Author Guest Post | E. Graziani talks about her #YALit Sci-Fi book series set in Tuscany via #WriterlyYours PR #blogtour: #AngelOfTime!

Posted Wednesday, 21 September, 2016 by jorielov Alice Angel of Time, Alice of the Rocks, E. Graziani, Morning Rain Publishing 2 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts! As you are aware of by my recent readings of The Clan Chronicles, I have a bit of a penchant for Science Fiction – a passion I love to celebrate during Sci Fi November (follow the tag #RRSciFiMonth to get more inspiration by those who rock this event per annum!) as well as during the ‘off-season’ of the event throughout the rest of the year as often as I can! Hence why I was quite thankful to find another blog tour being hosted by my dear friend Priya, of whom has brought me another stirringly intriguing series by Morning Rain Publishing to focus for your attention!

Previously, a short while ago, I hosted the Shadows Shifts blog tour, wherein I met J.M. Bogart! Her lovely novels have since arrived and I am most eager to soak inside them once time lets me – as it’s been a unique Summer of storms & tech woes, to such an extent, I’m a bit behind on my readings all round. What I appreciate about this new #CanLit publisher I am being introduced too, is similar to Rebelight Publishing, they are focusing on wicked good stories for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers,… my previous showcase was for one of their #MGLit series and today, I have the joy of highlighting one of their #YALit series!

As you might have noticed, I love ferreting out exciting #newtomeauthors who are writing stories for children that I can personally say are healthy contributions to Children’s Lit. I have a newfound interest in Children’s Lit, which I talk about quite often on my blog, and most recently on the interview attached to another YA blog tour, The Cursed Dagger‘s. What took my interest in this series – is the undercurrent vibe of Quantum Physics (if you’ve read through my Clan Chronicles reviews, you know I *love!* QP!) intermixed with an adventure, with keen characters who are relatable to young adults – at least this is what I have been gathering by reading about the books! One day I’ll have to fetch them to find out what is inside properly!

Which brings me to today’s guest post! I asked the author to flesh out the following about her series: Why did Leonardo di Vinci’s worm hole idea inspire some of the science in the series? How did you augment the science fact with the science fiction parts of your story to thread through the series? The result of her response is below and I hope after you’ve read what she’s shared that it’s left you even more intrigued to pick up the series to read!

Grab a cuppa and enjoy your visit!

The dramatic conclusion to Alice of the Rocks!
Their love transcends time, space, and conflict.
Alice Ferro did not travel 500 years into the past to save her soulmate from persecution only to discover her journey had been in vain! Forced to return from 1512 Italy to 2029 Canada without him, she cannot focus on family, school, or friends as thoughts of Claudio constantly flood her mind. When she discovers her love’s future is dire, Alice decides she must return to the past to save him once and for all. With some help, a bit of deceit, and a lot of determination, Alice sets off to rescue Claudio. Unfortunately, she hadn’t planned on things going so terribly wrong, and she soon finds her own life in peril.
Written with charm and intelligence, the sequel to Alice of the Rocks encompasses everything you could want in a young adult, time travel romance. Adventure, true love, intrigue, and dynamic characters fill the pages alongside the elegant landscape of Renaissance Italy.

Hello to my good friend Jorie and all her followers.

Many thanks for hosting me on this blog tour celebrating the launch of my newest title, the sequel to Alice of the Rocks… Alice-Angel of Time in which the conclusion of Alice and Claudio’s journey will be available for all to read!

The theme of the tour is A Virtual Tuscany Tour with Ali and Claudio…

I thought that since I recently traveled to Italy, that I would share some pics that relate directly back to my novel, Alice-Angel of Time. I hope they inspire you to pick up a copy!

You know, it still makes me shiver at how many readers have told me that they felt like they were in the story with our power couple, Ali and Claudio, living every twist and turn in the plot. But it’s not only about historical fiction – there is a whole lot of science fiction happening – starting with Leonarodo da Vinci’s inadvertent creation of a mini worm hole in a Florentine monastery in Alice of the Rocks! Both books are deeply rooted in science fiction and since I know Jorie is a sci-fi enthusiast, just like me, I thought I would indulge her. Read More

Posted Wednesday, 21 September, 2016 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Children's Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Juvenile Fiction, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Urban Fantasy, Writerly Yours PR, Young Adult Fiction

Author Interview | Debut novelist Heather Chapman and I converse about our beloved era in history, the Regency! Whilst celebrating her novel “The Second Season”!

Posted Tuesday, 20 September, 2016 by jorielov Cedar Fort Inc, Heather Chapman, Jane Austen, Sweetwater Books, The Second Season 2 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I have a special surprise for you today! The beautiful Regency I read recently granted me the opportunity to interview the authoress about our mutual love and adoration for the Regency era! This author originally contacted me about her debut novel “The Second Season” and I was so very delighted by the news of it’s publication – as the Regency is one of those eras that I fell in love reading about during my childhood hours where Romance & the era of the Regency seemed to walk hand-in-hand together!

I enjoyed being exposed to the regalia of the upper classes, the hardship of the lower classes and the beautiful courtship of the singletons – not all was glossy or rosy, mind you, but for the most part, it was the ‘allure’ of an era where propriety won over deceit and where marriage was not as a straight of an arrow to pitch forward for your own hand as one might hope! There were so many rules of etiquette young women had to navigate round it’s a miracle there were as many matches as history records!

Imagine my good cheer than, realising that this was going to be one novel I was nearly certain I’d find unputdownable as I had a good vibe by the author via her blog already! I was not disappointed – she wrote an unorthodox Regency – by the standards of the genre and by what I’ve been gathering of the rest of the blog tour – however, this is the true gift she gave us all! Something uniquely different – a new perspective, a new telling of a Rom that you think you understand all the moving parts, but there are things at play that simply need time to be explained.

For me, it not only held my attention but I liked that I had mixed reactions about Lady Hopkins – she wasn’t quite as hard-edged as she appeared but she wasn’t without her angst either! She was a complex woman – built out of her circumstances & the misguidings of a mind troubled by assumptions that she may or may not have fully been in the right to have! This is what makes for good fiction and especially for a dramatic Historical – those cunning human emotions & the tangible way in which life effects all of us!

I truly hope you’ll love settling inside our conversation – pausing to read my reflections afterwards on behalf of the novel and letting me know your thoughts or opinions after both your readings! All thoughts are welcome – including those of you who may have had a different takeaway than I did whilst reading the novel! Grab a cuppa and enjoy!

Enjoy a reading of excerpts from the novel in this book trailer:

The Second Season Book Trailer via heatherchapmanuathor.com

https://youtu.be/wMTDX0Dv0IA

When did you first read the collective works of Jane Austen and what did you appreciate about them the most once you had? Was it the era (Regency), the style of the story itself or the way in which she wrote about society and Romance together!?

Chapman responds: I first read all of Jane Austen’s novels when I was 22, though it should have been much sooner. Not only did I miss out by not reading Austen’s works earlier, but I grew up watching Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma, and Kate Winslet as Marianne in Sense and Sensibility. I should have known better!

Books are almost always better than the movie, and Austen’s books are no different. From the time I started her first novel to the time I finished her last, only a week had gone by. I ate them up and loved every second. I loved the romance and the society, the scenes that Austen brought to life, the realness of the characters, but my favorite was all that Jane Austen had to say about human nature. I found myself chuckling to myself, as in every story I found similarities in her characters to those that I knew in my own life. Read More

Posted Tuesday, 20 September, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Regency Era, Romance Fiction, Sweet Romance, The London Season

Blog Book Tour | “The Art of Rebellion” by Brenda Joyce Leahy My first reading of a new Rebelight Publishing title for 2016! How keen I was to read this one, too!

Posted Monday, 19 September, 2016 by jorielov Brenda Joyce Leahy, Rebelight Publishing Inc., The Art of Rebellion 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Chapter by Chapter, where I receive opportunities to host Author Guest Features on behalf of the Indie Publisher Month9Books and review for Indie Publisher: Rebelight Publishing of whom I love the stories by their Middle Grade & YA authors! As 2016 started, I received more opportunities to read and review Canadian authors through Chapter by Chapter. I love being able to discover more #CanLit whilst appreciating the beauty of the stories I am discovering through this touring company.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Art of Rebellion” direct from the publisher Rebelight Publishing in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On the joy of reading a new Rebelight Author:

Hallo, dear hearts! For those of you following me via the twitterverse you will not be too surprised to find this as a ‘must read’ of mine! For those of you who have been with me throughout 2015 – you’ll recognise my admiration on behalf of the #CanLit publisher Rebelight of whom is turning out wicked sweet lovelies for both Middle Grade and Young Adult readers – as well as those of us as adults who appreciate discovering the same. However, which way you have alighted on my blog – you’ll be happily thrilled to hear this is a book I saw wink itself on Twitter and then had the alarming shock to think I had missed the blog tour! Yes, yes – you heard right! You see, of all the notices I received for this touring company, I have a particular eye out for Rebelight releases! I use to have a equal affection spilt between them and Month9 but my interests have shifted. Rebelight is continuing to find authors I love hearing about and whose stories are increasing my readerly curiosity to read!

The brilliant bit of course is when I was able to sort out via Twitter that a tour was upcoming and as you see, I was blessed to be placed on it! Even if all had been for naught, I would have read it – it’s the premise, dear hearts, that had me keen on its chapters. I have an aptitude of unquenchable thirst for Historicals – a fact I keep reminding myself about when I notice I read a higher volume of Historicals per annum than any other variety! Laughs with mirth.

Art has been my own passion since I was quite young and had a tutor in oil pastels. Over the years, I was not able to find a new tutor whom I could relate to or they to me, as everyone is a critic when it comes down to the specifics of what you want to create and the lessons you want to take to expand your portfolio. There is also the mainstay school of thought art is never learned but instinct and innate. I am sure my fellow writers could say the same about our trade too. Critics aside, I have noodled out the kind of art and mediums I want to pursue – I kept photography in my life due to the ease of self-teaching myself techniques and the immense amount of immediate inspiration awaiting me in the natural world. Nature is as self-renewing as bamboo! Ergo, your well of possibilities is never finite but unlimited. Honestly I could speak the same about my knitty endeavours which challenged me on another level of the artistic spectrum of interest. I digress.

When it comes to stories about artists and especially stories set in France – I am a delighted reader who simply wants to absorb herself into the fabric of the narrative and walks amongst the characters.

Notation on Cover Art: On a flat surface (such as a computer screen) I find certain art work on books become distorted by the flatness of the screen. This observation is not based on the Cover Art on this review but the first time I saw the Cover Art earlier in the Summer. As if the image is not reflecting the right message nor the right colors (as sometimes is the case). What I had missed initially is what I perceived as a colour palette mosaic is actually a collage of pertinent images – I had failed to see this until I held the book up in my hands. The young portrait is of course Gabrielle but she is overlayed on her artist sketchbook – whose pages are cut from different sources (including newsprint) to fill the journal. A true artist book, not limited to sketchings as ink and paint can be same quite plainly up close. The distinctiveness of the Eiffel Tower, either the calming presence of flowers or an ethereal veiled bride, a woman and man turnt away (Babette and Gaston) and above all of this looks like the artist’s pallette itself where paint and brushes interact to create the colours of choice before placed on canvas or journal page. A microscopism if you will at Gabrielle’s young soul. Personally, I would hope the man and woman turnt away from view might have been Phillip and Julie.

The Art of Rebellion

Art is Gabrielle's passion, but her parents have other plans for her future-marriage to a man three times her age who holds nothing but disdain for art. Gabrielle is determined to escape life as the baron's trophy wife and the confinement of traditional roles. She flees her privileged home in the French countryside for Paris and the grandmother who understands her passion. When she cannot locate her grandmother, Gabrielle is left on her own in the City of Lights. The art world of Paris, 1900, brims with excitement, opportunity, and risk. Should Gabrielle trust her new friends, or will they take advantage of her hopes and dreams?

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9780994839985

on 15th June, 2016

Pages: 254

Published By: Rebelight Publishing, Inc. (@RebelightBooks)

Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #TheArtOfRebellion, #YALit, #HistFict

About Brenda Joyce Leahy

Brenda Joyce Leahy has travelled to France five times but finds there’s always more explorations awaiting her. She loves historical fiction and thinks she was born a century too late but can’t imagine her life without computers or cell phones. So, perhaps, she arrived in the world at just the right moment to tell this story.

She grew up on a farm near Taber, Alberta but now lives with her family near the Rocky Mountains in Calgary, Alberta. After over 20 years practising law, she has returned to her first love of writing fiction. She is a member of several writing organizations, including the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Brenda is also a member of the Historical Novel Society, and leads a YA/MG writers’ critique group in Calgary. The Art of Rebellion is her first Young Adult novel, published by Rebelight Publishing, spring 2016.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Monday, 19 September, 2016 by jorielov in 20th Century, Art, Art History, Belle Epoque Era, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Brothers and Sisters, Canadian Literature, Chapter by Chapter Blog Tours, Coming-Of Age, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Father-Daughter Relationships, France, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Romance Fiction, Siblings, Sisters & the Bond Between Them, Suspense, Upper YA Fiction, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Rights, Young Adult Fiction

Non-Fiction Book Review | “Successful Women of the Bible” by Katara Washington Patton

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov FaithWords, Hachette Book Group Inc., Katara Washington Patton, Successful Series, Successful Women of the Bible 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, starting with FaithWords which is their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been wicked happy I can review for their imprints Grand Central Publishing, FaithWords & Center Street.

I received a complimentary copy of “Successful Women of the Bible” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read Successful Women of the Bible:

I have held an appreciation and curiosity about the women of the Bible for the full of my life; mostly because the women of Biblical times were not regularly spoken about from a biographical approach. Most of the stories shared when I was growing up in Sunday School were a bit on the boring side of the ledger to be honest – my teachers had limited knowledge, lacked curiosity of their own, and did not visually bring the women of the Bible to life for me.

I was a seeker of stories from a very young age – and the incredible thing for me growing up was how the stories of who lived during Biblical times was not as represented as the facts. Sunday School and regular education outlets held one commonality that frustrated me: the preference of knowledge and learning was about fact remembering rather than developing a knowledge of history through the perspectives of those who lived and held within their lives a well of stories waiting to be told.

I have found as I grew older, there are certain Biblical fiction authors who either take a Contemporary or Historical point-of-view to help guide us as lay readers to better understand the women (and yes, the men too!) who walked before us. They re-envision their stories through the grace of living through a character’s shoes as told through novels, allowing the breadth of their lives to be explored. -quoted from my review of Scripture Princesses

For these reasons, I’ve been mindful of compiling a list of Biblical Historical Fiction authors I want to seek out towards this vein of interest but I haven’t progressed very far towards that end, given how the year has panned out. When I saw this book was available to review, I thought how kismet it truly was to be available as it was threading through an on-going pursuit of mine to seek out women of the Bible of whom I could re-focus on through Historicals whilst gaining entreaty into who the women were when they had lived. Truly, I have found my niche of focus in Biographical Historicals, as each time I step inside one of those novels, I find my mind is happily alive with the era, the setting and the people who lived such incredible lives – from the ordinary to the Royal Courts to the unknown heroes and heroines who shaped History itself. I love the diversity of the choices but also the breadth of what is being written into their context! I suspect I shall not be disappointed when I start to cross-read my way through the Biblical Historical past as well!

Previously, I was learning about a few women who crossed over into this book with blessedly a lot of lovely women I did not know too much about until I read Ms Patton’s words. The ones who previously left an impact on me were: Rachel & Leah, Ruth & Naomi, and Mary Magdalene. The latter of whom I think has had her story told seven ways to Sunday since she lived, as both Ms Greenwood and Ms Patton presented equally different accounts of her life from the one I have grown up with myself. I am unsure if this is a difference in denominational backgrounds (as I am a non-LDS Protestant; whereas Ms Greenwood is LDS) or if perhaps, some people of the Bible simply have a story that has been told by so many different people it is a bit like playing a modern day ‘telephone’ game. Wherein for each person who speaks the known truth (to them) to another (of whom shares it); somewhere along the way it becomes a bit disconnected from the original version? Either that, are no one truly knew so many different versions of her story was being told?! It is a quandary!

Personally, as I have always held a close appreciation for Mary Magdalene, I’ve kept the first story I was told on her behalf closest to my heart, whilst allowing a few new bits of information to be added as additional layers. As you move into my review you’ll see which women truly stood out to me and why their impact left a special smile on my heart! As this is a continuing journal of sorts of a reader seeking out the women of the Bible of whom are happily celebrated for the lives they lived and the wisdom that is continuously being passed down each generation who gets to know of them.

Successful Women of the Bible
Subtitle: Esther, Deborah, Miriam, Hagar, Mary, Martha, Eunice, Lois, Pricilla, Mary Magdalene, Lydia

The second book in a new series that brings the experiences of favorite Bible characters to challenges of contemporary life.

Contemporary "success" is often defined in financial terms or by number of Twitter followers. But for women of faith, success is so much more. And it turns out the timeless qualities of success are exemplified by women on the pages of their favorite book, the Bible.

Deborah's model leadership is just as relevant today as it was in the age of the Hebrew judges. Esther's courage to stand up for a cause, Miriam's joyful support of others, Priscilla's exemplary partnership skill, Lydia's business acumen, and other characteristics of women in the Bible are embodied in lively storytelling. Busy Christian women--often working and raising a family--crave examples of success.

Here are distilled principles they can use to succeed in today's noisy culture. The lessons of these icons of the faith apply, even in the age of Facebook and Instagram.

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781455538850

on 23rd August, 2016

Pages: 160

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Hardcover, Audiobook & Ebook

The Successful Series includes:

Successful Moms of the Bible (Synopsis)

Successful Leaders of the Bible (Synopsis) *coming January 2017

Converse via: #WomenOfTheBible, #INSPYbooks, #nonfiction, #motivationalbooks

About Katara Washington Patton

KATARA WASHINGTON PATTON has written and edited Christian books for children, teens, and adults and created supplemental materials for books by T.D. Jakes, Beth Moore, and Joyce Meyer. She served as general editor and writer of Aspire: The New Women of Color Study Bible. She holds a M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Photo Credit: photobyvega

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov in Balance of Faith whilst Living, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Esther, FaithWords, Lois & Eunice, Mary Magdalene, Miriam, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Priscilla

Blog Book Tour | “The Second Season” by Heather Chapman my 2nd Pure Romance novel by Cedar Fort, this time a tender Regency with a lovely heroine!

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov Carolyn Steele, Cedar Fort Inc, Heather Chapman, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, Sweetwater Books, The Second Season 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I have been a blog tour hostess with Cedar Fort for the past two years, wherein I took a brief hiatus from hosting before resuming this August 2016. I appreciate the diversity of the stories the Indie publisher is publishing per year, not only for fiction and non-fiction but for healthy eats within their Front Table Books (cookbooks). I appreciate their dedication to writing general market, INSPY reads and LDS focused stories across the genres they publish.

I was selected to be a part of the “The Second Season” blog tour wherein I received a complimentary copy of “The Second Season” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (an imprint of Cedar Fort Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On my fanciful attachment to the Regency:

Recently, I have been able to bring my love of the Regency to my blog – by featuring several #newtomeauthors who are writing the types of stories that I simply love reading! The Regency has such a long history with me, as I have previously disclosed but what engages me the most is the way in which writers are bringing the Regency to life – each story is slightly different than the last, and although there are clearly inspirations from the authors who made the Regency come alive for us originally, what I appreciate is the personality of the writer which translates through their story-telling!

In this instance, I was looking forward to curling up inside a sweet story surrounding a girl’s experiences at the Season and surroundings of the ton which may or may not prove to her liking! It’s such a curious proposition – to meet and find a willing match of minds & hearts during one Season of being presented to society!?

Ooh the drama and the felicity of that idea is what gets my attention time and time again, as for each girl presented the circumstances surrounding her alter and change! This is truly the joy for me in reading the stories! Finding the heart of the character’s journey and the joy in seeing how each author in turn made her mark upon the Regency itself!

The Second Season
Subtitle: Even the perfect match might not be enough to win her heart

Caroline is not looking forward to this year's season in London. Her mother already has schemes for her marriage prospects - and none of them include love. Caroline has second thoughts when a dashing young duke pursues her, but he's not the only young man she has found herself falling for. Caught between ambition and desire, Caroline may gamble her heart away without realising it...

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

on 1st September, 2016

Pages: 192

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

Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #Regency + #Romance or #SweetRomance

About Heather Chapman

Heather Chapman currently resides in Soda Springs, Idaho, with her husband and four children. She graduated magna cum laude from Brigham Young University. Heather has worked in various administrative assistant roles and as an event planner. Heather has also worked as a piano accompanist and piano teacher on the side. She currently spends her time writing and working as a stay-at-home mother.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov in 19th Century, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Coming-Of Age, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Regency Era, Romance Fiction, Sweet Romance, The London Season