Bring On Lemons

We are privileged to have back with us - Shirley Melis and her memoir Banged-Up Heart . Readers and listeners of this book have had so many wonderful things to say about this inspiring story - NOW AVAILABLE on  Audible  ! Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss  is an intimate and clear-eyed account of finding love late and losing it early—and of the strength it takes to fall deeply in love a second time, be forced to relinquish that love too soon, and yet choose to love again. When her husband of thirty years dies suddenly, Shirley Melis is convinced she will never find another man like Joe. Then she meets John, a younger man who tells her during their first conversation that he has lived for many years with a rare but manageable cancer. She is swept off her feet in a whirlwind courtship, and within months, made brave by the early death of a friend’s husband, she asks him to marry her! What follows is a year-long odyssey of travel and a growing erotic and crea...

Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing, Penny Harrison, and Mari from Artotems as well as Shirley Melis. Without these amazing friends this lovely post would not be possible! Hugs, ~Crystal Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss Review by Penny Harrison I thoroughly enjoyed Banged-Up Heart by Shirley Melis. This book is an autobiography that was, I'm sure, not easy to write. Shirley's life was filled with great love and great sadness which led to the "banged-up" state of her heart. Through the pages, you learn about the two great men that shaped her life. Both would be with her for a shorter time than she would have wanted, but both men left her with memories and a greater sense of who she was and what she wanted. Her voice is clear and inviting and helps you to experience her relationships with Joe and John until you know these men nearly as well as she had. Touching, inspiring and truthful, the story told is one of a life lived to the fullest. A li...

As part of her WOW!Women on Writing book blog tour, I had the privilege to interview Shirley Melis. Feel free to check out the entire interview here at the WOW!Women on Writing Blog, the Muffin. I love how Shirley answered this question in particular; it really speaks to her character. Her goal was to leave behind some help for the rest of us - that we can thrive into old age. That message certainly rings true in her touching memoir. Keep reading to find out more... Interview Question: You had a plan to write a book about women thriving into old age – that plan changed course, but what spurred your initial plan? Answer by Shirley: Knowing I’d be in my sixties when I retired and wanting to write, I thought there’d be a market for a book like this. People today, especially women, can expect to live longer and healthier lives than their parents. Some may need role models. I like reading about women who are thriving mentally, emotionally, and physically despite growing older. Of c...

Thank you to WOW! Women on Writing and Michelle DelPonte as well as Shirley Melis. Without these amazing friends this lovely post would not be possible! Hugs, ~Crystal Banged-Up Heart: Dancing with Love and Loss   Review by Michelle DelPonte I finished reading Shirley Melis’ Banged Up Heart a week ago and I still can’t get it out of my mind. It has changed my views on my work, faith, family, friends, and marriage. Shirley discusses her concerns with her husband’s medical treatment. As a healthcare worker, I failed to see the patients’ family’s view. I failed to see how scared they can be, as well as dependent. I never saw how their lives changed as their family member declined or passed on. I always feel that life is about quality, not quantity, but I see people suffer every day. Not a day has gone by that I have looked at any of my residents in the same light, no matter what they are going through. I have gained a better understanding and empathy for their fam...