A Journey Through Books

Books have always been a major part of my life. I read in happy times and sad, and all those times in between. Sometimes I read to escape, other times for knowledge, most often for just the pure pleasure of reading.

I confess, I've not written a new blog post in simply ages. Sometimes life and writing get in the way. But in spite of numerous distractions I always find time to read. So I thought I'd share with you a list of those wonderful, exciting, interesting, awesome and great reads since my last blog post. These are books I've read, loved and hope you'll enjoy. The books are in the order in which I read them. All of them were great reads.



Broken Ferns (Lei Crime #4) by Toby Neal
Island Fire by Toby Neal
Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve
Sea Glass by Anita Shreve
Body Surfing by Anita Shreve
A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve
Girl on a Wire by Gwenda Bond
The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve
The Linen Queen by Patricia Falvey
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Four: A Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth
The Visitors by Sally Beauman
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The English Spy (Gabriel Allon, #15) by Daniel Silva
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Empty Throne (Saxon Tales, #8) by Bernard Cornwell
Mila 18 by Leon Uris
The Shell Keeper (Lei Crime KW) by Christine Nolfi
Twisted Vine (Lei Crime, #5) by Toby Neal
Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
The Beekeeper's Daughter by Santa Montefiore
Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious
Circling the Son by Paula McLain
The Storm of the Century by Al Roker*
Breaking Sky by Cort McCarthy
Shadow (Blue-Link, #1) by Maureen A. Miller
Dry Bones (Longmire, #11) by Craig Johnson
13 Hours in Benghazi by Mitchell Zuckoff*
Blue Asylum by Kathy Hepinstall

(* = Non-Fiction)

Note - Please forgive me if I left off any. There were so many books, I might have missed a few.

Whew! That was a lot of books read from April through December in 2015. Since the books were so numerous, I decided to list my 2016 reads in another post.

Keep reading, my bookish friends. And please feel free to list any of your favorite reads in the comments below.

Raving About Books

Another day of rain, so this is definitely a book day. I've been reading so many great books lately that it's high time for me to rave about them.

I can't believe that the last post where I listed books I'd read and recommended was in July of last year. My only excuse is that life and grandkids and my dogs and writing and reading got in the way. Well, in this post I'll play catch-up and rave about the books I've read since then. I can highly recommend every one of the books listed below. (Note - The books are listed in the order read.)

Books Read from August 2014 through December 2014:

Plague by H. W. "Buzz" Bernard
Outlander (#1) by Diana Gabaldon*
Redcoat by David Crookes
Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon
Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon
Drums of Autumn (Outlander #4) by Diana Gabaldon
Blood Orchid (Lei Crime #1) by Toby Neal
Torch Ginger (Lei Crime #2) by Toby Neal
Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
Black Friday by Alex Kava
The Salaryman's Wife (Rei Shimura #1) by Sujata Massey*
Zen Attitude (Rei Shimura #2) by Sujata Massey

Books Read from January 2015 through April 2015:

The Flower Masters (Rei Shimura #3) by Sujata Massey
The Defector (Gabriel Allon #9) by Daniel Silva
Black Jasmine (Lei Crime #3) by Toby Neal
The Rembrandt Affair (Gabriel Allon #10) by Daniel Silva
Portrait of a Spy (Gabriel Allon #11) by Daniel Silva
Never, Never (#1) by Colleen Hoover & Tarryn Fisher
The Fallen Angel (Gabriel Allon #12) by Daniel Silva
The English Girl (Gabriel Allon #13) by Daniel Silva
The Heist (Gabriel Allon #14) by Daniel Silva
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
1984 by George Orwell*
Z, A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler
Neverhome by Laird Hunt
Bittersweet by Colleen McCullough
The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman
The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Stella Bain by Anita Shreve

* Books I've read more than once.

Hmm! Obviously I've been spending lots and lots of time reading. However, there's never enough time to read all the books I want to read.

My local library is only a mile away, so I go there at least once a week. Plus, I have zillions of books on my two Kindles (my old Kindle Keyboard and my newer Kindle Fire). I confess, I have way more books on my Kindles than I'll ever be able to read in ten lifetimes. Of course, there's no such thing as too many books.

Yes, every single one of the books listed above were great reads. I just know you'll love reading them too. If you want, you can check out my Goodreads page for my short reviews on each of these books.

Teri Heyer's Book Reviews on Goodreads

Books I'm currently reading:

Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve
Jerusalem Maiden by Talia Carnes

Happy Reading!!!!

Books and Football

I happen to love football, so it's kind of a sad moment when Super Bowl Sunday arrives. I always enjoy watching the game, but then it also means the end of football season. On the other hand, it also means I'll have a lot more time to read on weekends until the next football season starts.

Since I'm talking about books and football, here are a few you might want to read:

Coming Back Stronger by Drew Brees*
First Things First: The Rules of Being a Warner by Kurt Warner & Brenda Warner*
Manning: A Father, His Sons and a Football Legacy by Peyton Manning & Archie Manning
It's Only a Game by Terry Bradshaw
Football for Dummies by Howie Long & John Czarnecki

Books for those who love contemporary romance and football:

It Had to Be You (Chicago Stars #1) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips*
Heaven, Texas (Chicago Stars #2) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips*
Nobody's Baby But Mine (Chicago Stars #3) by Susan Elizabeth Phillips*
Any Given Christmas (A Sugar Shack Novel) by Candis Terry*
Blitzing Emily (A Love & Football Novel) by Julie Brannagh
Fourth and Goal (Seattle Lumberjacks #1) by Jami Davenport

* = Books I've read and can definitely recommend. The others are books I want to read.

I've read  and loved all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars Series and Candis Terry's Sugar Shack Series. I'm looking forward to reading the Love and Football Series by Julie Brannagh and the Seattle Lumberjacks Series by Jami Davenport. What can I say? I just love football.

I'd take time to list more football books, both fiction and non-fiction, but it's time to watch the Super Bowl XLIX Pregame. By the way, I'm rooting for the Seattle Seahawks this time around.

Christmas, Dogs and Books

I can't believe that Christmas is almost here. How did this happen? I swear this year has zipped by much too fast. I still have to do some last minute Christmas shopping, but it's a rainy day and I'm dreading going out in that. Hmm! I might finish up with Amazon and Walmart gift cards. Ebooks are always great gifts too.

Here are some Christmas eBooks you're sure to enjoy:

Married by Midnight by Talli Roland
Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland
Last Christmas by Talli Roland
Big on Christmas by Jan Romes
The Christmas Contract by Jan Romes
Xmas Affair by Ruth Kerce (a sensual short)
Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry
Christmas of the Red Chiefs by Linda Lael Miller
Mrs. Scrooge by Barbara Bretton

Series eBooks that would make great last minute gifts:

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Rei Shimura Mystery Series by Sujata Massey
BEYOND Series by Maureen A. Miller (YA/NA SciFi)
Lei Crime Series by Toby Neal (Hawaii)
Samantha Jamison Mystery Series by Peggy A. Edelheit
Texas Boys Falling Fast Series by Jan Romes (Romance)
Xylon Warriors Series by Ruth Kerce (Elora's Cave)
Maggie O'Dell Series by Alex Kava (mystery/suspense)
Hetta Coffey Mystery Series by Jinx Schwarts
The Alexandria Quartet by Lawrence Durrell
Build a Man Series by Talli Roland (Chick Lit)
Bluewater Series by C. L. R. Dougherty (suspense/thriller)
Sackett Series by Louis L'Amour
Sullivan's War Series by Michael K. Rose (SciFi)
Saxon Tales Series by Bernard Cornwell (historical fiction)

I could go on and on listing books and series. As you can tell, I LOVE BOOKS and think they make the best Christmas presents ever. So don't forget to buy books and eBooks for Christmas for yourself and your friends and loved ones.

Well, I have to apologize for neglecting my blog these past few months. I added a new puppy, Jazzy, to my fur-family back in September and she's taken up a lot of my time. Honestly, I practically live at the dog park these days. That's what happens when you have two dogs, Dude and Jazzy, who insist on going to the dog park nearly every single day. My other dog, Shani, is almost thirteen years old and isn't interested in the dog park. Shani has a lot of medical issues, so we're taking it day by day.

I went to Winter Fest and rode on the Christmas Trolley in Pensacola with my grandkids on Saturday night. Christmas lights everywhere. It was very festive and we all had a grand time.

We're planning a Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. Yum! The leftovers are the best part.

Well, the rain is temporarily letting up, so I need to make a mad dash to finish my shopping.

I hope you all have an awesome, wonderful, Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Summer Reads

Ever since I was a little kid, summer and reading have gone hand in hand. I remember walking, usually barefoot, to the library and spending hours searching for just the right books to bring home. Then I'd walk back home with an armload of books. My next door best friends almost always went with me and sometimes we even let my little brother tag along. I always came back home with an armload of books.


Obviously I'm no longer a kid, but I still look forward to summer reads. Most of the books I enjoy these days are on my Kindles (my old Kindle Keyboard and my newer Kindle Fire), though I still make regular trips to the library. I no longer walk barefoot to the library, but I do drive home with an assortment of books.


Considering we've reached the mid-point of a long, hot, muggy (Hey, I live in Florida) summer, it seemed like the perfect time to write a post about summer reads. So here's a list of the books I've read since the first day of summer. All of them were great reads which I can definitely recommend.


My Summer Reads:


Outback Station by Aaron Fletcher
Summer of the Loon by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Virgin, Widow, Whore by Deanna Lynn Sletten
Jungle of Deceit by Maureen A. Miller
When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman
Becoming Queen Victoria by Kate Williams*


I'm almost always reading more than one book. So what am I currently reading?


Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman
Sharp's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell
Time Trap by Micah Caida
The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing


What other books are on my summer reading list? Hmm! That's a good question. I always have more books on my list than I have time to read. However, here are some books I hope to read the second half of this summer.


On My Summer Reading List:


BEYOND: Three Paths by Maureen A. Miller
Devil's Brood by Sharon Kay Penman
Her Perfect Life by Vicki Hinze
The Norman Conquest by Marc Morris*
City of the Sun by Juliana Maio
Hurricane Hole by R.P. Dahlke
We Two: Victoria and Albert ... by Gillian Gill*
Crisis of Identity by Denise Moncrief
Across Great Divides by Monique Roy
A Dangerous Inheritance by Alison Weir


* = Non-Fiction


I know, that's a pretty ambitious reading list. I doubt that I'll get to all of them before the summer is out and, of course, I'll most likely add more to my list. Oh well, I read all year long, so I'm sure to get to all of them eventually. Just remember, there's no such thing as too many books.


What are you reading this summer? I'm always looking for suggestions, so please feel free to add yours in the comments below. Happy summer reading to y'all.

In Love With Books

I've been in love with books since I was a little kid. Some of my happiest memories are all those times I spent at the library perusing the bookshelves and then carrying home an armload of books. Then I'd curl up on the couch, stretch out on my bed, or sit on the patio and read, read, read. To this day I read every chance I can get.

In my last blog post I promised to list the books I've been reading lately. I loved and can recommend every single book I've listed below. Most are fiction, but those marked with (*) are non-fiction. I like to read a variety of books, so you'll find historical fiction, history, contemporary fiction, romance and everything in between. I've listed the books by the month I finished reading them, from January of this year to the present month.

January:

Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer

The Queen of Lost Hopes by Susan Higginbotham

February:

The Traitor's Wife by Susan Higginbotham

1215 - The Year of Magna Carta by Danny Danziger & John Gillingham *

Hugh and Bess by Susan Higginbotham

1066 - The Year of the Conquest by David Howarth *

Death of Kings (Saxon Tales #6) by Bernard Cornwell

March:

The Pagan Lord (Saxon Tales #7) by Bernard Cornwell

The White Princess by Philippa Gregory

The Stolen Crown by Susan Higginbotham

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

Through a Glass Darkly by Karleen Koen

April:

The High Sheriff of Huntingdon by Anne Stuart

Now Face to Face by Karleen Koen

Before Versailles by Karleen Koen

Under an Enchantment by Anne Stuart

May:

How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill *

Dark Angels by Karleen Koen

The Moonspinners by Mary Stewart

Supercell by H.W. "Buzz" Bernard

Divergent (Divergent Trilogy #1) by Veronica Roth

June:

The Unforgiven by Alan LeMay

Insurgent (Divergent Trilogy #2) by Veronica Roth

The Light Horseman's Daughter by David Crookes

I'm almost always reading more than one book, usually something from the library and the rest are usually eBooks on my Kindles (my old Kindle Keyboard and my newer Kindle Fire).

Currently Reading:

The Black Count ... The Real Count of Monte Cristo by Tom Reiss *

Outback by Aaron Fletcher

Do or Die by Suzanne Brockmann

Summer of the Loon by Deanna L. Sletten

If you're at a loss of what to read next, you can't go wrong with any of the books I've listed above. All of them are great reads.

I hope you all love books as much as I do.

A Writer's List of New Year's Resolutions

Dream Big for 2014. (Sunset over Pensacola Bay.)

Every New Year I make a mental list of New Year's Resolutions and then, as the year proceeds, I turn around and forget those resolutions one by one.

So why should 2014 be any different? Well, this New Year I'm going to write down some of those resolutions in my blog for the world to see and, hopefully, for me to remember.

Of course, it's not just about remembering those profound resolutions, it's about the doing too. Yesireee, it's the doing that's the hardest part, for sure.

So here goes, my List of New Year's Resolutions for 2014:

1) Write, write and write some more. (I can't be a writer if I don't write. Duh!)

2) Think good thoughts. (My mom says if I have good thoughts then I won't ever have any medical problems. I'm hoping it applies to writing too and I won't have any writing problems?)

3) Write every single day even if I delete it all the next day. (Best to delete the not-so-good writing of the day before so no ones sees it. Just sayin' ...)

4) Dream Big and then follow it up with some hard work. (Like writing my butt off.)

5) Eat, sleep and be merry. (Hey, it sounds good. Cheers!)

6) Finish all those zillions of short stories, novellas and novels pining away in my laptop. (Well, maybe not all of them, but at least a few.)

7) Publish more books in 2014. (More is better, so they say.)

8) Spend less time on Twitter. (This is a hard one. I happen to love Twitter.)

9) Read for inspiration. (Oh, this is an easy one. I always read, lots and lots of books.)

10) Keep the Faith. (I am a writer. I know how to write. I am going to write. Hip hip hooray!)

Now I have to admit these New Year's Resolutions are pretty lame, but if I follow them I will get some writing done and some of my works-in-progress finished and out there for my readers to enjoy.

In the meantime, wishin' y'all a very wonderful, awesome and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! May your New Year be filled with peace, prosperity and lots and lots of books.

Christmas is not Christmas without Books

Santa on my bookshelf.

Ever since I was a little kid I've been asking for books at Christmas. Some years I've only gotten one or two and other years I've gotten bunches of books.

Well, my taste in reading has grown through the years. As a little kid I wanted Thumbelina, Madeline and fairy tales. In my early school days I wanted Hans Brinker - Or The Silver Skates, Savage Sam, Mary Poppins, A Wrinkle in Time, Thomasina, Nancy Drew books and so many others.

An old fashioned Santa on my bookshelf.

In my teens I wanted Gone with the Wind, The Thorn Birds, The Moon-Spinners, anything by James Michener and Taylor Caldwell, and lots of classics. In my college years I wanted history books and classics, including Tolstoy's Anna Karenina and War and Peace.

Even now, at my more "advanced" age, I still want books for Christmas. So Santa, I hope you're reading this, because I'd really, really, really love some books for Christmas.

Wishing y'all a very Merry Christmas and lots of great books under your Christmas tree.

Waiting for Santa

Santa at a local Christmas parade.

This time of year most of us are waiting for Santa. There are items on our wish lists that we hope to find under the Christmas Tree.

Even at my age, I still have a wish list. So what's on that list? Books, lots and lots of books, eBooks for my Kindle Fire and history books for my bookshelves. However, I have so many history books that I really need to add "Bookshelf" to my list too.

Will I get all those books on my wish list? Of course not, but I'll get a few even if I have to buy them myself.

Is there anything else on my Christmas list? Chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. I love dark chocolate the best, but just about any kind of chocolate will do. Santa will most likely bring me a Whitman's Sampler and some Ghirardelli Chocolates.

Oh, and I'd like some fruitcake too. No, don't laugh, I'm one of those few people who actually loves fruitcake. When Santa comes to my house, that's one thing I always get. Yum!

Hmm! What else is on my list? CDs. I love music, particularly country music. Hunter Hayes' CD is one I'd love to have. But honestly, I'd be delighted with CDs by just about any country singer, including Taylor Swift, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum, The Band Perry, Miranda Lambert, Alan Jackson, I could go on and on. Well, I'm pretty certain that Santa will bring me a CD or two or three.

Now back to those books I was talking about. Santa knows I need books and Christmas just isn't Christmas without books. I'd be perfectly content with an Amazon gift card (hint, hint, Santa I hope you're reading this).

If you're passionate about (addicted to) books like I am, then you might want to start an online wish list like mine at Amazon. I'm always adding books to the list, so it's always evolving. I read a variety of books: romances, historical fiction, literary fiction, history books. Believe me, my wish list of books is really really long.

Will Santa bring me any of those books on my list? Well, I can always hope so. But like I said, an Amazon gift card would be a perfect gift for me.

I'm no longer a kid, but hey, I'm still anxiously waiting for Santa. I hope you are too.

Christmas in November - Some Holiday Reads

'A Christmas Contract' on my Kindle Fire.

It seems the older I get the faster the year zips by. This year is no exception and feels like a breakneck race to the holidays. Well, it's a good thing I enjoy the holidays and look forward to all those wonderful holiday reads.

I couldn't help doing a post about some of the holiday reads on my Kindle Fire. In fact, the past couple nights I actually started reading a collection of Christmas romances. These holiday reads are like comfort foods for the soul.

'Mistletoe in Manhattan' on my Kindle Fire.

If you love reading romances, both contemporary and historical, you'll be sure to find something to like in the holiday books I've added to my Kindle Fire. Some of these I've read before and others I haven't yet started. Oh, I just love holiday reads.

This list below is just some of the Christmas books on my Kindle Fire. They range from sweet romances to spicey hot and everything in between.

'Army Doctor's Christmas ...' on my Kindle Fire.

I'm currently reading Helen Scott Taylor's Army Doctor's Christmas Collection which includes, Army Doctor's Baby, Army Doctor's Wedding and Army Doctor's Christmas Baby. I have to say I'm thoroughly enjoying this heartwarming collection of Christmas reads.

'A Home for Christmas' on my Kindle Fire.

Christmas Holiday Reads (in no particular order):

Army Doctors Christmas Collection by Helen Scott Taylor
The Christmas Contract by Jan Romes
A Home for Christmas by Deborah Grace Smiley
Mistletoe in Manhattan by Talli Roland*
A Cowboy for Christmas by Lori Wilde
Xmas Affair by Ruth D. Kerce*
A Spy for Christmas by Kristen James
Kiss of the Christmas Wind by Janelle Taylor
Any Given Christmas by Candis Terry*
The Gift of Gray by Jan Romes
All I Want for Christmas is You by Lisa Mondello
A Grosvenor Square Christmas by Anna Campbell, et al.
Blue Christmas by Diane Moody
A Bush Christmas by Margareta Osborn
Christmas at the Red Chiefs by Linda Lael Miller*
A Dixie Christmas by Sandra Hill

(* = Holiday books I've read, enjoyed and will read again.)

'Xmas Affair' on my Kindle Fire.

There are just so many great Christmas Holiday books out there, so please feel free to add your recommendations in the comments below. Remember, there's no such thing as too many books and definitely no such thing as too many Christmas Holiday books.

Best wishes to y'all for a wonderful holiday season. Happy reading too.

The Importance of Names

Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler are favs.

I happen to have an obsession with names. Maybe due to my rather ordinary birth name of Teresa Ann and my lifetime nickname of Teri. I know, there are more ordinary names than Teresa Ann, Terry Ann and Teri, but come on, couldn't my parents have come up with something a bit more unique?

As a kid I was always changing my name. Nicola and Nickie featured prominently in my early years. I'd read Mary Stewart's The Moonspinners and the heroine, Nicola Ferris, sounded so exotic as she traipsed around the Island of Crete.

I went by Samantha and Sam in my early high school years. I suppose it had something to do with the TV show, Bewitched. I could wiggle my nose just like Sam. My boyfriend at the time, Scotty, always called me Sam for that very reason.

I've always loved the name, Nicola Ferris.

Later in high school I became Tracy and then Traci. It had to do with a character in a James Bond movie, I forget which one. In fact, I think my mom is the one who actually started calling me Tracy after she saw the movie.

For many years I was Missy. My mom started that one too. I don't think she's ever told me why she started calling me Missy, but she still uses it now and then to this day.

I've used Tes off and on for years. I'm a sometimes artist and Tes is a great signature on a painting. Plus, I just like the sound of Tes.

As a writer I know that naming your characters is ever so important. It just won't do to write a medieval romance and name your hero and heroine, Bob and Sally. No kidding, I came across a medieval romance a long time back with just those names. I didn't read the book, because the names just didn't seem to fit the medieval genre.



What better character name than Travis McGee?

If your hero is supposed to be a to-die-for hunk, I don't think you'd want to name him Larry, Harold or Donald. If you happen to have one of those names, please forgive me for using your name as an example. I don't think I'd swoon over a hero with one of those names.

Some names are so well known, like Scarlett O'Hara and Elvis, that it's maybe not such a good idea to use those names in a book. Though if you're wanting readers to always think of Scarlet or Elvis as they read your book, then the names work and serve a purpose.

I just saw online that the top baby names for 2013 are Imogene and Asher. Well, at least those are different and I rather like them. Hmm! I can instantly imagine characters with those colorful names.

My favorite resource for character names.

I'm currently working on a Young Adult Dystopian novel and I've given the characters the coolest of names. Or at least I think their names are cool. However, I'm not going to mention the names here. You'll have to wait until the book is finished, which may take me a while (I'm writing rather slow these days).

I've been writing practically forever and I have this name book that I'm always using when I create my characters. I imagine it's still in print: The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon. There are dozens of other books of baby names which would also do the trick.

I have so many favorite literary characters/names. I'll always love Travis McGee, James Bond, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler, Bathsheba Everdene and Gabriel Oak, Katniss and Peeta, Darcy, Hawk-eye, D'Artagnan, I could go on and on.

Read Shakespeare for great names.

If you want to find some awesome names, just read Shakespeare.  Nothing compares to the names: Macbeth, Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet. 

Just remember, whether you're naming your baby, your dog or cat, or your literary characters, names are of the up most importance.

Hmm! I almost forgot to mention my latest name, Nana, bestowed upon me by my three adorable grandkids. I have to admit, that's the best name of all.

(Note - This is my college edition of The Complete Works of Shakespeare. The text is old and well loved. I also have a copy on my Kindle Fire. I can't get enough of Shakespeare.)

Summer Blow-Out Sale

OUTBACK LOVE on my Kindle Fire.

Another stormy summer day here on the Florida Gulf Coast. I'm sitting in my living room looking out the front windows as the day grows darker and darker and the rain comes pouring down. Every few minutes there's another loud clap of thunder.

Well, this stormy weather got me to thinking. Maybe this is just the right time for a Summer Blow-Out Sale of my books: OUTBACK LOVE, MOON OVER MADNESS and BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS.

All three eBooks are temporarily $0.99/ea. In addition, JETTING AWAY, my short story prequel to OUTBACK LOVE, will continue to be FREE.

Teri Heyer's eBooks at Amazon/Kindle - $0.99/ea.

Just so you know, this sale was not something I planned in advance. It's the result of day after day of steamy, sultry, HOT summer weather interspersed with lots and lots of rain. How long will this Blow-Out Sale last? Well, maybe until the weather improves? It's really hard to say. Since this is a temporary, spontaneous Blow-Out Sale, not a planned one, the price of $0.99 is only available at Amazon/Kindle.

Now why would you want to buy and read my books even at this great price? Well, because they're fun, upbeat, adventurous and heartwarming reads with plenty of love thrown in and some guaranteed happy endings?

OUTBACK LOVE is a short contemporary romance novel set in Australia and the Outback. Years back my husband and I took a five thousand mile road trip through Australia, from Melbourne north through the Outback and then east to Queensland and the beautiful and exotic Australian coast. We rented a conversion van which my husband drove (they drive on the left instead of the right in Australia). I rode shotgun and filmed much of the trip. It was an awesome three week vacation and I hope that we'll be able to repeat it sometime in the future.

The places I wrote about in OUTBACK LOVE are real locales. We went there and fell in love with each and every place mentioned in my novel. OUTBACK LOVE is not a travelogue, but you will read a little about The Great Ocean Road, Port Campbell, Barossa Valley (great wineries), Chateau Yaldara (an awesome winery), Glendambo (a stop on the road to the Outback), Coober Pedy (where they mine gorgeous opals and most of the people live underground), Ayers Rock/Uluru (which is one of the most awesome sights ever and I did climb Ayers Rock), Alice Springs (have you seen the pop movie, 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'?), Mataranka (a hot springs oasis in the middle of the Outback), Tennant Creek (a tranquil crossroads in the Outback), Darwin (a must-see city at the tip-top of Australia) and Kakadu (an exotic, beautiful, step-back-into-time kind of place where they filmed 'Crocodile Dundee'). Whew! That was a long trip, a great adventure and wonderful inspiration for my novel.

A few tidbits about OUTBACK LOVE. A river guide I met in Kakadu was the inspiration for rugged, handsome, Ian MacAlister. A young college student working for the summer in Tennant Creek was the inspiration for Priscilla Alexander. A so-homely-he-was-cute dog in the Outback was my inspiration for Elliot.

OUTBACK LOVE is an adventurous love story with a happy ending. But it took Priscilla and Ian some definite ups and downs to get there. I loved writing OUTBACK LOVE and hope you'll love reading it too.



JETTING AWAY on my Kindle Fire.

JETTING AWAY  is a short story prequel to OUTBACK LOVE. It came about following a reader's request to know more about Priscilla's background. She wanted to know why Priscilla, a high-powered business woman, would leave beautiful San Francisco and travel to Australia to find herself.

Though JETTING AWAY is a prequel, it can be read as a stand-alone short story. No, you don't have to read OUTBACK LOVE to enjoy this story. It's all about Priscilla, a young woman who decides to make changes in her life and jets away to Australia.

Best of all, JETTING AWAY is a FREE eBook on Amazon/Kindle, Barnes and Noble, Apple iTunes, Sony and Kobo. How can you resist a fun, FREE read?





MOON OVER MADNESS on my Kindle.

My paranormal, romantic comedy novella, MOON OVER MADNESS, came to me full-blown in one mad moment of inspiration. I swear the little helper-elves in my head wrote this book and all I did was write down the story as they told it to me.

Chantel Deneuve is a responsible mother of two beautiful young daughters and living a quiet life in Florida. She also happens to be a half-witch, something she'd prefer to ignore. But then one night a to-die-for, gorgeously handsome vampire, Riordan "Rio" Martainn, comes knocking on her front door.

Chantel's life is never the same after that night. An assortment of witches, vampires, ghosts, werewolves, a very angry dragon named Sabilla and Jake, a dog who only talks to to children, all join in this romantic mad adventure.  If you want to read a book that will make you smile, then MOON OVER MADNESS is just the book for you.

BAYOU BLUES ... on my Kindle Fire.

BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS  is my book that evolved over time. It's a collection of eight short stories and eight poems that all contain little pieces of me. The central themes are love, family, hopes and dreams.

There's a little bit of everything in these stories and poems. "Harry's Garden" was inspired by a not-very-nice former neighbor when we used to live on a Florida bayou way-back-when. "A Kiss is Just a Kiss" was written after a childhood friend of mine died of AIDS. I was thinking of him as I wrote that story. "The Night of the UFO" was inspired after we (my husband and I) swore we saw a UFO over the bayou. I was drinking Margaritas that night, rather than Whiskey Sours (I happen to like both) and the story came to me full-blown. I stayed up half the night to write it. "I Love You, Joe Montana" was inspired, because, well, you know, I happen to love Joe Montana.

The stories and poems in BAYOU BLUES AND OTHER SORROWS are very dear to my heart. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed the journey in writing those stories and poems.

As I finish writing this post it's still raining outside. Overall, this has been a very wet, rainy summer here on the Florida Gulf Coast. Am I complaining? No. But I've spent a lot of indoor time instead of enjoying the great outdoors and our beautiful sugar-sand beaches. However, all this rain means you get the Summer Blow-Out Sale of my books. I do so hope you'll rush right out and add all of my books to your Kindle or other eReader. Who can resist eBooks for only $0.99/ea.? I know I can't. Of course, I'm addicted to books and I'm assuming you are too.

Summer Blow-Out Sale of Teri Heyer's eBooks at Amazon/Kindle - $0.99/ea.

A happy summer shout-out to y'all. Thanks again for stopping by my blog. And many many thanks to all my readers too.

Rain, Rain and More Rain

Rain on the back patio.

As I'm writing this post there's a deluge of rain just outside my door. I'm talking lots and lots of rain, gully washer rain, monsoon rain. Here on the Florida Gulf Coast, this is the season for warm tropical rains accompanied by lightning and booming, rolling thunder.

Rain in the backyard.

This July has been nothing but rain, rain and more rain. The beach tourists have been greatly disappointed in day after day of rain and very little bright summer sun. This isn't good beach weather. Just sayin' ...

I've lived in Florida off and on for over thirty-one years. Some summers are scorching hot with very little rain. Some summers are almost nothing but torrential downpours of warm tropical rain. Well, this is one of those rainy summers for the Florida Panhandle.

Rain pouring through the patio trellis.

I couldn't resist snapping a few rain photos to add to this post.

It's a good thing I love rain. I love the sound of the rain, love watching the deluge of raindrops, love the fresh, clean smell of rain.

Rain outside the front door.

I lived in Las Vegas for eleven years where it rained only a couple times a year. Then I lived in the Texas Hill Country where it only rained twice in sixteen months. So given the choice, I'd rather live where it rains a lot.

On the other hand, my dogs Dude and Shani would rather live where it rarely rains. These two are not rain dogs. On days like this they go to the back door and look out at the rain, then go to the front door to see if it's raining out there too.

Rain in the front yard.

Rainy days are a great time to read. So what am I reading today? Some days I'm bouncing around between books, a little of this and a little of that. So here are today's books: Midnight on Julia Street by Ciji Ware (on my Kindle Fire) and  A Deadly Shade of Gold by John D. MacDonald (paperback). Both books are great reads.

Beachin' in Florida - Where are you, Travis McGee?

Coffee and John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee Novels.

Years before moving to Florida I read every one of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee Novels, twenty-one of them in all. I fell in love with Florida, sight-unseen, and knew that I had to live there. A couple years later I stepped off a plane in Daytona Beach, Florida and instantly knew I'd found my tropical paradise.

Now here I am, thirty-one years later, and still in love with Florida. Only now I live on the Florida Panhandle on the beautiful Gulf Coast. It's one of those mornings where I'm remembering the Florida from all those years ago compared to the Florida I see today.

There are definitely lots of changes. The cities and towns have all expanded until they run into each other. So much of the Florida I remember from years past is now paved over.  Millions more people have taken up residence here. Tourists flock here from around the country and around the world. Florida is still beautiful, but gone are the sleepy, slower-paced, sultry days of yore.

I'm sitting on my trellis-covered patio sipping coffee from a Busch Gardens, Tampa Bay, Florida coffee mug and reading John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee Novel, A Deadly Shade of Gold. Now I ask, where are you, Travis McGee?

In the 1960s fictional Travis McGee lived on his houseboat, the Busted Flush, docked at slip F-18 at Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale. Travis McGee was a one-man, super-hero, crime-fighter, living a laid back life in paradise. He took down drug runners, thieves and thugs. On top of that, he was an environmentalist fighting to save the Everglades, the Keys and the rest of south Florida from corrupt developers.

After John D. MacDonald passed away, Travis McGee slowly disappeared. These days it's difficult to find anyone who has even heard of John D. MacDonald or Travis McGee, let alone read the books. How can that be? My local library doesn't have a single one of the books. They're difficult to find in a bookstore and only now and then does one appear in a used bookstore or garage sale.

I used to own all the Travis McGee Novels, but when I moved from southern California to Florida, those books mistakenly got left behind. Not too long ago I was able to buy three of the books at a used book sale at my local library. Someone donated a few of the novels to the library. I bought three and another lady bought three. I scanned every single book at the sale and couldn't find any others.

So I'm now the proud owner of A Deadly Shade of Gold, Pale Gray for Guilt and The Empty Copper Sea. I'll keep looking at used book sales and will eventually collect all the books once again. This morning I started rereading A Deadly Shade of Gold. Ahh, Travis McGee, I've missed you so.

The world was a simpler place back in Travis McGee's time. Maybe the bad guys were easier to spot? And maybe one guy could make a difference? But then Travis McGee was just a fictional character and the real world was more complicated than that.

Well, I've missed Travis McGee and now I've found him again. I intend to savor every minute as I reread these books. Travis McGee does exist in my mind. He's still sitting on the Busted Flush sipping a cold one and enjoying another spectacular Florida sunset. I'm sitting there with Travis McGee and we're talking about going fishing tomorrow. Or maybe we'll be fighting some bad guys? You just never know.

For those interested in reading the Travis McGee Novels, they can be ordered online from your favorite online bookstore and are also now available as eBooks. Here's the series, in order, but don't hesitate to pick up any of the books and read them in or out of order. I guarantee you too will fall in love with Florida and Travis McGee.

The Travis McGee Novels by John D. MacDonald:

The Deep Blue Good-by
Nightmare in Pink
A Purple Place for Dying
The Quick Red Fox
A Deadly Shade of Gold
Bright Orange for the Shroud
Darker than Amber
One Fearful Yellow Eye
Pale Gray for Guilt
The Girl in the Plain Brown Wrapper
Dress Her in Indigo
The Long Lavender Look
A Tan and Sandy Silence
The Scarlet Ruse
The Turquoise Lament
The Dreadful Lemon Sky
The Empty Copper Sea
The Green Ripper
Free Fall in Crimson
Cinnamon Skin
The Lonely Silver Rain

Hopelessly Addicted to Books

'Far in the Wilds' by Deanna Raybourn

I have to admit that I'm hopelessly addicted to books. This is an addiction that started when I was a small child and hasn't let up all these many years later. Nope, I'm not going to confess to the actual number of years. Just trust me to say that it's been a long, long time.

I have bookshelves full of books, boxes of books under my bed, stacks of books in my closet, books on end tables and dressers and any number of places.

'A Spear of Summer Grass' by Deanna Raybourn

On my Kindle Fire and Kindle Keyboard I have more books than I can count. Well, actually, I can count that high, but suffice to say that it's a heck of a lot of books. I probably have more books than I can read in several lifetimes. So I think it's fair to say this is a true addiction.

Is this a bad thing? Are you kidding? Absolutely not. Being addicted to (in love with) books is a very good thing. I'm never bored, because there's always a book (or two or three or more) at my fingertips.







'HIGH TIDE' by Maureen A. Miller

How did this happen? Well, to begin with, my mom started reading O'Henry and Terhune stories to me when I was still too young to start school. Once I could read on my own I practically lived at the library. Every birthday and Christmas all I ever wanted was books. Whenever I had a little bit of money I bought more books. Even today I'd rather shop for books instead of clothes, shoes or anything else I can name.

I read every chance I can get: when I first wake up in the morning, before I go to sleep at night, and whatever stolen moments I can find throughout the day. Books are what keep me sane, calm, hopeful, optimistic, I could go on and on.

'Stella in Stilettos' by Jan Romes

In honor of this addiction to books, I thought it fitting to list some of my latest reads. After all, I'm sure many of you also suffer from this same addiction and are probably looking for some more great books that you just must have.

I'm almost always reading more than one book. Usually I have a hardback or paperback book that I'm reading, in addition to one or more eBooks on my two Kindles. It pretty much just depends on my mood of the moment as to which book I want to read at any given time. I'm also a night owl, so I do a lot of reading well after the midnight hour. I'd much rather lose sleep and read.






'The Orchid House' by Lucinda Riley

Books I'm currently reading:

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn
The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley
That Summer in Cornwall by Ciji Ware
Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose










'BEYOND' by Maureen A. Miller

Books I Read and Loved in May:

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

'Baby, Hold On' by Stephanie Bond

Books I Read and Loved in June:

Baby, Hold On (Southern Roads #3.5) by Stephanie Bond
Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick
Endless Night by Maureen A. Miller
The Diamond Smugglers by Ian Fleming









'CATALINA KISS' by Tracy Ewens

Books I Read and Loved in July (to date):

Catalina Kiss by Tracy Ewens
Baby, Come Home (Southern Roads #2) by Stephanie Bond
High Tide by Maureen A. Miller
Far in the Wilds by Deanna Raybourn

If you'd like, you can check out my reviews for all the books listed above via my Goodreads page:

Teri Heyer's Goodreads Page

'ENDLESS NIGHT' by Maureen A. Miller

Note: The photos in this post are books on my Kindle Fire. For the record, I love my Kindle Fire (great for reading inside and in the dark or low-light conditions due to back lighting) and my Kindle Keyboard (which I've had for years and read outside and at the beach due to the non-glare screen). I still love hardback and paperback books too. I also frequent my local library and used bookstore.

Are you hopelessly addicted to books too?

Talking about the "Supermoon" and Books

A photo I took of the "Supermoon" last night, 6/22/2013.

Last night was the first I heard about the "Supermoon." It's been all over the news and the net for days, but it only just sank in when my husband pointed out to me last night that I needed to look at the moon.

Now this is uncharacteristic of me. I've always been fascinated with the moon ever since my dad bought my brother a telescope and we gazed at the moon, up-close, and saw all those mysterious shadows and craters. Simply awesome!

As the "Supermoon" rose over the treetops last night I snapped several photos. The best of the bunch is the one in this post. My camera is a Sony Cybershot DSC-HX20V. It's a great little camera (purse size and fits in the palm of my hand), but it isn't particularly designed to take moon photos. So I was pleased to get such a clear photo of the "Supermoon."

Now what's so great about this month's full moon? The moon is closer to the earth for this cycle, so the moon appears 14% bigger and 30% brighter than usual. Well, after gazing at the moon last night I have to agree that it looked bigger and brighter and awesome.

Some links to check out:

Supermoon Sunday - NASA.com

Don't fear the Supermoon - Space.com

VIDEO: "It's a 'Supermoon'! - The Weather Channel

My dogs went out into the darkened front yard with me last night while I took photos of the moon. They gave me that funny look of "Why are you taking photos at night?" They didn't even bother to look at the moon. 

Now my dog, Dude, who knows how to howl, didn't even bother to howl at last night's "Supermoon." However, the actual full moon is tonight, so maybe he'll give it at least a little howl as the moon rises over the treetops?

Now all this talk about full moons brings to mind werewolves. Yeah, I have a fascination with werewolves too. In the wee hours last night, just before it started to rain, my dogs and I went out front again to look at the "Supermoon" one more time. The clouds were drifting around the moon, creating an eerie effect. I couldn't help but check over my shoulder for possible werewolves. Any rustle in the bushes caught my immediate attention. But my dogs, Dude and Shani, weren't the least bit alarmed. So I guess we didn't have any werewolves lurking around our house last night? Oh, but the full moon is actually tonight. Oh, my!

My very fav werewolf movie is the 1981 classic, "An American Werewolf in London." I've watched that movie so many times. Absolutely love it!

An American Werewolf in London - Blu-ray Edition

'Moon Over Madness' on my Kindle Fire.

Now it seems to me this is the perfect time to talk about MOON books and particularly those that pertain to werewolves. So in case y'all didn't know, I wrote a paranormal, romantic comedy about, yep, you guessed it, the moon and werewolves. I included witches, vampires, ghosts, dragons and a dog named Jake too.

My mom insists this is her favorite one of my books and thinks it should be made into a movie with actress Shirley MacLaine as one of the witches. What can I say? Thanks, Mom. I loved writing MOON OVER MADNESS and hope y'all will love reading it too.

MOON OVER MADNESS - Amazon/Kindle


MOON OVER MADNESS - Barnes&Noble/Nook


MOON OVER MADNESS - iTunes/iPad



Connie Flynn's 'Shadow on the Moon' on my Kindle.

I thought this would be the perfect time to list some of the MOON fiction reads on my Kindle. Note, some of these reads include werewolves too.

MOON Reads on my Kindle (in no particular order):

Shadow on the Moon (Werewolf Series #1) by Connie Flynn
Dark Moon by Rebecca York
Indian Moon by Carolyn McCray
Mocha, Moonlight and Murder by MaryAnn Kempher
Song of the Orange Moons by Lori Ann Stephens

Marsha Canham's 'Pale Moon Rider' on my Kindle.

Pale Moon Rider by Marsha Canham
Across a Moonlit Sea by Marsha Canham
Moonlight on the Nantahala by Michael Rivers
Irish Moon by Amber Scott
The Light of the Lovers Moon by Marcia Lynn McClure
Sailing Down the Moonbeam by Mary Gottschalk
Three Moons Over Sedona by Sherry Hartzler
Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens

Anne Stuart's 'Moonrise' on my Kindle

Moonrise by Anne Stuart
Under the Desert Moon by Mary Tate Engels
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan
Songbird Under a German Moon by Tricia Goyer
Moon in Leo by Kathleen Herbert
Sarah of the Moon by Randy Mixter
Fever Moon by Carolyn Haines
Rustler's Moon by Jim Jones
The Valley of the Moon by Jack London


I hope y'all find some great reads in the list above. Thanks again for stopping by. And don't forget to take a look at the "Supermoon" tonight. Oh, and don't forget to watch out for werewolves too.

Shades of Summer - Hot Summer Reads

Coffee and 'The Monmouth Summer' by Tim Vicary.

Tomorrow is the first day of summer. So this is the perfect time to start stocking up on great summer reads. For that reason, I decided to give you a list of some of the summer reads on my Kindle Fire.  I hope you find some you'll enjoy in the list below.

Barbara Freethy's 'Summer Secrets' on my Kindle.

Summer Reads (in no particular order):

Summer of Fire by Linda Jacobs
The Monmouth Summer by Tim Vicary
Summer Secrets by Barbara Freethy
One Summer in France by Bev Spicer
Summer's Storm by Denise Domning
That Summer in Cornwall by Ciji Ware
Summer Lovin' by Donna Cummings







Denise Domning's 'Summer's Storm' on my Kindle.

Last Summer by Teresa Weir
Summer with Fidel by R. G. Lawrence
The Days of Summer by Jill Barnett
Summer Storms by Rebekah Lyn
One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake
Summer Days by Susan Mallery
Endless Summer by Christopher David Petersen

Ciji Ware's 'That Summer in Cornwall' on my Kindle.

Summer Rose by Elizabeth Sinclair
The Summer I Learned to Swim by Shannon McCrimmon
Summer on the Mountain by Rosemarie Naramore
Secrets of the Lost Summer by Carla Neggers
Summer by Edith Wharton









Thanks for stopping by. I hope y'all have a wonderful summer filled with lots of great summer reads.

NOTE: Please feel free to add your own summer reads in the comments below.