Genre: Children's Literature

Author Interview | Whilst Jorie prepares for her 2nd Year co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder, she finds a cleverly writ new Fantasy novelist who has intrigued her with her story within “Beware the Night”, as this convo will reflect with Jessika Fleck!

Posted Friday, 15 March, 2019 by jorielov Beware the Night, Jessika Fleck, Swoon Reads 1 Comment

Good morning, dear hearts!

I can’t believe it has almost been a full year since I co-hosted our first #WyrdAndWonder event – May 2018 launched a month of celebrating Fantasy literature and all aspects of how Fantasy entertains us during our lives. This year, I have a lot of lovely stories I’ll be reading and sharing my thoughts about whilst putting together guest author features like this lovely interview I’m about to share today!

I like to keep a ready eye on the events coming through this touring company, as I have found more than one Fantasy novel I want to be reading through Xpresso Book Tours! They tend to focus on a lovely niche of stories which are intriguing to my bookish eyes and heart – this particular one was unique as it is hinged on the fact there are two different ways to live within this particular world. The concept I felt was rather brilliant, as it shows a lot of depth of purpose within the world-building – of how you can be anchoured through two unique perspectives of how life is organised on this world whilst you gather there is a lot yet to be known.

The best kinds of Fantasy is where you have a full suspension of knowledge – meaning, you walk into the story where everything feels new and unique; to where you have to take your time to become familiar with how the world is set and what is happening to the characters therein. I am going to try to get my library to consider this for purchase, as I would love to read it for #WyrdAndWonder this year – however, if it that is not in the cards, I am wicked thankful I can bring this interview to my readers!

In regards to #WyrdAndWonder, I will be talking more about this lovely event as we enter our 2nd Year late tonight as I am still developing my thoughts to share about what I am looking forward to most this coming May and how I will be celebrating the event! Lots of planning still left to do and I will be overjoyed once my first post goes live to properly help ‘announce!’ what our plans are this year for the event! Remember you can follow our announcements and the joy of the event via @WyrdAndWonder on Twitter or the tag routes to participants and co-hosts alike via #WyrdAndWonder on both Twitter and bookstagram!

As always, my conversations are best enjoyed with your favourite cuppa, a comfy place to sit and a curiosity about the series at hand! IF your cuppa involves tea, kindly let me know what your current favourite brew is below the conversation!

On the island of Bellona, they worship the sun. Seventeen-year-old Veda understands that keeping the sun content ensures plentiful crops, peace and harmony, and a thriving economy. But as a member of the Basso class, she never reaps those benefits.

Life as a Basso is one fraught with back-breaking work and imposing rules. Her close friendship with Nico is Veda’s one saving grace in a cruel world where the division between her people and the ruling Dogio is as wide and winding as the canals that snake through their island.

But when Veda’s grandfather is chosen as the next sacrificial offering to keep the sun’s favor, Veda is forced to see the injustice of her world. Turning away from the sun means she must join the night—and an underground revolution she’s been taught to fear all her life.

Published by: Swoon Reads (@SwoonReads) | 12th March, 2019

Borrow from a local library | Add to LibraryThing

You’re a soul sister – honestly, no one I know talks as openly about their preference for Winter over Summer online! When I read you would love snow over sunshine I seriously was chuffed!!

Fleck responds: I’m so happy to be here, Jorie! And, ha! Yeah, my love of winter does seem to surprise a lot of people. But growing up in sweltering Texas, once we moved to Colorado and I experience real snow for the first time, I was 100% hooked! Read More

Posted Friday, 15 March, 2019 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Young Adult Fiction

Author Interview | Inspired by the lead character’s journey in foster care, Jorie and Sara Pascoe have an open discussion about the unique differences between the US and the UK; whilst giving out a bit of trivia about this witchy YA audiobook!

Posted Thursday, 14 March, 2019 by jorielov Being A Witch, Sara Pascoe, Self Published 0 Comments

Good morning, dear hearts!

I am on the lookout for pro-positive stories about foster care & adoption, as I’m a Prospective Adoptive Mum. I’ll be adopting from (domestic) foster care here in the United States – which is important to mention, as this conversation is going to discuss the unique differences between the *UK!* and the *US!* foster and adoptive situations children & youth are facing today.

I hadn’t realised the contrast in services was as widely different between the two countries, although I had heard from British friends it is harder to adopt in England than it is for an American. They were even open to the idea of adoption but ran into a lot of obstacles therein and never pursued it further. This revelation came to me in my early twenties (early 2000s) – to where I did start to research adoption law & services as well as the situation with foster care youth who are waiting for adoption in four countries of interest: Canada, the United States, the UK (specifically, England) and Australia.

It was through that particular block of research I uncovered that British Columbia (Western Canada) was focusing on older teens to be adopted whereas Australia wanted to find a more universal compact agreement for all English speaking countries (focusing on the ones I’ve just mentioned) to where adoptive parents could in theory seek to adopt children across these combined channels. By extension, instead of simply having an ‘interstate compact’ agreement within the United States, it was a pitch to have an international compact agreement with those four countries.

One of the hardest aspects of pursuing adoption is knowing how many children are waiting to be matched with families. Between the Heart Galleries (a special collection of foster children & youth awaiting for a family to adopt them; this includes children of all religious & ethnic backgrounds, medical conditions, single children and sibling groups) which are focused on regions within a state or are a state collection of waiting children (as smaller states tend to consolidate their Heart Galleries) to the videos on YouTube where foster youth are talking about having their adoption plan active & waiting for their matched family.

Even local news stations reach out with their Wednesday Child sequences of focus where a youth who is awaiting to be adopted has a chance to visually tell a bit of their story, who they are and what they are hoping to find in an adoptive family. Some of those are also available to see on YouTube and some states also allow their waiting foster care children and/or siblings to create videos to gain more exposure to who is waiting as families are now starting to explore the interstate compact option more often than in the past.

This is an option to adopt a child who does not live within your own state but is located somewhere in the United States (including Alaska or Hawaii and Guam) where you have the option of adopting them across state lines by working with your home state agency and the state where the child resides to bring them home to the state you have residency. The process is a bit longer than seeking a child to adopt in-state however, you are giving a child or a sibling group a gift of hope to there are families out there seeking children who live in a different region than they do.

As you read this conversation, you will become introduced to a few of those differences between the two countries – however, this is also a conversation which focuses on how the world within “Being A Witch” was developed and what readers can expect next within the series as this is only the first installment. I was quite thankful Ms Pascoe was open & welcoming to discuss the key components of not just her story but of the foster/adoptive services between both our countries.

After a life of hurt and disappointment, Raya, the spiky-haired, Doc Marten-wearing 14-year-old decides it’s time to strike out on her own. She leaves the boring English village and what she’s determined will be her last foster placement for the excitement of London. But it turns out she’s a witch, with the annoying habit of time-traveling – by accident. And a sarcastic witch’s cat Oscar tags along for the ride. Why would she fling herself into the midst of the Essex Witch Trials in 1645 England?

After being arrested by one of history’s most notorious witch hunters, her social worker and witch mentor Bryony goes back to try to save them from the gallows. But returning to present day London remains out of reach when they find themselves in Istanbul in the year 1645. There, life is more amazing than she ever dreamed.

Borrow from a local library | Add to LibraryThing

What inspired you to create the back-story of Raya’s character to be a foster youth? And, how did you want this part of her life to be a key component of how she views her life and her identity?

Pascoe responds: During my career as a psychologist, I often worked with foster kids, and their situations always moved me. This is my tribute of love and respect to foster kids everywhere. To be ripped from your original family, even if it was not a good place to be is very hard. And kids always feel like they are to blame – that if only they were somehow more loveable, ‘better’ kids, their parents would have been able to cope and they never would have had to leave. On top of this, your foster placement is never an absolute sure thing. Foster kids know this all too well. If they are too much of a pain or strain on the foster family, they will be moved to another family. Can you imagine having to worry that if your are just that bit too naughty, you’ll be kicked out? Usually kids just have to worry about getting their game time taken away or other punishment, not losing your home.

If your foster parents have kids of their own, it’s rare that they treat you all the same – after all the adults are only human, too. There are a zillion adults and meetings in your life. There’s a social worker for you, another for the foster parents. You may have mandated visits with your biological family who are likely working towards getting you back – another thing in your young life that is up in the air. All this makes it very complicated to relax, and let yourself get attached to the foster carers, even if you wanted to.

The reason being in care is a key component in Raya’s life and identity is because just like for all of us, our family experiences are indeed key to our identities and how we view the world, even if it’s in our rebelling against them. So, it’s no different for a foster kid. Just what they have as their sum total of family experience will be different than those who stayed put in the first family they were either born or adopted into. It’s only natural that being a foster kid for the last nine of her fourteen years would loom large in Raya’s experience. Read More

Posted Thursday, 14 March, 2019 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Reader Submitted Author Interview, Young Adult Fiction

Children’s #Classics Audiobook Review | “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” by Kate Douglas Wiggin, narrated by Ann Richardson a selection I added to my #theclassicsclub list under ‘Children’s Lit’

Posted Sunday, 26 August, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Ann Richardson, Kate Douglas Wiggin, Post Hypnotic Press, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm 0 Comments

Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” via Audiobookworm Promotions who is working directly with the publisher Post Hypnotic Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I was keenly interested in listening to this Classics Children’s Story:

Of all the Shirley Temple films I haven’t yet seen, the one film which has stood the test of time of being of apt curiosity is ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’! I have adored Ms Temple for most of my life – as her films are wickedly delightful to see at any age – in my twenties whilst appreciating binge watching TCM, I had the joy of finding her as a sixteen year old in the film “Since You Went Away”. The film lead was played by Claudette Colbert who had impressed with right next to Ingrid Bergman for their dexterity and their depth of character performances. This was a rare treat to see Temple in a nearly-adult role.

I wasn’t sure where this particular adaptation of ‘Rebecca’ would befit within the Classic novel – as when it comes to adaptations, you have to keep an open mind as some are strictly by the ‘book’ of what was disclosed and others have a healthy heaping of ‘liberties’ taken with how their filmed. Either way, you look on it, I knew I wanted to see Shirley Temple in this role, even if I would prefer another version for keeping in better step with the original story.

Quite shockingly, at the time of listening to the audiobook, as would you believe I never had the proper chance to source a print copy of this novel?! It was one of those ‘book-to-film’ reads I had intended to get and simply never did. I ought to work a bit harder at rectifying this pursuit in the future. For now, audiobook versions are my jam. I am seriously over the moon in love in finding Classical works of Lit in audio formats – and this first and foremost is a strong affirmative of credit towards the work of Post Hypnotic Press, of whom, had my path not crossed with theirs during the Betty MacDonald memoirs, I might never had even realised how keen I am on listening to the Classics on audiobook!

Another shocker for this reader and book blogger was discovering of *all!* the fastidiously ridiculous series of adaptations for Classical Lit in motion pictures, somehow, this particular field overlooked ‘Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm’ as there appear to be only *three!*? Imagine!? I barely could myself!

One thing I was thankful for – my introduction into ‘whom’ would alight off the pages of the novel came into my headphones by way of Ms Richardson on behalf of Post Hypnotic Press! They truly go the extra mile in placing the right narrator(s) in the right roles which give you a wealth of joy to be #amlistening! It isn’t the first time I felt the narrator befit the character and had a wholly individual way of presenting the character of the hour – the last time I felt this for a fictional character was during my listenings of Ms Henderson voicing ‘Anne of Green Gables’.

Rather oddly, I had overlooked adding this particular title to my tCC List, of which I’ve amended during this blog tour. It ought to truly have been inclusive all along and the oversight was decidedly a reader’s over enthused approach at trying to compile a ‘list’ to present as a list of #nextreads when altogether mindful of the fact she might ‘forget!” a few in the process! I am thankful I can continue to share these readings and listenings with my fellow Classic Clubbers! (as I link my reviews, including the audiobooks to the main review archives)

Happily I spied a fellow book blogger, Classic Clubber and friend on this blog tour (Maggie) and I truly look forward to reading her ruminative thoughts and see how she took to ‘Rebecca’.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
Narrator: Ann Richardson

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm has delighted readers for over 100 years. Published in 1903, when girls were inevitably depicted as pretty, gentle and proper, Rebecca Rowena Randall burst onto the scene of children's literature. Sent to live with her prim and proper Aunt Miranda, who is expecting her much more demure sister, Rebecca is a "bird of a very different feather". She has "a small, plain face illuminated by a pair of eyes carrying such messages, such suggestions, such hints of sleeping power and insight, that one never tired of looking into their shining depths...." To her Aunt Miranda's continual dismay, Rebecca is exuberant, irrepressible, and spirited - not at all "proper" or "demure". She wins over her aunt soon enough, and the whole town, and thousands of readers and listeners everywhere.

In 1904, author Jack London wrote Kate Douglas Wiggin: "May I thank you for Rebecca?.... I would have quested the wide world over to make her mine, only I was born too long ago and she was born but yesterday.... Why could she not have been my daughter? Why couldn't it have been I who bought the three hundred cakes of soap? Why, O, why?" And Mark Twain called Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm "beautiful and warm and satisfying".

This recording, narrated by Ann Richardson, whose sweet voice has a facility for accents and character voices, is a satisfying listening experience you'll want to revisit. Upcoming from Post Hypnotic Press is a new annotated print/eBook edition of this book, with illustrations from the original publication and a new introduction, as well as a work-book for children

Genres: Children's Literature, Classical Literature

Places to find the book:

ASIN: B07819NB8D

Published by Post Hypnotic Press

on 8th December, 2017

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 8 hours and 11 minutes (unabridged)

Post Hypnotic Press (@Post_Hypnotic)

Previously I’ve listened to the following titles:

[ of Classical Children’s Lit by this publisher ]

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (see also Review)

Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery (see also Review)

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery (see also Review)

[ these were all narrated by the lovely Colleen Winton! ]

*I truly hope they will be creating more installments for ‘Anne!’

Whilst I’ll be featuring two more reviews for this publisher:

The Curve of Time by M. Wylie Blanchet, narrated by Heather Henderson

Greenwillow by B.J. Chute, narrated by Ann Richardson

Whilst previously I listened to Heather Henderson narrating the Betty MacDonald memoirs!

And, Paula Becker leant her insight into Betty MacDonald as well!

Kindly read the convo I had with Post Hypnotic Press!

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Posted Sunday, 26 August, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 20th Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Brothers and Sisters, Bullies and the Bullied, Childhood Friendship, Children's Classics, Children's Literature, Classical Literature, Coming-Of Age, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Juvenile Fiction, Life Shift, Macaroons & Paperbacks, Maine, Poetry, School Life & Situations, Siblings, Small Towne USA, Teacher & Student Relationships, the Nineteen Hundreds, Transfer Student at School, Village Life, Young Adult Fiction

Audiobook Review | “Once Upon A Time in Venice” by Monique Roy, narrated by Kevin E. Green A Middle Grade Chapter Book about family, Italian heritage and the bonds between a grandson and his grandfather.

Posted Sunday, 5 August, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Kevin E. Green, Monique Roy, Once Upon a Time in Venice, Self Published 0 Comments

Acquired Digital Audiobook by: I am a new blog tour hostess with Audiobookworm Promotions wherein I have the opportunity to receive audiobooks for review or adoption (reviews outside of organised blog tours) and host guest features on behalf of authors and narrators alike. I started hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions at the end of [2016] during “The Cryptic Lines” tour wherein I became quite happily surprised how much I am now keen on listening to books in lieu of reading them in print. My journey into audiobooks was prompted by a return of my chronic migraines wherein I want to offset my readings with listening to the audio versions.

I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Once Upon A Time in Venice” via the publicist at Audiobookworm Promotions in exchange for an honest review. This complimentary copy I received is part of the ‘Adopt an Audiobook’ programme where reviewers are given a 90 day window to listen and review the book. I was given a soft deadline where I could post my ruminative thoughts at an hour which worked for me on the day the review was due which in this instance is the 25th of July or at any point ahead of the 25th if I finished the audiobook sooner. This differs from a blog tour which has a more set schedule of posting. The audiobooks are offered to ‘adopt’ for review consideration and are given to readers to gauge their opinions, impressions and insight into how the audiobook is resonating with listeners. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

I am posting my review slightly overdue as the weeks leading up to the 25th as well as until the start of August were especially unkind for listening considering how many lightning storms I was trying to dodge just to stay connected! I decided to post this review the first week of August to allow myself enough time to finalise my thoughts on behalf of the story.

Why this particular story impressed me and why I wanted to listen to it:

As I had forementioned previously on my last adopted audiobook review from Audiobookworm Promotions, I am shifting my reading life to be bent more towards listening to audiobooks than reading stories in print, as a purposeful quest to see if I can offset the repetitiveness of my chronic migraines, which have plagued me quite heavily this year.

I wanted to find a few audiobooks off the Adoption page as a way ‘back’ into reading, as I originally was going to listen to these stories during #Audiobookmonth which was in June. I hadn’t realised then how hard it would be to reclaim my reading life after my Spring migraines, which unfortunately didn’t just delay my listening hours with these audiobooks but with all books in general – which thankfully I restored back into my during the month of July!

This particular story felt like the kind of story I would love as it is set in Italy (I love Italian stories!) for starters and it is about the love shared between a grandson and a his grandfather. I grew up in a close knit family having two sets of grandparents and a great-grandmother, so right away, I had memories of my own bubbling to the surface which were reasons enough to want to listen to the story Ms Roy had written.

Secondly, I do not oft get to listen to Children’s Lit on audiobook – as generally speaking, the titles my library chooses to focus on are Adult Fiction. This gave me a chance to hear a story for Middle Grade listeners but through the course of my own listening, I realised this story is meant for all readers, of all ages! It is a timeless story about multi-generational families, the love that binds us to our heritage and how in the end, love can both shield us, protect us and enable us to have the courage to face the tomorrows we never felt we had the strength to meet.

Once Upon A Time in Venice
by Monique Roy
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
Narrator: Kevin E. Green

Genres: Children's Literature, Middle Grade, Short Story or Novella

Places to find the book:

Find on Book Browse

ASIN: B074CKBP9Y

Published by Self Published

on 1st August, 2017

Format: Audiobook | Digital

Length: 1 hours, 27 minutes (unabridged)

Self-Published Audiobook

Monique Roy | Site | @MonWriter1

Posted Sunday, 5 August, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Children's Literature, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Cookery, Cultural & Religious Traditions, Early Reader | Chapter Books, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Foodie Fiction, Indie Author, Italy, Juvenile Fiction, Literature for Boys, Middle Grade Novel, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity

Blog Book Tour | “The Invisible Hand” (Act I of Shakespeare’s Moon series) by James Hartley The first sequence of a 5 act series re-spinning the elemental aesthetics of #Shakespeare into new stories of #YALit!

Posted Sunday, 25 March, 2018 by jorielov Heart of Winter, James Hartley, John Hunt Publishing, LibriVox, Lodestone Books, Macbeth, Shakespeare's Moon series, The Crowns of Croswald, The Invisible Hand, William Shakespeare 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I started hosting for Rachel’s Random Resources at the end of [2017] booking several guest features for [2018] whilst noting I had a lovely opportunity to review a novel for one of the New Year’s tours. This blog tour marks my second with this touring company, as Rachel and I met through my chat #ChocLitSaturday which has since been renewed @SatBookChat! I look forward to spotlighting her authors, conversing with them and seeing how they respond to my guest topics. I may review a book here or there, but as most of her authors are in the UK / Europe market, I mostly was excited to cheer for their stories whilst awaiting to gather their stories stateside in print or audio.

I received a complimentary copy of “The Invisible Hand” direct from the author James Hartley in exchange for an honest review. I also received a complimentary copy of the audiobook “Heart of Winter” in exchange for an honest review not connected with this blog tour but for a secondary showcase forthcoming on Jorie Loves A Story. I added thoughts and reflections on behalf of the prequel “Heart of Winter” for my own edification and as it ran concurrent to my primary focus of featuring “The Invisible Hand” for this blog tour. For my own insight and understanding, I listened to the public domain version of ‘Macbeth’ via LibriVox (on their website) which features audiobooks of Classical Literature (see also Page). I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I was excited to be reading this series:

I couldn’t agree with you more – as atmospheric elemental components are what I personally feel attracted to myself whenever I am seeking a particularly compelling story to read set in the Gothic style or a certain sub-niche of Historical Fiction. Classical re-tellings, psychological suspense, Cosy Horror or a few other areas where writers can bend genre to their own will of imagination whilst evoking such a strong presence of how atmospheric under-threads of narrative tone can not only set a reader straight into the story’s setting itself but it can become evocative of the textural edges of how the writer envisioned his or her story to be read and seen.

Yes, I concur – one of the joys of reading Shakespeare is seeking the ‘questions’ he’s asking of us as we read. If we’re intuitive readers we’ll notice how he’s left a lot of doors open for interpreting his motives whilst he also paints strong clues towards where his own mind and heart were directing his own literary muse to tread. The joy for me (of course) is sorting it all out – whilst being caught up inside the ‘ways in which’ he chose to write his stories. He had a unique grasp of how a story could be constructed but it’s how he layered it all – how he fused the craft from what had come before and re-shaped it to be seen through the execution of plays and sonnets.

I think this is actually the beauty of what you’ve set out to achieve – an after canon focus on the stories themselves but without a direct adaptation of the ‘story’ as it once was envisioned but rather, to take those elements out of context and re-alight them in a new thread of enlightenment for younger readers who are drawn towards those elements by Shakespeare but perhaps, would rather have a taste of them in a different construction of story altogether. It is also a lovely bridge for the hesitations younger readers might feel in attempting to dig directly in Shakespeare. I know not all readers find challenges in literature as enjoyable as I once did myself or rather, as I continue to find as can we ever really say we’re done challenging our literary inclinations? I think not!

-quoted from the Guest Post I hosted on behalf of this blog tour to learn the *inspiration* behind this story & how Mr Hartley has found writerly joy in re-inventing how to fuse Shakespearean elements into a newly invented world for younger readers who might not have graduated into the original canon.

The Invisible Hand
Subtitle: Shakespeare's Moon : Act 1
by James Hartley
Source: Author via Rachel's Random Resources, Librivox | Public Domain Audiobooks
Narrator: James Hartley

The Invisible Hand is about a boy, Sam, who has just started life at a boarding school and finds himself able to travel back in time to medieval Scotland. There he meets a girl, Leana, who can travel to the future, and the two of them become wrapped up in events in Macbeth, the Shakespeare play, and in the daily life of the school.

The book is the first part of a series called Shakespeare´s Moon. Each book is set in the same boarding school but focuses on a different Shakespeare play.

Genres: After Canons, Children's Literature, Classical Literature, Young Adult Fiction

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Find on Book Browse

ISBN: 9781785354984

Also by this author: The Invisible Hand

Published by Lodestone Books

on 27th February, 2017

Format: Audiobook | mp3, Librivox | Public Domain Audiobooks, Trade Paperback

Pages: 168

Published By: Lodestone Books (@JHPChildren)

an imprint of John Hunt Publishing (@JHPFiction)

The series thus far along :

Hartley’s Shakespearean 5 act Quintet (after canon) series ‘Shakespeare’s Moon’

Heart of Winter | prequel to ‘The Invisible Hand’ (Synopsis) → previously an audiobook

The Invisible Hand | inspired by ‘MacBeth’

PlayFight | a short story within the series | Read via Wattpad

Cold Fire | inspired by ‘Romeo & Juliet’ (Synopsis) → #PubDay is 31.Aug.18

Converse via: #Shakespeare #Macbeth & #theclassicsclub

Find out why Mr Hartley claims to have been ‘betwitched’

by the muse behind ‘An Invisible Hand’ + ‘Heart of Winter’.

About James Hartley

James was born on the Wirral, England, in 1973 on a rainy Thursday. He shares his birthday with Bono, Sid Vicious and two even nastier pieces of work, John Wilkes Booth and Mark David Chapman.

His mother was a hairdresser with her own business and his father worked in a local refinery which pours filth into the sky over the Mersey to this day. They married young and James was their first child. He has two younger brothers and a still-expanding family in the area. As an Everton fan he suffered years of Liverpool success throughout the seventies and was thrilled when his father took a job in Singapore and the family moved lock, stock and two smoking barrels to Asia.

He spent five fine years growing up in the city state before returning to the rain, storms, comprehensive schools and desolate beauty of the Scottish east coast. Later years took he and his family to baking hot Muscat, in Oman, and a Syria that has since been bombed off the surface of the planet.

James studied journalism in London and later travelled through Ireland, France, Germany and India generally having a good time, before finally settling in Madrid, Spain, where he now lives with his wife and two children.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing

Posted Sunday, 25 March, 2018 by jorielov in After the Canon, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Children's Literature, Classical Literature, England, Inspired By Author OR Book, Inspired by Stories, Literature for Boys, Rachel's Random Resources, Re-Told Tales, The Writers Life, Writing Style & Voice