I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” 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 being an enthused ChocLit Reader:
Soaking inside a ChocLit novel is a lot of joy for me, as I know going in a few things I am going to enjoy finding are strong female and male lead characters, a stirring drama or a rib breaking comedy with a high concentration on relationships and the entanglements we find ourselves tied up inside when we elect not to trust the person we’ve anchoured our lives too. In Somewhere Beyond the Sea the pages evaporated before my eyes, as I was moving at such a clip to consume this novel, I daresay, I did not leave my comfy cosy reading nook til nearly reaching the last quarter of the novel!
I was on page 150 when I realised I hadn’t even written anything down to explain the intensity of what had me rooted to the page, whilst hoping against hope this could have an ending that I could handled being revealed! It is the type of suspense novel that pulls you into it’s vortex, giving you a fullness of the fright and the fear that Karen Ainsworth is attempting to forestall knowledge of (both to you, the reader and to her husband, Tristan) whilst everything in/around her life is starting to spiral a bit out of control!
It was at a luncheon with my Mum and Da, I started to become a bit animated talking about this story, the evoking of psychological suspense against the back-drop of a cat-mouse game of personal identity and past anguish from domestic violence intermixed with bullying. The further you delved into the heart of the novel, the more curiously inspiring it was on one level (as Karen’s life is anything but predictable nor dull) and a bit stomach churning on the other, as I am thankful after reading this story none of my bullies from childhood came back to haunt me as an adult!
At one point, as we had dined out that day, I took to notice those who were eating near us had become quite quiet, and I have a feeling they were eavesdropping on the conversation! I am not sure what they thought of what I was relaying, as if they hadn’t heard the bit about ‘the book’ or ‘my recent ChocLit read’ they could quite literally think it was ‘just another current news story going viral’. Ironically, I always smile when someone asks me, “Did you just say you read chocolate?” To which I love responding, “Yes! I most certainly do read ChocLit! I prefer it over most ChickLit!” Their facial expressions are quite priceless at that point!
Doctor Tristan Ainsworth has returned with his family to the idyllic Cornish village close to where he grew up. The past has taught him some hard lessons, but he’ll do anything to make his wife happy – so what’s making her so withdrawn?
Karen Ainsworth daren’t reveal her true feelings, but knows her husband has put up with her moods for too long. A chance to use her extraordinary singing voice may set her free, so why shouldn’t she take it? Surely her past can’t hurt her now?
As a tide of blackmail and betrayal is unleashed to threaten the foundations of their marriage, Karen and Tristan face a difficult question. Is their love strong enough to face the truth when the truth might cost them everything?
NOTE: Did you see the “Public Library” link? Along with “Add to Riffle” these are new additions to my blog! They will slowly populate through the archives, however, “Public Library” re-directs to the holdings of each book on WorldCat! The world’s largest public library directory (and one of Jorie’s favourite haunts!) per where you’re located you can see if there are holdings nearby to borrow from your local library system! Quite wicked, eh? For instance there are listings for this novel in: Virginia, Ohio, Texas, New York, Illinois, Oklahoma, Nebraska, and California! If your local library (for those readers of mine stateside) allow you to ILL (inter-library loan) outside your city and state, you can borrow “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” today! Fireworks of cheers are surely exploding, right!? IF you cannot ILL outside your city/state, remember: SUBMIT a purchase request for books you want to read! I always do! This helps your library grow and your collection to become quite eclectically reflective of the booklovers in your community!
Amanda James was born in Sheffield and now lives in Cornwall with her husband and two cats. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, singing and spending lots of time with her grandson. She also admits to spending far too much time chatting on Twitter and Facebook! Amanda recently left her teaching role (teaching history to sixth form pupils) to follow her ambition to live her life doing what she most enjoys—writing.
Amanda is a published author of short stories and her first novel with Choc Lit, A Stitch in Time was chosen as a Top Pickin RT Book Reviews magazine in the US in July 2013 and won a 2013 Reviewers’ Choice Award from Single Titles.
Acquired Book By:I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Lost Duchess” virtual book tour through HFVBT: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Jenny Barden, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Curiosity Inspired Me to Read:
I felt plumb delighted to read this novel as it sounded quite exciting if you ask me! I love the appeal of diving into the lost colonies and of course, who wouldn’t like a thriller set at sea and land?!
I am always a reader whose eye bewitches her attention from one period of history to another, and the one section of literature I have not yet rallied my will to venture into is that of the high seas epics! I have already earmarked off the novels of Patrick O’ Brian and others like him, who enhance my curiosity and warm me to the descriptions of life at sea. I am an adventurer in spirit, and as I had relaid to MaryLu Tyndall last year whilst she was touring the blogosphere for Forsaken Dreams, I felt inclined to tell her that if I had had the proposition to set sail for a new world and a new way of living, I’d have embarked on the journey forthwith! My mind furvoured over this recollection as I broached the premise of The Lost Duchess; twirling over in my mind if I was ready to set sail and fully breathe in narrative on the high seas! As you can see, the answer that bubbled to the surface was a resounding yes! And, I think a bit inspired by my fascination and delight in reading a ChocLitUK novel entitled: Close to the Wind!
I am always forever grateful when there are enclosures with the books I receive for review, in this particular case, the paperback copy of The Lost Duchess was signed by the author! She even went so far as to include a business card which features the book cover art and her contact information, as well as a lovely postcard which includes the book synopsis on one side and a framed book cover image on the opposite one! I am always marvelling at the little surprises authors and publishers tuck into books for book bloggers, because it is one step closer to keeping the circle between us an interactive experience. I even adore the Editor’s Notes that come inside ARCs or the extensive Press Releases which publishers generally tuck inside ARCs and finished copies alike! Little bobbles of joy which make me smile as I ease into the narratives at hand! A charming reminder that what we do as we blog is appreciated but more than that, that writers are as bookish as the readers who appreciate the opportunity to read their novels! In that, we all like to have little tangible memories to reflect back on our experiences, and I am always pleasantly delighted to find what is included inside my book parcels!
I cannot express my gratitude enough for the bookmarks, as previously mentioned mine are all packed along with my personal library (for the most part!). The little business card for The Lost Duchess held my place as I shifted through the pages, and it was as fondly used as the curious little business card I wished I had had for To Live Forever by Andra Wakins! I watched so many of Wakins “Natchez Trace videos” I nearly thought it would be a keen keepsake to have a little card as a nodding reminder of my connection to her experience and journey on the Trace! The happy bit for me is using bookmarks from various authors inside new books as they arrive to be read — little fingerprints of reflections drift through my mind and heart, as I nestle into the story at hand, and for that, I am one very blessed and thankful book blogger!
Book Synopsis:
An epic Elizabethan adventure with a thriller pace and a high tension love story that moves from the palaces of England to the savage wilderness of the New World.
Emme Fifield has fallen about as far as a gentlewoman can.
Once a lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, her only hope of surviving the scandal that threatens to engulf her is to escape England for a fresh start in the new America where nobody has ever heard of the Duchess of Somerset.
Emme joins Kit Doonan’s rag-tag band of idealists, desperados and misfits bound for Virginia. But such a voyage will be far from easy and Emme finds her attraction to the mysterious Doonan inconvenient to say the least.
As for Kit, the handsome mariner has spent years imprisoned by the Spanish, and living as an outlaw with a band of escaped slaves; he has his own inner demons to confront, and his own dark secrets to keep…
Ever since Sir Walter Raleigh’s settlement in Virginia was abandoned in 1587 its fate has remained a mystery; ‘The Lost Duchess’ explores what might have happened to the ill-starred ‘Lost Colony’ of Roanoke.
Author Biography:
I’ve had a love of history and adventure ever since an encounter in infancy with a suit of armour at Tamworth Castle. Training as an artist, followed by a career as a city Jenny (Portrait 2)solicitor, did little to help displace my early dream of becoming a knight. A fascination with the Age of Discovery led to travels in South and Central America, and much of the inspiration for my debut came from retracing the footsteps of Francis Drake in Panama. The sequel centres on the first Elizabethan ‘lost colony’ of early Virginia. I am currently working on an epic adventure during the threat of invasion by the Spanish Armada.
My work has appeared in short story collections and anthologies and I’ve written for non-fiction publications including the Historical Novels Review. I am active in many organisations, having run the ‘Get Writing’ conferences for several years, and undertaken the co-ordination of the Historical Novel Society’s London Conference 2012. I am a member of that organisation as well as the Historical Writers’ Association, the Romantic Nevelists’ Association and the Society of Authors. I’ll be co-ordinating the RNA’s annual conference in 2014.
I have four children and now live on a farm in Dorset with my long suffering husband and an ever increasing assortment of animals.
I love travelling, art, reading and scrambling up hills and mountains (though I’m not so keen on coming down!).
A notation on Cover Art:
There are moments of great joy to discover a book cover as captivating as the one on The Lost Duchess. The moment you lock eyes with the woman who graces the page, you instinctively realise that you want to venture into her life and follow where she will lead. Her clothes are quite ornate, but it is the unexpected notice she is giving you that eludes the story will no doubt capture your full attention once it is begun to be consumed. She has a story to tell, and I knew that in combination with the book’s synopsis, this was a story I wanted to walk alongside her and know intimately.
There is a common debate I have noticed recently in the book blogosphere and the twitterverse, about the presumption of selection on the books we elect to read. One side claims it is by the book cover alone and the other side laments that it is on the merits of the story’s premise. I, on the other hand, have claimed to say:
Truly though, about why I am drawn into a book!? It goes directly into the heart of the narrative — I look for book synopsis which etch out a story-line full of heart & soul characters, who either need to go on a journey of discovery or are going to live through a life experience which will either shape them, break them, or transform them. Thinking back on my own young adult years — it was the story which took central focus – I have not changed my spots! My blog is aptly named as you get to know me! I might love a book cover, but I cannot love it fully unless I get a sense of the story within it – the cover is the shell, the heart of the joy in reading lies in the pages between the covers! -quoted from my comment on Ellen Mulholland’s blog
For you see, I may well fancy a book’s cover illustrations and artwork, but for me, if the book itself does not ink out a reason to savvy my interest and eyes to become enthralled with its contents, I am afraid I do not pick the book up irregardless of how much I might admit the cover is quite a remarkable piece of art. For to me, it is art then, and not a story of interest. I am not sure if the debate will ever be settled, but one thing I wanted to mention is how I appreciate book covers in successive order of release from authors have a ‘turning nod’ to each other. Case in point, is the début novel (Mistress of the Sea) by Ms. Barden (seen in this paragraph) whereupon the filigree edges and the atmosphere of colours selected against the backdrop are in tune with the cover for The Lost Duchess.
Previously, I observed the same keen attention given to the books of Stephanie Thornton, as I reviewed her second novel, Daughter of the Gods recently on another Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour. The connectiveness in sequence and choice of design makes me smile inwardly, because the covers then become a bit of a triptych when viewed alongside each other (if there are three in sequence, such as the Daughter of Boston series by Julie Lessman). I like this attention to nuance detail and the methodology of selecting covers which help readers identify the collective work of an author when they go to borrow or purchase their books. I will need to remember to add notations each time I discover this amongst the books I read next, as it is one detail that I appreciate most.
Aside from period specific choices in clothing, as although I do not always realise when I am being duped by period designs and examples, there are moments where I have an inclination to feel that perhaps the clothing or manner of style on a cover is a bit of out time for the story it is attempting to reflect. Barden’s covers are an elegant grace in excellence and her tomes of work will delight all the senses a reader uses to soak into a novel’s heart.
My Review of The Lost Duchess:
The wide-eyed innocence of a maid-in-waiting to the Queen is ripped out of her bodice and attacked by a most vile individual who did not see Emme Fifield as a woman to respect and honour, but an object to possess. Her most tender courage of youthful spirit encapsulated her from the worst of the attack by muffling her angst ridden heart and the screams she would have belted to heaven if not in fear of the Queen, her liege in finding out the truth. Barden opens The Lost Duchess in such a powerful way as to beg the reader’s notice that what was once felt in locking eyes with Emme on the cover, now turns to an increasingly beguiling sense of knowing.
Her steadfast knowledge of a woman’s place in the Elizabethan age purported her plight, as she knew very well that if any person learnt of her disgrace of being attacked, the brunt of the burden would be solely placed on her shoulders. The rights of women then and the rights of women now are not so very far apart from each other when it comes to domestic violence and the collision of unwanted advances from men. Barden writ inside the passages following the attack a wholesome truth of the inner workings of a woman attempting to balance her reality of the incident against the reality of her place in court. Her life was a fragile balance of obligation, duty, and expected service to her Queen.
As we are gaining insight into her strength of character, we are seeing further into her courage as she decides to carry-on and forge ahead as though nothing sinister had occurred at all; as who is there to confide in when women are always viewed as being the harbingers of their own fate?
Emme is a woman who has vision outside the plight of her own circumstances, and on the confidence of the Secretary of State to Queen Elizabeth I, (Sir Francis Walsingham) she endeavours to change her stars by her own conviction and merit of industry by joining the voyage back to the New World. She knows her future is blighted at best if she stays behind to face the uncivilous rumours head-on, but to jump aboard ship and sail to Virginia? To help forge a colony in the Chesapeake that is stronger and sturdier than that of Roanoke?! I must confess, as her mind danced with images of fanciful new dreams and possibilities, I was alongside her rallying hope and encouragement for what this new beginning would mean to her well-being.
Besmirched with the tides of fate, Emme and Kit, the man entrusted to keep her safe aboard ship each have their own personal reasons for sailing for presumed sanctity in Virginia. As I had the pleasure of seeing Belle on the silver screen for my birthday this year, (a mere week ago) I could settle in my mind the joy of seeing a father acknowledge his child; a child of biracial origins and one he most earnestly loved. Reading the passages where Kit was attempting to explain to his brother the true reason he wanted to pursue a new life abroad warmed my heart, as foresaid Belle was only recently seen and has already stitched itself into my most beloved motion pictures of recent years; akin to Amazing Grace! I also appreciated the character of Manteo who is a Native amongst the Britons travelling to and fro the New World. He was given full respect for his person and I liked his ease in conversing with Emme, as he did not see her as others might and she was in full appreciation for the reprieve.
As their journey led them to the New World, so too did their adventure lead them to a rebirth of living with the full grace of freedom transformed. I appreciated the hearty realism stitched into life on ship as much as the curious details woven into the days in which they were ashore in Roanoke. Barden took a fissure of disjointed and fragmented history, and pulled together a pliable accountment of what ‘could have been’ but of which will quite surely ‘never truly be known’ of the ill-fated attempt to colonise Virginia at that point in time. I must commend her for her vision, as this particular slice of history always fascinated me in school, always thirsty for new details or curious scenarios of possibilities, and in reading The Lost Duchess, I find myself bemuseful of how this story could very well have a stock in reality.
The only bits that I found a bit disconcerning at times were the visual nature of some of the scenes, yet I did not attach a ‘fly in the ointment’ to this post because quite frankly they were very few and far between. They only entered a scene when needed to express the seriousness of an attack; especially a fatal one where someone was brutally murdered by Natives in Roanoke where the colonists were attempting to take residence. I flitted over the passages because within the whole of the book, my heart was enraptured with the evolving story between Emme and Kit, who are the heroes of the tale!
The wordsmith stylings of Barden’s narrative was rapturously exaulted:
I am forevermore blessed to have stumbled across such wonderful wordsmiths who enlighten our minds with words of which are not commonly used nor known in today’s literature. Even those words which would be harkened back to an age of the historical page in which the story entreats our imaginations to venture, not every author is able to knit the ties of that era in such a way as to unite a clarity of speech. I am always in a celebratory mood when I find a writer whose pen inks out a frothy amount of phrase, word, and era specific mentionings as to help alight us in the setting in which the story takes place. I feared not the moment I opened this particular novel, as between the Chapter Heading Quotation disclosures of passages taken from historical documents (I presume?) to engage our eye in the real characters behind the fictional story, to the benefit of the words in which grace the pages, my mind was lit afire with a truism of the Elizabethan Court!
She takes you inside this unknown world with such a propensity for details and enriched voices of the past, that you feel as though you are stepping directly into Emme’s shoes, casting footfalls where she alights in Richmond Palace as much as the shores of the New World. I found myself eating the words and pages as readily as my eyes were able to absorb their murmurings, because I had found another new author of whose story was soaking into my heart and that swelled a sea of thankfulness inside my heart! And, prompted a most curious thought as to seek out Mistress of the Sea!
A note on behalf of Ebury Press sustainability conscience:
On the reverse cover of The Lost Duchess, I was happily struck by the presence of the FSC recognisble label! I had mentioned their conservation efforts to source paper without hurting old growth forests on a previous post, as I am attempting to make a reference note of each book I read henceforth forward that has a mention inside its sleeves for stewardship and sustainable printing practices. More and more publishers (from major trade to independent press) are striving towards finding greener ways to print books and thereby, proving the point that those of us who can only read books in print can effectively read greener! A bit like how each of us who purchases second-hand books is taking a step towards the unnecessity of successive printings of the same novel. I applaud Ebury Press and Random House Group, Ltd. for being part of the forebearers of change and for giving all readers everywhere something to chew on about how reading green does not have to be electronically originated.
as I am happily honoured to be a blog tour hostess for:
Please visit myBookish Eventspage to stay in the know for upcoming events!
Reader Interactive Question:
I am curious, what are your impressions of the ill-fated colony of Roanoke!? Have you sought out previous stories set amidst the rumours of unknown truths!? What do you think is plausible to explain the fact they were never found and that the search continues to today for their ancestors!? There is a lovely ‘Author’s Note’ in the back of “The Lost Duchess” which goes into a bit of detail to explain not only the author’s take on the history but how history is continuing being penned as the research continues to seek out the truth of what happened to the colony. I was grateful the passages were included as they tethered all the pieces together in both fiction and reality.
{SOURCES: Book covers for “The Lost Duchess” & “Mistress of the Sea”, Author Biography, Book Synopsis, and blog tour badges were provided by HFVBT – Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours and used with permission. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Post dividers by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}
Today, it is a pure honour and joy to welcome back to Jorie Loves A Story, Ms. Sandra Leesmith! Of whom was featured previously in a Book Cover Reveal post as on the 14th of March, “Love’s Promises” was not yet on a blog tour but being revealed to the literary world as its cover was ready to make its début!
I was quite excited to participate in my first event hosted by Ms. Amber Stokes of Editing Through the Seasons, and I could not have hoped for a better day! The conversations which ignited in the comment threads simply warmed my heart, as I am always striving towards making Jorie Loves A Story a happy hearted place for readers and writers to alight, whilst conversing about books, bookish culture, and the authors we appreciate discovering!
This was a particularly joyous day as an author I dearly appreciated also dropped by for a quick visit, Ms. Julie Lessman! (author of the Daughters of Boston, Winds of Change, and Heart in San Francisco series) When I was asked by Ms. Stokes to participate in the blog book tour for “Love’s Promises” I was simply overjoyed I could ask to Interview Ms. Leesmith and by a suggestion of Ms. Stokes to focus a bit more on the snippets of a larger conversation her and I had only just touched the generalities on during her Cover Reveal!
Let me share what I am referencing:
INSPIRATION BEHIND MY INTERVIEW:
{14 March, 2014}
Ms. Leesmith: I really do like having print copies so probably will do it. Lately though even at book fairs, (I was recently at the Chocolate Affair in Glendale, AZ) most of my sales were kindle. Young people especially want to use their e-readers and I guess they are better for the environment. The old publishing paradigm was such a waste. At least with print on demand, you don’t have more books printed than are being used or bought.
So keep positive. A print copy might sail your way after all. smile
Jorie: I am hearing murmurs to that effect in some regions (as far as young adult readers seeking digital copies) but then, in other regions in the States I am learning that there is a falling back to reading traditional books; as the culture of the Indie bookshoppe is undergoing a Renaissance where readers are appreciating the ability to converse and gather! I find this to be both humbling and uplifting, as it goes back to how I grew up appreciating the interactions at bookshoppes! In regards to the environment, I have been proactive in seeking how publishers can lower the footprint of carbon in the making of books as well as the footprint of distribution. Some of my findings are already out there and known; such as using non-old growth forest paper, Eco-friendly inks (ex. vegetable ink), and of course, I have a few personal ideas about how to make hardbacks more environmentally sound. I love how some publishers (esp Indies) are going carbon-neutral for production by implementing green energy on behalf of their printing side of the ledger! Renewable energy sources excite me for their ability to shift traditional industries into an era of new green freedom! I don’t believe the old paradigm is dead completely, because I do believe in print books being alleviated to a new level of green by changing how we focus on book production and the ‘ingredients’ in which go into book printing! :) And, that *excites!* me!! :)
Ms. Leesmith: Okay okay, you talked me into it. I was on the fence about printing the book and have several friends who prefer the print. So I will contact Lena and she will get it going. She does a fantastic job so I can’t complain there.
And yay for you on promoting the “green”. The old paradigm was CRAZY. I mean printing 100,000 books and throwing away what didn’t sell. yikes. That just breaks my heart to think of all those books burning away. And the waste. But you are right. The changes are not complete, but they are on their way and that is a good thing.
Jorie: Oh, my dear stars, seriously!? I feel rather chuffed then! I hadn’t expected to alter your stance on this, but felt encouraged to broach how I think publishing is making strides towards change which can be not only be more efficient but positive for our collective futures! :) Yes, I do agree one of the downfalls of discarding the books is that they were never put into the hands of those who could benefit by reading them! :( I felt there was a disconnect between waste and recycling the books into programs and charities for literary outreach! A bit like how restaurants and grocery stores had to shift their thinking towards day-old bread and pastries!? I get excited about where positive progress in the 21st Century is leading all of us! :)
Ms. Leesmith: And yes, what a concept to recycle and use what was formerly thrown away. I love the changes coming about with new ideas and new ways of thinking. Seriously we have to think about these things. Waste is not God’s plan is it? We are so blessed so we should take care not to lose those blessings.
For Monica Scott, building her late father’s house at Lake Tahoe isn’t an option—it’s a necessary distraction from confusing memories and an uncertain future. But a handsome planner working for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) is keeping Monica from moving forward with the project. Never mind that he’s young and charming with a great sense of humor. No one is going to stop Monica from making her father’s dream—and her own—a reality.
All Greg Linsey wants is for his work to mean something. His job at TRPA gives him the opportunity to fight for the environment he loves and make a difference in his small corner of the world. But with the sophisticated Monica Scott’s arrival, his dedication is tested as never before, especially when Monica turns to his unscrupulous nemesis for assistance. As Greg and Monica’s animosity turns into something far sweeter, can they learn to accept each other’s promises and avoid the growing danger to their lives and hearts?
Author Biography:
SANDRA LEESMITH loves to travel in her RV and explore all of nature’s beauty, discover America’s history, and fellowship with the wonderful people she meets while on the road. She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, swimming, and pickleball. Learn more about Sandra and her books at sandraleesmith.com.
Book Cover Designer Biography:
LENA GOLDFINCH writes fantasy and romance for teens and adults. She’s a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel, novella, or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Elements of romance, fantasy, and mystery have a way of creeping into her writing, even when she’s writing something light and contemporary like her latest releases, Haunting Joy and Take a Picture. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She lives in a scenic small town in Massachusetts with her husband, two kids, and a very spoiled Black Lab. Learn more about Lena and her books atlenagoldfinch.blogspot.com.
Hi Jorie, and thank you for inviting me to join you on your wonderful blog.
You have some very intriguing questions.
I have been environmentally conscience about our footprint on Earth since I was a young child, which took on a new height of awareness when I met an Environmentalist in the 5th grade who spoke about the plight of the natural resources with a focus on the Amazon in Brazil. Coincidentally, this was the same year I saw the motion picture “Medicine Man,” which had a deep impact on me. What were the roots and impetus of your own heart’s focus on the environment?
Leesmith responds: Interesting question, and I love hearing how your journey began. My parents used to take us camping every year, and they instilled in me a love of animals and their habitat. I grew up in California where moderate temperatures year round allowed me to spend most of my free time outdoors. Add my marriage to a biologist who spends every spare moment outdoors, and it becomes clear how my love for nature and the environment formed naturally.
What was the seedling idea that inspired you to etch out a thread of narrative with a focus on preservation and conservation within “Love’s Promises”?
Leesmith responds: My husband and I purchased a house at Lake Tahoe—a fixer-upper. When we began projects to renovate, we ran into the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. The agency caused a setback to our projects, but we both were intrigued and impressed with the purpose and goal of the agency to preserve the natural beauty of Lake Tahoe.
I write romance and I try to find interesting occupations to bring a refreshing element into the basic plot of boy-meets-girl. It is even more fun when the occupation can add to the conflict. The people at the TRPA were very helpful in helping me develop conflict and plot.
As you first started to feel the ink slip out of the pen and create characters living inside worlds of your own imagination, did you find yourself drawn to knitting together stories which had a social action awareness or was this something that developed organically?
Leesmith responds: I’ve always enjoyed books that have a subtle social message. I think that is why I end up writing stories with a social message. Maybe it’s the teacher in me. I don’t purposely set out to write a social message, but social issues are what interest me, so I end up including them in my writing. So I guess you would have to say I develop them organically.
I have noticed a shift towards more environmentally sound building practices (green building), retrofitting renovations, and a more plausible shift towards offering green building supplies & materials. Did you incorporate these into your back-story, or were these part of what inspired the focus on a low impact build within the story? Do you feel that as we move forward green building supplies will become more affordable rather than cost prohibitive?
Leesmith responds: The policies set forth by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency were revolutionary in the early eighties when I encountered them for the first time. Their innovative ideas inspired me to focus on the low impact build within the story. I am not an economist, but I would imagine if green building supplies are required and consequently mass-produced, they would come down in price.
Extending from here, when I hosted your Cover Reveal, we started to talk about the changing tides n the publishing industry to have a focus on creating environmentally sound books within the trade. At the heart of the conversation we were each murmuring a nod towards how encouraging this practice is for those who do not want to negatively affect our fragile world. Have you found resources to drop the impact from a self-published author’s point of view, or is it still limited to publishers who can implement the changes? (either independent or mainstream)
Leesmith responds: Personally, I think the change in the publishing world is long overdue. It is a struggle at this time because of the extreme paradigm shift going on. It is difficult to not only change the paradigm for the publishers and authors, but the readers need to shift also. For example, readers used to go into bookstores and see physical books, read the back covers, and then decide which ones to purchase. With the advent of e-pubbing, the reader isn’t quite sure where to look for new books or new authors. Blogs featuring reviews have blossomed. GoodReads is a source for those who know about it and understand it. But it takes awhile for the general public to shift their buying paradigm.
It has been much easier for the publisher and author to shift to print on demand and e-book publishing. These are so cost-effective and, as you pointed out, low impact on the environment—specifically trees—that the shift to actually produce a book using these new methods has become relatively easy. What is difficult is the seller-buyer relationship. How do these publishers and authors make their product known? This shift is in constant flux and change, which is both frustrating and extremely exciting. There is so much change going on it makes one’s head spin to keep up.
What inspires my heart towards the changes that are upcoming, is that we do not have to become a completely digitalised world of readers. There are key steps to take to either become carbon-neutral, or by making smaller changes such as tree-neutral or non-old growth forest sourced papers, vegetable dye inks, and non-off gassing glues for binding purposes. Do you see more readers starting to pay attention to how books are produced and feeling celebratory when they find publishers who are taking a stand for a new green-minded publishing platform? Or, do you feel this is limited to writers and publishers who see a healthier way to produce print books in a more environmentally ethical way?
Leesmith responds: Well as much as I would love to think publishers, readers, and authors are thinking of these issues, I doubt that most even know it is an issue to consider. Most authors and publishers are trying to figure out how to market their work and frankly, I don’t think offering environmental friendly products means much to them. I could be wrong and sincerely hope I am, but in my experience, the environmental issues just don’t resonate with most people, especially if they impact their pocketbook or their plans.
Do you think the mind-set has been that if its not digitally published it is not green? And, if this is true, how then, can we as readers and as writers lead the movement forward by championing green practices for print books? Especially considering that not every reader is physically able to read digital books?
Leesmith responds: Hmmm great question. I imagine that just like with every aspect of awareness of the environment and our responsibility to care for this planet—our life support system—we need to continue to educate the public. Maybe when a reader becomes aware that there are such things as green practices for printing books, they might try to be more supportive of the practices.
What kinds of stories enlivened your heart first as a child and then as an adult? Which branches of literature do you find yourself leaning towards? Whom would you consider your favourite authors and the books they penned which still leave you ruminative!?
Leesmith responds: I skipped most books that children read and went right to my mother’s books, which were mostly romance and historical. My favorites though of the children’s books were animal stories like Black Beauty, White Fang, Old Yeller, etc.
For me, I started to notice that my path towards being a reader was directly hinged to being a voracious reader from a young age. Do you think most writers feel an intuitive inclination to write whilst wrapped up in the happiness of reading? What do you think guides us in this direction, or what do you feel guided you?
Leesmith responds: I do believe that most writers are or were voracious readers. They are easily caught up in a world of make-believe or into a quest for knowledge. I also believe that most voracious readers were so from an early age. Reading is an important source of information, entertainment, and joy.
Writing on the other hand is a gift. Not everyone is cut out to write, and it can be quite painful. It is a craft that can be learned, but getting into the true grit of characterization and creation of a story is in my opinion a gift we are born with. I enjoy good music, but I can’t carry a tune to save my life. I enjoy good art, but I can barely draw stick figures. But I can dream up stories in my head. I’ve been a daydreamer from as far back as I can remember. I consider it a gift and am thankful to have it.
The setting for “Love’s Promises” is situated in Lake Tahoe, which is known for needing a pulse of attention on its growth and development which will allow its residents to be stewards of the land rather than consumers who hurt its natural beauty. In your research, did you find the general populace was in agreement with protecting the natural resources, or did you find them to be a bit indifferent? I ask as I tend to find most areas of natural beauty are caught between the balance of protection and living in the moment for what works for the majority.
Leesmith responds: I think many visitors are indifferent to the environment issues. However, any tourists who are interested in the outdoors and participate will be educated. Most hiking trails post signs with instructions on preserving the environment. Many of the roadside rests and points of interest have displays showing the environmental issues. So people who stop to read these informative brochures, posters, information boards, etc., will become aware.
Anyone who lives in the Lake Tahoe area or tries to build will definitely learn and be concerned about the issues. They will be like Monica, who was forced to learn what impact her plans would have and which plans would be allowed.
What do you feel is Lake Tahoe’s greatest blessing? And, what is their greatest concern?
Leesmith responds: Lake Tahoe’s greatest blessing and their greatest concern are the same. The environmental beauty with all of the features that attract tourists are what blesses the area. But damage to the delicate eco-system and preserving the natural beauty is their biggest concern.
Despite the overwhelming odds to bring more green into the world of publishing, what has been one observation of positive change that you have thus far seen?
Leesmith responds: When I go to books festivals and book sales, I find I sell fewer and fewer print books. Most people smile and tell me they read from their Kindle or e-reader. I don’t think this change is because of environmental concerns though. I think they are just easier to manage and books are cheaper. Economics still drives production.
You appear to live in harmony with the natural world each chance you can. Do you enjoy walking out in nature? What are your favourite species of birds and/or wildlife to encounter whilst you’re in their living habitats? Do you take a camera with you as I do?
Leesmith responds: I love nature and the outdoors. I get rather grumpy if I can’t get outside for at least part of my day. I am blessed to have lived in temperate climates where this is possible all year round. I love to hike and walk in mountains, the desert, the valleys, the beach—wherever I am. I am delighted beyond measure when I spot the local wildlife. While at Lake Tahoe we saw black bears, deer, coyotes, foxes, squirrels, and chipmunks. There were many species of birds and raptors to enjoy, however you surely won’t miss the raucous noise of the Steller’s jays. Their bright blue color and silly antics are very entertaining.
What is your greatest joy as a writer!?
Leesmith responds: I think my greatest joy as a writer is the ability to get lost in another world and make things come out with a happy ending—something we can’t always do in real life. My family all tell me it’s because my characters are the only people who listen to what I say. (Being the oldest child and a teacher, I’ve been known to be rather bossy. However, what they all fail to tell you is they all are great at ignoring me.) This makes me chuckle anyway. I’m sure it goes deeper than that. My husband likes me writing stories because then I’m not writing him a honey-do list.
You’re quite welcome, Ms. Leesmith! It was an absolute pleasure having you back whilst having the ability to carry-on a conversation which was a bit in-progress since we last conversed! I welcomed the chance to get to speak to you about green publishing practices and green-living principles. So much in fact, that it sparked a renewed interest in re-seeking out all the lovely links I had saved on my computer which has been in the graveyard since late 2013! I had a special folder I was keeping updated for green publishers and information on how publishing was starting to enact greener practices as well as how revolutionary the printing & inking sources were starting to be reflective of keeping our books environmentally friendly! I was overjoyed finding that there are far more websites and publishers making headway towards a green future for the bookish soul in all of us with an environmental conscience! And, the best part of all is that everything I have uncovered has lead me realise that my own heart’s dream of finding a way to keep books in print format has already arrived!
How thankful I am that my tour stop today is hosted on *Earth Day!* A day in which my heart overflows with the hope of what lies ahead in the future as each of us endeavours to grow in mindfulness & chooses to seek out those who are like-minded and astute towards environmental protection and change of conscience in commerce practice! Happy Earth Day, dear hearts! Go out and hug a tree! Listen to it whisper a ‘hallo’! And, remember to continue to love books in print format for there are changes on the horizon which will give us the ability to print them in a kind way which has no impact on the trees which grant us life! Rescue out of print books and previously read books from used bookshoppes! Spread the love and give books as gifts! And, remember, always find a bookish ear to sit alongside whilst enjoying a cuppa tea and chatting merrily about what you’ve recently read!
Kindly note: in addition to this short list of resources for green-minded practices & the champion of eco-friendly resources in publishing & printing of books, I have also included two additional resources: the last two links are green building & business contacts as much as in the Related Articles are hand-selected published documents which continue the conversation forward. Including finding mainstream publishers who are adverting their Sustainability & Green practices which are already in effect. Kindly know each post I include “Related Articles” those were not selected by a computer, they were hand-selected by me! I read each one & felt it was necessary to include the links for reading after you had concluded my own blog post.
Previously I hosted “Love’s Promises” Book Cover Reveal. And, I look forward to reviewing Love’s Promises when the novel is released in a print edition!Stay tuned!
Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.
I am curious to learn what your thoughts and impressions are on how publishing is making strides towards greening the publication and printing of books? Have you started to notice the labels and badges of certification of green printing practices like I have started to see included in print editions? (i.e. ChocLitUK novels carry the badge for FSC certification) Do you feel like I do that there is plausible hope that we can continue to read print books in a world in which being more environmentally conscience is part of how we can carry the torch for being economically tree-neutral? I have also started to research finding which publishers and/or printers are aligning their companies to adopt carbon-neutral practices by implementing green energy for their production. I find it to be quite the exciting time in publishing and I welcome your thoughts, observations, and conversation in the comment threads!
Kindly share sites and links for both mainstream & indie publishers whose green practices I might not have highlighted in this Post. As well as any other green-minded websites you think would be of interest to me! I will be updating my linkage in my sidebar once I compile all the links together! Thank you in advance!
{SOURCES: Cover art of “Loves Promises”, author & illustrator photographs, book synopsis, and publicity badge were all provided by Editing Through The Seasons and used with permission. Author Interview badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Dividers provided by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com. Tweets were embedded due to the codes Twitter provided.}
{ I keep a Press & Publishers List via Twitter; green or otherwise, as this is an on-going methodology of change happening right now in publishing. All change requires patience. IF I have been remiss & you know of a publisher I might enjoy keeping a tab on, please include their twitter handle & the reason why you think it would be a good fit for me to check out in the comment threads! Likewise, if you’d like to subscribe to my list on twitter, please do! }
@JLovesAStory@SLeesmithAuthor love to. I noticed you included me in your tweet. Thanx, I started 24 years ago, 20th anniversary of Earthday — Greg Barber (@GreenPrinter) April 22, 2014
I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by honestly written characters whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read! I am always seeking relationship-based romance which strikes a chord within my mind’s eye as well as my heart! I’m a romantic optimist, and I love curling into a romance where I can be swept inside the past, as history becomes lit alive in the fullness of the narrative and I can wander amongst the supporting cast observing the principal characters fall in love and sort out if they are a proper match for each other! I love how an Indie Publisher like ChocLitUK is such a positive alternative for those of us who do not identify ourselves as girls and women who read ‘chick-lit’. I appreciate the stories which alight in my hands from ChocLit as much as I appreciate the inspirational romances I gravitate towards because there is a certain level of depth to both outlets in romance which encourage my spirits and gives me a beautiful story to absorb! Whilst sorting out how promote my book reviews on behalf of ChocLit, I coined the phrase “ChocLitSaturdays”, which is a nod to the fact my ChocLit reviews & features debut on ‘a Saturday’ but further to the point that on the ‘weekend’ we want to dip into a world wholly ideal and romantic during our hours off from the work week!
Available Formats: Paperback & E-Book Page Count: 356
Acquired Book By: Although I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, I am usually happily surprised by a tucked in chocolate scented pencils with the books which arrive by their distributor IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing). The book they surprised me with is The Maid of Milan penned by my very first ChocLit novelist I consumed! Ms. Beverley Eikli wrote the smashingly brilliant The Reluctant Bride! I have decided to read this unexpected ChocLit novel for my next ChocLitSaturdays – the 19th of April! Therefore, I received a complimentary copy of The Maid of Milan 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.
Intrigued to Read:
Although I am quick to lament my adoration and appreciation of uplifting and inspiring romances, there is another part of me that is quite bemused by the darker shades of the human psyche. Give me a well write suspense or thriller, wrapped inside of a historical fiction or a period drama and I will be happy as a clam! There is always a part of me (truly, I think its part of all readers!) which would love to take a bit of an adventurous risk, see inside the dangerous netherworlds people get caught up inside and see if they can just as boldly detach themselves without harm, scrapings, or ill-wonted side effects. There is always a measure of darkness on the tiptoes of light, whilst even the most good-natured individual can side-step and get their lives in a bit of a muddlement! I like seeing the dexterity of a writer take on harder hitting themes and giving us a bit of a hearty narrative to chew on! After all, not all of life is predictable nor is it glistening with happiness, there are undercurrents of events where fear lies in wait and I am not a reader who backs down or away from a more serious topic or subject as it presents itself in fiction. Sometimes too, I think that it is good to throw a wench into the wheel of our reading adventures and take a chance on a story that might unexpectedly take us down darkened corridors and within the heart of where darkness broods ill will. We can always carry the lantern of light and hope that the characters who are finding themselves a bit blighted can emerge out of their situations, a bit weathered but perhaps, wiser for the experiences?
Book Synopsis: How much would you pay for a clear conscience?
Adelaide Leeson wants to prove herself worthy of her husband, a man of noble aspirations who married her when she was at her lowest ebb.
Lord Tristan Leeson is a model of diplomacy and self-control, even curbing the fiery impulses of his youth to maintain the calm relations deemed essential by his mother-in-law to preserve his wife’s health.
A visit from his boyhood friend, feted poet Lord James Dewhurst, author of the sensational Maid of Milan, persuades Tristan that leaving the countryside behind for the London Season will be in everyone’s interests.
But as Tristan’s political career rises and Adelaide revels in society’s adulation, the secrets of the past are uncovered. And there’s a high price to pay for a life of deception.
Author Biography:
Beverley Eikli wrote her first romance when she was seventeen. However, drowning the heroine on the last page was, she discovered, not in the spirit of the genre so her romance-writing career ground to a halt and she became a journalist. After throwing in her secure job on South Australia’s metropolitan daily, The Advertiser, to manage a luxury safari lodge in the Okavango Delta, in Botswana, Beverley discovered a new world of romance and adventure in a thatched cottage in the middle of a mopane forest with the handsome Norwegian bush pilot she met around a camp fire. Eighteen years later, after exploring the world in the back of Cessna 404s and CASA 212s as an airborne geophysical survey operator during low-level sorties over the French Guyanese jungle and Greenland’s ice cap, Beverley is back in Australia living a more conventional life with her husband and two daughters in a pretty country town an hour north of Melbourne.
Beverly won Choc Lit’s Search for an Australian Star with The Reluctant Bride. Beverley’s Choc Lit novels include: The Reluctant Bride and The Maid of Milan.
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
For you see, I may well fancy a book’s cover illustrations and artwork, but for me, if the book itself does not ink out a reason to savvy my interest and eyes to become enthralled with its contents, I am afraid I do not pick the book up irregardless of how much I might admit the cover is quite a remarkable piece of art. For to me, it is art then, and not a story of interest. I am not sure if the debate will ever be settled, but one thing I wanted to mention is how I appreciate book covers in successive order of release from authors have a ‘turning nod’ to each other. Case in point, is the début novel (Mistress of the Sea) by Ms. Barden (seen in this paragraph) whereupon the filigree edges and the atmosphere of colours selected against the backdrop are in tune with the cover for The Lost Duchess.
My Review of The Lost Duchess:
The wide-eyed innocence of a maid-in-waiting to the Queen is ripped out of her bodice and attacked by a most vile individual who did not see Emme Fifield as a woman to respect and honour, but an object to possess. Her most tender courage of youthful spirit encapsulated her from the worst of the attack by muffling her angst ridden heart and the screams she would have belted to heaven if not in fear of the Queen, her liege in finding out the truth. Barden opens The Lost Duchess in such a powerful way as to beg the reader’s notice that what was once felt in locking eyes with Emme on the cover, now turns to an increasingly beguiling sense of knowing.
Beverley Eikli wrote her first romance when she was seventeen. However, drowning the heroine on the last page was, she discovered, not in the spirit of the genre so her romance-writing career ground to a halt and she became a journalist.
After throwing in her secure job on South Australia’s metropolitan daily, The Advertiser, to manage a luxury safari lodge in the Okavango Delta, in Botswana, Beverley discovered a new world of romance and adventure in a thatched cottage in the middle of a mopane forest with the handsome Norwegian bush pilot she met around a camp fire.
Eighteen years later, after exploring the world in the back of Cessna 404s and CASA 212s as an airborne geophysical survey operator during low-level sorties over the French Guyanese jungle and Greenland’s ice cap, Beverley is back in Australia living a more conventional life with her husband and two daughters in a pretty country town an hour north of Melbourne.