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.

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.

*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.

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Finding Emma by Steena Holmes
Published by: Steena Holmes
Publication Date: April 8, 2012
ISBN-10: 0987856863
ISBN-13: 978-0987856869
Pages: 276
Review Copy from:  Author/WOW
Edition:  Kindle
My Rating: 5

Synopsis:
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.

My Thoughts and Opinion:
As a parent, can you imagine just turning your back for a second and your child is gone without a trace? I can’t begin to imagine and wouldn’t want to but I would think that it would be a raw heart pounding terror. And within the first couple of pages of Finding Emma, that is exactly what I felt with the vivid and explicative narrative that the author conveyed with her ability with words and writing style. Heart wrenching!! The characters lifelike especially little Emma with her golden curly hair. Poignant!! The author grabbed and delivered me right into the story line as if I was a bystander. The settings easy to conjure up in my mind. Even the intonation of dialogue between characters and the voice of Emma was as if I was eavesdropping on the conversations. The emotions palpable. The suspense (vague due to not wanting to include spoilers) as to how, why, by whom, and what happened to Emma was a page turner. Captivating!! And what about the person who snatched this adorable 3 year old little girl? What are the feelings toward the kidnapper? That is something that the reader has to decide. Overwhelming!!

This story is filled with emotions, relationship dynamics, hopelessness and hopefulness, happy and sad, anxiety, depression, wanting to move on yet also not wanting to let go, life and death, of memories good and bad, and above all, truth and love on many levels depending on the connection of kinship. Compelling!! This book is one I highly recommend but be prepared, it will not only tug at your heart strings but will also hold them tightly.

(2012 Challenges: EBooks, Off The Shelf, FreeReads, Where Are you? A-z, 52 in 52, Outdo Yourself, 100+)

Hosted by  Miz B at Should Be Reading

Today’s question:
I read an article, this past week, about book covers, and the difference between print & digital covers; about how the digital covers have almost disappeared entirely, while publishers decide to just skip right to the content.
What do you think about this? Do you think the book cover is “dead”? Do you care whether the “covers” on digital books exist or not?

My answer:
Oh how I hope this isn’t true!!  Before blogging/reviewing, covers are what drew me when I would be either on a book buying errand and/or when looking for books at our local library.  After blogging/reviewing, covers are still important but not as much when deciding on a personal purchase compared to the plot and/or a blogger’s review.

Since the majority of books I read are sent to me from authors, publishers, publicists, etc, again it is the synopsis as to if I accept a book to review not the cover.  However, once I receive a print edition from the above, I do tend to judge the cover.  I also like seeing the cover of my current read when it is sitting on my table next to my reading chair, on my nightstand or when holding the book reading.  Like my current read, which I love the cover:

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As for the EReader, I disagree with the writer of the article.  He mentions how the reader skips over everything to get to page 1.  I don’t.  I, even if I have to go back many pages, I always start a digital version from the cover page.  It is probably an idiosyncrasy of mine, but it doesn’t “feel” right not starting a book from the cover page.  But I do agree with him, that after that one look at the cover, I tend to forget about it.   Definitely a drawback with EReaders, if one is a visual reader, like me.  I wish that when I do pick up my Kindle to continue reading, instead of the page I’m on opens up, I wish it could be designed that the cover is shown once I turn it on and then go to the last page read.  Hmmm…maybe I should write to the person who designs/programs/whatever and whomever is in charge of this and aks/suggest if this could be done????!!!!

What do you think about covers?  Do you think covers will “die” in the future?  And do you think it is either a good idea and/or would like to see my suggestion implemented?

June is being hosted by Alternative Read 

Mailbox Monday was created by Marcia of A girl and her books and is now on tour.

According to Marcia, “Mailbox Monday is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week. Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.”

                                  Author                      Author/WOW

          

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Happy Father’s Day to all the Dads, especially my dear hubby, Steve who will be on the golf course today with our oldest son!!  Which means a nice quiet day for me lol.  However, I will be taking time to remember memories of my Dad, who passed when I was just 16.

Another week has flown by but looking forward to the first day of summer this coming Wednesday.  So how was your week?  Here’s a recap of mine:

Reading:  I finished 2 books, Banal by Vincent Zandri (a short story) and Chique Secrets of Dolce Amore by Barbara Conelli and am currently reading Tumbleweeds by Leila Meacham.

I also received a couple of books that I am looking forward to reading but will showcase those tomorrow in Mailbox Monday meme.

Blogging:  This past week was busy with hosting 3 guest authors and 4 giveaways.  Don’t leave without checking the sidebars for current giveaways, in case you see one of interest and you would like to enter.  Also posted are the giveaways that will begin this week.  And I have 4 authors visiting that will be introducing their latest books to us.

Real Life:  I tried something this week that I thought I never would have thought of.  And it was definitely the high point of my week.  Being a former nurse, I was always of the mindset of traditional medicine but my son had a session and said that he thought of me after he went because of my chronic pain.  So a few weeks ago, he made an appointment for the 2 of us for this past Thursday.  It was for acupuncture (that is not me in the image).  I drove to his house, he lives one state over 60+min drive, and then went to the office for our appointments.  I was utterly amazed!!!  Mark, the acupuncturist did a brief verbal intake, then took my pulse but not the usual 15-60 second count but for a couple of minutes and was able to tell me what was wrong and he nailed it on everything….scary!!  He then proceeded to insert the needles, painless, down my back, both sides of my spine, down my legs, and in my stomach area.  I stayed lying on my side for approx 30 min. and then he removed all the needles.  After my last 2 back surgeries in 2010, unknowingly, part of my lower spine collapsed and healed in a kyphotic (bent) position, which I am mechanically unable to stand straight.  When I sat up and then got off the table and stood up, I was standing at least at an 80 degree angle, which normally is like 70.  And I was even able to move with more flexibility. First time in 2 years.  And if that wasn’t enough I then spent the best part of the evening, taking Paul out to supper and spent some quality time with my oldest.  And then it was time to drive home.  Since then I have also been able to sleep straight through the night, whereas before, I am usually up multiple times due to the pain and have had to take less pain pills during the day.  I am now looking forward to my next appointment.  

Has anyone else had acupuncture?  What did you think?  And even if you haven’t, do you think you would consider it?  I am being totally honest in saying, if it wasn’t for Paul, I would never have tried it, but so glad I did.

……of So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore

59 Carol Mintz Follow @CherylMash on Twitter

16 Susan Smith Be a Public Follower of ‘CMASH Loves to Read’

66 Damian Jarreau Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address or another winner will be chosen.  Thank you to the many that entered.  More giveaways will be posted in the near future, so stay tuned.

………of Moonlight Falls and Scream Catcher by Vincent Zandri

22 Ellie Wright Tweet About the Giveaway

26 Diane Margolis-Baum Leave a Blog Post Comment

An email has been sent to the winners and they have 48 hours to respond with their mailing address or another name will be chosen.  Thank you to those that entered.

I’m so excited today because we have an old friend stopping by to talk about her latest book.  I am sure a lot of you have read her past works and will want to know what she has been up to.  So without further ado, please welcome back, Kari Lee Townsend!

KARI LEE TOWNSEND

National Bestselling Author, RT Reader’s Choice Award & Agatha Nominee Kari Lee Townsend lives in Central New York with her very understanding husband, her three busy boys, and her oh-so-dramatic daughter, who keep her grounded and make everything she does worthwhile…not to mention provide her with loads of material for her books. Kari is a longtime lover of reading and writing, with a masters in English education, who spends her days trying to figure out whodunit. Funny how no one at home will confess any more than the characters in her mysteries!

Kari writes fun and exciting stories for any age, set in small towns, with mystical elements and quirky characters as Kari Lee Townsend. Kari also writes romantic comedies and women’s fiction with the same sense of humor and quirky characters as Kari Lee Harmon.

GUEST POST

Fortune-Telling Research & Future Ideas

 When I first decided to write a mystery series, I chose fortune-telling as a theme because I thought it would be fascinating to learn all about the various techniques. What I didn’t realize is there are many slightly different techniques that psychics use when telling someone’s fortune. The Internet has been an invaluable tool. For the sake of my Fortune Teller Mysteries, I combined several aspects of various techniques and came up with a method my character, Sunshine Meadow’s, would use.

In book one, Tempest in the Tea Leaves, Sunny reads tea leaves as a way tapping into her psychic abilities. She sometimes has trouble interpreting her visions, but in the end, they always work themselves out. The fortune-telling tools simply aid her in tapping into her visions. In book two, Corpse in the Crystal Ball, Sunny reads Crystal Balls. For both tea leaves and crystal balls, there are variations in the process, but in the end, they are not all that different. So it was easy to come up with a method that worked for Sunny. And then she simply had to interpret what she saw.

In book three, Trouble in the Tarot, I found reading Tarot Cards to be the most difficult. There are so many spreads you can use and so many ways of interpreting what you see, that it’s not easy. I spent the most time on my research for reading Tarot Cards. In the end, I ended up coming up with the same preparation for reading the cards and then I used several spreads depending on what kind of reading Sunny was doing. For book four, Peril in the Palm, I will do research on Palm Reading. I am excited about that. This series is holding my interest because I never get bored. I get to find out something new and share it with the world. Hopefully, Palm Reading won’t be that difficult J What kind of fortune-telling tools would you like to learn more about in future books?

To find out more about Kari and all her books go to www.karileetownsend.com  or click on the links below:

Kari Lee Townsend (Website & Newsletter & Facebook & Twitter)
National Bestselling Author of The Fortune Teller Mysteries
TEMPEST IN THE TEA LEAVES 4 1/2 Starred RT Review
Best Amateur Sleuth of 2011 RT Reviewers’ Choice Nominee
Best First Novel Agatha Award Nominee
CORPSE IN THE CRYSTAL BALL – June 2012 (preorder now)
DIGITAL DIVA: TALK TO THE HAND (Kindle & Nook)
DIGITAL DIVA: RISE OF THE PHENOTEENS (Kindle & Nook)
DESTINY WEARS SPURS (by Kari Lee Harmon) (Kindle & Nook)
PROJECT PRODUCE (by Kari Lee Harmon) (Kindle & Nook)

ABOUT THE BOOK

Psychic Sunshine Meadows makes a dark discovery in the woods…

After clearing her name as the prime suspect in a murder, Sunny Meadows hopes she can finally enjoy some serenity in the idyllic town of Divinity in upstate New York. She’d also like a second chance with Detective Mitch Stone. But when Mitch’s gorgeous ex-girlfriend Isabel Gonzales shows up, Sunny’s not sure she can compete. Then Isabel mysteriously disappears. When the police turn to Sunny for help, her visions lead to the discovery of Isabel’s corpse in the woods. Before she died, Isabel scrawled a message in the dirt implicating Mitch in her murder. Now Sunny must help the man she’s falling in love with as she sets out to find the real killer. But this time Sunny’s clairvoyant abilities might not save her—as what she doesn’t see can hurt her…

THANKS TO AUTHOR, KARI LEE TOWNSEND, I HAVE
ONE (1) BOOK AND A SIGNED BOOKMARK TO GIVE AWAY.
U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY.

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.
ADDENDUM
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Barnes & Noble and/or any other retail/wholesale
outlets either online and/or elsewhere.
I am providing this link solely for visitors
that may be interested in purchasing this Book/EBook.
I do not receive any monetary compensation from any parties