Triple Cover Reveal

 

In celebration of Lena Goldfinch’s upcoming release, HAUNTING JOY: BOOK 2, she’s revealing three brand-new book covers! The two HAUNTING JOY books are light paranormal stories, and SONGSTONE is a fantasy romance. All three books are sweet—and slightly spine-tingling—young adult reads, perfect for cozy autumn nights!

 

HAUNTING JOY: BOOK 1

 

“A sweet and charming ghost story that completely won me over.”

—Lena Coakley, Witchlanders

 

Joy’s new dress has a secret—one with a little supernatural history, one that’s a little more than she expected.

It all starts one ordinary afternoon, when seventeen-year-old Joy tries on some thrift-store clothes. The little white dress fits perfectly. Trouble is, now it won’t leave her alone. Soon Joy is swept up in an extraordinary journey to help a ghost complete some unfinished business.

If only that didn’t involve Joy driving through dangerous intersections...
Or calling up her high-school crush, Nick...
Or getting stuck in a cemetery after dark.

Just how much is Joy willing to risk to uncover the truth?

HAUNTING JOY: BOOK 2

 

Joy’s story continues with another ghost, this time a boy who seems intent on disrupting her senior year…

 

SONGSTONE

 

“An original fantasy world inhabited by superstitious tribal nations and intriguingly developed characters.”

—Serena Chase, USA Today’s Happy Ever After blog

A dark, twisty tale of sorcery, tummy-tingling romance, and adventure, inspired by the folklore of New Zealand's Māori people.

 

Kita can meld song into stone—a skill called “storytelling,” which is greatly honored in a world with no written word. But Kita is slave to a sorcerer who practices black magic using drops of her blood. She fears he’ll use her beautiful gift for a killing spell, so she conceals it. Yet each day, his magic tightens around her neck like a rope.

Then Pono, a young journeyman, arrives from the other side of the island. He’s come to fulfill a pact between their villages: to escort a storyteller back to his village. Finally, in Pono, Kita sees her one slim chance at freedom—and she’ll risk her life to take it.

 

BOOK LINKS

 

HAUNTING JOY: BOOK 1

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Audible | Paperback

 

HAUNTING JOY: BOOK 2

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32794794-haunting-joy

Kindle: http://amzn.to/2eYTCov

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1125015816?ean=2940156702039

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/haunting-joy-1

Google Play Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=aIBjDQAAQBAJ

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/haunting-joy-book-2/id1170495199?ls=1&mt=11

 

SONGSTONE

Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Paperback

 

AUTHOR BIO

 

LENA GOLDFINCH writes sweet historical western romance / inspirational romance and books for teens. She’s always been a sucker for a good old-fashioned romance, whether it’s a novel or short story, young adult or adult, fantasy or realistic, contemporary or historical. Lena has been a finalist in several national writing contests, including the RWA Golden Heart and ACFW Genesis contests. She enjoys life in a quiet, small town with her husband, two kids, and two very spoiled Black Labs.

 

Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest | Twitter | Website

 

RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

 

No tricks with this giveaway—just a treat for three lucky winners! Each winner will get a copy of one of Lena’s featured books (winner’s choice): Haunting Joy: Book 1; Haunting Joy: Book 2; OR Songstone.

 

Note: Paperback copies are only available to winners who are US residents. Ebook versions are available to all winners.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

PERSONALITY QUIZ

 

Discover which hero from Lena’s YA books is your dream hero! Possible results include Nick from Haunting Joy, Pono from Songstone, Rundan from The Language of Souls, Jovanni from Aire, and Troy from Take a Picture.

 

TAKE THE QUIZ

Emma Read-Along Discussion: Week 2

Not quite as far behind as I was last week! Still plugging along at the reading. I can't quite pinpoint what it is about Emma that I struggle with so much. It doesn't grab my attention as well as Pride and Prejudice or even when we read Northanger Abbey. I like Emma the character well enough, but I'm not a fan of her cutting remarks about Jane Fairfax and I don't like Frank Churchill's character very well. Anyway, to follow the read-along schedule go to Amber's blog at Seasons of Humility and check out her take on this section. Here are this week's questions and my observations:


Discussion Questions:


1. Has your opinion of Emma changed at all during this past week's reading? What stood out to you most about her words and thoughts regarding Harriet, Mr. Elton, Frank Churchill, and/or Jane Fairfax?


I don't know that my opinion has changed. I just think Emma is full of herself and that is shown by her behavior with Frank Churchill. The little cutting things that she says to him about other people shows how immature she is. Although, I guess I am pretty immature since I do the same thing from time to time!

 2. What are your first impressions of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill? Do you find one more intriguing/mysterious than the other?


First impressions are that Jane is kind of a washed out un-inspiring kind of girl, but that could be Emma's view of her because Emma seems a bit jealous of her. So if you can't find something wrong with someone I guess it is best to make something up? Frank Churchill is a self-centered man-child. I don't know what his game is with Jane or Emma, but I don't like it!

 3. Which character do you admire the most at this point?


Maybe this is the problem with Emma for me. No character is capturing me. Maybe I can say that I admire Mr. Knightley. I love that he tells Emma like it is. He's honest and he's kind.

 4. If you were a character in this book, which character do you think you'd most like to be matched with from what we know about everyone so far? [I'm thinking romantically, but you can also say who would be your best match as a friend or relative. :)]


I would have to say Mr. Knightley again. For one, I like the older men! ha! But he seems to be the only mature/sensible person in this cast of characters.


Favorite Quotes:




"Miss Fairfax is naturally so pale, as almost always to give the appearance of ill health.--A most deplorable want of complexion."


"But, my dear sir, cried Mr. Weston, if Emma comes away early, it will be breaking up the party. And no great harm if it does, said Mr. Woodhouse. The sooner every party breaks up, the better."


"Perry tells me that Mr. Cole never touches malt liquor. You would not think it to look at him, but he is bilious--Mr. Cole is very bilious."


"I do not know whether it ought to be so, but certainly silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."


It looks like this week's quotes I picked reminded me once again of Jane Austen's humor!








Words That Interested Me:


Inebriety: Formal or humorous. Make drunk; intoxicate


Éclat: Brilliant display or effect. Social distinction or conspicuous success.


Connexions: I know what this means, but I loved the spelling of it!


Beaufet: Once again I know this is buffet, but I love the spelling of it!


Huswife: I'm really not sure what this is as my dictionary didn't pull up a definition. It looks like a version of housewife, but yet it seems to be an object rather than a person.


Cavil: Make petty or unnecessary objections.


Recontre: Archaic variant spelling of rencounter. Whatever that means! ha!


Espalier: A fruit tree or ornamental shrub whose branches are trained to grow flat against a wall, supported on a lattice or a framework of stakes.


piquet: A trick-taking card game for two players, using a 32-card deck consisting of cards from the seven to the ace.


Thoughts:


Oh my goodness! Mr. Elton is something else! Why are the pastor's in Jane Austen's books always such foppish boors?! He truly does think himself something! I totally thought Emma got put in her place when he declared himself to her! Mr. Knightley had told her that Mr. Elton was interested in her and not Harriet, but Emma couldn't see it because of her schemes. I had to laugh at the whole proposal scene, but then I had to feel just a tad sorry for Mr. Elton for being mis-led. Emma is so mis-guided where Harriet is concerned. I don't think she intends to be mean, but she really does raise Harriet above her upbringing and it is causing Harriet great heart-ache. Emma needs to put away her match-making skills and concentrate on maturing her own self! I think there tends to be a lot of dialog in Emma and little action. It is kind of dragging for me. And the long chapters are killing me!!


On to the next section. Chapters 11-18 and Vol. III Chapters 1-6.

 

Emma Read-Along Discussion: Week 1

I hate to admit this, but I am so far behind! And gasp! I really hate to admit that the first week I totally forgot about keeping up! I started out so well too! But here I am, on vacation struggling to keep up, but determined to have my 2-cent say. Sorry I'm late to the party but here goes:

Discussion Questions:

1. What are your first impressions of Mr. Knightley and his relationship with Emma? Do his words about her and his attitude toward her suggest genuine care or a sense of superiority?

I think my first impressions of Mr. Knightley are that he seems more of an older brother or even a father figure to Emma. I don't think there is a sense of superiority, maybe more of a familiarity with Emma. After all, he was 16 when she was born, almost a man. He has known her all of her life and therefore has the relationship with her to scold her, rebuke her, praise her and love her.

 2. Mr. Knightley tells Emma, "You have been no friend to Harriet Smith" (ch. 8). To what degree do you agree or disagree with this statement based on Emma's thoughts and actions?

Well I think a bit of both agreement and disagreement are in order. I really and truly think that Emma is trying to better Harriet. But it is a naïve desire on Emma's part because she does cause Harriet to think better of her social standing than what she actually is. So Emma is trying to better a friend, but really doing Harriet no favors by elevating her opinion of herself.

 3. Who is your favorite secondary character so far? (Someone besides Emma or Mr. Knightley.) What do you admire or find interesting about that character?

I'm really not seeing anyone else stand out. I think Emma's father is a whiny bore. ha! I think the sister is as well! I am definitely not a fan of Mr. Elton and as of chapter 13 I really haven't met anyone else that stands out. Maybe later someone will come along. We'll see.

 4. Which Woodhouse do you most closely match: Emma, her sister (Isabella), or her father?

I guess I would have to say Emma. I think she may be a "fixer" and I'm a fixer. I want to offer advise, fix the problem and move on to the next. I can't stand the paranoia of the father and sister and the being afraid to breathe lest they get sick with something attitude that they have. I love Emma's independence and her strength to carry on her household. I love her patience with her family. I think that she is young and thinks a lot of herself as only the young can do. Even though she has been the manager of her household for a long time there still is a lack of life experience that makes her naïve about people's temperments etc.

Favorite Quotes:


"The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself."


"But, my dear, pray do not make any more matches; they are silly things, and break up one's family circle grievously."-Mr. Woodhouse


"You will puff her up with such ideas of her own beauty, and of what she has a claim to, that, in a little while, nobody within her reach will be good enough for her. Vanity working on a weak head, produces every sort of mischief."


"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasure of the other."


Words that interested me:


Valetudinarian: A person who is unduly anxious about their health.


Yeomanry: A group of men who held and cultivated small landed estates.


Chusing: This is a alternate spelling for the word "choosing" but I stumbled for a moment when I came across it. It looks kind of neat though!


Philippics: Bitter attack of denunciation, esp. a verbal one.


This is my second time reading Emma. If you haven't read it there is still time to hop in on the read-along. Visit Amber's blog at Season's of Humility to get all of the details and the schedule.



Tangled Webs by Irene Hannon

Finn McGregor is spending a couple of weeks at a secluded cabin. Trying to decide what way his career is going to go now that he is out of the military, Finn is needing this time away from everything to think.

Dana Lewis is staying on the neighboring property, getting away from the big city and enjoying the seclusion to work on her editing job. Dana is also getting away from some demons she left behind in the big city. When Finn hears her screaming in the night he rushes over to help her.

After Finn muddles their first meeting he and Dana develop a friendship/attraction for each other pretty quickly. When vandals start to harass Dana, Finn is on the job to find out who is causing the trouble and why.

Chief Burnett has a lot on his plate. His wife is suffering from Alzheimer disease and it is costing him more and more for her care. Always the pillar of the community, having won several awards for being an upstanding man in law enforcement, Chief Burnett finds out what happens when a person begins to compromise their convictions and rationalize their behavior. How long before the tangled webs that have been woven fall apart?

I really liked Finn's story! I loved he and Dana together, they had instant chemistry that added some pretty steamy moments to the read. I really enjoy knowing the bad guy throughout the read as well. I like that we get a look inside of the reasoning behind the behavior. Even though we know "who done it" there is still that element of suspense in wondering what will they do when they get caught, how far will they go to protect themselves? Loved getting a glimpse into what is going on in Finn's brothers lives as well from the first two books in the series. Mac and Lance are now both happily married men and very protective of their baby brother! Tangled Webs was a great ending to the series and I highly recommend it to you if you love a good romantic suspense like I do!

Check out my reviews of the first two books in the series:

Buried Secrets
Thin Ice

**I received my copy of Tangled Webs from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.**

The Candidate by Lis Wiehl with Sebastian Stuart

Erica Sparks is still working for GNN. Her ratings are doing well and now she is set to cover the next presidential election. Mike Ortiz was a former prisoner of war in Iraq who miraculously escaped his captors. Now Mike is one of the presidential hopefuls. Erica always seems to be in the perfect spot to catch the latest headlines. When one of the other candidates and his wife are killed in a bombing, Erica witnesses it firsthand. In the midst of her investigation Erica gets an inkling that there is something mechanical and fake about Mike and his wife Celeste. Once more Erica's life is put on the line for her job, will she be able to prove her fears or, die trying?

The Candidate is the second book in the Newsmakers series. For the most part I enjoyed this book. The plot kept me turning the pages. I did get frustrated with some of the characters. Erica and her daughter Jenny's relationship is pretty dysfunctional and Erica and her fiance' Greg are currently in a long-distance relationship that is testing their commitment to each other. I had to laugh at some of the cliche's such as, "Erica half wishes she could blow off this popsicle stand..." that were sprinkled throughout the book. Like I said, the plot kept me turning the pages to see how everything would turn out. I'll be looking forward to seeing what trouble Erica lands herself in next.

October Omen by Holly Schindler

Wedding planner/dress designer Kelly knows the perfect thing that will top off the wedding dress she is going to make for Natalie to wear when she marries Damion. The only problem is that the old shawl that she would like to use now belongs to Mary and Mary is unwilling for it to be used by anyone but the original owner.

Finley and Amos have still not found each other, but Mary is hoping that someday the magic of the shawl will be reunited with Finley and she and Amos will finally be reunited. But in the midst of renovations to Mary's house, in preparation for Damion and Natalie's wedding, the shawl has gone missing. This is a tragedy for the townsfolk of Finley.

Kelly is a skeptic when it comes to the legend of Amos and Finley, but she knows how important the shawl is to Mary and so she visits Amos's statue to enlist his help in finding the shawl. Amos helps Kelly in another way though that is true to what he is known for, helping people find themselves.

I enjoyed October Omen! Not only was there more of the legend of Amos and Finley, but there was also a bit of Indian legends, omens(good and bad), and the love that one town has for helping out their fellow neighbor in need. I love how each installment can stand alone, yet as a whole the story is building and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Check out the rest of my reviews:
Come December
January Thaw
Forget February
Dearest March
April's Promise
Mayday Mayday Mayday
Chasing June
A Hundred Julys
Under The August Moon
Song For September

AND...

Miles Left Yet where the town of Finley is introduced.

A Lesson in Love and Murder by Rachel McMillan

Newly married Jem and Ray are struggling to make ends meet. And Jem knows it will be even more difficult because as a married woman she is no longer allowed to work. On top of all of that Ray takes off to Chicago to help his sister.

Merinda and Jem have a new client. Benny Citrone is in search of his cousin who has become involved with the anarchists. Benny is a mounted police officer and bound to do his duty by finding Jonathan. He enlists the help of Merinda and Jem.

Much to Ray's dismay the girls come to Chicago to help Benny. The anarchist's are planning a big statement and Ray does not want Jem anywhere near them. Jem is an independent woman though, and insists on being involved in Merinda's latest adventure.

Never fear, Jasper is also on the case! He too goes to Chicago to help capture Jonathan. Merinda is infatuated with Benny. There is an infatuation/exasperation between the two of them.

I enjoyed catching up with Ray and Jem and Merinda and Jasper. They make a great team. Poor Merinda totally has her head turned by Benny and has no idea what is happening. There are explosions and relationship issues abounding. But nothing can shake Jem and Merinda's relationship. I love how Merinda worries about Jem and how they take care of each other. It is a great friendship. I'm looking forward to the next book in the Herringford and Watts Mysteries!