by Steena Holmes
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Just released: November 11, 2014
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Women's Fiction
Paperback: 262 pages
Rating: 4
Stillwater Bay series:
Before the Storm - novella
Stillwater Rising
book 2 - tba
After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be.
As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads—within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past. Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte’s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.
My two-bits:
This story gets into some of the nitty gritty of what happens after a traumatic event in a small town. In this scenario it is after an elementary school shooting by a child.
This sad topic is handled well and neutrally in presenting different angles on the subject. Because there are multiple characters, I felt empathy for each equally.
Got me thinking of how people handle grief.
About the author:
She won the National Indie Excellence Book Award in 2012 for her bestselling novel Finding Emma.
Steena currently lives in Calgary, Alberta, with her husband, three daughters, and two dogs. She likes to celebrate completing each new novel with chocolate.
WIN this giveaway pack which includes an iPad mini, an iPad mini case, a Secret Society t-shirt, and copies of Stillwater Rising, Before The Storm, Finding Emma, Emma's Secret, The Memory Child, and Halfway to Nowhere!
Don't miss the Virtual Book Launch Party TODAY!
Steena will also be dishing out prizes all day long and 30 of Steena’s favorite authors will be stopping by with copies of their books to give away to lucky fans.
Share in the fun and show us how you’re celebrating the release by posting your own photos!
Visit her virtual book launch party, HERE!
* on November 15, Steena Holmes will be featured at The Nest as part of 11 women's fiction writers who are sharing personal essays on relationships
* review copy and giveaway courtesy of Fall Reading Challenge 2014. @booksparks #FRC2014
