July's Author Spotlight

Another first for the ladies at A Thousand Lives Reviews.

We would like to introduce our very first Author Spotlight. Each month we will feature a spotlight on one chosen author. You'll learn 25 quirky, funny, interesting facts about them that you may not have known! To kick off this extravaganza is beautiful and talented Brooke Cumberland!

1. I'm a Sagittarius 

2. My dad used to celebrate my half birthday up until I was 18 since my birthday is 10 days before Christmas. He always let me pick out a present on June 15th.

3. I have a serious chips & dips addiction. 

4. I'm a workaholic. During high school and college, I'd have between 1-3 jobs at a time. Now that I'm considered self-employed, I work every single day. Either I'm writing or networking. 

5. I hate shoes. I go bare foot as much as I can. I wear flip flops until there's snow on the ground.

6. There's been 2 incidents over the past 2 1/2 years that have molded me into who I am now. My husband lost his leg in a motorcycle accident & 8 months prior to that, our daughter got sick with bacterial meningitis at only a month old. I nearly lost two of the most important people to me in a matter of months. It truly gave me perspective on life and how important it is to be true to myself. I have become my husband's full-time caregiver, a full-time mom, a full-time cook, a housekeeper, and driver. I have to play many roles at once. On top of it all, I was going to grad school full time. I've achieved many things in my short 25 years of life, but one thing that is my biggest achievement is staying loyal to my family. They will always be #1. 

7. My husband and I have a tradition each week we call "Pizza Thursdays." We watch The Big Bang Theory and order in.

8. I rarely keep a tidy house. I use to be very OCD about dishes being kept up, laundry done and put away, things picked up...yeah, well then I had a baby and now that baby is 2 1/2 and destroys everything she touches. And now I prefer to be using that time writing anyway :)

9. Reality TV is my guilty pleasure... Keeping Up with the Kardashian's & The Bachelor(ette) are my two faves. 

10. I have at least seven boxes of cereal in my house at once. 

11. I'm very much a homebody. I love curling up in bed or on the couch and watching TV or movies. I don't like going out in large crowded places. I'm somewhat claustrophobic, so being out in huge crowds drives me crazy. However, it's something I'm working on for future signings. 

12. I don't like conflict - I really try not to get involved with all the drama, so if you don't hear from me that's why. I would rather just sit back and sip my glass of wine. 

13. I am a very independent and strong person. I don't like being told what to do or that I can't do something. I will only work to prove to myself that I can do something, and I like doing things my way. That doesn't mean I can't take orders or follow directions from someone else, it just means I can work very well alone. Taking online classes for graduate school has taught me time management and self-teaching, which is something I bring into my every day life.

14. I make my own deadlines on finishing my books even if I think I'm being too harsh. I work best under deadlines and under stress. Call me crazy, but it's how I got through college!

15. I am most comfortable in yoga pants and a t-shirt. 

16. I like to take charge. (just ask my husband). I like taking the lead and making sure things get done. This is something I've developed thru childhood. My dad raised me during my pre-adolescent years and up, making me the "woman" of the house to do mostly...everything. 

17. I need coffee in the morning to function. 

18. I'm a total night owl. 

19. I am very much a daddy's girl - yes, at 25 years old. However, my daughter has pretty much stolen his heart.

20. I don't have an office so I write a little bit of everywhere - in the kitchen, on the couch, or in bed. Hopefully some day I'll get that office... :)

21. My favorite course in college was Human Sexuality. 

22. Fifty Shades of Grey is the reason I started reading again. I was always so consumed in my textbooks, I never had time to read. During winter break last year, I decided to read the series. I finished in 6 days. After that, I read every single day. 

23. Mary Higgins Clark is one of my all time favorite authors. I read "Daddy's Girl" when I was only 13 or 14 and have been collecting her books ever since. I have totes of her books down in my basement and when I get my very own library some day, they will be shelved :)

24. My middle name is Leigh Ann. My mom had a C-section and was still under when the nurse asked my dad what my middle name was. Apparently my parents never discussed that and he picked one out. My mother later woke up and wasn't aware he even chose it. And according to my mother, it's spelled LeighAnn, however, my birth certificate says Leigh Ann. Seriously, parents, get it together. Who doesn't pick out a middle name beforehand? haha

25. I'm a Taylor Swift fan.