~ IN THE GOOD OL' SUMMERTIME ~







Summertime is a special time of year for me because, as a lunch lady, I'm off work! Or, at least my day job. It's a time when I feel like I finally am able to devote some good time to my writing. But, even though I am at home all summer, I still don't feel like there is enough time to do all of the things I want to do, read all of the books I have on writing and marketing, or the articles I've saved, or read my fellow authors' books. I did get two read this week though, so I'm quite pleased with that!





And one of the really fun activities I've enjoyed this summer is taking part in Buy the Book Tours' Feature Friday Summer Block Party Blog Hop! People have been sharing some great recipes, in fact, I'm trying one tomorrow, and I have added some fun summer facts to the mix. So, without further ado ~


In 1816, the northeastern United States experienced snow and cold weather throughout the summer. Scientists cited a volcanic eruption in Indonesia as the cause. We've had some very unusual weather here in the Midwest as well. Beautiful! Between the 70s and 80s. After a LOOOONG cold winter we'll take it!




                                                       

The frequency of a cricket's chirps fluctuates with the temperature. If you count a cricket's chirps for 15 seconds and add 37, you will have the approximate outdoor temperature (in Fahrenheit). Or you could just look it up on weather.com. In our family we like to think of the locust sound outside as the insects arguing. "No, I didn't." "Yes, you did." "No, I didn't." "Yes, you did..."

The Folies-Bergere theater in New York began offering air conditioning in the summer of 1911 to lure audiences in to watch films and cool off. Not a bad marketing ploy, huh?

Now that you are uber-educated on all things summer, make sure you hop on over to the other authors' blogs who are participating in Buy the Book Tours' Summer Block Party Blog Hop.

Thanks for joining me today! If you leave a comment below with your email address (so I know where to send the prize) you will be entered to win an e-copy of my summer release, DAMAGE DONE. Here's a blurb:



When an unhappy youth leaves him damaged,



will Teddy Mckee be able to find love?

“Teddy Passmore McKee was born in Cork, Ireland, with a limp and a chip on his shoulder that threw his balance off all the more.” When he falls in love with the dark haired beauty born of an Irish father and a Spanish mother, will Gabrielle Quinn be able to restore his balance? And what about the charming Sean Hennessey? When Gabby catches his eye, too, will Teddy’s playboy best friend cause his own damage?



Fourteen years later, will Teddy and Gabrielle’s son be able to overcome the damage done to him in his childhood?

“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.” But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past and learn how to love each other?



And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to create their own damage?

On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?







Now continue your summer fun by hopping over to these authors' blogs.


~ HOP INTO SOME SUMMERTIME FUN! ~






As a tour host for Buy the Book Tours I was invited to join in on their Feature Friday Block Party Blog Hop. Whoo! That's a mouthful! But it is a great idea, so join us for some fun in the sun! I'm going to continue to share some interesting summer facts with you. 



Feature Friday Block Party Blog Hop


I scream. You scream. We all scream, for ice cream, right? July is National Ice Cream Month. More Americans buy ice cream in July than any other month. Good on me! I love ice cream!


Summers spent throwing a Frisbee back and forth owe their game to a pie maker named Mr. Frisbie. In 1871, in the wake of the Civil War, William Russell Frisbie moved from Bridgeport, Connecticut to New Haven, where he was hired to manage a new bakery, a division of The Old Baking Company of New Haven. He soon bought the bakery, naming it the Frisbie Pie Company. When he died in 1903 his son Joseph P. Frisbie took over and manned the ovens until his death in 1940. In his time the company grew from six routes to two hundred and fifty. Shops were opened in Poughkeepsie, New York, and Providence, Rhode Island. By 1956 the company produced 80, 000 pies per day! There are two camps at Yale University that are staunch advocates for their particular theory of the origin of the Frisbee. They differ in one detail. One side believes that the Frisbee originated when Yale students tossed Frisbie's pies to each other, yelling "Frisbie!" as a warning; the other believes the moniker is derived frim Frisbie's sugar cookies instead! So there you have it! You now know what Frisbees and pies have in common! 

And one last fact to share with you. We all know the month of June is the most popular month for weddings. But do you know why? Romans began this summer wedding tradition as a tribute to Juno, the goddess of love and marriage. Well, that and the weather's usually very nice!

Thanks for joining me today! If you leave a comment below with your email address (so I know where to send the prize) you will be entered to win an e-copy of my summer release, DAMAGE DONE. Here's a blurb:



When an unhappy youth leaves him damaged, will Teddy Mckee be able to find love?

“Teddy Passmore McKee was born in Cork, Ireland, with a limp and a chip on his shoulder that threw his balance off all the more.” When he falls in love with the dark haired beauty born of an Irish father and a Spanish mother, will Gabrielle Quinn be able to restore his balance? And what about the charming Sean Hennessey? When Gabby catches his eye, too, will Teddy’s playboy best friend cause his own damage?



Fourteen years later, will Teddy and Gabrielle’s son be able to overcome the damage done to him in his childhood?

“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.” But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past and learn how to love each other?



And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to create their own damage?


On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?


Now continue your summer fun by hopping over to these authors' blogs.








Once again it is time for you to decide the outcome of a match between two characters! This week we have Animal from the Muppets vs. Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street. These two are pitted against each other in a no holds barred cage match. Who comes out on top?

To refresh your mind--->

Animal~>








vs.


Oscar the Grouch ~>






So now's your chance to show your puppet punch savvy. Who's the winner? And why? (Make sure you tell us why you think one of the contestants would win. That's the fun part!)



~ JOIN US FOR FABULOUS FRIDAY FACTS ABOUT THE GOOD OL' SUMMERTIME! ~












As a tour host for Buy the Book Tours I was invited to join this awesome blog hop! We're trying to recreate a summer block party atmosphere online, so, since it is also Fabulous Fact Friday, I thought I'd share some fun summer facts.



Feature Friday Block Party Blog Hop


So sit back and pour yourself some ice-cold lemonade and relax, because you deserve to. It's summer!Then enjoy these interesting facts about the season--->


I always thought that The Dog Days of Summer were those late hot days, after it has already cooled down and the weather turns summery for a few days. Or I thought people used that expression for the hottest days of the year, when the dogs only move to snap at bugs that are bothering them. But it actually refers to the time period between July 3rd and August 11th which are named after the Dog Star (Sirius) in the constellation of Canis Major. Ancient Romans and Greeks blamed Sirius for everything that happens in those late days of summer. From the extreme temperatures, to sickness and drought.


Mosquitoes, summer's worst pest, have been around for more than 30 million years. Scary, huh?

Watermelon is summer's most popular vegetable. That's right, vegetable! It is part of the cucumber, pumpkin, and squash family. The average American eats 15 pounds of watermelon a year. Our family has to be pulling those stats down because we rarely have it.They are made up of 92 percent water. Our bodies must desire them to offset the loss of fluids when sweating. 

Thank you for joining us and please come back for some more fabulous facts next Friday. If you leave a comment below with your email address (so that I know where to send your prize) you will be entered to win a copy of my summer release, DAMAGE DONE! 


Here's a blurb:



When an unhappy youth leaves him damaged, will Teddy Mckee be able to find love?

“Teddy Passmore McKee was born in Cork, Ireland, with a limp and a chip on his shoulder that threw his balance off all the more.” When he falls in love with the dark haired beauty born of an Irish father and a Spanish mother, will Gabrielle Quinn be able to restore his balance? And what about the charming Sean Hennessey? When Gabby catches his eye, too, will Teddy’s playboy best friend cause his own damage?



Fourteen years later, will Teddy and Gabrielle’s son be able to overcome the damage done to him in his childhood?

“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.” But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past and learn how to love each other?



And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to create their own damage?

On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?



Now join some other rocking authors on the Buy the Book Tours' Feature Friday Block Party Blog Hop and see what kind of summer time magic they have up their sleeves!