The Author Game: 15 Random Things About Me!

By Selane @SummerEllenLane

I don't always talk about myself here at Writing Belle. I like to use the magazine to spotlight other authors. But today, I'm playing a little "author game," if you will. Here are 15 random things about me that you probably never cared about knowing or need to know, but here I am. 

This post is purely for the validation of the fact that we writers are slightly odd. Just a tad weird. But we have lots of fun! 

15 Things About Summer Lane 

1. I snack. A lot. I work in an office (my own office), and I spend 90% of my time sitting at the computer, coming up with new ideas, flipping out publicity, interviewing people or writing novels. As a result, I find myself with a severe case of something called THE MUNCHIES. All. The. Time. I am very sensitive when it comes to food, however, so I can't just sit down and eat cookies all day. I'm gluten-intolerant so anything with bread is automatically OUT the window. I snack on apples, nutella, or apples AND nutella, potato chips, yogurt or dark chocolate with tea. LOTS of tea. I live on tea.

2. I use SnapChat. My poor fiance will tell you that yes, I indeed use SnapChat to break up the monotony of office work. The longer I spend sitting in my office chair, the weirder my SnapChats become. I have a myriad of friends who can attest to that. Say cheese!

3. I can't go outside without sunglasses. I have extremely sensitive eyes and I have to be careful about my exposure to sunlight. Too much sunshine on my eyes can equal a very bad headache or a throbbing eye socket (ouch!). I wear sunglasses even when it's rainy outside. My favorite pair of sunglasses are my RayBans. They're just so darn comfortable!

4. I love going Coldstone Creamery. I love ice cream. I can't eat a ton of it (because of my sensitivity thing), but when I can, I will go to Coldstone Creamery and get birthday cake ice cream, mix it with chocolate, and chow down. Another treat I love to have? Chocolate cream cheese cookies (gluten free). Yum.

5. I am a shameless sunbather. Despite my sensitive eyes, with a pair of sunglasses I can be outside all I want! From February to November, I am outside in the sunshine, soaking up the golden rays. I'm not excessive about it - I just go in the sun enough to get a nice glow and enjoy the heat. Which brings me to my next point...

6. I am a creature of the sun. I love being warm. I hate snow. I do not like being cold, and living in the warmth of the Central Valley of California is perfect for me. It doesn't start to get cold here until around November, and even then our lowest temperature is about 30 degrees (for a week or two). Right now it's March, and I have been lying in the backyard in my swimsuit, enjoying high 70s. I LOVE IT.

7. No veggies - just give me all the fruit. I adore fruit - all kinds. Peaches, nectarines, plums, oranges, apricots, watermelons, cherries...you get the idea. I can't get enough fruit. I realize that I SHOULD love veggies as much as I love fruit, but I'm sorry. I just can't. Fruit will always be my number one.

8. I'm secretly obsessed with Costco. I could live in Costco. I love the variety of food and the sheer bulk. It's just so cool. As soon as I get married in October, I'm getting a Costco card. I'll probably gain about a hundred pounds, too. Just saying.

9. My favorite meals are: Hawaiian pizza with white sauce, corn tamales, a tossed salad with ranch dressing, a juicy New York steak or a pork sirloin with garlic mashed potatoes. I love a good bacon-wrapped filet mignon, too.

10. I am addicted to buying bulletin boards. It won't be long until my entire wall is covered from floor to ceiling with cork. I keep track of my life by pinning it to these boards, and every year my collection continues to grow. I couldn't function without them, I tell you!

Mini me. The eternal reader.

11. I rarely watch television. Once a year (usually in the Fall), I end up trying out some new television show, courtesy of Netflix, and I get about one season into the show before I run out of time to keep watching. If I have free time, I'm either visiting with friends or reading a book. That's basically my life! 

12. My two favorite holidays are Independence Day and Thanksgiving. I love the 4th of July because it's in the dead of summer, which means pool parties, pizza and icy drinks. Thanksgiving is my other favorite holiday because I love the simplicity of families and friends getting together to eat a meal - no presents involved! 

13. When people ask me what's going on in my writing world, I always answer with something like, "I've written 11 books so far, with number 12 on the way!" And then I realize that it sounds like I'm expecting to give birth to a child. But you know what? It's really kind of accurate. Just saying. 

14. Wedding planning is terrifying to me. I mean, yes, it's really fun, but I want to confess fully and completely that when I was growing up, I never thought about getting married. I dreamed of writing books and owning publishing houses - getting married was not on my radar! I'm so thankful for the sweet guy I'm marrying this year. He walked into my life and, in that moment, changed it forever. I love him so much! Let me tell you: all of these wedding plans are intense, however. One more thing on my list and I'm thinking of eloping! 

Countdown until October 1st!

15. The fifteenth random fact about me is that I am an exceptionally good whistler. I can whistle pretty much any tune, any time. If there was an American Idol for Whistling, I'd probably audition. I mean, what talent! * wink, cough, eye roll *


So there you have it! 15 random facts about me, the author, Summer Lane. I hope your week is awesome. I've got some fun posts and giveaways coming up at the end of this week and all through April, so stay tuned! Also, just a few more weeks until Bravo: Apocalypse Mission releases!