Genre: Time Travel Fiction

A #SciFiSundays Anthology Spotlight | “Someone in Time” (Tales of Time Crossed Romances) edited by Jonathan Strahan

Posted Sunday, 29 May, 2022 by jorielov (Editor) Jonathan Strahan, Rebellion Publishing, Solaris Books, Someone in Time 0 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Welcome to my tour stop for “Someone in Time”! I am a reader who appreciates finding Speculative Fiction anthologies – especially when they are curated anthologies which focus on a particular theme or subject inclusive to all the stories in a collection. I have the tendency of reading more Fantasy anthologies than Science Fiction which is why when I saw this collection was going on a blog tour – I was most excited! Especially as the concept behind the theme was the intriguing concept of time travelling or time shifting – one of my favourite subniches in literature to chase after as there are numerous ways in which time can become ‘bent’ into a story.

The trifecta of time which I regularly have featured on Jorie Loves A Story are the following: time slip, time shift and time travel narratives as each of them holds a different key of entrance for the reader. The trickiest ones of course are the time slip stories wherein your generally slipping in time between two distinctive timescapes whilst each of those eras hold their own secrets and their own timeline of the story as you move betwixt and between their parts. When it came to the concept for this collection – I was hoping the stories wouldn’t be as soul-crushing as “The Time Traveller’s Wife” but would instead be a bit more hopeful and inspiring.

I had fully planned to read through the collection this month but as the hours went forward these latter weeks of May, I realised I needed to push my review into June and spotlight the collection for the blog tour. Between work and my health, I was just stretched a bit thin and this past weekend I’ve been working through a low-grade migraine which hasn’t been the easiest either. Therefore enjoy the extract I’ve chosen to share today and return next month as I expand my thoughts into the collection of stories themselves and see where “Someone in Time” takes me as a reader. Meanwhile, if you are a ready reader of time narratives – I encourage you to share your favourite time bending stories with me and see if perhaps I’ve read or heard of some of them, too!

Whilst you might have noticed I’m focusing on Fantasy throughout the month as well – as I’m co-hosting @WyrdAndWonder. There will be loads of new content featuring those stories as well as we move into our final week and a half of the event. Everyone has been gracious providing content for everyone to enjoy this year across socially bookish channels and we’re all delighted to see the event grow into such a larger and expansive community; similar to how Sci Fi Month found its own wings to fly several years ago.

Someone in Time
Subtitle: Tales of Time Crossed Romance
by (Editor) Jonathan Strahan
Source: Publisher via Lola's Blog Tours

Even time travel can’t unravel love

Time-travel is a way for writers to play with history and imagine different futures – for better, or worse.

When romance is thrown into the mix, time-travel becomes a passionate tool, or heart-breaking weapon. A time agent in the 22nd century puts their whole mission at risk when they fall in love with the wrong person. No matter which part of history a man visits, he cannot not escape his ex. A woman is desperately in love with the time-space continuum, but it doesn’t love her back. As time passes and falls apart, a time-traveller must say goodbye to their soulmate.

With stories from best-selling and award-winning authors such as Seanan McGuire, Alix E. Harrow and Nina Allan, this anthology gives a taste for the rich treasure trove of stories we can imagine with love, loss and reunion across time and space.

Edited by Jonathan Strahan and including stories by: Alix E. Harrow, Zen Cho, Seanan McGuire, Sarah Gailey, Jeffrey Ford, Nina Allan, Elizabeth Hand, Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Catherynne M. Valente, Sam J. Miller, Rowan Coleman, Margo Lanagan, Sameem Siddiqui, Theodora Goss, Carrie Vaughn, Ellen Klages

Genres: Anthology Collection of Short Stories and/or Essays, Short Story or Novella, Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1786185099

Published by Rebellion Publishing

on 10th May, 2022

Format: Paperback Edition

Published by: Solaris Books
an imprint of Rebellion Publishing (@RebellionPub)

Converse on Twitter via: #SciFi, #ScienceFiction & #SomeoneInTime

Posted Sunday, 29 May, 2022 by jorielov in #SciFiSundays, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Lola's Blog Tours, Science Fiction, Space Opera

A #WyrdAndWonder Book Spotlight & Discussion | “The Other Times of Caroline Tangent” by Ivan D. Wainewright

Posted Thursday, 27 May, 2021 by jorielov Grims Dyke Press, Ivan D. Wainewright, Self Published, The Other Times of Caroline Tangent 1 Comment

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Many of us who participate in Wyrd And Wonder have a secondary passion which is Science Fiction – hence why a lot of us cross-participate in @SciFiMonth! Today I am featuring a story which isn’t entirely a fantastical story per se in the context of how it was written as it is much more of a Speculative Fiction narrative as it moves through a time travelling narrative. For me, time travel is one of those niche areas of SpecFic which can either work wonderfully or fall a bit flat for my own curiosities.

I had intended to read The Time Traveller’s Wife ahead of the film adaptation but in the end opted to see the film in lieu of reading the novel. It was one of those soul-crushing films and stories which nearly did me in whilst watching it – similar to how my soul crumbled into oblivion at the end of The Notebook. Some stories grip you so wholly whole you feel as if pieces of you have been left behind in the wake of them. Time travelling stories take a lot out of me as there is such a lot of drama and life being lived inside them that sometimes they can become a bit soul consuming. Not that I mind, as that is part of what I enjoy about them but I have to temper how oft I enter into those worlds and lives as well.

As I love focusing on Indie Fantasy storytellers myself every #WyrdAndWonder – I was thankful I would have a chance to showcase this author during our 4th Year. The reason I love Indie Speculative Fiction is because the writers of those stories are happily giving me wicked good stories to ruminate over and enticingly intriguing worlds to explore.

Sometimes the lines between the fantastical and the science fictional can blend and merge and crossover into each other. As I haven’t read the full story within this novel and have only the chapter sampler to go by – I am not sure if it merges into some elements of Fantasy vs Science Fiction or if it holds true to its niche of being a time travelling story start to finish.

Either which way this story travels into its own journey, the concept of it is what was most alluring to feature during Wyrd And Wonder as isn’t it a bit of a wonderment how time travelling can exist and how despite the challenges therein, we still speculate on how it can happen and of course, of the consequences if the threads of time are altered by our own interferences? I wonder if that is also explored — as it had been in The Time Traveller’s Wife. Along with the concept of course of how limited are you as you travel? Which is one reason I enjoyed the adventures of Dr Samuel Beckett throughout the years of Quantum Leap.

The Other Times of Caroline Tangent
by Ivan D. Wainewright
Source: Author via Storytellers on Tour

If you could travel back in time to see any concert, who would you go to see?

Caroline Tangent’s husband, Jon has invented a time machine so they can visit iconic gigs in history: Woodstock, David Bowie, Edith Piaf in 1930’s Paris – an inexhaustible bucket-list. But they can’t tell anyone they’re doing so; Caroline’s life as an artist in North London goes on with her friends and family, and their concerts remain a secret.

As their trips to the past continue, they begin to realise how Jon’s invention could change a devastating moment from their own past. And for Caroline, it’s clear that she and Jon don’t want the same outcome.

Until, on a trip to 1978, one of them does something unthinkable which will change both their lives forever.

For fans of Matt Haig, Audrey Niffenegger, Stephen King’s 11/22/63 – or anyone who likes time travel or music!

Please note the CW: Miscarriage, Abortion, Death/Dying, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Disease

Genres: Science Fiction, Time Travel Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781838367008

on 17th May, 2021

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Converse via: #SpeculativeFiction or #SpecFic and #TimeTravel
as well as #storytellersontour & #WyrdAndWonder as #JorieReads

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#WyrdAndWonder

Posted Thursday, 27 May, 2021 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Storytellers on Tour, Time Travel, Time Travel Adventure, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event

An #HistFic Book Spotlight | feat. an extract from “Thunder on the Moor” (Book Book, Thunder on the Moor series) by Andrea Matthews

Posted Friday, 19 February, 2021 by jorielov Andrea Matthews, Self Published, Thunder on the Moor, Thunder on the Moor series 4 Comments

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Youmay not realise it but one of my favourite subniches of literature are the trifecta of how time can become bent inside stories: time shift, time slip and time travel! The third of which in the context of today’s featured novelist and series is most likely a bit more well-known since “Outlander” – both the series and the tv adaptation which took off into reader’s hearts worldwide. I, on the other hand – gathered most of the books but hesitated to read them and only read a partial portion of “The Outlandish Companion” as I was more keenly interested in the author’s writerly process and approach to creating her series than I was in the actual series itself. Part of that might have been readerly intuition? As I learnt lateron there are scenes and sequences within the Outlander series which might not have agreed with my readerly sensibilities and I felt better knowing I hadn’t read the series outright.

However, my pursuit of time travel romances never was curtailed – when I was a reviewer for ChocLitUK, I happily read stories by Kirsty Ferry and Christina Courtenay which focused on time travelling romances – many of which I was thankful to review on Jorie Loves A Story. I also purchased a large stack of time travelling romances from a regional library two Christmases ago and still intend on reading them as a way back into my own writerly pursuits as a method of reading outside my intended genre for inspiration. Ergo, I always have a ready eye out on this genre as it is one which interests me as a reader moreso than as a writer.

Scottish stories are equally curious to me – one of my favourite BBC serials is “Monarch of the Glen” – despite the fact part of that series ending episodes was dearly dramatic and emotionally gutting – it was the kind of quirky series you love to get invested inside and fall in love with both the characters and the setting. I love Scotland as a country, too, and being I have a lot of UK ancestral roots – any story set in the UK is going to be one I’ll favour!

Thereby it is with a hearty wicked welcome I am bringing a short extract from “Thunder on the Moor” to Jorie Loves A Story today! I had intended to interview the author but due to personal circumstances earlier in the month and injuries stemming out of the end of January – I was short on time to complete that goal. I hope you enjoy the extract I have for you on the blog tour and perhaps this story will whet a thirst of interest for you to seek out if you’re as mad for time travelling romances as I am!

Brew your favourite cuppa & enjoy!

Thunder on the Moor
by Andrea Matthews
Source: Chapter Sampler

Maggie Armstrong grew up enchanted by her father’s tales of blood feuds and border raids. In fact, she could have easily fallen for the man portrayed in one particular image in his portrait collection. Yet when her father reveals he was himself an infamous Border reiver, she finds it a bit far-fetched—to say the least—especially when he announces his plans to return to his sixteenth century Scottish home with her in tow.

Suspecting it’s just his way of getting her to accompany him on yet another archaeological dig, Maggie agrees to the expedition, only to find herself transported four hundred and fifty years into the past. Though a bit disoriented at first, she discovers her father’s world to be every bit as exciting as his stories, particularly when she’s introduced to Ian Rutherford, the charming son of a neighboring laird. However, when her uncle announces her betrothal to Ian, Maggie’s twentieth-century sensibilities are outraged. She hardly even knows the man. But a refusal of his affections could ignite a blood feud.

Maggie’s worlds are colliding. Though she’s found the family she always wanted, the sixteenth century is a dangerous place. Betrayal, treachery, and a tragic murder have her questioning whether she should remain or try to make her way back to her own time.

To make matters worse, tensions escalate when she stumbles across Bonnie Will Foster, the dashing young man in her father’s portrait collection, only to learn he is a dreaded Englishman. But could he be the hero she’s always dreamed him to be? Or will his need for revenge against Ian shatter more than her heart?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Time Travel Fiction

Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1733337502

Published by Self Published

on 31st October, 2019

Format: Chapter Sampler | Online

Further Readings about the series on Andrea Matthew’s website:
Notes behind the series of Thunder on the Moor

Converse via: #HistoricalRomance or #HistRom or #HistoricalRomance
+ #ThunderOnTheMoor and #HFVBTBlogTours

Available Formats: Trade paperback and Ebook

Posted Friday, 19 February, 2021 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author

A very special #blogmas Christmas Eve with a time travelling war drama #ChristmasReads selection by Jorie | “Christmas Once Again” by Jina Bacarr

Posted Tuesday, 24 December, 2019 by jorielov Boldwood Books, Christmas Once Again, Jina Bacarr 2 Comments

Borrowed Book By: I came to find out about this Historical Time Travelling Christmas war drama through my interactions with Historical Fiction novelists via #HistFicChat as hosted by Vivan Conroy. Ms Bacarr happened to have been one of the guests during the chat and I became dearly fascinated by the premise of the story! Afterwards I made a note to see if I could put in a request for the novel in print and/or audiobook – I submitted a print request to my local library and a digital audiobook request to my regionally local library – of the two I happily received the news the local library was able to acquire a print copy allowing me to read this during #blogmas. Unfortunately, the regional library was unable to acquire the digital audiobook. The print copy similar to the other book requests I submit was for the finished version of the novel any reader could purchase themselves; not a library specific copy or edition.

Therefore I borrowed a print copy of “Christmas Once Again” from my local library and I was not obligated to post a review and are sharing my ruminations with my readers for my own edification as well as happily sharing my bookish life with my readers and visitors alike. The Press Materials however were provided by the author and are used with permission at my request to be used on this review once I decided to write one as well as for being featured on the book spotlight I posted ahead of her guest appearance on @SatBookChat.

On how I came to find this author:

It was all because of #HistFicChat — there are moments on Twitter which randomly give me a lot of bookishly geeky happiness, such as interacting with authors in chats! It isn’t just the authors I invite into my own chat @SatBookChat but the authors I happily engage with in other chats, like #HistFicChat and others like it. Over the years, some of the chats have closed down, others went on an unexpected hiatus like Ms McCabe’s #HistoricalFix and others, I might have wandered away too long to return (ie. #LitChat). Still what is joyful about the experience of engaging with the bookish within book world through this medium is that there is generally a new chat popping up and arriving into my feeds; giving me a new and refreshed chance to interact with #newtomeauthors such as Ms Bacarr!

When I learnt of the release for Christmas Once Again I knew I wanted to see if my local library could purchase it in time to read by Christmas! What I hadn’t expected was reading it in the golden hours of having it a bit too long due to my father’s medical crisis & my Winter cold which took me offline for a week and afflicted me with a bit of amnesia when it came to my library account! I completely lost track of ‘where’ I was with my borrows both for print and audio – so I quickly made amends to get this novel & Ms Royce’s novel back to the library for the next borrowers in queue to read them before Christmas!

I also had the pleasure of hosting Jina Bacarr during one of my 2019 @SatBookChat‘s! The archived conversations are available to be seen in @SatBookChat’s Moments.

Notation about Cover Art: Ever since I first saw the cover art for ‘Christmas Once Again’ I have been struck by the look on the woman’s face, the placement of the train in the background behind her and the airplane flying over her right shoulder. Every detail in the cover art seemed to be pointedly aimed towards having us understand the story and the setting in which it takes place – I love when cover art matches the story like this and the choices in bold colours truly were the right call!

Christmas Once Again
by Jina Bacarr
Source: Borrowed from local library, Purchase REQ | local library

All she wants for Christmas is to save the man she loves…

On a cold December day in 1955, Kate Arden got on a train to go home for Christmas.

This is the story of what happened when she got off that train. In 1943.

In 1943 Kate Arden was engaged to the man she loved, Jeffrey Rushbrooke. She was devastated and heartbroken when he was called up for wartime duty and later killed on a secret mission in France.

But what if Kate could change that? What if she could warn him and save his life before Christmas?
Or will fate have a bigger surprise in store for her?

Christmas Once Again is a sweeping, heartbreakingly romantic novel - it's one woman's chance to follow a different path and mend her broken heart...

Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Time Travel Fiction, War Drama

Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 9781838893668

Also by this author: Author Interview with extract with Jina Bacarr

Published by Boldwood Books

on 10th October, 2019

Format: Trade Paperback

Pages: 300

Published by: Boldwood Books (@BoldwoodBooks)

Available Formats: Trade paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #ChristmasRomance and #HistRom as well as #TimeTravel war drama

About Jina Bacarr

I started out working as a reporter writing articles for a travel magazine based in Beverly Hills and then for a computer magazine, as well as writing for academia, radio commercials, and PR copy. I’ve had three plays produced in Malibu, California and I worked for a time writing children’s and daytime TV before publishing nonfiction books about Japan, and then later fiction.

In addition to my WW 2 time travel romance, CHRISTMAS ONCE AGAIN, I’ve written a Civil War time travel in 1862 Virginia at the Battle of Antietam, a WW 2 Christmas novella in war torn Italy between a GI and a nun, an erotic novella about a hunky Scrooge from Wall Street, contemporary and historical erotic romance novels, and non-fiction books about Japan.

I enjoy writing to classical music with a hot cup of java by my side. I adore dark chocolate truffles, vintage anything, the smell of bread baking and rainy days in museums. I’ve always loved walking through history—from Pompeii to Verdun to Old Paris.

The voices of the past speak to me through carriages with cracked leather seats, stiff ivory-colored crinolines and worn satin slippers. I’ve always wondered what it was like to walk in those slippers when they were new.

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

Posted Tuesday, 24 December, 2019 by jorielov in #blogmas, #JorieLovesIndies, 20th Century, Blog Tour Host, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Indie Author, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Second Chance Love, Singletons & Commitment, Sweet Romance, the Fifties, The World Wars