A “Hot” Cool Book for Summer!

When I was a kid, I sought refuge in the local library, which had two ways to escape the heat: good books and air conditioning. Still not a bad way to go, right? But today you don’t even have to leave your air-conditioned home (if you have one) because you can rent eBooks right from your phone or computer.

I haven’t spent the entire summer loafing. In fact, I have at least resurrected one of my novels from the internet oblivion where it languished after my publisher closed its doors at the end of last year. Yes—it’s true! Mending Dreams has been reissued in a second edition and is back in circulation, through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBooks, and a ton of other retailers as well. Readers may even be able to order it through their local bookstore, since I’m publishing with IngramSpark as well as Amazon.
The text of the book is unchanged except for some small grammatical corrections, but I’ve added bonus material at the end—a list of book group questions, and a sample of my second novel, Write My Name on the Sky, which will be next up for reissuance.

Check out Mending Dreams’ spiffy new cover, designed by the amazing Paula Johnson, who also guided me through the indie publishing maze on this, my first-ever attempt. There were a few bumps in the twisty road to publication, but it was worth all the angst and hand-wringing to see my novel back on virtual bookshelves, and to hold a copy in my hands.

I can now honestly say that writing a book is easy compared to publishing it. This has been a true learning experience, and I tell myself all this new education has been good for my brain. I’d be glad to share my experiences with you—simply reply to this email, and we’ll talk.

Now, here’s your reward for reading this shameless self-promotion. I’m not much of a cook, but I recently discovered a terrific idea for breakfast on these sultry summer days: overnight oatmeal. I found this on the Weight Watchers website (being a Lifetime member since 1989) and modified it a little to suit my tastes.
Start with ½ cup uncooked rolled oats and add ½ cup fat free milk. Mix them together in a storage container, cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning top with crushed berries, bananas, peaches or whatever fresh fruit strikes your fancy. Stir in about ¼ cup plain fat free Greek yogurt.

And—presto! You have a nice, cool, nutritious breakfast at your fingertips.

Some recipes suggest you make this in a glass Mason jar, adding the toppings in pretty layers, but I like my glass cereal bowl with a top that seals. You can find a ton of variations on the internet, too—so let your imagination run wild.

Meanwhile, my dog Thunder and I have some reading to do.