I am an avid reader. Actually, we all are. The first thing we did when we found out that we were expecting our first child was go to the book store and buy children's books. They looked so funny sitting on the new oak bookshelf in the nursery, but it wasn't long before that bookshelf overflowed and a larger one took its place. A trip to town was never made without visiting a library or bookstore...or both. :)
My MIL was helping us pack to move one time and I told her that she could pack books. She packed all the books in one room and moved into another and I heard her exclaim, "More books!". That phrase was repeated several times. We have bookshelves in just about every room in the house. I'm known as the Book Aunt in our family - I give books for every occasion.
I have a Kindle that I love, but there is just nothing compared to a real book. I love well written books. A good story line. Sentences that are beautifully crafted. Words that have been thoughtfully chosen.
Really talented writers are rare. I shared this book
written by one of those talented writers, who also happens to be a friend,
here. Its a must read. Amy's writing will draw you in. She has an incredible talent for drawing beautiful pictures with her words. You can find her book
here or you can order an autographed copy directly from her website
here. She is the 2012 winner of the Willa Award which honors women authors who write about the West. I met Amy in 1998 at the Western Heritage Classic in Abilene and it was through her writing that I first became acquainted with her. She had written an article in Western Horseman that spoke to me and her writing still has that quality today. Many of you contacted me and said that you ordered a copy. I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did.
Today I have another recommendation and a giveaway. This is a collection of stories written by a veterinarian, Dr. Bo Brock. He lives and practices in Lamesa, Texas and its his clinic that DH and I took horses to a few months back.
This book is also what I was editing when I mentioned my second job. Dr. Bo has been writing for years and he shares many of his stories via his FB page. I had never met him., but when we made the trip with the horses, we kind of hit it off.
Dr. Michelle was tending to our horses and the horse barn was busy. I heard a familiar tune being whistled...one of my favorites: "If I Only Had a Brain" from the wizard of Oz. :) I glanced across the barn and saw that the notes were coming from a scrub wearing man, what I assumed was a Dr., crouched down, surveying a horses leg. When he stood up and turned to scrub his hands at the sink, I approached him and commended him on his song of choice. He looked up, surprised, and grinned, saying that no one ever recognized it and we began to visit.
As we later turned to lead the horses out of the barn, he approached us and told us goodbye and how he enjoyed meeting and visiting with us. Out of the blue, I piped up, "And whenever you get around to writing that book - holler at me - I'd love to edit it." It just came out. I never expected anything to come of it and as we drove away, I kicked myself for saying it and wondered what had come over me.
We settled up in the office and were about to pull out when he walked and asked for our email address and when we arrived back home, I had a note from him asking whether I was serious about editing his book. I let him know that I was not a professional editor, but just an avid fan of his stories and that I appreciated his talent for crafting a good story , but that evening I had a copy of his manuscript on my laptop and the fun began. Dr. Bo is a hoot. He is a weaver of good tales and has a talent for drawing you into his stories. His book is a fun, engaging read that will evoke laughter, tears, make you blush a little, as well as make you shake your head in utter amazement at the human race and the way their brains work...or more aptly... not work.
I spent a couple of weeks glued to the computer, reading, laughing, crying, editing, and making notes - all the while texting back and forth with Dr. Bo. He had asked me for feedback and to keep this under my hat as his family and friends did not know that he was having his stories published. Thus, the secrecy on my end. It was not easy. I didn't even tell our girl who often mentioned the things that he wrote. His name came up frequently in our circle of friends and at the sale barn as many folks from these parts haul their horses to him, but I was true to my word.
Truth be told, I'm sure he had 'real' editors from the publisher's tend to things, but he said he wanted an editor that spoke his language. I was honored and completely thrilled.
Then suddenly, his stories were in book form and he shipped a couple of boxes to me. I went to town and peddled them at the Farm Store, the Vet Supply Store, and the Sale Barn, and today I'm giving one away to you...well, one of you. :) All the books he sent me are sold and he's sending me more. I think they make great Christmas gifts.
Just leave me a comment, make sure I have a way of contacting you if you happen to be a non-reply blogger, and let me know if you would like to be entered in the giveaway.
Dr. Bo is not only a respected vet, and talented writer, but he is quick witted and clever in real life and I appreciate him giving me this opportunity. Our girl worked for him as an extern this summer ( the timing was a complete fluke as she contacted him a few days before we drove to Lamesa) and I told her to be very careful or she may end up in one of his stories! :)
I'll keep this open until Friday, August 15th and I'll draw the winner on Saturday.
