You might have seen me happily chattering about today’s featured #SatBookChat guest author during a recent #HistFicChat!? Ever since then – I’ve quite literally been stalking my local library for updates on my purchase request – as I found out within a very short window they accepted the purchase for this novel, however, what I hadn’t known is *when!* the book would arrive into the library and thus, be available for me to pick it up to borrow and read!
More uniquely – nearly all of my purchase requests this year were accepted *and!* I had a limited time window to read them (per why I did not finish most of them yet) as other patrons discovered the stories in the card catalogue and fetched them for their own readerly exploration! This title isn’t any different than those – as I have to read and sort out my thoughts for it to run during #blogmas before it needs to be returnt to the library on the 27th!
Now, normally that might sound like a long time (a proper fortnight) however between a major blog crisis (ie. Friday-Monday major technical issues where I couldn’t access my blog properly and it delayed all my posts for #SciFiMonth) and a severe migraine (ie. Sunday-Thursday) – you can see why my #HoHoHoRAT was less ‘ho ho ho’ and more ‘oh no no no’ angsty oy vie!
I dearly wanted to read it before #SatBookChat today as well – but I had to reconcile that I’ll be reading it this week instead – whilst only getting to dip my toes into the opening chapter or so ahead of happily chattering about the elements inside it which make my bookish heart swoon!
This also marked a new transition of cross-social promotion for @SatBookChat as the author kindly created a short video which she shared via her feeds for #Instagram and within her #InstaStories (also on Instagram)!
As you can see – this is one of those #ChristmasReads which gave me wicked sweet expectations of joy to be discussing during #SatBookChat and it is a delight of joy I can share this preview of the novel with my readers, visitors & chatters alike before we go LIVE @ 11a NYC | 4p UK | 8a PST to interact directly with Ms Bacarr and find more reasons to hug close to the story and bring a bit of war era loveliness in our holiday reads this festive season 2019!
I hope you’ve brewed a cuppa to enjoy the information on this spotlighted post in conjunction with @SatBookChat whilst taking time to visit our past chats archived via the Moments on the chat’s feeds via Twitter. This chat will be archived after it concludes and a bit lateron from there to allow everyone the chance to interact, share and respond.
Without further adieu,
I give you my fifth #SatBookChat spotlight”
wherein you can learn a bit more about the author & her story.
All she wants for Christmas is to save the man she loves…
On a cold December day in 1955, Kate Arden got on a train to go home for Christmas.
This is the story of what happened when she got off that train. In 1943.
In 1943 Kate Arden was engaged to the man she loved, Jeffrey Rushbrooke. She was devastated and heartbroken when he was called up for wartime duty and later killed on a secret mission in France.
But what if Kate could change that? What if she could warn him and save his life before Christmas?
Or will fate have a bigger surprise in store for her?
Christmas Once Again is a sweeping, heartbreakingly romantic novel – it’s one woman’s chance to follow a different path and mend her broken heart…
You might remember me reading the first installment of this series for last year’s #blogmas here on Jorie Loves A Story? I happily felt dearly consumed by “Merry Hanukkah” as it was a unique spin on a #HolidayReads selection of story as there is a merger of religious traditions & holiday delights throughout the dramatic Women’s Fiction story-line wherein you truly feel badly for Rhonda! She has to not only juggle the love & romance in her life *but!* she has a family similar in vein to the one you might have seen in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”!!
As soon as you pick up Merry Hanukkah, you know your in for a delightful fun read – as Caruso has a natural talent for humour and wit; lacing in her style of Contemporary life with the fuell of comedy she evokes a sense of festive cheerfulness in her story. This isn’t a story to take too seriously as at the heart of the story itself is the truer blissitude and purpose behind why we all celebrate the holidays together as best we can as we merge our families together. Not all families can agree on the details but for those of us who celebrated the holidays whilst combining traditions and memories, those were the holidays you remember the most. Where everyone found a way to come together uniting through the blessing of the season and finding a reason to celebrate the joyfulness of being together.
This is what you can pick up on whilst reading the story – as Caruso wants to show how even if you have a family at odds with one another on certain points, there is renewed hope in being able to come together for the special moments in life which unite us without having to worry about all the little particulars that no one will remember anyway!
Caruso has a quick style – similar to writing for screen where she places you in-scene rather immediately and lets each individual scene speak for itself. As you shift between the chapters, you notice her style as you don’t wait long for embellishments on the previous disclosure and sequences, as you’ve found the plot has already moved forward. This works well for a short Holiday Contemporary like this one, as the pacing is matching the rush you feel at the holidays where there is never enough time to get everything accomplished you wish to get done.
The stories are delightfully on the ‘shorter side’ of Contemporary Women’s Fiction – perfect for the reader whose seeking a festively yet shorter read for their #ChristmasReads, #blogmas or even this week’s #ThanksgivingReadathon wherein you can nibble on the sharp dialogue and the witty narrative between holiday obligations, festive parties and the odd work commitment, too!
You will find yourself charmed by how the story is told whilst getting a good vibe and introduction to the writerly mind of Debby Caruso in the process! I honestly loved how she combined family & cross-religious traditions in a very modern & relatable setting.
If this is your first time seeing me feature this series, I hope you’ve brewed a cuppa to enjoy the information on this spotlighted post in conjunction with @SatBookChat whilst taking time to visit the transcript via Moments!
Without further adieu,
I give you my third”#SatBookChat spotlight”
wherein you can learn a bit more about the author & her series;
as well as where to find the archived chat we shared!
Happy Everything is the ongoing story of Rhonda and James, following them from Merry Hanukkah directly into the much anticipated second installment in the Merry Hanukkah series.
Everyone’s favorite newlyweds have settled into married life, but now it’s Dez and Jack’s turn to make it official. In typical Rhonda fashion, she’s determined to give her best friend Dez the best bridal shower ever, all while juggling yet another work crisis and still trying desperately to fit in to her new family situation. Unfortunately, Aunt Bunny is diagnosed with cancer, and the entire family starts coming apart at the seams. Rhonda and James step in to help support Uncle Ben any way they can, but it’s never enough for Rhonda’s incorrigible mother-in-law, Vivian. Will Vivian’s constant meddling finally cause Rhonda and James irreparable damage? Is there any way that Rhonda can pull the family together by hosting both Passover and Easter on the same weekend?
Why is Rhonda’s Dad suddenly dating someone much younger than him? And how can Rhonda come up with a new and exciting way to sell protein bars?
Follow Rhonda into this new chapter of her life, where success hinges on the latest and greatest ad campaign, and her personal triumphs are determined by how much she can do for others. Journey with her as she begins to slowly realize that she can’t be all things to all people; even the ones you love the most.
You might feel like you’ve jumped through a time portal when you read this recap on behalf of the lovely conversation I had with Jennifer Silverwood on the 2nd of November during the kick-off weekend for #SciFiMonth (@SciFiMonth) – however, I assure you, you did not slip through an unseen black hole! I simply wasn’t able to post this until the following Saturday due to health reasons.
What transpired a week ago today is a beautifully lovely conversation between two bookish friends who just happen to be a book blogger and a Speculative Fiction / multi-genre story-teller who like to chatter about bookish topics they are mutually passionate about whilst Jorie has yet to discover a story by the pen of Ms Silverwood she hasn’t developed a heap of ruminative thoughts over!
This was a special cross-promoted chat for both #SatBookChat & #SciFiMonth as nearly the full convo was using both tags in order to engage the audiences from both groups of chatters. Sadly, during the chat itself, there was nominal engagement but it is my hope with this proper signal boost I can give the chat a second chance at finding its target audience of readers who are seeking a special something ‘extra’ in their readerly journey into Space Opera and Science Fiction!
The Heaven’s Edge series is told through a series of novellas before it will address a full length novel (at least two equal parts in novella form are slated to be published) whilst the novelist is an Indie Author who is cross-releasing her series into all formats readers might love to discover her stories inside! This was an ebook and now a print release series but it is (hopefully) soon going to be transitioning into an audiobook series as well. I was overjoyed truly hearing this news during #SatBookChat #SciFiMonth as audiobooks are simply my jam at the moment and finding NEW stories on the horizon to be released just makes me feel giddy!
Let me introduce you now to Heavens Edge and be sure to tuck into the archived transcript of the chat itself – where you can submit new replies (remember to use both hashtags!), share the convo as it aired live (via RT / favouring) and find out where the topics and the discussion took Ms Silverwood and Jorie overall! You will find she was openly responsive to enquiries about her writerly process, the intricacies of creating a world set in the Rims and what motivates her to write Space Opera in a YA illuminated world.
Without further adieu,
I give you my second “#SatBookChat spotlight”
wherein you can learn a bit more about the author & her series;
as well as where to find the archived chat we shared!
Series Introduction from the author Jennifer Silverwood:
Welcome to Heaven’s Edge! Grab your scythe blades, strap on your plasma gauntlets and prepare yourselves for one steampunkish adventure to the far corners of space with Qeya and co.
But before we begin, did you know this series about a group of stranded space teens was among the first stories I ever penned? A long time ago, in the year 1998, my folks had just bought our first computer. I wanted to write stories set in a world like Star Wars, but without adults interfering, of course. I spent my first formative writing years exploring Heaven’s Edge with Qeya and the gang. So it seemed only natural to update the story and make it my first publication twelve years later. My struggle to see Qeya published was what directed me to self-publishing and the rest is history.
We meet a crew of former Royals, the Miners who once served them. In Qeya, the crew was attacked by a mysterious alien force, then crash landed on the primitive world below. Trouble is, none of the adults survived and now a small band of children and teenagers must cross the boundaries their parents imposed on them to survive.
Over the years and between releasing my “big” books, I worked with editor and friend, Jessica Augustsson to breathe back life into this mini-series. It’s been one epic steam-clunking ride, reinventing this world from my childhood.
I hope you’re ready to take a tour of the Rim with me. Enjoy the adventure!
I appear to be running a bit behind this week all the way round – it wasn’t until nearly a half hour *ahead!* of #SatBookChat where I was finally able to ‘announce’ our featured guest Angela Wren – of whom writes the dramatic crime series #JacquesForet whilst having a dual propensity for crafting stories of romance in a collaborative anthological series featuring Miss Moonshine! I found this duality of writing interest to be rather fascinating inasmuch as I was thankful that despite signal boosting the chat today rather late in the hour, we had a lovely turnout of guests who came to chat, share & celebrate Ms Wren’s writings!
My co-host Juli isn’t able to join us each weekend which is why this #SatBookChat was extra sweet as she was able to come through and pepper our discussion with solid questions & enquiries whilst helping to engage our visitors & regular chatters alike! I love when she can co-host with me as I feel it adds a lovely additional dimension to where the conversations can take us all.
You’ll be able to see which questions were pitched to Ms Wren and what our individual observations were as soon as you’ve had the chance to visit the “Moment’ where I’ve left the conversation in our ‘archives’. I’ve recently discovered this advantage to using Moments on Twitter as previously I had to regrettably lose our archives when Nurph & Storify were cancelled. It is my intention to bring back as many of the chats as I can locate and re-share them through Moments.
For now, all six of our conversations for Autumn 2019 are featured and are LIVE to be read, responded too and appreciated. I always encourage regular chatters & new chatters alike to take a moment to visit our archives as if you did participate in one of the chats, it is a lovely refresher whilst if you haven’t yet had the pleasure of chatting with us – you can gain a footing towards becoming introduced to how their hosted and how you can start to participate. The best advice I can share is remember to add our tag #SatBookChat to your tweets and just have fun!
Without further adieu,
I give you my first “#SatBookChat spotlight”
wherein you can learn a bit more about the author & her series;
as well as where to find the archived chat we shared!
A spate of abductions and subsequent deaths in nearby départements have Investigator, Jacques Forêt, perplexed. Returning from extended leave to the news of a local kidnapping, Jacques is on the case immediately. And this time it’s personal.
But the case isn’t Jacques’ only worry. He has become more and more concerned about Beth, but what can he do if she doesn’t let him help her?
The investigation into the murders takes him and his trusted assistant, Didier Duclos, to Marseille. Can Jacques find the kidnappers and release their captive before another body is added to the list of unexplained murders?
It’s a race against time.
Marseille is the fourth instalment in the bestselling Jacques Forêt Mystery series.
Borrowed Book By: I’ve known about the Seven Sisters book series for quite awhile now, however, I haven’t had the proper chance to dig into the series – therefore, when I was approached by the publisher to considering being on the blog tour this February, I decided it was time to borrow the books via my local library! Although, as a member of the blog tour I was receiving the fourth release “The Pearl Sister” for my honest ruminations, I decided to back-read the entire series ahead of soaking into the newest installment – my personal preference is to read serial fiction in order of sequence; even if sometimes I find myself bungling the order, I love to see how the writer has set the stage for a series which becomes progressively engaging! To start at the beginning is the best way to see how they laid down the foundation for both the series, their writing style and how the characters first make their entrances into our lives.
I borrowed the first novel in the Seven Sisters series “The Seven Sisters” in hardback edition from my local library. I was not obligated to post a review as I am doing so for my own edification as a reader who loves to share her readerly life. I was not compensated for my thoughts shared herein.
On what appealed to me about reading the Seven Sisters series:
When I realised this was going to be a story about adoptive sisters, I was instantly captured by the premise as I’m a Prospective Adoptive Mum – who wants to adopt a sibling group out of foster care in the future. However, prior to realising this key thread of the series dramatic arc and connection, what moved me more is how it was layered through History and dual time-lines of different characters who were in essence inter-connected in a way they did not even realise it at the time. This felt like quite an epic Historical series – where it would move in and out of the Contemporary world and the recent past; where histories of each of the sisters’ origins might become revealled in each new installment of the series.
The layers the author was assembling into the series was quite alluring as well – such as the overlay between Mythological Histories and the reasons why the Seven Sisters are such a key point of reference in both spoken histories and the mythologies we know have become beloved favourite stories passed down through different generations whilst the stories themselves are sometimes altered by who is telling them. Combine this with the clever mind of a writer who was able to visit the locales in which she is writing about – absorbing what was there to be seen and felt as she was writing the stories and I had a feeling this is one series which would give me the sensation of living ‘elsewhere’ quite wondrously until the final chapter of the final novel was read – as it’s not yet composed into life, I have a bit of a wait ahead of me!
Blessedly I’m a patient reader – I don’t mind waiting for the next sequences of a beloved series. I might get wicked excited and wish to read them sooner – but in the end, I respect the time needed to create them and I’d rather have patience than to have an installment feel it was rushed into existence. Somehow, I have stumbled across another writer who writes like I do – not something I generally find, but within the pages of Ms Riley’s #SevenSistersSeries, I see my own writing style mirrored within her own. It’s interesting to observe as this is the first time I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading her stories and I can tell I shall be spending a lot time seeking out her stories and wickedly delighted to see where she continues to take me,… one thing I can attest as being an inspiring segue from reading this novel is by watching adoptive stories on YT.
I took moments outside the text to watch videos of adoptive families being spotlighted on Ellen, Rachael Ray and other outlets celebrating the joys of being part of a blended family. I even learnt about an adoptive family of fourteen siblings – from various countries of origin – who surprised their Mum and Dad with a new living room as they wanted to give back part of the joy and happiness they had received throughout their lives to two selfless parents who never took time to focus on themselves because they had always put the children first (as it should be). I love stories which parlay into our own heart’s wishes and dreams whilst acknowledging the journey all children go through who are on a path of adoption. (see also the 14 adoptees who surprised their parents)
Notation on Cover Art: I had agreed with the author in one of her YT videos about how the constellation cover art truly suited this first novel of her series, however, having read the hardcover American edition – I personally liked how the evidence left behind by Pa Salt was imprinted (similar to a watermark) behind the author’s name (the armillary sphere) whilst below the title, we can see Rio and the sculpture of Christ the Redeemer whilst Maia is looking away from Rio – it’s a clever way of positioning you into the setting of where Maia starts to understand who she is and why she is one of Pa Salt’s daughters.
Maia D' Apliese and her five sisters gather together at their childhood home, "Atlantis" - a fabulous, secluded castle on the shores of Lake Geneva - having been told that their beloved father, who adopted them all as infants, has died. Each of the sisters is handed a tantalizing clue to her true heritage - a clue that takes Maia, the eldest, across the world to a crumbling mansion in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Once there, she begins to piece together the story of her own life's beginnings.
Eighty years earlier, in the Rio of the 1920s, Izabela Bonifacio's newly wealthy father has aspirations for his beautiful daughter to marry into the aristocracy. Meanwhile, architect Heitor da Silva Costa is devising plans for an enormous statue, to be called Christ the Redeemer, and will soon travel to Paris to find a sculptor capable of completing his vision. Izabela - passionate and longing to see the world - convinces her father to allow her to accompany the da Silva Costa family to Europe before she is married off to a man whom she hardly knows. In Paris, at Paul Landowski's studio and in the heady, vibrant cafes of Montparnasse, she meets ambitious young sculptor Laurent Brouilly, and knows at once that her life will never be the same again.
In this beguilling entrancing novel, Lucinda Riley brings vividly to life two extraordinary women whose intertwining stories, set decades apart are a reminder of the courage it takes to accept love when it is offered.
I *love!* finding videos by authors who love to engage with readers about the inspiration behind their stories – the more I learn about Ms Riley the more I see a lot of myself in her intuitive instincts for drawing out a story which she is as passionate about writing as I am to be reading it. I loved this video & thought you’d enjoy it, too.
The Seven Sisters Series: of whom are Maia, Ally (Alcyone), Star (Asterope), CeCe (Celeano), Tiggy (Taygete), Electra and Merope – the series is based on the mythology of the Seven Sisters of the Pleiades – interestingly enough, this is a constellation in close proximity to Orion*.
The Seven Sisters : Maia’s Story (Book One)
The Storm Sister : Ally’s Story (Book Two) | Synopsis
The Shadow Sister : Star’s Story (Book Three) | Synopsis
The Pearl Sister : CeCe’s Story (Book Four) | Synopsis*forthcoming review 1st of February, 2018!
Available Formats: Hardcover, Audiobook, Paperback and Ebook
Converse via: #SevenSistersSeries
#whoispasalt ← I advise not visiting the second tag on Twitter as it tends to reveal a few things ahead of reading the stories themselves.
*NOTE: My favourite constellation since I was young girl who lived at her Science Center, whilst finding the awe and wonder of studying a wide diversity of the Sciences through interactive play, experiments and lively engaging Summer camps – I had a focus of interest on Cosmology and Astronomy which had a healthy appreciation for the constellations and the intriguing stories behind how they were named and the lives ‘they’ once lived. All of this is a segue of interest which also parlays into my fascination and appreciation of the Quantum Realms and AstroPhysics. I hadn’t realised the connection to Orion until I opened The Seven Sisters; after which I immediately smiled – this series was meant to be read by me. The girl who looks for Orion every Autumn and wickedly smiles musefully at him throughout Winter and Spring. Geographically speaking, he’s not even meant to be seen outside one season a year yet I find him more frequently than most – a constant presence overhead and a comforting sight at that!
About Lucinda Riley
Lucinda Riley is the #1 internationally bestselling author of sixteen novels, including Hothouse Flower and The Seven Sisters. Her books have sold more than ten million copies in over 30 languages. Lucinda divides her time between West Cork, Ireland, and Norfolk, England with her husband and four children.
The Seven Sisters