Summer 14 MUST READS!

I am fortunate enough to not only get to live my dream of writing cool books. (BTW, have you read my new book, Crazy On Board? You should!)

But, this post is not about me and my cool books. (Again, read them!) This post is about my cool writer friends and their cool books!

First off, my friend Jennifer McMurrain, writes all the time. All. The. Time. So, if you're ever sitting at home wondering what you should read next, check out her Amazon author page because she'll have something new ready for readers like you. I recommend her paranormal romance, Winter Song. I was instrumental in a key part of the book that landed her a four-star review. It would've been a five-star review if she hadn't followed my advice. So, I guess that speaks to my critique skills.

My friend Peyton Price is such a jewel! She writes Suburban Haiku. Her book (by the same name as her blog) is popping up in Barnes and Nobles all across the country. It's a fun read that will make you feel smart and funny while giggling like a school girl. You won't want to miss this read while you're sitting poolside working on your tan.

Last summer, my friend Denise's cat returned from a night out on the town with a hole in his stomach. Really. She had to gently shower the hole. Somehow or another, I got to give him the shower while Denise held him. The cat? He cussed in plain English while we did it. Anyway, the cat survived and so did my friendship with Denise. She wrote about several cat stories in her anthology Kill the Cat. Whehter or not you're a cat person, you'll want to check out this collection of cat stories. You will not, however, want to give a hole-y cat a shower. Trust me on this one.

In a weird twist of fate, I met Sabrina Fish on a blog hop then discovered that we were both members of Oklahoma Writer's Federation, Inc. Then discovered that we both lived in Oklahoma. Then discovered that she's a kick-a$$ fantasy writer. Sabrina's book, Lost Haven, will let you see first hand just how kick-a$$ her talent is. Word of warning: It'll be hard to go back to the real world we live in once you finish this book!

Through Sabrina giving a shout-out to her friend Angela Christine Archer on her debut novel, I met a new friend. Angela's historical novel, The Woman on the Painted Horse, has consistently stayed in the top 25 on Amazon. It's a perfect summer read for anyone who likes strong historical fiction and who likes to sigh contentedly and smile when the story is over.

Teachers make great authors because they are full of stories and know how to keep an audience's attention. Rita Durrett is not exception to this at all. Rita has several books out, but my favorite it the story of a girl who overcomes the obstacles in her life and blazes herself a new trail. You'll love Keeping Secrets--I know you will.

I don't officially knit (I can loom the holy heck out of a hat, though), but my friend Sarah White is an amazing knitter. She even writes about knitting! The truth is that she writes about all things crafty on her blog, but she's a nationally known knitter. I've even seen her knitting socks with tiny little threads and that makes me feel like I've rubbed elbows with yarn-royalty.

If you like sneaky laughs, you'll like Peggy Chambers. Her debut novel, The Apocolypse Sucks, paints an alarming and funny picture of a post-apocalyptic  world. It's not all doom and gloom ... unless you have to go to the mall, of course. (See? Funny, right?!)

And, of course, my good friend (she doesn't know we're good friends just yet), Celia Rivenbark, has a new etiquette book out, Rude Bitches Make Me Tired. I mean, yeah, they do! There's nothing that Celia writes that doesn't make me shake my head, giggle and darn the luck that she doesn't live next door to me.

So, tell me: What do are you reading this summer? Which of these books from my list peaks your interest the most?

#NaBloPoMo: My Writing Space

I'd love to show you my writing space, it's light-colored walls full of inspiring photos of my family. A bookshelf in a corner holds my favorite books, including every single book of Celia Rivenbark. I sit in a high-back, high-end leather chair, facing my large solid oak desk that is beautifully cluttered with this and that and a paperweight with a four-leaf-clover suspended inside, even though I have a small framed quote that reads Diligence is the mother of luck.

I cannot show you that space, though, because it doesn't exist. We do have an office and a fairly nice desk. But, I only use it if I'm writing something academic. And since I've run the gamut of academia, I never sit in there to write.

Instead, I write on the couch. Much like Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, I nestle myself into my spot on our blue love seat in the living room and I sit down to write.

I'd also love to tell you that the words spew forth from me like vomit from a sick kid on November 1. But, that's not always the case. Sometimes, I can sit and write and write and write.

Most times, however, I sit and get a good ideas then get distracted by, well, The Big Bang Theory.

Yay! It's time to write!

Ooooo ... Great idea!

Oh my goodness ... is The Big Bang Theory on The CW again?

Now, what was I going to do again?

When push comes to shove and I have major writing to do or certain deadlines looming, I'll move into the front room and position myself on the brown leather couch--my favorite couch ever! But, there are hazards being in there as well.

Summer Reading Give Away #3

Several years ago, my planning period was joined to our lunch hour (and since I teach, you need to know that lunch hour means about 20 minutes after hall duty and bathroom run and grabbing your lunch!).  So, having my planning period butted up against lunch meant that I often made runs to go get