Posted Saturday, 16 April, 2016 by jorielov ChocLitUK, Christina Courtenay, Kumashiro series, The Gilded Fan, The Jade Lioness, The Scarlet Kimono 0 Comments
Why I feature #ChocLitSaturdays (book reviews & guest author features)
and created #ChocLitSaturday (the chat via @ChocLitSaturday):
I wanted to create a bit of a niche on Jorie Loves A Story to showcase romance fiction steeped in relationships, courtships, and the breadth of marriage enveloped by characters written honestly whose lives not only endear you to them but they nestle into your heart as their story is being read!
I am always seeking relationship-based romance which strikes a chord within my mind’s eye as well as my heart! I’m a romantic optimist, and I love curling into a romance where I can be swept inside the past, as history becomes lit alive in the fullness of the narrative and I can wander amongst the supporting cast observing the principal characters fall in love and sort out if they are a proper match for each other!
I love how an Indie Publisher like ChocLitUK is such a positive alternative for those of us who do not identify ourselves as girls and women who read ‘chick-lit’. I appreciate the stories which alight in my hands from ChocLit as much as I appreciate the inspirational romances I gravitate towards because there is a certain level of depth to both outlets in romance which encourage my spirits and gives me a beautiful story to absorb! Whilst sorting out how promote my book reviews on behalf of ChocLit, I coined the phrase “ChocLitSaturdays”, which is a nod to the fact my ChocLit reviews & features debut on ‘a Saturday’ but further to the point that on the ‘weekend’ we want to dip into a world wholly ideal and romantic during our hours off from the work week!
Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. I received a complimentary copy of “The Scarlet Kimono” from ChocLit in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I want to read the Kumashiro series:
I was originally thinking of reading Ms Courtenay’s debut novel Trade Winds and the series which expanded out of it (the Kinross series) ahead of reading The Scarlet Kimono – however, I decided to read them in reverse order! One of the reasons why is because I have felt so wholly enthused by another series set in Japan which are the Shinobi Mysteries (recently renamed: Hiro Hattori Novels) by Susan Spann! I have had the pleasure of reading each of the Shinobi Mysteries as they release, starting with Blade of the Samurai and reading Claws of the Cat as I did so! Ms Spann recently changed publishers and is now represented by Seventh Street Books (of whom I am a new reviewer)! Her latest installment in this expansive and lovely series is The Ninja’s Daughter arriving in August, 2016! This series takes place one century before Ms Courtenay’s Kumashiro series – so you can see why I am so wicked happy!
We enter into the Kumashiro series in the year 1611 and by the time we step inside the third novel, The Jade Lioness the year will be 1648! Part of my inspiration to read stories set in Japan is having had close personal friends who lived there throughout my teenage years and early twenties. Our lives drifted apart, but not my sincere appreciation for their country and cultural heritage. I was also first introduced to Japanese art, culture, spirituality, music and food by my maternal grandparents who had a strong penchant for Japan; and although none of my family was able to visit the country in person, we found ways to experience Japanese culture stateside. I still have fond memories of going to Japanese Steakhouses where the foods were cooked right before your eyes, close enough to feel the flames of the fire and delight in the aromatherapy of the foods being cooked!
The only irony is that even as a youngster I was a budding vegetarian, so my fondest memories are everything that doesn’t include meat, poultry or fish! Laughs with mirth. I also fancy miso soup with daikon radish and shiitake mushrooms as an adult who has a health conscience approach to natural eating and living. I truly love emerging inside a corridor of History and thus far along, Spann and Courtenay have given me a way to entreat inside Japan with a heart full of delightful happiness! Bless them! And, imagine they each are writing about samurai and the ways in which the West affect the East!
I have been wanting to focus more on the series being published by ChocLitUK and this year, I’ve started to make en-roads towards this goal as I featured the first novel in the Charton Minster series The Silver Locket whilst following it up with The Scarlet Kimono and circling out with The Wild One which was a dearly hoped for sequel of mine on behalf of the world set in Coorah Creek!
The series I would like to treat myself to becoming acquainted with as I move forward with my ChocLit readings are: the London & Cambridge mysteries by Clare Chase; the Rossetti mysteries by Kirsty Ferry; the Emerald Isle series by Isabella Connor (all Irish lasses would be keen!); the Little Spitmarsh series by Christine Stovell; and the Emma series by Linda Mitchelmore. Whilst continuing to read the series I have in-progress as well as adding the Kinross series by Ms Courtenay, as I have a certain affection for historicals!
On my Connection to Ms. Courtenay:
Two years ago, on the 26th of April, 2014, I created #ChocLitSaturday a weekly Rom chat to celebrate the novelists of ChocLitUK but also, to expand to include book bloggers, readers and writers of Romance who have a penchant for the genre as a whole. Ms. Courtenay started to become a regular fixture, and her encouraging conversations & ability to inspire others to converse freely throughout the chats put me at ease in my new role as a ‘Hostess’. She always seemed to know how to either start a topic or how to best suggest something to break the ice! I was always so very grateful to her and I am thinking I might have forgotten to tell her directly how much gratitude I had for her in those earlier chats! Over the weeks that have followed, I have found myself attached to each of my ‘regular’ chatters during the hour, and I consider Ms. Courtenay a bookish like-minded soul, as we tend to appreciate the same types of stories!
I am disclosing this, to assure you that I can formulate an honest opinion, even though I have interacted with Courtenay through our respective love & passion of reading inside the twitterverse whilst I host #ChocLitSaturday the chat and having previously read her time slip novels. I treat each book as a ‘new experience’, whether I personally know the author OR whether I am reading a book by them for the first time or continuing to read their releases as they are available.
The Scarlet Kimono
by Christina Courtenay
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Berni Stevens
Source: Direct from Publisher
Abducted by a Samurai warlord in 17th-century Japan – what happens when fear turns to love?
England, 1611, and young Hannah Marston envies her brother’s adventurous life. But when she stows away on his merchant ship, her powers of endurance are stretched to their limit. Then they reach Japan and all her suffering seems worthwhile – until she is abducted by Taro Kumashiro’s warriors.
In the far north of the country, warlord Kumashiro is intrigued to learn more about the girl who he has been warned about by a seer. There’s a clash of cultures and wills, but they’re also fighting an instant attraction to each other.
With her brother desperate to find her and the jealous Lady Reiko equally desperate to kill her, Hannah faces the greatest adventure of her life. And Kumashiro has to choose between love and compromising his honour…
Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
Book Page on ChocLitUK
ISBN: 9781906931292
Also by this author: Guest Post about Time Slips, The Silent Touch of Shadows, The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight Cover Reveal, The Velvet Cloak of Moonlight Cover Reveal, Marry for Love, The Gilded Fan, The Jade Lioness, The Secret Kiss of Darkness
Also in this series: The Gilded Fan, The Jade Lioness
Published by ChocLitUK
on 29th May, 2012
Format: UK Edition Paperback
Pages: 356
Published by: ChocLitUK (@ChocLituk)
Available Formats:
Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print & E-Book
Read the lovely interview about The Scarlet Kimono via The Word Wenches
Converse via: #KumashiroSeries, #HistRom or #TheScarletKimono
About Christina Courtenay
Christina lives near Hereford and is married with two children. Although born in England she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan where she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East.
Christina’s debut Trade Winds was short listed for the 2011 Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction. The Scarlet Kimono won the 2011 Big Red Reads Best Historical Fiction Award. Highland Storms (in 2012) and The Gilded Fan (in 2014) won the Historical Romantic Novel of the Year Award and The Silent Touch of Shadows won the 2012 Best Historical Read Award from the Festival of Romance. Christina is Chairman of the Romantic Novelists’ Association.
Novels: Trade Winds, Highland Storms, Monsoon Mists, The Scarlet Kimono, The Gilded Fan, The Silent Touch of Shadows, The Secret Kiss of Darkness, The Soft Whisper of Dreams, The Jade Lioness, Marry in Haste, Once Bitten Twice Shy, Desperate Remedies and Never Too Late.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Secondary Blog
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2016 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Saturday, 16 April, 2016 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 17th Century, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Coming-Of Age, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Domestic Violence, East India Company, Equality In Literature, Fathers and Daughters, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Japan, Japanese Fiction, Kidnapping or Unexplained Disappearances, Life Shift, Modern British Literature, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Parapsychological Gifts, Realistic Fiction, Rebels and Rogues, Romance Fiction, Women's Fiction, Women's Rights
Posted Thursday, 1 October, 2015 by jorielov (Editor) David G. Hartwell, (Editor) Kathryn Cramer, Alane Adams, All in Her Head, Andee Reilly, Audrey Niffenegger, Bearskin, Beautiful Girl, Blonde Eskimo, Candace Cameron Bure, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Charton Minster series, Christina Cook, Christina Courtenay, Corvidae, Dancing Through Life, DAW Books, Diana Wynne Jones, Diane Chamberlain, E.B. Wheeler, Eight Hundred Grapes, Ellen Sherman, Erin Siedemann, Esther Friesner, Evie Undercover, Fire Season, Fleur Phillips, Fool's Gold, Gregory Benford, Heather Burch, Hollye Dexter, Jamie Robyn Wood, Jill G Hall, Julie E. Czerneda, Julie Long, Just the Facts, Kate Johnson, Kathleen Shoop, Kristen Hunt, Kristin Contino, Kumashiro series, Laura Dave, Leanna Lehman, Liz Harris, Madeleine L’ Engle, Margaret James, Marilyn Berman, Mary Kubica, Maybe in Another Life, Melanie Hudson, Postcards from the Sky, Pretending to Dance, Pretty Baby, Reef Libre, Reunification No.1, Rhonda Parrish, Robert Wintner, Rooville, Ruth W. Crocker, Satisfaction, Scarecrow, Sleeping with the Enemy, Stacy Robinson, Summer by Summer, Summer Kinard, Sunny Mera, Surface, Susan Ornbratt, Suzanne Palmieri, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Tea and Crumples, Tempting Fate, The Black Velvet Coat, The Clan Chronicles, The Haunting of Springett Hall, The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World, The Legacy of Us, The Particular Appeal of Gillian Pugsley, The Pinhole Egg, The Red Sun, The Road Home, The Scarlet Kimono, The Silver Locket, The Space Opera Renaissance, The Time Quartet, The Time Travellers Wife, The Untied Kingdom, The Wedding Cake Tree, The Witch of Bourbon Street, This Gulf of Time and Stars, Those Who Remain: Remembrance and Reunion after War, Tides of Light, Tracy Solheim, Travelling the Two Lane, Vote for Remi, World Weaver Press, Worthy, Zana Bell 4 Comments
Week of Thursday, 26st of September through 1st of October, 2015 | Hostess List
I’ve honestly wanted to start participating in this weekly meme in 2014, however, I would always seem to get distracted during the hours leading up to Thursdays OR completely forget to compose my thoughts for this meme until into the weekend; at which point, the time had come and gone. I like the fact we can exchange thoughts percolating in our minds that run the gambit of the bookish world, creative outlets, or thoughts we want to share that might show a bit more about who we are behind the bookish blog we maintain. I am going to attempt to thread the journal of my 10 Bookish / Not Bookish Thoughts by order of the entries arrival into my life rather than a preference of 1-10.
BE SURE to visit my FIRST ENTRY: Bookish Not Bookish No.1
No, your eyes did not lie to you, this is No. 6, No. 2-5 will be released this Autumn.
No. 1 | Corvidae + Scarecrow | Anthologies by World Weaver Press
As you might have recalled I happily devoured the stories in Rhonda Parrish’s first anthological series debut FAE, wherein I found myself quite delighted to find stories of the fae represented in such a uniquely clever collection of inspiration and craft of story-telling. After concluding my review on behalf of FAE, I wasn’t quite sure what I should request next via World Weaver Press, when happily their publicist Ms Wagner suggested I follow FAE with the next two anthologies in sequence:
What is so wicked awesome about these two anthologies is there is a serial short between them, which outside of pulp fiction and the classical serials found in zines decades inside the early 20th Century, I haven’t come across serial shorts inside anthologies! I’m quite a newbie to anthologies of the 21st Century, and thereby, each time I make a discovery I am wicked excited by the possibilities of what I am about to read!
I am now piqued with keen interest to read Sanctuary and Judge & Jury! I had agreed knowingly with the reviewer – sometimes you come across a short so profoundly moving, if you never found another you loved dearly as much, the collection was worth it’s weight in gold! This happened to me once in another anthology where I found a writer so tapped into the human condition and the emphatic heart we all have within us, I was forever moved! Shorts despite their length are powerful in what they convey! The four I focused on myself from FAE are still with me, even now.
I must confess, this fellow book blogger out here in the book blogosphere is as keenly passionate about these anthologies as I am, as it’s his reviews on behalf of these two anthologies that encouraged me to take the plunge into reading them myself!
I must admit – reading the reviews on Tangent in combination with reading the Press Kits helped make my decision because Tangent has bloggers who knit out the heart of each story and give me ‘just enough’ to whet a thirst of interest.
Do visit his reviews, ahead of my own which will be arriving in October!
Tangent’s review of Corvidae by Eric Kimminau
Tangent’s review of Scarecrow by Eric Kimminau
And, dear hearts guess what!? Parrish isn’t yet done with her Magical Menagerie! She’s putting together a new collection entitled: SIRENS! Eek. Can you just imagine!? Watery stories of EPIC MYTHOLOGICAL loveliness?! I’m not sure about you, but World Weaver Press has bewitched me!
No. 2 | Being a part of DAW’s blog tour for This Gulf of Time and Stars by Julie E. Czerneda
I initially thought my path had crossed with Ms Czerneda during Sci Fi November 2014, until I ran a search for our tweet convos and realised it was a bit earlier in 2014 during the Sci Fi Writer’s chat! Who knew!? I used to duck inside the #sffwrtcht on a regular basis, as I have a healthy appetite for SFF whilst getting the opportunity to talk to writers who are enveloping us in worlds that are a jolt outside our own realities to the brink of epic intraspace proportions! As we do not just jettison ourselves off of Earth or into the orbit surrounding Earth, we sometimes traverse the divides of time itself whilst visiting territorial systems beyond our line of sight. Then, there is the hidden joy of writers who write an arbitrage of stories contained on Earth herself but within the light years of time ahead of our own living futures, taking us both on land and sea to explore new frontiers and the plausiblilties of life therein. Read More
Posted Thursday, 1 October, 2015 by jorielov in 10 Bookish (& Not-So-Bookish Thoughts), Blogosphere Events & Happenings
Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2015 by jorielov Aine Press, Christina Courtenay, Close to the Wind, Pamela Ford, Sherryl Caulfield, the Iceberg Trilogy, To Ride A White Horse, Trade Winds, Zana Bell 2 Comments
Acquired Book By:
I was selected to be a tour stop on “To Ride A White Horse” virtual book tour through TLC Book Tours. I received a complimentary copy of the book direct from the author Pamela Ford, in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
A Note on the Cover Art Design:
What makes the cover design for To Ride A White Horse so epic is the convergence of the two halves of the whole – you have two leading characters opposite of the horse and the horse itself is rising up in such a dramatic pose! The woman’s eyes are downcast and unseen whereas the sturdy gaze of the man and the intensity of his stare eludes to a larger whole. It is quite an evoking cover to place on a historical romance novel, but this novel’s premise is anything but typical. It was the premise itself which had such a strong sense of urgency to be read that gave me the most wicked anticipation to see it arrive by Post!
As I like to listen to music as a back-drop to my readings as I blog:
I can definitely say I am appreciating the Classical Music selections on Earbits.com, as I have ducked inside the Renaissance and Classical Folk channels of music to serve as ambiance behind my readings of ‘To Ride A White Horse” as the undertone of the selections matched well with the evoking drama within the novel. Some of the selections felt a bit Irish by inspiration, even though I am most certain they were not of Irish origin (at least not all save a few), but there are similarities within music and for me, it felt quite natural to have this running in the background as I devoured the words and blogged my ruminations. Although the selections on both channels were not of my own choosing more times than naught it felt the music playing in the background were serving a greater purpose – a soundscape of this novel if you will. I shall not soon forget how aptly in-tune the selections were with the drama and the angst as it played out across the pages.
To Ride A White Horse
by Pamela Ford
Source: Author via TLC Book Tours
Ireland 1846. The potato crop has failed for the second year in a row and Ireland is in famine. When Kathleen Deacey’s fiancé doesn’t return from a summer working in the Newfoundland fisheries, she faces a devastating choice—leave Ireland to find work or risk dying there. Despising the English for refusing to help Ireland, she crosses the Atlantic, determined to save her family and find her fiancé.
But her journey doesn’t go as planned and she ends up in America, forced to accept the help of an English whaling captain, Jack Montgomery, to survive. As Jack helps her search for her fiancé and fight to save her family and country, she must confront her own prejudices and make another devastating choice—remain loyal to her country or follow her heart.
A love story inspired by actual events, To Ride a White Horse is a historical saga of hope, loyalty, the strength of the human spirit, and the power of love.
Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Literary Fiction Places to find the book:
Borrow from a Public Library
Add to LibraryThing
ISBN: 978-0-9905942-1-5
Published by Aine Press
on 3rd January, 2015
Format: Paperback
Pages: 374
Published By: Aine Press
[Aine was the Queen of the Faeries in Irish mythology, the Goddess of wealth and summer]
as revealled to me as the inspiration on behalf of her company by the author
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook
Converse via: #ToRideAWhiteHorse
About Pamela Ford
Pamela Ford is the award-winning author of contemporary and historical romance. She grew up watching old movies, blissfully sighing over the romance; and reading sci-fi and adventure novels, vicariously living the action. The combination probably explains why the books she writes are romantic, happily-ever-afters with plenty of fast-paced plot.
After graduating from college with a degree in Advertising, Pam merrily set off to earn a living, searching for that perfect career as she became a graphic designer, print buyer, waitress, pantyhose sales rep, public relations specialist, copywriter, freelance writer - and finally author. Pam has won numerous awards including the Booksellers Best and the Laurel Wreath, and is a two-time Golden Heart Finalist. She lives in Wisconsin with her husband and children.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing | FantasticFiction
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2015 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Posted Tuesday, 2 June, 2015 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 19th Century, Animals in Fiction & Non-Fiction, Based on an Actual Event &/or Court Case, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Equality In Literature, Family Drama, Family Life, Flashbacks & Recollective Memories, Folklore and Mythology, Historical Fiction, History, Indie Author, Ireland, Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards, Literary Fiction, Literature of Ireland, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Newfoundland, Realistic Fiction, TLC Book Tours
Posted Thursday, 14 May, 2015 by jorielov Amy Durham, Andee Reilly, Asher's Mark, Carolyn Eide, Carolyn Menke, Catherine Ryan Hyde, ChocLitUK, Christina Courtenay, Colleen Oakes, Crown of Dust, Dear Carolina, E. Chris Garrison, Eight Hundred Grapes, Elly in Bloom, Emily Kiebel, Erin Lindsay McCabe, FAE, Fool's Gold, French Twist series, Glynis Astie, Highland Dreams, I Shall Be Near To You, Ignoring Gravity, It's You, Jan Moran, Jane Porter, June McCrary Jacobs, Kamy Wiscoff, Kate Johnson, Kathleen Shoop, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Laura Brown, Laura Dave, Like There's No Tomorrow, Lila's Choice, Lynn Carthage, Mary Kubica, Mary Volmer, Maybe in Another Life, Melissa Hart, On the Edge, Pretty Baby, Rebecca Mascull, Return to Me, Rhonda Parrish, Robin Antalek, Robin's Reward, S.C. Barrus, Safe & Sound, Sandra Danby, Satisfaction, Scent of Triumph, Serenade, Seventh Star Press, Starting Over, Sue Moorcroft, Suzanne Palmieri, T.S. Krupa, Taylor Jenkins Reid, The Gin Thief, The Gravity of Birds, The Grown-Ups, The Residence, The Road Home, The Shepherdess of Siena, The Untied Kingdom, The Visitors, The Wedding Cake Tree, The Witch of Bourbon Street, Tracy Guzeman, Trade Winds, Trans-Continetal: Girl in the Gears, Wild Within, Wishful Thinking, World Weaver Press, Worthy, Zana Bell 2 Comments
Week of Thursday, 30th of April thru 7th 14th of May, 2015 | Hostess List
I’ve honestly wanted to start participating in this weekly meme in 2014, however, I would always seem to get distracted during the hours leading up to Thursdays OR completely forget to compose my thoughts for this meme until into the weekend; at which point, the time had come and gone. I like the fact we can exchange thoughts percolating in our minds that run the gambit of the bookish world, creative outlets, or thoughts we want to share that might show a bit more about who we are behind the bookish blog we maintain. I am going to attempt to thread the journal of my 10 Bookish / Not Bookish Thoughts by order of the entries arrival into my life rather than a preference of 1-10.
NOTE: This list was originally meant to publish on the 7th of May, however, due to unforeseen reasons which delayed it’s posting, I had intended to share it on the 14th of May when I came down with a migraine, thus taking me away from finishing the edits as I found out a few things earlier in that second week I had not known originally on the 7th. I am back-posting this on the 14th (today) on the 19th of May, as that is the day it belongs hereafter to be seen. A new list will be generated for this upcoming Thursday, the 21st!
No. 1 | Borrowing the BBC through my local library
One of my favourite joys of being a regular library patron is the access to the BBC through either direct purchases made by my local library OR the ability to ILL serial dvd collections for mini-series, tv serials, or motion pictures! For the past two to three weeks, I’ve had the incredible joy of being able to catch up with one of my favourite BBC serials: Foyle’s War! I have a soft spot for war dramas and for mystery series because I truly grew up on murder mysteries on tv!
Michael Kitchen plays the title lead as Foyle, and it is such a convicting narrative of stories pulled out of research by the series creator and writer Anthony Horowitz. I knew of his works previously through Alex Rider, as I watched the motion picture hoping there would be more installments; however, this was a bit like hoping the latest Nancy Drew film would have sequels starring Emma Roberts. I cannot even express how much I celebrated there is a Series 7 and a Series 8, except to say, it equaled the joy I had in realising there is a Series 3 for Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries!
You’re taking back to the world wars of the early 20th Century going straight through to the start of the Cold War; the transition in Series 6 to 7 is impressive because Horowitz has amazing continuity by giving his audience the pleasure of staying with characters they are attached too and seeing them move forward with their lives. The only characters I regretted not seeing come forward were Foyle’s partner Paul Milner and of course, Foyle’s son Andrew. Andrew was portrayed by singer Julian Ovenden and his exit I believe was nearly predicted by the fact his career took off. I was thankful I could participate in a live chat with him via PBS last year, and he even answered one of my questions! This was not in reference of Foyle’s War but for his guest starring role on Downton Abbey.
To see Honeysuckle Weeks return as Sam and Foyle to be back as the moral backbone of MI5 is such a true delight of authenticity, I can only hope others are seeking out Foyle as much as I am! He has become such a delight to watch, my family hopes like I do that we have much more Foyle yet to come! It is definitely a series where fans are helping guide the series forward, as it was cancelled and revived!
After Foyle, I wanted to keep the joy of selecting to see new BBC serials, (either newly released or past releases still unknown) which is why I selected to watch Last Tango in Halifax. A drama about two families that are on the verge of coming together due to the fact their Mum and Dad have fallen in love with each other after reuniting after living 60 years apart! It’s such a tragic opening to the story, where a lost letter does not get delivered and they each went their separate ways!
They find each other on social media and as they meet-up for the first time after all these decades, learnt that they are still very much as important to each other as they were then. However, the drama of what ensues is both honest and representative of a families in transition and shifting in/out of difficulties that arise whilst life continues to carry on. The last episode of the 1st Series nearly put me under, because of what happens to Alan, but thankfully, we read up a bit about the series finding that as this is based on a real-life couple who found each other and wedded after a 60 year absence, the series is thriving on fans in the UK who love the show! Already in it’s 3rd Series and moving towards it’s 4th, I can say we devourted the 1st and are about to embark on the 2nd! Read More
Posted Thursday, 14 May, 2015 by jorielov in #SRC2015 | BookSparks, 10 Bookish (& Not-So-Bookish Thoughts), Blogosphere Events & Happenings, CSI: Cyber, Foyle's War, Last Tango in Halifax, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries, NCIS, When Calls the Heart
Posted Monday, 1 December, 2014 by jorielov All Our Yesterdays, Anthony Russo, B.R. Maul, Berni Stevens, Blood for Blood, Brenda S. Anderson, C.A. Gray, Camille Eide, Christina Courtenay, Coming Home series, Cristin Terrill, Crown of Dust, Dance Until Dawn, Dare to Kiss, Deborah Heal, E. Chris Garrison, French Toast, French Twist, Glynis Astie, History Mystery Trilogy, I Walter, Laura Brown, Like There's No Tomorrow, Lila's Choice, Mari Passananti, Mary Volmer, Mike Hartner, New England Rocks, Paranormal Texas, Paul Mark Tag, Pieces of Granite, Piercing the Veil series, Portals Passages & Pathways, S.B. Alexander, S.C. Barrus, S.K. Rizzolo, Science Thrillers Trilogy, Sharon Cameron, Sinking Down, The Dark Unwinding, The Dragon of Unrest, The Gin Thief, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken, The Rose in the Wheel, Trade Winds, Tui Snider, Unexpected Texas 1 Comment
Each of us who joyfully blogs about books will find at times, even our best laid plans to host concurrent blog events can sometimes become a bit hard to juggle when our personal lives intercede on the time we had scheduled to devout to the events themselves. I found myself in this particular pickle last Sci Fi November, but this year, I felt I had shifted a few things around to where I had more hours to give and thereby could redeem myself from what I could not put together last year. Suffice to say, a few unexpected issues arose the least of which were a knock-out of my internet connection by a severe lightning storm and a broken toe of which looked far worse than the injury itself yet gave me enough wincing pain to forestall my blogging.
I was able to jump dive into the #RRSciFiMonth chat at the very tail-end of the conversation, whereupon I happily enjoyed speaking with Ms. Czerneda, Asti, Ana, and Rachel Noel (@Silelda & Purple Owl Reviews)! It was during this part of the convo, I expressed my desire to carry forward into December the posts I was unable to contribute during the last fortnight of SFN: 2014! I was happily surprised to find others were in agreement; November for whichever reason had become a bit of a quagmire for a lot of us, and I was not the only one wanting to extend the celebrations!
*I received a bit of a surprise whilst getting the link for Rachel Noel’s blog! (read: 2014 Thanks) I have always appreciated the randomness to my conversations with Rachel Noel on Twitter & I had always meant to expand our connection by visiting her blog. To see my name listed as a part of a note of gratitude of whom gave her the most joy and support in 2014 was simply an unexpected blessing to discover. Our lives touch each other in ways we do not always realise have an impact that gives us all a boost when we need it most. I can attest the same in return! Read More
Posted Monday, 1 December, 2014 by jorielov in #IndieWriterMonth, #SciFiReadathon, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Junkie Promotions, Cedar Fort Publishing & Media, ChocLitUK, Contemporary Romance, Cosy Historical Mystery, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Dystopian, Fantasy Fiction, France Book Tours, Go Indie, Hard Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, INSPY Realistic Fiction | Non-Fiction, JKS Communications: Literary Publicity Firm, Jorie Loves A Story Features, Local Libraries | Research Libraries, Memoir, Month9Books, Non-Fiction, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Realistic Fiction, Romance Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Royal Social Media, Sci-Fi November, Science Fiction, Seventh Star Press, SFN Bingo, Small Towne Fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Steampunk, Sweet Romance, Time Travel, TLC Book Tours, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, Western Fiction
