Autumn

by Author Diana McCollum 

There is no time like autumn. Colorful leaves dressing up the trees, pumpkins on front porches and decorations for Halloween gracing the front of homes in anticipation of trick or treaters.

I always decorate my porch. We live far from other homes so we're lucky if we get 4-6 trick or treaters. But that doesn't matter, I still love to decorate and it brings a smile to my face when I walk up to our front porch.

.

Sunrises seem to be more spectacular than other times of the year

We get more visits here from our neighbors, the turkeys.

Fuit on trees can still be found.

I can't forget the flowers of fall, one of my favorites is mums.

I hope you all enjoy autumn as we slide past Halloween and Thanksgiving and into winter.

What is your favorite thing about autumn?

(All pictures taken by Diana McCollum-in and around Paradise, CA)

All Things Pumpkin and Fall…And Romance .......... by Delsora Lowe

Romance novels and films have been maligned or mocked as being frilly and frivolous and feeding a false narrative on life.

Hello! Why do you think romance novels are the highest selling category of book than any other genre—fiction or non-fiction? We all want to dream about a wonderful and loving life. And, no, romance novels are not based on a false narrative. But yes, the entire genre is meant to boost hope for a feel-good future; however that is defined by the reader.

Watching “seasonal” – as in any season – Hallmark movies, or Lifetime Christmas movies, or reading a seasonal book by one of many best-selling, or newly discovered, romance authors, is a guaranteed FEEL-GOOD.

In fact, a book will not be classified as a romance without a Happily-Ever-After ending, or a Happily-For-Now ending—which infers a Happily-Ever-After beyond the end of the book.

So, what does this have to do with pumpkins, you ask? In my mind… romance. Fall-themed romance books and movies. Turn on Hallmark and you will be accosted by pumpkins, colorful leaves, actors in sweaters, and participating in fall activities, despite the fact they film these movies in the heat of summer.

I love the fall season. The air is crisp — allowing for the comfort of a sweater to snuggle into. The leaves change from vibrant green to a medley of colors, depending on the type of tree. The flowers are sturdier and have deeper, richer colors, than the dainty pastels of spring. The pale sky blue of summer turns into a deeper blue before darkening to a vibrant azure in late fall and winter. The shadows lengthen as the sun drops below the horizon earlier each day. Even the nights seem darker and brighter with brilliant stars and distinct constellations. And pumpkins abound, with their beautiful and happy orange color.

But I digress. Back to books.

I scour new book listings that will embrace the fall season—their covers resplendent with colorful leaves, crisp, blue skies, and the promise of cooler temps. That means we can bring out our favorite cozy sweaters, and brew fun hot liquids. Do you know how many ways you can doctor a simple cup of hot cocoa, especially when you add spices associated with fall? Ever try the combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne in a cup of coco? Heavenly—with a subtle hint of heat to add to the warmth of the liquid.

As a romance novel enthusiast, I am also a romance movie fanatic. My dear friend and I critique every movie, as we watch and compare notes. Then we Google “Stream It or Skip It” to see if our take on the movie matches the “expert” reviewer. You would be amazed how many times, we “nail” the gist of what the reviewer says.

Extreme fandom? You bet! But I prefer to call the activity of watching romance movies “a must-research” for writers of romance. And…I’ll let you in on a little secret…ever since I saw my first Hallmark movie, back when I was in Junior High—a LONG time ago—when the movies only came out three or four times a year, I dreamed of having a Hallmark movie made from one of my books. Not that I ever thought of actually writing one at that age. 

Full disclosure—I still dream that dream. Only now, I’m actually writing romance novels. And if I’m honest, in the back of my head sits that little—okay—gigantic dream egging me on.

Another way of researching romances is through reading. I religiously buy Woman’s World every week. Although, I used to be a caterer and restaurant cook, so I do love their recipes, I still flip toward the back of the magazine first. You know why? The 5-minute romance! I’ve even sold 4 stories to the magazine since my first in 2010. And right now, I am madly editing for the umpteenth time two stories, one for Christmas and one for New Year’s Eve. I just sent in a Thanksgiving story. It’s a tough market, but with all the almost sixty shorts I have written over the years, I am now assembling an anthology. So, eventually those stories will get a home.

November 2018 - "Bright New Beginnings" - My Story
About Organizing the Local Thanksgiving Parade

But I digress. What does my love of romance movies have to do with fall and pumpkins, besides a plethora of pumpkins in the movies at this time of year? Not much, except my writing is in full, fall-themed mode. And my tastebuds are clamoring to tell the “artistic” part of my brain that it’s time to cook my favorite pumpkin or squash enhanced recipes.

So, let’s talk food! Pumpkins, in particular. I am immersed in reading fall-themed romance books and watching movies that seem to have plenty of pumpkins. And…I am buying ingredients to make my favorite fall soups that include winter-type squashes or pumpkins. And who doesn’t love to sip a fall-flavored and pumpkin-spiced hot tea on a crisp fall day. Or, in my case, as I write this and stare out my window, a typical fall day filled with skittering white clouds in a bright blue and sunny sky, followed by graying clouds and intermediate spits of rain. A great day for fall-flavored soup and tea.

Yes, folks…Fall is here, and the pumpkins are piled up in front of the local grocery store. Enjoy the season!

 

What do you like about pumpkins?

Do you enjoy pumpkin-flavored

 food and drinks? Or are there other foods, drinks,

 and scenery that remind you of fall?

Do you like reading romances set in the fall?

 

 

The Rancher Needs a Wife

Amazon (also in print)

Books2Read

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) were released in late fall 2022. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, in 2025.

Social Media Links:
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Image Link Credit: 
Photos: taken by blog author  
TV: https://clipart-library.com/1950s-tv-cliparts.html  
Dancing Couple: 
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The Joy of Autumn

Autumn. A time of soups, pumpkins, Halloween and leaves changing. A beautiful and welcomed time of year.

Enjoy these pictures and I'm wishing you all a joyful autumn.

I make soups all winter long out of our pumpkins.

Fun and games at Halloween time!

Get out and enjoy the fall weather and the gorgeous changing leaves! It's good for the soul.

My front porch. I love decorating for Halloween, even though we don't get trick or treaters.

The contrast of yellow leaves and blue sky is so pretty.

My mums.

The other side of my porch with my witches broom hung up.

Always fun to go to the farm for pumkins too. Love the animals there.

Our deck off the bedroom. Enjoying a mocktail with the vampire pig.

Have a wonderful autumn and Happy Halloween everyone!

What I Look Forward to As I Age ... by Delsora Lowe

It’s finally September! My favorite time of the year is fall, despite the fact that soon cold weather will descend and with it snow and ice and… Well, you get the picture. I’d much rather enjoy warm sunny days that cool off at night.

I’d rather enjoy colorful leaves and fall flowers and harvesting vegetables and picking apples.

And, my birthday is in the fall, reminding me what one year older can bring. I remember teen years when I couldn’t wait to go away to college, not realizing how fast time flies, the older you get.

I remember summers, when I juggled several jobs while raising kids. I couldn’t wait for autumn to arrive so the kids, now old enough, would be back in school all day, so I wasn’t running from job to nursery school to pick up kids, dropping them at the sitter and back to job number two.

Now, I look back and realize how much I missed as my children grew up way too fast. But now I have grandchildren who are doing the same. One is looking at colleges. The other two sophomores in high school. All busy falling into young love, working hard at studies, and excelling at various sports teams. Of course, they are excelling. They are MY grandsons.

Oldest Grandson - now 17 - My Dad's 90th Birthday - 2009

It seems like yesterday, they were lying on the floor, playing with tiny cars and making zoom, zoom, zoom sounds, learning to count to one-hundred, and excited when they got to nibble on favorite snacks—my youngest grandson loving chunks of cucumber and olives with the holes where the pits were. He would put an olive on each fingertip and methodically eat each olive, one by one. Or the special events like coloring Easter eggs at Grammy’s table. Now they are self-sufficient.

To me, those memories of my own days in high school and college seem so far away, yet just like yesterday.

So, what do I look forward to as I age?

Top of the list? Not feeling as though I am aging. Also…keeping busy, communicating with others, not isolating, learning new things.

This is where writing comes in, as I can accomplish all of the above through writing.

Learning and Hanging with Writer Friends Through Zoom

I belong to four virtual writing groups in Maine, Rhode Island, New England, and New Jersey. Each group of romance writers meets monthly. It used to be in person. Now it is through ZOOM. The cons, I miss seeing my writer friends in person, but there are times in a year, when we meet up at writing conferences. The pros are without ZOOM, I would only see my writer friends once a year at the aforementioned conferences. Now, I see them and hear their voices and have actual conversations monthly. Sure, we don’t get to hug each other or gather around a table and enjoy a cocktail and chatter. There is nothing that compares to face-to-face.

A few years ago, after retiring, I joined a local organization that has programming for both teens and those of us over 55. The organization has a group named Write on Writers. We have anywhere from fifteen to twenty-five who attend weekly. Each of us writes a 5-minute or less piece, whether fiction, non-fiction, or verse of some sort. We then read aloud our work at each session. And we can submit our work to appear in the monthly organization newsletter that gets distributed around town.

The fun of this group is that I get to try different types of writing, than my normal romance novel writing. And every now and then, I will write a 5-minute romance story and submit for publication
. But I can also read those at my local group. And now, I have over sixty 5-minute romances I have written since 2010. Those I am editing and expanding to collect into a short romance anthology...SOMEDAY!

So, what do I look forward to as I age. Meeting weekly with my writing group. Continuing to write both short stories and longer works to release as books, hanging with my grandchildren and trying to figure out a way to stop their growth and aging so I can keep them close forever.

Okay – if anyone has ideas on how to do just that, let me know. Because, if they don’t age, neither will I!

Oh, as you can see, in spite of the slowing down and the need to nap I’m also trying to figure out how I can live forever, because right now, I’m having a ton of fun with this aging business.

No matter our age, we all continue to age on a daily basis. What words of wisdom can you impart when you think about what you have learned over a lifetime?

Amazon (also in print)

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Left-Behind-Hartford-Estate-ebook/dp/B08L5N5DS9/

Books2Read   books2read.com/u/mglVqK

 

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in late 2024 or early 2025.

 

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe 
Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/ 

Photo Credits:
Delsora Lowe

Shopping: A Blast or Dreaded? … by Delsora Lowe

I’ll start off by saying, in general, I do not enjoy shopping. As a teen, I loved wondering stores with my friends to dream about new outfits. I had a clothing allowance, so I had to be frugal. That meant sewing many of my outfits. But truthfully, I can’t remember a most hated experience while shopping. Unless you want to count the day I was pickpocketed, as a teen, while shopping for fabric to make an outfit. I still had fun, since I loved envisioning new outfits and matching a pattern to new fabrics. And, I didn’t realize someone had stolen from me until I got home. As an adult, I avoid at all costs shopping just for fun. And now when I shop, lesson learned: I clutch my purse tight in front of me.

Having said that, I do love shopping for anything to do with food. This is where I differ from most people I know, who HATE grocery shopping. Maybe loving to shop for food is because I used to work food service, where besides hostessing and waitressing, I also cooked in restaurants, in a fraternity, and as a caterer. Shopping for food means that I am bringing to life my creative recipe ideas.

Some of my favorite scenes in a Hallmark-type movie are watching a couple wander and meet at a farmer’s market. Or bumping into each other in the produce aisle reaching for the same, small cabbage that will feed one instead of a huge family. Or their hands touching over the last bunch of asparagus. But I digress, as my imagination of romantic food-related encounters crowd my mind.

My local Farmer's Market on a grassy mall in the middle of downtown

As I was saying, going to the grocery store is an adventure. My list consists of meat, seafood, veggies, bread, fruit, etc. And by that, I mean I literally write those words on my list. Because I never know what seasonal vegetable may inspire a recipe idea. Or which items at the seafood or meat counter may catch my eye and inspire dinner for that night, or lunch for tomorrow.

Love the variety of vegetables, jams, bread, meats, seafood at my local farmers market.

For that very reason, I also love going to the farmer’s market. I usually go on the early side and spend time gazing at the colorful displays of ripe red tomatoes, or dark leafy bunches of kale. I conjure up a recipe using green tomatoes, besides the usual fried green (which are delicious.) I perfuse the variety of lettuce or potato or colorful vegetables, some I have never tried before. I usually ask the farmer ideas on use, and then research the vegetable for more ideas, once I arrive home.

I feel about farmer’s markets as others feel about yard sales—discovering a prize to add to my cooking repertoire. Also, people tend to talk to each other at a food market, versus in other shopping arenas.

“The melons are so juicy this time of year.”

“Don’t those scallops look delicious, and on sale too!”

“How do you usually cook that cut of meat?” Or “I love that cut of meat. I have a great recipe for…”

“Have you tried this new flavor of the goat’s milk yogurt? It’s my new favorite.”

I love going to the farmer’s market in the fall, when the crowds of tourists have headed home, and the newly arrived students who walk from the college blocks away are discovering the magic of a farmer’s market. Bunches of fall flowers are for sale. Jellies and jams from the summer bounty of berries and fruits appear. This time of year, just as early spring does, affords me the opportunity to chat with the farmers without holding up the line. Ask questions about their product. Learn tidbits about farming. And enjoy the crisp fall air—my favorite season of the year.

Do you love or hate shopping for food? And why? There are no wrong answers. And I won’t judge if you hate the kind of shopping I love!

Check out a Fall Wedding: The Love Left Behind

Amazon

Books2Read

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.

Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, and the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) were released in late fall 2022. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, in 2024.

 

Social Media Links:

Author website: www.delsoralowe.com

Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/

Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe

BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe

Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/

Photos and Clip Art:

Yard Sale: Free Garage Sale Images, Download Free Garage Sale Images png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (cli: part-library.com) 
Fall and Farmers Market: photos by blog author  
Fabric Shopping: Free Fabric Cliparts, Download Free Fabric Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)

Snow or sand? Give me another option, please.

Snow or sand? I’ll take a bit of either. But to be honest, my favourite time of year is autumn. My birthday is at the start of the season, as is a son, and a brother, and my hubby, and numerous cousins. As a kid, I got ridiculously excited about the new scribblers (what us NS kids called notebooks), pens, and the new box of crayons or coloured pencils at the start of the school year. Exciting too was the new teacher and classmates, though occasionally I’d worry about who I’d be sitting next to in the classroom. As a parent, I got ridiculously excited about the return to a routine after a summer of mayhem. 

I like autumn best for the relief from hot humid days. The leaves change colour to a kaleidoscope of red, orange, and yellow, and the ferns on the forest floor become a glorious russet. Apples are in abundance as are a vast array of squash.

But to be honest, and honesty is the best policy, my main reason for liking the last quarter of the year is because it’s the start of a baking marathon that doesn’t let up until well after the New Year. All those freshly harvested apples need to be transformed into pies and dumplings and cakes. And, okay, the elephant in the room, pumpkin spice rears its head. I’m not a fan of pumpkin spice in any sort of beverage, not even beer <gasp>. But I love good old-fashioned pumpkin pie, and pumpkin muffins with a buttery streusel topping, yum! 

My favourite autumn recipe is frosted pumpkin cookies. An easy drop cookie, these soft pillows of pumpkin spice perfection topped with creamy vanilla frosting will fill your house with the scents of autumn. Who cares if it’s 90 degrees F in the shade!

Frosted Pumpkin Cookies

Adapted from AllRecipes.com

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon table salt

½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

1 ½ cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

3 cups confectioner’s sugar

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

4 tablespoons milk or blend (half & half), plus more as needed

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, and salt.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl using a hand mixer), cream butter until fluffy and lightened in colour. Blend in white sugar and beat until smooth. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and beat until creamy. (It will appear curdled.) On low speed, mix in dry ingredients just until fully blended. Drop on parchment-lined cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls (I use a cookie scoop), spacing about an inch apart.

Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the bottom of the cookies are just beginning to darken. Cool on pan for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the frosting: Combine confectioner’s sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl using a hand mixer) and mix on low speed until blended. Add milk or blend (half & half) 1 tablespoon at a time. Mix in 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, continue adding milk or blend a teaspoon at a time until desired spreading consistency. Spread approx. 1 tablespoon frosting on top of each cookie.

 Try not to eat too many at one sitting – only your conscience will dictate what “too many” is.

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing many flavours of romance. When not torturing her characters, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and three hens. 

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads 

Look but don’t touch …

Things that go bump in the night? It might be you dropping dead if you’re not careful with your foraging. Or if you sample mushroom ragout cooked by your enemy. 

I love this time of year for the fresh apples, the crisp days, and the colourful fungi peppering the forest floor, like these that I found on a recent camping trip. But sometimes those mushrooms and toadstools, if eaten, have ugly consequences. If you’re in the mood for mushrooms, purchase from the grocery store or market. I repeat, DO NOT EAT! unless you are a mycologist (fungus expert).

Craterellus ignicolor, Flame chanterelle, is considered edible, though it’s found to be quite bland. When dried, they’re used as a pale yellow dye for textiles and paper.

Russula xerampelina, Shellfish-scented russula. Mm … doesn’t that sound yummy? I confess I didn’t give it a sniff and am quite glad. Considered edible, and indeed prized by some, I’d give this a miss due to the fishiness that lingers during and after cooking.

Hygrocybe Cantharellus, Goblet waxcap. Here’s another that is edible but bland, also insubstantial. Not worth the bother. Best to leave them to decorate the forest.

Ganoderma tsugae, Hemlock varnish shelf. This beauty grows on diseased or fallen hemlock trees, appears to be varnished, and resembles a shelf. Was someone lacking imagination when they came up with that common name? Though non-poisonous, they’re considered inedible because of their tough, woody texture. A tea can be made from the lips of the shelf and may have medicinal properties, but this is unproven and disputed.

Clavulinopsis fusiformis, Golden spindles, or an even better name in my opinion, spindle-shaped fairy club. As you might guess based on its appearance it’s a species of coral fungus. Though non-poisonous, it’s been described as both edible and inedible. Hm … I don’t much like that ambiguity. Although, it’s commonly eaten in Nepal, so … when in Nepal???

Finally, if someone offers you an omelet containing Amanita flavorubens, Yellow American blusher, run for the hills. While a few of the Amanita species are edible, they are so similar in appearance to poisonous species that it’s advised to just steer clear. There are about six-hundred species of Amanita, many of which grow amongst the mighty hemlock trees. Many are inedible, some are poisonous, and others are deadly poisonous, the most toxic mushrooms in the world and responsible for ninety-five percent of mushroom related fatalities. The inedible species include ringless panther and false death cap. Poisonous examples are known as fly agaric and panther cap. And the ones to stay far away from, the deadly poisonous species, are destroying angel (I think the clue is in the name, don’t you?), fool’s mushroom (you’re not only a fool but a dead fool), and death cap (no ambiguity with that name!). 

Toadstools might be pretty to look at and make the perfect backdrop for a tale about fairies but are best left untouched. 

Now, I’ve got some yummy stuffed mushrooms just out of the oven … who wants one?

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy contemporary romance, romantic suspense, paranormal romance, and historical romance. When not torturing her heroes and heroines, she’s in her kitchen baking something delicious. She lives in Nova Scotia with her patient husband and five hens. 

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads