Talking about the Beach, Birds and Books

My favorite spot on the west end of Pensacola Beach.

Living on the Florida Gulf Coast, it's no wonder I like to talk about the beach, birds and books. I live only a couple miles from that gorgeous sugar-white sand and emerald waters of Pensacola Beach.

I could spend hours sitting in a beach chair under a big umbrella and watching the seabirds run across the sand at the edge of the surf or circle and dive into the gentle  waves. Although I might like to spend hours each day at the beach, I only go there now and then.




One of the many birds on Pensacola Beach.

The photos in this post were taken last week at Pensacola Beach. It was a hot day, pretty close to 90 degrees, with bright sun, no clouds, a light breeze coming off the Gulf, and only a scattering of people at my favorite spot on the beach. That's my kind of beach day.

I had my Kindle (my old Kindle Keyboard) with me, because I like to read on the beach. Only the beach, the water and the birds kept my attention and I didn't read a word. Some beach days are like that. Some days I just want to sit there with my feet in the sand and let my mind wander.

A perfect place to read or daydream.

Actually, I thought a bit about the book I'm writing, Romance in a Bottle, which is set on Pensacola Beach. But I'm so good at procrastinating. I'd rather think about the book instead of writing. So if you want to know why that book isn't yet available, well, blame it on the beach and too many hours spent daydreaming ... oh, and reading.

Hmm! Reading? Yes, I read every chance I get. I'm a night-owl, so I do most of my reading in the midnight hours. My Kindle Fire is perfect for night-time reading. I can snuggle into bed and the only light in the room is the back lighting on my Kindle. It's loaded with an assortment of great books, so I always have a wide assortment of reads to chose from.

The other time of day when I love to read is in the morning sitting on the patio with my two dogs lazing nearby. My yard is full of song birds, which are the backdrop to whatever I happen to be reading.

I'm rarely reading just one book. Usually I'm reading one during the day on my Kindle Keyboard, which is great for outside reading. Then I'm reading a different book at night on my Kindle Fire. And I almost always have a paperback near at hand, for whenever I have the urge to hold a real paper book in my hands. Then I have my research books, the history of one thing or another, which I dip into now and then. Yes, I definitely love to read.

Over the last several months I've read some wonderful, great, awesome books. So I thought I might share that list of reads with you. I've written short reviews of all these books on Goodreads. So you can check out My Goodreads Page if you have the time.

It seemed to me the best way to list my latest reads is month by month. All of these books were great, wonderful, awesome reads that I can definitely recommend. I like a variety, so some are romances, others are sci-fi, historical fiction, literary fiction, etc. You're bound to find something you'll enjoy in the books listed below. All of these are available as eBooks and many can be found at your local library.

January Reads:

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming
Moonraker  by Ian Fleming
Badwater by Toni Dwiggins
Damaged (Maggie O'Dell, #8) by Alex Kava
Lion of Ireland by Morgan Llywelyn

February Reads:

Pride of Lions by Morgan Llywelyn
The Last Kingdom (Saxon Tales, #1) by Bernard Cornwell
The Pale Horseman (Saxon Tales, #2) by Bernard Cornwell
The Lion of the North (Saxon Tales, #3) by Bernard Cornwell
Lionheart by Sharon Kay Penman

March Reads:

The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick
Sword Song (Saxon Tales, #4) by Bernard Cornwell
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
The Kingmaker's Daughter by Philippa Gregory
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

April Reads:

The Burning Land (Saxon Tales, #5) by Bernard Cornwell
The Shadowy Horses by Susanna Kearsley
1356 by Bernard Cornwell
The Abilene Trail (A Ralph Compton Novel) by Dusty Richards
Cowgirl Trail (Texas Trails, #5) by Susan Page Davis
End of the Trail (Texas Trails, #6) by Vickie McDonough

May Reads:

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory
Long Trail Home (Texas Trails, #3) by Vickie McDonough
BEYOND (BEYOND Series, #1) by Maureen A. Miller
BEYOND: Two Suns (BEYOND Series, #2) by Maureen A. Miller
Secrets of Paris by Luanne Rice
Baby, Don't Go (Southern Roads Trilogy, #3) by Stephanie Bond
Baby, Drive South (Southern Roads Trilogy, #1) by Stephanie Bond

Whew! I didn't realize I'd read so many books over the last several months. Of course, if I'd found the time I would have read a whole lot more.

Now, before I forget, I'd best mention the books I'm currently reading. By the way, these too are wonderful reads.

Currently Reading:

Stella in Stilettos by Jan Romes
Down in New Orleans by Heather Graham
Baby, Come Home (Southern Roads Trilogy, #2) by Stephanie Bond

Well, those books are calling me, so I've got to go. I need to grab a few afternoon minutes to read.

Thanks again for stopping by. Please feel free to mention some of your favorite recent reads in the comments below.

The Tranquil Days of Spring

My patio is the perfect place to sit and read.

This is the time of year I love the most, these tranquil days of spring, when the temp hovers in the 70s and only occasionally tops out the low 80s. My yard is an assortment of greens, from the palest celery shade to a deep forest green and everything in between.

These days I spend most of my time sitting on the patio, my feet up, listening to the songbirds singing their varied songs and reading or oftentimes just daydreaming.

The latticed patio is covered by a huge canopy of wisteria and the leaves shimmer in the gentle breeze.

It's hard to believe that hurricane season here on the Florida Gulf Coast is a mere two and a half weeks away.

Potted miniature Roses on the patio table.

As I'm writing this I hear the cooing of doves and the caw of a crow. Directly overhead another bird is chirping while a bright red Cardinal is perched on the wooden fence. The scent of Jasmine and Lilies sweeten the air around me.

I can't find the energy to do much of anything today. My dog, Dude, and I spent an hour at the dog park this morning where he ran around with an assortment of dogs, big and small. I read for a while when we got back home. Today I'm reading Luanne Rice's Secrets of Paris. It seemed like a perfect read for a day like today.

My Lilies that only just started blooming.

I should be writing today, working on one of my works in progress, but I'd rather just sit here and watch the squirrels play and the birds fly from tree to tree. It's one of those days when daydreaming is high on my list of things to do.

I swear that tomorrow I'll get back to my writing. If I could just get those voices in my head to stop daydreaming and get back to work. Honest, I need the cooperation of those voices to help me write and they're enjoying these tranquil spring days too.

Mandevilla on my patio.

I hope you all have a chance to just sit back and enjoy some beautiful spring days. The hot days of summer are just around the corner. In the meantime, stop and smell the Roses, Jasmine, Lilies and any other flowers now in bloom.

The Inspiration of Spring

Easter Lillies on my Patio

The arrival of spring and with it more inspiration than a writer can ever dream.

Florida is known for its flowers, everything imaginable from camellias, azaleas, gardenias, jasmine, so many flowers I can't even name and wild flowers everywhere.

On my patio the Easter Lillies are blooming in a wooden wine barrel. The trellised patio is laced with wisteria. Jasmine blooms opened this morning. The air is fragrant with their scent.

A night of heavy rains and now the final drip, plop, drip. The sun is just starting to peak through the clouds. Birds are singing their varied melodies. Squirrels dart across the lawn searching for fallen acorns, of which we have zillions of acorns covering the ground.

As a writer, I draw inspiration and renewal from the flowers, rain, birds. It's a sense of "hope springs eternal."

What wonderful stories will pop into my head this season? Certainly ones of love, hope and dreams.