GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “CHIQUE SECRETS OF DOLCE AMORE by Barbara Conelli ENDED

CMash July 13, 2012 49 Comments

JULY 13th to JULY 27th, 2012

CHIQUE SECRETS OF DOLCE AMORE
by BARBARA CONELLI

SYNOPSIS:

When we talk about “the city of love”, most of us immediately think of Paris,
Venice, Rome or another famous metropolis whose romantic stories we know from movies and novels. But to Barbara Conelli, none of them are the real city of love. To the author, love doesn’t mean passionate gestures, big promises of eternal devotion, ardent embraces, torrid kisses, or stormy arguments followed by even stormier reconciliations.

To the author, love means something completely different and much simpler.
The smell of morning cappuccino and fresh pannetone at Pasticceria Marchesi. A
brisk stroll through the awakening city and sensual curves of gold shadows on the wet paving of Via della Spiga. Joyful shouts of bohemian artists and their graceful muses at Fornace Curti. A crispy panzerotto savored in the company of cantankerous pigeons on the piazzetta of San Fedele. Old furniture stores in narrow streets and adorable trinkets she can never resist. The tinkling of a tram from 1929 with uncomfortable wooden seats and a hundred-year-old conductor. Sublime flamingos and peevish peacocks in an emerald-green garden that has never been owned by anyone. Remote nooks and crannies whose secrets have been revealed only to her and the few ghosts with aristocratic hearts who appear in them from time to time. Visionary dreams, inextinguishable hopes, the desire to live, the courage to create, the strength to grow.To the author, love means all this and much more. This and much more is what she receives from the city that makes you fall in love a hundred times a day, breaking your heart over and over again, only to make it beat faster five minuteslater. Milan. Barbara’s city of love. The city she has adored since the year dotbecause it’s just like her: it has dozens of faces, it laughs and cries at the same time, it’s vain, unpredictable, and you never know what mood it wakes up with.
Join Barbara Conelli and submerge yourself in the secrets of this magical citythat has been breathing love for centuries. Love that is dignified, childish, creative, treacherous, passionate, painful, forgiving, crazy, insane, unbridled, endless, fleeting, unfaithful, platonic, carnal, hateful, desperate, volatile, conceited, and divine. The kind of love whose chalice you quickly drain, so that on the next corner, you can reach for another one, even more delicious and intoxicating.

THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF

AUTHOR, BARBARA CONELLI

I HAVE ONE ( 1 ) TOTE BAG TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: IF YOU HAD THE

CHANCE TO VISIT ITALY, WHERE AND

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?*

*INTERNATIONAL–OPEN TO ALL*
*NO P.O. BOXES*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 27th AT 6PM EST*

WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

Giveaway copies are supplied and shipped to winners via publisher,
the giveaway on behalf of the
above. I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me, in
exchange for my honest review. No items that I receive are
ever sold…they are kept by me, or given to family and/or friends.

I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

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Guest Author, Showcase, WOW Tours

Guest Author Steena Holmes

CMash June 18, 2012 1 Comment

I have hosted many gifted and talented authors via WOW and today you will meet another one of their amazing female writers. I have the honor to introduce you to Ms. Steena Holmes!!

ABOUT STEENA HOLMES

Author of the new heart wrenching story “Finding Emma”, Steena is a woman who believes that ‘in the end, everything succumbs…to the passions of your heart’. Steena’s life revolves around her family, friends and fiction.

Come along with Emma on a scavenger hunt!

We’re going to the Carnival! At each stop along Steena’s tour there is a hidden word–something you would find at a fair or carnival. Find the word and enter it at the Scavenger Hunt page on Steena’s website

(http://www.steenaholmes.com/wow-scavenger-hunt/). Each entry is an extra ticket to win! Need more clues? Join us at the Carnival Board on Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/steenah/summer-carnivals-childhood-memories/)

where we will post images of the clues. Join in the fun by leaving your own favorite carnival pics! Read about prizes and additional details on The Muffin.(http://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2012/06/emmas-scavenger-hunt.html)

Prizes:
First Prize: Work with a Bestselling Author.
Our Grande Prize winner will help create a character for Steena Holmes’ next book!
Second and Third Prize Winners will each receive a signed copy of Finding Emma and a special pewter angel figurine from The Missing Children’s Society of Canada, an organization dedicated to bringing children home.

GUEST POST

Passion. One simple word that means so much.

If you look around, you’ll see passion ever where. It’s in the eyes of a new mom as she gazes down at her newborn. In the face of an elderly man as he holds the woman he’s loved for a lifetime in his arms one last time. It’s the steadiness found in a doctor who prepares themselves to save the life of their patient. It’s there in a child’s determined grip on a pencil as they learn how to write their name for the first time.

Passion is that spark in your heart that gets you through the day when you feel like the world is against you. It’s what help you finish the marathon even when you don’t think you can walk another step. It’s what motivates you to do more — to be more.

It’s hard to watch the passion in someone’s life dwindle and die. You see that sparkle in their eye disappear and it haunts you, knowing that there’s nothing you can do. But it’s an individual choice to allow that passion to thrive – because passion – in any form – requires strength. And let’s be honest, we don’t always have the strength. Sometimes it’s hard to get up every morning and keep doing what you’ve always been doing. It’s hard to always be fighting for what you believe, to always be going against the crowd. To always be wrong when everyone else believes they are right.

But, it’s worth it – isn’t it? It has to be. Passion is what builds nations, or sees communities thrive. It’s what carries on the flame during the Olympics or feeds the hungry in countries without enough resources. It’s what lights up the night sky with fireworks every year to celebrate huge monumental changes in our world and what leaves a lump in your throat when you try not to cry after seeing someone stop during a race to help a fellow competitor who fell. Passion is the key to living a life with purpose and strength and determination.

Passion. One little word that holds the key to so much! Do you have that passion in your life?

ABOUT THE BOOK

A child torn from the arms of loving parents, a relationship torn apart from loss… Megan sees her daughter Emma everywhere. She’s the little girl standing in the supermarket, the child waiting for the swings at the playground, the girl with ice cream dripping down her face. But it’s never Emma. Because Emma’s been missing for two years. Unable to handle the constant heartache of all the false sightings, Megan’s husband threatens to walk away unless Megan can agree to accept Emma is gone. Megan’s life and marriage is crumbling all around her and she realizes she may have to do the thing she dreads most: move on. When Megan takes a photo of a little girl with an elderly couple at the town fair, she believes it to be her missing daughter. Unable to let go, she sets in motion a sequence of events that could destroy both families lives.

50% of the proceeds of this book will be donated to The Missing Children’s Society of Canada – an organization dedicated to reuniting families. Visit www.mcsc.ca for more information.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, STEENA HOLMES, I HAVE
ONE (1) EBOOK EDITION TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

Author, Giveaway, WOW Tours

EBOOK GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE “FINDING EMMA” by Steena Holmes ENDED

CMash June 18, 2012 17 Comments

JUNE 18th to JULY 2nd, 2012

FINDING EMMA
by STEENA HOLMES

SYNOPSIS:

THANKS TO AUTHOR, STEENA HOLMES

I HAVE ONE ( 1 ) EBOOK EDITION

(PDF OR KINDLE) OF THIS BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN.

*USE THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM BELOW
IN ORDER TO BE INCLUDED IN THE GIVEAWAY*
BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL

ADDRESS IN THE RAFFLECOPTER FORM
SO THAT I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN
*LEAVE COMMENT: FROM READING THE SYNOPSIS,
DO YOU THINK YOU COULD “MOVE ON”?*

*INTERNATIONAL*
*EBOOK EDITION (PDF or KINDLE)*

**HONOR SYSTEM**
ONE WINNING BOOK PER HOUSEHOLD
PLEASE NOTIFY ME IF YOU HAVE
WON THIS BOOK FROM ANOTHER
SITE, SO THAT SOMEONE ELSE MAY
HAVE THE CHANCE TO WIN
AND READ THIS BOOK.
THANK YOU.

*GIVEAWAY ENDS JULY 2nd AT 6PM EST*
WINNER WILL BE CHOSEN BY RAFFLECOPTER AND NOTIFIED
VIA EMAIL AND WILL HAVE 48 HOURS TO RESPOND
OR ANOTHER NAME WILL BE CHOSEN

DISCLAIMER / RULES

I am not responsible for lost or damaged books that are shipped
from agents. I reserve the right to disqualify/delete any entries
if rules of giveaway are not followed

YOUR JAVA SCRIPT MAY NEED TO BE UPDATED
IF YOU AR EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY
USING THE RAFFLECOPTER ENTRY FORM

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Author, Showcase, WOW Tours

Guest Author Dawn Novotny

CMash June 7, 2012 1 Comment

I have to start by repeating myself. I have met the most wonderful people through blogging and reviewing. And today I have the honor to introduce you to a very special, amazing, inspirational and kind lady. I was contacted by Jodi from WOW asking if I would like to read, review and host today’s guest. I read the synopsis and it was a YES!! After reviewing her book, I emailed her and shared it with her because it wasn’t going to be posted until today and I finished the book in April. Since that time we have been in touch through emails, learned more about each other and we “clicked”. Over these past few months we have formed a friendship whereas it feels that I have known her for years. In one of our emails, when she found out where I reside, told me that she would be here in the fall for a conference. We instantly made plans that include picking her up at the airport, out for dinner and have no doubt, a fun night filled with conversation. I am so excited that I can wait to meet her face to face. So please, get comfy, grab a coffee and help me welcome, my friend, Dawn Novotny to our group!!!

ABOUT DAWN NOVOTNY

So many words describe Dawn Novotny: clinician, teacher, author, workshop leader, wife, mother, stepmother, grandmother, recovering addict, breast cancer survivor, reader, swing dancer, and snorkeler. But what she is most proud of is her ability to thrive. She thrived in the face of poverty, abuse, and addiction to finally become the woman she is today. She wrote her memoir to encourage other woman to look past their difficulties to what is possible, to the woman they should be.
You can visit Dawn at her website here and her Professional Clinical Workshop here (a visit every woman should take the time for).

GUEST POST

Forgiveness is Vital to a Healthy Life

When I first heard people talk about amends to those we had harmed, especially our ex-spouses, I thought they must be crazy. I believed that if my tormentors’ transgressions outweighed mine, my “sin” was somehow diminished, even canceled.

I thought if people knew how cruel my ex-husband had been toward me and our children, they would see how righteous I had been. That should exempt me from making amends to him, right? But I was learning that if I wanted healing from my past, then it was I who had to take responsibility for my own sins of omission and commission without defenses or excuses.

Grudgingly at first, I began to think about who I was and what I was like when I married my children’s father. What exactly did I—a frightened, needy, nearly delirious young girl—bring to the marriage? The answer was nothing. Absolutely nothing! I realized, while he was marrying me for his own reasons, I had married him to escape my love and rage at my first husband. I used what many would consider a sacred act—the sacrament of marriage—to arrest my descent into booze and promiscuity.

Thinking I was escaping the pain, I brought my nineteen-year-old self—an empty satchel stuffed with pain—to my second marriage. I appropriated him to escape my internal barbarians and shameful acting out behaviors.

Once I realize this, and with great trepidation, I wrote a letter of apology to himwhere I revealed my shameful secrets. I told him how my choices culminated in a brutal rape and suicide attempt just months prior to our marriage, and apologized for having nothing to contribute to our years together except fear and emptiness. I asked his forgiveness. I had to let go of any concern about how he would respond. The release that came to me after mailing that letter was like a huge stone of bitterness melting away. How he responded was irrelevant to my healing.

When he died four years ago, I was able to facilitate our children’s grief and farewells. By their own choice they had not spoken to their father in several years, but I felt that grieving his passing was paramount to their healing journey. We lit candles and wished him well on his crossing. They whispered their regrets. I felt blessed to have been given such softness in my heart toward him.

It takes enormous energy to address, think about and re-feel old transgressions. The remembering without release depletes our vital life energies robbing us of a healthy life.

Not only was I gifted with the peace that passes all understanding, my children no longer had to carry the heavy stone of family wounds heaped upon them by their parents.

The act of sincere forgiveness frees the soul in unimaginable ways. We are the benefactor of our acts of forgiveness, regardless of the recipient’s reactions.

Should you choose to follow this path toward healing a wound that holds your heart tethered to pain, please seek the advice of clergy or a trusted friend. There may be transgressors and transgressions that remain volatile and in need of counsel to proceed.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For 50 years, whether consciously or unconsciously, women have all been caught in the cultural clash between the almost immortal sexual mystique symbolized by Marilyn Monroe (in 1999 she was still voted sexiest woman of the century byPeople Magazine) and the retooling of the female soul by the womens liberation movement. Each of us has been left to ask ourselves, Who am I? Where do I fit? What does it mean to be a woman? And most important of all: What does it mean to me to be a woman?

Dawn Novotny writes about her struggle with those questions, but for Dawn it was more difficult to answer those questions. After all, she was married to Joe DiMaggio Jr. a man who was fascinated with his stepmother, Marilyn Monroe, and wanted to transform Dawn into his own version of Marilyn. RagDoll Redeemed is the story of one womans balancing act between embracing her sexuality and creating a person that utilized all her abilities: mental, emotional and physical.
Read my review here.

THANKS TO THE KINDNESS OF AUTHOR,
DAWN NOVOTNY, I HAVE TWO (2) COPIES
OF THIS EXCEPTIONAL MEMOIR TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, WOW Tours

Guest Author Mari McCarthy

CMash May 23, 2012 2 Comments

Today Robyn, from WOW, is stopping by with an old friend who has visited in the past. She has a new book out that can help all of us. So without further ado, please help me in welcoming Mari McCarthy back at the CMash blog!!

ABOUT MARI McCARTHY

When Multiple Sclerosis robbed her right side of strength Mari decided to teach herself to write with her left hand. She gained more than strength, she found herself–buried talents, hidden baggage, and a way to heal herself from the inside out.

Now a certified Journal Therapist, Mari shares her knowledge and experience with others by teaching them how to find their own strengths and talents and use them to solve problems and achieve goals.

Mari L. McCarthy is The Journaling Therapy Specialist, founder of Create Write Now and Journaling for the Health of It™. Mari offers guidance, counseling and encouragement to writers through her many journaling eBooks and in private Journaling Jumpstart consultations. Mari’s next Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days Challenge will be June 4-10 http://www.createwritenow.com/start-journaling-workbook. Please join her!
Vist Mari at her website and blog.

GUEST POST

Offbeat Journaling Practices – Journaling on your daily train commute, or before bedtime, or doing your Morning Pages faithfully are some commonly known journaling habits. Here are some less common ones.

Offbeat Journaling Practices
By Mari L. McCarthy

Though mostly we think of journaling as something we do in quiet, private moments at home, it may be useful to remember it can be a far more mobile habit than that. If conditions at home aren’t always conducive to journal writing, try any of these substitutes.

Take your journal with you and write:

During your morning commute
At your lunch hour
Sitting on a bench, as part of your daily walk in the park
Instead of ducking out for an afternoon snack
While waiting for appointments
In the bathroom, if you tend to sit for a while
To get back to sleep if you wake up in the middle of the night

Where you journal is one thing, why you journal is another. Again, the most common concept of journaling suggests it’s for the purpose of emotional dumping. And while that purpose is extremely useful and good, it alone is far from the only motivation to journal.

Journaling may be done for the purpose of remembering, documenting, guiding projects and challenges, projecting the future, solving problems, and a million more reasons.

You can also journal to record elements of your life. This is where things can get sweetly offbeat, while the returns can be remarkable. For fun, let’s consider a few ideas along these lines.

If you think of journaling as keeping a (usually) daily notation of something, creating a record that you can read over anytime in the future, then you could journal:

How you feel while drinking your coffee this morning
Today’s weather
Comments on your closest relationship
What you notice on the way to work
What you have for lunch
What you want today
Today’s achievements
Today’s failures
Today’s mistakes
Today’s humor
Something new I learned today
The most beautiful thing in your day
The song that’s playing in your head
How your workout went
Something you are grateful for
Spiritual musings of the day

Well, as you can see, we could go on forever. Which is the point. Just about anything you care about can be journaled.

I suggest a separate notebook for offbeat journals like these. And note that you’re likely to start off enthusiastically but eventually hit a wall. After many days of eager entries, suddenly one day you do not know how you feel, or you just don’t want to talk about the weather or today’s mistakes or whatever your chosen topic. Remember that this is the precise time to persevere! It is after you go beyond this hump that your discoveries multiply.

I’d love to hear some of your ideas about offbeat journaling, so please drop in a comment!

Mari L. McCarthy, journaling therapy specialist and author, owns Create Write Now, a website dedicated to all things journaling. The site includes hundreds of journaling prompts, personal journaling stories, interviews, a blog, and many other resources. Mari publishes many ebooks and e-workbooks to help journalers accomplish amazing things. She also conducts online Challenges, and you won’t want to miss her upcoming Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days Challenge, June 4-10.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Journaling, like any writing adventure or exercise program, tends to be cyclical—there are the times when you can’t wait to get-to-it and times when you can’t get started. Mari has the fix! It is her new e-workbook Start Journaling and Change Your Life in 7 Days.

In this workbook Mari addresses the most common roadblocks we come against in our journaling practice, from writer’s block and lack of time to finding motivation and silencing our inner critic. Whether you are new to journaling or need to climb out of a slump these seven days of writing prompts will get you moving in the right direction.

THANKS TO WOW AND AUTHOR, MARI McCARTHY,
THERE IS A GIVE AWAY GALORE.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE AND
SEE ALL THE GOODIES!!

DISCLAIMER

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, WOW Tours

Guest Author Karen Kondazian

CMash April 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

You know that Jodi from WOW visits often and always has a new and amazing author to introduce us to and today is no exception. And what’s exciting for me, her book is based on a true story of a Rhode Island woman, which is where I live. So please help me welcome Ms. Karen Kondazian!

*ABOUT KAREN KONDAZIAN*

Karen Kondazians life dream was to be a CIA spyuntil she turned eight and she was invited to appear on Art Linkletters Kids Say the Darndest Things. After several days of missing school to tape the show Karen realized that acting was indeed her true calling. Karen has an extensive list of both theatre and television roles shes played and also teaches at the Lee Strasberg School of Theatre and Film in Hollywood. Karens first foray into writing also stayed in the acting realm: The Actors Encyclopedia of Casting Directors. But now shes branched out into historical fiction with a main character that any actress would love to play!
You can visit Karen at Facebook, website, and her blog.

*ABOUT THE BOOK*

Life can be tough! Imagine falling in love with a runaway slave and having his child. Or tracking a killer who destroyed your family. Living your life as a man, making your living as a stagecoach driver, or killing a famous outlaw. Any one of those things would qualify as a tough life but what if they ALL happened to you? They did to Charley Parkhurst and The Whip is the story of her incredible life in the Wild West of the 1860s.

Just Thought You Should Know:
The Whip is inspired by the true story of a woman, Charlotte Charley Parkhurst, a Rhode Island woman who lived her life in the West as a man.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, KAREN KONDAZIAN, I
HAVE ONE (1) BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, WOW Tours

Guest Author Chynna Laird

CMash April 23, 2012 1 Comment

I have been waiting a month for today. Robyn from WOW contacted me and asked if I would read and review a book. After reading the synopsis, not only did I want to read it but I wanted to share it with all of you. So today, I am hosting a visit from an amazing person and fantastic author. Please welcome Ms. Chynna Laird.

ABOUT CHYNNA LAIRD

CHYNNA LAIRD – is a psychology major, freelance writer and multi award-winning author living in Edmonton, Alberta with her partner, Steve, and their three daughters [Jaimie (almost nine), Jordhan (six), and baby Sophie (three)] and baby boy, Xander (five). Her passion is helping children and families living with Sensory Processing Disorder and other special needs.

You’ll find her work in many online and in-print parenting, inspirational, Christian and writing publications in Canada, United States, Australia, and Britain. In addition, she’s authored an award-winning children’s book (I’m Not Weird, I Have SPD), two memoirs (the multi award-winning, Not Just Spirited: A Mom’s Sensational Journey With SPD and White Elephants), a Young Adult novel (Blackbird Flies), an adult Suspense/Thriller (Out Of Sync to be released March 2012), and a Young Adult Suspense/Mystery/Paranormal/Sweet Romance (Undertow, to be released 2012). She’s also working on a sequel to Not Just Spirited called Not Just Spirited: The Journey Continues and a few other projects in the works for Middle Grade and Young Adult readers.

Please visit Chynna’s website at www.chynna-laird-author.com, as well as her blogs at www.the-gift-blog.com and www.seethewhiteelephants.com, to get a feel for her work and what inspires her.

Just thought you should know:
April is… Alcohol Awareness Month, National Child Abuse Prevention Month, and Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

**GUEST POST**

From Abuse to Ability

The only things children should ever have to worry about growing up is learning, discovering the wonder and beauty in our world and having fun. It is the job of the adults around them to guide them on their journey with patience, wisdom and unconditional love. Sadly, for many children this isn’t a reality.

When a person is abused at a very young age, it changes her at the very core of her existence. It’s sort of like re-wiring something that was working perfectly fine. After you mess with it, it might still work but it will never run as well as it had before. And that’s so unfair.

You see, once a child has been changed in this way, it can be extremely difficult to build him back up again. Self-esteem and self-worth are two things we aren’t born with; they are learned and nurtured by trusted adults. And abuse—any kind of abuse—crushes those things. So these kids need steel-level support to relearn these basic traits. And I know a group of amazing people doing just that.

A few years ago while doing research for a school paper I was writing, I came across a link to a charity called Zebra Center. Not only was I drawn to the name but their purpose also captured my heart immediately.

Zebra Center is a Child Protection Center that helps children who have been abused or otherwise victimized. They help give these kids a new path to follow and give them the strength and courage to keep moving forward. The Center’s mandate is child-focused, which means the children brought there are put under the protective wing of the center, social services and the legal system. That doesn’t mean they don’t acknowledge the accused. They simply feel there is enough support for that person, and not enough for the victim.

I immediately emailed the CEO, Barbara, asking her if she and I could connect for an interview. For some reason, my gut told me that that this was a place I needed to connect with, but I didn’t know why at the time. The next day Barbara emailed me back and that was the start of a beautiful friendship.

Now, I went through a lot in my younger years. My brother and I could have really benefited from a place like Zebra Center, but there was no such place for us back then. So hearing some of these kids’ stories, I related. As she shared with me how this place came to be and why, and told me edited version of some of the kids’ stories, I felt it in the deepest part of my soul. I understood how it felt to have my privacy and my rights invaded. I knew that daily fear of not knowing what horrific things were in store for them. My heart broke picturing strangers coming to their home, giving them five to ten minutes to pack up whatever they could into a green garbage bag, to take them to a safer place.

But she also told me the amazing things they did at the Center to help repair whatever damage had been done in these kids’ lives. You can’t fix these problems, you can only find a new path for them to follow. And this starts with teaching these kids to define themselves rather than being defined by what they’ve gone through. That is essential. And Barbara taught me that too.

When I was finally able to tour the Center after more than a year of emails and phone calls with Barbara, it was an overwhelming experience. There is a feeling of wholeness there. There are stuffies and kid-sized chairs in every room. The waiting rooms for the children have complete sets of puzzles, games and play sets (and for those of us who are abuse survivors, the message in that is incredible). There is even a room called “Hope’s Closet” that is filled to the brim with brand new toys, games, costume jewelry and other items. Every child gets to choose one new item from the closet to take with him after his visit.

I think the part that touched me the most was when Barbara told me that they work closely with a local business that provides new backpacks filled with basic personal items such as pajamas, toothbrushes, a change of clothes, a pillow and other items that the child may not have or thought to have packed when removed from their home. Think about the significance of that for a moment. Before that, they had to stuff their belongings into a garbage bag. How could that not solidify the feeling they already have of their situation and themselves? Zebra Center recognized that.

Standing there in ‘Hope’s Closest’ with Barbara, looking around at all of the hope and future they are giving to back these kids was incredibly emotional. It was in that moment I realized my life had come full circle.

Years ago, I swore if I made it out of my childhood, I would do everything in my power to ensure that no other child had to endure what I had to. I made a pact that if I had the chance to help one child…like Zebra Center does every single day…I would be there in some way.

Barbara gave me the strength to tell my story and share it with the world. And hearing about how these kids came from so much pain and turmoil but have never allowed what’s happened to them to determine where they’ll go inspired me to do the same.

One thing that Barbara said to me during our very first telephone chat has resonated with me until this day: “I am so sorry the system failed you and your brother back then, Chynna. And I am sorry we couldn’t be there for you.”

My response to her is theme of this post: “It’s okay because you’re here for me now. And I’m comforted in the knowledge that kids have you here for them.”

Even the name of this place signifies the importance of what the people running it do. You see, zebras in the wild surround their young when danger is near. All of the in the adults in the zebra family encircle the younger ones so that no matter what happens, they will be protected. And we should all be doing the same thing for children.

We can’t erase what’s happened to these kids. I know my experiences will be engrained in my memory forever. But what we can do is help these kids be all they are meant to be from this day forward, taking them from abuse to ability. Just like Barbara and Zebra House did for me.

For more information on Zebra Center and the campaign Barbara and I created together, check out this page on my website: http://www.chynna-laird-author.com/p/chynnas-bookshelf.html

ABOUT THE BOOK

Elephant in the middle of the living room–that is one way of explaining how a family walks around the invisible presence of huge problems. Hindsight is what brings the elephant into focus.

Somehow at the innocent age of five Tami began to see the bulky creature crowding her family and took on a sense of responsibility far beyond expectation for her age. Her mother was different than other mothers. Family life in their household was not pretty. No one seemed to notice. No one did anything about it, and Tami wanted someone to do just that. As an adult Tami took on her first name, Chynna, and took up the challenge to find out what might have helped her mother fight her battle of self-destruction. She couldn’t help her mother, but she would consider it worth everything if her family’s story helped another.

This candid memoir is a story of one girl’s struggle to deal with her mother’s alcoholic/bipolar condition–the white elephant no one else would see. With a conversational tone, Laird shares her remarkable story of abuse, survival, and her triumphant recovery into becoming a healthy, well adjusted wife and mother. Tastefully written, this book will touch your heart. It offers hope that, no matter where you come from, life is what you make it.
See my review here.

THANKS TO AUTHOR, CHYNNA LAIRD, I HAVE
ONE (1) SIGNED COPY OF HER BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER
I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,
in exchange for my honest review.
No items that I receive
are ever sold…they are kept by me,
or given to family and/or friends.

Guest Author, WOW Tours

Guest Author Ruth Kaiser

CMash April 11, 2012 Leave a Comment

Those ladies have done it again!! Jodi and Robyn from WOW are stopping by with yet another amazing author. So put on your smiley face, sit back, and have some fun with today’s guest, Ms. Ruth Kaiser!!

ABOUT RUTH KAISER

Ruth is proud to be a self-proclaimed, happy-go-lucky, cockeyed optimist. Also known as a Pollyanna, a goofball, and little Miss Sunshine, Ruth is an easy breezy, cup runneth over, top of the world, outgoing, people loving, fun seeking gal. This perky gregarious, cracking herself up child at heart is filled with gratitude every minute of every day!

She is mom to three of the greatest kids ever who, even though they are all out in the world pretending to be grown-ups, will always be her babies. To pay for all those kids college tuitions, Ruth owns a small chain of preschools called TOT DROP where for 18 years she has been known and loved as Teacher Ruth by hundreds of preschoolers and their parents. To quote one of her mommies, Everyone should have a Teacher Ruth in their life!

Although completely allergic to cats, she is also completely enamored with them. So Philbert, Noodle, Rooster, and Mr. Simon have the run of the house and Ruth sits on a plastic chair and washes her hands a hundred times a day.

Ruth studied art at the University of California at Berkeley, but really believes that everyone is an artist. With excitement she proclaims, How cool is it that the Internet has given us all an avenue to share our art!

Smile. Be happy!

Its a choice you can choose.

Give it a try,

Youve got nothing to lose.

Connect with Ruth at her Facebook page, website and blog.

Listen to her Spontaneous Smiley Song here.

GUEST POST

Here is the message
That we want to share:
There’s a happier life,
You can pull from thin air.
From A child’s book of Optimism, A SMILEY BOOK OF COLORS
www.tinyurl.com/3c2qyd6

You Needn’t Wait for Happiness to Sneak Up on You.

I’m the Smiley Lady, both by virtue of my online art project, SpontaneousSmiley.com and by virtue of my sunny disposition.

I recently went a few verbal rounds with someone who asserted that my sunny outlook, my being decidedly optimistic (as in I decide to be optimistic) meant that the happiness I experience was artificial, synthetic, not to be valued.

His assertion was that true happiness was that great feeling that sneaks up on you when you’re doing something really fun or being with someone really great.

I don’t doubt that that is true. I just assert that it isn’t the only way to experience happiness. You needn’t wait for happiness to sneak up on you. You can search it out, you can sneak up on it.

One reporter’s headline about the Spontaneous Smiley Project was: Finding Mirth in the Mundane. That’s what this project is all about. But, when fun doesn’t seem to be there (ironing, errands, waiting to cross the street), you can make fun.

Here’s an example that comes right from getting ready this morning. Whenever I near the end of a jar of vitamins, I put the last few from the old jar into the new jar. Why? I figure those last guys have managed to survive every time I unscrew the lid. Why not toss them into the new jar. Why not give them a chance to survive a little longer.

And it’s got to be a big thrill for them (here I know I am my father’s daughter, talking about the feelings of objects). After all for the last many weeks their odds of getting consumed rose everyday as the number of vitamins remaining in the jar diminished. Suddenly they are tossed into a full jar. No longer are they one among a few; now they are one among many.

Who knows? They might make it to the end of this jar as well. I’m rooting for them. But I also like, that I’ll never know.

So the point here is that happiness isn’t only derived from things you describe as really, really this or really, really that. The lesson of Spontaneous Smiley is that it’s possible to derive happiness from minutia, from the littlest of things, the most mundane of chores, the least likely of objects.

Bird Poop? Yes! Garbage Can? Yes!

Peeling Paint? Yes! Broken Keyboard? Yes!

But if minutia is going to do it for you, it does require that you decide to notice minutia and define it as good, pleasant, beautiful, etc.

Smile. Be happy!

Ruth

These holes are on the floor where a gate swings  to lock an entrance.  I imagine the worker who drilled not 1 but 6 holes  before getting one in the right place, was none too happy.  I wish I’d been there to point out  that it was Smiley good luck that his/her errors  left a reason for all to smile.  And no, we’re not laughing at you,  we’re laughing at how great life can be!

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Smiley Book of Colors contains a rhyming verse written to get parents talking to their children about optimism, specifically about choosing happiness. The photo illustrations — arranged by color — are “Smileys” found hidden in fire trucks, flowers, clouds, even mommys latte. Although it is a children’s picture book, A Smiley Book of Colors is really for anyone who needs a burst of happiness in their day.

Just Thought You Should Know:

For every Smiley photo that is uploaded to the Spontaneous Smiley website, one dollar is donated to Operation Smile, to fund reconstructive surgeries for children with facial deformities such as cleft palate and cleft lip. The Spontaneous Smiley has funded eighteen surgeries so far, one Smiley at a time.

Ruth is also running a special contest for a signed copy of The Smiley Book of Color on her website to be awarded on the last day of the tour: April 19. To enter this contest, readers have to snap a pic of a Smiley and upload it to her website. To be entered in the contest, your readers should enter the word WOW in the box marked Smiley Title when they upload their photo.

[yframe url=’http://youtu.be/LAKZfZ5BZtU’]

THANKS TO AUTHOR, RUTH KAISER, I HAVE
ONE (1) COPY OF HER BOOK TO GIVE AWAY.

CLICK HERE TO BRING YOU TO
THE GIVEAWAY ENTRY PAGE.

DISCLAIMER

I received a copy of this book, at no charge to me,

in exchange for my honest review.

No items that I receive

are ever sold…they are kept by me,

or given to family and/or friends.