{Blog Tour and Giveaway} Meeting Destiny by Nancy Straight

Welcome to the Meeting Destiny Blog Tour and Giveaway. Did you see the banner? How awesome is that? Nancy Straight, the author, has been kind enough to write a guest post about destiny...I really like her insight; I hope you do to!

*******Nancy's Thoughts on Fate and Destiny*******

I believe people are in our lives for a reason, whether they are friends, family, spouses or acquaintances.  I am very fortunate to have known people all over the world, each person I’ve met has had an impact on me, even if I didn’t understand the impact at the time.

My aunt Linda was always that really cool Aunt that I only saw a couple times a year growing up.  Other than Christmas and family events we almost never spoke.  When I wrote Meeting Destiny I sent her a copy as a Christmas present.  She had been an English teacher and creative writing instructor her whole life and I thought she might get a kick out of it.  After receiving the book, she volunteered to become my editor.  She is the reason that readers aren’t subjected to my poor grammar!  This wasn’t anything that I had planned, but destiny was on my side.

My husband and I grew up in the mid-west, several hundred miles away from each other.  We met in 1991 after we had both joined the Marine Corps.  Although our first meeting in Virginia Beach, VA wasn’t that remarkable, we knew each other.  In 1993 we were both in Waikiki, HI, we didn’t meet each other but years later we realized that we were both there the same time.  In 1994 we again met in El Toro, CA – again, no crazy love-at-first-sight but we re-introduced ourselves to each other.  In 1995 we were stationed together at Camp Pendleton, CA.  None of these encounters yielded anything more than just a friendly familiarity, but in 1996 we decided to go on our first date.  We have been together ever since.  Destiny is sometimes a series of strange coincidences that are meaningless at the time but all strung together are something one can’t discount.

My advice to anyone is look closely at your relationships.  I bet you’ll find people that have made an extraordinary impact on you and you may have not even realized.  Or maybe that friend that you’ve lost touch with reappeared years later – there is a reason for that reappearance.

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Now...my review on Meeting Destiny

Title: Meeting Destiny

Series: Destiny #1

Author: Nancy Straight

Links

Goodreads   Amazon   Barnes and Noble   

Synopsis:

Lauren is visited in her dreams for years by a stranger claiming to be her destiny. Destiny becomes reality when paths cross during a failed robbery attempt. Lauren and the stranger experience chemistry like no other and now her doubt over her long time relationship with her high school sweetheart is not her only secret…someone else knows about her keen intuition and sixth sense.A mysterious clairvoyant seeks Lauren out and tells her not only of her life now but what the future may hold. Soon Lauren is in the middle of a murder investigation and a questionable friendship with the key suspect. Law enforcement, friends and family are concerned for Lauren but unfortunately they are unaware of the true danger…Sinister forces are at work and will stop at nothing to destroy Lauren’s abilities.

I love books revolving around fate and destiny, so when I was asked to be a part of the blog tour for a book called Meeting Destiny, how could I refuse? After actually reading the book, I know I couldn't have made a better decision...I was destined to read Ms. Straight's novel...so to speak.

Lauren is a young lady who works in a diner and is month's away from graduating college. She's comfortable in her present life with a boyfriend she's known all her life and a great best friend. Who knew everything would change for her in the span of a single shift at the diner? Honestly... Lauren has suspicions that she is meant for something bigger. She'd been having dreams about her destiny for several years. It wasn't until a frightening incident during a shift at the diner, that she realized her life was tied to a green-eyed paramedic.

Now...many people will say there is an "insta-love" in Meeting Destiny and there is. But...what would you expect from a book about destiny? At first, I thought Lauren might have seemed a little pushy but truly, she was the one who understood her mission, and she had to make Max understand his. She accepted what needed to be done and refused to deviate from her path. Convincing Max to believe and trust in her is only part of the many tasks she must accomplish.

Several things about this novel stood out to me in ways others don't. First...Ms. Straight added action into the romance. Lauren, though some might find it annoying, was unwaveringly true to her path and herself. I don't want to lead you to believe that everything comes easy to Lauren, because that would be far, far from the truth. Lauren visibly struggles in her relationship with both Max and Seth. She finds her "sixth sense" difficult to explain to others, even those closest to het. But...throughout it all she remained strong and relentless.

I read Meeting Destiny in one sitting, taking only a couple of hours. It's a quick read that sucks you in from the first page and keeps you engaged until the very last sentence. And, well...there's a cliffhanger that will make you run on over to your bookstore of choice and download Destiny's Revenge and Destiny's Wrath, just like I did.

Did I mention the giveaway? This one's really cool. Every stop on the tour is giving away a SIGNED copy of Meeting Destiny. Wow!...Right? US Only...Ends April 30th.

How do you enter? 

Well, I personally believe I was put on this Earth for some reason. I don't have a guess what that reason is and realize I won't until I am meant to. I also like to believe there is a person out there that is the other half to my whole. 

What do you think about destiny and fate? Tell me in the comments and include your email address.