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by Kimberly A. Cook            (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

An author talked about how most of the writers she knew had some type of hobby where they made things. She felt even though writers have all this creativity streaming onto paper and keyboard, we still needed a way to be physically creative.

Besides hoarding, er collecting, books and shoes and fabric and yarn, my preferred hobby is jewelry making. Started at age ten, the same age when I knew I was a writer. Being the packrat, I still have most of my jewelry treasures and continue to add to the collection.

An unexpected surprise occurred last week that made we wonder what treasures we all have and overlook so easily. A work colleague recently lost her grandmother and sister-in-law. She met with her family to divide things up, sort memories so to speak. They both had jewelry. She asked if there might be anything I would be interested in. “If you have leftovers, I will give them a good home,” I said.

The next week she arrived with two bags of jewelry and this fabulous jewelry box for me to take home and add to the collection. I was stunned. Not only is the jewelry box adorable, I’ve never seen one like this before, but I was touched to know she felt I would give her grandmother’s special treasure box loving care.

When I thought about it, I realized my jewelry collection contains beads from my editor Cindy’s mother, my friend Joann’s mother, my brother-in-law’s mother’s button collection, my grandmother’s jewelry, and my mother has given me rings she can no longer wear.

Each piece of jewelry is an intimate possession from another person’s life. When I started collecting jars of broken jewelry at Goodwill at age ten, somehow I knew those treasures needed a loving home. Perhaps that is one reason I’m a writer who collects and tells veteran’s stories too, so they have a new home and sparkle for all who want to read the tales.

Never underestimate the power of an unexpected gift. Take the time to wonder about the types of stories you write and how you started to collect those tales. Perhaps all writers are treasure hunters of a different sort, always looking for gems in the rough. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, according to the song, but gathering and writing stories are the true gems in a writer’s life.

by Kimberly A. Cook                             (Twitter@ WarriorTales)

Yesterday in Portland, Oregon we broke a temperature record, 88 degrees! After two cold summers back to back courtesy of La Nina and the wettest March on record this year, its welcome. Since the amazing crop of moss was finally pried off my patio by the power washer, it seems like summer may actually arrive before July 28th this year.

The early morning dawn is always awake with possibilities and hope. When I looked out and saw one of my favorite roses opening a fresh bloom yesterday, I hurried outside to take a picture. It got me daydreaming about summer and summer reads.

The rose is near my favorite lawn swing and thoughts of curling up on a warm afternoon with a book made me consider making a top three reading list for this summer.

Perhaps I should make a short list of books with three specific goals in mind. Granted I am reading all the time, but I felt pondering this assignment would be a good brain exercise. So here are the three categories; one book on writing you have on a bookshelf but have never read, one epic fiction book you loved and will re-read and last but not least, a new book you have never read.

My list is still in the making, but there are some contenders. For epic fiction re-read it’s a toss-up between The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher and The Far Pavilions by M.M. Kaye. Never read craft books on my shelves could be either A Writer’s Coach by Jack Hart or Story by Robert McKee.  (There are a ton of writing books on my shelves, so give me a break if everybody but me have read these two.)

Brand new reads? Let me walk my fingers across the piles of books throughout my house. Rather like bon bons stored in the freezer, there are always new books to read in my home, in addition to the ebooks stacking up on my Nook.  So think about a simple summer book reading list of your own. What choices would be on your summer three list?