As I outlined in my declaration of participation post for Bout 10.0, I am singularly focusing on the entire historical suspense series (the Reincarnationist – six book series) by M.J. Rose! Leading up to my stop on the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour on behalf of book six: “The Collector Of Dying Breaths”. However, I am also concentrating on Romance this week on Jorie Loves A Story, as I am a member of the street team for Brenda Anderson focusing on her début novel “Chain of Mercy” (my first honour of being on an author’s street team!); as well as posting two #ChocLitSaturdays book reviews: “Flight to Coorah Creek” by Janet Gover (selection of 3 May! – which was discussed during the chat) and “The Silent Touch of Shadows” by Christina Courtenay (selection of 10 May! – which was discussed during the chat); a paranormal romance début novel of Indie author J. Woods “Gilded Feathers” arrives late on Monday night, with “The Boleyn Bride” by Tudor author Brandy Purdy arriving on Friday! The extra addition being a fantasy anthology by Indie Publisher (Seventh Star Press) A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court” edited by Scott M. Sandridge! IF anything you will see how much of an eclectic reader I truly am! I will also still host my weekly Saturday morning tweetchat at: twubs.com/choclitsaturdays!
Personal Goals and Motivations:
Hours Dedicated to Reading (in total): hoping to read at least 12 hours per day!
Hours per day slated to Read: will journal each day
Starting Hour: the instant I am able to sit & read! :)
Ending Hour: 00:00 OR I will be winking to the hooting owls!
Books Projected to Read: 11 8 in total; 6 3 M.J. Rose + 5 for review; 1 M.J. Rose is also for review
Blog Posts (in total): Book Reviews: Gilded Feathers, Chain of Mercy, The Boleyn Bride, Flight to Coorah Creek, The Silent Touch of Shadows, A Chimerical World: Tales of the Seelie Court, The Collector of Dying Breaths (on Tuesday 20 May); plus, Author Interviews and regular Bout’er updates!
Post my reactions to each book after I have concluded reading them, because more than anything I want to be wholly enthused about the stories, the characters, and the prose that each writer etches into their books — I want to challenge myself to read as many books as I can but not to the brink where I cannot fully appreciate them. I want to absorb them and allow their worlds to soak through to my mind’s eye. The Reincarnationist series by M.J. Rose will be blogged in full details at a later date, but every other book I am reading has scheduled reviews during the Bout itself, outside of The Collector of Dying Breaths which posts two days after the Bout concludes. Therefore on my daily updates for the Bout itself, will be snippets of my reaction to the series overall.
Participate in the Bout of Books community by dropping by fellow participants’ blogs, leaving encouraging commentary, and share in the joy of this intensive week of reading! As well as find challenges to enhance my experience with this wicked sweet group of readers!
Blogs I scoped out to visit: Coffee Bean Bookshelf + Read Lately if they are taking part in the Bout?! This list will self-curate as the Bout marches onward! Readerly Musings!
I am hoping participants of *10.0* will drop by my blog as well, and in that way, I can get to know the readers who are just as excited about this as I am!
Challenges as I participate in them as time allows: ? will populate a list as need be ?
Join in on the Twitter chats &/or jump into Bout’er conversations on Twitter spontaneously whilst following the tag: #boutofbooks!
One of the happiest moments for a book blogger is eagerly going to their postbox & seeing what delightfully wicked print books have arrived for their reading pleasure! I have always held a keen interest in postal mail, being a long-term postal letter correspondent which has given me such a heart of joy seeing envelopes & bundles of love arrive from dear friends around the world. Imagine my new excitement in seeing the books I am reviewing arriving by publisher, author, publicist, or literary agent! Such an exciting new chapter in postal splendor!
I have been wanting to blog about my excitement about being placed on certain blog tours and/or in receiving books for review direct from authors, publishers, or publicists. I originally came across a weekly meme on Mondays entitled Mailbox Monday and you could say, that my new feature on Jorie Loves A Story is an extended idea from the original! Except to say, with one minor switch-up! Although I attempt to write down when books arrive by Post, I am never quite as certain when the books arrive as I am always reading the next book in hand! Therefore, please join me as I get excited about the books on my shelf which are next in line to read!
I am always attempting to keep myself open to reading books which push me outside the comforts of what I regularly read in order to keep my reading life an evolving journey towards exploring every facet of literature that I can as I shift from one author to another. When I first saw this particular book being offered on tour with JKS Communications, part of me was excited in seeing a book step forward that was not the traditional story to empathsis our need to be more environmentally conscience in our livelihoods as much as in how we approach living day to day. This book I felt would not only challenge me as a reader but it would challenge a few precepts of where I thought we had broached to head next on an environmental level and where we still have a heap of work to undergo towards reaching a pinnacle of progress as a society with a green-mindset in place to help future generations make better choices than the ones who came before them. I find the topic of environmental conservation and preservation as stimulating as discussing green-minded practices in business, commerce, and trade. To uncover green sources of energy, materials, and supplies which take the burden off the Earth and allow us to live a healthier life overall is quite enticing.
Happily in the wake of my first #ChocLitSaturdays Chat on Twitter {Backstory of the Chat & Info prior to Launch} I am going to be reading a new-to-me ChocLitUK author: Janet Gover! Her book stood out to me for several reasons, but one is my love & appreciation for small townes combined with the Australian Outback! I wanted to take a step outside my natural tendency to read historical fiction and enter into the realm of a Contemporary Romance set in a remote location where true to a small towne flair of sensibility everyone knows the affairs of your life and truly looks out for you at the same time. I wanted to try out stories from ChocLit which could introduce me to not only more new authors but new styles of writing as well. I do not often read Contemporary Romances, although I simply adore Sherryl Wood’s Serenity series (wait, I think that is my endearing name for it! oh, yes, “The Sweet Magnolias”!) as much as books by Debbie Macomber! I have settled inside the Victorian & Regency eras so readily the past several years, that I have forgotten that I do indeed appreciate a lovely story set in the modern world with contemporary characters! I also felt this one might have a heap of intriguing scenery to boot, as the name simply implied to me a part of the country that would be an interesting place to set the story!
My review will post 3rd May, 16th of August 2014 ahead of #ChocLitSaturdays Chat which begins at 11am EST | 8am PST | 4pm UK | 1am Australia! I am thankful that my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature not only encompasses book reviews, Guest Posts, & Author Interviews but the ability for Romance readers to converse about romantic themes inside the novels we gravitate towards as much as a healthy appreciation of tea and chocolate! I previously mentioned this title in Jorie’s Box of Joy No.1.
My second tour to host for Ms. Amber Stokes (Editing Through the Seasons) will be for a lovely devotional which is quite devoted to an animal close to my heart: the cat! I have oft felt blessed to have the cats in my life that I have over the years, as each one would bring a certain level of serenity and calm into my life. As much as give me the gifted blessing of learning things such as cheeky humour in the midst of chaos that are simply too incredible not to acknowledge! Cats are truly my favourite companions next to dogs and hamsters, as they know how to impart unconditional love and pure grace in spirit.
When we expanded to have more than one cat, I started to have the honour of seeing how the inter-dynamics of a family can change simply by not having one cat but a handful. Different litters always have the presumption of not behaving well with each other, but I can attest that even a motley cat family from different litters can not only learn to adapt but they adjust to a comfortable level of ease around each other. I am always amazed and blessed to observe my cats, as they give so much love back to me as I give to them. I cannot wait to dig into this devotional to see where the lessons of living with cats endeared Ms. Vincent to write a devotional about how the lessons of life can alight in our lives at the most unexpected moments on the wings and shoulders of messengers we might not have realised to believe could give us so much truth.
Whilst following the blog tour for The Boleyn Bride my path crossed with the author Ms. Purdy, which led to an opportunity for me to receive this book to review. What was so incredible about the timing of it, is that it was one book that I felt I could draw myself inside and visit with the characters for quite a spell afterwards! Some stories you read about give you this itch to read the book as soon as your able too, and for me, this is one of those books! The clever bit is that I do not recall knowing too much about the Boleyn’s much less the Tudor era of England, as I have predominately always alighted between the text of Shakespeare straight into the Victorian, Regency, or Edwardian (of late) eras of visitation! The Tudors for some reason escaped my radar until recently. My interest started to pique when I found a bookish blog devoted to the Tudors and the literature which flows out of the pens of historical fiction writers: The Tudor Book Blog. I am hopeful that this will mark my start of selecting Tudor era novels and writers to help me not only learn more about this section of British History, but to help me settle into an era that I know so very little about and am thirsty to learn more!
When City of Promises came available to tour with Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, I must confess, I was teetering on the edge of saying ‘yes’ to accept this book for review. My only hesitation was due to the fact that I have been to Mexico City and therefore, was uncertain if I could return to a fictional account of the city and maintain my memories of her in the ensuing decades since this particular sliver of the city’s history takes place. In the end, I decided that if I can handle reading about the Jazz Age in America as much as Prohibition and the upturnt tides of Chicago & New York City’s histories, can I can surely handle reading what happened in Mexico City! After all, when I was there the city was undergoing a bit of a Renaissance, in an attempt to re-strengthen the city’s identity as much as to re-define the city itself. It was the heart of the story given inside the premise that pulled at me, and for which I am most anxious to see where the corridors of this particular historical fiction will take me! I am always eager to traverse into the passageways of history that might not always lend a happy ending but will lend itself a portal glimpse into a part of history that needs to be told.
Whilst attending the #LitChat of comedienne Monica Parker, I had the unexpected joy and pleasure of being able to receive her debut book Getting Waisted after an exchange of conversation between Ms. Parker, her literary publicist Ms. Chan, and myself! I had reached out to Ms. Parker after the literary chat and felt quite honoured I was given this opportunity as health & wellness holds fast to my heart! As I have been on a path towards wellness for years, seeking out the best way to maintain wellness and knowing which foods agree with my system over others. Personally, I am the most happiest in my spirit whilst eating a vegetarian and vegan diet enriched by whole foods, natural & ancient grains, as well as local farm fresh vegetables and fruits.
I can relate directly to finding inner harmony, balance, and confidence to be who you are and accept yourself at where you are on your lifepath because everyone can struggle with self-image and self-confidence no matter what age they are or where they are on their journey! I was ever so thrilled to bits seeing her book had arrived by Post, as I cannot wait to settle inside the pages as I know not only will I have the pleasure of reviewing this book but in hosting an interview with Ms. Parker at the conclusion of my reading! I had even further excited by having found a video interview of Ms. Parker’s which I will share with you now as a preview of what is yet to come:
Shannon Skinner Interviews Monica Parker on Extraordinary Women
My forthcoming review of Getting Waisted and my Author Interview with Ms. Parker will occur during the #ArmChairBEA week in which I am participating as a #bookcheerleader (the tag I created to help celebrate the fact I love cheering for books & authors!)! I am getting underway to begin reading the memoir now as I will have a lot to talk about with Ms. Parker once I reach the last page! She has already inspired me to create the sinful chocolate cake in a mug which was a curious surprise in the opening bits of the memoir!
I am curious then, if any of the newly arrived books for review which are upcoming on Jorie Loves A Story, would entice a visiting reader to pick them up for themselves!? OR, if they perchance had the opportunity already to read them, what were their impressions?!What drew you to the author or the narrative within!? And, if you are a fellow book blogger how do you feel your literary wanderings have increased since you started blogging about your reading life? Do you find the twitterverse an exciting portal towards extending friendship and conversation? And, what do you feel is the best gift you’ve received since you started your book blog!?
Cross-posted with Mailbox Monday (a weekly meme) on Monday, 28th of April where book bloggers & readers alike share their inbound books for review, newly purchased books, or otherwise added to their shelves to read. Conversing via: #MailboxMonday My feature was inspired by Mailbox Monday, however as I am always in throes of reading books for review and/or borrowing books from my library, I am never quite as certain which week the books have arrived!
{SOURCES: Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits in Fotoflexer by Jorie. Book cover for “Seeing Green” was provided by JKS Communications for both review and promotion; used with permission. The Book Cover for “Flight to Coorah Creek” was provided by ChocLitUK for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for Cats Are Part of His Kingdom Too provided by Editing Through the Seasons for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for The Boleyn Bride provided by Brandy Purdy for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book Cover for City of Promises provided by Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for both review and promotion; used with permission. Book cover for “Getting Waisted” provided by Darlene Chan (Publicist) for both review and promotion; used with permission. The interview for Monica Parker by Extraordinary Women TV had either URL share links or coding which made it possible to embed this media portal to this post, and I thank them for the opportunity to share more about this novel and the author who penned it.}
I am always attempting to keep myself open to reading books which push me outside the comforts of what I regularly read in order to keep my reading life an evolving journey towards exploring every facet of literature that I can as I shift from one author to another. When I first saw this particular book being offered on tour with JKS Communications, part of me was excited in seeing a book step forward that was not the traditional story to empathsis our need to be more environmentally conscience in our livelihoods as much as in how we approach living day to day. This book I felt would not only challenge me as a reader but it would challenge a few precepts of where I thought we had broached to head next on an environmental level and where we still have a heap of work to undergo towards reaching a pinnacle of progress as a society with a green-mindset in place to help future generations make better choices than the ones who came before them. I find the topic of environmental conservation and preservation as stimulating as discussing green-minded practices in business, commerce, and trade. To uncover green sources of energy, materials, and supplies which take the burden off the Earth and allow us to live a healthier life overall is quite enticing.
Whilst attending the #LitChat of comedienne Monica Parker, I had the unexpected joy and pleasure of being able to receive her debut book Getting Waisted after an exchange of conversation between Ms. Parker, her literary publicist Ms. Chan, and myself! I had reached out to Ms. Parker after the literary chat and felt quite honoured I was given this opportunity as health & wellness holds fast to my heart! As I have been on a path towards wellness for years, seeking out the best way to maintain wellness and knowing which foods agree with my system over others. Personally, I am the most happiest in my spirit whilst eating a vegetarian and vegan diet enriched by whole foods, natural & ancient grains, as well as local farm fresh vegetables and fruits.