Relax & Read: T.L. McCown

Website Update: I’ve combined Novels & My Poetry Collection pages. There is now a drop-down menu for their individual pages. I’m doing this for exciting reasons, and, if you want a hint, join my brand-new Facebook Author Page by clicking here. You’ll get the latest updates, and my current status has a surprise that isn’t on my website yet! I’m REALLY excited, so check it out, and you’ll get an advantage on other readers when I offer an upcoming competition ;]

P.s. I hit 4,000 followers Tuesday; thank you!

During Tuesday’s post, we–meaning Kansans–were buried beneath a blanket of snow (only four days after being buried before.)

Ever since I lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, snow hasn’t been that big of deal to me. However, here in the Midwest, we get more ice, and I HATE ice (especially driving in it. Fact of the day: In February, 2010, I totaled my first car by hitting black ice on a bridge.)

So what’s my favorite part about snow? Being snowed-in.

I love taking the extra time to snuggle up with my cat, Bogart, and  read–which reminded me of two memoirs I wanted to share with you all: Not only because it is beautifully written, but because of the importance of the topic, and how life-changing the author is.

T.L. McCown, author and instructor at Columbia College, is STILL the only author to write about the Saudi Royal Family from first-hand experience. Her two novels–Shifting Sands: Life in Arabia with a Saudi Princess & Creating Shamsiyah: Staging the Saudi Feminist Movement–are inspiring, challenging, and a vivid collection of culture in Saudi Arabia. These memoirs, as shocking as they can be to read, are essential if you’re searching for a memoir that truly (and honestly) faces the threat of terrorism while also embracing her love for the women in Saudi despite cultural and religious differences.

I cannot stress how much her novels have touched me, and I cannot respect T.L. McCown’s bravery enough, let alone her ability to share her story.

Visit her website here. (If you click the novel names above, you will be sent to the Amazon pages.)

~SAT

P.S. If you’ve read my Events page, then you know I had the AMAZING opportunity to meet and work with T.L. McCown in May, 2007. Seriously. She’s an angel. I couldn’t be more grateful to share my writing passion with such a successful (and passionate) author.