Finally, summer is upon us!  The Texas air is heavy with heat and outside my door my pool beckons with the scent of chlorine and sun screen. My refrigerator is stocked with watermelon, just-picked peaches and tomatoes, and the freezer is full of popsicles. Best of all, the chair beside my chaise is stocked with some great books.

I have a grueling writing schedule ahead of me with deadlines and travel commitments, but I am committed to my favorite summertime activity . . . reading!

You too?

Here are some of my favorites, novels I’ve read and loved so much I’m going to pick them up again. More than a few are new releases. But all of them will entertain you with characters you’d want as friends, take you to interesting places, go on big adventures and let you fall in love. Ah….no wonder I’m a book freak!

Anyway, check out these fun selections. I’d love to hear from you too. What are you reading this summer?

I’m a huge fan of Debbie Macomber books. Her Cedar Cove series got me hooked (yes, the same as the Hallmark series!) and I buy everything she releases. Plus, Debbie is a professional friend and has guided me with her publishing wisdom. Her new book, IF NOT FOR YOU is set where I used to live–Portland, Oregon. This story is an uplifting and deliciously romantic tale with vibrant characters and a wide range of emotions. I think you’ll love it. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Kristan Higgins is another go-to author for me. I love all her stories, but particularly THE PERFECT MATCH set in a small town in upper New York. This one is both gut-wrenchingly emotional and hysterically funny at the same time. This one does include some mature content, but ranks low on the heat meter.  CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Sometimes I’m in the mood for a good beach read and Nancy Thayer is known as the “Queen of Beach Reads.” SECRETS IN SUMMER recently released and plays out on the shores of Nantucket, a place I’ve longed to visit for many years. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Maybe you’d like to spend some time in Texas and fall in love with a cowboy. My friend Debra Clopton is known for keeping readers coming back time and again for her sweet romances. HER TEXAS COWBOY is the first in her popular Mule Hollow series and you can try it for FREE!  CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

If you’re in the mood to settle in for a family saga set in the south, then take a look at Joshilyn Jackson‘s books. I’ve loved them all but A GROWN UP KIND OF PRETTY is one of my favorites. Redbook called this book a “valentine to families.” CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Of course, one of my all time favorite things to do in the summer is to travel to Sun Valley, Idaho. I’ll be going in a couple of weeks to spend some time doing book research and meeting with marketing people for the resort. My new releases are all set in this resort town nestled in the mountains. I hope you’ll check out the SUN VALLEY SERIES and the LOVE ON VACATION stories. If you read one of my novels and just want to chat about the stories with other readers, I invite you to check out a group on Facebook called the Gilbert Girls. We chat about books and life and just enjoy one another there. You are welcome to visit and join us.  CLICK HERE

If you haven’t read one of my new books yet, I urge you to check out the one that started it all SISTERS. You’ll meet Leigh Ann, Karyn and Joie and follow their journeys while taking an armchair vacation to Sun Valley. An author sitting by her pool in Texas slathered in sunscreen with a computer on her lap thanks you!!  CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

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