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Wednesday, May 26, 2021

Cathy Hansen Gives Allen Long's "Praying for Restraint" 5 Stars!

  


We are excited to be included in Allen Long's WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for his latest memoir Praying for Restraint.  Thank you WOW! 

About Praying for Restraint:

Allen Long works as a CNA-certified nursing assistant-at that supposed sanctuary of caring, an inner-city general hospital. What an unforgettable parade of bizarre, needy, abusive, menacing, endearing, and poignant humanity passes through its doors. And those are just the staff and administrators! Meanwhile, the patient population spans the affluent and sophisticated to the homeless, the mentally ill, addicts, gang members, and criminals in custody. Praying for Restraint takes the reader on a journey into the absurd and surreal that is ultimately uplifting and harrowing, both funny and heartbreaking. Long's struggle to survive a relentlessly toxic work environment with body, soul, and marriage intact is as gripping as the battle against childhood abuse in his previous memoir, Less than Human. Reviewers found that book "inspiring, honest, and beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking." Praying for Restraint earns that praise and more.


Praying for Restraint 
is now available to purchase on Amazon in both paperback and as a Kindle book as well as Barnes and Noble and as a Google Book. 



--- Review by Cathy Hansen

Having read a brief description of Praying for Restraint, I was curious.  One of my college roommates was a CNA for a couple years.  I was always amazed by her stories about coworkers and patients from her nursing home, and her willingness to do the demanding job.  Her stories left me with a great deal of respect for anyone who took on the job of serving others as a CNA.  I appreciated the pain and difficulty she faced when a patient passed, and admired her humor when she could say it was a good day at work because, “I didn’t get any poop on me today.”  Because of this experience with my former roommate, and having had some wonderful CNA’s who have touched my life, a memoir about the work of a CNA sounded like an interesting read.


I expected to read tales of helping others while performing a very challenging job with long, stressful hours.  I expected to read about understaffing and perhaps a few bad apples in patient care.  I was definitely not prepared for the horrors described within the pages of this book.  I finished the book feeling sad, angry, and frustrated that many patients did not get the level of care as ordered by their doctors and expected by their families.  I was furious that those working to provide that care are not always treated humanely or provided with all of the help and tools they should be.  It was appalling and eye-opening to read stories of mismanagement of resources, rude supervisors and coworkers, and poor patient care, even patient abuse.  


Healthcare workers are heroes.  Allen Long shows us just how hard they work, while also examining the demons he has faced in his personal life.  In Praying for Restraint, we learn not only about Allen Long the CNA, but Allen Long the person, including Allen Long the victim of abusive parents.  This peak into Long’s background helps the reader understand why effective healthcare workers choose such a challenging profession to begin with:  to make a difference.  


I applaud Allen Long for having the courage to share these stories, and I hope we can see a positive change in the level of patient care, but also in the level of respect for those working in patient care and providing excellent patient care. 


--- About today's Reviewer:


 

Cathy Hansen is a wife, mom, teacher, independent
beauty consultant, and small business owner. She and her husband operate SeedsNBeans, a local nature store, in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.


About the Author, Allen Long

Here’s how I became a writer. When I was a child in Arlington, Virginia, as soon as I understood what stories were, I began telling them to anyone who would listen. As a fifth-grader, I was recruited by the Storytellers, a small group of supervised fifth- and sixth-graders who told stories once a month to kids in the first, second, and third grades.

When I reached sixth grade, my teacher allowed me to skip all of my English assignments in exchange for me writing her a short story each week. In seventh grade, one of my stories placed second in an English class competition.

DNA strands
Storytelling seems to have been hardwired into my DNA.

One of my favorite memories from childhood is telling my younger brother, David, a made-up story every night during the summers we slept in twin beds in our cool basement.

I earned a BA in Communications/Journalism from Virginia Tech. While I was there, I took every creative writing class offered and wrote a story that placed second at a regional literary festival sponsored by nearby Hollins University. During my student days, I also worked half-time for two years as a reporter for The Roanoke Times.

After I graduated, I accepted a scholarship to earn an MA in English/fiction writing from Hollins University, where I wrote the first half of a novel. I then received a second scholarship and a teaching assistant position to pursue an MFA in fiction writing at the University of Arizona.

Shortly after I graduated, I published a story called “Second Honeymoon” in Concho River Review. After that, I decided to continue my writing education by working with master editor Tom Jenks. When Tom was a senior editor at Scribner’s, he completed Ernest Hemingway’s unfinished novel, The Garden of Eden, which became a bestseller.

I published two more stories, and then I decided to change gears and write a memoir called “Soul Breach” about the high level of illegal and unethical behavior I’d witnessed while working in the management consulting field. The story was published, and my good friend and editor, Kit McIlroy, told me it was the best piece I’d ever written, and he encouraged me to write more nonfiction.

I followed his advice and wrote and published magazine-length memoirs about the happiest, most intriguing, and worst moments in my life. These combined pieces became my first book, Less than Human: A Memoir (Black Rose Writing, 2016).

After that, I published memoirs on a wide variety of subjects, including two about my work as an assistant nurse in a poorly managed inner-city hospital populated by challenging patients, including violent mentally ill ones who often were not sedated or restrained.

“Keep writing about that hospital, and you’ve got your next book,” Kit said. I followed his advice, eventually producing my second book, Praying for Restraint: Frequent Flying with an Inner-City Hospital CNA (Legacy Book Press, 2021).

dolphinOne final comment—I’ve loved visiting zoos and aquariums my whole life, and I’ve raised box turtles, swum with sea turtles, and gone on multiple dolphin- and whale-watching expeditions. Therefore, you may notice that quite a bit of wildlife has crept into my writing. At last count, I spied lions, tigers, giraffes, eland, monkeys, chimps, elephants, alligators, caimans, box turtles, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Have I missed any?


You can discover more about Allen and his work on his website: http://allenlongauthor.com/



*****THANK YOU WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING*****






You Decide!

 


As most of you know - we have a big family. Every big family starts small and back when we were just a family of 3, I went with some friends to pick up their new dog. I had never been to a puppy breeder, but I guess thinking back, this was probably a puppy mill. There were puppies everywhere and it smelled funky. The elderly gentleman seemed to know who belonged to what and had papers to go with mot of the pups. While my friends finalized their deal, my 2 year old daughter managed to find the runt of the litter. I think that's an incredibly difficult thing to do when you're talking teacup chihuahuas as they are all very small. Regardless, the elderly man stopped to chat and of course offered me a phenomenal discount on the pup since he didn't have papers and she was so very small. 

I said I would consider it. I remember him clearly turning to me and saying I should think long and hard about adopting (or is it considered buying if you're at a puppy mill?) a chihuahua since My daughter was only 2 and they aren't known for being good with children.

I've gotten better at telling my children no. That may not be an accurate statement.

This dog makes me absolutely pull my hair out on a daily basis. I wish I had litter trained her (think teeny tiny dog even tinier bladder). She whines loudly for table food as if her bowl wasn't full of delectable doggy food. She can no longer see, hear, or smell the way she should be able to, and as soon as you let her outside she wants inside and once inside she'll ask to go out every half hour. 


But...


Let me tell you. That breeder couldn't have been more wrong. this 4 pound puppy has never nipped or bitten a child. She lets children pet her, carry her around, dress her up like a doll, and she was irreplaceable when we had children in highchairs. She's more effective than any shop vac you can buy at Menards! 6 kids have loved and adored this little pup. I have no idea how long she'll be with us, but I'm sure glad she's here!!

So...


The moral of the story is that I'm glad I decided for myself that getting a chihuahua would be a good idea. Doesn't matter if it's a new house, different job, bigger car, how many kids to have, who to marry, or what the choices are - you can't go wrong by deciding for yourself. I believe in you!


Hugs,

~Crystal

Sunday, May 23, 2021

Michelle DelPonte Encourages Readers to Read Allen Long's "Praying for Restraint"

 


We are excited to be included in Allen Long's WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for his latest memoir Praying for Restraint.  Thank you WOW! 

About Praying for Restraint:

Allen Long works as a CNA-certified nursing assistant-at that supposed sanctuary of caring, an inner-city general hospital. What an unforgettable parade of bizarre, needy, abusive, menacing, endearing, and poignant humanity passes through its doors. And those are just the staff and administrators! Meanwhile, the patient population spans the affluent and sophisticated to the homeless, the mentally ill, addicts, gang members, and criminals in custody. Praying for Restraint takes the reader on a journey into the absurd and surreal that is ultimately uplifting and harrowing, both funny and heartbreaking. Long's struggle to survive a relentlessly toxic work environment with body, soul, and marriage intact is as gripping as the battle against childhood abuse in his previous memoir, Less than Human. Reviewers found that book "inspiring, honest, and beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking." Praying for Restraint earns that praise and more.


Praying for Restraint 
is now available to purchase on Amazon in both paperback and as a Kindle book as well as Barnes and Noble and as a Google Book. 


About the Author, Allen Long

Here’s how I became a writer. When I was a child in Arlington, Virginia, as soon as I understood what stories were, I began telling them to anyone who would listen. As a fifth-grader, I was recruited by the Storytellers, a small group of supervised fifth- and sixth-graders who told stories once a month to kids in the first, second, and third grades.

When I reached sixth grade, my teacher allowed me to skip all of my English assignments in exchange for me writing her a short story each week. In seventh grade, one of my stories placed second in an English class competition.

DNA strands
Storytelling seems to have been hardwired into my DNA.

One of my favorite memories from childhood is telling my younger brother, David, a made-up story every night during the summers we slept in twin beds in our cool basement.

I earned a BA in Communications/Journalism from Virginia Tech. While I was there, I took every creative writing class offered and wrote a story that placed second at a regional literary festival sponsored by nearby Hollins University. During my student days, I also worked half-time for two years as a reporter for The Roanoke Times.

After I graduated, I accepted a scholarship to earn an MA in English/fiction writing from Hollins University, where I wrote the first half of a novel. I then received a second scholarship and a teaching assistant position to pursue an MFA in fiction writing at the University of Arizona.

Shortly after I graduated, I published a story called “Second Honeymoon” in Concho River Review. After that, I decided to continue my writing education by working with master editor Tom Jenks. When Tom was a senior editor at Scribner’s, he completed Ernest Hemingway’s unfinished novel, The Garden of Eden, which became a bestseller.

I published two more stories, and then I decided to change gears and write a memoir called “Soul Breach” about the high level of illegal and unethical behavior I’d witnessed while working in the management consulting field. The story was published, and my good friend and editor, Kit McIlroy, told me it was the best piece I’d ever written, and he encouraged me to write more nonfiction.

I followed his advice and wrote and published magazine-length memoirs about the happiest, most intriguing, and worst moments in my life. These combined pieces became my first book, Less than Human: A Memoir (Black Rose Writing, 2016).

After that, I published memoirs on a wide variety of subjects, including two about my work as an assistant nurse in a poorly managed inner-city hospital populated by challenging patients, including violent mentally ill ones who often were not sedated or restrained.

“Keep writing about that hospital, and you’ve got your next book,” Kit said. I followed his advice, eventually producing my second book, Praying for Restraint: Frequent Flying with an Inner-City Hospital CNA (Legacy Book Press, 2021).

dolphinOne final comment—I’ve loved visiting zoos and aquariums my whole life, and I’ve raised box turtles, swum with sea turtles, and gone on multiple dolphin- and whale-watching expeditions. Therefore, you may notice that quite a bit of wildlife has crept into my writing. At last count, I spied lions, tigers, giraffes, eland, monkeys, chimps, elephants, alligators, caimans, box turtles, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Have I missed any?


You can discover more about Allen and his work on his website: http://allenlongauthor.com/


--- Review by Michelle DelPonte 


As someone who has worked as a CNA, now a caregiver for people with behavioral issues, “Praying for Restraint” reminds me of another day at the office. Allen Long does a wonderful job of explaining the day to day concerns and lives of those that choose this much needed profession. He introduces us to many different types of people and circumstances that most people would not consider, from the patients to the upper management and everyone in between. This type of work is extremely taxing, but even more so with abusive clients and management. Entangled in the web, Allen shows how his work affects his PTSD and marriage. This book is a true testament to his character, as he is able to treat others with empathy and compassion while they are at their lowest points. The ability to care for people who are suicidal, abusive, and not in a good place is a gift that not everyone was blessed with. I encourage everyone to come and take a ride with this book and try to walk in the shoes of a caregiver.



About today's Reviewer:
Michelle is a busy mom, healthcare worker, and autism advocate. Michelle lives on the shores of Lake Michigan with her beloved family. 



--- Upcoming Blog Tour Schedule

May 25th @ World of My Imagination
Nicole Pyles offers her thoughts in an insightful review of Allen Long's medical memoir titled Praying for Restraint. Join readers at World of My Imagination as they learn more about this inspiring memoir and it's author. 

May 26th @ Linda Appleman Shapiro
Memoirist, Artist, and Psychotherapist Linda Appleman Shapiro offers some deep thoughts in her review of Allen Long's latest memoir Praying for Restraint. Join readers at Linda's blog today to learn more! 

May 27th @ Bring on Lemons with Cathy Hansen
Wisconsin educator and small business owner Cathy Hansen shares her insightful review of Allen Long's Praying for Restraint. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about this memoir!




Monday, May 17, 2021

Crystal Otto Reviews "Praying for Restraint" by Allen Long

 


I am excited to be included in Allen Long's WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for his latest memoir Praying for Restraint.  Thank you WOW! 

About Praying for Restraint:

Allen Long works as a CNA-certified nursing assistant-at that supposed sanctuary of caring, an inner-city general hospital. What an unforgettable parade of bizarre, needy, abusive, menacing, endearing, and poignant humanity passes through its doors. And those are just the staff and administrators! Meanwhile, the patient population spans the affluent and sophisticated to the homeless, the mentally ill, addicts, gang members, and criminals in custody. Praying for Restraint takes the reader on a journey into the absurd and surreal that is ultimately uplifting and harrowing, both funny and heartbreaking. Long's struggle to survive a relentlessly toxic work environment with body, soul, and marriage intact is as gripping as the battle against childhood abuse in his previous memoir, Less than Human. Reviewers found that book "inspiring, honest, and beautifully written, engaging, and thought-provoking." Praying for Restraint earns that praise and more.


Praying for Restraint 
is now available to purchase on Amazon in both paperback and as a Kindle book as well as Barnes and Noble and as a Google Book. 


About the Author, Allen Long

Here’s how I became a writer. When I was a child in Arlington, Virginia, as soon as I understood what stories were, I began telling them to anyone who would listen. As a fifth-grader, I was recruited by the Storytellers, a small group of supervised fifth- and sixth-graders who told stories once a month to kids in the first, second, and third grades.

When I reached sixth grade, my teacher allowed me to skip all of my English assignments in exchange for me writing her a short story each week. In seventh grade, one of my stories placed second in an English class competition.

DNA strands
Storytelling seems to have been hardwired into my DNA.

One of my favorite memories from childhood is telling my younger brother, David, a made-up story every night during the summers we slept in twin beds in our cool basement.

I earned a BA in Communications/Journalism from Virginia Tech. While I was there, I took every creative writing class offered and wrote a story that placed second at a regional literary festival sponsored by nearby Hollins University. During my student days, I also worked half-time for two years as a reporter for The Roanoke Times.

After I graduated, I accepted a scholarship to earn an MA in English/fiction writing from Hollins University, where I wrote the first half of a novel. I then received a second scholarship and a teaching assistant position to pursue an MFA in fiction writing at the University of Arizona.

Shortly after I graduated, I published a story called “Second Honeymoon” in Concho River Review. After that, I decided to continue my writing education by working with master editor Tom Jenks. When Tom was a senior editor at Scribner’s, he completed Ernest Hemingway’s unfinished novel, The Garden of Eden, which became a bestseller.

I published two more stories, and then I decided to change gears and write a memoir called “Soul Breach” about the high level of illegal and unethical behavior I’d witnessed while working in the management consulting field. The story was published, and my good friend and editor, Kit McIlroy, told me it was the best piece I’d ever written, and he encouraged me to write more nonfiction.

I followed his advice and wrote and published magazine-length memoirs about the happiest, most intriguing, and worst moments in my life. These combined pieces became my first book, Less than Human: A Memoir (Black Rose Writing, 2016).

After that, I published memoirs on a wide variety of subjects, including two about my work as an assistant nurse in a poorly managed inner-city hospital populated by challenging patients, including violent mentally ill ones who often were not sedated or restrained.

“Keep writing about that hospital, and you’ve got your next book,” Kit said. I followed his advice, eventually producing my second book, Praying for Restraint: Frequent Flying with an Inner-City Hospital CNA (Legacy Book Press, 2021).

dolphinOne final comment—I’ve loved visiting zoos and aquariums my whole life, and I’ve raised box turtles, swum with sea turtles, and gone on multiple dolphin- and whale-watching expeditions. Therefore, you may notice that quite a bit of wildlife has crept into my writing. At last count, I spied lions, tigers, giraffes, eland, monkeys, chimps, elephants, alligators, caimans, box turtles, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, and humpback whales. Have I missed any?


You can discover more about Allen and his work on his website: http://allenlongauthor.com/


--- Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto

How many time throughout my career did I come home with an interesting story and think to myself "I should write a book about this; no one would believe it"? The answer to that question is probably what led me to blogging in the first place, but that's a story for a different day. As far as Praying for Restraint is concerned, there are many reasons to love this book and at the very top of the list is author Allen Long's bravery in writing it. It's one thing, to keep a journal and have fleeting thoughts of writing a book, it's another thing completely to follow through with the idea. I think this is especially true if your experiences are on the negative side of the fence. This book changed the way I look at healthcare and healthcare workers - and I feel this is a necessary read for all of us (regardless of our vocation). 

Praying for Restraint was sometimes difficult to read. The way I viewed healthcare before reading this memoir and the way I view it now are very different. This was an eye opening experience. I applaud author Allen Long for sharing his experience and hopefully it will help make someone's experience better. This book is described as being thought provoking and it is absolutely that. It's a story that will stick with you and I'm glad I had an opportunity to read it. We are all touched by healthcare at some point in our lives (whether that be as a care giver, receiver, etc...) and it's great to share in Long's experience to get a behind the scenes view. 

 

--- Upcoming Blog Tour Schedule


May 20th @ Book Santa Fe with Art Tucker
Avid reader Art Tucker shares his thoughts with readers at Book Santa Fe. Find out what Art thought about the latest memoir written by Allen Long titled Praying for Restraint.

May 23rd @ Madeline Sharples
Fellow memoirist Madeline Sharples shares her thoughts after reading Allen Long's latest memoir Praying for Restraint. Readers won't want to miss Madeline's review. 

May 23rd @ Kathleen Pooler
Kathleen Pooler reviews Praying for Restraint by Allen Long. Find out what one memoir author has to say about the memoir of another author! Don't miss this valuable insight! 

May 24th @ Bring on Lemons with Michelle DelPonte
Healthcare worker and Wisconsin mother, Michelle DelPonte shares her thoughts after reading Allen Long's memoir Praying for Restraint. 

May 25th @ World of My Imagination
Nicole Pyles offers her thoughts in an insightful review of Allen Long's medical memoir titled Praying for Restraint. Join readers at World of My Imagination as they learn more about this inspiring memoir and it's author. 

May 26th @ Linda Appleman Shapiro
Memoirist, Artist, and Psychotherapist Linda Appleman Shapiro offers some deep thoughts in her review of Allen Long's latest memoir Praying for Restraint. Join readers at Linda's blog today to learn more! 

May 27th @ Bring on Lemons with Cathy Hansen
Wisconsin educator and small business owner Cathy Hansen shares her insightful review of Allen Long's Praying for Restraint. Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about this memoir!




Thursday, May 13, 2021

Upcoming WOW! Tour - BOOK YOUR SPOT TODAY!

 

WOW! Women on Writing Presents

 

A Special Event for: Public Display of Aggression



 

 

Blog Tour Starts June 14th and Ends July 18th


 

About the Book Soleil and Flarence are immortal Genies who can bend the fundamental forces of the universe through willpower alone. For centuries, they have considered themselves the most formidable beings in the world, but some newcomers just might give them a run for their money. Magic has always been limited to living things. Throughout his life, Soleil has never come across an object with supernatural capabilities. Now, a human has somehow constructed guns with the ability to fire spells. Genies are normally resistant to offensive magic, but Soleil knows from experience the enchanted revolvers harm all creatures equally. Resurrection is one of the few limitations to a Genie’s abilities. Not even magic should be able to bring a person back from death. Recently, though, Flarence saw a corpse not only rise but also fight. Endowed with incredible speed and strength, the revived man seeks revenge on his murderers. To make matters worse, Darren (another Genie, and once a valuable ally to Soleil) is still missing. He’s been lying low, biding his time, but hasn’t forgotten about Officer Tymbir, and has every intention of settling their score. Darren, the revived corpse, and the man with the magic guns have a list of people to kill and are eager to spill blood. With the help of Mohinaux and Claire, Soleil and Flarence rush to locate them, uncover the sources of their powers, and find a way to stop them.

 

This book is perfect for adults who want to get in touch with their inner child.


 


About the Author Hugh Fritz is a fan of monsters, mad scientists, sorcerers, and anything that involves beings with incredible powers beating each other senseless. After years of writing research papers, he decided it was time to give the real world a rest and let his imagination run wild. You can discover more about Hugh’s work on his website: http://www.hughfritz.com/ 


If you'd like to participate in this tour - I can get you the PDF TODAY! Please fill out this google form! 

 If you'd like to check out Hugh's previous WOW! tour - you can check it out here: https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/2019/11/hugh-fritz-launches-his-blog-tour-of.html

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Carmen Otto Reviews Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza as Part of a WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour

 

Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza

I'm excited to review Nicole Souza's book Sins of Our Mothers as part of a WOW! Women on Writing book blog tour. 

First, here is a little bit about Sins of Our Mothers:

It has been fifteen hundred years since the solar flare devastation of the Global Catastrophe. Due to the radioactivity in the harvesting fields, society dismisses its defective children as nothing more than flawed products of the malfunctioned seeds in the field. 

But Lyratelle, a hyper-observant musical prodigy, believes these “defects” are intelligent, particularly her own sibling, the youngest child of her impervious mother. Abandoning her dream career, Lyratelle climbs the bureaucratic ladder to run the Defect Research Center, where she can safeguard the child. 

With an underground team of women who share her uncertainties, Lyratelle unearths the Old History truth that womankind’s survival actually hinges on the existence of these defects. 

When General Sarah Love, the city’s most powerful advocate against the defects, detects Lyratelle’s sympathy toward the creatures, she threatens the life of Lyratelle’s sibling. Now Lyratelle’s desperate attempt to save this child endangers everyone she loves—her team, her family, even the existence of the defects themselves.

Sins of Our Mothers is available to purchase on AmazonBarnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.

About the Author, Nicole Souza
Nicole Souza
Nicole’s fuel is conversation. She loves hearing people’s stories and glimpsing the experiences that make them who they are. With a particular interest in women’s history and their individual stories, she has birthed a story that provides all the ingredients for a thought-provoking read. 

You can discover more about Nicole’s work on her website: https://nicolesouzabooks.com. You can also follow her on Instagram and Facebook.

---  Review by Carmen Jeanne Otto

I thoroughly enjoyed Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza. This was the first time I read any books by this author but based on her writing style, I would definitely be interested in reading more of her work. In my opinion I felt like I fully understood the thoughts of each character and that pulled me into the story. The dialogue was very believable and added to the experience overall. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventure and an unpredictable read. My mom always asks me what I learned or what my takeaway is when I finish a book and in this case, I told her:

"What I'm taking away from Sins of Our Mothers is that no matter what everyone else is doing around you, it's ok to be unique and fight for what you believe in - whether you have help or not!"

My favorite character was Lyratelle because she is a strong, independent woman, that fights for what she believes in. She's someone I could look up to and I felt kindred to her. The unpredictability and plot twists kept me enjoying page after page - Nicole Souza is a talented author and Sins of Our Mothers is a great adventure book!



--- Upcoming Blog Tour Schedule

May 6th @ Crafty Moms Share
Join Carrie as she reviews Nicole Souza's book Sins of Our Mothers.

May 7th @ Candid with Courtney
Join Courtney as she shares a guest post by Nicole Souza about why laughter is the key to freedom.

May 10th @ Pages and Paws
Join Kimber and her mom as she reviews Nicole Souza's Sins of Our Mothers.

May 12th @ Beverley A. Baird's Blog
Join us at Beverley's blog today and read her review of Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza.

May 13th @ Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
Visit Lisa's blog today to read her interview with Nicole Souza, author of Sins of Our Mothers.

May 19th @ Knotty Needle
Judy shares her review of Nicole Souza's book Sins of Our Mothers.

May 19th @ Jessica Belmont's Blog
Join Jessica as she reviews Nicole Souza's book Sins of Our Mothers.

May 20th @ Choices
Visit Madeline's blog today to read a guest post from author Nicole Souza about what the ultimate success would be in a world of just women, and what a successful woman's life would look like.

May 24th @ It's Alanna Jean
Join Alanna as she shares Nicole Souza about 5 ways to live a happier life.

May 28th @ Books, Beans and Botany
Join Ashley as she reviews Sins of Our Mothers by Nicole Souza and gives away a copy of the book for you to win.

May 29th @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Join Linda as she shares an insightful interview with author Nicole Souza.


***** About Today's Reviewer *****


Carmen is a delightful 14 year old from Wisconsin. She enjoys reading, horses, and helping on her family's dairy farm. She is 1 of 6 children and she's looking forward to entering high school in the fall. Her advice for other girls her age is "it doesn't matter if you're even good at it - sing/dance/run or do whatever it is that makes you happy!"