Posted Friday, 31 July, 2015 by jorielov James Eric Richey, JER Books, Two Hearts: When I Said I Do I Meant Forever 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a part of the blog tour for “Two Hearts” hosted by iRead Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author James Eric Richey in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Suspense-filled Love Stories turn quite Epic:
Are a bit hard to find but are treasured once they are discovered; the type of love story where despite the adversities and the entangled woes of life itself, the two dearly beloved souls find a way to make it against the odds stacked ontop of them. I like finding romance rooted in realism and a conviction of experiences where both sides have to make marked steps towards keeping their relationships healthy. Marriage isn’t for the weak of heart nor the faint of circumstances because life has a way of endearing us with tides of uncertainty and unknown disasters.
Finding characters who are writ to such a strong degree as Jax and Annie is a rare gift indeed; partially why I love seeking out ChocLit novels as I have come to treasure the strength and beauty of the authors’ conjoined focus on ‘relationship-based romances’ whilst painted against a back-drop of real-life situations that will test their wills for a strength to endure at all costs. I am finding there are other authors out there of whom are a bit harder to find; their novels are released by either Small Trade, Hybrid, or Indie publishers not yet known for their titles; Richey falls under this category, and it was a joy to be able to read his story on this blog tour, if only to help readers find the quality and the depth of his novel.
This is one reason I celebrate Indie Authors – because the routes they take to reach their reading audience differ from one another, but their strength of the craft of story-telling remains acute and self-aware in knowing which types of stories we readily want to consume. Those who hunger for Romance novels like the ones I appreciate myself, enjoy the relationship bits and the in-between moments where characters show their flaws as much as their keen ability to champion adversity blighted against their path. To seek out characters who live as wholly true to contemporary composites will always be a joy for me, but to find an ‘epic love story’ out of the blue is golden!
Two Hearts:
Subtitle: When I Said I Do, I Meant Forever
by James Eric Richey
Source: Author via iRead Book Tours
Jaxon Tagget is a cattle-rancher's son, born and raised on the Double T, just outside of Dillon, Montana. In love with his high-school sweetheart, Annie, Jaxon proposes on graduation night, presenting her with a wedding ring made from gold he mined himself. Annie accepts immediately, to the horror of her bitter, man-hating mother.
Jaxon's a wonderful husband, but the warnings of Annie's mother linger in the young bride's ears. And it doesn't help that women continue to fall all over the markedly handsome Jaxon.
Unaware of his wife's persistent doubts, Jaxon is struggling with his own troubles when he finds out his dad is sorely in need of money to save the ranch. But hope glimmers gold when he rediscovers the old mine on the Double T.
While Jaxon travels to verify the mine's productivity, Annie grows increasingly suspicious. Is Jaxon's absence what it seems, or does he have another, less faithful reason for his travels? When Annie sees a picture of the beautiful laboratory owner whom Jaxon is visiting, she's sure the only gold he's interested in is long, blond hair. Is Annie right, or will it be her doubts that forever sever their Two Hearts?
Genres: Historical Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Western Fiction Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author:
Published by JER Books
on 15th December, 2014
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 426
Published By: JER Books (@JERBooks)
Available Formats: Paperback and Ebook
About James Eric Richey
James Eric Richey was born and raised in California. He attended Brigham Young University, studying English with an emphasis in Literature. After graduating from BYU he returned home to California to further his education by attending law school. After passing the bar, James practiced in California for several years, but he quickly learned that he did not have a passion for the law.
In 1998 James obtained his real estate appraiser license, which has given him a flexible work schedule and allowed him to pursue his true passion, writing books. Besides his writing, he also enjoys reading, running, and sailing. James currently lives in Cheyenne, Wyoming, with his wife, Heather, and their two daughters.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Friday, 31 July, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Cliffhanger Ending, Contemporary Romance, Creative Arts, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Divorce & Martial Strife, Farm and Ranching on the Frontier, Father-Daughter Relationships, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Life Shift, Modern Day, Montana, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Passionate Researcher, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Single Mothers, Small Towne Fiction, Small Towne USA, South America, Western Fiction, Western Romance, Women's Fiction
Posted Friday, 17 July, 2015 by jorielov AHF Publishing, Ashley Farley, Her Sister's Shoes, Leisure Time Books, Self Published 2 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was selected to be a part of the blog tour for “Her Sister’s Shoes” hosted by iRead Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of “Her Sister’s Shoes” direct from the author Ashley Farley in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Reflecting on a film by a similar name:
In Her Shoes was an emotionally gutting film about two sisters who were attempting to sort their way through their lives. One of them had the indecency to run her personal life into the path of the other; where nothing was sacred not even the boyfriends they were dating. A quick transition to their grandmother’s led one sister towards a new beginning and the other one towards an attempt to understand why her sister felt flight towards a retirement community was necessary to seek self-renewing identity. It was a film that touched on all your emotions at once and a sisterly bond portrayed excellently by the lead actresses in the roles.
When I first saw this blog tour being announced I had a sense of knowing that this novel might paint a story quite as humbling true as the film; even though they are separate of each other, it’s the way in which the story felt to be told that struck an accord with me. Sisters have a bond that is difficult to understand when their at odds with each other, but it’s a bond that runs deeper than blood and hearty enough to survive just about anything that seeks to divide them. Writers who can tap into that relationship and honour a story with characters who live their truth interdependent to each other have a story worth being discovered. They evoke a further clarity on the human spirit and on the journey families take to find both redemption and acceptance through forgiveness.
Her Sister's Shoes
by Ashley Farley
Source: Author via iRead Book Tours
Set in the South Carolina Lowcountry and packed with Southern charm and memorable characters, Her Sister’s Shoes is the story of three sisters—Samantha, Jackie, and Faith—who struggle to balance the demands of career and family while remaining true to themselves.
Samantha Sweeney has always been the glue that holds her family together, their go-to girl for love and support. When an ATV accident leaves her teenage son in a wheelchair, she loses her carefully constructed self-control.
In the after-gloom of her dreaded fiftieth birthday and the discovery of her husband’s infidelity, Jackie realizes she must reconnect with her former self to find the happiness she needs to move forward.
Faith lacks the courage to stand up to her abusive husband. She turns to her sisters for help, placing all their lives at risk.
In the midst of their individual challenges, the Sweeney sisters must cope with their mother’s mental decline. Is Lovie in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, or is her odd behavior normal for a woman her age? No one, including Lovie, understands her obsession with a rusty key she wears around her neck.
For fans of Elin Hildebrand, Her Sister’s Shoes is a contemporary women’s novel that explores and proves the healing power of family.
Genres: Women's Fiction Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Published by Leisure Time Books
on 24th June, 2015
Format: Paperback Edition
Pages: 380
Published by: Leisure Time Book, an imprint of AHF Publishing
(Self Published Author)
Available Formats: Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #womensfiction | #suspense
Read an Excerpt of the Novel:
Her Sister’s Shoes by Smashwords
About Ashley Farley
Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.
After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.
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Posted Friday, 17 July, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Adulterous Affair, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Cover | Notation on Design, Breast Cancer, Debilitating Diagnosis & Illness, Disabilities & Medical Afflictions, Disillusionment in Marriage, Divorce & Martial Strife, Domestic Violence, Drugs & Alcohol, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Grief & Anguish of Guilt, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Life Shift, Low Country South Carolina, Mental Health, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Mother-Son Relationships, Realistic Fiction, Scribd, Self-Published Author, Siblings, Sisterhood friendships, Small Towne USA, Suspense, Teenage Relationships & Friendships, Terminal Illness &/or Cancer, Trauma | Abuse & Recovery, Vulgarity in Literature, Women's Fiction, Women's Health
Posted Tuesday, 9 June, 2015 by jorielov Influence Publishing Inc., Return to Food, Sherry Strong 2 Comments
Acquired Book By: I was approached by iRead Book Tours to host another non-fiction title “Life Outside the Box” (which is upcoming on 22nd of June) prior to finding “Return to Food”. I decided to start hosting regularly with iRead Book Tours and their companion hosting company Italy Book Tours as a direct result of how welcoming they are to book bloggers. I received a complimentary copy of “Return to Food” direct from the author Sherry Strong in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
My initial interest in this author and book:
One of the best blessings to opening Return to Food was being greeted by the author’s own artwork on the illustrative plates which coordinate and cross-reference her messages throughout the book. My favourite illustrative plate is on page 3 which shows a portrait of a teenager and is talking about how teens can become unhealthy simply by the choices they are making in their diets. A fact I could relate to myself, as my school years were not my favourite years for eating as I found the time allotted for lunch was too rushed and only focused on getting us in/out of the cafeteria without any consideration for the time needed to consume the food we were eating. It was the first taste of the crazy rat-race of corporate America and the internal harried clock of the working man, because many professional careers do not allot a lot of time for meals much less for a persona life. Hence why this first illustration struck a chord with me, and I knew, having seen how she surrounded the graphic with words clarifying the key issues, that most of our downward spiral of unwellness due begin and start in childhood and/or adolescence.
The one thing I wanted to share as I was reading Return to Food is how I’ve never sought out a ‘diet’ per se but rather a lifestyle of eating that would allow my body to thrive in a way that was not co-dependent on foods which would only deplete my health and thereby, reduce the nutrition that I could have yielded if I had eaten foods differently. I have been on a quest for most of my life to source out the best way to balance food and the combinations of foods which would agree with my system. As for each person who is seeking a healthier lifestyle, we all have to remain mindful of what works for us and how to tap dance around allergies or other afflictions that make transitions a bit trickier than those who do not have them.
As I relay my experiences reading cookbooks inasmuch as hosting author guest features by the chefs or authors behind the books I am reading on healthy eats across the divide of where savoury and ambrosial meet each other in harmonic blissitude, I am hoping that perhaps something I am sharing about my own journey will resonate with other readers who are seeking a similar path. Underneath my blog posts are related posts which can give you a quick-step glimpse into where my wanderings as the Bookish Foodie have led me to go thus far along, inasmuch as you can scout out the cookbooks directly in either my Story Vault or my Publisher’s Story Vault (hint: scroll down to Cedar Fort’s imprint Front Table Books).
As you will find as you wind your way through my showcases on food, I have a penchant for whole foods, living foods, and a quirky attachment to gluten-free vegan baking! I personally love to eat vegan foods as much as I delight in the joy of fresh veg juicing with greens. A green smoothie to me is heavenly bliss and beet juice with a fusion of carrots, ginger, & other bits is a refreshing jolt of vitality. I don’t have to have a traditional plate of food in front of me to be happy because I have been on a journey towards living my inner truth of joy for over a decade now. I personally would love to become 100% vegetarian seeking out gluten-free and vegan compliments as often as I could. I love to eat by the seasons and I look forward to getting back to a simpler way of re-routing a food map which includes staples of must-haves that can co-relate and compliment other ingredients on a regular basis.
At the moment I’m an omnivore whose missing her herbivore days, but each of us is on a path that we must walk in order to get to where we’re going next. I don’t hide the fact I had to give up the herbivore lifestyle nor my quest to return back to where my own spirit thrived in the bliss of local farm fresh fruit and veg. I appreciate the dedication farmers are giving back to us as consumers, to where we can purchase fresh off the farm vegetables at farm stands and farmer’s markets or the new hybrid of the two: a you pick it yourself farm where your salad greens and your kohlrabi are practically kissing cousins! Laughs. Being able to find ways to understand the distance my food is travelling to my plate is important to me, especially in the world of Big-Ag and the propensity for creating fast food on a farm that is commercially produced in ways that I do not find ethical nor healthy.
For these reasons you can understand my interest in Return to Food
because I am already on a mission towards that end!
Return to Food: the life changing anti-diet
by Sherry Strong
Source: Author via iRead Book Tours
Chances are if you are feeling flat, fat and tired, or are experiencing chronic illness, you are not eating real food. If you want to bounce out of bed feeling fit and fabulous you must find out what is and isn't real food. This book challenges prescriptive approaches to diet, eating and food, with a revolutionary philosophical approach based on over 20 years of working with private clients. This approach has seen thousands of people develop a more pleasurable, healthier, and more sustainable eating lifestyle.
Genres: Cookery
Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Also by this author:
Published by Influence Publishing Inc.
on 1st December, 2014
Format: Paperback
Pages: 220
Published by: Influence Publishing Inc. (@influencepub)
Available Formats: Paperback
with Illustrations by Sherry Strong
Converse via: #ReturnToFood, #heathlyeats, & #vegan
About Sherry Strong
Sherry Strong is a food philosopher, chef and nutritionist who has travelled around the globe to do diet and lifestyle makeovers, and has worked with celebrities, elite athletes, Fortune 500 CEOs, billionaires, and Jamie Oliver and his Fifteen Foundation. Sherry’s philosophies and simple strategies help people feel better and live their best life by developing a healthy relationship with food and their body. Sherry was the Victorian Chair of Nutrition Australia, the Melbourne Head of Slow Food, Curator and Co-Founder of the World Wellness Project Summit and founder of the Return to Food Academy where she teaches people to become Return to Food Coaches and Entrepreneurs.
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Posted Tuesday, 9 June, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Chefs and Sous Chefs, Content Note, Cookbook, Cookery, Fly in the Ointment, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Locavore, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Bookish Foodie
Posted Monday, 8 June, 2015 by jorielov Influence Publishing Inc., Return to Food, Sherry Strong 8 Comments
I appreciate seeking out books on wellness and healthier approaches to holistic living inasmuch as I appreciate a wicked good health-conscience cookbook which enriches my spirit to find better ways of combing the foods I love to consume. When I first learnt about the Return to Food blog tour, I was quite happy to realise I could interview the author whilst providing my own thoughts on behalf of her book.
I took this opportunity to ask some pointed questions about curating a healthier lifestyle and the reasons behind why society as a whole might have altered their perception about the realities of health and their mindfulness of approaching wellness from a plant-centered and seasonal point of view. I have been an advocate for the locavore movement in my own community, as I appreciate the farmers who are bringing naturally grown fruit and veg to the farm stands. I appreciate knowing where the food is coming from and how the food is being produced at the farm itself. It is a wonderful way to become involved with the cycle of food and the process of how what we eat (and it’s effect on our health) is in-part derivative of the nutrients the foods may or may not be able to give us depending on how they are sourced.
Join me as I start-up a stimulating conversation with Ms Strong!
Chances are if you are feeling flat, fat and tired, or are experiencing chronic illness, you are not eating real food. If you want to bounce out of bed feeling fit and fabulous you must find out what is and isn’t real food. This book challenges prescriptive approaches to diet, eating and food, with a revolutionary philosophical approach based on over 20 years of working with private clients. This approach has seen thousands of people develop a more pleasurable, healthier, and more sustainable eating lifestyle.
Published by: Influence Publishing Inc. (@influencepub)
Add to Riffle | Public Library | Available Formats: Paperback
Converse via: #ReturnToFood, #heathlyeats, & #vegan
When I first started to read Return to Food what I appreciated the most about the layout of the pages is how it felt like I was reading a personal journal about health. I was curious how did you develop your beautiful hand-drawn illustrations as the style reminds me of art journalists who combine art and words to fuse together thoughts, hopes, dreams, and an articulate guide towards what is deeply personal to them at the moment of creating the journal. The illustrations are a beautiful compliment to the text. Did this style evolve solely out of the life journal for your friend?
Strong responds: Thank you Jorie, I love how beautifully you phrased that question, the illustrations are a deeply person evolution of the book. My best friend was moving to London in 2006, it was also her 40th birthday at the time and we had a policy of no gifts for a gifts sake or more specifically out of obligation. She had the most interesting childhood and life story so in a flash of inspiration I decided to buy a beautiful green cloth-bound book and illustrate her life story. It was the best gift I’ve ever given in my entire life. She was delighted with it and her husband who is a prolific children’s author and novelist suggested I take my philosophies and use the same type of illustrations to express them. From there they continued to evolve over the following 8 years to be more dramatic and carry the themes and they really seemed to take on a life of their own from there. Read More
Posted Monday, 8 June, 2015 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Chefs and Sous Chefs, Cookbook, Cookery, Indie Author, iRead Book Tours, Locavore, Reader Submitted Author Interview, The Bookish Foodie