Posted Saturday, 10 January, 2015 by jorielov Amanda James, Berni Stevens (Illustrator), ChocLitUK, Somewhere Beyond the Sea 2 Comments
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 “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!
Somewhere Beyond the Sea
by Amanda James
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher
When love begins with a lie, where will it end?
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?
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author: A Stitch in Time
Published by ChocLitUK
on 7th April, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 288
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)
Formats Available: Paperback & Ebook
Converse via: #ChocLit & #SomewhereBeyondTheSea
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!
Cover Art Design by: Berni Stevens @circleoflebanon | Writer | Illustrator
About Amanda James
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.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
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Posted Saturday, 10 January, 2015 by jorielov in 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Blogs I Regularly Read, Bookish Discussions, Bullies and the Bullied, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Domestic Violence, Family Drama, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Fly in the Ointment, Green Publishing, Indie Author, Mental Health, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Oh the Books!, Psychological Abuse, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, School Life & Situations, Suspense, Sustainable Forest Certification, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Vulgarity in Literature
Posted Sunday, 21 December, 2014 by jorielov Bonneville Books, Cedar Fort Inc, Laura L. Walker, Pierced by Love 5 Comments
Pierced by Love by Laura L. Walker
Published By: Bonneville Books (@BonnevilleBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #PiercedByLove
Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Pierced by Love” direct from the publisher Bonneville Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read & a Conversation with the author:
Being a book reviewer for Cedar Fort Publishing & Media is a true joy of mine, as I know what to expect when I select the stories I am reading from them as I haven’t been shocked, startled, or curiously surprised by what I have found in each of the books I have read by them; there were only two I can think of which I wouldn’t necessarily consider my absolute favourite of reads, but nonetheless I have not yet been properly disappointed either! Considering how many books I have started to read per year as a book blogger compared to as a regular reader without a blog, even I am a bit surprised which publishers I find more appealing to read on a regular basis and which ones irk my ire a bit.
On the Indie side of the ledger, my top three favourite publishers are: Seventh Star Press, ChocLitUK, and Cedar Fort Publishing & Media (and their imprints therein). I appreciate each of them equally for different reasons but the consistency of what they publish is at the top of my list of appreciation on their behalf. The interesting part of this blog tour started before the tour knitted together on the schedule, as I had the opportunity to converse with the author, Ms. Walker prior to setting a date for my review. This goes back to August, long before December was even a wink of a breath in sight!
We started to have an open exchange on the differences of our walk in faith (as she is LDS – Morman; I am Protestant; yet we each share a root of faith on similar grounds), what inspired me the most is how she wanted to help me understand the LDS side of the novel, yet in return I wanted to assure her I have read a considerable amount of stories by Cedar Fort since Spring 2014; of them, at least one or two have had LDS story-lines inside them but what I appreciated by the passages of those novels is how they lead the inspirational bits of the story through sharing the walk of faith of the characters by (internal) thoughts or through the actions they took inside their lifepaths therein. I always appreciated inspirational stories which are rooted in faith-driven story-lines to be soft spoken and light when it comes to including religious undertones; even though I do occasional find myself drawn into traditional INSPY which gives a firmer rooting of the origin, background, and faith life of the characters.
I find Cedar Fort to publish stories which uplift the spirit, enliven the mind, and are gentle enough to incur a wanting of reading their stories without fear of strong language or any images of graphic violence that might prove a bit too unsettling to take in all at once. If your a regular visitor or reader to my blog, you know where I stand on language and violence; therefore, each time I pick up a Cedar Fort novel, I instantly know I’m either in for a thrilling adventure, a mind-numbing suspense, or a sweet romance or romantic drama which is going to engage my heart as much as my mind!
The main reason I wanted to share this today, is because although my religious background is not LDS, I have felt nothing but a peacefulness to reading the stories published through Cedar Fort. They are as inspiring to me as Heartsong Presents (novellas in print editions – from Contemporary to Historical) or any other published INSPY Romance or Historical fiction novel. The reason I applaud the fact they offer suspense, science fiction and fantasy — is because they are an open-minded publisher in regards to the breath of choices they encourage of their authors — the stories themselves are not strictly centered around LDS backgrounds (as I have read Icelandic, Native American, Japanese, Protestant, etc faith-driven story-lines) but in each of the novels, there is a central thread of core: honest and real characters facing life situations and circumstances any person of any walk of life can relate too, with a realistic premise and at times an emotional connection that does not soon leave your memory. Read More
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Sunday, 21 December, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Contemporary Romance, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Deception Before Matrimony, Divorce & Martial Strife, Family Drama, Family Life, Father-Daughter Relationships, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Mormonism, Mother-Son Relationships, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Siblings, Singletons & Commitment, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, Sociological Behavior, Sweet Romance, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Wisdom of Life Threaded in Devotions
Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov A League of Her Own, Harlequin Books, Harlequin Heartwarming, HarperCollins Publishers, Karen Rock 2 Comments
A League of Her Own by Karen Rock
Published By: Harlequin Heartwarming (#HarlequinHeartwarming)
(an imprint of) Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks) which is now a part of HarperCollins!
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
Converse on Twitter via: #ALeagueOfHerOwn & #KarenRock
Acquired Book By: A few months ago, I was visiting the blogs I love to read via my Bloglovin feeds, as I have found Bloglovin to be the best way to keep track of all the beautiful bookish blogs and/or author blogs I regularly visit! Especially after I self-hosted my blog as I only kept a few linked to my landing page (jorielovesbookishblogs.com) and the rest are happily organised into folders on Bloglovin! Truly the best part of it! It was whilst I was visiting a fellow book blogger, I took notice of the badge “Lola’s Blog Tours”. I had three blog tours which perked an interest in me, two of which were science fiction and then there was this Contemporary Romance set around baseball! I had previously interviewed Ms. Alexander on behalf of her novel “Dare to Kiss”; one of my December reads for #IndieWriterMonth! Therefore, finding a second baseball themed romance was a bit happenstance, don’t you think?
I was selected to be a tour stop on the “A League of Her Own” virtual book tour through Lola’s BlogTours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Karen Rock, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
With all the mergers happening in the book publishing industry, I must confess as a reader who is now a book blogger it is becoming to be quite daunting to keep everything organised and in line! I like to show the imprints of publishers as much as give credit per book for each post I am inspired to share with my readers (irregardless if I am hosting a blog tour, a non-tour book review or borrowing a book from my library, etc). Part of my heart fell a bit when I realised my beloved novella INSPY series Heartsong Presents might be capsizing so to speak as it was almost not bought out in time until Harlequin took it over! Then, within a year of that merger I learnt Harlequin was merged into HarperCollins! Oy vie. I nearly feel there needs to be a ‘road map’ of a guide to which imprints fall under which ‘main publishing house’ and thereby a bit less of a puzzle to riddle out for those of us who do attempt to give proper acknowledgement when it’s due.
Having said this, I was always attracted to what I refer to as ‘non-traditional Harlequin’ stories, wherein I sought out the romances centered on the ‘relationship’ and had nothing to do with the ‘bodice’ at all! Laughs. I cannot remember all of the lovely imprints and special edition series I read or attempted to read over the years, but one of my favourite imprints happened to be Mira. Mira has published a lot of Contemporary Romance authors I have come to enjoy reading including Debbie MacComber and Sherryl Woods! If you seek out a particular type of story, you just might be surprised that even a publisher like Harlequin can give you exactly what you are looking to read!
Heartsong Presents I believe is ‘safe’ once more as it was meant to be an anchor and compliment to Harlequin’s own (former competitive imprint) Love Inspired. As 2015 marches into focus, I’ll be reading quite a heap of the beauties on my bookshelf whose patience for me to pick up their sleeves and dig into their stories has been remarkably kind! I have quite a nice selection of Mira authors, so this is only the first of many more Harlequin books to be spotlighted on Jorie Loves A Story! You’ll find each time as I highlight another story full of relationship-based romance that Harlequin isn’t quite what your expecting it to be!
In combination for my previous love of a particular ‘Harlequin’ story and my forementioned love of baseball, “A League of Her Own” felt like a good fit to me! Not withstanding the fact “A League of Their Own” is one of my top favourite motion pictures and that had a lot to do with Rosie O’ Donnell and Geena Davis!
A League of Her Own
by Karen Rock
Source: Author via Lola's Blog Tours
He was attractive, talented…and way off limits.
Heather Gadway may have been a world-class college pitcher and a top university coach, but she's a rank amateur when it comes to managing the Falcons, her father's struggling minor league team. And when it comes to managing her aggravating attraction to Garrett Wolf, their talented new pitcher. It's going to be difficult enough to make it as the first female manager in the league and prove to her overly critical father she's worthy. No distractions. No missteps. And certainly no romances with players. Everything stands between them—including their troubled pasts—even as Heather's world falls apart and Garrett's the one who's there to catch her…
I read the Large Print edition yet it felt quite regular to me!
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction Places to find the book:
Also by this author: Author Interview (Christmas at Cade Ranch) Karen Rock, A Cowboy's Pride (Spotlight w/ Notes), A Cowboy's Pride, Christmas at Cade Ranch, Winning the Cowboy's Heart, A Rancher to Remember
Published by Harlequin Heartwarming
on 1st December, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 312
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Posted Saturday, 13 December, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Baseball, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, California, Contemporary Romance, Dating & Humour Therein, Family Life, Fathers and Daughters, Foster Care, Lola's Blog Tours, Modern Day, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Romance Fiction, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne USA, Softball, Sports
Posted Monday, 1 December, 2014 by jorielov All Our Yesterdays, Anthony Russo, B.R. Maul, Berni Stevens, Blood for Blood, Brenda S. Anderson, C.A. Gray, Camille Eide, Christina Courtenay, Coming Home series, Cristin Terrill, Crown of Dust, Dance Until Dawn, Dare to Kiss, Deborah Heal, E. Chris Garrison, French Toast, French Twist, Glynis Astie, History Mystery Trilogy, I Walter, Laura Brown, Like There's No Tomorrow, Lila's Choice, Mari Passananti, Mary Volmer, Mike Hartner, New England Rocks, Paranormal Texas, Paul Mark Tag, Pieces of Granite, Piercing the Veil series, Portals Passages & Pathways, S.B. Alexander, S.C. Barrus, S.K. Rizzolo, Science Thrillers Trilogy, Sharon Cameron, Sinking Down, The Dark Unwinding, The Dragon of Unrest, The Gin Thief, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken, The Rose in the Wheel, Trade Winds, Tui Snider, Unexpected Texas 1 Comment
Each of us who joyfully blogs about books will find at times, even our best laid plans to host concurrent blog events can sometimes become a bit hard to juggle when our personal lives intercede on the time we had scheduled to devout to the events themselves. I found myself in this particular pickle last Sci Fi November, but this year, I felt I had shifted a few things around to where I had more hours to give and thereby could redeem myself from what I could not put together last year. Suffice to say, a few unexpected issues arose the least of which were a knock-out of my internet connection by a severe lightning storm and a broken toe of which looked far worse than the injury itself yet gave me enough wincing pain to forestall my blogging.
I was able to jump dive into the #RRSciFiMonth chat at the very tail-end of the conversation, whereupon I happily enjoyed speaking with Ms. Czerneda, Asti, Ana, and Rachel Noel (@Silelda & Purple Owl Reviews)! It was during this part of the convo, I expressed my desire to carry forward into December the posts I was unable to contribute during the last fortnight of SFN: 2014! I was happily surprised to find others were in agreement; November for whichever reason had become a bit of a quagmire for a lot of us, and I was not the only one wanting to extend the celebrations!
*I received a bit of a surprise whilst getting the link for Rachel Noel’s blog! (read: 2014 Thanks) I have always appreciated the randomness to my conversations with Rachel Noel on Twitter & I had always meant to expand our connection by visiting her blog. To see my name listed as a part of a note of gratitude of whom gave her the most joy and support in 2014 was simply an unexpected blessing to discover. Our lives touch each other in ways we do not always realise have an impact that gives us all a boost when we need it most. I can attest the same in return! Read More
Posted Monday, 1 December, 2014 by jorielov in #IndieWriterMonth, #SciFiReadathon, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Junkie Promotions, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Cosy Historical Mystery, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Dystopian, Fantasy Fiction, France Book Tours, Go Indie, Hard Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction | Non-Fiction, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Memoir, Month9Books, Non-Fiction, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Royal Social Media, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Seventh Star Press, SFN Bingo, Small Towne Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Steampunk, Sweet Romance, Time Travel, TLC Book Tours, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Western Fiction
Posted Friday, 14 November, 2014 by jorielov Ashbury Lane Publishing, Camille Eide, Like There's No Tomorrow 0 Comments
Tonight I am happily welcoming Ms. Eide to my blog, as our paths originally crossed whilst watching the First Season of “When Calls the Heart” on Hallmark Channel. I was joyfully thrilled to support a series of heart-warming drama and inspiring story-lines as I readily became caught up in the joy of being a “Hearties” girl! Through my enthused and joyful tweeting on behalf of the series, cast, and crew, Ms. Eide and I started to cross paths with each other through the twitterverse. It was through this connection to each other, she had reached out to me to see if I would be interested in reading her debut novel “Like There’s No Tomorrow” for which I was happily excited about learning more about!
I have always been drawn into inspirational fiction stories where the cast of characters not only endear you to their lives but they have a wonderful uplift of spirit attached within the heart of where the novels lead you to go as a reader. I believe this is one reason I have always read between markets of Inspirational & Mainstream Fiction — in order to capture a well-rounded selection of classical and contemporary writers who knit heart and soul into the backbone of their releases.
I was thankful I could converse with Ms. Eide ahead of posting my thoughts on behalf of Like There’s No Tomorrow, not only a chance to explore the back-story of how the novel was created but to get to know a follower and chatter of mine from Twitter! I am including her in my showcase for #IndieWriterMonth as she is published by a small independent publisher: Ashbury Lane Publishing. You can read the full story of how this Indie Pub began and how it is run by a mother-daughter team, but what interested me is how beautiful of a job they did with the cover art for Like There’s No Tomorrow as much as the arrangement of the book in print; from the back-cover copy to the typography they picked for the text of the novel itself. I was quite impressed by the way in which they packaged the book and how they highlighted both the story and the author.
To me, Indie Publishers are the publishers who operate outside the Major Trade market, are independently run, owned, and support publishing those writers who want to have the flexibility and the freedom which indie pub affords those who want to maintain their creative liberties. Throughout November, it is my pleasure to highlight the writers who are choosing alternative avenues towards being published, such as Ms. Eide and who are releasing stories outside the Major Trade market.
The small press branch of publishing are creating beautiful opportunities for readers to read stories that otherwise might not have become published and available in print. Likewise, most writers cross-release their stories in ebook & print formats, but for me, novels will always remain read in print.
Book Synopsis:
Like Theres No Tomorrow is an amusing yet tender love story about two kind, single caretakers, two quirky, old Scottish sisters bent on reuniting, and too many agendas. Its a tale of family, fiery furnaces, falling in love, faith, and the gift of each new day.
What if loving means letting go?
Scottish widower Ian MacLean is plagued by a mischievous grannie, bitter regrets, and an ache for something hell never have again. His only hope for freedom is to bring his grannie’s sister home from America. But first, he’ll have to convince her lovely companion, Emily, to let her go.
Emily Chapman devotes herself to foster youth and her beloved Aunt Grace. Caring for others quiets a secret fear she holds close to her heart. But when Ian appears, wanting to whisk Grace off to Scotland, everything Emily needs to protectincluding her heartis at risk.
As you debuted as a short story author, what do you feel is the best part about releasing your first debut novel? Do you find that you appreciate writing one style of story over the other or enjoy each equally?
Eide responds: Since my first book, a Christmas novella, released only as an eBook, the best part of releasing a full-length novel is the ability to hold the book in my hands! I enjoyed taking a break from full length stories to write the shorter one when the opportunity arose, and it was gratifying to see a story come together in such a short time – in one month instead of nearly a year. But at this point in my writing journey, I feel a full-length story is where my heart is. It allows for deeper exploration of each character’s heart and soul, allows for a little more complexity of conflict and some interesting subplots. And of course, more room for those kooky secondary characters who try to take center stage.
Letters & Correspondences play a role in the story “Like There’s No Tomorrow” – did you have a moment in your life where the exchange of letters inspired this thread of narrative? Why do you think today’s world is so focused on immediate responses when taking time to compose our thoughts on paper and inside a card gives the receiver the benefit of hearing our innermost thoughts?
Eide responds: Unfortunately, we are so used to quick responses that leave so much unsaid, and tone and so much is lost. There is a true story that inspired the letter-aspect of the story. My Norwegian friend’s sister met my American brother when she visited the US, and when she returned home, they began corresponding and married soon after. Of course, their correspondence was via email, but the idea of a couple getting acquainted by letter rather than face to inspired this story. I wanted to use letters for this setting instead of email (at first) because it provided a better look at the type of bond between the two elderly sisters. Since I happen to appreciate the “voice” that comes through in a person’s written words, I wanted Emily to “know” Ian through his written voice, his word choice, his subtle wit, etc. I find the written word (fully formed thoughts and dialogue) fascinating and think it’s becoming a lost art form.
Scotland is a classic setting for a Romance, how did this curiously attractive locale stitch itself into your heart when you chose it for your story?
Eide responds: First off, it made best sense that both countries in this story should be English-speaking, which narrows the field a bit. And yes, Scotland is a very attractive locale. I suppose it’s a place I’ve longed to visit. So setting a story there allowed me to visit it the next best way—via research—while crafting and dreaming up the story.
I was most appreciative to see that you included a story about Foster Care and Foster Children inside “Like There’s No Tomorrow”. I was curious if you based Emily Chapman on someone you knew in real-life who was dedicating their lives to fosters?
Eide responds: The home where Emily works, Juniper Ranch Group Home, is the setting for my second book coming May 2015, Sandcastles in Snow. By the time I put Emily to work there, I was already planning the second story which focuses on Sue Quinn, the home’s director. Juniper Ranch was inspired by a real group home. The idea for Sandcastles in Snow came to me after I received a Christmas letter (see, some people still write them!) from my niece who was a live-in counselor at a similar foster group home for teens. Her heart for kids with diminishing prospects for adoption touched and inspired me to write about a place where unwanted kids lived, run a woman who sympathizes because her own history of abandonment. It’s a painful subject, one that I wanted to bring into the light with the hope offered in the Psalms. Read More
Posted Friday, 14 November, 2014 by jorielov in #IndieWriterMonth, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Contemporary Romance, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Go Indie, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Modern Day, Postal Mail | Letters & Correspondence, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Romance Fiction, Sweet Romance