Tag: Christina Courtenay

Indie Writer Month (#IndieWriterMonth)| a special focus on Jorie Loves A Story during November & December 2014!

Posted Saturday, 1 November, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 0 Comments

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I have always had a strong passion for the world of Indies (book shoppes & authors), yet despite all my best efforts to seek out stories published through alternative publishing platforms such as: Independent Publishers & Presses, Self-Published routes (such as POD or otherwise) or even Hybrid Publishing Platforms I found the availability of where they are adverted and spoken about to be a bit limiting prior to becoming a book blogger who became active in the book blogosphere, the book culture in the twitterverse, and a hostess for blog book tours via blog book touring firms and companies.

I had the the pleasure of seeing other bookish bloggers and writers take up the quest to host book spotlights and author features on their blogs leading up to Autumn 2014. I was partially inspired to host my own event as much as shine a light on the fact I read an incredible amount of Indie fiction on a regular basis now! I am always humbled and blessed to have my path cross with authors whose stories not only enchant my mind but they endear my soul. I love the diversity of the stories themselves as much as the love of the craft knitted into their pages.

I cannot wait to share all the lovely posts I am writing which will highlight all the lovely books on my Riffle List which compliments this event! Be sure to watch my Twitter Feeds for announcements & reading tweets whilst I walk through November with a thankfulness of Indie Fiction!

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JLAS Features in Conjunction to #IndieWriterMonth:
  • #IndieWriterMonth Bingo Card Challenge for an Indie Reader
  • This ChocLit Girl has a ChocLit Next Reads List | Why I love Reading ChocLitUK novels
  • Upcoming 2015 Indie New Releases Wicked Happy About
  • Top Indie Children’s Lit: the stories for young readers & young adults
  • Top Indie Speculative Fiction: stories within science fiction, fantasy, & horror
  • Top 10 Favourite Indie Sci-Fi & Fantasy Novels & Writers
  • Top Indie Historical Fiction: stories brought forward out of time itself
  • Top 20 Under-appreciated Indie Novelists
  • Top Favourite Indie Publishers & Presses
  • Next Indie Books to Read on my Bookshelf
  • Next Indie Books to Read via my local library
  • Indie Novels I am Reviewing in December
  • Stories Seeking Love from Readers: the Indie novels spotlight
  • Surprises still to come! :)

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| Calendar of Book Reviews & Author Guest Features |

THIS SCHEDULE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION : PLEASE READ NOTE!

{ titles in purple are cross-referenced/promoted via Sci Fi November }

Mondays:

(3 Nov) LIVE Author Q&A Piercing the Veil series by C.A. Gray (YA Sci-Fantasy)

(10 Nov) Book Review “Invincible” by C.A. Gray (YA Sci-Fantasy)

(17 Nov) Book Review “The Spoils of Avalon” by Mary F. Burns
(Cosy Historical Mystery : HFVBT)

(TBA Nov) Author Interview with Mary F. Burns

(24 Nov) #ChocLitSaturdays Book Review “Dance Until Dawn” by Berni Stevens
(Paranormal (Vampire) Romance)

(24 Nov) Book Review “Impossibe” by C.A. Gray (YA Sci-Fantasy)

(29 Nov) Series Showcase Spotlight “Piercing the Veil” by C.A. Gray (YA Sci-Fantasy)

Tuesdays:

(4 Nov) Author Interview Marcia DeSanctis “100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go” (#FranceBT)

(18 Nov) Series Spotlight w/ Cover Reveal & Author Q&A of Coming Home Series
by Brenda S. Anderson (Realistic Fiction | Inspirational Romance)

Wednesdays:

(5 Nov) Book Review “King of the Mutants” by Samantha Vérant (#Month9Books : MG Fantasy)

(12 Nov) Book Review “The Vineyard” by Michael Hurley (TLCBookTours)

(19 Nov) Book Review “French Twist” by Glynis Astie (French Romance)

(19 Nov) Audiobook Novella Review of “Dragons of Unrest” by Anthony Russo (Dragon Fiction)

(19 Nov) Author Q&A with Anthony Russo

(26 Nov) Book Review “Seldom Come By” by Sherryl Caulfield (Historical Fiction : HFVBT)

(26 Nov) Author Interview with Sherryl Caulfield

(26 Nov) Book Review “Portals, Passages, and Pathways” by B.R. Maul (YA Fantasy)

Thursdays:

(6 Nov) Book Review “100 Places in France Every Woman Should Go” by Marcia DeSanctis  (#FranceBT)

(13 Nov) Book Review “Fade to Back” by Sue Duff (YA Sci-Fantasy)

(20 Nov) Book Review “Sinking Down” by E. Chris Garrison (Urban/Paranormal Fantasy)

(20 Nov) “Softly Falling” by Carla Kelly (Historical Fiction)

(27 Nov) Book Review “A Home for Christmas” Novella Anthology by MK McKintock
(Historical Fiction : HFVBT)

(27 Nov) Author Interview with MK McKintock

(27 Nov) Book Review: “Crown of Dust” by Mary Volmer (Historical Fiction)

Fridays:

(14 Nov) Book Review & Author Interview “Like There’s No Tomorrow” by Camille Eide
(Sweet Romance)

(21 Nov) Book Review “French Toast” by Glynis Astie (French Romance)

(28 Nov) “Lila’s Choice” by Laura Brown (Equality in Lit / Contemporary Romance)

Saturdays:

(1 Nov) #ChocLitSaturdays Chat Fairy-Tales in Fiction | After Canons/Re-tellings

(15 Nov) #ChocLitSaturdays Book Review “A Stitch in Time” by Amanda James  (Time Travel)

(18 Nov) Book Review “Time and Again” by Deborah Heal (Time Travel)

(22 Nov) #ChocLitSaturdays Book Review “Somewhere Beyond the Sea” by Amanda James (Romantic Suspense)

(22 Nov) Book Review “I, Walter” by Mike Hartner (Historical Fiction)

(22 Nov) Author Interview with Mike Hartner

(22 Nov) Book Review “Unclaimed Legacy” by Deborah Heal (Time Travel)

(29 Nov) #ChocLitSaturdays Book Review “Up Close” by Henriette Gyland (Romantic Suspense)

(25 Nov) Book Review “Every Hill and Mountain by Deborah Heal (Time Travel)

(29 Nov) SPECIAL SHOWCASE: History Mystery Serial Overview w/ Author Interview

Sundays:

(9 Nov) Book Review “Becoming Beauty” by Sarah E. Boucher (Fairy-tale Re-Telling)

(16 Nov) Book Review “A Holiday Miracle in Apple Blossom” by June McCrary Jacobs
(Sweet Romance)

(16 Nov) Author Interview with June McCrary Jacobs

(16 Nov) Book Review “Category 5” by Paul Mark Tag (Science Fiction based on Science Fact Thriller)

(23 Nov) Book Review “Prophecy” by Paul Mark Tag  (Science Fiction based on Science Fact Thriller)

(30 Nov) Book Review “White Thaw: The Helheim Conspiracy” by Paul Mark Tag
(Science Fiction based on Science Fact Thriller)

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In recognition of my participation in the reading challenge:

Go Indie 2014 Reading Challenge

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This post kicks off my event on behalf of:

#IndieWriterMonth Blog Feature of Jorie Loves A Story, badge created by Jorie in Canva#IndieWriterMonth Take 2 (December) badge created by Jorie in Canva

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Reader Interactive Question:

Share your thoughts on Indie Pub | Press; Self Pub and Hybrid published authors of whom you’ve felt such a strong connection to you wish you could find more readers to share in the joy of the stories which captured your imagination & your heart.

{SOURCES: Poster for #IndieWriterMonth on Jorie Loves A Story created by Jorie in Canva. Badge for #IndieWriterMonth (November & December) on Jorie Loves A Story created by Jorie in Canva. Post dividers badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Riffle List embedded due to codes provided by Riffle.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Saturday, 1 November, 2014 by jorielov in #IndieWriterMonth, Jorie Loves A Story

+Book Review+ The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay via #ChocLitSaturdays

Posted Saturday, 28 June, 2014 by jorielov , , , 4 Comments

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#ChocLitSaturdays | a feature exclusive to Jorie Loves A Story

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 honestly written characters 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!

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The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina CourtenayThe Silent Touch of Shadows

by Christina Courtenay

Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #TheSilentTouchOfShadows

Genre(s): Fiction | Romance | Historical| 

Time Slip | Suspense

Published by: ChocLitUK, 15 March, 2013

Available Formats:

Paperback, Audiobook, Large Print & E-Book

Series: Shadows of the Past, No.1 | Page Count: 356

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Acquired Book By: I am a regular reviewer for ChocLitUK, where I hand select which books in either their backlist and/or current releases that I would like to read next for my #ChocLitSaturdays blog feature. I have a weakness for time slips because I love seeing how each individual author handles the story arc as much as bringing the characters into a compelling thread of thought and time. I received a complimentary copy of The Silent Touch of Shadows from ChocLit via IPM (International Publisher’s Marketing) in exchange for an honest review! I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Intriqued to Read:

I must confess, I am positively addicted to the notions of time travel and time slip between dimensions of history! There is something to be said to slip in and out of realities, embarking on adventures where time itself can not hold you. One of my favourite examples in film is “Kate and Leopold” due to the brilliance of how they chose to keep the ‘time’ in tact for each setting the characters moved forward and backwards inside! This particular one drew my eye as I am an amateur ancestry historian following in the footsteps of my Mum! There is such a joy in being able to knit the pieces together of your ancestral past – although, more times than naught, the surprising threads you discover leave you rather pensive! This appears to be a question of reincarnated soul mates, struggling to find each other in the present who were not able to be together in the past! Smashing!

On my Connection to Ms. Courtenay:

When I began reading this novel, in early May I had only hosted one or two #ChocLitSaturdays chats which were at the time becoming one of my favourite ‘hours’ on Saturday mornings! I was starting to look forward to the hour to arrive, and the joy of discovering ‘who’ would be there was half the bliss for me! 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 #ChocLitSaturdays the chat; 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.

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Book Synopsis: 

What will it take to put the past to rest? Professional genealogist Melissa Grantham receives an invitation to visit her family’s ancestral home, Ashleigh Manor. From the moment she arrives, life-like dreams and visions haunt her. The spiritual connection to a medieval young woman and her forbidden lover have her questioning her sanity, but Melissa is determined to solve the mystery.

Jake Precy, owner of a nearby cottage, has disturbing dreams too, but it’s not until he meets Melissa that they begin to make sense. He hires her to research his family’s history, unaware their lives are already entwined. Is the mutual attraction real or the result of ghostly interference?

A haunting love story set partly in the present and partly in fifteenth century Kent.

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Author Biography:

Christina CourtenayChristina lives in 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 AwardHighland Storms (in 2012) and The Gilded Fan (in 2014) won the Best 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.

Unless my eyes belie me, I do believe “The Silent Touch of Shadows” is the topmost book in the stack of books underneath Ms. Courtenay’s hands! I wondered when I first saw this if “The Secret Kiss of Darkness” was the one on the bottom!? As that would be quite clever as I am reading both during #ChocLitSaturdays!

A longer & more engrossing biography is on her website.

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Posted Saturday, 28 June, 2014 by jorielov in 15th Century, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, Britian, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, London, Magical Realism, Modern British Literature, Paranormal Romance, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Romance Fiction, Time Slip, Time Travel Romance, Vulgarity in Literature

#ChocLitSaturdays | An Update & an Announcement! Schedule of upcoming events!

Posted Friday, 16 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

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Four Saturdays ago tomorrow, I launched a compliment tweetchat to coincide with my blog feature #ChocLitSaturdays! I kept the name intact, as it is through my readings of ChocLitUK novels I was inspired to create the weekly Saturday chat in the first place! I wanted to have this wickedly open forum for talking about Romance as a genre and as an enjoyable branch of literature in which we (those of us who enter the chat) can celebrate! I wanted it to start as a discussion based on the thematic inside a ChocLit novel but expand out & away from ChocLit novels at the same time so that it organically flows and sustains itself on its own merits. I believe I have accomplished this in the short time I have been hosting! I also am celebrating the moments where we talk about tea & chocolate as well, as those are two dear components to me! Even if of late I am consuming copious amounts of coffee! Laughs with mirth!

I wanted to take a proper moment to make an Announcement about tomorrow’s chat as much as explain what to expect in forthcoming weeks for #ChocLitSaturdays!

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On Saturday, 17th of May, 2014 in recognition that nearly every ChocLit author who adores dropping in on #ChocLitSaturdays (the chat!), is happily attending the #RT2014 Book Convention in New Orleans,…  I am not going to feature any particular ChocLit novel as I had previously scheduled the following sequence of novels to be discussed & featured:

#ChocLitSaturdays Collage of Upcoming ChocLit Book Reviews

  • 3 May, 2014 – Flight to Coorah Creek by Janet Gover
  • 10 May, 2014 – The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay
  • 17 May, 2014 – The Road Back by Liz Harris
  • 24 May, 2014 – Romancing the Soul by Sarah Tranter
  • 31 May, 2014 – The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

As you may have already surmised and noticed, my schedule has been off-kilter since May started, and despite all my best intentions I have not been able to properly ‘catch’ myself up on reviewing the books ahead of the weekly chat threaded through Twubs. Each week I make steady progress, but as I had booked blog tours in-between the Saturdays, and with a limited time to read my readings were growing thin to accomplish everything I had originally set out to do! My only blessing, as my guilt on failing to publish the reviews has been quite intense is that I have the ability to schedule the book reviews as they are able to be written on my own time-clock. For this I am thankful to ChocLit for giving their reviewers flexibility for when their personal lives take center-stage and their blogging life takes a backseat!

April by far was a difficult month for my family and I to shift through, and by the time May arrived I was still finding my attention less on books and blogging than I had hoped. In fact, I was taking longer absences from weekly tweetchats and from posting to Twitter. I longed to get back into the groove with my readings and with my blog posts, but sometimes, when life intercedes you have to realise not only what is more important but even the best intentions have to be altered if time does not allow you the option to make up the time you lost. Therefore, this Saturday is going to be an open chat option for everyone who attends. I will get the ball rolling and look forward to seeing where our chat takes us! And, as far as my ChocLit novel book reviews!? They are already in-progress! Read More

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Posted Friday, 16 May, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Jorie Loves A Story, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event

#BoutOfBooks 10.0 : Personal Goals & Motivations | M.J. Rose’s historical suspense series & Review Books focused on Romance!

Posted Monday, 12 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Bout of Books

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!

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Personal Goals and Motivations:

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  • 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!

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Read More

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Posted Monday, 12 May, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Discussions, Bout of Books, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Debut Author, Debut Novel, Gothic Literature, Historical Fiction, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Historical Romance, Historical Thriller Suspense, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Library Love, Paranormal Romance, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Reincarnation, Romance Fiction, Seventh Star Press, Small Towne Fiction, Street Team for Author, Suspense, Time Slip, Tomorrow Comes Media, Tudor Era

+Author Guest Post+ Enquiring about time slips and their unique style of story-telling on behalf of ChocLit author Christina Courtenay!

Posted Saturday, 10 May, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Christina Courtenay

Proposed Topic: Having visited with you on The Word Wenches in February, I am aware of the fact that time slips are your favourite stories to become wrapped up inside. How do you approach writing a time slip and allowing the reader to alight inside a story which is half hinged in two separate time settings? What do you feel is the greatest challenge in presenting both eras with a visceral presence for the reader?

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The Silent Touch of Shadows by Christina Courtenay

 Book Synopsis: 

What will it take to put the past to rest? Professional genealogist Melissa Grantham receives an invitation to visit her family’s ancestral home, Ashleigh Manor. From the moment she arrives, life-like dreams and visions haunt her. The spiritual connection to a medieval young woman and her forbidden lover have her questioning her sanity, but Melissa is determined to solve the mystery.

Jake Precy, owner of a nearby cottage, has disturbing dreams too, but it’s not until he meets Melissa that they begin to make sense. He hires her to research his family’s history, unaware their lives are already entwined. Is the mutual attraction real or the result of ghostly interference?

A haunting love story set partly in the present and partly in fifteenth century Kent.

The Secret Kiss of Darkness by Christina Courtenay

Book Synopsis: 

Must forbidden love end in heartbreak?

Kayla Sinclair knows she’s in big trouble when she almost bankrupts herself to buy a life-size portrait of a mysterious eighteenth century man at an auction.

Jago Kerswell, innkeeper and smuggler, knows there is danger in those stolen moments with Lady Eliza Marcombe, but he’ll take any risk to be with her.

Over two centuries separate Kayla and Jago, but, when Kayla’s jealous fiancé presents her with an ultimatum, and Jago and Eliza’s affair is tragically discovered, their lives become inextricably linked thanks to a gypsy’s spell.

Kayla finds herself on a quest that could heal the past, but what she cannot foresee is the danger in her own future.

Will Kayla find heartache or happiness?

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Q. How do you approach writing a time slip and allowing the reader to alight inside a story which is half hinged in two separate time settings?

A. First of all you have to have something that connects the two time periods, and authors use a lot of different devices to achieve that. It can be that the heroine in the present finds the diary of an ancestor, for example, or stumbles across an ancient family secret – perhaps told to her by an older relative. Or the heroine in the present can see (and hear) a ghost or somehow become connected to an ancestor or someone in the past via dreams, past life regression (usually done with hypnotherapy) or some other paranormal manner. I’ve read stories where the connection was through an object, like a mirror or a piece of jewellery. And in my novel The Silent Touch of Shadows I used the fact that the heroine was a genealogist in order for her to piece together the life on an ancestor through the old documents she finds. There is also a ghost, but he doesn’t actually tell her anything about the past, he is just the catalyst that sets her off on her quest to find out what happened to him.

As he’s been a ghost for over 600 years, the heroine wonders (as would I!) why his soul would stay in the same place for so long and she figures it’s because he has unfinished business, which can be the case in these stories as well. Often, it is something evil (or an evil person’s soul) which has lived on because it is still seeking revenge or wanting to continue to do horrible things, and that can work very well as a plot device too. In the case of my book, it’s not the spirit who is evil, but what was done to him that prevents him from finding eternal rest.

Once you have the connection with the past, you can start to write the two stories and try to weave them together. I don’t usually find this all that difficult really because I have both plot strands in my mind at the same time and I know how I want them to intertwine. The only problem lies in making the transition between the two as smooth as possible each time so that the reader can follow them easily and not be jolted out of the story.

Q. What do you feel is the greatest challenge in presenting both eras with a visceral presence for the reader?

A. It is a challenge to keep the reader engaged in both stories without losing interest or forgetting what was happening. I try to alternate the sections so that they are not too long, and thereby hopefully the plot strands will be fresh in the readers’ mind. As the author, you have to remember which section you’re working on and make sure that you get the language absolutely right – you can’t use writing with a more historical ‘feel’ in the scenes set in the present and vice versa. For the historical parts you have to remember not to use words that hadn’t been invented at that time, whereas for the scenes in the present you have to be careful not to sound too old-fashioned. One way of doing that would be to write each story separately and combine them afterwards, but that doesn’t work for me so I just have to try and switch mindset for each section.

I do love the time slip format because I’m fascinated by the idea that our souls might live on somehow after we pass away, and although I’m terrified of ghosts, at the same time it is a comforting thought that life could go on in some form. Part of the fun of this genre is that anything goes – the author can invent ways of showing the reader (and the hero/heroine too) that there is life after death. I always like stories where good triumphs over evil, so I’m sure that’s part of every novel I write.

I also like time slips because you get the best of two (or even three!) genres – historical and contemporary, sometimes with the paranormal added. That makes them less likely to feel identical to something else you’ve read recently and most time slip authors have their own take on the genre so they vary a lot.

Some authors, like Susanna Kearsley, weave in lots of history in a truly effortless way so that you are learning along with the heroine in the present. That, for me, is wonderful! And others, like Barbara Erskine, add seriously chilling aspects, making them more akin to ghost stories or even horror, so yet again this is different. Although she has also taught me a lot about history, especially the Romans and the Celts in Britain.

In my latest time slip novel, The Secret Kiss of Darkness, I took a more light-hearted approach and created a hero whose soul is trapped in a painting by means of a gypsy’s curse. I would love to know if readers find it as easy to suspend disbelief with a story line like that rather than a more traditional ghost story? Personally, I don’t mind and am happy to go along with whatever an author comes up with – I just love the time slip genre whichever way it’s done!

Many thanks for having me as your guest!

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Author Connections:

Personal Site | Blog | Facebook | Twitter

Converse via: #TheSilentTouchOfShadows & #TheSecretKissOfDarkness

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As you were relaying the keystone characteristics of ‘time slips’ used in fictional stories as a method of telling one particular story with elements of the paranormal as much as parapsychology, I found myself rather bemused by the fact that despite knowing the ‘tricks of the trade’ to insert the dialogue and story into a reader’s mind — I am never found in want or need to be tricked nor entertained. The writers I have been blessed to read and/or watch if on the level I am watching a motion picture with the same story threads as the novels; convey their stories in such a way as to distort reality with a gentle hand. They have a way of allowing us to believe the intangible and improbable as to give us a footing on solid ground when there should be nothing but air! I love how we can take that leap of faith with the writer and peer into their world in which their characters are set to explore! It is quite a heap of fun truly, to go between two distinct time periods and see how true the writer kept to each whilst never deterring from the heart of the story they are telling at the same time.

You mentioned one bit that was most curious and I tend to agree with you: most hauntings are not about ghosts bent towards evil but rather there are circumstances in their lives which took an evil tilt. I oft wonder if a lot of the lost souls who are still wandering and seeking are truly lost or if they are hoping to find someone who can unravell the missing bits of truth needed to find peace? I loved in your Acknowledgements for In The Silent Touch of Shadows,you had relayed visiting a haunted house but were ever so blessed the ghost gave you a wide birth! I tend to agree with you again in this regard, as although I am open to the fact there is much we have little understanding of between the veils of the worlds, I too, believe I might be pushed a bit past my envelope of what I could accept if a ghost simply walked up to me, sat down, and asked to chat over tea! Oy.

So much of our lives are lived on faith and the hope of what has yet to become revealed to us, and in that, we are left with not only unanswered questions and curiosities, but a lot of theories about what will come next and where we shall find ourselves. I think part of the joy in being a writer is not only exploring what keeps our curiosity healthy whilst we are alive, but to impart a bit of what implores us to remain open to ideas and situations that take us outside our zones of familiarity and comfort. Reading opens the horizons to uncharted realms of plausibility but writing endeavours us to encompass everything we understand and everything we have yet to conceive possible. I love the ability to create everything from nothing and to explore how far nothingness can take us if we are willing to make the connection from our heart to our imagination. Imagination is truly the key which unlocks the mysteries of where our pen wants to lead us.

I commend you for being able to write in both a modern vernacular and in a historical one, as I tend to be a hybrid of both on a regular basis out of my pure zest for Old English expressions and words in which are not always as relevant today as they were in yesteryear. Susanna Kearsley is on my TBR List, as I spotlighted one of her novels in my Autumn Top Ten Tuesday Lists of books which whet an interest to delve into whereas with Barbara Erskine I am in need of researching her books! I love the recommendation, as I can never run out of possible next reads!

I shall be able to answer your last question in regards to The Secret Kiss of Darkness, after I have had the pleasure of soaking into its covers! I have elected to read it last from my latest ChocLit offerings to savour the fact I enjoyed winning it from my visit with the Wenches! It was quite a delightful keepsake from such a lovely afternoon of conversation and sharing about a mutual love of time slips! I tend to be a bird of the same feather as you though, as no matter how a writer chooses to tell their tale, if I can make a connection to the characters and story, I am seriously in love with the experience they give me through their choices!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

I’d like to thank Ms. Courtenay for providing such a wonderful explanation of how she approaches time slip fiction and what motivates her to continue to explore the thematic as she pens her stories! What a wonderful discovery to find an author who is as in tune with this curious branch of literature as much as I am attempting to become myself! The full scope of this Guest Post was in part due to my visit with The Word Wenches whereupon I learnt a bit more about their individual attachments to the time slip phenom as much as how Ms. Courtenay appreciated it herself. I wanted to expand a bit on that lovely experience and give a bit more insight to my readers who might be curious about time slips and find themselves wanting to explore authors & stories set inside this unique setting!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This Author Guest Post is courtesy of ChocLitUK,

ChocLitUK Reviewercheck out my upcoming bookish event and mark your calendars!

Previously I have had the honour of

reviewing & showcasing guest posts by ChocLit Authors!

My book review of “The Silent Touch of Shadows” & “Flight to Coorah Creek” post before Saturday, 17th! And, “The Secret Kiss of Darkness” shall round out this batch of ChocLit novels which have alighted in my reading life on 7th of June! I do apologise for the absence I have given on behalf of my book reviews & archives of #ChocLitSaturdays chats as I was dealing with personal stress which took me away from my blog life for a short bit of time.

#ChocLitSaturdays | a feature exclusive to Jorie Loves A Story

Don’t forget : #ChocLitSaturdays has expanded to include a weekly chat via http://twubs.com/choclitsaturdays! Stay around at 11am EST | 8am PST | 4pm UK | 1am Australia for a lovely spontaneous conversation about ‘time slips’ & “The Silent Touch of Shadows”! All romance booklovers are welcome to join in on the joy of our conversations! Remember to login via Twubs with your regular Twitter account! Do not look like a ‘penguin’ as tweets will not go to Twitter! I look forward to seeing you in convo on Twubs OR in these comment threads!

{NOTE: Similar to blog tours, when I feature a showcase for an author via a Guest Post, Q&A, Interview, etc., I do not receive compensation for featuring supplemental content on my blog.}

{SOURCES: Author photograph, Author Biography, Book Synopsises, Book Covers, and ChocLit Reviewer badge were provided by ChocLitUK and were used by permission. Jorie requested an Author Guest Post from Christina Courtenay through ChocLitUK of which she received a reply. She wanted to expand her knowledge of how one writer approaches the art of writing stories with time slips. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs. Jorie Loves A Story badge created by Ravven with edits by Jorie in FotoFlexer. #ChocLitSaturdays collage was created by Jorie in PicMonkey. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Saturday, 10 May, 2014 by jorielov in 15th Century, 21st Century, Blog Tour Host, Bookish Discussions, ChocLitSaturdays, ChocLitUK, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, Indie Author, Magical Realism, Paranormal Romance, Parapsychological Suspense, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Romance Fiction, Time Slip, Time Travel Romance