Bring On Lemons

 5 Star Review of...   Michael R. French’s  THE GOOD MOTHER TEST What makes a good mother you ask?  That’s a great question and we ask that YOU leave your answer in the comments - thanks!  And now onto Crystal Otto's 5 star review as part of the WOW! Women on Writing book blog tour for author Michael R. French with his latest book The Good Mother Test!  About the Book: When Emily, a bright but impulsive UCLA student, gives birth to her daughter Violet, she vows to be the kind of mother she never had: endlessly loving and fiercely protective. But single motherhood is a test with no right answers.  As Violet’s brilliance and independence unfold, Emily’s instincts clash with a world obsessed with achievement. Then Violet’s father, Doug, returns, now partnered with Amanda, a celebrated therapist unable to have children of her own. What begins as an amicable co-parenting plan becomes a psychological struggle for Violet’s heart and future.  Told thr...

  With the holiday season around the corner, a cozy Christmas read is just what we need to get into the spirit of the season! Author Barbara Barth has just released her novella A Wingman for Christmas and it's a must-read for Christmas! A bit about her novel: The annual Sweet Water, Georgia, Christmas parade is nearing but relationships are fractured on Wild Rose Lane. Antique dealer Cheryl Calloway's holiday spirit has tanked. It's been a horrible year with her divorce, her ex marrying younger and perkier Miriam across the street, and Mama moving into Cheryl's Victorian cottage with her Amazon parrot right before Thanksgiving. A party girl in her eighties, Mama smokes up a storm, likes her nightly vodka, has a hankering for men, and now a wingman named Nigel. If that isn't enough, the Historical Society wants Cheryl to clean up all the projects on her porch waiting to go to Spivey's Antique Mall for their Christmas Open House. Her desire to work her booth is ...

 We are so excited to be part of: Neill McKee’s   WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING BOOK BLOG TOUR   OF   Kid on the Go! Memoir of My Childhood and Youth       Book Summary In this new book, McKee takes readers on a journey through his childhood, adolescence, and teenage years from the mid-40s to the mid-60s, in the small, then industrially-polluted town of Elmira, Ontario, Canada—one of the centers of production for Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.  McKee’s vivid descriptions, dialog, and self-drawn illustrations are a study of how a young boy learned to play and work, fish and hunt, avoid dangers, cope with death, deal with bullies, and to build or restore “escape” vehicles. You may laugh out loud as the author recalls his exploding hormones, attraction to girls, rebellion against authority, and survival of 1960s’ “rock & roll” culture—emerging on the other side as a youth leader.  After leaving Elmira, McKee describes his intensely searching u...

 5 Star Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto At one point late in the book "Rise", Ruby tells her mama: "Momma, this is the best gift ever, having your approval, I will make you proud, I promise." Before I got to the word approval, tears had welled up into my eyes. This book was the best gift ever for me as a reader! I never had a real grandmother and would often 'adopt' the older ladies in the neighborhood or church and fill that void in my life. Yes, it was a wonderful substitution, but after reading "Rise" I feel like Diann Floyd Boehm through her wonderful character Ruby gave me an amazing gift of a truly rich relationship with a grandmother. The characters in this book were written so well - I found my lip curling into a smile as Ruby's daddy spoke of his gun when the boys would call on her. Family birthday parties, rides on the train, and even a wig and some dyed eyebrows - this book was full of laughter, fun, lessons, and love! What a tale...