Bring on Lemons is a lemons to lemonade success blog about losing focus and finding a dream! It's also where I share my thoughts, ideas, book reviews, and writerly things as well as product reviews (food & drink too) - ENJOY!!
Saturday, May 4, 2024
5 Stars for Finding Fran by Nancy Christie - a review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto
Friday, March 15, 2024
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING READER REVIEW TOUR OF "What Was Never There" BY Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
Elizabeth
Maria Naranjo’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING
READER REVIEW TOUR
OF
What Was Never There
Tour
Begins May 3, 2024
Book Summary
A mother and daughter lost in the woods must overcome their
worst fears to find their way back. A father going through a divorce witnesses
a seemingly impossible motorcycle accident, which forces him to question the
truth of his own perceptions. A little boy with a terrible secret routinely
steals away at night to meet a girl beneath a willow tree—only to discover she
has a secret of her own.
What Was Never There is a collection of short stories with
the common theme of memory, or rather, the way memory haunts us.
Includes Pushcart
Prize nominated stories “We Never Get to Talk Anymore” and “The
Dinosaur Graveyard" and the award-winning "Windows," selected
for Best Microfiction 2023.
- ASIN : B0CQSTX8WT
- Publisher :
Independently published
(December 21, 2023)
- Language : English
- Paperback :
276 pages
- ISBN-13 : 979-8866571697
What Was Never There is now available to purchase in print and
as an e-book at Amazon.com. Add it to your GoodReads reading listing as well.
About the Author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
Buy links:
Amazon Kindle:
Amazon Paperback:
Website: https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/199240146-what-was-never-there
Hashtag:
#naranjowhatwasneverthere
Physical
copies available in the U.S. or PDF available for all!
I'd love to have you for this Blog Tour!
Questions? Send me an email: crystaljotto@gmail.com or call/text:
920-645-7529
If you’ve never participated in this type of tour before –
here’s how it works:
· Read
the book
· Leave
a review on at least ONE promotional site (such as Amazon – preferred) and/or
Goodreads (required)
· Be
entered to win a $25 gift card
Reviews need to be posted by June 3, 2024 and the launch day is
May 3, 2024.
Thanks for joining us!
-- Launch Date
May
3 @ The Muffin
What
goes better in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate
the launch of author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo's “What Was Never There”.
You can read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy
of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
If you’re ready to
participate – here’s a link to the google form I need you to fill out:
https://forms.gle/NooFgfy6FSNvrNxw6
Thanks in advance!
Hugs,
~Crystal
**OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SENT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
Thursday, March 14, 2024
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING READER REVIEW TOUR OF "WE BURNED OUR BOATS" BY KAREN JONES GOWEN
Karen
Jones Gowen’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING
READER REVIEW TOUR
OF
We Burned Our Boats
Tour
Begins May 6, 2024
Book Summary
Bruce and Karen Gowen are facing a retirement that neither one
wants. Bruce can't imagine life without employment. Karen wants change,
adventure, a chance to spread her wings and fly away after thirty years of
raising their large family.
Their opportunity comes in
a way they can both support: helping their daughter and son-in-law with a hotel
project in Panajachel, Guatemala.
Never ones to do anything
half way, the Gowens sell everything, including one of their businesses. What
they can't sell, they give away. With their worldly possessions down to two
checked bags and two carry-ons each, they fly one way to Guatemala City. Then
on to Panajachel, a tourist town on scenic Lake Atitlan, in the southern
highlands of Guatemala.
Here they begin their new
life, a time filled with incredible experiences, tough challenges, and
unexpected adventure in one of the most beautiful settings on earth. A place
where the Maya culture permeates the land. A land and people that will
transform anyone fortunate enough to encounter the magic of these hills in
Guatemala.
·
Publisher : WiDo
Publishing (January 18, 2024)
·
Language : English
·
Paperback : 306
pages
·
ISBN-10 : 1947966685
·
ISBN-13 : 978-1947966680
We Burned Our Boats is now available to purchase in print and
as an e-book at Amazon.com.
Add it
to your GoodReads reading listing as well.
About the Author Karen Jones Gowen
Born and raised in central Illinois, Karen Jones Gowen attended
Northern Illinois University in DeKalb and the University of Illinois in
Champaign-Urbana. She transferred to Brigham Young University, where she met
her husband Bruce, and there graduated with a degree in English and American
Literature.
Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and
Washington, currently residing in Panajachel, Guatemala. They are the parents
of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme
in Gowen's writing.
Hashtag:
#gowenburnedboats
Karen
Jones Gowen can be found online:
Physical copies available in the U.S. or PDF
available for all!
I'd love to have you for this Blog Tour!
Questions? Send me an email: crystaljotto@gmail.com or call/text: 920-645-7529
If you’ve never
participated in this type of tour before – here’s how it works:
·
Read the book
·
Leave a review on at least ONE promotional site (such as Amazon –
preferred) and/or Goodreads (required)
·
Be entered to win a $25 gift card
Reviews need to be
posted by June 6, 2024 and the launch day is May 6, 2024.
Thanks for joining
us!
-- Launch Date
May 6 @ The Muffin
What goes better
in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate the launch
of author Karen Jones Gowen’s “We Burned Our Boats”. You can
read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
If you’re ready to
participate – here’s a link to the google form I need you to fill out:
https://forms.gle/u3eZ5UBhWoj2eJWJ6
Thanks in advance!
Hugs,
~Crystal
**OFFICIAL INSTRUCTIONS WILL BE SENT TO ALL PARTICIPANTS!
Invitation to the WOW! Women on Writing Book Blog Tour for "Murder by Milkshake" by Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
Elizabeth
Maria Naranjo’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
Murder by Milkshake
Tour
Begins September 9, 2024
Life is sweet for high school senior and ice
cream slinger Genevieve Winterland. Her father owns Sweet Dreams Ice Cream
Parlour, the cutest confectionery shop in their little town of Pinewood,
Arizona. Genevieve loves her job, but when her father hires a broody newcomer
with a dark past to provide extra security on her closing shifts, Genevieve
bristles. Is this part of her father’s plan to send her away to college, when
all she wants is to stay in Pinewood and run the family business?
Meanwhile, everyone’s favorite new teacher at Pinewood High,
Miss Love, is receiving death threats, and then she goes missing. Genevieve
suspects the crabby substitute, Ms. Pierce, who seems murderous about being
passed over for the position. Or is the culprit Mr. Garcia, the longtime
instructor who Miss Love replaced after he was fired for assaulting a student?
Just when Genevieve thinks she knows the answer, she stumbles across the dead
body of another missing faculty member.
Can Genevieve find the killer terrorizing the teachers in her
beloved hometown—before someone else gets iced?
Print Length: 195 “ish” Pages (ARC’s are available, but the final is not quite
complete)
Genre: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, YA Mystery
Publisher:
ISBN:
Murder by Milkshake will soon be available to purchase in print and
as an e-book at Amazon.com. Add it to your
GoodReads reading listing as well.
About the Author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo
Elizabeth Maria Naranjo is the author of The Fourth Wall, The House on Linden Way, and What Was Never There. Her stories and essays have been widely published and
nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best American Essays, and Best of the Net, and her short story, “Windows,” was selected for Best Microfiction 2023. She lives in Tempe, Arizona, with her husband and two
children.
Hashtag:
#murderbymilkshakenaranjo
Elizabeth
and Murder by Milkshake can be found online:
https://www.elizabethmarianaranjo.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8124819.Elizabeth_Maria_Naranjo
https://twitter.com/emarianaranjo
The Blog Tour will begin on September 9,
2024 and last into mid October! You can participate by reviewing the
book, spotlighting the book, choosing a guest post written by the author,
or interviewing the author.
Physical copies available in the U.S. or PDF
available for all!
I'd love to have you for this Blog Tour!
Questions? Send me an email: crystaljotto@gmail.com or call/text: 920-645-7529
If you’ve never
participated in a tour before – here are a few options:
·
If you don’t have your own blog, you can read the book and we will find a
blog where you can post your review (you’ll also be asked to post the review to
Amazon and Goodreads if you are able)
·
If you have your own blog or website, you can read the book and post your
review on your blog (or website) and you’ll also be asked to post the review to
Amazon and Goodreads if you are able
·
If you have a blog or website and you don’t have time to read the book,
you can participate in the tour by hosting a guest post by the author. There
are several guest post topics you can choose from if you open the google form
found as a link at the end of this document/email
·
If you have a blog or website and you don’t have time to read the book,
you can participate in the tour by hosting an interview with the author
**some of our hosts
choose to do an interview AND a review – don’t limit yourself!
-- Blog Tour Dates
September 9 @ The Muffin
What goes better
in the morning than a muffin? Join us at the WOW blog to celebrate the launch
of author Elizabeth Maria Naranjo’s cozy mystery “Murder by Milkshake”. You can
read an interview with the author and enter to win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com/
If you’re ready to
participate – here’s a link to the google form I need you to fill out:
https://forms.gle/aF292ieAb3TR62tc7
Thanks in advance!
Hugs,
~Crystal
Monday, February 26, 2024
5 Stars for Alexandria Pall's "B.O.A.T" - Review by Crystal J. Casavant-Otto
About the Book: Seventeen-year-old April has spent her childhood in therapy, learning to dismiss her imaginary friends as just that: imaginary. Now, as a college freshman, she hopes to leave behind the whispers and cruel rumors that have plagued her for years.
Review:
This is such a fantastic read - engaging is probably the best word to describe the experience. I enjoyed the characters and storyline as well as Pall's writing style. I would be interested in other books by this author and felt "B.O.A.T" was a relaxing reading experience!Wednesday, February 21, 2024
Staycation - the Post You're All Waiting For! Manitowoc County Wisconsin in the Spotlight!
We recently had the opportunity to staycay in our very own town; this is an experience I highly recommend! We had a fabulous time exploring. Whether you live in or near Manitowoc County, Wisconsin or have never been here, this post has something for you!
Here's our list of things you won't want to miss:
Where to Stay/Eat/Play: The Lighthouse Inn 1515 Memorial Drive Two Rivers, WI 54241
Star Rating: 4.75
Additional Notes: The rooms were clean and spacious. We had a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan and this is a very affordable place to stay. This is an older hotel but very well maintained - the swimming pool and hot tub were a hit with the entire family! There was a wedding one of the nights we stayed at the facility was beautifully decorated - this is definitely somewhere I would recommend for a wedding or anniversary gathering! We ate at the bar/restaurant several times. Each meal was delicious and the service was outstanding! Laura, Bryce, Scott, and Jim are some of our favorite people from the Lighthouse Inn staff. We even had an opportunity to hear Happy Birthday played on the violin for some dining guests celebrating their special day! The children loved breakfast the most and it's served all day! The Mule at the bar was a favorite for me - and the cedar planked salmon was divine! My youngest son as well as my husband also give 5 stars to the bbq ribs!
Where to Eat: The Waverly 1402 16th Street Two Rivers, WI 54241
Star Rating: 4.75
Additional Notes: The Waverly offers a wide variety of foods - everything from pizza and apps for the kids, drinks for the adults, salads and fish plates for the adults, and there's a recent addition of dessert! If you don't like the dessert offering, there's some delicious drinks that might interest you. I know I really enjoy a little something sweet after a nice meal. The salad with salmon is delicious but I also recommend the bbq chicken pizza! We've never had a bad meal at the Waverly. It can be loud depending how full the facility is - but it's a great place for the entire family!
Where to get your Nails done: CT Nail Salon 1607 Washington Street Two Rivers, WI 54241
Star Rating: 4.25
Additional Notes: CT Nail Salon does a nice job but sometimes there can be quite a wait (even with an appointment). The technicians are sweet and they offer a lot of options. The chairs are incredibly comfortable although the salon can often feel a bit overcrowded. They do NOT have special chairs for children, but they are very accommodating for the younger guests.
Where to get a Massage or Unique Gift: Rebel Massage and Energy 1613 Washington Street Two Rivers Wisconsin
Star Rating: 5.00
Additional Notes: I absolutely love love love going to see Jessica for a hot stone massage. She's got a great mix of personality and tranquility and I always leave feeling renewed and rejuvenated. Her prices are reasonable and the retail side of things is always a special treat!
Where to purchase Books: Paper Crane Bookstore 1610 Washington Street Two Rivers Wisconsin OR La De Da Books 1624 New York Avenue Manitowoc Wisconsin
Paper Crane Star Rating: 4.75
La De Da Star Rating: 5.00
Additional Notes: We absolutely love the atmosphere of both book stores. Both are family friendly with great customer service. La De Da offers a piano and a few more options with a bit more space, so we recommend checking out both as they are each unique and very special!
Where to grab a Coffee: Retro Eighth Coffee & Acai 801 North 8th Street Manitowoc Wisconsin OR The High Lift 1207 Madison Street Two Rivers Wisconsin
Retro Eighth Star Rating: 5.0
The High Lift Star Rating: 5.0
Additional Notes: Each coffee shop is different and both provide great options and exceptional customer service. There are more food options at Retro but Hight Lift offers the convenience of a drive through. They're also in different towns - and as you know you can never have too much coffee - so check both of them out while you're in town (and if you need a friend to join you just let me know!)
Where to Shop: Schroeder's Department Store 1623 Washington Street Two Rivers Wisconsin
Star Rating: 4.5
Additional Notes: Whether you're looking for a thong to hide the panty lines under your sleekest slacks, or a bath robe for gramma - Schroeder's has you covered! Hats to sandals and everything in between! You can also find a nice selection of gifts, decor, men's dress clothes, hiking apparel, coffee drinks, and so much more!
Where to find Fine Dining: The Waterfront Wine Bar 2 North 8th Street Manitowoc Wisconsin
Star Rating: 5.0
Additional Notes: We absolutely love the food options at the Waterfront Wine Bar and the atmosphere is exquisite! We've never had a bad experience and highly recommend the prime rib. Some of our favorite friends are Bree, Stacy, Rachel, Megean, and James but the most amazing staff can be found right by this gem on the water!
Other Unique Opportunities: Ice Skating in the Middle of Town, Visit the Beach - she's a beauty year round! Stop at Woodland Dunes Nature Center!
Additional Notes: Two Rivers and Manitowoc have so very much to offer - there's biking and hiking, skating, reading, and playing. Did you know Manitowoc has a Symphony? The options are endless regardless of what you enjoy!