Summer Fun Reading!

Love my reading girls!

Danica Favorite here, and my kids just got out of school for the summer! Part of me is very excited because it will be fun having them home, and part of me is saying, "YIKES!!" It's amazing how quickly the kids decide they're bored, and since I work from home, they always seem to think it's my job to keep them occupied.

Well, I DO have ways to keep them occupied, and let's just say that there's the nice mommy way, and the mean mommy way. :) Part of the nice mommy way involves taking advantage of our local library's summer reading program. I love that they offer incentives for the kids to read. Some of the incentives include passes to fun activities for the summer, so I always encourage the kids to read enough to win. Not only does it keep them busy reading, but we also end up doing a lot of fun things. If there's a library near you, take a look and see what kind of summer programs they offer. Even if you don't have kids, you might find a fun adult reading program as well!

The other fun reading activity we do is that every year, we pick out a series to listen to on audio book. I don't know why, but it seems like we spend more time in the car during summer months than we do any other time of the year. So I like to find engaging stories to listen to while we drive. I'm not sure why we don't do it the rest of the year, since we can listen to audio books year-round, but it feels like a fun treat when it comes to summer and we get to visit the library for new things to listen to.

So what happens when we have to do things the mean mommy way? Mean mommy has a list of chores, and when they complain about being bored, they get to pick one. Yup, time to insert a sad face. Usually I just say, "do you have something to read, or do I need to find something for you to do?" I'm amazed at how quickly they think of something, anything, to do other than chores.

How do you keep your kids (or grandkids, or neighbor kids, or any child) occupied when boredom sets in?

Do you have fun summer audio book (suitable for 12 year olds-adults) recommendations? 

Answer one (or both!) questions for a chance to win your choice of either The Lawman's Redemption or Shotgun Marriage.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor

TAMARA LEIGH'S KEEPER SHELF: Fictionalized Non-Fiction

So many awesome reads, so little time. Among my favorite reads are what I call fictionalized non-fiction--specifically, history presented in a fun, interesting way. As you may or may not know, the middle ages is my favorite setting. And the 12th century... Sigh. So, no surprise that I adore Sharon Kay Penman's amazingly well-researched, beautifully-written fictionalized accounts of King Henry II and his sons. For a peek at what inspires my own writing, check out: When Christ and His Saints Slept, Time and Chance, Devil's Brood, Lionheart, and A King's Ransom.

Now if only Ms. Penman would continue the series with the life of that nasty-nasty King John.