Format: Paperback

Blog Book Tour | “The Lazarus Game” by Stephen J. Valentine

Posted Tuesday, 17 February, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “The Lazarus Game” direct from the publisher Sweetwater Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Interested in Reading:

I love to share what excites me within the inertia first moments of a ‘new book’ discovery, which is why I have spoken about my attachment to ‘techno-thrillers’ on my review for Eruption and my desire to sort out Dystopian Lit on my review for An Uncommon Blue. Except to say, The Lazarus Game is a bit like picking up a genre from point of exit from Virtual Blue! The similarities between the two are quite impressive as both are bonefide fictional stories writ inside the world of virtual reality (unsure if the curiosity behind VR is due to being bourne at the latter half of the ’70s but my generation appears to love exploring these worlds & seeking to sort out what you can achieve whilst your within them) and both make a valid point about what is right, wrong, and hidden within the walls of gray. Those little nudges of where the human condition seeks to point a compass point on a lesson of both morality and justice.

Blog Book Tour | “The Lazarus Game” by Stephen J. ValentineThe Lazarus Game

"You've got to go in after him."

"Go in?"

"Inside the game. Carter, you have to play the game to save him."

It was created to change the world. With the power to resurrect the minds of history's brightest stars, the Lazarus Game promises to pool mankind's generations of geniuses and merge them in a modern utopia.

But teenage genius Carter Chance has discovered the deadly secret behind this popular virtual reality, and now he's the only one who can stop his generation from destroying themselves for a computer-generated fantasy.

This action-packed sci-fi thriller delves deeper into your perceptions of reality, life, and the value of a soul.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

on 10th February, 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Published By: Sweetwater Books (@SweetwaterBooks),

an imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc (@CedarFortBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse on Twitter via: #TheLazarusGame

My Review of The Lazarus Game:

Valentine gives his quirky character of Carter Chance a bolt of cheeky humour fused with teenage self-indulgent confidence that gives you a happy pace to begin the story upon! He’s upfront (Carter) on his situations and honest about how he feels about his life, but it’s the manner in which he deposits this information to the reader that is cheekily crafty! He pulls back the layers of his mathematicai brain in order to remain relatable to the masses, but in so doing, he makes you wonder about the more technical bits behind the back-story!

Fly in the Ointment : Content Note (of Warning)

This is a bit awkward to admit, but I stopped reading this novel on page 5. Yes, page 5! Because the author made a fatal flaw in what he chose to include in the story itself — you see, I rescue cats. I have adopted animals through rescue organisations my entire life, and every animal lover knows that when you rescue dogs, cats, and other animals who may or may not have had the best start in life can come home with baggage. They have emotional and psychological trauma and stress to overcome, as much as the issues they have with adapting to living indoors and being around humans again to the point of being able to trust without innate fear. Read More

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Posted Tuesday, 17 February, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Children's Literature, Content Note, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Dystopian, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Gaming, Indie Author, Literature for Boys, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Science Fantasy, Science Fiction, Virtual Reality, Young Adult Fiction

Blog Book Tour | “Hunting Shadows” by Charles Todd

Posted Monday, 9 February, 2015 by jorielov , , , , 1 Comment

Ruminations & Impressions Book Review Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Sergey Zolkin.

Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a tour stop on the “Hunting Shadows” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the publisher William Morrow, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

I borrowed the first book in this series from my local library’s ILL (inter-library loan) services for my own edification and was not obligated to post my reflections and/or review on the story’s behalf. I wanted to understand a bit of the back-story on the principle character of Inspector Ian Rutledge prior to reading the 16th book in the series. I originally perceived the idea to read this book and the 15th book in the series prior to my tour stop, however, the hours disappeared before I could. I appreciate the chance to get to know new mystery and suspense authors I haven’t yet stumbled across myself.

Blog Book Tour | “Hunting Shadows” by Charles ToddHunting Shadows
by Charles Todd
Source: Publisher via TLC Book Tours

In the latest mystery from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd, Inspector Ian Rutledge is summoned to the quiet, isolated Fen country to solve a series of seemingly unconnected murders before the killer strikes again

August 1920. A society wedding at Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire becomes a crime scene when a guest is shot just as the bride arrives. Two weeks later, after a fruitless search for clues, the local police are forced to call in Scotland Yard. But not before there is another shooting in a village close by. This second murder has a witness; the only problem is that her description of the killer is so horrific it’s unbelievable. Badgered by the police, she quickly recants her story.

Despite his experience, Inspector Ian Rutledge can find no connection between the two deaths. One victim was an Army officer, the other a solicitor standing for Parliament; their paths have never crossed. What links these two murders? Is it something from the past? Or is it only in the mind of a clever killer?

Then the case reminds Rutledge of a legendary assassin whispered about during the war. His own dark memories come back to haunt him as he hunts for the missing connection—and yet, when he finds it, it isn’t as simple as he’d expected. He must put his trust in the devil in order to find the elusive and shocking answer.


Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

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Also by this author: An Unwilling Accomplice, A Duty to the Dead

Published by William Morrow

on 21st January, 2014

Format: Paperback

Pages: 336

Published By: William Morrow (@WmMorrowBks),
an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers (@HarperCollins)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Converse via: #HuntingShadows, #InspectorIanRutledge

About Charles Todd

Charles Todd is the author of the Bess Crawford mysteries, the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother and son writing team, they live in Delaware and North Carolina, respectively.

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
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Posted Monday, 9 February, 2015 by jorielov in 20th Century, Blog Tour Host, Blogs I Regularly Read, British Literature, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Crime Fiction, England, Equality In Literature, Good vs. Evil, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Hard-Boiled Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller Suspense, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Military Fiction, PTSD, Readerly Musings, Realistic Fiction, Suspense, the Roaring Twenties, The World Wars, TLC Book Tours

Book Review | #ChocLitSaturdays (a feature of #JLASblog) | “Up Close” by Henriette Gyland A Romantic #Suspense you tuck inside and do not want to step outside it’s world.

Posted Saturday, 7 February, 2015 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#ChocLitSaturdays banner created by Jorie in Canva

Acquired Book By:

I am a ChocLit reviewer who receives books of my choice in exchange for honest reviews! I received a complimentary copy of “Up Close” from ChocLit via IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing) in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein. 

Why I love reading Romantic Suspense:

Don’t get me wrong — I love curling inside a lovely light and sweet Romance (although at first I took grievance with the ‘term’ Sweet Romance) yet there are moments where I like a bit of mysterious suspense underwrit into the Romance itself! I like feeling my heart pulse, my breath catch, and that sense of urgency — is whichever ‘something’ going to be found, caught, discovered, uncovered, or overcome? One of my favourite Romantic Suspense novels was actually a bit of an experiment for the writer herself, as she teamed up with a bloke who enjoyed writing traditional psychological suspense (to be honest, this is the category I am akin to myself!) whereas she appreciated writing stimulating INSPY Historical novels for modern women who wanted ‘a different turn of the page’ to traditional INSPY offerings. I’m referring to Deeanne Gist’s Beguiled which left me wanton for more!

I had the chance to enquire if there would be more books of this nature alighting on shelves in the future from her (as I used to take part in the author to reader conversations by live streaming video on YouTube and/or direct to author reader phone conversations by landline! via the now defunct and dearly missed BookTalk Nation!) to which she remarked she wasn’t quite as keen as I was to walk down that road again. She took me by surprise (not just in the reply but with the book itself!) as previously it was Dee Henderson who wrote psychological suspense with romantic undertones that gave me just enough ‘chill for me bones’ to keep me glued to me seat and the page whilst not growing hypersensitive about the nature of the story I was reading!

I’ve attempted to read mainstream Romantic Suspense novels (outside the INSPY world) but too oft-times I find myself pulling back — either from the dangerous vortex of ‘living too close to the action’ of the characters themselves or feeling a bit overcome by the story to where the joy factor left to read it. Then I discovered ChocLit’s method for publishing Romantic Suspense — and I must say, it’s now perking my appetite for what I appreciate!

Why do I love it as much as I do? Hmm, why did Helen want to go with her husband on a mission in True Lies? I think sometimes you want to break up the ruts you fall into during the patterns of your reading wanderings — mix it up, try something completely outside your level of comfort or go for the pulse of an adventure you can safety survive without having to leave your house! I’m sure even Jason Bourne wishes he hadn’t left the house sometimes!

Book Review | #ChocLitSaturdays (a feature of #JLASblog) | “Up Close” by Henriette Gyland A Romantic #Suspense you tuck inside and do not want to step outside it’s world.Up Close
by Henriette Gyland
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher

Too close for comfort…

When Dr Lia Thompson’s grandmother dies unexpectedly, Lia is horrified to have to leave her life in America and return to a cold and creaky house in Norfolk. But as events unfold, she can’t help feeling that there is more to her grandmother’s death than meets the eye.

Aidan Morrell is surprised to see Lia, his teenage crush, back in town. But Aidan’s accident when serving in the navy has scarred him in more ways than one, and he has other secrets which must stay hidden at all costs, even from Lia.

As Lia comes closer to uncovering the truth, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew. In a world of increasing danger, is Aidan someone she can trust?

Genres: Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Also by this author: Blueprint for Love, The Highwayman's Daughter

Published by ChocLitUK

on 7th December, 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 369

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.

Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLitUK)

Formats Available: Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print, & Ebook

Converse via: #ChocLit & #HenrietteGyland

Cover Art Design by: Berni Stevens @circleoflebanon | Writer | Illustrator

About Henriette Gyland

Henriette lives in London but grew up in Northern Denmark and moved to England after she graduated from the University of Copenhagen. She has worked in the Danish civil service, for a travel agent, a consultancy company, in banking, hospital administration, and for a county court before setting herself up as a freelance translator and linguist.

Expecting her first child and feeling bored, she picked up the pen again, and when a writer friend encouraged her to join the Romantic Novelists’ Association, she began to pursue her writing in earnest. Her debut Up Close won the New Talent Award in 2011 from the Festival of Romance and a Commended from the Yeovil Literary Prize.

Novels: Up Close, The Elephant Girl, Blueprint for Love & The Highwayman’s Daughter

On how beautifully lovely this is bang-on brilliantly British:

I have blogged about my affection for British phrases and turns of speech, inasmuch as my particular penchant for British words in the more general sense as being the bits of language and speech I become quite giddy over discovering anew in the past. Yes, except, this novel (and there are a few before it too!) by Ms Gyland has truly lit up my eyes with such a delish array of *new words!* and small inklings of how to express oneself if you were bourne in Britain rather than an American bourne British descendant thrice over (such as I) to where you can start to piece together a patchwork of modern British vernacular! Read More

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Posted Saturday, 7 February, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, British Literature, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Crime Fiction, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Modern British Author, Modern British Literature, Modern Day, Suspense, Vulgarity in Literature

Blog Book Tour |”Gluten-Free on a Budget” by Chandice Probst & Tana Besendorfer #gfree for the budget conscience home cook who attempts to eat as healthy as they can!

Posted Friday, 6 February, 2015 by jorielov , , , 3 Comments

Cookery Delights | Savoury & Ambrosial | Cookbook reviews by the Bookish Foodie Banner created by Jorie in Canva. Photo Credit: Unsplash Public Domain Photographer Monstruo Estudio.

Acquired Book By: I am a regular tour hostess for blog tours via Cedar Fort whereupon I am thankful to have such a diverse amount of novels and non-fiction titles to choose amongst to host. I received a complimentary copy of “Gluten-Free on a Budget” direct from the publisher Front Table Books (imprint of Cedar Fort, Inc) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

My review on behalf of this cookbook from Front Table Books has me quite excited because I am always on the look-out for how to make ‘Gluten-Free’ foods & sweets without breaking the budget! It was quite ironic that the author of the book added ‘budget’ into the title because I rarely say ‘breaking the bank’ and/or ‘breaking the wallet’, as I tend to talk in generalities that I think relate to everyone; so being we all have a food budget, the word felt more akin to what is relatable to me! I have some wicked awesome GF ingredients I want to use and I’m hoping I’ll be inspired to try one or two of the recipes inside! This marks my third *gf!* cookbook to review! Too exciting for words!

as shared on Jorie’s Box of Joy, No. 4

Although I was also hoping to find wicked good ‘staple recipes’ that you could sort out ahead of time, whilst having a bevy of ‘go to choices’ that could compliment any dish and/or meal you were planning to make as these are the general bits inside cooking that tend to give you the most heartache trying to sort out whilst ‘in-progress’ with a current meal! Biscuits, cookies, small cakes, or even accompaniments to a main dish are generally the tricky bits to sort out whilst you are going from cookbook to cookbook or in a last ditch effort hopping on the internet to run a ‘search’ for ‘whichever recipe you need’ at that hour it’s warranted to be found!

One thing I love about the cookbooks I’ve been discovering through Front Table Books is that they are each a piece of the overall meal planning puzzle! Let me explain after I give you an introduction to what you can find inside the book:

Blog Book Tour |”Gluten-Free on a Budget” by Chandice Probst & Tana Besendorfer #gfree for the budget conscience home cook who attempts to eat as healthy as they can!Gluten-Free on a Budget
by Chandice Probst
Source: Direct from Publisher

Eat Gluten-Free without Going Broke!

Keep those pennies in your pockets - your gluten-free lifestyle doesn't have to cost a fortune. Now you can enjoy all your family's favourite foods while cutting the gluten and the cost!

Try all the delicious recipes, like . . .

Crepes with Sweet Cream and Strawberries

Chicken Pot Pies

Mini Banana Breads

Chocolate Caramel Toffee Cake

From breakfast to dinner and dessert, this is a full-course cookbook on a one-course budget. And with food that's so delicious and so good for you and your bank account, this is one cookbook you'll want to use for every meal!

Genres: Baking, Cookery, Gluten-Free Cooking & Baking



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Published by Front Table Books

on 13th January, 2015

Format: Paperback

Pages: 240

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Posted Friday, 6 February, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Bread Making, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, Cookbook, Cookery, Dairy-Free Foods, Debut Author, Gluten-Free Foods, Healthy Baking, Indie Author, Jorie Loves A Story Features, The Bookish Foodie

Book Review | “Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold” (Book 1: Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency) by Iain Reading

Posted Friday, 30 January, 2015 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold by Iain Reading

The Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency series by Iain Reading

“In the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series the heroine finds herself in a new geographic location in each book. The series will eventually have a total of 13 books in it (maybe more) and her flight around the world will be completed in the end,” says Iain. “The books are sequential but one could definitely read any of the later ones before reading the earlier ones.”

A Self-Published YA Book Series
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook

Add to Riffle

Converse on Twitter via: #KittyHawkFlyingDetectiveAgency

Acquired Book By: I  was contacted by Kelsey @ Book Publicity Services in regards to the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency series, wherein I learnt about this wicked new YA book series! I received a complimentary copy of “Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold” direct from the publicist via Book Publicity Services in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Inspired to Read:

I grew up playing “Where In the World is Carmen Sandiego?” which was an action-adventure and geographical sleuth solving game where you had to uncover clues whilst sorting out riddles or puzzles to stop henchmen from stealing national or well-known landmarks, artifacts, and other curious odds and ends! I loved the mystery of it but also the educational backdrop of having a cultural map of the world threaded throughout the game itself. When the game (as I was a gamer via the computer versions) went live on tv, a part of me wanted to try out for it and a part of me held back a bit because like the other game shows I watched as a kid, I simply never had the confidence to apply! In the case of Double Dare it had more to do with not wanting to be slimed! Laughs.

I have a natural bourne curiosity about the world around me, inasmuch the world which is why I was drawn into reading adventure fiction as a young child; one of my favourite series by far were the previously mentioned Cooper Kids Adventures series on my review of Ash Mistry. My readings of young adult adventure novels has started to whet my palette of interest again, as when I was reading about the Cooper Kids, I was reading the Cassandra Mysteries where an intrepid American adventuress exchanged postal letters with her British friend prior to the pair travelling and solving crimes! It was quite the wicked fun adventure a teen would love to devour, and I was one of them! Sadly, the series ended as a quartet and I never could sort out which well-known author was behind the pen-name of Jennifer Austin! It only took me 10 years to sort out a way to collect the remaining three novels via out of print book searches across the United States!

One of the things I am always keenly hopeful to find in an adventure fiction series (especially within the world of Middle Grade to Young Adult) is an absence of strong language and graphic violence. I like finding authors who encourage a young person’s mind to grow without having to sacrifice their innocence and their natural ability to see the good in the world. Whilst I did my research about the Kitty Hawk Flying Adventure Agency series I felt as though I had finally found what I was looking for all along! Sometimes you have to remain patient and believe a writer will understand what children of all ages are seeking when they want a hearty mystery interlaced with an adventure and a solid world in which to fall in love with to where a series of 13 potential novels will sweep you away into their folds!

Book Review | “Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold” (Book 1: Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency) by Iain ReadingKitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold
by Iain Reading
Source: Direct from Publicist

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is the thrilling first installment in a new young adult series of adventure mystery stories by Iain Reading. This first book of the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series introduces Kitty Hawk, an intrepid teenage pilot with her own De Havilland Beaver seaplane and a nose for mystery and intrigue. A cross between Amelia Earhart, Nancy Drew and Pippi Longstocking, Kitty is a quirky young heroine with boundless curiosity and a knack for getting herself into all kinds of precarious situations.

After leaving her home in the western Canadian fishing village of Tofino to spend the summer in Alaska studying humpback whales, Kitty finds herself caught up in an unforgettable adventure involving stolen gold, devious criminals, ghostly shipwrecks, and bone-chilling curses. Kitty's adventure begins with the lingering mystery of a sunken ship called the Clara Nevada. As the plot continues to unfold, this spirited story will have readers anxiously following every twist and turn as they are swept along through the history of the Klondike Gold Rush to a suspenseful final climatic chase across the rugged terrain of Canada's Yukon.

Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold is a perfect book to fire the imagination of readers of all ages. Filled with fascinating and highly Google-able locations and history this book will inspire anyone to learn and experience more for themselves.

There are currently four books in the Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency Series: Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold (book 1), Kitty Hawk and the Hunt for Hemingway's Ghost (book 2), Kitty Hawk and the Icelandic Intrigue (book 3), and Kitty Hawk and the Tragedy of the RMS Titanic (book 4). Each book can be read as a standalone.

Genres: Action & Adventure Fiction, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Series: Kitty Hawk Flying Detective Agency, No.1


Also in this series: Intangible, Beneath Creek Waters


Published by Self Published

on December 2012

Format: Paperback

Pages: 336

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Posted Friday, 30 January, 2015 by jorielov in Action & Adventure Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Book Publicity Services, Book Review (non-blog tour), First Nations of Canada, Native American Fiction