#TheSundayPost | XXI | I’m living in my Sci-Fi era! A journal of #SciFiMonth and the crises as they arise in life!

Posted Sunday, 8 December, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , 6 Comments

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[Official Blurb] The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimberly @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news. A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog. This is your news post, so personalize it! Include as much as you want or as little. Be creative, it can be a vlog or just a showcase of your goodies. Link up once a week or once a month, you decide. Book haul can include library books, yard sale finds, arcs and bought books.. share them!

  • Enter your link on the post-
  • Sundays beginning at 12:01 am (CST) (link will be open all week)
  • Link back to this post or this blog
  • Visit others who have linked up
  • Read this week’s #TheSundayPost!

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Yes, you read that correctly!

I am living in my S C I – F I  E R A!

this Sci-Fi month recaptured my LOVE of all things Science Fiction and I am having wicked incredible reads as I tuck into the selections I *knew!* I wanted to be reading right now.

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Jorie’s life behind the blog:

: as writ on the 1st of December :

Despite appearances to the quandary – November proved to be a wicked good month for me to tuck into Science Fiction and reaffirm my love of these lovelies which take me into the Cosmos!

I was not quite prepared for November – at least not emotionally. The month started out on strong footing for me, as I didn’t waste time settling into the stories I wanted to focus on reading during the #SciFiMonth event, as it is my capstone event for the year. I love how I can shift into Winter by starting to soak and focus on Science Fiction for a solid month every November. The goal of course is to always read SF throughout the coming year and feature those stories during my #SciFiSundays featured showcases – however, that has been an evolving goal!

I normally would have disclosed the news about my Mum’s health during #TheSundayPost but I wasn’t quite myself during those moments of crisis and I was having issues with fatigue from both my jobs – so in effect, the news sort of stumbled out across posts on my blog and Insta. The first time I mentioned it was on a Book Spotlight for “Georgia’s Folly” – as I owed the tour company and author an apology as my feature ran a bit late that day. Secondly, I mentioned it on Insta whilst announcing my enthused reactions to reading “Heaven’s Edge” by Jennifer Silverwood. Read More

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Posted Sunday, 8 December, 2024 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Memes, JLAS Update Post, Jorie Loves A Story, The Sunday Post

A #SciFiMonth One Way Ticket Book Review | Space Opera [set in the Rims!] novella series #HeavensEdge by Jennifer Silverwood (stories 1-3!)

Posted Thursday, 28 November, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , 0 Comments

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Acquired Book by: Long before Sci Fi November 2019 – I started planning which authors I wanted to host during @SatBookChat (my Romance & Women’s Fiction chat wherein I discuss multi-genres in/out of those spheres of interest) – whilst I also had a hearty knowledge of which stories I would be reading throughout November during the event. I wasn’t sure if this was available to request for review – and due to a slight misreading of an email I nearly missed my chance to have a copy of it in time for the event itself – all I knew prior to event starting is I wanted to feature Ms Silverwood and I wanted to chat about Heaven’s Edge due to the fact this series is first told through novellas and secondly I have a newfound affinity of interest of Space Opera Rim stories! Being blessed with an omnibus print edition of the first three stories is something which filled my bookish heart with loads of happiness – such a beautiful edition, with lush purple cover art and a series of bookmarks tucked in for added random joy from Ms Silverwood’s other series I already love reading the Borderlands Saga!

Uniquely, it has taken me more years than I deemed possible to continue my journey into this series and to complete my ruminative thoughts about what I was reading therein. I am thankful for the patience of the author and of allowing me to continue this journey into Heaven’s Edge at a timeline which suited me best as a reader. This might have taken a long time to finish reading and reviewing – but the journey of being held inside this series was an experience I shall not soon forget and am grateful for being able to undertake.

I received a complimentary copy of the omnibus edition of “Heaven’s Edge: Novellas No. 1-3” direct from the author Jennifer Silverwood in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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on why i am itching
to read this novella series:

Ever since I first learnt about Space Opera stories set at the Rims – those tucked off remote areas of space where Spacers and Miners have to come to an accord to live amongst each other whilst they mine & live so far removed from inhabited planets & interstellar civilisation – it begs the question, what kind of people can take that kind of challenge and how would they thrive in that kind of chaotic environment of wit, stamina and fortitude?

My first introduction to this Rim side of Space was within the delightfully addictive audiobook “Rimrider” of which I had this to share about the environment & atmosphere of Rim set stories:

I truly loved the humourous takes on Spacer life through the pen of Ms Kelley,.. I knew from the jump-start this was going to be a fast moving story, as soon as Jane’s voice filled my earphones – the was something happily different about this Space Opera. It was written from the perspective of teens – wherein this would fit well with Young Adult SF, but it’s more layered than your typical teen angst novel set in Space. No, it’s more about the curious way how if you have the fortitude to change your own destiny, you can do incredible things!

The author kept the ‘pirate’ traditions and legacies of their rituals in place throughout Rimrider – including sorting out how to ‘insert’ this culture into a Spacer’s experiences. Basically if your familiar with this culture, the interesting bit is watching how even in outer space, pirates can surprise you! There was one aspect of their lives which took me back to Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – especially when we are treated to another ‘parlay’.

As Jane learns more about how free traders can lay claim on both ships and land – she gets a wider picture of how her life can play out. She doesn’t want to make too many plans too far ahead – not that you can blame her truly, she’s lost a lot and is just starting to gain her confidence back in knowing she’s living for the moment. Except even in this new life of hers, she has hard choices to make – including how to help someone whose dying but who has a lost daughter. She surprises herself for the rising strength inside her bones – of being able to table her own anguished emotions and focus on someone else who needs someone to care about them more than worrying about things which cannot be changed. It was here – in those hard moments where Jane was no longer a teenager but a young woman – one step closer to being an adult, Jane emerged as a leader.

From this moment forward – Jane is coming into her own skin. She’s taking on more responsibilities but also finding within her the strength she needs to carve out her own niche amongst the free traders by sorting out how she can help take a stand against the UEC. There is so much going on – I simply found myself fully absorbed into the action of it all! When Jane goes undercover in order to seek out the ‘missing’ – you get caught up in the fuller back-story of how the UEC is truly working against the will of humans and aliens alike – you start to see how what is held back from sight is really right there waiting for someone to take notice and do something to affect change!

I am in love with the fuzzy aliens with paws on Rimrock! Jem and Jane are a dynamic duo of a team – there are elements of telepathy and inter-species communications which I found fascinating as it showed how despite the differences between species, there is a general acceptance for what is ‘right and what is wrong’. The overlays between this culture and ours are clearly present – especially when it comes to scathingly horrid practices of non-environmental friendly industrial mining – this in of itself, is worth watching unfold.

Honestly – the narrator nailed the characters and the theatrical mannerisms which make this audiobook ‘SING’ to the reader – meaning, you can easily forsake whatever else you intended to do and simply ‘listen’ to this Space Opera! The humour is bang-on brilliant, the setting is intoxicating because you dearly want to know ‘more’ rather than ‘less’ and if this first installment is the gateway into the series at large – your going to want to consume the next books in sequence! I truly loved this audiobook – it was wonderfully produced, but it’s more than that — my sci-fi geeky heart was overjoyed getting caught inside a world which simply gripped me from the first moment I heard ‘Jane’ come through my headphones!

-as quoted from my review of “RimRider”

You can clearly see what motivates me into the Heaven’s Edge series now – as Kelley gave me the curiosity about how young persons reliant on themselves can do extraordinary things on the Rims. I cannot wait to see what Silverwood has done with her series as I entreat inside Heaven’s Edge and sort out what is about to befell her characters in this lovely hidden niche of Space Opera Lit!

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On my connection to Jennifer Silverwood:

When our paths first crossed, Ms Silverwood and I shared a mutual interest and connection; however, our friendship did not form for a while afterwards. It was truly after the interview went live and after I noticed I was reading her blog as much as she was reading mine – where I realised we shared a lot of commonalities in our reading lives as well as our writerly lives! We decided to stay in touch, and it is an honour to find someone who understands the bridge between reader, blogger and writer.

I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Ms Silverwood through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I hosted her Silver Hollow blog tour and privately as well. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time or continuing to read their releases as they are available. This also applies to hosting a guest feature by the author I share a connection.Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A #SciFiMonth One Way Ticket Book Review | Space Opera [set in the Rims!] novella series #HeavensEdge by Jennifer Silverwood (stories 1-3!)Heaven's Edge | Novellas No. 1-3 (omnibus edition)
by Jennifer Silverwood
Source: Direct from Author

Series Introduction from the author Jennifer Silverwood:

Welcome to Heaven’s Edge! Grab your scythe blades, strap on your plasma gauntlets and prepare yourselves for one steampunkish adventure to the far corners of space with Qeya and co.

But before we begin, did you know this series about a group of stranded space teens was among the first stories I ever penned? A long time ago, in the year 1998, my folks had just bought our first computer. I wanted to write stories set in a world like Star Wars, but without adults interfering, of course. I spent my first formative writing years exploring Heaven’s Edge with Qeya and the gang. So it seemed only natural to update the story and make it my first publication twelve years later. My struggle to see Qeya published was what directed me to self-publishing and the rest is history.

We meet a crew of former Royals, the Miners who once served them. In Qeya, the crew was attacked by a mysterious alien force, then crash landed on the primitive world below. Trouble is, none of the adults survived and now a small band of children and teenagers must cross the boundaries their parents imposed on them to survive.

Over the years and between releasing my “big” books, I worked with editor and friend, Jessica Augustsson to breathe back life into this mini-series. It’s been one epic steam-clunking ride, reinventing this world from my childhood.

I hope you’re ready to take a tour of the Rim with me. Enjoy the adventure!

Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1717897091

Also by this author: Author Interview: Jennifer Silverwood (Silver Hollow), Stay, Book Spotlight: Borderlands Saga, Silver Hollow, Book Spotlight: Blackbriar Cove

Published by JayHenge Publishing

on 4th April, 2019

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 326

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The Heaven’s Edge novella series:

Qeya by Jennifer SilverwoodOhre by Jennifer SilverwoodTamn by Jennifer Silverwood

**Omnibus includes first three Heaven’s Edge Novellas**

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Qeya (book one)

Qeya, the future Queen of Datura, can’t do much about her red hair, but she knows how to wield a scythe blade and suck the life out of her enemy, literally. Life seems great, if a little boring on heaven’s edge. Until her ship is attacked and nearly everyone on board is murdered. Now, the miner who saved her is the only thing standing between her and the hungry beasts hunting them.

Ohre (book two)

All Ohre wants is the kind of freedom a life in the sea can give. But he doesn’t want to live it alone anymore. He wants the princess and if Qeya won’t come willingly, he’ll make her.

Tamn (book three)

Tamn has always lived by a code. He doesn’t question his duty. Until his crew is stranded on a hostile alien world and he’s forced to watch the girl he loves burn in the sky. Stripped of his reason for living, the voices from his past haunt and guide him in a path of endless retribution. Only the strongest will survive the trials ahead and Tamn is determined to keep the family he has left alive.

As revealled in #SatBookChat,
there are a potential 2x novella sequences & a full-length novel!

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Formats Available: Trade Paperback (omnibus) or Ebook (individual or combined)

Genre(s): Space Opera | Stories set on the Rims | Young Adult Speculative Fiction

Converse via: #HeavensEdge, #SpaceOpera, #YALit,
#FuellYourSciFi and #SciFiMonth

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11th Annual Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards badge created by Jorie in Canva. Coffee and Tea Clip Art Set purchased on Etsy; made by rachelwhitetoo.

This story took the award for BEST Space Opera Series.
(Young Adult Science Fiction
)

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About Jennifer Silverwood

Jennifer Silverwood

Jennifer Silverwood was raised deep in the heart of Texas and has been spinning yarns a mile high since childhood. In her spare time she reads and writes and tries to sustain her wanderlust, whether it’s the Carpathian Mountains in Transylvania, the highlands of Ecuador or a road trip to the next town. Always on the lookout for her next adventure, in print or reality, she dreams of one day proving to the masses that everything really is better in Texas. She is the author of two series—Heaven's Edge and Wylder Tales—and the stand-alone titles Stay and Silver Hollow.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Sci Fi November 2024
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Posted Thursday, 28 November, 2024 by jorielov in Anthology Collection of Stories, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Bookmark slipped inside a Review Book, Brothers and Sisters, Children's Literature, Coming-Of Age, Novellas or Short Stories, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Siblings, Soft Science Fiction, Space Opera, Speculative Fiction, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Young Adult Fiction

#TheWriteReads Blog Book Tour during #SciFiMonth | Introducing “Skyfleet” (March of the Mutabugs) by Victoria Williamson a new #MiddleGrade Sci-Fi adventure!

Posted Tuesday, 26 November, 2024 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

 

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Acquired Book By: I started hosting blog tours with The Write Reads in 2020 and prior to hosting with Dave (who runs the tours and has built an incredible community of the socially bookish behind it) I was following their feeds via Twitter. I took an unexpected hiatus from hosting their tours until this Summer, 2024 wherein I reconnected with Dave and started to get back into the tours as they were available to join.  I love finding new Independent publishers as much as I love finding new niches of fiction and Non-Fiction alike in which to absorb a story or style of narrative I haven’t yet come across and through hosting for The Write Reads I am finding my journey of discovery is regularly heightened to travel into new spheres of where story can take us all.

I received a complimentary copy of “Skyfleet” from the author Victoria Williamson in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I am wicked thrilled to say, I have a lovely new release to share during #SciFiMonth this year which tackles a subject in clear view of a category of stories that befits the idea of ‘outside my comfort zones’ as it involves BUGS. I foolishly thought the bugs were altered bugs or alien bugs or some kind of bug I’ve NEVER heard of previously – never in my life did I once think that the ‘mutabugs’ in the story were actually mutated *cockroaches!* (shudders) I’m not sure about you – but for me personally? Next to spiders, those are my least favourite bug to encounter! Ick.

I felt this was also a keenly insightful story which can resonate with readers who are also interested in Cli-Fi and Environmental stories in Science Fiction. As even though the climate of this world was suddenly altered through radiation, the radiation itself stole the natural environment of its own kind of harmonic cycles of life. As described by Williamson in the story as altering the life of the plants and insects – I oft wondered if other aspects of this world were also keenly altered by the crash and the aftereffects of having that kind of radioactive presence so volatile and near communities where settlers were resettling? Those were the kinds of thoughts running through my mind as I first entered the story and was eager to see where Williamson would take the story. Would she address those other concerns or just focus on the mutabugs?

This novel arrived with a full ‘reader’s kit’ by the author – who graced us with our own miniature plane, set of non-radiated seeds (as food in this world is scarce since the meteor strike!) and a whole bunch of lovely surprises! Mind you, I could have survived without finding the little bag of ‘bugs’ included by I understood why they were present. I’m just not a ‘bug kind of gal’ and that little bag was hiding in the kit so when I pulled it out – I admit, it gave me half a fright!

Being a part of this blog tour was a blast – I look forward to sharing photos of what I received on my #bookstagram feeds as I share this review socially. I truly appreciate the time and energy the author put into giving us all a wicked good #bookpost in celebration of the book’s release and of spending time tucked into her story. If you know of a reader who loves bugs and planes and children who have the courage to stand up to adults – this is definitely a story, you’ll want them to read!

As you’ll find on my review below – it was a wicked good read and one that you can easily do in one sitting as the story is fast paced and has an ending that you’ll have to read to believe!

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#TheWriteReads Blog Book Tour during #SciFiMonth | Introducing “Skyfleet” (March of the Mutabugs) by Victoria Williamson a new #MiddleGrade Sci-Fi adventure!Skyfleet
Subtitle: March of the Mutabugs
by Victoria Williamson
Source: Author via The Write Reads

When the skies turn deadly, a young heroine must rise from the ashes...

Twelve-year-old Amberley Jain has faced incredible challenges since the crash that took her parents and paralysed her legs. Now, with her best friend Ricardo Lopez about to be sent away and a swarm of mutated insects closing in on the Skyfleet base, the stakes have never been higher. Something monstrous is driving the mutabugs north from the contaminated meteor site known as the Cauldron, and the only plane capable of stopping it - the Firehawk - lies in pieces in the hangar.

Determined to honour her parents' legacy, Amberley hatches a daring plan. With Ricardo's help, they stow away on a supply train, trading his most treasured possession for the parts needed to repair the Firehawk. After secret test flights, the legendary jet is ready for action. Now, Amberley and Ricardo must confront the deadly swarm and save their home, discovering their inner strength and the true meaning of friendship along the way.

Skyfleet: March of the Mutabugs is a thrilling tale of adventure and resilience, perfect for middle-grade readers.

Genres: Children's Literature, Middle Grade, Science Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1837917044

Published by Tiny Tree Books

on 24th October, 2024

Format: Paperback Edition

Pages: 198

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Published by: Tiny Tree Books (@tinytreebooks) via Insta

an imprint of Andrews UK Limited

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Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook

Converse via: #MGLit, #MiddleGrade
as well as #TheWriteReads & #Skyfleet and #SciFiMonth

About Victoria Williamson

Victoria Williamson

Victoria Williamson grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked as an educator in a number of different countries, including as an English teacher in China, a secondary science teacher in Cameroon, and a teacher trainer in Malawi.

As well as degrees in Physics and Mandarin Chinese, she has completed a Masters degree in Special Needs in Education. In the UK she works as a primary school special needs teacher, working with children with a range of additional support needs including Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, physical disabilities and behavioural problems.

She is currently working as a full-time writer of Middle Grade and YA contemporary fiction, science fiction and fantasy, with a focus on creating diverse characters reflecting the many cultural backgrounds and special needs of the children she has worked with and building inclusive worlds where all children can see a reflection of themselves in heroic roles.

Victoria’s experiences teaching young children in a school with many families seeking asylum inspired her debut novel, The Fox Girl and the White Gazelle, an uplifting tale of redemption and unlikely friendship between Glaswegian bully Caylin and Syrian refugee Reema.

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Posted Tuesday, 26 November, 2024 by jorielov in #TheWriteReads, Blog Tour Host, Cli-Fi, Climate Change, Dystopian, Environmental Conscience, Environmental Science, Science Fiction

Book Spotlight | A New Historical Romance set alight in a world of antiques “Georgia’s Folly” by Deborah Chase

Posted Thursday, 21 November, 2024 by jorielov , , 2 Comments

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Why time bending stories & Historical Romance interest me:

I have had such a wicked sweet affinity for time bending stories in Historical Fiction and Romance, it has truly been a hard route of choice for me to name my top favourites in this particular niche of genre as I went into hosting this lovely blog tour! Over the last eleven years, I’ve read so many dearly beloved reads – the best bit about how time bends inside a storyline and either offers a dual time line of interest such as within Georgia’s Folly or bends it through time shifting and/or time travelling directly is how you can intuit so much out of a story through the different perspectives shared within the same narrative.

I, personally, love this duality to the stories themselves. To tuck close inside one era and then, time jump into another and find both the dimensional resonances of both and/or finding that although similarly different and unique of their own eras – both tend to have connective measures within them which not only carry the plot forward but interconnect the characters as well. Time in this instance is temporal and a bit elusive because of how interwoven the stories become through each writers’ vision of how time can bend and contract and reconnect through different portals of ‘time’.

Similarly, within Historical Romances – I am simply swept away by the idea of ‘visiting’ a different era of History and with each ‘time jump’ I undertake through fiction, the lens provided to me gives me another nudge of insight and knowledge of the Historical past to where I’ve become a time traveller myself. Historical Romances are wicked brilliant in how they encompass both the historical societies in which their characters live and the traditions of the era in which they reside. There is something quite alluring to #HistRom and I’ve been a HUGE appreciator for so many years – even, long before I became a book blogger in (2013)!!

I dearly wanted to purchase a copy of “Georgia’s Folly” for myself – to read with my #ChristmasReads this year, however, it is currently only offered in ebook editions. As many of you know, I can only read stories in print due to chronic migraines – and thereby, part of why I wanted to shine a light on this story is not only to acknowledge that there are readers out here who want to read this story but perhaps, if there is more interest in the story overall – a print edition might be forthcoming at a later date.

This story curates a lot of self-interest for me – especially because I am taken with diaries and Epistolatory Fiction as much as I grew up roaming around antique stores and emporiums of the past. There is something quite wicked for uncovering something old and something tangible from someone elses life in the present which reconnects you to their life in the past. You might never know much about the person as much as the object you’ve found but just to realise that someone else lived an entire life ahead of yours and this one particular object made it through all those years to find its way into your hands is quite a remarkable feat. This is one reason why I love antiques and early attic shoppes because instead of putting all that lovely stuff in the rubbish pile, people find beauty in the objects of the past and many of them still have purpose in our lives now.

Flea markets were part of my childhood as much as estate emporiums and antique stores – you just never knew what you would find for sale ‘right around the corner’ of the next stall or aisle. I had many years of memories walking up and down those aisles and spending whole days at the fleas themselves just engaging with the sellers, browsing what was for sale and walking away with more than a few deals. Likewise, the same was true of auctions and emporiums. These leftover items are connective and tangible portals of time in our living histories. I think that is what drew me into that world to begin with – a way to connect to the past and yet, feel or see a tangible part of that life in the present.

You can see why I’m wicked excited about this novel!

Plus, a part of me wondered – what if you discovered a diary of someone who lived during a certain part of the historical past and you unearthed a similar story? How would it feel to connect to that moment in History but also further research what that discovery meant to those who lived then vs now? So many lovely questions to explore on that note alone! Plus, too, isn’t it curious how diaries withstand time when they usually were used as self-disciplined chronicles of time for their own families?

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Book Spotlight | A New Historical Romance set alight in a world of antiques “Georgia’s Folly” by Deborah ChaseGeorgia's Folly
Subtitle: A Lost Treasures Mystery
by Deborah Chase
Source: Chapter Sampler

For fans of "Antiques Roadshow" and "American Pickers" - this is the one for you!

Beginning at a cluttered flea market and ending at a glittering art auction, Georgia’s Follytells the compelling story that blends past and present and the search for a valuable and elusive antique. Chloe Bishop grew up in foster care. She loves shopping at flea markets, picking up family heirlooms like old pottery or vintage furniture to fill in for the family and home she never had.

As Chloe walks through the Brooklyn Flea Market, she stumbles upon the diary of Miss Georgia Potter, a young woman who had lived in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War. The yellowed pages reveal the impact of the war on daily life and spotlights the role of women including Harriet Tubman, Clara Barton and Louisa May Alcott. 

Like Chloe, Georgia Potter was a passionate collector and her diary lists her collection of valuable antiques—including the Holy Grail of 18th century furniture—a Chippendale settee. Well versed in antiques, Chloe is aware that there are only five known examples and a sixth settee would be worth more than $4 million.

Chloe immediately contacts Ben Thompson, the man who sold her the diary. Ben is a picker who drives his RV across America, searching for collectibles to sell to dealers. He is estranged from his wealthy, prominent family who cringe at his chosen career. Ben agrees to take her along to search for the valuable and iconic settee. As Ben and Chloe head to Gettysburg, they are unaware that Gregor Petrov, a shady antiques dealer and Harrison Kent, a respected but unscrupulous art expert are trailing them.

The search for the settee takes Chloe and Ben on fast paced journey from the Gettysburg battlefields to the 18th century street of artisans in Philadelphia to a historic mansion on the banks of the Hudson River. Traveling together in the small RV, Ben and Chloe draw closer. In the confines of the RV, embroiled in an unimaginable quest, Chloe confides that she is also in search for the father she never knew while Ben struggles to explain his complicated family to a woman who never had one.

In a thrilling ending, the rare Chippendale settee is not Chloe’s only valuable discovery.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ASIN: B0DGWF6J7G

Published by Historium Press

on 11th September, 2024

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Available Formats: Ebook

Converse via: #CoffeePotBookClub, #GeorgiasFolly or #DeborahChase

About Deborah Chase

Deborah Chase

Deborah Chase grew up in a family filled with art and antiques. On the high end, her uncle, William Lincer, lead violist at the New York Philharmonic, was an art lover whose collection was sold at Sotheby’s. On the low end, her father, writer Allen Chase took her to flea markets and estate sales. He sparked a lifelong fascination with tales of lost treasures that ranged from plundered Egyptian tombs to trainloads of art stolen by the Nazis. It was this love of history and antiques that inspired her first novel, Georgia’s Folly

She was a founding editor of the Berkeley Wellness Newsletter and the author of 12 books including The Medically Based No-Nonsense Beauty Book (Alfred Knopf), Extend Your Life Diet (Pocket Books), Fruit Acids for Fabulous Skin (St Martin’s Press), Every Bride is Beautiful (Morrow), and with her husband Dr Neil Schachter co-author of Life and Breath (Doubleday) and The Good Doctor’s Guide to Colds and Flu (Harper).

The books have been a selection of the Book of the Month Club and her articles have appeared in Ladies Home Journal, Self, Glamour, Redbook, Family Circle, Parents and Good Housekeeping. She is a graduate of Bronx High School of Science and a winner of the Westinghouse Science Talent Search. A graduate of New York University she earned a degree with a duel major in journalism and history.

A native New Yorker, Deborah like to spend her weekends at an upstate home where a big kitchen and an endless supply of estate sales indulge her duel passions for cooking and collecting.

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Posted Thursday, 21 November, 2024 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight of E-Book (ahead of POD/print edition), Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Sampler Chapters &/or Excerpt of Novel, The Coffee Pot Book Club

A #SciFiMonth Friday Fives : Astronavigation as #JorieReads the Astra Black series by Maurice Broaddus

Posted Friday, 8 November, 2024 by jorielov , , , , , , 1 Comment

 

#SciFiMonth banner for 2024 created by Imryil and is used with permission. Artwork by https://www.123rf.com/profile_artcuboy.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

I cannot remember the last time I was able to fully immerse myself into the #SciFiMonth Experience and truly takeaway as much JOY as I am expecting to take this November! Coming out of a fortnight of blissitude celebrating #SpooktasticReads and the spookier side of Fantasy, I am feeling a lot of positive vibes shifting into a month of reading Science Fiction. Especially as I have a renewed sense of awe and wonder about delving into new authors’ and exploring their visions for Space Opera.

I personally have an affinity of interest in the niche of Space Opera and this year, I have several stories I want to dive inside and find out what the author’s vision was for those stories. I feel as if I’ve taken an unplanned sabbatical from reading Science Fiction for a few years now and this is my return!

In case you missed it, my first post was about Boldy venturing into Indie and Small Press SF – a special edition of my Top Ten Tuesday post wherein I discussed which stories are on my radar and #nextreads list! It was a lovely rewind blog post from (2022) and thankfully was able to be shared this year during the event it was always meant to showcase.

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The Friday Fives : Astronavigation| Hostess List

#SciFiMonth Prompt Challenge graphic for 2024 created by Imryil and is used with permission. Artwork by https://www.123rf.com/profile_artcuboy.

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Let’s discuss why I’ve chosen Maurice Broaddus’s novels as my first reads this #SciFiMonth and why they are the epitome of my Astronavigation!

On seeking an alternative route into #SciFiMonth this (2024): Usually I announce a long list of #mustreads during #SciFiMonth – wherein, I either disappoint myself by what I cannot read or I find too many lost hours to ‘catch-up’ to where I needed to be with my readings and listenings; as oft-times I shift between print and audiobooks. Thereby, this year, I am simply taking a slower paced route into my SF reads. I’ll be revealling which stories and authors I’m reading and/or listening to as the month unfolds rather than displaying a sizeable stack of #mustreads to be consumed within the time frame of the event itself.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

NOTE: I received a complimentary copy of “Sweep of Stars” and “Breath of Oblivion” in exchange for an honest review from TOR. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

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#SciFiMonth Astronavigation graphic created by Jorie in Canva.

This year, my Astronavigation begins with the Astra Black series by Maurice Broaddus! I started reading “Sweep of Stars” the year it released (2022). However, as previously stated – a lot of what I was reading and planning to feature during that November (or the latter bits of the year itself) were postponed and pushed forward by the fact my Dad was hospitalised and exited into long-term care. I had meant to return to my readings of the novel and finally share my thoughts and ruminations about – but time shifted forward, life grew a bit more complicated for my family and I took-on a second full-time job in the past year and a half. Thereby, this November – I’m setting my stars and course to re-soak into the series – re-beginning “Sweep of Stars” and continuing forward into “Breath of Oblivion”.

Sometimes time can cart us away from the stories we desire most to read – but if we find a way to re-align ourselves back into their orbit – it is as if time hasn’t slipped past us at all. We’re merely continuing a journey we began earlier and can re-appreciate the adventure we’ve undertaken.

I LOVE the word: Astronavigation as every #SciFiMonth, I feel as though that truly speaks to my heart about what I gravitate towards in Science Fiction. I am truly a girl who loves Space Opera and all the subniches which follow into that niche of thought and exploration. I’ve been in love with Space since I was a very young girl – long before I even knew about Science Fiction as a genre to read. There is something about the stars and the cosmos which spoke to me and ignited my imagination.

What drew a keen interest to read “Sweep of Stars” was the premise – to push forward despite the odds and forge a new future elsewhere. So much power and truth in that statement which has layers of meaning and purpose behind it too. I loved hearing about the people striving to better their futures by leaving behind the strife and wars, seeking out better places to thrive in the stars and re-settle themselves away from Earth. You can feel their courage and their bravery – whilst noting that sometimes change is harder to accomplish than having a determined spirit to chase after it.

I can’t think of a better place to start this #SciFiMonth!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

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“Sweep of Stars” (Book One: Astra Black series) by Maurice Broaddus

NOTE: borrowed the audiobook via my library’s Hoopla
audiobook narrated by: Emana Rachelle

As I completely lost my footing within this novel within the last two years, I decided not to just re-read the novel as I wasn’t sure where I had left off within it – but I felt, by listening to the audiobook whilst I read the hardback copy of it – I might have a firmer grip on the story and series. It also was a helpful benefit for me as a dyslexic reader to better articulate and understand the names and words I struggled with reading the first go round. I love audiobooks for that reason – it helps expand on things I might misinterpret how to say and helps me strengthen my readerly experience overall. Aside from those reasons, I also just love listening to the performances of narrators and how they interpret the stories I am reading. In this instance, Rachelle has a natural instinct on how to bring Broaddus’s words to life and it was wicked wonderful listening to her as I read the story.

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We are introduced to Leah ahead of her naming ceremony – a ceremony I felt was a beautiful one to have in one’s cultural heritage as it allows the person to choose their own name which they feel befits their person. Different cultures even on our contemporary Earth have this in their traditions and I oft felt it was a ceremony others should embrace too, as sometimes, children do wish to change their names but oft find pushback from their parents. Whilst we are awaiting Leah’s ceremony, she uses herbs to cleanse her thoughts, and I smiled. Especially as I remember the first time, I tried smudging sage and how I overdid it to the brink the whole house was inundated by it!

One bit of tech I found uniquely curious was the door – how it appears solid but can transform into a translucent version of itself before it opens? It makes the curious notation about what makes a door a door and if a door can easily transform its makeup of solidity can you still call it a door which ensures privacy? Just something I was thinking about as I read the scene.

Leah and her surrogate father meet ahead of her ceremony, and it serves as a lovely introduction to her and to her situation with family as her biological family died years ago in an accident. You could tell the weight of that loss still carries a heavy load on her heart – as she didn’t quite seem to feel she could call herself a part of his father even though he loved her as his own daughter. Her anxieties about the naming ceremony seemed to be tied to owning who she was and acknowledging who she was after her parents died. I would imagine it would be hard to know where you fit and belong after having lost your family – even, to struggle with your own identity was you lost the memories of what you had and never had a chance to build your knowledge of who had come ahead of you. I felt her emotions as she prepared for the ceremony itself.

The Muungano have a very formal community with different leaders and families who are of importance to the overall running of their governing order. At first, it was a bit hard to piece together what was happening in the opening parts of the novel, as we shifted away from the naming ceremony (as Leah became Amachi) and learnt that Astra Black was the founding person who helped create First World.

It wasn’t until the attack on OE (Original Earth) where the plot thickened and grew a bit more interesting for me as a reader. Mostly, as the beginning was mostly tethered on introductions and explanations of order rather than seeing what was happening behind it all. The explosion took me off-guard as much as the people who survived it as I wasn’t expecting an attack of that nature to happen so soon in the storyline. Amachi herself was thrust into a new chapter of her life – wherein, she was now being read into sensitive news and higher-level intelligence briefings. Whilst at the same time, the Orun Gate was offline or at least, was not able to be studied as it once had. This was the wormhole they had discovered, and it was a joint effort of industrious study by the Muungano, Mars and OE scientific communities.

And, that was the moment where my interest magnified. Anytime you have a wormhole of any sort and a lost communication signal – the story becomes much more intriguing for me! I did feel a bit lost and bogged down in the opening bridge of the novel, but I appreciated getting acquainted with Amachi and her father. Now, though I feel I am entering the more interesting bits of the novel, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!  

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

This post is part of my participation on behalf of:

#SciFiMonth badge for 2024 created by Imryil and is used with permission. Artwork by https://www.123rf.com/profile_artcuboy.

I can’t wait to see what everyone else has picked as their Astronavigation selection!

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

I look forward to hearing if you’ve read one of these stories and/or if I’ve encouraged you to pick one of these novels to explore yourself! I am relying on the Mission Logs (provided by Lisa & Imyril) to visit with everyone this November however, if you comment I’ll bump my visit to your blog(s) to the top of the travel list! I would love to know if you are using the prompts & challenges this year, too on your blog?!

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{SOURCES: Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.  2024 Official Sci Fi Month banner and badge as well as the Prompt Challenge graphic created by Imyril and is used with permission. (artwork credit is Sxwx) Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: #SciFiMonth #25PagePreview banner as well as the Comment box banner.}

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • Sci Fi November 2024 (12th Year)
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Posted Friday, 8 November, 2024 by jorielov in #SciFiMonth, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Sci-Fi November