#Blogmas | feat. #FantasyForChristmas20 showcases | The Dancing Realms series by Sharon Hinck

Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

This marks my second featured Fantasy novelists showcasing during the #FantasyForChristmas20 featured posts during my annual #blogmas schedule! I had to reschedule and re-adjust the schedule I had originally to post these lovelies on Jorie Loves A Story due to a moderate migraine (this week) and the stomach flu (last week). Thereby although my posts are a bit more randomised they are going to be showcased before the finale for the #FantasyForChristmas blogosphere event concludes!!

When it comes to choosing which stories within Fantasy I am most likely to feel as if I’ve gone back ‘home’ are the kinds of Epic Fantasy stories which have not just convicting backstories & histories but have a firmly built world behind the journey of the characters. This is duly important across all genres I regularly read but with Fantasy, if the world-building isn’t ironed out and adds a layer of credible believability I am not always able to suspend myself inside the world for as long as I would prefer. This is why I like seeking out worlds of Fantasy like this one – which talks about being an ‘island world’ and thereby expanding the kinds of worlds I have explored in Speculative Fiction!

It is lovely to dive into a world you haven’t always explored – seeking out its perimeters and truly taking stock about how the writer set the world to function as much as how everyone interacts within the world’s structures and/or confines due to culture, tradition or expectations of society. Sometimes those are a bit looser in context and tone but others are more firmly structured. I love the random discoveries – the ones where worlds give you something to chew on and consider as you’re reading the writers’ words and delving closer to their vision for the world you’ve become transported inside.

I love how nature plays an active role in this Fantasy as well – the first time I ‘met’ trees which were menacing was in the Drew Barrymore film “Babes in Toyland” which I believe was in theory a remake! I remember watching it several times as back then they offered a special dvd copy of it with your Happy Meal at McDonald’s which I felt was a complete upgrade to the usual toys! Thinking back on that childhood experience and all the readings I’ve had as a middle grade reader, a teenage reader and now an adult reader of Fantasy – I am quite intrigued to see how the natural world continues to offer a presence in Fantasy which can either be benign or slightly darker than the stalwart guardians we consider them in our realms.

And, there is that whole bit about saving one half of the world but forsaking your own return? Still. My. Heart. I am going to need gobs of tissues for this one I suspect as just the heart pull of that choice and the weight of what is at stake! I am such a lover of drama but sometimes the more guttingly realistic the dramatic story I read – the harder I find myself to put aside my emotions! Although, I am forever grateful for the experience – if you consider #ArmyWives as a baseline of proof!

Curiously – do you regularly read INSPY Speculative Fiction stories? Are you a newbie like I am and are happily surprised by the kinds of Fantasy stories you’ve found within the world of INSPY? Which authors and/or series have you currently read? For me, I’ve enjoyed Morgan L. Busse (see also Review) and am going to be reading “Kingdom Above the Cloud” before December concludes which I spotlighted earlier in Spring.

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Forsaken Island promo book photography provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

On an uncharted world, happiness is effortless and constant…
but can true joy exist without sacrifice?

The people of Meriel have long believed their island world floats alone in the vast ocean universe, so they are astonished when another island drifts into view. With resources becoming scarce, Carya and Brantley quickly volunteer to search the new land for supplies.

After navigating a barrier of menacing trees, the pair encounter a culture of perpetually happy people who readily share their talents and their possessions. But all is not what it seems. At the core of the island is a horror that threatens everyone, including Brantley and Carya.

Freeing the villagers of the bondage they’ve chosen may cost Carya and Brantley more than they could have imagined. Even if the two succeed, they’ll have to find a way to return to Meriel quickly … or be cut off from their home forever.

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 978-1621841357

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The Dancing Realms:

Forsaken Island by Sharon HinckHidden Current by Sharon Hinck

Forsaken Island (book one)

Hidden Current (book two)

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Published by: Enclave Escape
an imprint of Enclave Publishing (@EnclaveBooks)

Converse via: #FantasyForChristmas20 or #FantasyForChristmas
as well #Fantasy or #INSPYFantasy or #WyrdAndWonder

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Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, YA Fantasy

#FuellYourSciFi Book Spotlight | The Flyght series by S.J. Pajonas with the author discussing how she’s included Sign Language into the series!

Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov , , 6 Comments

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

When I first signed on to this blog tour, I wanted to host a guest feature in order to delve a bit more into the series and to seek out a bit more information about how the author approached writing it. Uniquely, the author had a few topics already in mind and one of them stood out to me because I have been wanting to become more fluent in Sign Language since I was in high school. I first learnt my ABCs in ASL (ie. American Sign Language) off my classmates and from there, I learnt more signs through a church program to teach limited conversational sign language when I was in my early twenties. I was a quickstudy and thinking this was a blessing it turnt out to be a hardship as I wasn’t able to stay in the class. I apparently learnt the signs and conversational combinations too fast for the class to keep up with me!!

I did try to seek out private instruction and tutors – however, in my local areas and regions, I couldn’t find a teacher willing to teach me to where I could be conversational fluent including seeking out resources for the deaf as apparently if you didn’t immediately know if you wanted to be translator and/or seek a University degree in Sign, you weren’t able to study it. I still have the passion for signing and I can get by a bit by what I originally learnt but it always has bothered me I never could take the short skills I had and develop them into being fluent in a language outside of my own.

Linguistics was a field I felt I would go into as an adult as I loved hearing different dialects and I felt learning languages would be wicked fun as a learner who likes to challenge herself. However, the one key issue I never felt I’d have as a roadblock is being dyslexic and finding that language itself was an uphill climb throughout all the years I went to school. Even as a writer, I had to develop my own short-cut through a written style wherein I combine certain language usage and phrases from both American and British origins – to where I call this mash-up AmeriBrit.

Thereby, when I saw the author had written about her own history with Sign Language and how this plays a strong role in the series she’s written, I knew this was the guest feature I was meant to share for the blog tour! It simply spoke to me and I wanted to share it because even in my early forties, I still hold out hope I’ll be able to master the art of ASL and become better prepared to converse with those who are deaf or partially deaf as I am only able to do so now in limited capacity. I hope you’ll enjoy this guest feature as much as I did and perhaps it will give you a reason to seek out the series to read!

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#FuellYourSciFi Book Spotlight | The Flyght series by S.J. Pajonas with the author discussing how she’s included Sign Language into the series!First Flyght
Subtitle: The Flyght series
by S.J. Pajonas

Her future is brighter than the stars. But one betrayal will change everything…

Vivian Kawabata can’t wait to claim her privileged destiny. But when the heir to the family agricultural empire finds her bank account empty while shopping for expensive shoes, she’s horrified to discover that her own brother has financially stabbed her in the back. To stand a chance of restoring her rightful place in the universe, the honest and rule-following Vivian may have to break a few intergalactic laws.

After securing an old ship from her aunt, Vivian takes on two new roles: a sexy heiress collecting eligible husbands and a hard-nosed captain rebuilding a lost fortune by any means necessary. Completely out of her depth, she’d be sunk without the help of a relationship broker, a handsome ex-boyfriend, a hacker with a heart of gold, and the other potential partners she meets along the way. With a business that runs the razor’s edge between trade and smuggling, can the former high-society socialite get the money she needs or will her brazen ambition lead to a deadly crash landing?

FIRST FLYGHT is the first book in the Flyght Series of sci-fi reverse harem romance. If you like action-packed space operas and a universe full of twists, then you’ll love S. J. Pajonas’s interstellar adventure.

Note: This is a slow-burn romance series!

Genres: Feminist Science Fiction, Romance Fiction, Science Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1940599571

ASIN: B07V6LN2YW

Published by Onigiri Press

on 6th September, 2019

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The Flyght series banner provided by Lola Blog Tours and is used with permission.

→ IF you can read ebooks, check out the SURPRISE announcement the author kindly shared with me about how to get a digital copy of “First Flyght” on the 16th of December!! ←

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Converse on Twitter via: #ScienceFiction, #SciFiRomance
as well as #ScienceFictionRomance and Reverse Harem

About S.J. Pajonas

S.J. Pajonas

Stephanie (S. J.) is a writer, knitter, amateur astrologer, Capricorn, Japanophile, and USA Today Best Selling author. She loves foxes, owls, sushi, yoga pants, Evernote, and black tea. When she’s not writing, she’s thinking about writing or spending time outside, unless it’s winter. She hates winter. Someday she’ll own a house in both hemispheres so she can avoid the season entirely. She’s a mom to two great kids, one feisty dog named Lulu Ninja Assassin, and lives with her husband and family outside NYC. When it comes to her work, she writes about everyday women and uncommon worlds.

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Posted Friday, 11 December, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Indie Author, Lola's Blog Tours

#Blogmas | feat. “Roping Christmas” (Rodeo Romance, Book Eight) by Shanna Hatfield

Posted Thursday, 10 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

This spotlight is for a #newtomeauthor who is writing Western Contemporary INSPY Romances! I haven’t yet dipped back into reading INSPY Westerns as I’ve been super focused and happily entrenched inside my favourite Western Roms from Harlequin Heartwarming these past several years – which are considered ‘sweet & clean’ if audiences and readers are seeking a romance which are not focusing on scenes or language which might prove offensive to their readerly sensibilities. However, I also know those who read INSPY are not all hybrid readers like I am who read between both mainstream & INSPY markets of publishing. We all have to choose what we will read and what our readerly limits are within our genres of interest. For instance, I had to take a firm step back from the grit and realities of war and focus more on the humanistic stories set within war dramas than being placed inside the battles & descriptive narratives of most war dramas as they are regularly told today.

When it comes to reading Western Romances, what encourages my heart the most is the setting! I love horses & riding – ever since I was a young girl – which is why whenever I am lost in the chapters describing life on a ranch and/or in a Western Rockies community and towneship, I find myself wickedly delighted in the joys of ‘living this life’ as seen through the eyes and hearts of the characters who live there themselves. Now, of course, outside of the Western half of the United States there are other places you can set a Western Romance – as some states still have a lot of rural communities and agricultural heritage within their borders. We also have Eastern mountains on the East Coast which are a fine compliment (if albeit slightly less grand!) to the Rockies, too!

I believe to be a Western Romance it has to have a certain spirit about it – a certain legacy of familiarity built upon Western themes of interest and of course, *cowboys!* are surely a must as much as women who can be independently self-supporting of both themselves and the families they are raising on a ranch or other Western location. I love the ease of soaking into the natural world through a Western lens of influence as well – where you get to see the larger animals roaming free on the range and/or in the forests, whilst you have herds which need to be looked after (ie. cattle especially) and/or you have a horse farm which has its own set of standards and layers of hard-work woven into it as well. And, then of course there is the aspect of ranching life and the responsibilities of being self-reliant and sustainable however which avenue can turn a profit for the ranch.

In essence, I am in love with Western Romances from the start of the first chapter and I love the hours we can spend in the saddle next to the heroes and heroines which make this genre such a wicked delight to be reading! The closeness of family, the importance of hearth & home and the fabric knitted out of neighbours & friends alike is what helps shape a well-rounded Western for me! And, if there is a Western Romance set during Christmas!? Eek. *goosebumps!* As I consider Christmas Romances a special niche of joy in my Romantic wanderings every year!!

Curiously – do you *love!* reading Western Romances as much as I do? I’ve been reading and reviewing a heap of lovely series by my beloved Harlequin Heartwarming novelists over the past several years – from the Rocky Mountain Cowboys to Return of the Blackwell Brothers & this year’s sequel series the Blackwell Sisters to the Sweetheart Ranch series! There are so many wonderful Western Rom authors who are traditionally published as much as there are Indie Authors – either self-publishing their stories/series or are with an Indie Publisher or Press. I love focusing on Indie & Self-Published authors as much as traditionally published authors which is why featuring Ms Hatfield’s series is such a joy for me! I’d love to find more authors like her writing in a genre I dearly love devouring!

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Roping Christmas by Shanna Hatfield

A focused cowboy, a distracted executive,
and a hilarious quest make for an unforgettable holiday . . .

Wyatt Nash is a professional tie-down roper, a good ranch hand, and not too shabby when it comes to attracting women. But according to his five-year-old niece, he needs to work on both his roping skills and his dating game. His sister thinks he needs to settle down. And don’t get him started on the advice he gets from well-meaning friends. When his rodeo sponsor, billionaire Jon Sinclair, asks for his assistance in tutoring a clueless city girl about Sinclair Industries, Wyatt doesn’t feel like he can say no. Then he discovers he’ll be teaching none other than the one woman on the planet who wants nothing to do with him.

Ashley Jarrett would do almost anything to turn her small publicity firm into a huge success. When Jon Sinclair expresses interest in working with her, she readily agrees to his crazy idea to have her learn about his company through hands-on projects. Not only is she forced far outside her comfort zone, but the man documenting every bumbling misstep she takes is an infuriating cowboy she’s determined to ignore.

Packed with small-town charm and the wonder of falling in love, Roping Christmas is a sweet holiday romance sure to bring laughter and infuse hearts Christmas cheer.

Add to LibraryThing | ISBN: 979-8691116568

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This series has 8 books inside it including:

Rodeo Romance series graphic provided by Prism Book Tours and is used with permission.

Be sure to visit her FantasticFiction page to find the full listing!

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Published by: Wholesome Hearts Publishing

Converse via: #ContemporaryRomance &/or #ChristmasRomance + #SweetRomance
as well #HolidayReads or #ChristmasReads and #INSPYRomance + #WesternRomance

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Posted Thursday, 10 December, 2020 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Prism Book Tours, Romance Fiction

Book Spotlight with Notes | featuring “An Accidental Royal Kidnap” (Royally Funny, Book One) by Paul Mathews

Posted Tuesday, 8 December, 2020 by jorielov , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Every so often I start to wonder if I need to switch things up a bit in my readerly life – seeking out different branches of literature and/or different perspectives within the genres I read the most regularly. I tend to vacillate if I focus too much on drama rather than adding in doses of comedy as well. With comedy it is always a very fine line for me to find the ‘right’ story which suits my readerly interests as I am just as particular when it comes to which comedies in film or television I’ll watch as well.

I tend to go for the comedies which have a lot of heart threading into the backbone of the storyline and a lot of character growth for the lead and supporting cast. I like to stories which evolve through the journey we’re spending with the characters – good or bad, the journey has to showcase a portion of their lives we feel is worth immersing ourselves into to find the ending satisfying. When I first learnt of this story, I had intended to interview the author – however, as those plans fell away, I decided to host an extract and spotlight instead.

One of the benefits of interviewing or hosting an extract for a novel you’re considering to read yourself is giving your readers a chance to see if the story fits their readerly interests, too. Conversations help see inside the writer’s process whilst extracts or even fuller chapter samplers (most of which can easily be found online) give us a chance to see a snippet of an author’s style and note how their style might progress if we were to read the full version of the novel. I felt this beneficial as a reader and I hope you do as well. Especially if like me you’re sometimes on the ‘fence’ of knowing which author you’ll love reading and which author might not be your cuppa tea.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this extract and if you regularly seek out either blog tours to read extracts and/or if you read chapter samplers online for the same reasons I do myself? Likewise, if you read Contemporary Humour & Satire or Dark Humour novels set in Contemporary settings – I’d love to hear your thoughts on behalf of these kinds of stories as well. Which writers are your top favourites and which novels would you recommend for me to check out?

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Book Spotlight with Notes | featuring “An Accidental Royal Kidnap” (Royally Funny, Book One) by Paul MathewsAn Accidental Royal Kidnap
by Paul Mathews

When London schoolteacher George Nearly wakes up one Sunday morning to find a dishevelled young woman sprawled on his living-room rug, claiming to be a princess, his plans for a peaceful day at home recovering from his 39th birthday party disappear faster than a French monarch’s head during a revolution. And when the feisty royal accuses George of kidnapping her, his very ordinary life is turned completely upside down, as the party princess takes root in his apartment, causes royal waves among his friends and family, and demands to go walkabout on the streets of London. It’s blue-blooded British comedy by unofficial royal appointment in this hilarious, and often surreal, regal romp that’s guaranteed to raise a laugh from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace!

Genres: Contemporary (Modern) Fiction (post 1945)



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 979-8697647615

Published by Self Published

on 24th November, 2020

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This is a self-published novel

Available Formats: Trade Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #Contemporary Humour, Dark Humour

About Paul Mathews

Paul Mathews is a quite funny guy who ditched the London rat race to follow his dream of becoming a comedy novelist and never again having to be told what to do by anyone who isn't a blood relative. His sharp, satirical - often surreal - sense of humour was honed after twenty glorious years in the UK Civil Service: long-lunching, cracking jokes & trying his best to look busy. He gains inspiration from his love of pubs, good food, Earl Grey tea, four-legged animals & the quirks and quibbles of British life.

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Posted Tuesday, 8 December, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Love Books Tours, Sampler Chapters &/or Excerpt of Novel

#Blogmas Book Spotlight | “For This Christmas Only” (Masterson, Texas, Book Three) by Caro Carson

Posted Monday, 7 December, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#blogmas badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am quite sure it won’t be too much of a surprise I like to seek out other imprints by Harlequin Books every so often throughout the year? I have sorted out my top favourites to read regularly are *Harlequin Heartwarming* & *Love Inspired: Suspense* however, this gives quite a bit of wiggle room to seek out their other imprints and find other authors who might be writing stories which are going unnoticed by me throughout the year as they’re writing under imprints I might not regularly have access too and/or have more trouble borrowing through ILL’ing (interlibraryloaning). This is one keen reason I enjoy hosting spotlights like this one today as it gives me a chance to know which authors I might want to seek out next and which stories I might fancy reading within their other imprints.

Harlequin Books has long held a curiosity of interest for me as a reader – as I’ve moved from different imprints to the ones I currently focus on reading the most out of – although, I still mourn the loss of Love Inspired: Historical. I also read a lot of Mira books in the past before settling on Heartwarming. Heartwarming to me held within its scope of writers and stories the kind of stories I was seeking out of Mira but didn’t always feel were executed the way I hoped they might be as a reader who loves relationship based romances. This is why the Romance and Special Edition imprints are on my radar as sometimes, I surprise myself and find a Heartwarming-esque story within their imprints as well.

I’ve only read a handful of stories by this particular imprint and am still sorting out if it is a good fit for me overall or if its just an imprint I’ll read every odd moon but keep with LI: Suspense and Heartwarming full time. I have an extract to share and a few takeaways after I read the extract to share with you as you decide if you want to pick up this title yourself, too.

If you’re a regular reader of Harlequin novels and imprints, which imprints are your top choices and favourites? Which writers and/or their series are making an impression on you as a reader and which do you think might be a wicked good fit for me as well? I’d love to hear your thoughts – especially if you read Heartwarming, Romance or Special Edition imprints by Harlequin on a semi-regular basis as you’d have the best feedback to share.

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#Blogmas Book Spotlight | “For This Christmas Only” (Masterson, Texas, Book Three) by Caro CarsonFor This Christmas
Subtitle: He was successful in business but not in love
by Caro Carson

He was successful in business but not in love in this great romance by USA TODAY bestselling author Caro Carson

His book changed her life…

But he no longer believes his own advice.

After nearly dying in a plane crash, business icon Eli Taylor has become a recluse, until a chance encounter at a small town’s Yule log lighting leads to an evening spent as the fake boyfriend of his superfan Mallory Ames. When she finds herself homeless for the holidays, he invites her to stay with him—if she’ll return the favor and be his fake girlfriend, so he can show his siblings what a loving partnership should look like. Their arrangement will end when the new year begins…or will it?

From Harlequin Special Edition: Believe in love. Overcome obstacles. Find happiness.

Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Contemporary Romance, Romance Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781335894977

Published by Harlequin Special Edition

on 1st December, 2020

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The Masterson, Texas series:

The Bartender’s Secret (book one)

The Slow Burn (book two)

For This Christmas Only (book three)

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Published by: Harlequin Books (@HarlequinBooks)

Converse on Twitter via: #ChristmasReads and/or #HolidayReads
as well as #ChristmasRomance and #ContemporaryRomance

About Caro Carson

Caro Carson

Despite a no-nonsense background as a West Point graduate and U.S. Army officer, Caro Carson has always treasured the happily-ever-after of a good romance novel. After her military service, she worked in the healthcare industry with a Fortune 100 company, talking science with doctors who were rarely handsome bachelor Texans like the doctors in her books.

Now a USA Today bestselling author and RITA™ award winner, Caro is delighted to be living her own happily-ever-after with her husband (who actually is a handsome Texan) and their two children. They live in the great state of Florida, a location which has saved the coaster-loving theme park fanatics a fortune on plane tickets.

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Posted Monday, 7 December, 2020 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Blitz, Book Spotlight, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, Indie Author, Xpresso Book Tours