8 days until summer!

Rachel Ann Nunes (noon-esh) is the acclaimed best-selling author of more than thirty novels, including the Ariana and Huntington Family series, Fields of Home, Saving Madeline, and the Autumn Rain suspense novels. As a stay-at-home mother of seven, it isn’t easy to find time to write, but she’ll trade washing dishes or weeding the garden for an hour at the computer any day! Her only rule about writing is to never eat chocolate at the computer. “Since I love chocolate and writing,” she jokes, “my family might never see me again.”

Rachel has several upcoming novels, which you can read about on her website www.RachelAnnNunes.com. For more fun, join her on her blog, Rachel’s Ramblings, on Facebook: Rachel Ann Nunes, and on Twitter: @RachelAnnNunes.

LDSWBR: If you had an entire day to read (on the beach, at the lake, by the pool, etc.), what book(s) or genre would you reach for first?

RACHEL: Urban fantasy. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s basically contemporary novels where there is some sort of supernatural element in the story. It’s hard to find good ones that don’t have a lot of questionable junk, but there are a few good series available. I wish there were more. Sometimes I’ll read YA stories in the genre for this very reason, but I avoid anything that features kids in high school. Been there, done that, and it doesn’t interest me. I also enjoy regular women’s fiction and suspense.

LDSWBR: What book(s) do you look forward to reading the most this summer?

RACHEL: I am saving the fifth in the Kate Daniels series to read on my summer camping vacation. I’ve also been trying a few new authors in that same genre.

LDSWBR: What is your favorite outdoor cooking recipe? (Can be grill, campfire, Dutch oven, etc.)

RACHEL: My husband does all the outdoor cooking, and I like it that way. Even if I knew how to do any of it, I’d pretend I didn’t!

LDSWBR: How would you describe the perfect summer day?

RACHEL: For me the perfect summer day would be one where I get to sleep until eight or nine before working for a few hours on my current manuscript. None of the kids would interrupt me with complaints, fighting, or to solve their problems. They would all do their chores before they come ask if they can play video games. After a nice lunch, we’d all go to the pool for a little fun and exercise. Then I’d read a bit of a book until my seven-year-old (who never wants to quit) is ready to get out of the pool. We’d go in and shower. By that time my husband would be off work and would stop and get some chicken or something for dinner. After dinner, we’d all go out in the backyard and play a little soccer before roasting marshmallows for s’mores over our outdoor fire pit (which after two years would finally be completed). All the kids would be there, even the one who doesn’t live at home anymore. Then we’d go in and send the kids to their rooms to read (most likely) or sleep or whatever while my husband and I go for a walk or watch a little TV.

Wow, what a fantasy! In actuality, there might be a lot of days where some of this happens—for instance, we swim almost every day in the summer—but all these things in one day. Ha! We really might finish the fire pit soon, though . . .

LDSWBR: Thank you, Rachel. Have a great summer!

Shades of Gray by Rachel Ann Nunes (Shadow Mountain; May 2011) is available for purchase from Amazon.

Fire pits are really popular right now. Do you have a fire pit in your back yard? If not, do you have plans to build or buy one?

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***Countdown to Summer 2011 Contest***

LDSWBR will hold a drawing on June 25, 2011 for a $50 Amazon gift card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors featured in the Countdown. This will be a raffle-type drawing, so more entries means more chances to win. There are several ways to enter the Countdown to Summer 2011 contest. See details below.

Book prizes generously donated by the authors:

• The Upside of Down by Rebecca Talley

• Gifted by Karey White

• Bumpy Landings by Donald J. Carey

• Captive Heart by Michele Paige Holmes

• The Perfect Fit by  Michele Ashman Bell

• River Whispers by Kathi Oram Perterson

• Hazzardous Universe by Julie Wright & Kevin Wasden

• Hearts Through Time by Marie Higgins

• Double Deceit by Stephanie Humphreys

• The List by Melanie Jacobson

• The Forgotten Locket by Lisa Mangum

• The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden

• Blackberry Crumble by Josi S. Kilpack

• **Bonus Prize** An autographed copy of BLOODBORNE by Gregg Luke (released August 2011)

Do ANY of the following to enter:

• Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Summer 2011 author posts. Comments can be added on any of the author posts anytime during the contest period (June 1, 2011 through June 24, 2011). Only one comment per person per Countdown to Summer author post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.

• Send LDSWBR an email to ldswbr AT gmail DOT com telling us which of the following you have completed. If you already do these things, email us and let us know. Each item gets you 1 entry.

1. Follow LDS Women’s Book Review on Facebook
2. Follow @LDSWBR on Twitter
3. Subscribe to LDSWBR by email (see top right sidebar on website)
4. Follow LDSWBR with Google Friend Connect (right sidebar beneath “Follow LDSWBR”)

• On each Countdown to Summer author post, leave a comment telling us which of the following you completed or already do. Each item gets you 1 entry.

1. Follow the author’s blog (if they have one)
2. Follow the author on Twitter (if they tweet)
3. Follow the author on Facebook (if they have a Facebook page)

• Tweet this message each day. One entry per day. Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it (LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet): LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw @ldswbr

• Blog about this contest on your blog then send us the link to your specific blog post. You can find the Countdown graphic badge/button to include in your blog post here. (5 entries)

• Post the following on your Facebook page (3 entries) then send us an email (ldswbr AT gmail DOT com) telling us that you did: LDSWBR Countdown to Summer 2011 – Enter to win a $50 Amazon gift card & great summer reads! http://bit.ly/kZ5jXw

Here are the rules:

• Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MDT on June 24, 2011.
• Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MDT on July 2, 2011 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
• Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
• LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.

Let’s keep counting down to summer with some great reads!