do not want to put the book down! The pacing is set to its own rhythm as each chapter unfolds a new piece of either Patricia or Kalden’s lives, taking us one step closer to understanding who they were as adults. The novel is also broken into two distinctive parts, where the latter of the two is the summation of the whole.

A Note of Appreciation on behalf of the writing style of Ms. Harris:

This is the second novel I have read on behalf of Ms. Harris, and it is her début novel! I am thankful that I have had the honour to read two of her novels now, as her writing style within the heart of the narrative is fully conjoined, as she is a writer who puts her heart into her pen. She writes her heart out, and I will always appreciate that style, as it mirrors my own. I even appreciate the fact that she can move and shift through locations, time sequences, and elements of distinction between where her characters and story are set alive. She has the ability to become a chameleon as she writes one story to the next. This is a quality that is appreciated because she gives us such an intense view of her worlds and characters, with a pulse on who they are and how they lived that each story becomes an experience your willingly thankful to have had afterwards.Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This book review is courtesy of ChocLitUK,

ChocLitUK Reviewer

Previously I have happily hosted Ms. Harris three times on Jorie Loves A Story:

a book review of A Bargain Struck,

an Author Guest Post on behalf of writing Western Fiction,

and an Author Guest Post on behalf of The Road Back.

check out my upcoming bookish events and mark your calendars!

#ChocLitSaturdays | a feature exclusive to Jorie Loves A Story

*NEWSFLASH* : Each Saturday henceforth onward from here in July shall feature a new ChocLit book review! For the updated schedule, please visit my Bookish Events page! The next novel I will be reading & sharing my thoughts on will be “Flight to Coorah Creek” by Janet Gover!

For those who are unware of #ChocLitSaturdays, the chat, we meet regular @ 11am EST / 4pm London! I created the chat to encourage new readers to discover not only the ChocLit novels I am showcasing & reading through my blog feature of the same name, but to help draw a close knit group of Romance booklovers, writers, and appreciators together for an hour of solid friendship and wicked sweet conversation!

All are welcome to attend! Tweet me or leave a comment in this thread for further details!

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, and Book Cover were provided by ChocLitUK and were used by permission. Book Review badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits by Jorie in FotoFlexer. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Saturday, 5 July, 2014 by jorielov in 20th Century, Adoption, Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Equality In Literature, Family Life, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Modern British Literature, Monastery, Monk, Mother-Son Relationships, Passionate Researcher, Psychological Abuse, Religious Orders, Romance Fiction, Time Shift, Writing Style & Voice

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

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

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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:

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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

+Blog Book Tour+ Awesome Jones by AshleyRose Sullivan, the writer who took genre-bending to a new level!

Posted Wednesday, 21 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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Awesome Jones by AshleyRose Sullivan

Awesome Jones by AshleyRose Sullivan

Published By: Seventh Star Press (@7thStarPress) 10 March, 2014
Official Author Websites Site | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
Available Formats: Softcover, E-book
Page Count: 456

Converse via: #AwesomeJones, #AshleyRoseSullivan, #superherofairytale & #7thStar

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Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a stop on the “Awesome Jones” genre-bending fantasy-comic release tour from Seventh Star Press. The tour is hosted by Tomorrow Comes Media who does the publicity and blog tours for Seventh Star Press and other Indie and/or Self Published authors. I am a regular blog tour host with Tomorrow Comes Media and was thrilled to bits to see this novel being offered for review. I received a complimentary copy of “Awesome Jones” direct from the publisher Seventh Star Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Interest in Reading Awesome Jones:

When I see a writer like AshleyRose Sullivan who not only dared to embrace a genre-bender story as it alighted inside her heart but dared to have the confidence to find a publisher who recognised her vision is not only awe-inspiring it is the foundation of how each of us needs to remember to ‘own our muse, own our work, and carry-on forward’ until our stories reach the hands of the readers who believe in us too.

– quoted from the Author’s Guest Post on writing Genre-Bending Stories

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  Book Synopsis: 

The only thing Awesome Jones wants is to be a super hero. Until he falls in love.

Despite his colorful name, Awesome Jones is a painfully average man who dreams of being a super hero, just like the ones who patrol his city. It’s been that way since he was a little boy, raised by his grandfather after his parents’ death.AshleyRose Sullivan

The day Jones starts his new job as a file clerk at Akai Printing Company he meets secretary Lona Chang and everything changes. Lona sees something in Jones that no one ever has and the two quickly become inseparable. But when the perfect pair’s domestic bliss is threatened by a super-powered secret from the past, Awesome Jones has to make a choice. He must decide whether he should play it safe or find the strength to live up to his name and risk everything he’s come to love to save the day like he always dreamed.

  Author Biography:

Born and raised in Appalachia, AshleyRose Sullivan has a BS in Anthropology and an MFA in Creative Writing. She lives, writes and paints in Los Angeles with her husband and their many imaginary friends.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comOn analog technology & the heart of the story:

An appreciator of the hidden world of typewriters via the typosphere (yes, there is such a thing! it runs counter-current to our regular blogosphere where typecasters post their typewritten blog posts!), I cannot even fully explain how wicked happy I was to see there were ‘typewriters’ clacking about in ‘Awesome Jones‘! Long live analog! I will always grow a smile of a whisper towards the joy in finding old world tech knitted into the stories I love to read! And, the blessing here is that this isn’t a historical fiction novel! This is a modern alternative world in which ordinary people are attempting to determine if their ancestral roots are strong enough to transcend their present lives. That in of itself is an accomplishment worth reading!

What I truly was unsure about what to expect when I read this novel, is how I would feel about being connected to a story whose heart was hinged to the stories of my youth. I always am quite eager to re-examine my past, especially when it comes to books and the bookish culture which are attached to certain volumes, authors, and stories. The fact that this particular novel gave me back my joy of comic superheroes and the style in which comic stories are told is pure bliss. The heart of the story harkened me back to remembering why I loved The New Adventures of Super-Man as much as I had! Lona and Awesome remind me so very much of Clark and Lois! Their connective spirits give you something to chew on rather than running on presumption. Nothing is cliché nor is anything predictable. Honest choices are threaded through the narrative, and I appreciate the choices the author made whilst creating it!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comMy Review of Awesome Jones:

You are immediately drawn to Awesome Jones as a character because of his introverted confidence in understanding his place in the world and how his everyday life is lived as a bachelor. He has a particular way of attending to each of his needs as well as his wants. From the order he reads the newsprint to the manner in which he eats the takeaway food he orders! He is a man of prediction not contradiction, of sincerity and of genuine curiosity for the bits of the everyday world that is not readily known to him; as he has more or less led a bit of a sheltered life. Not that he would be one to feel sorry for what he lacked in experience (such as having a pet; a dog perhaps?) but artfully steered his mind towards self-awareness and self-education practices which gained him the knowledge of what was absent. He’s the type of bloke you might overlook if you had not taken a keen interest to want to know him. He’s a bit understated, but that is part of his charm!

He’s the type of bloke who purchases flowers to know when they have arrived into their own full essence of splendor. One sniff of their delicate petals and the aroma which follows their mirth, and he knows how long it will take the bloom to reach its maturity. His knowledge for canines through the adverts he reads about their change of ownership lends him an eagle eye viewing of his sidewalk companions as he walksabout his business. He denotes which dog matched to which owner is either most akin to its nature or a reflection of its owner’s personality and thus, rendered differently than most.

Lona Chang took Awesome by surprise, not only for her growing affection and respect of his character, but for being endeared to him as a companion. The two took to each other quite readily, but it was how they fit into each other’s pocket that I felt bemused about the most whilst reading the story! You see, they were the near-identical half of the other, and I refer to it being ‘near-identical’ as although they each read the newsprint release of breaking news, they differed on a category or two. Little unbeknownst differences out of a sea of common threads which helped knit Awesome Jones and Lona Chang together in the bliss of conjoined living. She was quite methodical herself, yet Awesome took the cake for exacting out his observations, and for being near computeristically perfect in his actions. Whilst the two were together, they not only complimented each other in synced harmony but they cancelled each other out on their eclecticism.

Lona and Awesome were intricately entwined by their common share of loss, as they respectively never knew their proper origins. They were each raised by loving parents who adopted them as their own when their biological parents had died. They attempted in their own way to resurrect a connection fate did not allow to solidify whilst their parents were alive. In their shared ambiguous loss, they each sought ways in which they could formulate a way to connect themselves through a passion of their parents; even if the only true connection they had were fragmented pieces of their parents personal effects. These tangible reminders were a weight of a burdened yoke which toyed with their emotional well-being.

When Awesome Jones grapples with the choice between the life he’s formed together with Lona and the life he’s dreamt of living, they each have to put to test the strength of their love for each other. I sided with Captain Lightning (one of the main superheroes focused on in the story) on the outdated rules and regulations of The Guild (apparently superheroes are organised more than you realise!). He’s put in a most difficult position because as you can well imagine, he goes from knowing a scant amount about his ancestry and then, in one large dose of revelation he gets far more than he bargained to learn! I would imagine that if you wake up one day and your entire essence of who you are as a person is chucked out for this alternative version; a version you knew nothing of and had no idea of how to accept, there would be a period of adaption to adjust!

This is when I found myself reading at such a lightning clip as to beg my eyes to move faster down the page, as I had my hand at the ready for turning into the next scene! Again, I love the pace of Awesome Jones as you get to the point where you want to see him succeed. You want him to develop self-confidence and believe in his own truth. There are always forces against you in life, and there is always a chance that your going to falter in your confidence on your own behalf, but part of what endeared me to this story is that the main characters believed in each other. It did not matter what the outcome of their lives would be as far as where their place in the world would fit, as if they had each other they could overcome just about anything crossing their path.

This is why I selected this quotation to be the first I quote from a Seventh Star Press novel. You can read their love and their hope for each other inside the words Lona is giving to Awesome.

“I love you, and I’m proud of you, no matter what. I see something inside you, something bright and brilliant. Not like your parents. Not like anyone. Just you. There’s something different about you, Awesome Jones. Just keep training. And if none of this works — if you never develop stronger abilities — it’s ok. Eventually they will catch The Echo and we’ll go back to our house and find new jobs and read the paper. We’ll make a life together no matter what.”

– Lona talks to Awesome, page 276 from “Awesome Jones”

The very foundation of their relationship is trust and honesty. Giving each other the space to grow as individuals but remaining steadfast and strong as a couple. They endeavour to face everything as a unified team and in their choice to remain strong in hope, they are able to conceive of a path that keeps them united in the future. The mystery of how their future knits together holds you right in place with the narrative. Observing their everyday life and world as one incidence after another places their love in jeopardy will keep you up long into the wee hours of the night! And, for that I feel blessed to have stumbled across Sullivan’s writings as they give us all a fairytale to absorb in a day and age that has nearly forgotten how to write one! This is a story full of old-school superheroes with a bit of a modern alternative twist! These are the superheroes you want to read more about and learn more about their history. Sullivan has found a way to tap into their framework of existence and present a palpable story that you will not soon forget.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.comOn the uniqueness of AshleyRose Sullivan’s deft hand in giving a reader a bit of bliss:

I had not even realised there was a distinctive difference in the manner in which the typesetting & style layout of Awesome Jones was presented to the reader in the softcover edition, until of course, I re-read the passage in her previously published Guest Post: On Writing Genre-Bending Fiction that I noticed quite readily how unique this particular novel is from the crowd of fantasy offerings! As I had lamented below her essay, I felt that perhaps my experiences in year’s past in reading stories of various mediums might have tipped my hand and arsenal of memory for stream-lining straight into the narrative itself rather than being curiously aware of its ‘format’. Rather instead of noting any outward appearances of nonconformity, I was celebrating the wicked sweet fast pace of dialogue intermixed with reflective streaming conscious thought narrative!

I liked how you could soak into the inner core of what Awesome Jones was thinking whilst seeing what he saw as he moved through his hours. He was a simple bloke, uncomplicated and true to who he was without being gracious on the details when he was around others. He’s the kind of bloke who did not take himself seriously but wanted to make a good impression on the validity of his strengths and on the merits of what he could accomplish.

Even when the narrative turns malicious to acquaint the reader with the villain of the story, such as on page forty-five and forty-six, Sullivan has this ingenious way of giving you the gruesome details of a crime with the deft hand of a writer who wants to hold back just enough bits of his character to keep you hanging in the balance of when his full form is front and center within the action! She doesn’t cross the line for me as far as Crime Fiction analogies are concerned, as I am a cosy mystery reader and the bits she includes fall under that umbrella moreso than Hard-Boiled. Anyone familiar with the Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle will be able to handle the suspenseful climbing arc inside Awesome Jones! (either those OR any episode of “Castle”!)

Fly in the Ointment:

I was so excited to read this genre-bending story where comic-fantasy cross-over and layer upon each other to create a wholly new experience for the reader of print books. (or e-books as this is available in that medium as well; I simply only read books in print) Yet. Imagine my disappointment to find only a scarce few illustrations in the opening chapters, than the near-full of the middle part of the novel is nothing but text. Until towards the last half of the novel the illustrations resume! I was most distressed. I was a bit beyond let-down. I wasn’t even sure what could have caused the misunderstanding — as from all counts of what I knew of the novel going in to reading it as much as ahead of even requesting it for review (as I’ve known about this book since late 2013!): bespoke of the combination of illustrations and words which converge into a wicked sweet read!

The illustrations that are included are wicked awesome, don’t think for one minute they’re not! They added to the allure of reading a genre-bending comic-fantasy as I’m about to seriously consider this superhero fairytale truly is by essence of its character. Yet, for me, what began to unravel a bit of its heart is the absence of the illustrations themselves. Perhaps there was a layout issue or a formatting issue when the novel went to be printed, but to be truthful, there must be a way to circumvent this for the next Awesome Jones, right?! Where the illustrations can take ring-side seats to the action of the character’s dialogue and narrative voices?!

Please note at the time of posting the Author’s Guest Post and the commentary I added before and after Sullivan’s essay I had not yet begun to read ‘Awesome Jones’. I picked up reading the novel shortly thereafter and although as you can see I readily absorbed into the world of ‘Awesome Jones’, part of me was hungry for a bit more of its comic-minded essence!

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Blog Book Tour Stop, courtesy of Tomorrow Comes Media

Awesome Jones
by ashleyrose sullivan
Illustrator/Cover Designer: AshleyRose Sullivan
Source: Publisher via Tomorrow Comes Media

Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Genre-bender, Superhero Fiction



Places to find the book:

Series: Awesome Jones, No.1


Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters


Published by Seventh Star Press

on 10th March, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 456

Awesome Jones Virtual Tour via Tomorrow Comes Media

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

Tomorrow Comes Media Tour Host

 and mark your calendars!

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Be sure to jump over to my tour stop for “A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court” an Editor Interview as I am hosting a reader poll to determine what is the favourite fantastical character in fantasy! Be sure to leave a comment in those threads on a recommended title and/or author!

Coming up next is my Author Interview for “A Mage of None Magic”,

also a new release of 7th Star!

Stay tuned!

Watch my tweets!

And return back to this blog!

What do you love about genre-bender fiction!? What kinds of stories do you wish were bent together more often?! Which authors and books would you highly recommend reading more than once to get their full effect!? What are your thoughts on Sullivan’s gift and vision for uniting comic superheros & fantasy fiction narrative!?

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, Book Cover, and TCM Tour Host badge were provided by Tomorrow Comes Media 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. Selected Quotation of the novel “Awesome Jones” was used with permission of Seventh Star Press.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Related Articles:

Superhero Fiction – (en.wikipedia.org)

I’m a social reader | I tweet my reading life

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Wednesday, 21 May, 2014 by jorielov in Action & Adventure Fiction, Adoption, Alternative History, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Castle, Comic Book Illustrations & Story, Creative Arts, Crime Fiction, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Fly in the Ointment, Genre-bender, Graphic Novel, Illustration for Books & Publishing, Indie Art, Indie Author, Seventh Star Press Week, Superhero Adventure, Superhero Fiction, Tomorrow Comes Media

+Blog Book Tour+ Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too: 33 Daily Devotions to Show God’s Love by Cindy Vincent

Posted Sunday, 4 May, 2014 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Cats Are Part of HIs Kingdom Too by Cindy Vincent

Published By: WhoDunit Press, 21 June, 2013
Official Author WebsitesSite | Pin(terest) Boards
Available Formats: Softcover
Page Count: 78

Converse on Twitter: #CatsArePartOfHisKingdomToo

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Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Cats Are Part of His Kingdom Too” virtual book tour through Editing Through the Seasons. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Cindy Vincent, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired To Read: I have always had a soft spot in my heart for cats since I was quite a young girl as I simply fell in love with little people with fur since as long as I can remember having animals in the home! I grew up happily in a family who believed strongly in adopting animals in need at rescue shelters and in full support of non-kill shelters as each animal deserves a loving forever home. When I was growing up in the city, the shelter actually included a bit more than your regular fare of cats and dogs; equine and exotic animals as well as birds could be adopted time after time, including a few rabbits and small farm animals! I always found that to be quite special! We adopted our beloved family dog from them as his previous owners moved cross country to California and could not take him with them. He was a year old to my young two years, and you could say we ‘grew up’ together! 

Our beloved cat came to us via a cat rescue shelter where she was found with kittens under the age of one year! Each of her babies were adopted quite readily, but she was left behind as apparently no one wanted an ‘older’ cat at that point as she turned one whilst awaiting adoption. She came into our house quite a feisty character and our lovely dog subdued her a bit but only by a hair! She was a spitfire calico til the day she passed a full 15 years after we brought her home! She had a few quirks as well behaviorly but she was loving in her own unique way and despite the issues which occasionally arises from a special needs cat (although at the time we were not told she had ‘special needs’) I could not imagine my childhood and adulthood without her!

I have had a full menagerie of adopted animals in my life including but not limited to: hamsters, cats, dogs, small birds, a multitude of fish, a small herd of cattle, a few pigs, peafowl, and a special iguana at my local science center as a child where you could provide the necessary cost for a special needs animal who could only live in captivity. She was not able to conceive children and therefore was at risk. She had a special aquarium and of course, being I was her guardian I could visit her whenever I pleased, as well as hold her too! I practically lived at my science center so to say we saw each other rather often in the Summers (especially!) would be putting it mildly!

This does not even include all the lovely animals out in nature of whom I have felt a close connection too over the years as I have grown accustomed to seeing them as I walk. I find I am most in harmony if I keep close to the natural world whilst observing the seasons and the animals who inhabit the environment just past our civilised world. The natural world can speak to you if you tune your heart into their frequency as much as your soul is uplifted by the companions of those animals domestic, feral, or farm-related which enter your life during the times their friendship and companionship has the greatest impact on your heart. For these reasons and more, I was simply over the moon in joy to see a devotional of uplifting passages devoted to the heart of a cat lover’s soul!

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Book Synopsis:

As Christians, sometimes it’s hard for us to comprehend the love our Heavenly Father has for us, His Earthly children. Author Cindy Vincent began to realize the depth of His love after caring for several rescued cats and then bringing them into her home. That’s when she began to notice the parallels between her relationship with these precious felines and God’s relationship with us. After all, as a pet Mom, she works in so many behind-the-scenes ways to make life wonderful for her little feline family, much like God works behind the scenes to make life wonderful for us. Yet much like her cats have no comprehension of all that she does for them, we have no comprehension of all that God does for us.

Before long, she began to see lots of parallels, and decided to put these down in the form of Daily Devotions, to demonstrate just how very much God loves us.

Author Biography:

Cindy Vincent was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and has lived all around the US and Canada. She is the creator of the Mysteries by Vincent murder mystery party games and the Daisy Diamond Detective Series games for girls. She is also the award-winning author of the Buckley and Bogey Cat Detective Caper books, and the Daisy Diamond Detective book series. She lives with her husband and an assortment of fantastic felines. You can learn more about the Buckley and Bogey books at buckleyandbogey.com.

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Princess | Cindy Vincent Cat

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As Ms. Vincent started out her devotional, she bespoke of the cardinal truths all animal lovers and owners know instantly once the love of their companion enters their life, world, and heart: the lessons we learn arrive in the hours where we least expect them to come from the whisperments of our furry friends! I oft wondered of the blessings I had walking through my ordinary days after school with my dog and cat; as each of them gave so much back to me as I gave to them! I always felt it was remarkable that they could only purr, bark, or meow as it felt as though they always had so much to impart but were a bit hindered by vocalising their thoughts in ways that would be a bit easier to understand. I grew to listen to them with my heart and as our conversations progressed, I knew they understood me as well as I understood them! And, how very, very wise they were at that!

It is a pure joy to get caught up in the words Ms. Vincent imparts to the reader as she describes cats in such a unique level of keen insight as to impart their characteristics upon our eyes! She gives you a window view of the cats who have nestled into her heart, mind, and spirit as she relates through the stories of her cats how everyday wisdom and life-affirming faith moments can become interwoven into your everyday life through our relationship with our beloved cats. As each cat arrives into your life at different stages of living as much as a different hour of arrival which in of itself is as effective as to why the cat is there in the first place!

As I have been participating as I can in Equality in Literature rights in fiction via Twitter this past week, I was cheering inside watching how she took describing the differences of her cats to the beautiful kaleidoscope of our own differences as a human race. To draw a connecting line between the acceptance of multiple breeds of cats is the same as accepting that despite any outward differences we are each meant to be kind-hearted and full of grace towards another. For nothing else quite makes sense in a world that is bent-on forgetting its humanity and the ability to choose kindness over hate, ignorance, and indifference.

I could even relate to the passages as there are no true perfect cats, as each cat even if behaving normal by all counts known is still going to have a unique personality and approach to living whilst interacting with their human guardians! I never knew until the last few years when a light bulb sort of went off in my head that we always seemed to shower love on special need cats ever so often! The cat of my childhood (whom I mentioned earlier) had a personality flaw from being on the streets as a young mother with possible left-over former abuse memories lingering in her sub-science when cross-checked with her behaviour issues. Then, there is of course the reality of being at the top of your Vets adoptable house list to take-on cats who have personality quirks who are at that time unadoptable. (I speak more on this in my Interview with Ms. Vincent on Tuesday!) The two hybrid tabbys in my life today were adopted with a sea of medical issues surrounding their young fur tails as they simply could not adapt to life in a foster home after having spent their first nine months with a quiet old lady who doted on them! Kennel cough or its equivalent was one malady, which equated out to Vets, medicine, and more little instruments for giving medicine than you dare think two cats could need!

Yet, despite their early medical issues, they grew into 10 year old twins (the fact they act ‘twinny’ by doing everything in sync is one way of knowing!) whose zest for life belies their age! Not one ounce of their character denotes a ‘senior’ cat except to say they tucker out far faster now than they previously did unless they ‘save’ extra play hours by snoozing quite a heap the day before! Laughs. They make us giggle in joy by sheer will of curiosity etched into their fur and bones as surely as their love and mirth of being near us. In their adversity they always showed true patience but it was our beloved cat who passed last May (in which I wrote about on this blog post) who showed true grace. His spirits were never down despite his calamities nor did he ever falter in his care on our behalf. A true champion of spirit, he gave back so much to us that we could never possibly fill a note of gratitude for having known him except to allow his spirit to remain evermore at the forefront of our memories. He was more companion than cat, a cherished presence where once lost reminds you of your best friend’s absence, and a spirit of goodwill and generosity which lives on a bit in the cats left behind who have outlived him. The tuxedo has taken his death the hardest, waking in the middle of the night in fits of anxiety and sorrow. Her bouts subdue for months at a time and then resume. We can only hope with our extra attention in those hours of need she will slowly lesson her hold on his absence and realise she is alright in our loving hold.

And, that in of itself is a parable of faith of having to be strong in the face of loss and in a sense of unease out of adversity. To walk into the light of each new day filling your spirit with hope despite your wavering spirit wondering if you have the strength to find the joy you once knew so well before death took someone you cherished. Not only through death but perhaps through circumstances, we each have to bend as willows and go through life in the full face of what alights on our paths knowing that we’re never alone and that we have someone to lean on at times of most peril. Trusting without sight of how everything will unravell and pan out is the hardest bit to undertake, but like the trust of a cat who enters your home without knowledge of how you will accept them, faith too is unconditional and a beacon of hope.

My cats have gotten themselves into a few true pickles as much as Ms. Vincent’s, let me tell you! Whether they have ducked behind boxes they cannot jump out of to save their fur or whether they end up in some fix where a human is needed to assist them, one thing was always resoundingly sure! They do not like to admit their faults nor do they like to admit they need assistance! And, that too is a lesson in humility and of accepting our weaknesses as much as our strengths! Although to a cat, to admit a weakness goes against every direct instinct they have inside them, save our cat who passed last May! To him asking for help was something he did not mind doing if it meant a loving hand and a kind heart was going to take away his difficulties and help him through what he considered most adverse! Being a boy, he surely did not realise his counterpart of males in human form tend to be the hardest to ‘ask for help’ out of our species!

Reading about Bogey & Buckley warmed my heart, as it was nearly an identical story of how I matched our little tuxedo (she’s now on the fringe of turning nine years, but at her adoption she weighed just enough to fit into my palms at two months old!) to our non-twin tabby! He needed a mate of sorts as the twins are inseparable despite their angst of each other being siblings! He needed someone he could pal around with as much as love on if the mood struck him, and being fickle in the love department that was not nearly as oft as the tux would have preferred but she accepted him on his terms! Even to the brink of rubbing into his neck and having him walk straight off without a by your leave if you please! Laughs. For me, I knew I needed a high octane and a bit hyper kitten to match wits with a shy yet loving tabby! Finding a little bundle of black fur dangling upside down in a wire cage besmirked with a wink and a nod of “Who? Me?” writ into her whiskers I knew I had found ‘the cat’ and ‘the mate in the stars’ for my tabby cat! Isn’t it amazing how when you take a leap of faith how the results of your trust grow even deeper than you felt they had rooted?

Buckley reminded me so much of our tabby because I did not realise the full extent of his separation anxiety until I read Buckley’s story on page 36! You could consider the same affliction my own cat’s nightmare and they sort of have a similar background with a few slight differences: mine was rescued off the streets with his sister held tight by the nape of the neck as dusk fell down around him. His rescuer knew he could save both cats but getting my cat to trust him to that degree took a full afternoon and nearly the evening! He was putting his sister’s life ahead of his own but somehow in face of uncertainty he saw someone he could trust in the last golden hour he could be pulled from the streets. Amazing how Ms. Vincent’s observations and experiences of having cats mirrors my own families!

A forever home to an animal in need is a long lesson in stability because they do not always trust they are safe or have access to food and water. I remember those days when they (the tabby & tux) would scratch around both the food bowl and the water bowl as if to ‘cover and hide’ it from outside predators. It took ‘years!’ for them to realise the only ones who would go near those bowls were the twins and/or us (the humans!) to clean and re-fill them! I always fully supported adopting animals and children in need of loving homes as they have one major thing in common: they both need a family willing to accept them as they are and see them for who they will be once their fear and anxiety melts away and reveals their authentic self. Love can heal through time, but its the ability to see past where a cat or a child is at point of adoption is the true measure of faith and love combined. To give someone a second chance at a forever home and family is the ultimate gift we can share and freely give with all our hearts, minds, and souls.

This is one devotional I will continue to re-read throughout the rest of my days as its a gentle reminder of how blessed and enriched our lives are when we welcome in a cat who does not have a home! In my forthcoming Interview with Ms. Vincent I will be sharing about how my family undertook the care of a homeless cat who is still within the stages of not realising that the food we put out is not a one, two, or ten time arrangement but will always be there when she comes round for a visit and can be relied on to be there when she needs it most. Trust and faith walk hand in hand, and I love the way in which the lessons of life are matched directly with passages out of scripture which take the devotions of observational life into a new level of understanding.

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This book review is courtesy of:

Cats Are Part of His Kingdom, Too Virtual Blog Tour hosted by Editing Through the Seasons

hosted by:

Editing Through the Seasons - Freelance Editing & Publicity Services

{Amber took a job at a publisher & closed her publicity service Summer 2014}

Be sure to scope out my Bookish Upcoming Events

to mark your calendars!!

I purposely approached the writing of this review differently as it is set around a series of devotions which speak directly to the human heart and spirit. Therefore, I did not want to break it down like a regular novel showcase review as I generally do for all other blog tour book reviews, but rather write free-form as I spent time inside the devotional. I wanted my thoughts and impressions to arrive and alight in my spirit as I read the uplifting words and the reflections of faith from the author’s experiences. In this way, I hope my own walk inside the devotion will inspire you to pick up a copy and find seeds of wisdom which can apply to your own life and your own experiences as I have done myself.

Thank you for this interlude! As a bit of a nodding towards my love of inspirational fiction is in my sidebar and as my project to read 70 Inspirational Authors has grown to en-company a few more years to allow a proper time to soak into their narratives. I simply wanted to state on this blog stop that I welcome the hours I can lay heart and mind on inspiring stories which are interwoven with beliefs similar though not always identical to my own. As a walk of faith is as individual as we are from each other in every other way. I hope you will enjoy seeing my inspirational observations as much as you have enjoyed my observations in mainstream markets. As disclosed, I wander through all walks of literature and do not put special empathsis on either designation. I seek out stories, tride and true!

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Timeless Wisdom on Cats – Video 1 via WOW Content

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{SOURCES: Book cover for “Cats Are Part of His Kingdom Too”, cat photograph of Princess (black & white cat), author biography, book synopsis, and blog tour badges were provided by Editing Through the Seasons and used with permission. WOW Content 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 a video about the wisdom of cats. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Go Indie
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Posted Sunday, 4 May, 2014 by jorielov in 70 Authors Challenge 2013-19, Adoption, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Anthology Collection of Stories, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Films, Cats and Kittens, Daily Devotions of Inspiration from Life, Editing Through The Seasons, Equality In Literature, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Inspiring Video Related to Content, Lessons from Scripture, Memoir, Rescue & Adoption of Animals, Vignettes of Real Life, Wisdom of Life Threaded in Devotions