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Whooo Hooo!! Big NEWS!

I swear! My readers NEVER cease to amaze me! Last week I was informed that I have been nominated in TWO categories of the Indie Romance Convention's awards: Best Friend to Readers and Short Story Novella! My books have been nominated before in other contests that have been driven by industry professionals like editors, other authors, agents etc....Don't get me wrong, those are sweet nominations to be recognized by your peers! BUT when you get recognized by your readers. . .that is entirely out of this planet!!


It's super simple to vote! AND I'd LOVE to have your support!
Click HERE and click A NEW TRADITION BY TONYA KAPPES, hit vote and you are done!

You can vote everyday until APRIL 30TH!

Thank you to my amazing readers!! You guys rock and I love y'all!!!!

Real READERS Always Find Time To Read!

Happy Monday! Happy READER MONDAY! 
Today I'm excited to introduce you to an amazing reader, Lori Cimino! I met Lori on Facebook through another reader friend of mine, Dru Ann Love. Lori is such a great friend to authors. She is an avid reader and gives her favorite authors a little time of each day through social networking. AND she always finds time to read. . .


I have never understood it when I hear people say, "I love to read but I never have the time." Don't get me wrong, I do understand that everyone has obligations-- kids, jobs, relationships. But if you really love to do something, really enjoy it, you find the time to do it.

My favorite pastime has been reading and I have had a love of books for as long as I can remember. My mother has a passion for the written word and I am so grateful that she shared it with me. My earliest memory of books is around the age of 4 when we would walk to the bookmobile and pick out books. And it was around age 10 that I discovered my love of mysteries in the local library. I will always cherish the memory of the first time mom took me to a bookstore and I bought my very first book, I was 12.
 
I have always found ways to steal moments of time to read. Where ever I am, where ever I go, I ALWAYS carry a book or E-reader with me. I read during lunch breaks, while waiting for appointments or in lines. I even read during long road construction stops and in the car while my husband runs errands. In fact, I often go early to appointments or the movies just so I can have some quiet time to indulge in my latest armchair adventure. I used to read while my kids took naps or while watching them at play.

Of course, now that I am an "empty nester" I have more time than ever to read. My bedtime ritual is to read an hour or so before I go to sleep. I ride my recumbent bicycle and read or when my husband commandeers the tv for video games. When I am deeply invested in a story I have been known to read during commercial breaks while watching television.

My point is, if you love to read allow yourself to find the time. If your life seems to busy or hectic it is even more important to find the stolen snippets of time for yourself. And this is true of any pleasure you enjoy. You need those moments, whether it is 10 minutes or 2 hours to unplug from real life.

Treat yourself well and blessed be.

How do you find time to read?

This Indie Author is HUMBLED!

Every day I wake up to an amazing group of readers on my STREET TEAM! They put a spring in my step as soon as I wake up. There is nothing like them!

Last week one of my STREET TEAM members let me know that I had been nominated for not only ONE BUT TWO categories in the INDIE AUTHOR CONVENTION 2013 AWARDS!

Best Friend to Readers and Best Romance Novella for my short story A NEW TRADITION!

WOW! I was blown away! This is a reader based nomination and I have NO clue who nominated me. That in itself is humbling.

Voting is now open! I'm asking you (okay begging) to please click over and vote for me. Voting ends on April 13th and you can vote everyday until then!

Thank you so much!!

Here are the direct links:

BEST FRIEND TO READERS

BEST INDIE ROMANCE NOVELLA


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Kelli Mounce! You won any Tonya Kappes ebook from Monday's guest blog!! Contact me with what book you would like! You have one week to claim your prize!

Reading Through The Eyes of My Son~READER MONDAY


Today I'm so excited to welcome my friend, Ann Miller to READER MONDAY! I've known Ann, as a personal friend, for over five years. Not only is Ann a good friend, she is a GREAT mom of three wonderful kids. She is always promoting reading and education in their daily life. 
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Reading through the eyes of my son has been amazing! 

My son Austin is eight and in the third grade this year.  He has rekindled my love to hold a book and flip pages again. This year when he started third grade we were introduced to the idea of Accelerated Reader points and tests.  Austin has to get five AR points a month in order keep up his third grade standard for all kids in his class.  

In August, he had the highest number of AR points in the WHOLE third grade at his school.  Austin was in AR heaven at school and got a certificate to bring home at the end of the month.   Literally on the first day of school we planned to play at an area park with his younger twin siblings and he decided to read a new book that came his way.  He sat under a tree at the park and finished his first whole chapter book.  This series of books enamored him and he had to finish all of the books in the series.
 
My son gets his love of books honestly…… from a mother and grandmother who love to read also.  He was read to all the time from utero until he started reading on his own in kindergarten.  

I have worked in the education field all my life and I must say I have a HUGE collection of books for all age readers.  Flipping the pages of a book are a rare find these days now with all of the readers out.  I personally do not have a reader yet… we are the proud owners of three for our kids.  

Sometimes I enjoy flipping to the back of the book to get a preview of what happens at the end.  Must say don’t have much time these days to flip the ole pages of books as much as I used to, but when I do it is a wonderful treat. 

I must smile now as I see Austin with at least five books in back pack that he is reading at one time.  We write on his book log each night (or sometimes the night before the whole thing is due) what book he has read and for how many minutes. 

It makes my husband and I so happy to see his love of books.  He has now started his own series of books based upon that book he first read under that tree in his own style.  I believe now Austin is up to his thirteenth book in his series with some great illustrations.  He is also very excited that his mom is friends with a great author Tonya Kappes.  

We all love to read! How do you promote reading in a child's life?
Leave a comment to be eligible to win any ebook copy of one of Tonya's book! Your choice! Winner will be announced on Wednesday!

ANSWERING A READER QUESTION

AMAZON COZY MYSTERY BOOK CLUB: https://amzn.to/35jiXar GOODREADS COZY MYSTERY AMAZON BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION: https://www.goodreads.com/topic...