Posted Wednesday, 20 June, 2018 by jorielov (Illustrator) Ravven, Destiny's Gambit, R.J. Wood, Self Published, The Voyages of Jake Flynn series 0 Comments
Acquired Book By: I had to take a leave of absence hosting for this touring company in [2015] whilst I worked towards finding better balance in my blogging and personal life. Now, as a 5th Year Book Blogger I’ve decided I’ve reached a point where I can have better flexibility with scheduling guest features and reviews on my blog without feeling I’m stretched too thin between the commitments I’m making to feature the stories and authors I am blessed with thanksgiving to discover as I blog my readerly life.
Reading is starting to resume it’s enjoyment, even though I still have my migraines to shift through, being able to host for her authors has been a renewed joy. This marks my first blog tour hosting for Lola after a considerable absence and I look forward to finding more tours I can host with her throughout the year.
I received a complimentary ARC copy of “Destiny’s Gambit” direct from the author R.J. Wood in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Inspired to Read:
Coming out of #WyrdAndWonder, I knew I would be keeping #FantasyReads in my reading queue straight-up until Sci Fi November! However, I had the joy of finding this series whilst #wyrdandwonder was still happening this past May! Originally, I was going to host an extract and a guest feature for the blog tour, when I had the unexpected surprise of being able to receive the books for review consideration! I was thrilled by this news, as what drew me into wanting to read this series all along was how this was marked as a Fantasy story fit for either Middle Grade or Young Adult readers. I oft find myself struggling to find a story of Fantasy I can appreciate as an Adult reader much less finding one I would love to see reside in either MG or YA markets! This series felt hopeful from the perspective, I was hoping the world-building and character development would be as stellar as it felt it could be through the synopsis!
The synopsis I read for this story is actually the same one on the back of the book I read for this review, however, I didn’t have it in full to share with you today. It talks more about the world Jake Flynn is entering and the mysterious suspense of not understanding where his parents have been his whole life. That in of itself was a curious footnote for me – as what would have become of them which would limit or restrict their communication with their son?
The story itself felt like a Quest and those are the ones I do appreciate finding in Fantasy – but this one felt different too. Not quite traditional Fantasy as it has elements of Science Fiction (and Steampunk) knitted into it’s corridors of interest whilst it hinges a bit on the fantastical where not all the entities Jake is going to come up against are going to be a) human and b) benign! I hadn’t a clue what to expect once I began reading the story and thus, I went into it with an open mind hoping I’d find a wicked good read!
Destiny's Gambit
Subtitle: The Voyages of Jake Flynn
by R.J. Wood
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Ravven
Source: Author via Lola's Blog Tours
A resourceful boy takes a glowing sailboat across the stars to search for his long-missing parents and becomes the target of pirates and an evil cabal with a sinister agenda.
Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Sci-Fantasy, YA Fantasy Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
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ISBN: 978-1514277737
Also by this author: Destiny's Gambit
Published by Self Published
on 3rd July, 2015
Format: Paperback ARC
Pages: 248
Published By: Self Published Author
Formats Available: Paperback and Ebook
The voyages of Jake Flynn series:
Destiny’s Gambit | book one
Beyond the Moon | Book Two | synopsis
Genres: Sci-Fantasy | Steampunk | Space Pirates
Young Adult | Magic | Adventure
About R.J. Wood
R. J. Wood has been creating stories and adventures for others since 1979. A bard at heart, he trained in Drama (BA) and History (MA) while at university. He currently lives near Snoqualmie Falls in Washington State with his wife and children. There he does a little fishing, some adventuring, and of course, his writing.
Like everyone of my generation and beyond I have been heavily influenced by film. I like to think of my books as movies in my mind. I developed my creative writing through fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal RPGs. My degree in drama helps me with story, characters, and especially dialogue. Having an advanced history degree is excellent for plots and characters, but it also helps me with world building.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Instagram
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Posted Wednesday, 20 June, 2018 by jorielov in Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Family Life, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Literature for Boys, Lola's Blog Tours, Nautical Fiction, Science Fantasy, Self-Published Author, Small Towne USA, Urban Fantasy, Washington, West Coast USA, YA Fantasy
Posted Friday, 25 May, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Rebecca McKernan, #WyrdAndWonder, Bree Moore, Self Published, Woven 0 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Woven” via Audiobookworm Promotion in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I wanted to listen to this story: during #WyrdAndWonder
I was looking for titles in Fantasy to listen to ahead of participating in the Fantasy event Wyrd and Wonder, which I am co-hosting with Imyril and Lisa. When I first read the premise behind ‘Woven’, I thought it might be a good fit for me, as it had the allure of an Epic Fantasy story-line set within a timeliness of awareness I had previously made within the canon of Camelot. I even liked how this felt like an intriguing Fantasy story set apart from what was previously known about where this world is placed, however, as I started getting into the story itself, I found my interest falling short of my expectations for it.
Woven
For 30 years, Elaina has sat in her tower, fingers caught in an eternal dance, cursed to weave the tapestry of life on her loom. Bound by an enchanted mirror whose magic shows her the distant lives of the people of Camelot, she must forever watch a land which remains ever beyond her reach. Elaina despairs that she will ever experience more than just the shadows of life, until one day, a face appears in the mirror that will change her life, and possibly her fate, forever.
Guinevere is losing her mind. When a severe injury to her head nearly kills her and awakens alternate personalities suppressed from her past, Guinevere learns that one of them is plotting with a knight of the round table to murder King Arthur and take control of Camelot. In the midst of war, Guinevere fights to save both her own life and the man she loves, each day coming closer to succumbing to the violent personalities within her.
Inspired by Arthurian legend and Lord Alfred Tennyson’s ballad, "The Lady of Shalott", Woven spins a tale of two women who must risk everything to save those they love most into an epic of enchantment, love, and madness.
Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ASIN: B07BK9T9NT
on 28th March, 2018
Length: 13 hours and 49 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Books by Bree, LLC (self-published)
Formats Available: Hardback, Trade Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook
Converse via: #WyrdAndWonder, #Woven + #BreeMoore
About Bree Moore
Bree Moore has been writing fantasy since the fourth grade. She lives in Ogden, is wife to an amazing husband, and the mother of four children. She writes fantasy novels between doling out cheerios and folding laundry. In real-life, Bree works as a birth doula, attending women in pregnancy and labor, which is huge inspiration for her writing. Bree loves shopping for groceries like other women like shopping for shoes (no, seriously), movies that make her cry, and Celtic music. She likes both her chocolate and her novels dark.
"Woven" is Bree's first published novel, the start of what she intends to be an epic writing career.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | LibraryThing
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Friday, 25 May, 2018 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Arthurian Legend, Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event
Posted Monday, 23 April, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Kelley Hazen, Cozy Suburbs Mysteries, Lisa B. Thomas, Self Published, Sharpe Edge 0 Comments
Acquired Digital Audiobook by: I am a new blog tour hostess with Audiobookworm Promotions wherein I have the opportunity to receive audiobooks for review or adoption (reviews outside of organised blog tours) and host guest features on behalf of authors and narrators alike. I started hosting for Audiobookworm Promotions at the end of [2016] during “The Cryptic Lines” tour wherein I became quite happily surprised how much I am now keen on listening to books in lieu of reading them in print. My journey into audiobooks was prompted by a return of my chronic migraines wherein I want to offset my readings with listening to the audio versions.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Sharpe Edge” via the publicist at Audiobookworm Promotions (of whom was working directly with the author Lisa B. Thomas) in exchange for an honest review. The difference with this complimentary copy I received is I had a 90 day window to listen and review the book whilst given a soft deadline where I could post my ruminative thoughts at an hour which worked for me on the day the review was due; this differs from a blog tour which has a more set schedule of posting. The audiobooks are offered to ‘adopt’ for review consideration and are given to readers to gauge their opinions, impressions and insight into how the audiobook is resonating with listeners. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
NOTE: Due to my unexpected hiatus in September, my adopted audiobooks (‘Life as a Spectrum Mom‘, ‘Sharpe Shooter‘ and ‘Sharpe Edge’) as well as the blog tour ‘The Supernatural Pet Sitter’ were delayed from posting until I was able to listen to them due to a series of health issues which left me afflicted throughout Autumn 2017 and again in early Winter 2017/18.
[Due to technical difficulties, Winter/Spring 2018] I was delayed in listening to nearly all my audiobooks – as I never could technically fix a glitch which prevented me from downloading audiobooks to listen to offline from Audible.com as well as OverDrive (for library audiobooks). It wasn’t until I was able to touch base with a tech at a reciporcal branch in my library region and a third attempt to find a tech via Audible who could help me work through this glitch – where I found the freedom to finally be in a position to listen to all the lovelies I wanted to hear ‘offline’ without being co-dependent on a stable connection.
Why I was excited about listening to this sequel & why I love the series overall:
As Deena grew closer to the truth – she was finding she wasn’t the only person investigating Matthew’s disappearance – in fact, she was nearly circling the same leads as the other ‘investigator’ who was either a few steps ahead of her or right in-line with where her own queries were leading her to venture future into the past to see where Matthew’s own footsteps might lead her to uncover the fuller truth of his disappearance. One of the best parts about her tenacious focus is how she was not afraid to follow every clue which might have insight into Matthew and thereby, a small trace of the truth which was so shrouded from sight now in the present day as if to be forever erased from the memory of those who might have known more than they were willing to share.
I had to agree with Deena about shopping at thrift and antique stores – you get caught inside your own memories and the memories of other times. I also like the fact you can find things no longer available and they can become part of the treasures you enjoy now in your own life. They have histories you might never know yourself but you can appreciate them with renewed love and find that sometimes the best way to curate your own style is looking for things which are being resold years after their original owners have parted with them.
I love how there are people who are in Deena’s life who provide her with new insights into Matthew’s life – such as the person who noticed something about a photograph. In other ways, it was interesting to see how Deena is connected to a lot of people who can aide her in her effort to understand Matthew’s unknown past. Meanwhile, as her path was on a collision course with the other investigator – you are partially surprised by what you find when the two actually meet! I was expecting this to go a different way, but he, in turn, ended up being one of the best people to point her in a direction she might not have considered otherwise! It was as if the closer she came to having all the loose threads resolved, the further she was from the actual truth which tried to remain out of reach.
Whilst Deena was trying to resolve the case, the police were trying to delegate the investigation and let things take their due even if that meant passing off some people to the family. I was truly impressed though how the conspiracy theory angle actually held weight and how Ms Thomas was able to knit this Cosy into a thread of such a well-known event in our History was quite impressive to listen to unravel – this is one thing that I admired most about how she told the story. You think at first it’s a simple answer to why Matthew disappeared and why his death went unknown for so many years – but then, there are other components being pulled into the tapestry of this mystery and which deepen the plausibility of why Matthew might have run into trouble.
I quite literally LOVED listening to this story – yet finding a way to articulate this admiration into a review took a bit of extra time! Sometimes you can find yourself devouring a story with wicked passion but then, how do you fuse your passion for a story and discussion of it’s heart?
– quoted from my review of Sharpe Shooter
Sharpe Edge
Subtitle: Cozy Suberbs Mystery Series
Buoyed by a new job and a spirit for the holidays, Deena Sharpe didn’t know she’d be investigating the town matriarch’s death at her own Christmas party. Everyone assumes it was an accident— everyone but her daughter, Estelle. Now Deena must rely on her craftiness to dig out the truth before anyone else gets hurt.
A little romance, some snarky suburban competition, and a lot of mystery will keep readers guessing in this cozy whodunit.
Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
Find on Book Browse
ASIN: B072HTQCVY
on 11th May, 2016
Length: 6 hours, 8 minutes (unabridged)
Self-Published Audiobook
Order of the Maycroft Mysteries: (Read the Series Synopsis’s on the Author’s Site)
NOTE: Initially I thought this was the Cozy Suburbs Mysteries – however it’s really the Maycroft Mysteries series – as the sub-title on the audiobook versions revealled the other name.
Sharpe Edge | Book Two
Sharpe Mind | Book Three | Synopsis
Sharpe Turn | Book Four | Synopsis
Sharpe Point | Book Five | Synopsis
Sharpe Cookie | Book Six | Synopsis
+ Sharpe Image | PREQUEL Novella | Synopsis
Lisa B. Thomas | Blog | Site | @LBThomas2 | Facebook
Narrator: Kelley Hazen | Site | @KelleyHazen1 | Facebook
As an aside – I hadn’t realised I’ve known about the work of Ms Hazen previously – as two of my favourite holiday films on Hallmark Channel were “Single Santa Seeks Mrs Claus” & “Meet the Santas” whilst I loved watching “Strong Medicine” until the story-lines took a hard turn which took the joy out of watching the series. “Commander in Chief” is a dvd set I can’t wait to watch and I had wondered who did the voiceover on the montage within “What A Woman Wants”,… interestingly as a book blogger I love finding how my other creative interests in film, tv or music start to crossover into my bookish life as well. The reason I hadn’t known I knew of her work previously is because I have the tendency of remembering performances rather than names; not limited to those who act either – I’ll remember almost anyone on ‘sight’ before I recall their ‘name’.
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Posted Monday, 23 April, 2018 by jorielov in #JorieLovesIndies, 21st Century, Audiobook, Audiobookworm Promotions, Autism, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Brothers and Sisters, Clever Turns of Phrase, Compassion & Acceptance of Differences, Debilitating Diagnosis & Illness, Disabilities & Medical Afflictions, Equality In Literature, Humour & Satire in Fiction / Non Fiction, Indie Author, Learning Difficulties, Memoir, Mental Health, Mental Illness, Modern Day, Mother-Daughter Relationships, Mother-Son Relationships, Motherhood | Parenthood, Non-Fiction, Post-911 (11th September 2001), Siblings, Special Needs Children, Vignettes of Real Life, Women's Health
Posted Thursday, 15 March, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator) Elizabeth Klett, An Unbidden Visitor, Dianne Ascroft, Self Published 2 Comments
Hallo, Hallo dear hearts,
I found out about this blog tour nearly too late to become a part of it – as I hadn’t been reading my newsletters recently. I had a lot going on the first quarter of 2018, which I why I am still working on my self-directed Feminist reads even as half of March has already become erased off the clock! You’ll be seeing more posts arriving which feature strong women – either in narratives which held me to the page, in audiobooks which gave me a wicked good story to feel enveloped inside or Non-Fiction stories which celebrate #WomensHistory and/or memoirs of women who are trying to share their lives, faith and the ways in which they drew strength through living their authentic life.
Imagine, then – as I was looking forward to settling into these stories, I pulled open a newsletter for the lovely Audiobookworm tours and discovered there was a *ghost!* story coming up for March! I was overly excited – as I still remember the joy of settling into the Ghost Stories by Edith Wharton – a special inter-library loan – as it was the first time I had started to seek out the stories I wanted to read through my participation in The Classics Club.
I even spoke a bit about why I love organic ghost stories or those stories which are paranormally inclined on a recent post where I showcased my first vlog interview. I love seeking out Gothic Literature as well – as there is something special about the manners in which the stories are written. A well-told ghost story in my opinion is the one where there is a firm suspension of reality and the supernatural – where you could literally either see the story going in two different directions by it’s conclusion (ie. either it will be explained or remain unexplained) or you feel so fully removed from everything you thought you knew about what is known in the world to where you believe strongly in the elements of the story by how it’s been presented.
There is a lot about the paranormal to explore – not just in ghost stories, but in the lore & legends behind the stories themselves. I would have signed on to listen to this audiobook but I was a wee bit late in getting my request submitted – which is why I have the delightful pleasure of featuring a conversation with the author, Ms Ascroft about what inspired her to write a short story on behalf of such a well-known story of lore!
I know this is one short story on audiobook I’ll be seeking out to listen to as soon as I can – as after I listened to the sampler, there was *something!* quite lovely about how the narrator (Elizabeth Klett) approached this narration! You feel so immediately drawn into the story – not only due to her voice or her articulation of the story-line but because of how she delivers the lines and evokes such a strong presence within this world you want to step inside!
Be kind to yourself – brew yourself a cuppa & settle in for a wicked good convo!
A short story inspired by Northern Ireland’s famous Cooneen ghost.
A tale of family, friends, and fear….
And the unnatural force that threatens to ruin everything….
March 1913: Struggling to make ends meet, widow Bridget Murphy finds life in rural Ireland difficult, raising six children while farming her small acreage. With the help of neighbors and friends, Bridget is able to cope with the many arduous tasks and chores required of her.
When an unnatural and terrifying force invades their house, threatening their family, Bridget is surprised to see so many backs turning on her. Fearing for themselves, those she once counted on for help and support will not risk their safety for her. Father Smyth, their priest, is the only one who stands alongside their family in the battle against the uninvited and fearsome poltergeist. But, prayers alone won’t run the farm. Will Bridget find a way to save her home and her family before there’s nowhere left to turn?
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Posted Thursday, 15 March, 2018 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Ghost Story, Ghosts & the Supernatural, Gothic Literature, Gothic Mystery, Haunting & Ethereal, Historical Fiction, Indie Author, Inspired by Stories, Ireland, Parapsychological Suspense, Re-Told Tales, Reader Submitted Q&A, Self-Published Author, Suspense
Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov (Narrator Tom Jordan), Aubrey Wynne, Dante's Gift, Self Published 0 Comments
Acquired Audiobook By: I started to listen to audiobooks in [2016] as a way to offset my readings of print books whilst noting there was a rumour about how audiobooks could help curb chronic migraines as you are switching up how your reading rather than allowing only one format to be your bookish choice. As I found colouring and knitting agreeable companions to listening to audiobooks, I have embarked on a new chapter of my reading life where I spend time outside of print editions of the stories I love reading and exchange them for audio versions. Through hosting for the Audiobookworm I’ve expanded my knowledge of authors who are producing audio versions of their stories whilst finding podcasters who are sharing their bookish lives through pods (ie. AudioShelf and Talking Audiobooks; see my sidebar). Meanwhile, I am also curating my own wanderings in audio via my local library who uses Overdrive for their digital audiobook catalogue whilst making purchase requests for audio CDs. It is a wonderful new journey and one I enjoy sharing – I am hoping to expand the percentage of how many audios I listen to per year starting in 2018.
I received a complimentary audiobook copy of “Dante’s Gift” via Audiobookworm Promotion in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.
Why I wanted to listen to this story:
When I first read the premise of this audiobook – what drew my attention to it is the fact it was a time slip / time shift between the Contemporary setting and the Historical. I have a passion for dual time-lines in stories and I was hoping this would be a good fit for me in regards to an audiobook. There are several stories I’ve read in the past which have handled this vein of interest which have not only pulled me into their narratives but it’s how deftly in-tune the writers were to bridge the gap between both eras in time they focused on which left me wanting ‘more’ of their stories!
Sadly, though, as I will talk about below – what I was hoping to find inside this story was hindered by the performance of the narrator – whose narration truly affected how I was interpreting the story and finding it an uncomfortable experience due to how he had approached it.
Dante's Gift
Subtitle: A Chicago Christmas (book one)
by Aubrey Wynne
Source: Audiobook via Audiobookworm Promotions
DNF
Narrator: Tom Jordan
Kathleen James has put her practical side away for once and looks forward to the perfect romantic evening: an intimate dinner with the man of her dreams and an engagement ring. She is not prepared to hear that he wants to bring his grandmother back from Italy to live with him.
Dominic Lawrence has planned this marriage proposal for six months. Nothing can go wrong-until his Nonna calls. Now he must interrupt the tenderest night of Katie's life with the news that another woman will be under their roof.
When Antonia's sister dies, she finds herself longing to be back in the States. An Italian wartime bride from the 1940s, she knows how precious love can be. Can her own story of an American soldier and a very special collie once again bring two hearts together at Christmas?
Genres: Christmas Story &/or Christmas Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance, War Drama Places to find the book:
Add to LibraryThing
ASIN: B07847MDS3
Published by Plato Publishing
on 27th November, 2017
Format: Audiobook | Digital
Length: 3 hours and 5 minutes (unabridged)
Published by: Plato Publishing
A Chicago Christmas series:
Dante’s Gift | Book One
Paper Love | Book Two | Synopsis
Merry Christmas, Henry | Book Three | Synopsis
Formats Available: Paperback, Ebook and Audiobook
About Aubrey Wynne
Bestselling and award-winning author Aubrey Wynne resides in the Midwest with her husband, dogs, horses, mule and barn cats. She is an elementary teacher by trade, champion of children and animals by conscience, and author by night. Obsessions include history, travel, trailriding and all things Christmas.
Her short stories, Merry Christmas, Henry and Pete's Mighty Purty Privies have won Readers Choice Awards and Dante's Gift received the 2016 Golden Quill, Heart of Excellence, and Aspen Gold award, as well as being a Maggie finalist.
Aubrey’s medieval fantasy series launches in 2017 with Rolf's Quest. Besides the Chicago Christmas novellas, Aubrey will also release "A Vintage Romance" series inspired by tales of her stepfather, who served for the British Air Force in WWII. The stories will be set in the 40s & 50s.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
Posted Sunday, 4 March, 2018 by jorielov in Audiobookworm Promotions, Blog Tour Host, Historical Fiction, Indie Author