Category: Young Adult Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “An Uncommon Blue” by debut #Dystopian novelist R.C. Hancock

Posted Monday, 22 December, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

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An Uncommon Blue by R.C. Hancock

Published By: Bonneville Books (@BonnevilleBooks),
an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #AnUncommonBlue

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 “An Uncommon Blue” 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.

Interested in Reading:

Initially when I saw An Uncommon Blue come available for book bloggers to host on it’s blog tour, I had a few thoughts on the subject float through my mind. As this isn’t my first dance at the rodeo so to speak for either YA or Adult Dystopian Lit — the more infamous attempt I made to dig inside Dystopian worlds is when I took on a Seventh Star Press debut novelist in 2013 whilst reading The Boxcar Baby. In both Sci Fi November 2013 + 2014 I included a Dystopian category of literary focus, and both years I unfortunately was not able to read the titles I had selected.

They included the following:

  • All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill
  • Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  • Across the Universe by Beth Revis

There were other selections made, but these were my top three choices I wanted to focus on for a second year in a row; and technically speaking, I am still posting the remaining contributions I have for SFN 2014 between the end of December and the early bits of January, before shifting fully into my showcases for Sci Fi Experience 2015! I am not a stranger to science fiction but I am a bit of a conservative reader when it comes to attempting to read Dystopian Lit, as this is what I had to express when I joined the blog tour for An Uncommon Blue:

This one is a step outside my comfort zone as although I love reading YA Fantasy, this one has a plot and a story thread that I generally have not read exclusively. I am always attempting to sort out stand-alones and series that dip in/out of Dystopian narratives as well as the elements found inside this story. I am not even sure the proper thematic to mention, but what convinced me was not only the enthused note by the author but the information I found about this novel on his website. I like to read novels that challenge me and this one at its core has a strong message I think warrants being read.

I pitched a curious idea to Asti (a wicked awesome host of this year’s SFN!), where I told her as I start to read more science fiction over the course of the next year leading up into the 2015 Sci Fi November month of lovelies, I’m going to hold back the reviews I feel would best be shared with the collective of who has become the foundation of the event’s month long sci-fi fest! Therefore, I am not sure if as I read the three books I mentioned I will blog about them in January (as a cross-post between SFN + SFE) or if I will hold off until revealing my thoughts until November 2015!

One thing is for certain, I do share one common thread with Mr. Hancock (as I read his new website and portions of his old blog before he received his contract to publish this novel) which is simply to say, I am seeking out wicked quality stories fit for children and teens. I have the tendency to avoid most of the hyper popular novels (including a few I saw he had blogged about or referenced himself) as they do not align with my own reading tendencies and habits, but the fact that we both have an eye on Children’s Lit with the intention to bring out the best of the pack, in this, I can relate to him directly! This is one reason my Children’s Lit page will start to carry with it a lot more selections from 2015 – forward! I’ve only just begun so to speak, as I’m currently a 2nd Year Book Blogger whose found her wings! Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Go Indie
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Posted Monday, 22 December, 2014 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bullies and the Bullied, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Dystopian, Good vs. Evil, Indie Author, Mother-Son Relationships, Prejudicial Bullying & Non-Tolerance, School Life & Situations, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, The Sci-Fi Experience, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Young Adult Fiction

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 | “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah Boucher a #retelling #fairytale of #BeautyAndTheBeast!

Posted Sunday, 9 November, 2014 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

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Becoming Beauty by Sarah E. Boucher

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

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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 “Becoming Beauty” 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:

If you found a story with a teaser of a plot like this,
wouldn’t you want to devour it?

Claws. Long, filthy, and dangerously sharp.

They’re the first thing Bella sees after what’s been the worst day of her life. If Bella were the quintessential Beauty—gorgeous, kindhearted, and self-sacrificing—she might have a chance at transforming this monster into a man, but she’s never been the toad-kissing kind. Obsessed with landing a wealthy nobleman and escaping her humdrum life, Bella will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. Which is precisely what landed her here, at the mercy of the Beast.

I do admit, the last time I was familiar with the fairy-tale Beauty and the Beast echoes back into my own childhood where the story originally stirred my heart and gave me such a felicity of spirit to wrap myself inside! It wasn’t until I hosted #ChocLitSaturdays on 8th November, 2014 I realised the main differences between the fairy-tale worlds I grew up knowing with such a fierce passion and the fairy-tales everyone else know themselves. For if I hadn’t thought to broach the subject about reading after canons and re-tellings for fairy-tales (an interest sparked alive by finding myself in positions to read re-tellings of late) I never would have realised where I stand on this issue.

I grew up with a warm glow of joy in appreciation for Beauty & the Beast, not only spun out of the Disney Animated Film Adaptation but for the tv series starring Linda Hamilton and Ron Perlman — despite the re-attempt to bring this series to life, my heart is attached to the 1987 version. I love the beauty of a story where the bare bones of humanity can become integral and woven into the tapestry of where the characters lead our hearts to connect. As soon as I realised this was a re-telling of a beloved story, I felt a hitching of excitement inside my own heart. My spirit was simply eager to see where Boucher would take me on my journey within her debut novel. I suspected it would become a new favourite fairy-tale of mine and I daresay, I was mirthfully thrilled to bits to realise I had been right!

Blog Book Tour | “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah Boucher a #retelling #fairytale of #BeautyAndTheBeast!Becoming Beauty

Bella’s time at home has been spent fobbing off her responsibilities on her siblings,
weaseling new gowns out of her father, and daydreaming about the life she ought to be living as mistress of a wealthy household. When her father returns from an extended business trip, Bella’s life is turned upside-down and she is left with no choice but to call on the mercy of the Beast.

Refusing to be cowed, even by someone as dangerous and imposing as the Beast, Bella matches barbed comment for barbed comment while scheming to escape. Her plans are derailed when she catches a glimpse of the man behind the monster, and when Jack, the Beast’s sole companion, draws her in with his inherent kindness and offer of genuine friendship. With unexpected determination, Bella throws herself into her new role as the Beast’s maid and finds the work both challenging and rewarding. Surprised by the capability displayed by the “pampered princess,” the Beast begins to soften toward Bella and a tenuous relationship springs up between them.

Since her arrival, Bella has been haunted by strange visions of a woman named Rose. When she discovers a neglected bedchamber reminiscent of the one in her dreams, Bella’s curiosity is peaked. Her attempts to discover Rose’s fate and the part the Beast and Jack played in her disappearance will cost Bella more than she can imagine. However, if she can untangle the threads of the past, she may yet earn her own happily ever after.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

on 11th November, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 256

About Sarah E. Boucher

Sarah E. Boucher

Sarah E. Boucher spends her days instilling young children with the same love of literature she has known since childhood. After hours, she pens her own stories and nurses an unhealthy obsession for handbags, high heels, baking, and British television. Sarah is a graduate of Brigham Young University, who currently lives and teaches in Ogden, Utah. Becoming Beauty is her first novel.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Is a man a Beast outright? And, what defines feminine Beauty?:

The Beast (as he is most readily known) aspires to cast fear into those he wants something in return from as his heart is cold and hardened due to circumstances not yet known. His entire physical appearance is set against what would be generally accepted as goodwill towards making a good first impression; he would prefer to have his beastly intentions known directly and remove any inch of kindness from being extracted out of his patterns of speech, mannerisms and the ways in which he carries on his daily business. He acts under the presumption it is his right as a man to either act perpetually grumbled against the nicer bits of living and life rather than to succumb to changing his behaviour as it would be better suited to polite society.

In contrast to his brutal inner rage simmering under his hairy exterior, Bella is a girl who never lifted a finger towards contributing to her family’s security and upkeeping of their household. She was the apple of her father’s eye to the near destruction of their ability to earn a living wage and enjoy a scarce amount of provisions to ensure their basic comforts. Bella rankled her siblings for her inability to see past her nose and for her discontempt for their station within the class of their birth. She always strove to seek a higher level of living without thinking first on how she could benefit her family before pursuing her own inclinations and dreams.

What then defines the innermost nod of a man to become a Beast and how does a woman elect to define her beauty? The story within Becoming Beauty seeks not only to answer this question but to re-define how the characters can grow out of their distrust of one another.

My Review of Becoming Beauty:

As a Janeite whose heart is evocatively attached to Pride & Prejudice, imagine the fluttering excitement to read the opening passages of Becoming Beauty whilst alighting inside a scene reminiscent of Ms Elizabeth Bennett first casting eyes on Mr Darcy? Across the crowded ball, a knowing presumption on a bloke’s character can be ascertained by his countenance inasmuch as his mannerisms; Bella plays the coquette and attempts to charm his heart rather than play a presumptive hand for his courtship. Unlike Elizabeth Bennett however, Bella is resentful of her family to a degree of wanting to expunge herself from their hold as she only has her heart set on making a match in marriage to alleviate her station and thereby resolving what she feels is unnecessary angst.

Becoming Beauty begins by giving us a background insight into who Bella is as we enter her life before shifting forward to where her ordinary life changes overnight. The descriptive choice to pair the unexpected return of Bella’s father with a churning storm as a back-drop proved to be quite clever as to draw the reader towards acknowledging the storm was not merely literally placed but figuratively working as a foreshadow of Bella’s transitional plight out of where she took shelter from the outside world yet was earnestly attempting to flee. The fact Bella strove so hard to shed her family and her life with them tipped her hand to not realising what is truly important in our lives; the love and comfort of family is not something to shirk away from but to cherish and uphold with sincere thankfulness. She is a young woman bent on yielding only to her next whim of materialistic glory without ever considering the sacrifices her own father had to give in order to grant her wishes.

As she starts to forge a new identity of herself whilst living with the Beast, she starts to uncover parts of her character she never knew she had within. Her tendencies towards pride-filled behaviour start to shed as she tackles the upkeep and running of an estate and she puts her own welfare last in regards to doing the bidding of the Beast first. Through her indentured state she is learning humility and how a hard day’s labour can re-instill the blessings you forsaked in the past. Her father I do not believed had intended her to grow without understanding a mindfulness of gratitude but without the guidance of her mother, Bella had grown into a spiteful and pride filled débutante.

I loved following the downward spiral of Bella’s tender grasp on reality and the psychological warfare of her mind accepting the feverish dreams of her slumber to be the truth behind the man within the Beast. This type of story is riveting to me because it plays into what I love about Ingrid Bergman’s performance in Gaslight (of which I mentioned during Horror October); the fragility of the mind and the heart of memory can either free or destroy a person’s sanity.

The true enjoyment for me reading Becoming Beauty is how without giving into grief and an allowance of time to heal from wounds never seen on the outside of your body; you can only lead a half-life. Never quite in the fulfillment of your soul nor contentment within your heart. You have to live life as true to the days which greet you during the hours in which you have to breathe through the adversity. Life is best lived by choosing how to align your attitude to the moments which challenge your compassion and your humanity. Love is the most renewable source of light and hope we have within us to give and to receive. I truly loved every inch of this novel, because the fairy-tale I had within my own mind’s eye on behalf of Beauty & the Beast was expertly taken to the printed page by the hand of Sarah E. Boucher.

On the writing style of Sarah E. Boucher:

Boucher does a brilliant job of counter-balancing the fairy-tale narrative we all know as Beauty & the Beast with a new curtain of insight into how Bella fits within the story arc of where the Beast’s presence is going to lead her towards the best discovery of all: seeing herself for the first time without a cloud of untruth glossing over her infractions and faults of character. The ruminative lingering thoughts and the flashbacks of another life having lived before her, I appreciated seeing where the original tale and this one merged into one; granting a stronger impression of the Beast’s devotion and a curious itch into how Bella could befall under the bewitching dreams of a woman who had not yet let go of her beloved Beast.

I simply adore style of conception and creation of fairy-tale re-tellings by Ms. Boucher, who breathes not only new life into a tale you know by heart but she gives a warranted exploration of the depth of the characters therein. Her own imaginative heart is both full of moxie and a redefinition of the classical canon of how a fairy-tale can be seen through the eyes of someone who believes there is a bit more depth out of the superficiality of misguided souls. She transitions herself into a niche of the world of Fantasy and has fully convinced me to keep my eye on her next releases where she embodies her tagline: Bringing Twisted Fairy-Tales to Life. (a note of gratitude to her cousin!)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This Blog Tour Stop is courtesy of Cedar Fort, Inc:

Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Becoming Beauty Blog Tour via Cedar Fort Publishing & Media

Virtual Road Map of the “Becoming Beauty” Blog Tour:

Visit the tour route to discover other reader impressions!

9 Nov: Jorie Loves a Story, Wondrous Reviews 18 Nov: Bookworm Lisa, Wishful Endings
10 Nov: R.K. Grow, I Love To Read and Review Books 19 Nov: Mel’s Shelves
11 Nov: A Casual Reader’s Blog, Author Cindy C Bennett 20 Nov: A Backwards Story, The Book Blog Experience
12 Nov: Readalot, Literary Timeout 21 Nov: Claudia Y. Burgoa
13 Nov: Getting Your Read On 22 Nov: Corinne’s Garden, Mom Loves 2 Read
14 Nov: Books Complete Me, The View From My Window 23 Nov: Enchanted by YA, Hannah L. Clark
15 Nov: Misty Dawn Pulsipher, My Book Addiction & More 24 Nov: Let It Be & Celebrate
16 Nov: Jo Ann Schneider, Inklings and Notions 25 Nov: Blooming with Books, Fire and Ice Reads
17 Nov: Katie’s Clean Book Collection, My Book a Day 26 Nov: The Phantom Paragrapher, Reader Girls Blog

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Previously I have read the following Indie YA Fantasy novels:

{ I appreciate seeking out well conceived worlds & fully fleshed out characters }

Redheart by Jackie Gamber

Sela by Jackie Gamber

Reclamation by Jackie Gamber

Uncovering Cobbogoth by Hannah L. Clark

The Dreamosphere by Laura Stoddard

Star of Deliverance by Mandy Madson Voisin

Intangible by C.A. Gray

Next I am sharing my thoughts during Sci Fi November:

Invincible by C.A. Gray

Impossible by C.A. Gray

Fade to Black by Sue Duff

Portals, Passages, and Pathways by B.R. Maul

Forthcoming in December will be: An Uncommon Blue by R.C. Hancock

Previously I have read the following fairy-tale stories:

Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth a re-telling of Rapunzel by Brothers Grimm

Awesome Jones by AshleyRose Sullivan a superhero fairy-tale

Reader Interactive Question:

What draws you into a fairy-tale canon and/or after canon? What kinds of fairy-tale re-tellings warm your heart and ignite a feverish passion of anticipation in your soul? Are there fairy-tales you wish had a re-telling/sequel not already established in literature today?! Who are your favourite writers who have re-told a classic fairy-tale and/or re-envisioned one into a new vision of scope?

This post is being cross-prompted through my participation of:

SFN _ SciFi Month_bookreview#IndieWriterMonth Blog Feature of Jorie Loves A Story, badge created by Jorie in Canva

{SOURCES: Book Cover Art for “Becoming Beauty”, author biography, author photograph, book synopsis, book teaser and blog tour badge provided by the author Sarah E. Boucher and used with permission. Badge for Cedar Fort Publishing & Media is provided by Cedar Fort Publishing & Media and used with permission. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. SFN November Book Review badge, Cross-Posted badge for Riffle & #IndieWriterMonth badge created by Jorie in Canva.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

The live reading tweets in regards to “Becoming Beauty”:

{ favourite & Re-tweet if inspired to share }

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Sunday, 9 November, 2014 by jorielov in 19th Century, After the Canon, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Castles & Estates, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Classical Literature, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Fantasy Romance, Father-Daughter Relationships, Go Indie, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Re-Told Tales, Reading Challenges, Romance Fiction, Sci-Fi November, SFN Bingo, Sweet Romance, The London Season, the Victorian era, YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal &/or Paranormal Romance, Young Adult Fiction