Lemonade!

~ By Stephanie Haefner

What do you do when the love of your life breaks your heart and runs off with the girl he’s been screwing behind your back? Turn your lemons into lemonade! And that’s exactly what Callie Dixon did…literally!

In my newest project, Lemonade in Hell, the one thing Callie still had after her ex left was the mini Meyer lemon tree he had given her as an apartment warming gift. Instead of squeezing a very sensitive part of his anatomy, she squeezed the lemons…and built a beverage empire. A business deal brings her home to the small town she left five years earlier, and face to face with her ex. After sticking it to him, meeting a new guy, and falling back in love with the quaint town she couldn’t wait to leave, she finds herself with a whole bunch of new problems. She may have taken her lemons and turned them into lemonade, but now the very thing that saved her sanity all those years ago is the exact thing keeping her in hell now.

Everyone loves lemonade! I sure do! And Callie builds a successful empire on the world’s love for the fun summery beverage. There are so many great combinations and levels of tartness. I like a tart lemonade (as does Callie!), simple and lemony. My husband prefers his lemonade mild, and will take an Arnold Palmer version over any other, with some tea mixed in. Fresh squeezed is the best, in my opinion. A mix of lemon with other fruits is fun. Berries work well, as does mixing in other citrus, especially lime. And let’s not forget one of my favorite variations- adult lemonade! Just add vodka, plain or flavored, or Blue Curacao for Electric Blue Lemonade! YUM!

Here is a simple lemonade recipe, similar to what Callie used for her signature lemonade. She describes it as tart and herby.

Herbed Lemonade

5 c. water, divided

1 c. sugar

4-5 sprigs of the herb of your choice- thyme, basil, rosemary, mint, or a mix.

1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and herbs to 1 c. of water. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly. In a pitcher, add sugar mixture, lemon juice, and remaining 4 c. water. (May need to adjust per your tartness preference.) Stir to combine and serve over ice.

Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two, and contemporary romance novelist from Buffalo, NY. A member of Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers subchapter, she loves creating sassy heroines and tossing them into sexy circumstances. When not writing, she celebrates her sassiness with dance and zumba classes, and her nerdiness with boybands and Disney World.

Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two, and contemporary romance novelist from Buffalo, NY. Her titles include A Bitch Named Karma, it’s sequel, Karma Kameleon, Paradise Cove, and Soap Dreams, and the newest, Try Me On for Size. A member of Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers subchapter, she loves creating sassy heroines and tossing them into sexy circumstances. When not writing, tweeting, or blogging at www.stephaniehaefnerthewriter.com, she celebrates her sassiness with dance and zumba classes, and her nerdiness with boybands and Disney World.

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