Chocolate, Writing, And Emma’s Scavenger Hunt

I’m delighted to be a part of author Steena Holmes WOW Blog Tour as she promotes her new heart wrenching release, FINDING EMMA. To add to the excitement, Steena and Robyn at WOW have come up with a fun Book-Tour-Carnival adventure with great prizes that ties in with the book. In addition to that, I have a copy of FINDING EMMA to giveaway with today’s post.

Here’s a brief synopsis of FINDING EMMA:
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.

First let me tell you about the adventure - a scavenger hunt, then Steena will talk about chocolate and writing, and then the guidelines for entering the book giveaway.

Emma is having a scavenger hunt at the carnival--and she has left clues here and on the other blogs she has been visiting and will visit with Steena’s tour. Within each guest post and book review there is a hidden word. The hidden word is something you would find at a fair or carnival. Each blog participating in the tour is listed on Steena’s Scavenger Hunt page and all contest entries are made there. 

To participate in the hunt, just find the word hidden in each day's post and enter it at Steena's website. Each entry is another ticket to win. In addition, Steena has set up a Carnival board at Pinterest which not only serves for offering clues to the word of the day but encourages others to pin their favorite carnival pics. For additional details on the hunt and prizes, drop by The Muffin. 

 
The prizes are as follows:
* First Prize - work with a Bestselling Author.
* The Grande Prize winner will help create a character for Steena’s 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.
 
Now let’s join Steena as she talks about why chocolate and writing go hand and hand.

Chocolate and writing. Two of my favorite passions. They consume me some days, and avoid me most days and yet I continually find myself falling in love daily with these to things.

Why? Because they go hand in hand so well together. Like a pair of your favorite slippers or a comfy worn sweater. 

I have a little secret. When I’m stuck at a part in my scene where I can’t find the words to adequately describe the range of emotions that should be expressed - I reach into a box that I keep close to my desk and pull out a piece of chocolate. 

Now - I have several small pieces that are individually wrapped in this box - but they are all different. Some are milk chocolate, some are dark. Some have a slight flavor while the odd one might have nuts or caramel. I never peak though while reaching into this box. I’ll close my eyes and unwrap the decadent morsel and then place it on my tongue. 

It’s hard - but I don’t bite down on it. Rather, I let it melt away, savoring all the sensations - like the chocolate as it melts and coats my tongue, like the aroma that overwhelms me and leaves me wanting more, or like the way I feel - in that moment...

I use that chocolate - the way it tastes, feels and how I react to it - to help me with my scene. It’s my trigger point for unlocking the words within my soul. 

For me, chocolate and writing go hand in hand - but for you - maybe it’s music and writing, or story boards and writing, or blissful silence ... You get the picture. It’s important to find something, whether it’s a book full of sayings, a picture, a song, an item...that can help you to focus on the emotions in your story and enlarge it so that its breathtaking, heart wrenching, soul searching or even tear jerking. Call it a muse if you like. But I’m sure you have it and if you don’t - why not find one?
And good luck!

Steena, thanks for being here today and sharing these thoughts on writing. I love how you use chocolate to overcome a problem when writing. I’d say a piece of chocolate enjoyed in the manner you described could help with a lot of daily problems.

Now for a bit about Steena. She is a woman who believes that 'in the end, all things succumb...to the passions of your heart'. Steena's life revolves around her family, friends and fiction. Add some chocolate into the mix and she's living the good life. She took those passions and made them a dream come true by pouring her heart into each of her stories.  

Proceeds from each copy of FINDING EMMA will be donated to The Missing Children's Society of Canada - an organization dedicated to reuniting families. Visit www.mcsc.ca for more information.   

For more on Steena and her writing, visit her website at www.steenaholmes.com

Okay, the guidelines for the giveaway. I have one copy (PDF or mobi/Kindle) to give to a lucky visitor who comments on this post by 8 p.m. Friday, June 22. Be sure to leave your email address with your comment, if it’s not included in your profile.

Do you think chocolate is a good cure for a lot that ails you? Have you found the hidden word for the scavenger hunt? Remember, you can visit Steena’s Carnival board at Pinterest for a clue. Thanks so much for stopping by today. Have a great day, check out the other clues and good luck with the hunt.