I love summertime.  No, let me re-phrase.  I live for summertime.  I spent the first part of my childhood in the south before my parents packed up the station wagon and moved us to Cincinnati.  Summer is short and precious in the Queen City.  After publishing my latest book, The Ghosts of Wolf Island Creek, I made a decision.  I am taking a mental break.  I’m putting down my pen for the next two months.  I’m going to jog through the woods, I’m going to take weekend jaunts, and I’m going to read.  That’s right, I’m going to do the thing that I love most, the thing that made me want to become a writer.  I’m going to put down my Kindle (sorry Amazon) visit my old friend, the library, and I’m going to read late into the night, early in the morning, and on my lunch break.  Don’t get me wrong, my fingers are itching to start my next book.  I already have the setting in my head, I already know the conflict, and the characters are already introducing themselves to me.  What I need, though, is some time to just be.  I’m going to people watch and explore new towns and–oh, did I mention that I’m going to read?  Being a writer takes discipline.  You have to be committed to research, word count per day goals, and editing (blah!)  This summer, I’m going to find the discipline to NOT write.  It’s time to replenish my life experiences and seek inspiration.  Let the summer begin!