Tag: The Storm Sullivan Saga

+Author Guest Post+ “On writing the Emerald Seer series” by Violet Patterson

Posted Friday, 7 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

Guest Post by Parajunkee

Proposed Topic for Violet Patterson: I am always most curious about the impetus of inspiration which leads into a series for a writer to create in such Violet Pattersona substantial way as to have their characters and their worlds evolve throughout the arc of the installments contained therein. Whilst thinking of a topic for Ms. Patterson to write for her featured Guest Post, I felt the best topic is truly how she conceived the Emerald Seer series, and what motivated her to carry this particular paranormal story into the light and hands of the reader!

I am quite happy to welcome Violet Patterson to Jorie Loves A Story today, whereupon she took my topic of choice and ran with it! If you ever wanted to get a personal look into the life of a self-published author’s creative world, this is the day to sneak in a peak! I came to know of Ms. Patterson’s writings during the aftermath of a Kentucky tornado storm whilst chatting to Stephen Zimmer about books and writers of the genre. I am not sure of the time frame, but this lead into a lovely conversation through tweeting between all three of us at one point shortly thereafter. By the time I saw Tomorrow Comes Media was announcing her blog tour, I knew that I had to take part in it! The culmination of which was hearing her as a Guest Author on The Star Chamber Show, as well as tweeting with her between then and now on occasion.  Let’s take this moment to become introduced and immersed into the paranormal mind of Violet Patterson!

Shabby Blogs

Hello! (waves) I have been asked to give a peek inside my somewhat warped, slightly twisted mind to reveal my inspiration for the Emerald Seer Series. A good friend once told me that he can learn a lot about an author by reading his/her work. Initially I didn’t believe him but looking back on the Emerald Seer Series, I can see how that is true.

The series started as a puff piece, my foray into paranormal romance in an effort to dip my toe in the proverbial waters of publishing. It grew into so much more. The idea was born out of a series of conversations with friends, discussions about so many of the mainstream PNR books are very male-centric and of course, about music. I love The Doors. My Dad introduced me to People Are Strange when I was seven or eight and it was love at first listen. It was a natural transition for me to build a series around songs that influenced me so greatly. I do very much wish I could gain rights to use lyrics from the songs as they are so applicable to the books. Perhaps some day.

I wanted a very strong female lead but I also knew I could not write somebody perfect because, let’s face it, none of us are perfect. Storm had to be somebody real and of course I wanted a redhead with Irish ancestry. I have a thing for Celtic mythology so that component was easy. Storm has my stubbornness and my tenacity. Some of the things she encounters, including her lack of emotions in the beginning of Ryder on the Storm, were born from things I’ve endured. Storm is rash at times and relies heavily on her gut instinct though she does miss the mark at times, a very human flaw. One thing that I really enjoyed about writing Storm was her rather sudden onset of emotions. She was essentially an emotional void for most of her life since her aunt bound her emotions and with them a good portion of her power. When Storm’s aunt died suddenly, the binding spell was broken and she was hit with a freight train of emotions. Think puberty to the thousandth degree. No her reactions were not always what they should be, what a rational person would do but that is the point, Storm is not rational in the first book, how could she be?

Enter Ryder Cohen. He had to be the strong, silent type to balance Storm’s fiery persona. He’s Immortal so he’s been around but Ryder has his own secrets. And boy does he have them in spades. He has to. Anybody who would live for centuries would have to have some. So I made a few of them pertinent to the story. Plus, Ryder is gorgeous.

I built a cast around them, pulling in supernaturals that aren’t overdone without leaving out the usual suspects (vampires). It was important to me that this story be different, that the characters be different so I pulled from other places and incorporated as many as I could to create an entire sub-world.

Everything grew so fast I almost couldn’t contain it. What started as a trilogy with a novella became a four book series with a novella, an off-shoot series that I’m working on now (Immortal Machinations), and a series of short stories and tidbits waiting in the wings (aka my hard drive and cloud drive).

I think I could talk about these stories for days on end but at some point I have to stop and write them. Thanks for listening and I hope you give my Emerald Seer Series a shot.

Book Synopsis of the Boxed Set:

Storm Sullivan Saga | Emerald Seer series by Violet Patterson Boxed Set EditionIt began with tragedy.

Continued with rebirth.

Faithful friends…with secrets of their own.

Intensified with an uncovered past.

How will it all END?

Storm Sullivan’s life is a mystical mine field following the death of her Aunt Trin and it only gets worse. Thrown into the battle of the ages, Storm finds herself surrounded by Immortals, Seraphs, Fairies, Vampires, Witches and a Phoenix! Can she unravel the mysteries of her family’s past in time to save them all?

For the first time ever, the Kindle Bestselling Emerald Seer Series is brought to you in one massive box set. Magic and mystery, adventure and romance converge in this series touted as “unique and imaginative.” Mystical beings from Deities to Seraphs, a Phoenix, Immortals and more, the Emerald Seer Series is a fantastical ride with several converging story lines that will keep you guessing.

Shabby Blogs

I always find it quite interesting how a writer starts out with this seemingly benign and simple story arc only to find whilst composing the bones of the story does one find the startling joy of having the original idea expand in ways only the surge of the muse can! I, myself, have had my own startling discoveries in this regard, especially on the merits of walking into my first Nanowrimo meet-up in November 2008 without only a fragmented idea of where I wanted to take the story over the next thirty days! The story began in my mind’s eye, garnishing five potential plot points or cues, but beyond their skeleton origins of thought what I found at the end of Nanowrimo was the notion that my ‘fluffy’ story idea had turnt into something quite multi-layered and complex! I hadn’t endeavoured to walk out of a writer’s block with such a forceful surge of creativity, but sometimes, I find that as a writer the journey we take with the pen and with our creativity is quite extraordinary!

I have enjoyed having your showcase on my blog, as it has not only introduced me to PNR (Paranormal Romance) as a genre, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that there are elements of the genre I have already been infused inside! I never considered myself a reader drawn into the genre naturally, because the books I gravitate towards reading are not always ones which ferret the most attention. I tend to seek out the titles which garnish a pensive pause at the closure of their books rather than the instant gratification of most of what the genre offers. I like to soak slowly into literature, absorbing everything that is presented in both story and book left behind by the writer who hopes even the little bits of their pen are noticed by the reader. I like to see what I can feel as much as what I can read directly off the page. In this way, one of the reasons I like to push myself to experiment with new genres is to constantly be in a position to expand past what I know and what I understand. I love the freedom of being able to move between the worlds of literature as well as literary thought. Even if I’m out of my depth, as I know I was a bit whilst reading Ryders on the Storm I appreciate the challenge and the experience of seeing characters I might not have met otherwise, which enable me to seek out other authors who pen the same type of stories.

Music has such a canonical appeal when you’re a creative. Writing in of itself is fused to an invisible rhythm which bespeaks itself out of our depths and ties together the strings of our imagination in a form which can be read with our eyes. We transcend the space between the imagined and the visual plane, whilst embarking on honing in on the constraints of humanity and of other species who have a flawed and transitional journey to undertake. I love reading the stories of characters who either know of their direct path towards the destiny they are meant to embrace or are struggling to understand why they are here and what their worth of contribution could possible entail. It’s the excitement of finding out how they process their journey and how they endeavour to bend or yield whilst pursuing their path that I find the most enjoyable!

I oft find certain orchestrations of music help me keep myself tethered to the moment of inspiration. Each book I write draws me into a different portion of musical history, as the characters themselves tend to depict a different part of my musical soul. There are times when lyrical driven music hits a chord with me whilst working on a difficult character or one in transition, but oft-times, it’s the music without the words I find guide me the most. I can intersperse my own realm into the strings of what is audible, and in that way, feel a connection to the story in a way that is not limited to the page.

Ever since my Mum’s been able to confirm our ancestry includes an Irish great-grandfather, I must say, it has inspired me to learn more about the Emerald Isle!! To the brink that even my original passion for Ireland has now become intensified! I always felt drawn to Celtic ballards and music, as well as the lore and story-telling of the Gaelics! I never understood exactly why I felt such a strong sensation of a connection, but after seeing how part of our line leads directly to Irish shores, it sort of fit together like a puzzle missing its last piece!? Storm is quite the strong Irish lass, a wee bit stubborn, but her moxy outshines her faults! I love how you turnt the timeclock backwards, allowing her to fight or flight through a late pubescence! Her emotional keelings were on the very edge of her skin, and I loved how you kept it real by allowing her the flexibility to speak her mind without tact and without thinking of consequence!

As I had mentioned at the bottom of my review of Ryder on the Storm, I am looking forward to continuing my journey with your characters! Seeing what befalls next on their path, and seeing how both Ryder & Storm endure growth as the story shifts forward! Sometimes I think, characters have so much to share with their historians (writers) they cannot simply be contained into one singular volume or trilogy! Thank you for sharing this window into your creative muse!

Official Author WebsitesBlog | Twitter | Facebook

Shabby Blogs

{a special stop on the “Emerald Seer” blog tour!}

{ converse via: #EmeraldSeer & #7thStar }

Virtual Road Map for “Emerald Seer” Blog Tour:

Violet Patterson Tour via Tomorrow Comes Media

Be sure to catch the next installments of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie reviews “Ryder on the Storm” & interviews Ms. Patterson within the week!

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.

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:
Tomorrow Comes Media Tour Hoston my Bookish Events Featured on JLAS!

Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings

{SOURCES: The Emerald Seers Saga & Ryder on the Storm  cover art, Violet Patterson’s photograph, as well as the tour host badge provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. I requested an Author Guest Post on the topic of writing about the Emerald Seers series through Stephen Zimmer and received the essay from Patterson via Zimmer. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Guest Post badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Friday, 7 March, 2014 by jorielov in Blog Tour Host, BlogTalkRadio, Debut Novel, Fantasy Fiction, Indie Author, Nanowrimo 2008, Paranormal Romance, Reader Submitted Guest Post (Topic) for Author, Self-Published Author, The Star Chamber Show, The Writers Life, Tomorrow Comes Media, Urban Fantasy

+Blog Book Tour+ Ryder on the Storm by Violet Patterson

Posted Thursday, 6 March, 2014 by jorielov , , , , 2 Comments

Parajunkee Designs

Storm Sullivan Saga | Emerald Seer series by Violet Patterson Boxed Set Edition

  • [ The Storm Sullivan Saga | Emerald Seer series ]
  • Book One: Ryder on the Storm
  • Book Two: Light My Fire
  • Book Three: Love Her Madly
  • Book Four: End of the Night
  • Novella: Whiskey, Mystics, and Men

Published ByMad Hatter Ink Press, 20 January 2014 [Omnibus Edition]
Official Author WebsitesBlog | Twitter | Facebook
Converse on Twitter: #EmeraldSeer

Available Formats: E-book, Softcover, & Softcover Omnibus
Page Count: 180 [Ryder on the Storm] | 450 [Omnibus edition]


Acquired Book:

I had the pleasure of hearing Ms. Patterson on The Star Chamber Show ahead of electing to sign-up to be a stop on her blog book tour. I had a good feeling about her style as a writer, and I enjoyed her segment enough to request reading “Ryder on the Storm” in exchange for an honest review. “Ryder on the Storm” was originally published on 5 November 2011. I was selected to be on her blog tour by Tomorrow Comes Media, where I received a complimentary copy of the omnibus (print) edition of The Storm Sullivan Saga direct from the author, Violet Patterson. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Initial Thoughts:

I have always appreciated paranormal stories in motion pictures and television which are on the ‘cosy’ side of the genre, which means to say, I oft have to wait years in-between finding a series and/or a film that I can watch! The latest example would be “Ghost Whisperer” which I started to watch in 2012 via syndicated re-airings across two networks during daytime hours on basic cable! To the brink where requesting the series via ILL (inter-library loan) was most fruitious of me! I need to resume where I left off in 2013, which is between Season 2 or 3. The reason I am attracted to a series like Ghost Whisperer is because I love the paranormal elements which are contained within the story-lines but with the heart of a romance woven in for good measure! The dynamic of the lead character’s marriage is quite brilliant and I enjoy seeing where her adventures take her and her husband throughout the series.

To this end, I am always keenly open to seeking out paranormal stories in fiction, whether or not they are romantic in nature, even though I tend to be keen on the romantic side of what is offered! A good case in point is my dearly loved Ghost Harrison series by Heather Graham, which combines ghost-hunting and medium intervention on a deceased’s behalf with characters whose lives are either flawed or at a cross-roads. I am within the opening sequences of the series which has grown since I first picked up Ghost Walk set in New Orleans when I turnt twenty-ten. Shortly thereafter, I discovered the brilliantly delectable Aunt Dimity penned cleverly by Nancy Altherton!

I realise I am undertaking quite a unique spin to the genre, as most readers of paranormal stories like the barometer to be set more akin to horror than cosy, and surely do not flinch as easily as I might! Laughs. However, I think that this is what makes reading such a wonderful experience. There is a bit of something for each of us, and for those like me who want to stay ‘this side’ of hard-boiled whilst walking through a cosy, I can unearth the stories we can enjoy whilst the rest of the world devours the rest!


Author Biography:

Violet PattersonKnown in the convention circuit for her extravagant handmade top hats, Violet Patterson has also romanced her way into the hearts of Urban Fantasy readers with the Emerald Seer Series.   With a cast of Seers, Seraphs, Immortals and more, Violet strives to leave her Midwestern roots behind as she soars to the far reaches of her imagination to compose vibrant stories of action and intrigue, magic and fantasy.  Her current project promises to imbue part of the Emerald’s world with a healthy dose of Steampunk – stay tuned for Immortal Machinations.

Book Synopsis:

Ryder on the Storm by Violet PattersonStorm Sullivan is a Seer from an ancient line forced to return home after the brutal murder of her aunt. But Storm finds she’s inherited more than just the family estate.

Ryder Cohen is an Immortal, a former enforcer commissioned to eradicate the Sullivan line and prevent the rise of the Emerald. But Ryder has come to question his mission and the reasons behind it.

Ryder On the Storm is the first in the Emerald Seer series. An urban fantasy with a supporting cast of Immortals, Seraphs, and Deities this is just the beginning of Storm’s journey.

The Emerald Seer saga continues with rebirth in LIGHT MY FIRE and intensifies with an uncovered past in LOVE HER MADLY. Still craving more Emerald Seer action? Check out WHISKEY, MYSTICS, and MEN to discover Angeline’s secrets.


An Introduction into Storm Sullivan:

The gift of sight is one paranormal gift that I am quite familiar with as it was the same gift given to Johnny Smith from “The Dead Zone” tv series based on Stephen King’s novel. A novel I have not yet read and a series which changed my perception of what constitutes a King novel and story. The gift of second sight is one gift I always felt might be one of the hardest to gather one’s wits about oneself as you’re constantly struggling against the backflow of other people’s lives and emotions contained therein. You get only pieces of reality as it streams through your own mind’s eye and you have to process what you’re seeing and why those fragments are as important as they are. Storm Sullivan walks off the page as a curiously strong yet conflicted character who is confident in her gift, but perhaps not as confident in where her gift leads her. Her emotional world is a bit demurred and off-page, as she’s credited as being unemotional rather than completely self-centered. I oft wondered if for such a gift to work fully, if part of your other senses have to take a bit of a hit and defer to the one sense that is coming out of you at such a strong force? You can only be pulled so far in different directions before the body and brain will make the choice to save itself in the long-term.

The book cover for the omnibus edition (as featured above) is quite exquisite as it pierces your attention by seeing Storm’s emerald eye ancestry as well as (in my opinion) a rather poignant slice of suspense in seeing the lightning crackling across the pitch black night’s sky! I love books which taunt a piece of their stories ahead of being picked up to be read! I’d presume then, the lightning is an exclamation of how sight is a jolting force in Storm’s life as electricity is always super-charged and strikes without warning. Such then, I’d presume would be how the gift of sight would feel to the receiver!

Ryder on the other hand appears to be both ally and foe in regards to Storm, as he is introduced as a self-educated and self-assured immortal who’d rather go his own way than to fill a need or calling. Except to say, he has a strong sense of right and wrong, as well as a keen awareness that knowledge can benefit everyone who chooses to acknowledge the truth it sheds into light.

My Review of Ryder on the Storm:

The unique tone of the novel is set against the volley of moving and shifting between the lifepath of Storm and Ryder directly as they are living their days. I like the interchanging scenery and scope of the story being leveled between two protagonists who can handle the spotlight as much as share it equally. Time loops and bends between their worlds, and yet, their each living in the same dimensional space, with a few alterations therein. Ryder is presented as an Immortal Seer Slayer and Storm is the Seer who comes from a lineage of powerful women who are gifted with sight. The opposite nature of their trades, and the willingness Patterson has in placing them in each others path reminded me of Buffy and Angel outright. Generally speaking, a vampire slayer would not normally be woefully and romantically enticed nor entwined with a vampire! I loved the interplay of the previous paranormal character’s romantic arc and seeing how this story is aligning for Storm & Ryder to cross-sect gave me a renewed hope towards paranormal romance as a genre worth pursuing!

Whilst Storm’s story begins at the tragic death of her Aunt Trin, I felt a softening of the tragedy by Storm’s own perseverance to uncover the truth of her Aunt’s murder. Rather than be consumed fully by the eclipse of sorrow, she’s a woman who thrives on purpose. The inclusion of going through her Aunt’s house and belongings as her inheritance takes effect was reminiscent of how each of us looks for a bit of normalcy after the death of a loved one. Time always feels suspended a bit after a person dies, as though parts of their essence is still with us and not gone at the very same time. Whilst reading over the initial aftermath of Aunt Trin’s passing I brought back to mind what the Hollowell sisters went through on Charmed. As the Hollowells sister’s powers were bound to a certain extent as well.

Her Aunt’s death gives Storm a window into her life she had not yet come to bring into full focus. Her childhood friends who seemed benign and kind, were suddenly re-presented as her guardians. Known as Seraphs, I will admit I had not yet come into contact with this creature previously, but the fact they had delicate wings made me smile! I had a feeling they might be Angelic in nature due to their ability to sense when their charges are in danger and/or in need of protection. As much as the heated and rather intense attraction that Storm starts to feel for Ryder challenges everything she had previously conceived as her ‘normal’ setting in relating to the opposite sex. This is one version of instant attraction that is magnified by two fates being entwined to each other by a force yet revealed.

The firestorm that ignites into action soon thereafter is what starts to bring Storm and Ryder together, which at first felt serendipitous but later proved to be a bit more destined. There is a crossing of a path in their histories where neither can discern nor deny they are meant to be conjoined. Interspersed into their encounters are other paranormal characters shifting and moving around the center story. I admit I am out of my depth to understand the components of their histories, outside of rudimentary knowledge about werewolves and a baseline general scope for immortal races. (here I refer to the immortal race explored in “Highlander”) What captured my attention though is the conspiracy angle of what was driving the fixation on Storm Sullivan as far as her would-be attackers as well as the disillusion about who she is and what she is in the grand scheme of things. The intricacies of how Patterson chooses to reveal the labyrinth maze of plot allows even the novice reader of this genre to pick up on the energy that is pulsing throughout the text! It’s a riveting adventure underscored by the mystery of identity and destiny, of which I cannot wait to continue forward in the accompanying sequel Light My Fire!

Paranormal Romance or PNR as a genre:

I am always thankful when I stumble across a new genre to explore because it allows me to flex my literary wings and see if I can alight in a new setting, world, and timescape that is completely different from the regular realms I currently read regularly. I wasn’t quite sure what elements create the paranormal romance experience which is why I went in a bit blind into reading Ryder on the Storm, except to say I did pick up on the subtlety of seeing the irony held within the title! By conferring with articles related on the subject (as seen below my review), I discovered that some of my own experiences mentioned here are key examples of the evolution of the genre itself! This encouraged me a bit that perhaps I’ve been dancing around the genre without really knowing that I was involved with the steps! There are classic examples of phenom related to this genre that I bowed out of becoming attached too as well: Twilight for instance only served as a plausible decoy of a hiatus from Nanowrimo 2008 at a point in time where I needed a two-hour break away from my characters & computer! Sookie Stackhouse is at the opposite end of the spectrum from where I like to wander as well.

There are full-on aspects of this genre that have left me a bit puzzled whilst reading Ryder on the Storm, as I felt as though I was in the middle of a story arc already known and fleshed out. This is one aspect of trying a new genre which backfires a bit on you as a reader, as you do not have a point of reference to guide you as you make your way through. There is a whole undercurrent back-story I am sure to seraphs, immortals, and other worldly additions that fell a bit short on me. This did not present an issue as far as getting into the heart of what drove Storm and Ryder, but it did take me out of the belly of the story a bit as my mind tried to sort through a faded memory from my years watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Charmed, and even The X-Files. Nothing pulled to mind. The one element I struggled to remember the most is ‘why a person’s sense of smell’ is deeply important to a Seer & Immortal? Its like scratching at your memory and never being able to pull forward what you already knew previously!

I am thus intrigued and I want to continue to seek out novels which will continue to formulate my introduction. I’d be keen to know which authors and novels stand out in my readers minds as a point of reference of knowing where to go next? Especially taking into account my preferences to read the cosier stories verse the more intensely graphic? As much as I want to continue forward and read the further chronicles of Storm Sullivan which I now have on hand!

Possible next reads: (as searched through my library & ILL catalogues)

[all of which I have come across previously but never attached to this genre!]

  • A Discovery of Witches by Deborah E. Harkness
  • Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin*
  • The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley (previously mentioned)
  • The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern*+
  • The Enchanted Life of Adam Hope by Rhonda Riley
  • The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
  • The Greatcoat by Helen Dunmore
  • M.J. Rose’s Reincarnationist series is being read for an upcoming review in May
  • {*} already in the hold queue at the library; {*+} itching to read!
  • {sidenote:} The Ghost Harrison & Aunt Dimity series are considered paranormal romance!
  • I clearly have a penchant for ghost-centered stories!

Fly in the Ointment:

By now, I think I have established that I always look for several Book Turn-Offs which run the gambit of what I disclosed in my Review Policy to what I wrote in the meme. Patterson doesn’t use vulgarity to carry the story, but rather inserts the occasional colourful word here or there to empathise a strong emotional conviction and/or reaction of one of the characters, and I am thankful to her for this as it shows that she doesn’t lean on vulgarity as a tool but rather as an exclamation of piercing a point. Having said that, I still find my eyebrows raising when certain explicit words are used irregardless of the context and mirth of usage. Which is why I am including this notice on my review in case a reader would prefer to avoid reading these expletives completely. I personally was not as offended due to the length of story you can read before arriving at a word that irks rather than soothes. In an ideal world, I’d never come across vulgar words in literature but that isn’t going to happen because even in classical literature strong language is generally favoured.

A Note on the Omnibus Edition:

I haven’t read a POD or print edition straight-off of a Kindle book series previously, so I am not sure if the formatting for The Storm Sullivan Saga is a regular occurrence or if it is limited to this edition. I thought at first I might have trouble adapting to the lack of page numbers and paragraph structures that I am used too in regular print editions of novels, however, it’s the words within the context of the story which pulled me into the world of Storm and Ryder which allowed me to suspend what I normally find inside of a book! So much so, that it reminded me a bit about watching foreign language motion pictures. After awhile, your mind gives you the illusion that your watching a film in English when in full effect your listening to Italian (“Life is Beautiful”) or Mandarin (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”). My mind has always given me the freedom to encourage my heart to soak into a story even if the regular format of finding the story is altered. Whilst watching both motion pictures listed in this paragraph, I could have sworn the characters were speaking English towards the ending chapters of their films! I heard the story by heart you see, and I never realised how quickly I had to read the subtitles in order to keep up with the dialogue of the action!

In this way, the beauty inside The Storm Sullivan Saga omnibus edition (boxed set – definition of the author) is that you get to become entreated into one parapsychologically gifted woman’s life as though you entered through a portal slipped to you inside her private journal! The mere fact I am reading a previously released Kindle e-book novel warms my little bookish soul’s heart because it proves that in due course all books are available for all audiences; including those of us who cannot read on a ‘screen’ and must await a print edition!


 

{Virtual Road Map for “The Storm Sullivan Saga” Blog Tour}

Violet Patterson Tour via Tomorrow Comes Media

Be sure to catch the next two installments of this showcase on JLAS:
Jorie interviews Ms. Patterson on the last day of the tour: 9 March,

and Ms. Patterson shares a Guest Post on Friday 7 March!

Be sure to scope out upcoming tours I will be hosting with:
Tomorrow Comes Media Tour Hoston my Bookish Events Featured on JLAS!

Cross-listed on: Sci-Fi & Fantasy Fridays via On Starships & Dragonwings

{SOURCES: The Storm Sullivan Saga & Ryders on the Storm cover art, book synopsis, Violet Patterson photograph & biography provided by Tomorrow Comes Media and used with permission. Post dividers were provided by Shabby Blogs, who give bloggers free resources to add personality to their blogs. Blog Tour badge provided by Parajunkee to give book bloggers definition on their blogs.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

Related Articles:

Paranormal Romance Genre – (en.wikipedia.org)

Paranormal Romance: here, there, everywhere with the new science fiction – (irosf.com)

Urban Fantasy vs Paranormal Romance – (fantasy-faction.com)

Defining Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Romance: What’s the difference? – (heroesandheartbreakers.com)

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Posted Thursday, 6 March, 2014 by jorielov in Angel, Blog Tour Host, BlogTalkRadio, Bookish Discussions, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, Death, Sorrow, and Loss, Debut Novel, Familiars, Fantasy Fiction, Fly in the Ointment, Go Indie, Good vs. Evil, Immortals, Indie Author, Paranormal Romance, Parapsychological Gifts, Premonition-Precognitive Visions, Reading Challenges, Romance Fiction, Seers, Seraphs, Supernatural Creatures & Beings, The Star Chamber Show, Tomorrow Comes Media, Urban Fantasy, Vulgarity in Literature, Werewolves, Witches and Warlocks

WWW Wednesday No.3: A girl with an affinity for the classics!

Posted Wednesday, 19 February, 2014 by jorielov , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 5 Comments

WWW Wednesday badge by Jorie in Canva

I loved the premise of this meme {WWW Wednesdays} due to the dexterity that it gives the reader! :) Clearly subject to change on a weekly rotation, which may or may not lead to your ‘next’ read which would provide a bit of a paradoxical mystery to your readers!! :) Love the concept! Therefore, this weekly meme is hosted by Should Be Reading. Each week you participate, your keen to answer the following questions:

  • What are you currently reading!?
  • What did you recently finish reading!?
  • What do you think you’ll read next!?

After which, your meant to click over to Should Be Reading to share your post’s link so that the rest of the bloggers who are participating can check out your lovely answers! :) Perhaps even, find other bloggers who dig the same books as you do! I thought it would serve as a great self-check to know where I am and the progress I am hoping to have over the next week!

What are you currently reading!? {a two-week retrospective!}

I am continuing to read Crown of Vengeance by Stephen Zimmer, as it will mark my last post tied to the Sci-Fi Experience! I had wanted to read a few more books towards this reading challenge, but I lost too many hours during January to accomplish this task. I, am, however, continuing to read the books I outlined on my participation page for the Experience! I selected a few books for the Wicked Valentine’s Readathon which are as follows:

Selection One: Back to the Classics: The Ladies Paradise by Emilie Zola

Selection Two: Magical Realism (tCC) & Time Travel (SFN & SciFI Bingo): The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Selection Three: Book Itching to Read: Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan*

Selection Four: Book for Review: A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner

{*} As previously disclosed, this boomeranged back to the local library; am awaiting its return!

Alongside the books I pulled for Wicked Valentine, I am also in position to start reading War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (as part of the #LitChat War & Peace Book Club), & Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (as part of the @RiverheadBooks RAL). Once I start to dig into these select classics, I am on my way towards revealing how I have such a hearty affinity for reading classical literature! Over the years I have dreamt of which classics to read first and which to follow in their wake. 2014 marks the year I am finally able to set aside time to start to explore the classical literary world with a curious eye towards the unknown adventures which lie ahead!

What did you recently finish reading!?

I have only finished a handful of novels within the past fortnight or thereabouts, all of which I posted reviews on my blog: The Brotherhood of the Dwarves, Dangerous DecisionsSebastian’s Way, and the Writers Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The latter of course, was an anthology collection of essays and interviews compiled together to present an excellent primer on genre writing; even if your genre is outside the scope of the title! I found myself writing quite a heap about my recollections and the musings therein which were extracted from the readings!

I am in the process of reading several novels at the moment for each of my different reading challenges as well as having finished my first blog tour book review stop for Penguin Group (USA). As I am reading multiple books concurrently, I will be revealing where I am by page count rather than by chapter or section next Wednesday! I am hoping to be at the end of Chapter X or XI of Wuthering Heights by the 21st (Friday) as well as complete my reading of Crown of Vengeance to round out my focus week for Seventh Star Press! At the close of February, I am equally as hopeful to have read approx. 200 pages of War and Peace whereas my goals for the 23rd of February are too complete Somerset & most of Roses! The Ladies Paradise is on my reading table as well, as I am attempting to read in tandem at the moment! I felt best to initiate a bit of a page count goal per book in order to best ignite a pattern of reading classics in-between modern literature I explore either outside of blog tours or within them! I always have such a fanciful heart to explore literature in all of its beauty, that I felt this might help me focus on books I truly want to finish reading within the time I am allotting! Stay tuned for next Wednesday’s journal of WWW to see how well I did!

A Fall of Marigoldstook me backwards into my memories for the shirtwaist factory fire of 1911 as evidenced and exhumed into a breath of life by Meredith Tax’s Rivington Street; whilst bringing forward haunting memories of observing the horrors of September 11th by telecast. I felt honoured to be asked to be a book review stop on her blog tour, and as you can read in my review, the novel itself touched me on a very deep level. It was a blessing to find closure and peace after two events in history profoundly affected me.

What do you think you’ll read next!?

I received word that my ILL holds are in queue to arrive within a few week’s time in which I cannot wait to see what is waiting for me inside Leviathan Wakes, Jaran, and The Divining!

And, then there was the whole realisation whilst I read this tweet which led to the successive replies:

Launched myself into a bit of mini-quest to find other “foodie fiction” titles that I could plausibly devour at some point in my reading future! Laughs within a smile! Oh, the wondrous thrill of the ‘discovery’!!

  • The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister (started; need to finish!)
  • The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister (sequel to above; goes w/o saying!)
  • Chocolat by Joanne Harris (birthday gift; need to read!)
  • The Colour of Tea by Hannah Tunnicliffe (borrowed; returned unread)
  • Julie & Julia by Julie Powell (opted for the motion picture!)
  • Charlie & the Chocolate Factory by Ronald Dahl (always saw the films!)
  • How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’ Neal (loved!)
  • The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender (murmurs of curiosity!)
  • When in Doubt, Add Butter by Beth Harbison
  • The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy
  • The Irresistible Blueberry Bakeshop & Cafe by Mary Simses (borrowed, need to finish!)
  • The Roots of the Olive Tree by Courtney Miller Santos
  • Eat. Pray. Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (opted for the motion picture!)
  • The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais
  • Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
  • The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen
  • The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
  • Coffeehouse mysteries by Cleo Coyle (need to read all of them!)
  • White House Chef mystery series by Julie Hyzy (need to keep up to date!)
  • The China Bayles mysteries by Laura Childs (revolves around a teahouse!)
  • Courtesy of Ms. Lisa via TLC Book Tours the following were also suggested:
  • The Kitchen Daughter by Jael McHenry
  • Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge
  • The Provence Cure for the Brokenhearted by Bridget Asher
  • Maman’s Homesick Pie by Donia Bijan
  • Hungry by Darlene Barnes
  • & the forementioned The Colour of Tea & The Lost Art of Mixing

The next books I am drinking in will be books for review and I am quite excited for them to grace my mind’s eye! For I get the absolute pleasure of re-entering the world of the #LelandDragons, as I re-read Redheart by Jackie Gamber before continuing forward into Sela and the bookend third of the trilogy: Reclamation! The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte by Ruth Hull Chatlien is a hearty tome of an account of a side of the Bonaparte family I never had heard of beforehand! My pursuit of Bonaparte has re-strengthened since I read Becoming Josephine by Heather Webb! Whereas Citadel by Kate Mosse is an interest which was encouraged by my Mum when she gave me Labyrinth; in lieu of knowing where I put the book, I have borrowed the two previous books from my local library!

I had a bountiful bookish postal surprise day

in which I happily welcomed in the following books for review:

My Wish List banner

&

Violet Patterson Blog Tour via Tomorrow Comes Media

&

Inscription by H.H. Miller

via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours

&

A MidSummer Night’s Steampunk by Scott E. Tarbet    

and Moments in Millenia (anthology) edited by Penny Freeman

via Xchyler Publishing

Whereas I previously announced receiving Citadel & The Ambitious Madame Bonaparte!

I decided to join the 2014 Chunkster Challenge, as I had no idea how many novels I’d read over the score of the year which would qualify as being labeled ‘a tome of a book greater than 450 pages!’ Clearly, I have already begun to read stories in greater quantity of depth, but this is going to be a good record of seeing how many I gravitate towards over a regular year’s worth of reading!

Likewise, I have released posts in part of my participation of:

I will be stitching together my posts this next week for challenges hosted by Bookish Ardmour:

All of which I curate on my RALs & Challenges page, of which I update my progress as well as on my Part II of Reading Challenge Addict! I decided to pull back from several reading & bookish challenges this year, as although they appealed to me in the beginning when I was on the verge of signing into them, I decided in the long-term I would be better off honing in on the ones which were at this point in time the most keen of the lot to participate in! There will undoubtedly be more RALs, Thons, & Challenges forthcoming but these will be the main ones I am concentrating on except to say for the two Jane Austen novels I am reading to correlate with the Jane Austen Readings hosted by Reading is Fun Again!

Quite the exciting time for a bookish soul, eh!?
Have your literary wanderings been as expansive and lovely as mine!?
And, do you have a ‘foodie fiction’ recommendations for me!?

{SOURCE: The WWW Wednesday badge created by Jorie in Canva as a way to
promote the weekly meme for those who want to take part in it.}

Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2014.

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Posted Wednesday, 19 February, 2014 by jorielov in 18th Century, 19th Century, Anthology Collection of Stories, Back to the Classics, Blog Tour Host, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Bookish Discussions, Books for Review Arrived by Post, Chunkster Reading Challenge, Classical Literature, Fantasy Fiction, Foodie Fiction, France Book Tours, Get Steampunk'd, Go Indie, Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours, Indie Author, Indie Book Trade, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Library Find, Love for Books Readathon, RALs | Thons via Blogs, Reading Challenge Addict, Reading Challenges, Rewind Challenge, Science Fiction, Seriously Series Reading Challenge, SFN Bingo, TBR Pile Challenge, tCC The Classics Club, The Dystopia Challenge, Tomorrow Comes Media, Wicked Valentine's Readathon, William Shakespeare Challenge, Wuthering Heights, WWW Wednesdays, Xchyler Publishing