Texans are known for their incredible taste in food, whether it’s BBQ, Tex-Mex, or just plain Southern they know how to make your mouth happy. That said, there are some things that come across to Texans as just plain wrong when it comes to food: Calling queso cheese dip. This is America people, use the language of native Texans: Queso. It’s Spanish for cheese, and English for the ‘Nectar of the heavens.’  The only time you will hear a Texan saying ‘cheese’ and ‘dip’ in the same sentence is if they have come out with a new kind of cheddar flavored tobacco. (Fun fact: If you add enough jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions to your queso, it becomes a vegetable.) Asking if it’s cilantro or parsley in the checkout line. Many Texans have noticed that the second they step out of their beloved state’s borders there is a lack of understanding about the differences between cilantro (Not pronounced SEE-LAWN-TROGH) and parsley. If it has hints of a soap-like fragrance and you have the sudden urge to throw it in queso, it’s cilantro. If you really want to make a Texan confused, refer to cilantro as ‘coriander leaves’, they will politely correct you with their southern charm. […]

Thanks to everyone who has been reading The Simple Soul of Susan (SSS) and reviewing! I get a lot of questions from reviewers and readers about the book and wanted to answer them here on the blog. Here are some of the most frequently asked ones: “Is this really your first book? I’m having a hard time believing it!” Yes, it is! I wrote it when I was homesick for Texas. It helped me remember all the things I love about Texas and eased my homesickness a bit. One of the reasons I decided to follow through with publishing it was so that I could always take a bit of home with me wherever I ended up. “Who published this? It is very well written and put together beautifully.” This is a self-published book. I had two incredible editors who made this a possibility. Julia Roller was my main editor and over the course of six months, she essentially helped me rewrite it twice… talk about passion and dedication! She is also an accomplished author and has some fantastic writings out, one of them being Mom Seeks God which I recommend checking out! Lee Ann A. was my copy-editor. Besides working for NASA before […]

Subscribe today and receive the first chapter of the Simple Soul of Susan delivered to your inbox! Susan Combs had long ago found the love of her life. The only problem was the other party still didn’t know he had been found. Every day Susan saw Calder Hurtz, her next door neighbor and childhood best friend. They always enjoyed the short drive to school down the dusty streets of their small Texas town. She was happy in those perfect moments, for her life at home was most imperfect. The challenging homestead she inhabited was also the favorite subject of local gossip. But one autumn day she overhears Calder and another boy having a conversation. This occasion of accidental audience sets Susan’s life on an unforeseen path. In the seasons to come, her future will be changed by two hospitalizations, two confessions of love, and one betrayal. Compulsively readable, The Simple Soul of Susan is an engaging, soul-endearing romance and a mesmerizing debut.