Category: Women’s Fiction

#PubDay Author Interview | Talking with Contemporary Women’s Fiction novelist Kerry Fisher of #Bookouture!

Posted Friday, 29 April, 2016 by jorielov After the Lie, Bookouture, Kerry Fisher 2 Comments

Hard to believe my interview series featuring #Bookouture authors is winding down – as my initial batch of conversations are drawing to a close! I am hopeful I can continue to converse with the lovely authors of this Indie Publisher in the UK, as each conversation I have been sharing (and will be!) has been such an enjoyable feast of words and a wealth of sharing our writerly lives with one another – whilst giving little hints about what each story now releasing will involve. It’s become a welcome glow on my blog, as prior to assembling these interviews, I had never heard of Bookouture and I have Ms Driscoll to thank for this lovely rendezvous and joyfulness!

Each time I set to mind which stories I wanted to highlight during this interview series, I wanted to seek out stories which would touch my heart but also, might challenge me a bit emotionally. Women’s Fiction is full of heart-centred dramatic story-lines – where you get to step directly into the shoes of a woman whose own life is not just different from your own, but it’s set to a higher pitch of a dramatic background. I love reading about lives full of adversity and strife, whilst seeing how each character in turn picks up the pieces of their lives and carries forward renewed and strengthened despite the obstacles which befell them. These are the type of stories whose truism to our own contemporary lives give us a portrait of how we might live through similar circumstances – hopefully for the better for having learnt of the character’s journey but if not, perhaps a renewed strength from having read their story.

I love finding fictional stories whose evocation of a lived life is so honestly realistic, the person on the page could quite literally walk out of the ink and folds of paper to alight in reality. When I first read the premise behind ‘After the Lie’ I was curious from the sociological and psychological juxtapositions how this family might surmount the secrets which are starting to percolate to the surface. It’s definitely an interesting proposition for a story to funnel out as the novel unfolds, and thus, I was quite inspired by what to ask the author on it’s behalf!

I hope you enjoy our conversation and perhaps, I might have inspired you to pick up a copy of ‘After the Lie’ or any of the other lovely Bookouture titles I’ve been featuring! If I have, kindly let me know in the comment threads below this post or on each individual interview, too. I am blessed by your visit and happy to find my readers are enjoying this interview series, too! In other words, these guest features have been some of the most popular recently read posts on Jorie Loves A Story! Rock on, dear hearts!

To gain a bit of a back-story on how I came to host Bookouture authors,

please visit my first conversation I featured with this publisher with Teresa Driscoll!

One little lie can make one big difference …

Lydia has the ‘right’ kind of friends, her children are at the ‘right’ kind of school and she’s married to the ‘right’ sort of man – kind, steady, reliable Mark. Her wedding business is flourishing and even though she is at loggerheads with her mother, she couldn’t ask for anything more from life.

But the truth is that Lydia has been lucky. She has been living a lie for years and Mark has no idea who he is really married to. But nothing lasts forever and the past has a funny way of catching up with the present. When the person who knows all of Lydia’s dark little secrets turns up at the school gates, his presence threatens to blow Lydia’s life apart.

What is Lydia’s terrible truth? Once the secret is out, you can’t put it back …

Your opening greeting to readers on your website is that you write stories about ordinary life, everyday humour and family life. It might sound quite ordinary but to turn everyday life into a compelling read takes charisma. How do you approach your writings to make them realistic but also refreshingly unique where each woman who reads the story can find it resonating with them?

Fisher responds: When I am thinking of ideas for the next novel, I go onto forums such as Mumsnet to see what ‘ordinary’ women are discussing and asking advice about. I listen to my friends and their stories, (or people bellowing their problems into their mobile phones on trains and in cafés) and then I try to think of the most extreme – but credible – version and add in as many complications and conflicts as possible. Read More

Posted Friday, 29 April, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Bookouture, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Writers Life, Women's Fiction, Writing Style & Voice

Author Guest Post | “On conceptionalising the supernatural elements which are threaded through Guinevere’s tales” by Nicole Evelina

Posted Thursday, 28 April, 2016 by jorielov Camelot's Queen, Guinevere's Tale, Lawson Gartner Publishing, Nicole Evelina 0 Comments

Certain stories I am reading evoke such an awareness of presence, both in conception and the backbone of it’s world-building, I become inspired to ask the writer to shed a bit of light on how they drew inspiration to first conceive these ideas and how they were able to manifest them inside their story as a whole.

When I first read Daughter of Destiny, I had such a strong connection to the manner in which the whole story came alive in my mind’s eye – it was such a powerful dramatic historical story, and the beauty of it was how Ms Evelina approached re-telling such a well-known canon of influence!

Which is why I had this to say on the author’s behalf:

The research Evelina put into this work of a trilogy is evidenced by how she chose to tell the story, first through direct sight of Guinevere approaching hard choices and managing her emotions in the thick of it and secondly, through enlivening the background with such scope of depth as to embrace the mystical and mythology of how Camelot exists. She even kept the continuity alive by bringing together the origins of those who call Avalon home with their familial heritages and beliefs; such as I celebrated in seeing Guinevere’s Rhiannon and Lugh arriving in time for her ascension to Priestess of Avalon. The fundamentals of religion and ancestry are inter-woven to the core of who Guinevere is and what she stood for thereby granting the reader a more grounded vision of the woman Guinevere became latter in life. – quoted from my review on behalf of Daughter of Destiny

If you are seeking an author who champion’s strong women and who approaches telling their story in a multi-layered approach with a stirring plot which highlights their character’s journey through a legacy you felt you knew previously but only had a smidge of a hint about – this is your author! I loved how the historical layers merged so wonderfully into the mystical and how Evelina truly wrote a story for women today who are seeking such a strong narrative in our modern world, where Feminist Historical Fiction is starting to become a focal point of interest.

She truly captured my heart and my mind, enriching the experience in getting to know Camelot in such a personal way as to give me a hearty read about a woman I thought I had understood but hadn’t quite realised the adversities and the pressures of her society she had to overcome in order to live the life she was meant to lead.

History remembers Guinevere’s sin, but it was Arthur who transgressed first.

Forced into a marriage she neither anticipated nor desired, Guinevere finds herself High Queen, ruling and fighting alongside Arthur as they try to subdue the Saxons, Irish and Picts who threaten Britain from every direction. Though her heart still longs for her lost love, Guinevere slowly grows to care for her husband as they join together to defeat their enemies.

Meanwhile, within the walls of Camelot their closest allies plot against them. One schemes to make Guinevere his own, another seeks revenge for past transgressions, while a third fixes her eyes on the throne. When the unthinkable happens and Guinevere is feared dead, Arthur installs a new woman in her place, one who will poison his affections toward her, threatening Guinevere’s fragile sanity and eventually driving her into the arms of her champion.

Amid this tension a new challenge arises for the king and queen of Camelot: finding the Holy Grail, a sacred relic that promises lasting unity. But peace, as they will soon learn, can be just as dangerous as war. As the court begins to turn on itself, it becomes clear that the quest that was to be Arthur’s lasting legacy may end in the burning fires of condemnation.

This highly anticipated sequel to Daughter of Destiny proves there is much more to Guinevere’s story than her marriage and an affair. See the legend you think you know through her eyes and live the adventure of Camelot’s golden days yourself – but prepared to suffer its downfall as well.

Book No. 1 Daughter of Destiny (review)

Book No. 2 Camelot’s Queen releases 12th of April 2016

Book No. 3 Mistress of the Legend releases late 2016/early 2017

The topic which I most wanted to hear Ms Evelina’s response about her series:

How did you conceptionalise the supernatural elements which are threaded through Guinevere’s tales whilst acknowledging the rich legacy of the original canon but augmenting a bit outside of it to pepper in your own inclinations towards what you felt would be a good interpretation of the magic and organic telling of the story? Did you find any sequence of this to be most challenging to show visually inside of the novels?

That’s a really great question, and one with a long answer. When I first set out to write these books, I considered stripping them of all magic and making them pure historical fiction, but that felt too sterile to me. It’s probably because I want to believe in magic. I just couldn’t conceive of Arthurian legend without at least a little magic. Read More

Posted Thursday, 28 April, 2016 by jorielov in 6th Century, After the Canon, Arthurian Legend, Avalon, Blog Tour Host, Britian, British Literature, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Earthen Magic, Earthen Spirituality, Folklore and Mythology, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, History, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Mythological Societies, Parapsychological Gifts, Passionate Researcher, Re-Told Tales, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Spirituality & Metaphysics, Supernatural Fiction, Superstitions & Old World Beliefs, Warfare & Power Realignment, Women's Fiction, Wordsmiths & Palettes of Sage, Writing Style & Voice

Author Interview | Conversing with Historical novelist Debbie Rix from #Bookouture!

Posted Tuesday, 26 April, 2016 by jorielov Bookouture, Daughters of the Silk Road, Debbie Rix 0 Comments

One of the blessings of hosting the authors of Bookouture, has been happily finding all the lovely styles of stories emerging out of this UK Indie publisher! I have a soft spot for historicals – when I can curl inside a slice of the historical past I have not yet had the pleasure of exploring, there is an overwhelming bubbling of joy bursting in my readerly heart! I love travelling through the different portals of time, but I also, love finding myself being in a position where I can learn something about History through the eyes and lives of strongly writ characters who endear you to their stories inasmuch as the timescape by which they are living!

Daughters of the Silk Road appealed to my sensibility for antiques and the artifacts passed down through generations which withhold stories of their own, as they are moved through time from one person to another. This is one reason I find it incredible to be browsing through an antique emporium and/or attending an auction – what curious thoughts dance through a writer’s head inasmuch as a reader – what would all those objects of art and antiquity or ordinary life speak on behalf of their own journey? What could we gleam in knowledge about how life was lived through those pieces as well? What curious fascinations of thought course through your veins as you happily ponder all the lovely mysteries attached to everything set before your eyes!

Such a joy for me to be featuring Ms Rix today – celebrating her new book but also, the excitement of finding how history cross-sects with destiny!

To gain a bit of a back-story on how I came to host Bookouture authors,

please visit my first conversation I featured with this publisher with Teresa Driscoll!

Venice 1441: Maria and her brother Daniele arrive in the birthplace of their father, Niccolo de Conti. An Italian merchant who has travelled far and wide, Niccolo has brought spices from India, lengths of silk and damask from the lands east of India and porcelain; a vase of pure white, it’s surface painted with bright cobalt blue flowers and dragons, the symbols of good fortune.

Maria settles in her new home, watching the magnificent and bustling city come to life each morning from her bedroom window. But while her father is away travelling, she soon finds herself and Daniele in terrible danger. She must protect her brother at whatever cost, and shemust guard the delicate vase.

London 2015: Single mother Miranda is struggling to make ends meet and build a new life for her and daughter Georgie. When Miranda meets the charming but mysterious Charles, she is intrigued. Could he be her second chance at love? And why is he so fascinated by the old vase sitting on her hall table…

A stunning and richly evocative story following the journey of a precious family treasure passed down from one generation to another.

What drew you towards writing a time slip narrative, which unites the 20th Century with the 15th Century? Was the dexterity of owning both eras part of what appealed to you most? As this isn’t the first time you’ve used this story arc to tell a tale straight out of history’s mirror.

Rix responds: I feel that time-slip is both a useful and enjoyable discipline – both for myself as the writer, and I hope, for the reader. The presence of a modern hero or heroine guides the reader gently into the old story. The tricky part is to create a modern story that is as compelling as the historical one.

It is almost inevitable that the historical element will be interesting; that it will introduce the reader to a character in history, or to a time and a place in the past about which they know very little. But It is harder to do that with a modern story. I was determined, with this second book, to create a modern narrative that really engaged with the reader, so they were keen to ‘get back’ to Miranda’s modern story.

As a writer, there is also a certain joy in having two stories running simultaneously. You feel pleasure as you take up one narrative and leave the other behind. It keeps things fresh. And I like the puzzle element of it – of weaving the two stories together so they create a satisfying whole. Read More

Posted Tuesday, 26 April, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Bookouture, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Writers Life, Time Slip, Women's Fiction, Writing Style & Voice

Book Review | “The Wild One” (#CoorahCreek No.2) by Janet Gover #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 23 April, 2016 by jorielov Berni Stevens (Illustrator), ChocLitUK, Coorah Creek series, Flight to Coorah Creek, Janet Gover, The Wild One 0 Comments

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

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 characters written honestly 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!

Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. I received a complimentary copy of “The Wild One” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I fell in love with Coorah Creek:

To fully capture my initial excitement about learning this series was going to continue, you can click to view the first tweet I shared! I have a soft spot for Westerns – stemming out of my love for horse-back riding but also, because I fell in love with the country having spent equal portions of my life between city and rural environs. Being close to the natural world and being cognisantly aware of wildlife and the natural habitats which play such an important role in our cyclic health on Earth has left an impression on my heart, mind and imagination.

I started reading Westerns as a young girl – curled up inside Cowboy fiction and the Americana of the Western Frontier is one way I spent a happy afternoon engrossed inside the pages of novels whose spirit of the West and of a particular kind of lifestyle championed a spark of joy inside me. This is why to this day, I love seeking out Westerns – either straight-up traditional historicals or the Contemporaries who are breaking new frontiers as they bring us a new endearing locale to frame our minds around a setting which can resonate as readily as the historical past!

This is one reason you’ll find more of these stories emerging on my blog as time moves forward, because I have two favourite authors (Liz Harris and Janet Gover) who write the novels I am seeking from ChocLit but also, because I have stories on my TBR List (of whom I need to add to my Leafmarks!) which are my ‘itching to read next’ choices! If you’ve caught sight of my reviews on behalf of the novels of Carolyn Steele (Willow Springs and Soda Springs) you will recognise instantly what I love about modern day Western authors! Even MK McClintock has a heap of lovelies I want to explore whilst finishing my stay inside her Alaina Claiborne! (see this conversation I had with her last year) Even Carla Kelly endeared me to her style as soon as I stepped through the pages of Softly Falling! It is an incredible time to be a reader of Western fiction!

When it comes to Coorah Creek, I was happily surprised by what I found inside the novel, so much so, I ached for a sequel long before I ever realised one was being breathed into life! Here is a sampling of my review on behalf of the first story which I did not want to end:

Creating a realistic impression of the Australian Outback is Janet Gover’s gift:

I honestly could not stop reading Flight to Coorah Creek, and in doing so, left myself at a bit of a loss as to how to properly leave behind my esteem and love of the story! I simply did not want to leave my comfy chair and make my way to my keyboard! I absorbed myself so fully into this story, as I had ached to get into the heart of it for most of Spring & Summer, that by the time I found the pages flying past my fingers, there simply was not one second to spare! I was thankful to soak into a light medical drama which did not affect me as medical dramas generally do these days (ooh, how I miss reading them!), as I was quite fascinated with Gover’s ability to take research & first hand experience (as she had disclosed in a #ChocLitSaturdays : chat on Twitterthat she had experienced an air ambulance service) and turnt it into such a believable and commendable tale of second chances, new beginnings, and atonement!

The subtle way she included what I would generally think of as a ‘third’ character: the Australian Outback itself was an alarming treat for your senses! And, how interesting that most of what was spoken about are part of the natural beauty I appreciate myself, even if the frying in the laser sharp heat of the sun might not be as keen, it was how she turnt the natural world into a visual backdrop I appreciated the most. The Outback was also quite the character, as the winds would shift and reveal a few things about where all of these lovely characters had settled into a sense of home and stability of calm. I honestly cannot wait to read another novel where she takes me on another epic journey of an adventure!

I have seen many a motion picture which involves drama on a plane, but I must say, Gover had me on the very edge of my seat and I nearly forgot to breathe whilst reading the passages where the flying was anything but routine!

– as quoted from my review of Flight to Coorah Creek, the first book in the series

Sadly, there is anchour to this story, a novella which is currently only available in ebook format (Christmas at Coorah Creek) rather than being released into print or audiobook. It’s my mission to gather the audiobooks by ChocLit for the novellas and/or any novel that doesn’t make it to print but goes into audio release! I would love to say one day I have a lovely bookcase full of ChocLit paperbacks and audiobooks on CD! Until then, I gather in my mind which ones I wish to collect and hope for the best!

For those of you whose thirst for this series is intrigued to seek out the stories, let me share the synopsis for the novella! Remember this follows the time-line straight after Flight to Coorah Creek!

What if you don’t want to be home for Christmas?

Spending Christmas away from home is one thing but English nurse Katie Brooks is spending hers in Coorah Creek; a small town in the Australian outback.

Katie was certain leaving London was the right decision, but her new job in the outback is more challenging than she could have ever imagined.

Scott Collins rescued Katie on her first day in Coorah Creek and has been a source of comfort ever since. But Scott no longer calls the town home – it’s too full of bad memories and he doesn’t plan on sticking around for long.

Scott needs to leave. Katie needs to stay. They have until Christmas to decide their future …

The Wild One
Subtitle: A Coorah Creek Novel

Can four wounded souls find love?

Iraq war veteran Dan Mitchell once disobeyed an order – and it nearly destroyed him. Now a national park ranger in the Australian outback, he’s faced with another order he is unwilling to obey …

Photographer Rachel Quinn seeks out beauty in unlikely places. Her work comforted Dan in his darkest days. But Quinn knows darkness too – and Dan soon realises she needs his help as much as he needs hers.

Carrie Bryant was a talented jockey until a racing accident broke her nerve. Now Dan and Quinn need her expertise, but can she face her fear? And could horse breeder Justin Fraser, a man fighting to save his own heritage, be the one to help put that fear to rest?

Sometimes, the wounds you can’t see are the hardest to heal…

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781781892664

Series: Coorah Creek

Also in this series: Flight to Coorah Creek

on 2nd April, 2016

Pages: 278

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLituk)

Available Formats: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print & E-Book

Coorah Creek series:

Flight to Coorah Creek | No.1 (review)

Christmas at Coorah Creek | Novella

The Wild One | No.2

(read my Cover Reveal celebration for The Wild One)

Converse via: #CoorahCreek or #TheWildOne and #ChocLit

About Janet Gover

Janet lives in Surrey with her English husband but grew up in the Australian outback surrounded by books. She solved mysteries with Sherlock Holmes, explored jungles with Edgar Rice Burroughs and shot to the stars with Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury. After studying journalism at Queensland University she became a television journalist, first in Australia, then in Asia and Europe. During her career Janet saw and did a lot of unusual things. She met one Pope, at least three Prime Ministers, a few movie stars and a dolphin. Janet now works in television production and travels extensively with her job.

Janet’s first short story, The Last Dragon, was published in 2002. Since then she has published numerous short stories, one of which won the Elizabeth Goudge Award from the Romantic Novelists’ Association. She has previously published three novels with Little Black Dress, Flight to Coorah Creek is her debut with Choc Lit and Bring Me Sunshine her first Choc Lit Lite ebook novella.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Posted Saturday, 23 April, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Action & Adventure Fiction, Australia, Australian Literature, Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Life Shift, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Passionate Researcher, PTSD, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Singletons & Commitment, Small Towne Fiction, TV Serials & Motion Pictures, Vulgarity in Literature, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Women's Fiction, Women's Health, Writing Style & Voice

Blog Book Tour : #EyreApril | “The Jane and Bertha in Me” (a collection of #poetry) by Rita Maria Martinez celebrating Jane Eyre & Bertha!

Posted Friday, 22 April, 2016 by jorielov Aldrich Press, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Eyre, Kelsay Books, Rita Maria Martinez, The Jane and Bertha in Me 3 Comments

Gifted: I was blessed by being gifted a copy of this collection of poetry, which blessedly was in time to participate in the blog tour on it’s behalf via Poetic Book Tours. Even though I was gifted a copy of “The Jane and Bertha in Me” by someone who understood my passion for Brontë and my love of “Jane Eyre”, I was not obligated to post a review nor did it influence my opinions or impression of reading the collection. I chose to post my thoughts on this collection as a tie-in to my own celebrations this April on behalf of “Jane Eyre”; they reflect my honest impressions herein. Likewise, I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I was motivated to become involved with this blog tour:

Jane Eyre has become a part of my being – from the very first moment I learnt of the story, to the first time I took in the adaptation which forever changed my impression on behalf of the story and the manner in which the author penned her story originally. The adaptation I most appreciate (thus far along) is the 1996 version starring Charlotte Gainsbourg and William Hurt.

Let me share a bit more about why this adaptation touched my heart:

My initial introduction to Ms. Jane Eyre: Came during the early hours of a morning wretched by the plight of the sickly girl frustrated beyond hilt and despite to do something that could advert her misery! She plucked the remote control up off the nightstand and dared the tv to illuminate a movie that could curtail sleep and cast aside her anguish! She had to flip through several channels before stumbling across a seemingly British teleplay with gothic underpinnings! A few scenes in, she was not only hooked but she had abandoned the remote! A few scenes more and she deduced she was watching an adaptation of Jane Eyre! She felt betwixt with herself for even considering to watch this film knowing full and well that she had intended always to read this particular novel ahead of seeing its adaptation,… her eyes veered back to the discarded remote and her heart leapt out a response to qualm her furrowed brow. Her tired eyes moved back to the screen and she became fully entranced with Thornfield Hall!

– as quoted from my Books of Eyre Reading Challenge

Since the original Septemb-Eyre event in the book blogosphere [September, 2013] I have been attempting to re-enter Jane Eyre and the beautiful after canons: re-tellings and/or sequels thereafter. This is why I was so thrilled to bits to find there was an ‘Books of Eyre’ reading challenge – however, the time-frame was not a good one for me, thus I have extended it as a personal challenge outside it’s original scope. This parlays well as I’m a member of The Classics Club, wherein I am championing Classical Lit on as I’m quite keen to entreat inside the lovelies of literature I have not yet had the pleasure of reading!

I must confess – I had absolutely no foreknowledge that *April, 2016* was such a historic moment for readers who love Jane Eyre and respectively her author Charlotte Brontë! It’s a bit like how I missed the anniversary of reading/re-reading Pride and Prejudice a few years ago whilst the rest of the book blogosphere was well underway in their celebratory events. I seem to be on the fringes of knowing when certain bookish milestones are upcoming – not because I don’t have my ear to the rails but because, I think sometimes you get caught up inside your own life – not just the books on our shelves we’re constantly reading or hoping to read next – but the seasons of our lives which occupy our hours outside of this bookish reprieve, where we settle our thoughts and share our bookish lives through the output of our blogs (and/or tweets via the twitterverse; for me, it’s my micro-blog!).

Imagine then – my dearest joy in finding I could curl back inside Jane Eyre, pick up Wide Sargasso Sea for the very first time all the whilst finding two after canon writers who’ve put their mark on Eyre! The first author I have the pleasure of sharing with you dear hearts, is Rita Maria Martinez whose taken her pen to creatively fuse the characters we belove inside a hearty collection of poetry whilst Luccia Gray has given us a thrilling trilogy which is a curious splice between Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea!

I’ve determined my Eyre celebrations will be tagged #EyreApril to ring in ‘Eyre in April’ whilst everyone else is yielding to the established tag of #Bronte200. To whichever way we choose to share conversely our thoughts and murmurings on behalf of characters who have bewitched us for two hundred years, let’s be happy for the chance to revel in the fact Classical Lit is still relevant to today’s literary audience!

The Jane and Bertha in Me
by Rita Maria Martinez
Source: Gifted

This spring marks the bicentennial of Charlotte Brontë’s birth.

In her ambitious and timely debut, The Jane and Bertha in Me, Rita Maria Martinez celebrates Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre.

Through wildly inventive, beautifully crafted persona poems, Martinez re-imagines Jane Eyre’s cast of characters in contemporary contexts, from Jane as an Avon saleslady to Bertha as a Stepford wife.

These lively, fun, poignant poems prove that Jane Eyre’s fictional universe is just as relevant today as it was so many years ago. The Jane and Bertha in Me is a must-read for any lover of Brontë’s work.

Genres: After Canons, Poetry & Drama, Re-telling &/or Sequel

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-0692543412

Published by Aldrich Press

on 12th January, 2016

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 89

Published By: Aldrich Press an imprint of Kelsay Books

Converse via: #JaneEyre, #Bronte200, #CharlotteBronte and #JaneAndMe*

*this is a celebration of showing photos of your books of ‘Eyre’ and/or reading ‘Jane Eyre’

About Rita Maria Martinez

Rita Maria Martinez is a Cuban-American poet from Miami, Florida. Her writing has been published in journals including the Notre Dame Review, Ploughshares, MiPOesias, and 2River View.

She authored the chapbook Jane-in-the-Box, published by March Street Press in 2008. Her poetry also appears in the textbook Three Genres: The Writing of Fiction/Literary Nonfiction, Poetry and Drama, published by Prentice Hall; and in the anthology Burnt Sugar, Caña Quemada: Contemporary Cuban Poetry in English and Spanish, published by Simon & Schuster. Martinez has been a featured author at the Miami Book Fair International; at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida; and at the Palabra Pura reading series sponsored by the Guild Literary Complex in Chicago. She earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Florida International University.

Website | Blog | Twitter

Posted Friday, 22 April, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, After the Canon, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Classical Literature, Equality In Literature, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, Inspired By Author OR Book, Inspired by Stories, Jane Eyre Sequel | Re-telling, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Poetic Book Tours, Poetry, Self-Harm Practices, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Health, Women's Rights

Category: Women’s Fiction

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features) and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):

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 characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!

About Janet Gover

About Rita Maria Martinez

Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):