Category: Family Drama

Blog Book Tour | “Snow Angels” by Lezlie Anderson a short story filled with a lot of heart anchored by community, faith, and the blessings of Christmas!

Posted Tuesday, 23 December, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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Snow Angels by Lezlie Anderson

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #SnowAngels & #Christmas #ShortStory

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 “Snow Angels” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

Short stories have truly inspired me each time I snuggle inside them as by being a book blogger I developed a keen awareness of their joyfulness of being read! Prior to book blogging, I must confess the short story eluded me, but as you will find throughout my Story Vault, there are quite a few short story collections of anthologies as much as individual short stories or novellas that have sparked a genuine interest in my literary heart to consume!

This particular short appealed to me as I grew up giving back to those in need as much as I was raised to be aware of others in my neighbourhood and community. This was a grounding of humility as much as it was an awareness of the greater good can be directly impacted by small acts of charity, kindness, and the joy of giving not being dependent on gratitude or a return of a reward. Kindness is sparked out of the beauty of joyfulness and a giving heart whose only return should be the warmth of how it feels to give without expecting anything given back to the giver.

I believe this is why at the core of who I am as a knitter, is a charity knitter who loves to accept donated  yarn in order to spin new patterns of fiber sequences which will uplift the receiver of my finished projects. I like to knit in joy as I stitch whilst laying thought to prayer especially when I am knitting prayer shawls but also with other small projects which once given I hope will carry with them a small fraction of the joy I had in stitching the pattern together, one stitch at a time. Outside of knitting, I have had such a wonderful warmth of spirit overtake me when I have given to someone in need or have acted in a way that gave an unexpected joy to someone who never felt they’d receive an unexpected gift from someone they knew or didn’t know personally.

Christmas and Thanksgiving are two of the best holidays as they seek to establish a way of slowing down and highlighting the bounty of blessings we receive each year in all the small ways people affect our lives. We each have the capacity of giving joy and happiness to another person, and the gifts we give do not even have to be contained in an item of what can be seen but can be as rewarding as a simple smile given out of a moment of grace or a spontaneous conversation knitted out of a common thread of interest. We uplift each other in numerous ways, but also through our contributions of service where we are helping someone in a way that they might not even expect a need was needing to be fulfilled.

In this way, and numerous others I am not highlighting a story about a family who was inspired to contribute to their neighbourhood in a way their neighbours would not expect truly gave me a wink of a smile and a mirth of joy in finding it!

Blog Book Tour | “Snow Angels” by Lezlie Anderson a short story filled with a lot of heart anchored by community, faith, and the blessings of Christmas!Snow Angels
by Lezlie Anderson

At Christmastime, a little charity can be contagious. . .

Tired of their kids grumbling through family night, one Mom and Dad decide to take action - by giving them ski masks! Donning their masks, the family goes out to shovel snow anonymously for a few neighbours. But with a little Christmas magic, these 'snow angels' end up changing their whole neighbourhood.

Share the joy of service with your friends and family. This sweet story is the perfect size to give to everyone on your list and makes a great reminder of the reason reason for the season.

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Reader's Note: This short story is considered to be a 'booklet' rather than a novella or a short story. It is printed and bound just like a print copy of a book, with a beautiful front cover and back jacket! The author's biography is the last page of the booklet and the story pages are surrounded by snowflakes! On the publisher's (Sweetwater Books) site, this story is related to being happily read by readers of two other holiday stories I've recently reviewed:

I whole-heartedly agree with the publisher, as each of these stories brings you such an uplift of joy! The publisher went on to express readers might be appreciate reading two other titles I have not yet heard of myself which is why I am sharing them with you! I believe these are two short stories or booklets similar to the ones I have already read and reviewed!

  • Jenny's Christmas Gift by John Pontius
  • A Christmas Thief by Carol Lynn Pearson
Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Short Story or Novella



Places to find the book:

Published by Sweetwater Books

on 7th October, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 12

About Lezlie Anderson

Lezlie Anderson has loved books since she learned to read at age four. She and her sisters used their wild imaginations playing in their backyard as princesses to being attacked by giant grasshoppers. The first books she remembers loving are “My Father’s Dragon” and “The Trouble with Miss Switch.”

Lezlie is married to a wonderful man, Steve, and they have three great children, 3 crazy cats, one tortoise, and a fish that has survived more hazards than should be possible. She loves chocolate, Dr. Pepper, and anything that her husband BBQ’s.

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Go Indie
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Posted Tuesday, 23 December, 2014 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Family Drama, Family Life, Father-Daughter Relationships, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Literature for Boys, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Mother-Son Relationships, School Life & Situations, Short Stories or Essays, Siblings, Small Towne USA

Blog Book Tour | “Pierced by Love” by debut novelist Laura L. Walker an INSPY Contemporary Romance honestly portraying how a heart can heal through the power and conviction of love entwined with faith!

Posted Sunday, 21 December, 2014 by jorielov , , , 5 Comments

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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:

  • Go Indie
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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

Blog Book Tour | “Seldom Come By” (Book 1: of the Iceberg Trilogy) by Sherryl Caulfield a historical fiction set on the Province of Newfoundland: a land of stories, hearty souls, and the spirit of thriving in the midst of adversity!

Posted Thursday, 11 December, 2014 by jorielov , , , 1 Comment

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Seldom Come By by Sherryl Caulfield

Published By: Cedar Pocket Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #SeldomComeby & #SeldomComeByBlogTour

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Seldom Come By” virtual book tour through Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Sherryl Caulfield, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I remember catching a glimpse of this novel, whilst checking my feeds on Twitter, and thinking to myself how incredible visceral this novel sounded! I immediately tweeted the author & Ms. Bruno concurrently; I had the happiness of finding there was a spot on the blog tour and I was tucked inside the list of book bloggers! My visit to the author’s website for the first time revealed such a bevy of delight: from the behind-the-scenes extras to the depth of layers the author knitted into her author’s site to give any reader a heap of joy on their returning visits! I love websites you cannot simply devour in seconds, but rather have to linger over and absorb one page at a time! Caulfield has given us all something hearty to read whilst engaging our hearts into the stories flowing out of her pen!

Icebergs and glaciers have captured my attention from a young age — the Goliath of marvel within the natural world has a splendidness about it which is truly unique! I’d love to visit certain regions of North America where you can see icebergs as much as you can kiss the cold breath of their gracefulness! Awe-inspiring yet a ticking reminder of how fragile the balance is within the natural environment for which they are residing. Everything has a natural rhythm and balance — although I also grew up with the realisation of how destructive an iceberg can be to a ship (Titanic always drew my eye, my heart, and part of my soul) there is a measure of acceptance of tinkerature of chaos of which none of us can control.

What truly drew me into this enchanting premise of a novel is simply how it was sparked an experience in a Eastern Canadian Maritime Province I was already curious about (Newfoundland) and how the author herself, drew you into this slice of time breathing in an awareness of known truths out of the tanglements of war, life, and love.

(originally shared on my interview with Ms. Caulfield)

Blog Book Tour | “Seldom Come By” (Book 1: of the Iceberg Trilogy) by Sherryl Caulfield a historical fiction set on the Province of Newfoundland: a land of stories, hearty souls, and the spirit of thriving in the midst of adversity!Seldom Come By

Two years after the sinking of the Titanic, fifteen year-old Rebecca Crowe’s fascination with icebergs leads her to save a shipwrecked survivor, Samuel Dalton, the nineteen-year old son of a Toronto medical family.

Love sparks in the crystal cave of an iceberg but is thwarted by an unreasonable father and the Great War that drags Samuel and his brother, Matthew, to the Western Front as medical officers. Knowing Rebecca is home and safe in Newfoundland brings Samuel great comfort. But as the war moves towards its final harrowing days, they both discover that tragedy and terror can strike anywhere, setting their love on an unforeseen path.

Only when Samuel and Rebecca can fully come to terms with such devastating loss and their impossible choices can their love soar. With an emotional intensity reminiscent of The Bronze Horseman, Seldom Come By, named after an actual place in Newfoundland, is an unforgettable journey across waves and time and the full spectrum of human emotions.


Places to find the book:

Series: The Iceberg Trilogy, No.1


Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters


on 10th October, 2013

Format: Paperback

Pages: 490

About Sherryl Caulfield

Sherryl Caulfield

Australian-born Sherryl Caulfield is a marketer, writer and traveller. After twenty years working for some of the world’s leading technology brands and a stint with Outward Bound, she longed to write about the human experience and the redemptive qualities of nature.

In 2006, haunted by an encounter with a woman she met in Canada, Sherryl started what has now become known as The Iceberg Trilogy. From her home in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand, she distilled the lives of three generations of women – Rebecca, Evangeline and Lindsay – over the course of a century. In the telling of their stories she crafted a series rich in landscapes – of sea, land and the human soul.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Newfoundland | frozen beauty:

I originally came to find Newfoundland by a Newfie who is an actor in television movies and series; my interest was further perked when I had learnt of the story behind Gander’s influence on the travellers who landed at their airport on 11th of September, 2001. Previously I had stumbled across the non-fiction book at my local library, but during the Vancouver Olympics in 2010, the special documentary which went back to Gander was soul-inspiring. This was the Newfoundland I had uncovered whilst researching the Province, the people, and the land which encompasses it as a whole. I even sent for travel pamphlets wherein I received so much more from the tourism bureau, including a bookmark! The bookmark was one small clue to the fact Newfies love the art of story-telling and the craft behind how the stories evolve over the time they are first told aloud. The stories they tell are natural bourne, fused directly into their veins as the common celebration of alighting together in a pub or a friend’s house over supper; the stories linger onward into the night as conversation cascade the joy through the moment.

Moreso than even the depth of their connection to each other, is the connection they share with the land and sea. Like their American North Atlantic neighbours (in Northern New England; especially in regards to Maine), they rely on a living by what the sea and the land can yield as much as the dependency on what the weather will bring. There was always an undercurrent of Newfoundlanders as a whole, as a particular type of person you’d meet if you were to visit in everything I listened to or read. What I found amazing when I started to tuck inside Seldom Come By is how inherently precise Caulfield curated this awareness inside her story! It is something you have to feel as your senses gather an instinct of insight through your intuition as it is not tangible nor is it able to be seen outright. A bit more of a thread of how life can be lived whilst united with the people who stand behind you and of a place both untamed and preserved. Read More

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Posted Thursday, 11 December, 2014 by jorielov in #IndieWriterMonth, 20th Century, Australian Literature, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Canada, Canadian Literature, Debut Author, Debut Novel, During WWI, Family Drama, Family Life, Geographically Specific, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Life Shift, Light vs Dark, Military Fiction, Newfoundland, the Edwardian era, War Drama, War-time Romance, Warfare & Power Realignment

Blog Book Tour | “The Language of Hoofbeats” by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Posted Wednesday, 10 December, 2014 by jorielov , , 3 Comments

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The Language of Hoofbeats by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Published By: Lake Union Publishing
Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, and Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #TheLanguageOfHoofbeats

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “The Language of Hoofbeats” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher Lake Union Publishing, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

When I originally heard about this story from a list of blog tours which may or may not become a tour with TLC, I cast my hat into the ring to be amongst the book bloggers who might be able to review it! One of the more interesting bits of revelation as a book blogger whose in her 2nd Year, is how extraordinary the blog tour schedules are set and how each book starts to curate it’s own unique history of going on tour! This particular book was slated to be on a blog tour, yet it was uncertain if it would be at one point. Part of me grieved a bit as even though I knew I could still read this novel through my local library (libraries are a booklover’s best friend!), there was an internal part of me who had hoped I could read and blog it for my readers!

I have been a bit open and honest about how I am going to be adopting out of (domestic) foster care in the future, as I have found different ways to broach the topic whilst either reading a book who has the same topic of interest knit inside it or if I find a window of where I could talk about being a future Mum in a way that worked with what I was blogging about at that point in time. This novel sparked an interest because it is about blended families, about having adopted children and fosters; whilst attempting to sort out how to bring a family together as a whole. To me that undercurrent of a theme for the novel spoke to me, as any Prospective Adoptive Mum never knows what is going to happen once you open your heart and home to fosters and adopted children. There is always a period of adjustment and then a moment of where all parties start to connect in ways no one could have seen but always had hoped. The journey of being a blended family through adoption or fostering of children is a path not everyone chooses to walk, but is one that is knitted into my own heart.

Therefore I am always mindful and aware of which books I want to read in the future to help encourage an open dialogue on my blog — for riveting and realistic fiction for adults as much as for stories inside Children’s Lit which can help children and teens in and out of the system find stories they believe are representative of their own life story. This particular focus on my blog began with a Middle Grade novel Red Thread Sisters and has evolved forward. In 2015, I want to take a moment out of each month to bring a spotlight on the books I’m finding through my library as there is a wonderful assortment of novels and non-fiction for foster and adoptive families right now. I even spoke about how these stories fit under my participation for seeking out more diverse literature as part of the national campaign for #WeNeedDiverseBooks.

What I hadn’t realised is the author penned the story Pay It Forward which became a bonefide motion picture! My whole focus on this book prior to the blog tour was the prospect of what I would find inside the pages and how the author would choose to focus on the harder hitting moments within. Her previous works are unfamiliar to me, and although I am aware of the film, I have not seen it. How lovely then, I came to know her through an Indie release focused on a non-traditional family!?

Blog Book Tour | “The Language of Hoofbeats” by Catherine Ryan HydeThe Language of Hoofbeats
by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours

From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes a story of the heartbreak and healing power of family. New to a small town, Jackie and Paula envision a quiet life for their kids: a young adopted son and two teenage foster children, including the troubled Star.

However, they quickly butt heads with their neighbor, Clementine, who disapproves of their lifestyle and is incensed when Star befriends her spirited horse, Comet. Haunted by past tragedy and unable to properly care for Comet, Clem nevertheless resents the bond Star soon shares with the horse. When Star disappears with Comet, the neighbors are thrown together—far too close together. But as the search for the pair wears on, both families must learn to put aside their animosity and confront the choices they’ve made and the scars they carry.

Plumbing the depths of regret and forgiveness, The Language of Hoofbeats explores the strange alchemy that transforms a group of people into a family.

Genres: Women's Fiction, Adoption & Foster Care



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1477824689

Published by Lake Union Publishing

on 9th December, 2014

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 342

Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Go Indie
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Posted Wednesday, 10 December, 2014 by jorielov in Adoption, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, California, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Foster Care, Go Indie, Indie Author, LGBTTQPlus Fiction | Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Orphans & Guardians, Realistic Fiction, Siblings, Single Mothers, Social Services, TLC Book Tours, Women's Fiction