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Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Join in the Fun! A WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for David Kalish's Debut Novel: The Opposite of Everything

Dear Friends,          

Read on! I’ve booked another fabulous WOW! Blog tour beginning at The Muffin Monday, April 21st running through May 21st. We would love to stop at your blog as part of this tour! Details below!
        
I am super excited to introduce you to a friend of mine. David Kalish is an all around great guy and I’m quite happy to also call him ‘friend’. Before I tell you about his new release, let me share a bit more about him:

Author Bio: David Kalish is a fiction writer, screenwriter and playwright whose debut novel, The Opposite of Everything, will be released on March 11, 2014 by WiDo Publishing. 
The Opposite of Everything grew out of his studies at the Bennington College Writing Seminars, where he earned his MFA. His short fiction has been published in numerous literary journals, his non-fiction in the Writer’s Chronicle, and a short film of his, "Regular Guy," won honors in film festivals here and abroad. Before Bennington, he was an editor and reporter at The Associated Press, and his articles have appeared in major newspapers. He is currently working on a second novel, entitled Stoner Hero, and a theatre script for a Latin version of A Christmas Carol. He lives in upstate New York with his wife, daughter, two dogs, and two canaries.


More About: The Opposite of Everything 

Debut Novel Explores Comic Side of Tragedy 
Inspired by his own brush with cancer and divorce, author David Kalish makes comedy out of his past in his debut novel, The Opposite of Everything.

Equal parts love story and Job-like allegory, The Opposite of Everything traces the hilarious descent of a man stricken with disease, divorce, and an oversupportive father – and the contrarian strategy he uses to resurrect himself.

When Brooklyn journalist Daniel Plotnick learns he has cancer, his fortunes fall faster than you can say “Ten Plagues of Egypt.” His wife can’t cope, his marriage ends in a showdown with police, and his father accidentally pushes him off the George Washington Bridge.

Plotnick miraculously survives his terrifying plunge --and comes up with a crazy plan to turn his life around: by doing the opposite of everything he did before.




Paperback: 250Pages
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
ISBN-10: 1937178439



CONNECT WITH DAVID:


David will be starting his WOW! Blog tour with a stop by The Muffin Monday, April 21st and his tour will run through May 21st. We would love to stop at your blog as part of this tour!

Bloggers: If you'd like to host David’s WOW tour on your blog, we have a few dates open (4/21-5/21 2014) for  The Opposite of Everything. Please e-mail Me/Crystal (crystal@wow-womenonwriting.com) with your blog's URL. Please indicate if you would like to do a review of The Opposite of Everything, or if you prefer David to provide a guest post. Either way, you will have the opportunity to provide your readers a giveaway of this hilarious debut novel! If you choose a guest post topic, here are the ones you can choose from:

1)  Health related topics, ranging from the therapeutic value of writing for cancer patients to David’s own experience struggling with disease;

2)  Wry essays on ordinary life, ranging from why David let his lawn go to crabgrass to the paucity of monarch butterflies this year;

3)  David’s struggle with writing process and tips for writers;


4)  How David turned tragedy into comedy for his novel, and how others could too;

5)  David’s awkward experience as a newbie learning social media, its pitfalls and successes;


6)  Updates on when David’s novel is coming out, giveaways, where I’ll be for book signings;

7)  Political-socio essays on current topics, ranging from health care reform to greenhouse warming;


8)  Ruminations on nature and mindfulness;

9)  Ruminations on cultural clashes, particularly between American and Latin cultures


  
Authors: We are taking reservations for later this year! If you need help promoting your book, reply to this e-mail and ask about our blog tour rates and author promotion specials. 


Thanks so much!
Hugs,
~Crystal


Friday, February 21, 2014

Baby Food - Keep it Simple MaMa!

Baby food isn't expensive, so if you choose to buy it from the store, don't feel in the least bit judged (at least not by me). However, if you happen to have time and a desire to make your own baby food, the advice I give you is this: Keep it Simple Mama!

I contacted BabyBullet because I thought I needed something fancy to make baby food in. I was going to purchase their product and review it on my blog. I was hoping they'd offer a giveaway for readers or something...they did email me back telling me they'd forward my email to the right department etc... and I never heard back from them again. I decided I'd try the Tommee Tippee brand instead...well then someone told me I might have issues because it's made in the UK and another vendor pointed out it was already poorly rated. I decided to use what I already have in my kitchen. I figured a steamer and blender wouldn't work as well as the fancy gadgets, but I thought I'd give it a whirl (pun intended).

Let me tell you Mamas: it worked perfectly! You don't need to go buy anything special! I was gifted some baby food trays but all those are is ice cube trays with covers - you don't need anything fancy here either (plastic wrap and ice cube trays work just fine)! So - here's what you DO need:

A blender
A steamer
Ice cube trays
Plastic wrap or wax paper
Plastic storage bags


Permanent marker
Fresh Fruits and Veggies

Steam your fruits and veggies in the steamer for 20ish minutes. Remove  and let cool. Place in blender and puree (adding water as needed). Spoon out of blender into ice cube trays. Freeze. Pop out of the ice cube trays and put in plastic storage bags. Label storage bags and put back in the freezer. Defrost as needed.

My older children ask why I make baby food and I simply say: this way I know exactly what your brother is eating. No dies, no chemicals, and now he can eat everything we eat - fresh from the garden onto our plates!

It would appear baby Breccan is a happy customer and as you can see, I didn't have to spend any money at all! (that makes Daddy Otto really happy too!)

May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine, and plenty of opportunities to keep it simple!

Hugs,
~Crystal

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Donald Dempsey's Gutsy Story (Author of Betty's Child)

Before I share Donald's Gutsy Story, I first want to tell you about a man who has become my friend. I met Donald Dempsey when we worked together promoting his memoir: Betty's Child. He has a fabulous sense of humor and is one of those amazing people who handles life with grace and dignity. His bio doesn't really say enough, but then neither can I - he's just an amazing man and if you want to know more, please check out his memoir:
Betty's Child by Donald R Dempsey

Now for Donald's Gutsy Story...

A huge throng of friends and family were waiting when our C-130’s dumped us on the runways back at Cherry Point, NC.  The larger than normal crowd was probably due to the suicide barracks bombing.  We’d just returned from Beirut, Lebanon in 1983.  The deaths of so many Marines had affected us profoundly.  Some guy’s mother wrapped him in a bear hug, sobbing and shaking as she held him.  I could see we hadn’t been the only ones affected as I stepped around the relieved parents.      
By the time I was back in the barracks my depression was heavy.  I felt so alone.  I threw the bags I’d been lugging into my empty wall locker and contemplated my evening.  Sleep was out of the question.  Retrieving the rest of my gear meant crossing the tarmac and runway again, negotiating the laughter and smiles and happiness.  I rifled though some mail on my bunk and noticed a bill marked final notice before sale.  Two hours later I was driving a borrowed jeep well over the speed limit as I raced toward Columbus, Ohio.
As the sun broke I roused myself.  I watched an older man in overalls and a thick jacket roll back a gate as I stepped out of the jeep, my mouth full of chalk as I yawned.  Pulling my field jacket closed, I trotted across the street and followed him into the office as he unlocked the door.  Inside, he stepped behind a counter and tilted his frayed John Deere hat back as he eyed me.
“You in a hurry, young fella?” he asked frankly. 
“Yes, sir, I guess I am.”  I held out the most recent bill.  “I’m hoping you haven’t sold this yet.  I’d like to settle up and get my stuff out.”
“You Army or Marine?” he asked, taking my slip and pulling some reading glasses out of his pocket.
“Marine.”
He nodded and handed it back.  “Sorry, son, I can’t help you.”  He shook his head.  “That lot’s been sold.  We had an auction week before last.”
I didn’t understand.  “What do you mean?  I was here in May.  I helped my mother store some stuff and paid eight months in advance.  There was a nice lady here with a Shepard.  She was surprised he let me pet him.  I think the Dog’s name was Zeus.”
He peered at me over his glasses as he pulled out a thick book.  “My wife,” he mumbled as he flipped pages.  “And my dog,” he added.  He finally found what he was looking for.  He jabbed a page accusingly and said, “I remember her.  Your mother came in last July.  Some fella with her hauled away some furniture and she wanted a smaller unit for what was left.  She also demanded all the extra deposit money.  Said she would make the payments instead.”
There was a plastic chair behind me.  I collapsed into it.  “She didn’t make any payments, did she?” I asked needlessly.
“Not a one,” he admitted.  “We’re allowed to auction after 90 days.  That’s right in the contract.  We actually waited over 120 this time.”
I put my head in my hands and rubbed at my eyes.  “I was overseas,” I mumbled.
After a long pause he finally said, “I’m sorry, son.  Her name was on the contract.  We had to give her the money.”
I looked up at him.  “Is there anything left?  Maybe we could check and I could pay the balance?”
“Son, the people who buy our stuff operate flea markets all over the Midwest.  They’ll buy old underwear and paint over the skid marks.  I remember this lot.  There were crates of baseball cards and a bunch of art work.”
I felt sick.  “Someone actually bought my art work?”  He nodded.  “You wouldn’t remember who?”
“No, but I remember it.”  He swallowed and removed his glasses.  “You’re real good.”
I tried to give him a smile as I rose, but there wasn’t one inside me.  All the old pain was roiling around, threatening to explode.  I had to get away.  He said something as I left but the deafening roar in my ears drowned out his words. 
Somehow I wound up on a track.  I ran cross country in high school.  I liked to go to the track late at night.  I would start in lane one, then switch to two.  I’d keep stepping up lanes all the way to six, run six again and work my way back down to one.  All I could think of were the hours I’d spent laboring over my pen and inks, charcoal works, and pad after pad of pencil sketches.    
Those cards and the players I’d idolized had always been there for me.  Complete sets of 1975 and 1976 Cincinnati Reds.  I’d even gotten many of them signed during YMCA trips to games they scheduled for us underprivileged kids.  While my idiot friends had ran the bases I’d wrangled signatures out of Bench, Morgan, and even Rose.  As I stumbled back to the jeep I shoved my face into my field jacket to stifle screams and growls.   
By the time I was back at Cherry Point I’d put myself back together, at least as together as I ever was back then.  I would never talk about the art work or the cards.  Marines can be a might insensitive when it comes to crying, or admitting pain. 
Now, so many years later, I’ve come to terms with most of those old emotions.  I’ve learned what I can dwell on and what I can’t.  I still think about those baseball cards.  I still wish I had all my old art work.  They’re pieces of myself I lost and can never get back, but they were only things.  Learning to cope with pain and loss made me who I am today.  It was necessary.
And you can find me at the track a few times a week, running one to six, and six back to one.        

          

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

The Best Pay it Forward Idea So Far This Year!!!

I've been blessed these last few weeks - gorgeous weather and an opportunity to fill in as our church secretary and this means I am responsible for placing the SCRIP order. I'm no expert and I'll save you the lengthy story about exactly how SCRIP works. The short version is this:

You buy or order gift cards through your church and the stores give a percentage back to the church. I've always shied away from doing this with my Starbucks card because I'm a Gold Card holder (and I accumulate points when I reload and use my Gold Card). As I was placing the SCRIP order this week, I came up with the following plan - which I now believe is my best PIF idea so far for 2014!

Buy a $25 Starbucks gift card through the SCRIP program at church (7% or nearly 63 cents goes back to the church)

Register the new $25 gift card into your Starbucks account

Transfer the $25 balance from the new card onto your Gold Card

Use your Gold Card to buy a drink or pay for the order of the person behind you in line at Starbucks (this will add to your 'stars' on your card and will help you maintain Gold Membership as well as move you toward the free drink or sandwich when you hit the magic number 15 stars)

Once you have 15 stars and you find out about your free drink or sandwich, use that to treat a friend to a coffee date

So you're winning in the following ways:

*Adding money to the account at church
*Continuing your Gold Membership
*Treating the person behind you
*Treating yourself and a friend to a date

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May your paths be abundantly filled with lemons, sugar, sunshine, and opportunities to Pay It Forward!

Hugs,
~Crystal

Friday, February 14, 2014

Book Review & Giveaway: Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Tasky Sharples

Book Review & Giveaway: Leaving the Hall Light On by Madeline Tasky Sharples

Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

I recently had the honor of reading a touching memoir written by a loving mother who lost her son to mental illness and suicide. Had I not come to know Madeline prior to reading Leaving the Hall Light On, I quite honestly might not have read the memoir at all. I prefer movies and books that are filled with love and laughter. The first few pages of Sharples memoir describe the way her son, Paul, ended his life. There is nothing about losing a child that makes me want to laugh…but knowing Sharples and her warm smile and great sense of humor caused me to read on. I just knew she would somehow endure the pain and heartache with a smile on her face.

I am not very familiar with mental illness and my children are just babies, but Sharples described events in her life and the life of her son in such a way I could easily understand. Leaving the Hall Light On reads almost like a journal or maybe more like a letter to a friend. I was drawn into the story as well as the emotional roller-coaster she was feeling as she retells the stories of Paul’s life. The pictures included in the story help those of us who maybe would say “well, didn’t he look different?” or “how could they not have known her had a mental disorder”. If you are still thinking you can identify mental illness in the same way you can identify a cat or a dog, you’ll quickly see that it’s not that easy. Paul looked just like any other toddler, teenager, grown man, and musician. His own parents weren’t sure if he was suffering from a mental disorder or if he had gotten mixed up with the wrong crowd abusing drugs and alcohol. This was a real eye opener for me and Sharples does a great job telling about the good times and the tough times of living with Paul’s Bipolar Disorder.

I love how Sharples shares a list of things she will always remember about Paul. Regardless of who you’ve lost in this life, it’s important to hold onto the memories. Leaving the Hall Light On is a great way to memorialize Paul as well as share his story and her own with the world. I admire Sharples for her writing style as well as her honesty about what any parent would describe as their worst nightmare. This is a well written memoir I would recommend to not only parents, but anyone who has loved and lost or loved and feared loss.


CONTEST ENDS AT MIDNIGHT FEBRUARY 24TH 2014

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Win a Valentine for Your Special Someone!

Wouldn't you love to send a special Valentine to that certain someone in your life? This year, I want to help you do that! You will have a choice whether I send a food prize or a gift card and the recipient must live in the United States (sorry to our far away friends - we love you just the same)!

Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Entries must be received before Noon (central standard time) on Friday, February 14th 2014. The winner will be chosen at random and will be announced in the Rafflecopter form as well as being announced on my business Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/successwithrelax?ref=hl

The winner must email me with the name and address of the recipient as well as their choice (food or card). Emails must be sent to: crystaljotto@gmail.com with the subject line: I WON! The winner has 24 hours to claim their prize.

Good Luck!


Friday, February 7, 2014

Considering Cloth Diapers?

Do you have a little one or one on the way? Are you considering cloth diapers? Here's what you should know:

Cloth diapers:

**keep chemicals away from baby and out of landfills

**create less garbage (about 25 billion disposable diapers end up in landfills each year)

**save you and your family money (approximately $2,500 per year is spent to diaper a baby in disposables - you can spend around $200 for enough cloth diapers to diaper your child from birth to potty training...AND you can re-use those same diapers for subsequent children)

Would you like to learn more about the different types of cloth diapers on the market today?

Are you interested in finding out how cloth diapers are washed and cared for?

Click on the image below for a link that will be very helpful - and if you'd like to ask questions, let me know. Once you figure out the system that works for you, you'll fall in love with cloth diapers and the benefit to you, your family, your infant, and the environment!

Imagine Baby Products





Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Today is World Cancer Day 2014

I'm not sure it would be quite right to say "Happy World Cancer Day!" - it's not exactly something I want to celebrate. Nonetheless, today is World Cancer Day and you can find out more about that right here: http://www.worldcancerday.org/

I have thought about cancer every day since I was very small. My cousin lost his leg to cancer, my neighbors nearly lost their son, and I knew the C word even though I didn't fully understand it. Cancer was scary, it made people lose their hair, and sometimes people died. That was about all my 6 year old brain could understand about this terrible disease. I remember wondering what those people had done wrong. As I got older I understood a bit more, but I was still quite certainly confused. I remember saying "well, he didn't smoke, so how did he get cancer?" It was that simple in my 9 year old mind, people who smoke get cancer.

When I was 11 I received the shock of my life. My father who had never smoked a day in his life got cancer. In hindsight I know the smoking factor had nothing to do with it (especially considering he had colon cancer). I was angry and confused but I had seen friends and neighbors beat cancer. Some lost limbs, some lost their hair, but very few people in my young life had died from cancer. Unfortunately, my dad wasn't so lucky. He didn't lose a limb, and he didn't lose his hair ... he lost his life ... and I lost my childhood.

I now know a lot more about cancer. I only wish I knew the cure or a sure fail way to prevent it.

I guess I am happy about a few things today:

-I'm happy there are preventative things I can do to care for myself so hopefully I will not leave my children until they are grown and loving babies of their own

-I am happy there are people working toward a cure

-I am happy my children do not have cancer and I hope we will find a cure before they have to know a thing about it

For those of you battling cancer or dealing with it in your family, what are you thankful for this World Cancer Day? I'd love to hear how cancer has touched you and how you are moving forward.

Hugs,
~Crystal

Monday, February 3, 2014

Giveaway & Review of Loving the Missing Link by Julia Assel Thomas

GIVEAWAY ENDS FEBRUARY 14TH AT 12:00 NOON (CST)
**COMMENT ON THIS POST FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!

Julia Asel Thomas  – Loving the Missing Link
book details, review, & giveaway contest!

Loving the Missing Link
 is a fabulous tale about love, success, hope and music. During the 1970's. Young Cheryl Simpson feels trapped in her small Missouri town. As her mother tries to help her find a way up and out, Cheryl begins to feel that it is all an impossible dream. She sees herself living a boring and dismal life for the rest of her days. Just at the moment when she is about to give up on happiness, she gets the opportunity to join her high school band. The band promises a connection with the world outside her town, but Cheryl does not see any future for herself in music. It is just a tool to get where she wants to go. However, Cheryl’s mother arranges for Cheryl to take private lessons with an accomplished musician, who helps her realize the beauty and awesome power of music.
Still, Cheryl feels that small-town inferiority and finds it too hard to believe that she could ever be anyone special out in the “real” world. On the eve of a music contest that could help her earn a music scholarship, Cheryl begins to panic. Scared and feeling alone, Cheryl runs off with her high school sweetheart and gets married, leaving the band behind.
During the next years, Cheryl and her husband make a life for themselves. Cheryl meets friends along the way who help guide her to becoming the woman she wants to be. She becomes interested in the arts again. All the while, Cheryl and husband Jerry face the challenges of homelessness, miscarriage and an extra-marital affair before an unexpected disaster brings Cheryl’s life crashing to the ground. Cheryl survives, with the help of her extraordinary friends and her life-long love for music.


Paperback:  190 Pages

Publisher:    CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (self-published)         Publishing (August 6, 2013)

ISBN-10:  ISBN10: 1480106240


Twitter hashtag: #LMLThomas

Loving the Missing Link is available as a print and e- book at 
Amazon.

Book Giveaway Contest:
To win a copy of  Loving the Missing Link, please leave a comment to this post and if you aren't sure what to say...try one of these prompts:
--I love this blog because ___________
--My favorite kind of book is _____________
--I hope I win because ____________
The giveaway contest closes at noon (cst) February 14th.. I will announce the winner the same day as a comment on this post as well as on Facebook via my business page for Relax Consulting.

About the Author:
Julia Asel Thomas writes stories with vivid descriptions, authentic dialogue and
revealing narration. Her debut book, Loving the Missing Link, presents the engrossing and moving story of a young, small town girl who grows up, lives and loves while trying to find a balance between despair and hope.
Like the protagonist in her debut book, Loving the Missing Link, Julia Asel Thomas knows small town life. However, Julia’s experiences were quite different than Cheryl’s. Julia is the middle child of seven children and the daughter of a church organist and a business manager. Growing up in the small town of Hamilton, Missouri, Julia’s family enjoyed a reputation as a bright and interesting family. Julia thrived on the quiet and carefree life she lived in that gentle place.
When Julia was in high school, she earned a scholarship for a trip to Cali, Colombia as a foreign exchange student. The experience, although it only lasted a few brief months, had a profound influence on the rest of her life. After her time abroad, Julia realized in a very real way that, although customs may differ from culture to culture, the substance of human emotions is constant. We all need love. We all need to feel secure. We all have happy moments and sad moments. Back from Colombia, Julia become ever more interested in capturing these human emotions through music and writing.
After high school, Julia took a break before going on to college. During this time, she married her husband, Will. Will joined the Air Force, and Julia accompanied him to bases around the country, taking college classes in each town where they resided. Their two children were born in Las Vegas, Nevada, while Will was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. Married in 1976, Julia and Will are thrilled to celebrate each new anniversary and look forward to staying together for life.
Julia began writing fiction at the age of ten, when her 5th grade teacher gave her the assignment to write about “My Worst Day.” Julia took the opportunity to concoct every possible disaster a young child could face during the course of a normal day. The teacher loved her work and asked her to read it to the class. From then on, Julia wanted nothing more than to be a writer.
In 2007, Julia began earning her living by writing articles, press releases and website content for a number of clients. As she settled into a routine of working every day on her writing, the old urge to write fiction resurfaced. In 2012, Julia started with a story she had written in 1985 and continued it to create the story in Loving the Missing Link.

After Julia’s husband, Will retired from the Air Force, they moved back to Missouri and now live in Kansas City, Missouri. Find out more about this author by visiting her online:

Author blog: 
http://lovingthemissinglink.com/

Author Twitter Page:  https://twitter.com/juliasselthom

Book Review: Loving the Missing Link –
by Julia Asel Thomas
By Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

Julia Asel Thomas tackles several ‘big issues’ (acceptance, self-education, and self-understanding to name a few) in Loving the Missing Link. For Cheryl, things are a little more complicated than the ordinary low self-esteem of a lower class teenager girl in a small town and the ending was full of twists and turns that I hadn’t expected. The main character, Cheryl, struggles to find herself amidst the demands of her mother, expectations of her teachers, and the unconditional acceptance of her boyfriend, Jerry. Cheryl is very much a loner who has trouble expressing her thoughts and feelings to others; she finds a haven in her journal and what is so difficult to express in life is captured on those safe pages. Cheryl’s practice of journaling is where I, as a reader was able to really gain understanding of her as a character. We are different in so many ways where I am quite confident, she was shy and fearful and seemed content with being average. I found myself cheering her on as she began on the path to self-understanding.

I enjoy the style of Thomas’s writing and appreciate the honest thoughts from the characters.  Loving the Missing Link is told in such a way that I quickly became engrossed with the character development and enjoyed it right through to the end. It would be hard to say more without spoilers. When Cheryl finds herself lost as a housewife in a college town, she meets Sid of Sid’s Shelves and the two become friends. Cheryl was running away from a controlling well-meaning mother and found comfort in the non-judgmental Sid who was much more tactful than her mother yet still had a way of helping push Cheryl toward her full potential. Somehow Thomas manages to make each chapter meaningful in Cheryl’s coming of age. Based on the wide range of issues, this would be a good pick for book discussions.

The constant theme of music throughout Loving the Missing Link could appeal to those who enjoy music as well as those more familiar with the creation of music. Thomas has such a way with words as she takes an ordinary young woman from a small town and helps her find her voice (literally). I hope to read more from Thomas in the future; there is a rhythm and vibe to her writing that spoke to me. Even though Cheryl and I are two very different people, I know people who struggle with self-esteem and confidence and it the insight from Cheryl’s journal allowed me to see things from a different perspective. With just a few pages left to read, I set down Loving the Missing Link and was reluctant to pick it up again. By that time, I knew how things were going to end but I was not ready to say good bye to the characters I had been cheering for throughout the journey.

Loving the Missing Link is a first published works for Thomas but I do hope she writes more, and I would definitely be interested in a sequel if there is one in the future. Cheryl came so far in Loving the Missing Link and like all of us; she is a work in progress. I would like to be there to see where future paths will lead.




Julia recently experienced a WOW! Women on Writing Blog Tour with me AND YOU CAN TOO!!! If you have a website or blog and would like to host one of our touring authors or schedule a tour of your own, please email us at blogtour@wow-womenonwriting.com.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Jubliee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby

Now's your chance to read my review of Jubilee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby and be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win your very own Kindle copy!

Book Review: Jubliee’s Journey by Bette Lee Crosby

By Crystal J. Casavant-Otto
Jubilee’s Journey is Book Two in the Wyattsville Series by award winning author Bette Lee Crosby. This story of discovering lost family and finding love reconnects readers with Ethan Allen and the other heart-warming characters of the bestselling novel SPARE CHANGE.
I absolutely loved Spare Change and Crosby did not disappoint with the second book in the series. Jubilee’s Journey was well written and the characters were easy to fall in love with. Crosby writes with such eloquence you cannot help but become completely engrossed in each story. Whether you read Jubliee’s Journey on its own or as part of the series, you’ll enjoy every page turn. What I find most intriguing about Crosby’s writing in general is how she draws the reader into the story without all the extra words some authors choose to use. Very seldom does Crosby include the color of the couch, the smell of the apple pie, etc…and yet the reader can vividly picture each character and their surroundings. This is truly a gift and makes each story as individual as the reader. I look forward to the upcoming third book in the series and I am disappointed knowing the third one is slated to be the last. The character Ethan Allen has warmed my heart and it will be difficult to let him go.
I want to buy a Kindle copy of Jubilee's Journey for ONE lucky reader!! Leave your comments below telling me one (or all for extra credit) of the following:

1) What do you love about my blog? How did you hear about me?

2) What is your favorite type of book to read? and why?

3) What is your favorite book by Bette Lee Crosby?

Good luck in the giveaway and hugs from me to you! A winner will be chosen randomly on February 14th (yes, Valentine's Day) and will be announced in the comments of this post as well as on my business FB page: https://www.facebook.com/successwithrelax

~Crystal

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Deep Thoughts About Burger King's New Satisfries

Is it too good to be true? Is it just another cardboard tasting product inedible unless covered in ketchup?

Well...I got the hankering for a Whopper with cheese today. This happens every few months (and NO, I'm not pregnant - hubby already asked). We went through the drive through at Burger King and the kids were asking for some fries. I personally have always disliked Burger King French Fries so when I saw the photo of the Satisfries I thought oh heck...they can't be any worse than the other ones, right?

I ordered my Whopper and then a small fry for the kiddos. 40% less fat 30% fewer calories...I felt pretty good about this decision and since the kiddos are 5 and 6 I didn't feel the need to explain anything. I can't even say for sure they've had the regular BK fries so no harm no foul.

Before passing the fries to the kiddos, I snagged two for myself. All I can say is WOW! WOWZA! and WE HAVE A WINNER! How is it BK has failed to make decent fries for the last 20+ years but now they finally get it right? I am truly impressed! Until today, I thought Culvers had the best fries in town, but these newfangled Satisfries are creeping up in my own personal taste test.

WAY TO GO BURGER KING!! I'll be back sooner than later to indulge in these scrumptious satisfries.

Two thumbs up from this happy customer!

Hugs,
~Crystal