Bring On Lemons

    Thank you immensely to author Kim McCollum and WOW! for letting me join in the book blog tour for  Harriet Hates Lemonade!  It's perfect for readers who have loved similar books like A Man Called Ove and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.    Before we get to my 5 star review, here's more about the book: Meet Harriet. But don’t be surprised if she isn’t interested in meeting you.  Harriet has life all figured out, and she doesn’t hesitate to inform others of their shortcomings. Though her attempts to become president of the homeowner’s association failed, that doesn’t stop her from berating “off-leash-dog-man” or reporting the neighbor who had the audacity to leave their easter decorations up an entire week past the holiday. The problem is, unbeknownst to her, Harriet’s rigid rules and judgmental opinions are not her own. Her ordered life plunges into chaos when a twelve-year-old neighbor knocks on Harriet's door seeking help because the girl’s...

  Thank you,  WOW! Women on Writing for the invitation to participate in the book blog tour for The Reckoning of Grace by author Ronald Chapman.  This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys mystery, action, and/or psychological thrillers. Read on to find out why I recommend this book so much and why giving it 5 stars was a no-brainer! Here's a bit more about The Reckoning of Grace:  The Reckoning of Grace is an exceptionally timely novel that captures the deep spiritual reckoning behind America’s political and cultural unrest. This third installment in the Saga of Grace series showcases Ronald Chapman’s inspirational fiction at its finest—an exploration of post-traumatic growth, emotional healing, and spiritual courage. Through unforgettable characters and profound narrative arcs, the novel invites us into the heart of reconciliation, challenging us to become agents of grace amid turmoil. A powerful and thought-provoking read for anyone navigating transformation...

Well, tomorrow is the big day. I know I know...Hallmark Holiday and such. I bought the Valentine's for school, filled out the cards, made the snacks, filled the candy jars, and now I have to decide what to do at home. Carmen's gift will arrive and since she opens all my packages any way (like a good teen daughter always does) it will work out beautifully and I ordered exactly what she wanted from Ulta so I know she'll be happy. I'll give Andre some money to take his sweetie out, so that's not a problem. But what about the table? The table? You ask... Well - for as long as I can remember my Dad would place my Valentine gifts on the table so I could wake up and feel special Valentine's morning. It's a tradition I continued long after he went to Heaven to be with Jesus. This is the first year it's just me and the kids though. This sounds trivial, but all the years I was married I'd still put gifts on the table and usually just skip myself in hopes that ...

  I saw this advertisement on Facebook and I was drawn to head downtown Manitowoc to one of my all time favorite restaurants! We were greeted warmly by the lovely Shannon and had a most relaxing and enjoyable evening! The food at Harborside is absolutely wonderful, the portions are ridiculously large (don't let your 11 year old son get the adult size burger...even my little manchild can't finish that bad boy)! The salads are delicious, the desserts are sure to please, and the drink menu is never boring. One of my youngest daughters swears by the bacon wrapped shrimp - and she's right - best appetizer in the world! All around this is a 5 star dining experience in Manitowoc - friendly staff, comfortable and clean establishment, and fantastic food! This is the type of restaurant you can go to as a family, or you can get a sitter and make it romantical ... I took the kiddos and as always, they were welcomed with open arms (and a lovely gent even treated them to a dessert becaus...

  OK OK OK It wasn't an awful week. For the most part I ate right - except that one time when I had a most frustrating conversation and ended the night with 2 bites of chocolate brownie cheesecake and 1 bite of tiramisu but heck - I'm only human... It's been beautiful here this week (I mean - it's winter in Wisconsin so not like actually beautiful, but not freezing) so I made a point of walking every day. Some days that meant a walk around the block, other days it was a walk around the office - but I'm getting back to tracking my steps and moving and shaking! How did you do this week? What are your tips and tricks for getting healthy and getting fit? What works for you? What doesn't? Do tell!!! Today's post was penned by Crystal J. Casavant Crystal Casavant writes. Everything. If you follow her blog you have likely laid eyes on every thought she has ever had. Her debut novel, It Was Never About Me, Was It?  is still a work in progress and shall be fully ...

  I seriously can't be the only person who sends an email and waits and waits and waits only to be told "I never got anything from you" - or is it just me? I'm to the point now where my first sentence asks the recipient to let me know that they received the email and it's not lost in cyberspace. I'm beginning to think that smoke signals or tin cans with strings are more efficient than the internet.  I try not to let my anxiety get the best of me. Sometimes when I reach out and hear nothing, I find myself thinking: "no one likes me", "they must have me blocked", etc... when in reality I think most of the time it's really just an internet thing and my emails are lost somewhere - but where? Are they lonely wherever they are? Are they ever coming back? What should I be doing instead? Today's post was penned by Crystal J. Casavant Crystal Casavant writes. Everything. If you follow her blog you have likely laid eyes on every thought s...

  Before I begin - a funny story about 20 year old me (I won't tell you exactly how many years ago that was). I was living on Crescent Lake in Rhinelander Wisconsin with my husband. I've had two of those now, and I assure you they aren't broken - it's me...I'm not cut out to be a wife but that's an entirely different story I'm trying to heal through. We literally lived on the water and we had walked down our stairs and were sitting enjoying a bonfire listening to the waves lap the shore and I said "don't you miss living on the lake?" to which my husband replied "are you drinking?" and I sprung into my explanation. Lake Michigan is a great lake as well as being one of the Great Lakes. It's so incredibly different than an inland lake. When you grow up on something so large and magnificent, the gentle laps of Crescent Lake seem like child's play.  Lake Michigan is different each and every day. It's different throughout the da...

5 Star Review: Ghost with Two Hearts i s such an interesting book. I didn't really know what to expect but I loved the dialogue and characters and really enjoyed leaving the country and experiencing something new through my travels in Japan with Adrian. Like all good books do, this one transported me along with it's characters to an unfamiliar place. Thank you Michael R. French for your delightful writing! I've read many of Michael French's books and they are all incredibly different, yet one important thing remains the same, the attention to detail. French does a fantastic job weaving a seamless story whether the topic is a ghost love story set in Japan (like Ghost with Two Hearts ) or a murder in a small Texas town (like Once Upon a Lie ), French builds his story with well written characters, just the right amount of details, and all of the plot twists required to keep the reader at the edge of their seat. I feel engaged from cover to cover when reading anything writt...

  We are excited to be here today with H.R. Conklin and participate in the WOW! Women on Writing book blog tour of Book #4 in the Celtic Magic Series, The Eternity Knot.  I'll be honest - I read book #4 and then had to go read ALL the books in the series! Any of the books are fine by themselves - more then fine, like 5 stars fine! But... as a series - they're absolutely AMAZING and I'm telling you: GO GRAB THIS SERIES!!  First, here is a little bit about  The Eternity Knot : Mairi has been shown the future and knows humans must change their ways. Continuing on their path of disconnect with Nature will cause the destruction of human life. Tasked by the Seelie Fae to save the human world, Mairi and friends seek out ancient wisdom in the stories of old. The Queen of the Unseelie Fae decides humans have to prove themselves worthy of the Earthly Realm, or die trying. Dark magic makes Mairi push harder to find the answers she needs, but the Undersea Faerie Queen is ...

   I had the distinct pleasure of reading Kid on The Go! before it was published. I can't wait until I can order my official copy and hold this little gem in my hands. It's a remarkable read by a truly talented author. I've also had an opportunity to read Finding Myself in Borneo as well as Guns and Gods in My Genes by this same author. The reason I mention this is because Kid on the Go! would be the prequel to Finding Myself in Borneo although each one stands just beautifully on their own. I read McKee's books in the following order: Finding Myself in Borneo , Guns and Gods in My Genes , and finally Kid on the Go! They tie in nicely together and I don't think you need to read them in any particular order - though I DO recommend reading all of them (simply because they're fabulous!) Now - let's look at a little more about each book and then I'll get down to the nitty gritty of my 5 Star review.  Guns and Gods in My Genes -     is a poignant, inten...