The Ides of March with Liv Rancourt

 How do you mark the passage of time? By the holidays? The garden? The solstices? Some other internal clock?

When I was a church choir geek, the Holy Days kept me on track. Beyond Christmas and Easter, smaller celebrations like Pentecost (school’s out!), Assumption (fall is right around the corner!), or All Saints Day (Halloween!!) grounded me in time. Every year had a rhythm, and even Ordinary Time – everything that wasn’t Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter – had a way of marking the seasons.

Most writers I know, at least the ones who self-publish, have it all turned around. I mean, if you want to release a Halloween story, you better start writing it in May. A holiday romance? That bad boy better be in edits by August. 

Writers know the unique pleasure of stranding their characters in a snowbound cabin while the outside temperature is somewhere over 80 degrees. (That’s 26 degrees for those of you who speak Celsius.) Writing a spooky ghost story that takes place in the darkest part of the year? Don’t look out the window because the azaleas are blooming. 

Though there is something to be said for writing a beach romance in February. You’re giving yourself a little mental vacation, even if you are snowed in.

In my own work, I gravitate toward stories that are set during the fall. Those long nights work well for my vampire characters. I live in Seattle, where the late November sun sets by 4:30pm. For me, there’s something incredibly peaceful in the way nature goes to sleep for the winter, even if it is dark and blustery.

And my vampires love it. (LOL)

As I look outside my office window, spring is definitely on its way. The cornelian cherry tree is covered with yellow blooms and the spirea is starting to send out its pretty orange leaves. Yet most of my garden is more about hope than beauty. Next month, though, y’all should come by, because the bulbs will be going crazy.

I don’t spend nearly as much time in church as I used to, though this year I did give up candy for Lent. (Much easier said than done!) I’m more likely to bake a King Cake for Mardi Gras than learn a new chant for Easter. Seasons change and so do people, you know? And since the book I’m currently editing is set in late October, I just have to conjure the cold and the dark from memory.

What about you? Are you currently visiting some sunny vacation spot for your characters’ benefit? I hope so…

Liv Rancourt is a multi-published author of gay and m/m romance. Because love is love, even with fangs. 

Liv is a huge fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy and loves history just as much, so her stories often feature vampires or magic or they’re set in the past…or all of the above. She also co-authors two m/m paranormal romance series with Irene Preston. Their partnership works because Liv is good at blowing things up and Irene is good at explaining why.

When Liv isn’t writing she takes care of tiny premature babies in the NICU. Her husband is a soul of patience, her kids are her pride and joy, and her dog Burnsie is endlessly entertaining.

Liv can be found on-line at all hours of the day and night at her website, on Facebook, or on Twitter. For sneak peeks and previews and other assorted freebies, go HERE to sign up for her mailing list or join the Facebook page she shares with her writing partner Irene Preston, After Hours with Liv & Irene. See you soon!

The Ides of March – What times of the year do you pay special attention to? by Lara Zielinsky

March is probably the time of year I’m most focused on. I look forward to it every year, usually

from the point of view of Spring Break. Of course I attended school, and that created the rhythm in my life, but I also worked several positions in schools and colleges, keeping up the rhythm in adulthood, and then parenting. As the days get longer and brighter, there’s a sense of more time. The spring equinox is right around March 20-21, too, and we usually go for a long weekend at the beach because the weather is so good.

I am super sun-centered and the longer days of March mean that it is bright enough most mornings to coincide with my morning writing session (7-8 am every morning) so I can take it outside to my deck. 

This time of year is also very inspirational for the romances that I write in my stories.

I find romances blossom right along with the flowers. When I was working in schools, the spring term was when the deans most often found the skipping kids kissing (and more) around the portables (or under them, that’s quite a story). It begins in February with St. Valentine’s Day and prom proposals. A lot of adults who did marriage proposals in February now start planning their June nuptials. They’re deciding on the shape their twined lives will take, where they’ll live, and imagining the possibilities. The commercial world—from wedding planners, to bridal shows, to home show and décor spreads in every magazine—obliges with advertisements that take advantage of their preoccupation. 

With all that going on in the world around me, this feels like the perfect time to be penning love stories. I’ve not only tended to start writing my stories and novels around March and April, but this has tended to be when I publish most often, too. Three of my four novels were released in March or April.

So, why isn’t my favorite time February, you might ask, like Valentine’s Day?

I think that if you love someone, it’s not really just once a year you should show your love, but in many small every day moments. My characters tend to share this slow-build concept of love, showing their growing feelings in small actions, which finally build to a “critical mass” and bubble over into the actual words. In my first novel, it took 90,000 words to get to the first kiss. The build-up had a lot of “let me help you with that” and “be safe on your way home” and “I’m glad to see you smile.”

So, join me in embracing March as the offbeat season for love. St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. Join me for a pint at the local pub and we’ll have a grand ol’ time, tellin’ stories ’til the lovers come home a’mornin’. (a blessing on my Irish grandmother)

Lara Zielinsky is a full-service fiction editor. Through LZEdits.com, she offers writing workshops, blogs about writing and editing, and provides developmental, copy/line, and proofreading services to independent authors. An award-winning author, she continues to write her own books, published by Acquitted Books (Supposed Crimes). Her website is larazbooks.com. 

Pick a day, any day ...

Here we are in the first full week of March and there are so many fun and exciting things to celebrate. For some reason, this is National Celery Month. My hubby will be excited. Me? Take it or leave it. Though I admit it adds a little something to an egg salad sandwich. 

More exciting for me, March is also National Peanut Month. Given the choice between celery and peanuts, I’ll take the latter any day. And I’ll enjoy the legume in either sweet foods like peanut butter cookies with or without chocolate chips, or savoury foods like Thai noodles with spicy peanut sauce.

When we delve into daily celebrations, well, sorry, but you missed National Pig Day on the 1st. Or maybe you didn’t miss it. I’d love to hear how you celebrated! We also missed If Pets Had Thumbs Day on the 3rd. I’m not sure how that would change the world, but I suspect it wouldn’t be good. However, as you’re reading this on the 7th, you’re just in time to celebrate National Cereal Day. It’s never too late in the day to enjoy a bowl of crispy, crunchy flakes of the grain of your choice. Cereal for supper is a thing. And you can certainly use a cereal grain in savoury cooking – beef and barley soup, anyone? Hm… I’m making myself hungry.

March 9th is Barbie Day. I still have my Barbie doll, in her special carrying case, with all her clothes, shoes, and accessories. My Barbie even had custom knitted outfits, thanks to my Grammy O. Perhaps I’ll celebrate by giving Barbie some fresh air, change her outfit, and relive some of the adventures we enjoyed. And I’ll cap off the day by honouring Popcorn Lover’s Day with a bowl of stove-top popcorn made by my hubby.

Huzzah! The 12th is when Daylight Savings begins at 2:00 a.m. I’m all for dropping the whole time change thing. It’s outlived its usefulness, in my opinion. 

All hail the mighty potato chip! March 14th is National Potato Chip Day!!! Whether you believe it was William Kitchiner of England in 1817, or George Crum (Speck) of New York in 1853, the inventor should be honoured with much rejoicing. And we should feast on potato chips all day. In fact, NOT eating potato chips should be illegal. I’m rather pedestrian in my potato chip flavours, preferring plain old plain or ripple-cut. With French onion dip (Particularly on March 23, National Chip & Dip Day. But one assumes any type of chip would do, not necessarily a potato chip.). Second choice is salt & vinegar. Third choice is a snack up here called Hickory Sticks, potato chips cut in thin strips with a salty, smoky flavour. Delicious!

My friend, let’s call her Jane, has a son-in-law who I’m sure will celebrate Extraterrestrial Abductions Day on the 20th. I’ll leave it to your imagination as to why.

But for the rest of us, the 20th is the first day of spring, or the Vernal Equinox, or Ostara, or however you want to celebrate longer, warmer days, dreams of picnics in the park, and planting the vegetable garden. 

Almost weekly, I make a trip to a nearby bulk foods store called, wait for it, Bulk Barn. And because I’m being such a good doobie about minimizing packaging (I take my own containers), I reward myself with one of my favourite treats to eat on the drive home. I’ll be sure to indulge myself a little bit extra on the 24th, National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.

And to round off the month, the 31st is World Backup Day. Holy, moly, if you backup your computer files only once a year, you are a gambler. Playing with fire. Poking the tiger. Putting all your eggs in one basket made of spider webs. 

Now excuse me while I search out a peanut recipe, add potato chips to the grocery list, and make a special treat for my hens on March 19th, National Poultry Day.

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

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

March, a time of change

 It's March already, how did that happen?!

In some parts of the world, it's springtime.

And in others, it's fall.

But everywhere, it's a time of change. Embrace the beauty of March!

Images for March by Lynn Lovegreen

 Welcome to March!

It’s a month for strong women, in literature and in real life. 

We can help our girls fight for their dreams.

And grow into strong women—as strong as some of us drink our coffee

Whether it’s fall or spring where you live, March is a good month for growth and change.

Go for it! Find your inspiration!

What are you planning to do in March?

 

Thanks to Pam Cowan for her help with the images.