Tag: Hachette Book Group Inc.

ISBN: 9781455565948

on 6th September, 2016

Pages: 352

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Hardcover, Audiobook & Ebook

The Father Christmas Series includes:

Finding Father Chistmas

Engaging Father Christmas

Kissing Father Christmas (Synopsis)

Converse via: #INSPYbooks, #ChristmasReads

About Robin Jones Gunn

Robin Jones Gunn has written 82 books over the past 25 years, with almost 4.5 million copies sold worldwide. She received a Christy Award for her novel Sisterchicks in Gondolas, and speaks at events around the US and Canada as well as in South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia.

Photo Credit: Ross Gunn III

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

#WYChristmasReadathon

Posted Sunday, 20 November, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Blog Tour Host, Christianity, Christmas Romance &/or Holiday Story, Contemporary Romance, England, FaithWords, Family Life, Inheritance & Identity, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Modern Day, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Romance Fiction, Single Mothers, Spirituality & Metaphysics, When Calls the Heart

Non-Fiction Book Review | “My Underground American Dream” by Julissa Arce

Posted Saturday, 12 November, 2016 by jorielov Center Street, Hachette Book Group Inc., Julissa Arce, My Underground American Dream 0 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, I started by reviewing two releases by FaithWords, their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been blessed to start reviewing for them.

I received a complimentary copy of “My Underground American Dream” direct from the publisher Center Street (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I have wanted to read this memoir ever since I first heard about it:

I am growing more interested in reading human interest stories, memoirs and select biographies or autobiographies whilst I also find certain topics and subjects in Science are the ones I am enjoying the most to read and discover. When I first saw this release was upcoming this Autumn, I knew I wanted to read it because it was almost as if our current events and the news had converged on this release to bring to light an ongoing topic of narrative about something that affects so many people living in America today.

I had seen a documentary about Latinos living in California and part of the documentary shifted to reflect that some of the families on-camera were currently undocumented. I felt perhaps they should have been featured as I knew their status is always in jeopardy but also, they have so much they have to face everyday, why put their safety at risk by being in a documentary? I never forgot that particular news feature I had seen within the past year. It was more about culture and art than it was about undocumented immigrants, but still, it had highlighted the issue to an level of insight where you could gather how difficult it was to live with a secret which could affect you so very dearly.

I wasn’t sure what I would find inside – as until I saw the release was pending, I honestly had not heard of Ms Arce’s story. I thought it was interesting how her status changed and how she found success in one of the hardest finance districts – there was an interesting story there awaiting my eyes – that much I knew for sure! It became one of my most anticipated #nextreads and one that I was thankful I had a chance to review for Center Street.

My Underground American Dream
Subtitle: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant who became a Wallstreet Executive

What does an undocumented immigrant look like? What kind of family must she come from? How could she get into this country? What is the true price she must pay to remain in the United States?

JULISSA ARCE knows firsthand that the most common, preconceived answers to those questions are sometimes far too simple-and often just plain wrong.

On the surface, Arce's story reads like a how-to manual for achieving the American dream: growing up in an apartment on the outskirts of San Antonio, she worked tirelessly, achieved academic excellence, and landed a coveted job on Wall Street, complete with a six-figure salary. The level of professional and financial success that she achieved was the very definition of the American dream. But in this brave new memoir, Arce digs deep to reveal the physical, financial, and emotional costs of the stunning secret that she, like many other high-achieving, successful individuals in the United States, had been forced to keep not only from her bosses, but even from her closest friends.

From the time she was brought to this country by her hardworking parents as a child, Arce-the scholarship winner, the honors college graduate, the young woman who climbed the ladder to become a vice president at Goldman Sachs-had secretly lived as an undocumented immigrant. In this surprising, at times heart-wrenching, but always inspirational personal story of struggle, grief, and ultimate redemption, Arce takes readers deep into the little-understood world of a generation of undocumented immigrants in the United States today- people who live next door, sit in your classrooms, work in the same office, and may very well be your boss. By opening up about the story of her successes, her heartbreaks, and her long-fought journey to emerge from the shadows and become an American citizen, Arce shows us the true cost of achieving the American dream-from the perspective of a woman who had to scale unseen and unimaginable walls to get there.

Places to find the book:

ISBN: 9781455540242

on 13th September, 2016

Pages: 304

Published by: CenterStreet (@centerstreet)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Hardcover, Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #NonFiction + #CurrentEvents

About Julissa Arce

JULISSA ARCE is a writer, speaker, and social-justice advocate. She is the cofounder and chairman of the Ascend Educational Fund, a college scholarship and mentorship program that assists immigrant students, regardless of their immigration status, ethnicity, or national origin. Julissa is also a board member for the National Immigration Law Center and for College Spring. Prior to becoming an advocate, she built a successful career on Wall Street, working at Goldman Sachs and Merrill Lynch.

Photo Credit: Vincent Remini

Posted Saturday, 12 November, 2016 by jorielov in 21st Century, Balance of Faith whilst Living, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, Debut Author, Equality In Literature, Father-Daughter Relationships, Immigrant Stories, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life in Another Country, Memoir, Modern Day, Multi-cultural Characters and/or Honest Representations of Ethnicity, Non-Fiction, Political Narrative & Modern Topics, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Siblings, Social Change, Tattoo Art & Design, Vignettes of Real Life

Book Spotlight | “Between Sisters” by Cathy Kelly Jorie starts a convo about how reading certain stories can be affected by certain (emotional) triggers.

Posted Thursday, 22 September, 2016 by jorielov Between Sisters, Cathy Kelly, Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Book Group Inc. 2 Comments

Acquired Book By: I am a new reviewer for Hachette Books and their imprints, I started by reviewing releases by FaithWords (the novels of Stephanie Grace Whitson), their INSPY (Inspirational Fiction) imprint of releases focusing on uplifting and spiritual stories which are a delight to read whilst engaging your mind in life affirming and heart-centered stories. I found Hachette via Edelweiss at the conclusion of [2015] and have been blessed to start reviewing for them.

I received a complimentary copy of “Between Sisters” direct from the publisher Grand Central Publishing (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in consideration for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

On selecting “Between Sisters”:

After I reviewed “Two Across”, I was given a few choices of upcoming releases from which to select which books I might be interested in reading. This particular title stood out to me on several fronts – as I truly love reading Women’s Fiction which seeks to have a strong dramatic core of heart as much as I love reading stories set outside my country. I do not oft get the chance to pick up an Irish novel and as the country is part of my ancestral past, it is one that holds my literary curiosity!

This is my first reading of Irish novelist Cathy Kelly, as I was quite excited about reading my first story by Ms Kelly as I was hoping it would lead to more readings of her novels. What I had foreseen going into the novel was a story that was fused by sisterhood friendships, shared memories and the highs/lows of how life can be both wicked exhilarating or move us through a series of life lessons where our personal growth is both tested and renewed. However, I was not quite prepared for how the novel opened, which is why instead of reviewing this novel, I wanted to open my post to a discussion about how sometimes the stories we seek out to read are sometimes the ones we have an inability to connect too.

I am thankful to the publicist at Grand Central who understood where I was coming from in regards to not being able to read this novel, but also, that I wanted to spotlight the novel to my readers whilst giving the explanation about what caused me to step out of the story.

Between Sisters

Meet the women of Delaney Gardens, a bustling suburban village in the outer reaches of Dublin. There's Cassie, who's spent her married life doing everything right for her children, husband, and mother-in-law, yet feels so exhausted that "wine o'clock" comes a littler earlier each afternoon.

There's her sister Coco, who runs a vintage dress shop, but has avoided the complications of romantic commitment. Watching over them is their grandmother Pearl, who, despite caring deeply for her family, is contending with a long-buried secret. And then there's Elsa, the polished face of daytime TV, who's triumphed over demons before, but is now facing her toughest battle yet. At every crossroad these women face, readers are taken deeper into the heart of what it means to be a family.

Places to find the book:

ISBN: 9781455540853

on 9th August, 2016

Length: 870

Pages: 464

Published by: Grand Central Publishing (@GrandCentralPub)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks)

Formats Available: Trade Paperback, Audiobook and Ebook

Converse via: #IrishFiction & #WomensFiction

+ use these two in combo: #Contemporary #Romance

Read an inspiring article on Cathy Kelly from Irish Central (about Between Sisters)

About Cathy Kelly

Cathy Kelly is published around the world, with millions of copies of her books in print. A #1 bestseller in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, she is one of Ireland's best-loved storytellers. Kelly lives with her husband, their young twin sons, and three dogs in County Wicklow, Ireland.

Photo Credit: Barry McCall

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Posted Thursday, 22 September, 2016 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Spotlight, Grand Central Publishing, Realistic Fiction

Non-Fiction Book Review | “Successful Women of the Bible” by Katara Washington Patton

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov FaithWords, Hachette Book Group Inc., Katara Washington Patton, Successful Series, Successful Women of the Bible 0 Comments

I received a complimentary copy of “Successful Women of the Bible” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I wanted to read Successful Women of the Bible:

I have held an appreciation and curiosity about the women of the Bible for the full of my life; mostly because the women of Biblical times were not regularly spoken about from a biographical approach. Most of the stories shared when I was growing up in Sunday School were a bit on the boring side of the ledger to be honest – my teachers had limited knowledge, lacked curiosity of their own, and did not visually bring the women of the Bible to life for me.

I was a seeker of stories from a very young age – and the incredible thing for me growing up was how the stories of who lived during Biblical times was not as represented as the facts. Sunday School and regular education outlets held one commonality that frustrated me: the preference of knowledge and learning was about fact remembering rather than developing a knowledge of history through the perspectives of those who lived and held within their lives a well of stories waiting to be told.

I have found as I grew older, there are certain Biblical fiction authors who either take a Contemporary or Historical point-of-view to help guide us as lay readers to better understand the women (and yes, the men too!) who walked before us. They re-envision their stories through the grace of living through a character’s shoes as told through novels, allowing the breadth of their lives to be explored. -quoted from my review of Scripture Princesses

For these reasons, I’ve been mindful of compiling a list of Biblical Historical Fiction authors I want to seek out towards this vein of interest but I haven’t progressed very far towards that end, given how the year has panned out. When I saw this book was available to review, I thought how kismet it truly was to be available as it was threading through an on-going pursuit of mine to seek out women of the Bible of whom I could re-focus on through Historicals whilst gaining entreaty into who the women were when they had lived. Truly, I have found my niche of focus in Biographical Historicals, as each time I step inside one of those novels, I find my mind is happily alive with the era, the setting and the people who lived such incredible lives – from the ordinary to the Royal Courts to the unknown heroes and heroines who shaped History itself. I love the diversity of the choices but also the breadth of what is being written into their context! I suspect I shall not be disappointed when I start to cross-read my way through the Biblical Historical past as well!

Previously, I was learning about a few women who crossed over into this book with blessedly a lot of lovely women I did not know too much about until I read Ms Patton’s words. The ones who previously left an impact on me were: Rachel & Leah, Ruth & Naomi, and Mary Magdalene. The latter of whom I think has had her story told seven ways to Sunday since she lived, as both Ms Greenwood and Ms Patton presented equally different accounts of her life from the one I have grown up with myself. I am unsure if this is a difference in denominational backgrounds (as I am a non-LDS Protestant; whereas Ms Greenwood is LDS) or if perhaps, some people of the Bible simply have a story that has been told by so many different people it is a bit like playing a modern day ‘telephone’ game. Wherein for each person who speaks the known truth (to them) to another (of whom shares it); somewhere along the way it becomes a bit disconnected from the original version? Either that, are no one truly knew so many different versions of her story was being told?! It is a quandary!

Personally, as I have always held a close appreciation for Mary Magdalene, I’ve kept the first story I was told on her behalf closest to my heart, whilst allowing a few new bits of information to be added as additional layers. As you move into my review you’ll see which women truly stood out to me and why their impact left a special smile on my heart! As this is a continuing journal of sorts of a reader seeking out the women of the Bible of whom are happily celebrated for the lives they lived and the wisdom that is continuously being passed down each generation who gets to know of them.

Successful Women of the Bible
Subtitle: Esther, Deborah, Miriam, Hagar, Mary, Martha, Eunice, Lois, Pricilla, Mary Magdalene, Lydia

The second book in a new series that brings the experiences of favorite Bible characters to challenges of contemporary life.

Contemporary "success" is often defined in financial terms or by number of Twitter followers. But for women of faith, success is so much more. And it turns out the timeless qualities of success are exemplified by women on the pages of their favorite book, the Bible.

Deborah's model leadership is just as relevant today as it was in the age of the Hebrew judges. Esther's courage to stand up for a cause, Miriam's joyful support of others, Priscilla's exemplary partnership skill, Lydia's business acumen, and other characteristics of women in the Bible are embodied in lively storytelling. Busy Christian women--often working and raising a family--crave examples of success.

Here are distilled principles they can use to succeed in today's noisy culture. The lessons of these icons of the faith apply, even in the age of Facebook and Instagram.

Places to find the book:

ISBN: 9781455538850

on 23rd August, 2016

Pages: 160

Published by: FaithWords (@FaithWords)
an imprint of Hachette Book Group, Inc. (@HachetteBooks) via Hachette Nashville

Formats Available: Hardcover, Audiobook & Ebook

The Successful Series includes:

Successful Moms of the Bible (Synopsis)

Successful Leaders of the Bible (Synopsis) *coming January 2017

Converse via: #WomenOfTheBible, #INSPYbooks, #nonfiction, #motivationalbooks

About Katara Washington Patton

KATARA WASHINGTON PATTON has written and edited Christian books for children, teens, and adults and created supplemental materials for books by T.D. Jakes, Beth Moore, and Joyce Meyer. She served as general editor and writer of Aspire: The New Women of Color Study Bible. She holds a M.Div. from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.

Photo Credit: photobyvega

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Posted Sunday, 18 September, 2016 by jorielov in Balance of Faith whilst Living, Biographical Fiction & Non-Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Book Review (non-blog tour), Esther, FaithWords, Lois & Eunice, Mary Magdalene, Miriam, Non-Fiction, Philosophy, Priscilla

Non-Fiction Book Review | “The Full Tank Life: Fuel your dreams, ignite your destiny” by Ben Tankard Find out more about the girl behind the blog whilst seeing how this book inspired her to re-examine where she is on her life’s path.

Posted Sunday, 28 August, 2016 by jorielov Ben Tankard, FaithWords, Hachette Book Group Inc., The Full Tank Life 0 Comments

I received a complimentary copy of “The Full Tank Life” direct from the publisher FaithWords (an imprint of Hachette Book Group Inc.) in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Why I felt reading The Full Tank Life would be a good idea:

I’m not the kind of girl who regularly seeks out ‘self-improvement’ non-fiction releases, as there are some of us who gravitate towards these kinds of books on a regular basis and then there are those of us (like me) who are quite selective in what they are looking towards finding inside them. When I first read the synopsis for The Full Tank Life, I was happily surprised by what Mr Tankard was eluding towards being revealled inside his inspiringly motivating guide towards self-actualising your own destiny.

One of the things I do not regularly share on Jorie Loves A Story is my personal life, as I have become in the habit of separating my personal life with my online life ever since I first started blogging. This doesn’t mean to say I’m not personally revealling certain bits of my life spilt into the book showcases and author interviews I’m featuring on my blog or in convos I’m happily engaging in on the twitterverse,.. it simply means that I found a balance between what I wanted to share on a public platform and what I wanted to keep private. Part of my choice to do this is because I knew one day I would become a published author, and I felt it was best to practice the duality of my reality early-on rather than wait til the day arrived and I was fully unprepared how to tackle being online in a world that craves insta-information on everything!

The reason I am bringing this to your attention, is because like most people in today’s socioeconomic uncertain world of stability and longevity of personal sustainability, my own path has taken it’s fair share of detours towards the realisation of my own personal life goals. Part of the reason I wanted to start my blog Jorie Loves A Story is to firmly take a full step forward into my future by starting to focus on the authors I enjoy reading whilst re-developing my own appreciation for literature. I was looking for a segue out of the stagnancy of where my hours were yielding back then, to where I was not exactly moving ‘towards’ where I wanted to be but I wasn’t exactly in the middle of a black hole either!

I have been a seeker all of my life, and one of the things I have sought the most is to find a way to carve out my own destiny towards realising my dreams. I have happily lived a non-traditional unconventional life by today’s standards (i.e. school, career, marriage, children, etc) wherein I’ve been blessed to re-focus on my developing my writer’s craft and sorting out what truly inspires me to create my own stories. In the background, I’ve taken the less travelled route to help my family during difficult times, including though illness and death.

The past three years I’ve been a book blogger haven’t quite been the easiest by half, but they have led to such an incredible girth of self-awareness and self-development, I can honestly say my blog started off being my saving grace through the tides of where life can take you before developing into a platform of where I can leave notes of gratitude or criticism to authors whose stories alight in my hands to read. I started off Jorie Loves A Story as a reader’s blog without realising all along it’s a writer’s blog full of the beautiful joy of serendipitous discoveries wherein the ‘writer’ behind the blog has sought enlightenment through the craft of stories but has become enlightened through the journey itself!

This month (August, 2016) marks my 3rd #blogbirthday where I launched Jorie Loves A Story *live!* a handful of months prior to joining the world of tweets and real-time conversations in November of 2016. As soon as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, 2016 I sensed this might be the year where I undertook a Renaissance on Jorie Loves A Story, where the reader embraces her writerly path and where the blog re-focuses it’s shift of purpose spilt between continuing the foundation of where it began but increasing it’s outreach to include secondary modes of expression and communicating the path a girl in process of realising her writerly dream can endeavour to step out of it’s original roots.

On that vein of thought, I’ve been in transitional flux on a personal level, where it’s one thing to believe in yourself and the path you’ve set out to walk but sometimes it’s absent of the particulars that tie together your present with your future. This is why I sought out reading The Full Tank Life because for three years I’ve been running Jorie Loves A Story on half a tank and would love to one day say I’ve accomplished the balance I was seeking whilst anchoured in the faith to understand the journey I had to take to realise it. All of what you have read and have seen on this blog has been a walk of faith and the future of where Jorie Loves A Story is moving next is wicked exciting but the girl behind the blog is patiently awaiting the hour where prayer and actuality coincide to manifest her path in the way she had endeavoured to see into fruition.

The Full Tank Life
Subtitle: Fuel your dreams, Ignite your destiny

Modern-day Renaissance man and star of Bravo's Thicker Than Water Ben Tankard offers powerful motivation and practical tools to empower readers to find their destiny and create an action plan to unlock it.

As a pastor, pilot, motivational speaker, bestselling Gospel/Jazz musician, and reality TV star, Tankard has a lot of experience with both success and failure. He has learned that our greatest opportunities often come from our greatest disappointments. Today, he is doing what he was born to do, and he knows it didn't happen by accident. Tankard encourages readers to examine seven key elements-Dreams, Environment, Subconscious, Time, Inspiration, Network, and You, sharing his life-tested secrets to help readers find their own way. Including fresh insights on familiar Bible passages, wisdom from Tankard's own setbacks, and laugh-out-loud stories, Tankard shows readers that they too can have a "full tank" life.

Places to find the book: