Holiday Reading: Part One .... Delsora Lowe

As you can probably tell, I love both reading and writing holiday romances. Here's the list of books that I started reading in October. I still have more on my list and will post those holiday reads in December. Feel free to recommend any holiday reads you love or wrote in the comments section, since I am sure I'll be adding to my list of reads. Because obviously, I'll still be reading holiday romances into the new year. And if you care to read any of my holiday books, you can find them on both Amazon and Books2Read.

Happy Holidays Reads!

 BOOKS READ:

The Matzah Ball – Jean Meltzer – September 2021 

            A Jewish author of Christmas romance books, hides her love of Christmas from her family. A second-chance book filled with secrets, family antics, and hilarity, plus some tender, romantic moments as the two get to know each other again.

Sweet Holiday Surprise – Cindy Kirk – Nov 1, 2023

            A sweet, Secret Santa, unrequited love story set in St. Louis, MO, a stand-alone book 8 of a series.

Merry & Bright Christmas – Megan Ryder – October 2023

            A second-chance holiday romance.

Kringle All the Way: A Dicken’s Holiday Romance – Judy Kentrus – November 2023

            A second-chance love and time for forgiveness after so many years, with kids enjoying the magic of a Dicken’s Christmas.

Once Upon a Christmas Kiss – Collection: Ciara Knight, Brenda Lowder, Susan Carlisle, Terra Weiss, Susan Sands, Christy Hayes – October 2023

Six romantic novellas about women who receive the gift of love over the holidays.

Heating Up the Cowboy’s Christmas (Rowdy Ranch Book 8) – Vicki Lewis Thompson – November 2023

            The matriarch of the Rowdy Ranch and anonymous western fiction writer finds her forever love.

Christmas Moon Over Holly Pointe – Cindy Kirk – November 2023

          Strangers meet after a flight to Mexico gets cancelled. Ride along as they wend their way north to New England and end up in Holly Pointe, VT for a Christmas to be all.

 A Christmas Reunion: A Tale From Blythe Cove Manor – Shirley Hailstock – November 20     

        Second chances in a delightful winter setting on Martha’s Vineyard – after all these years, can his attention be for real or does he want something she has? A quick read.  

                                                                                                            

The Christmas Gift – Raine English – October 2016

            A second chance, lost love, matchmaker story with puppies who are sure to show the way to love.

The Mistletoe Trap – Eve Pendle – December 2018 

            A second chance Regency, with some “naughty” embroidery and a misunderstanding in the bedroom leading to a forced marriage to spice things up and bring about a happily-ever-after.

The Cowboy’s Christmas Gift – Donna Alward – Nov 2023

            A former soldier now must take over his grandfather’s ranch, the last thing he wants to do. Meeting the ranch foreman, a woman from his past, might or might not make his new “job” easier.

Don’t Mess With Mistletoe: A Dicken’s Holiday Romance – Peggy Jaeger – November 2023

            Dorrit’s Diner in the tiny town of Dickens, Maine, never fails to entertain. This time the owner’s wayward son, the pilot, returns home for the holidays and takes over running the diner, so his mom can take time off. With a lot of surprises thrown in, one of Michael’s goals is to figure out the story around his mom’s new hire who lives in the apartment above the diner.

Carrigan Christmas Reunion – CJ Carmichael – April 2019

            A Christmas reunion with an old childhood crush as Wren struggles to help her family prepare for the holidays during a medical crisis.

CURRENTLY READING:

A Song for Christmas: A Dicken’s Holiday Romance – Lori DiAnni – November 2023

            A second-chance romance, with both heroine and hero have dreams and ambitions in music. Can they help each other realize their professional dreams and rekindle a lost love?

Chasing Holiday Tail: A Holiday Rom-Com Charity Anthology – Kameron Claire, Melonie Johnson, Tracery Pedersen, Amy Award, Dylann Crush, Christina Hovland, Hope Ellis, MK Meredith, Brenda St. John Brown, Sylvie Stewart, Arell Rivers, Stina Lindenblatt, Tawdra Kandle, Kilby Blades, Serena Bell – October 2023.

            If you love dogs and the shenanigans of their owners as they find true love, this is the book of short stories for you.

What are your favorite holiday books?

Or favorite topics or tropes for holiday reads?

My Latest Holiday Read

Amazon (also in print)

                  Barnes & Noble (also in print)

                    Apple Books (also in print)

                                      

~ 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/

Longer Days...? Or shorter...? by Delsora Lowe

The blog question for this month is whether I like winter or summer best? Do I look forward to the longest day of the year or the shortest day? Both have their positives. The longest day of the year can be sad, as it means the warmth wanes and the daylight dwindles earlier. And yet, I love fall weather and November nights with the stars vivid in clear, dark skies. And fall follows that longest day.

The shortest day means the following days will get longer, to give us more light each day. And flowers, dormant now, will soon blossom.

To choose one season over the other is impossible.

June is the month where my yard comes alive with color. The nights are still cool but the day’s air is warming up.

This year, our April showers bringing May flowers didn’t pan out. It seems the blooming flowers stayed on track, but the grass stayed brownish longer than usual. Who am I kidding? In the Northeast, where we used to get feet of snow with every storm, we had very little, and the grass had a bit of a green-brownish tinge all winter long.

The rain invaded June instead of March and April. Granted, we need the rain, so I can’t complain about cooler weather. Especially since my air conditioner is yet to be installed. The seasons continue to be mixed up these last few years.

But I do have to say, I love the longer days with more light. And I love the colorful landscape, compared to yellowed grass and no leaves, just stark brown trunks and limbs of late fall into early spring,

            

Yes, color is important to me.

Having said that, each season has its own color. In fall the leaves are bright until they are crumpled, dried up, and dull, as they decay on the ground.

But there is still beauty in those muted colors. As we move into November, the sky’s blue is more vivid, and at night, the constellations of Orion and the big and little dippers are easily identified.

In winter daylight, against the stark white snow, we see hints of color from plants now dormant. We also see magnificent sunsets and sunrises that color the sky with neon pinks, magenta, orange, or various shades of purple.

In spring, we anxiously await those first peeks of light green, as trees start to leaf out, and the first sprigs of grass shoot their way toward the sun. The tiny white blossoms of wild strawberries pop up among decaying oak leaves left from fall.

Then there is that first carpet of color as the dandelions show their bright yellow heads. I love dandelions.

My grandmother used to make wine, tea, and jelly from the flowers and sauteed the young greens for dinner. Dandelions have so many vitamins, and yet we neglect them—malign them. I welcome their sunny faces after the grays, browns, and whites of winter.

And spring and summer thunder storms, though scary and sometimes bringing hail with torrential rains, also show off vibrant double rainbows against coal black skies.

 What about you? Can you pick a favorite? Do you love the seasons of longer days? Or shorter days?

June is a month we associate with wedding season, as the weather is warmer, but not hot, and the landscape is lush with green and floral colors. And the early fall months can also be big wedding months when the weather turns cool and crisp.

Check out The Love Left Behind, a smalltown wedding romance set in Rhode Island, in a fictional town near the Atlantic Ocean and Newport.

Amazon

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

Books2Read   

books2read.com/u/mglVqK

Print Books by Delsora Lowe others available in e-book

~ 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. Her newest novella is The Love Left Behind. Look for both a Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) later this fall.

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:
Photos taken by the blog author.

Writing: A Blessing and A Burden!

 

Alyssa Maxwell

 We plan, and the gods laugh.

 It’s a saying most of us are familiar with and have come up against at various times in our lives. Usually, it’s over minor inconveniences. But for writers, or anyone who works according to their own terms and schedules, it’s a particularly vital concept. It’s not just about getting the work done. When considering a deadline, writers have to factor in time spent plotting and researching, marketing and promoting, but also things like illnesses, emergencies, and other unforeseen events.

 At those times, writing can be both a blessing and a burden. When life spun out of control for me and my family last summer, I spent weeks afterward numb and in a kind of suspended animation. Writing was out of the question. The words on the page didn’t even make sense to me. I had not one but two deadlines approaching, but the drive, creativity, and, most of all, the self-discipline to sit down and write were simply gone. There were times I didn’t think they could ever come back. And there were times when it just didn’t seem important to me anymore. But I needed that time away. It was necessary.

 Luckily for me, my publisher was extremely understanding and accommodating. One deadline was simply put off for another year, and the other extended by a few months. Yet the thought of going back to work loomed over me like impending doom. How would I ever find the concentration to string words together the way I wanted them—needed them—to be for the book I had initially intended to write?

 It was Murder at The Elms, the 11^th book in my Gilded Newport series, a series I started over ten years ago and which has become part of who I am, as a writer and an individual. Anyone who knows me understands the importance Newport has in my life. It was never just a setting, but has always run so much deeper, even long before I knew I would become a writer. So there could be no half-hearted attempt to finish this book, no spouting of words just to fill pages. I had to find a way to be present in the process—to care, to be both subjective and objective, and to be able to put into it the thing I had lost—my heart.

 I’ll tell you how I did it.

 First, I had to seriously ask myself if I wanted to continue to be a writer. Some days, I didn’t have an answer. But on the days when I did, I began, slowly, to turn my mind to the story I had started several months earlier. I allowed it back into my headspace, which also meant shoving aside, even for short periods of time, all those other thoughts that had come to crowd my brain. And I realized that, for those moments, it felt good to be back with my characters. I’m not talking about actively writing. That came a bit later, but just thinking about Emma Cross and the others, and about being in Newport, became a comfort.

 It was not without trepidation that I finally opened the file. At first I only read, starting on page one, to put myself back in the story. Then, finally, I’d write a paragraph or two, and then a page or two. That little bit felt like a breakthrough and an accomplishment. Gradually, and I can’t emphasize that word enough, I worked up to my normal output per day—at least, most days. Some days, I still have to put it aside. That’s ok. Because I had learned that it was still there—the creativity, the drive, and even the self-discipline. And finding that all still alive inside me gave me back a part of my life I could control. I could still lose myself in characters, settings, and plotlines, where justice prevails and good people triumph. Life might and probably will interfere again someday, but now I know unequivocally that writing, being a writer, IS important to me, and that no matter what happens, I’ll always be able to find my way back.

 Bio:

 Alyssa Maxwell, a former nonfiction and fiction editor, knew from an early age that she wanted to be a writer. Growing up in New England and traveling to Great Britain fueled a passion for history, while a love of puzzles and atmospheric literature drew her to the mystery genre. She is the author of The Gilded Newport Mysteries and A Lady and Lady’s Maid Mysteries. She and her husband live in Florida, where she is a member of the Florida Chapter of the Mystery Writers of America and the South Florida Fiction Writers. You can learn more about Alyssa and her books at www.alyssamaxwell.com and connect with her on social media at these links:

https://www.facebook.com/gildednewport

https://www.facebook.com/AlyssaMaxwellauthor/

https://twitter.com/Alyssa__Maxwell

https://www.instagram.com/alyssamaxwellauthor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7163135.Alyssa_Maxwell

 

Book Blurb:

 Murder at The Elms, A Gilded Newport Mystery #11

Coming August 22, 2023

 As the nineteenth century comes to a close, the illustrious Vanderbilt family dominates Newport, Rhode Island, high society. But when murder arrives, reporter Emma Cross learns that sometimes the actions of the cream of society can curdle one’s blood in the latest installment of this bestselling cozy historical mystery series . . .

1901: Back from their honeymoon in Italy, Emma and Derrick are adapting to married life as they return to their duties at their jointly owned newspaper, the Newport Messenger. The Elms, coal baron Edward Berwind’s newly completed Bellevue Avenue estate, is newsworthy for two reasons: A modern mansion for the new century, it is one of the first homes in America to be wired for electricity with no backup power system, generated by coal from Berwind’s own mines. And their servants—with a single exception—have all gone on strike to protest their working conditions. Summarily dismissing and replacing his staff with cool and callous efficiency, Berwind throws a grand party to showcase the marvels of his new “cottage.”
 
Emma and Derrick are invited to the fete, which culminates not only in a fabulous musicale but an unforeseen tragedy—a chambermaid is found dead in the coal tunnel. In short order, it is also discovered that a guest’s diamond necklace is missing and a laborer has disappeared.
 
Detective Jesse Whyte entreats Emma and Derrick to help with the investigation and determine whether the murdered maid and stolen necklace are connected. As the dark deeds cast a shadow over the blazing mansion, it’s up to Emma to shine a light on the culprit . . .

 

The Surprise and Discovery of Story Arcs ... by M. Lee Prescott

“The spiritual path is not a solo endeavor. In fact, the very notion of a self who is trying to free her/himself is a delusion. We are in it together and the company of spiritual friends helps us realize our interconnectedness.” – Tara Brach

 Greetings!

             It’s Mary Lee, writing as M. Lee Prescott, author of mysteries, romances – contemporary and western -- other fiction and nonfiction. No matter what the genre, my books, even the nonfiction titles, are about interconnectedness and the communities we create, large and small. I believe Tara Brach’s words about being “in it together” and want that for “characters” in my fiction, nonfiction, and in my life.

            The theme of connectedness came to me when thinking of what I might blog because I’ve been pleased with the story arc linking two of my recent romances, last year’s A Horseshoe Crab Cove Christmas (HCCC) and this December’s Joe’s Calling. They are both part of the Morgan’s Fire series, set in New England, number 7 and 8 respectively.

            When writing series, many authors, myself included, introduce, or incorporate minor characters who then move to center stage in subsequent books. I love this foreshadowing as it builds reader excitement for what’s ahead. We become attached to these relatively minor characters when they do something that touches our heart, grabs our attention, or makes it impossible to ignore them. They push in, make themselves known, and ask for their own stories. There is delightful anticipation that builds in the characters as well as the readers and writers interacting with them. Such fun!

             Although Joe O’Leary appeared in earlier titles in the Morgan’s Fire series, the holiday book, begins and ends with him. A Horseshoe Crab Cove Christmas follows him as he grapples with life after leaving the priesthood. At fifty, where will his spiritual journey take him, and will he/ must he make his way alone? Early on in HCCC, as the village bursts forth celebration, Joe meets Meryl, chef of the town’s hottest new restaurant. Amidst the tinsel, lights, and carols, these two connect, first as friends and then, perhaps, something more. There is promise at the story’s conclusion. There is also the question Brach addresses about solo versus connected journeys, spiritual or otherwise. Do we need or want loving friends on our life passages? Are our spirits destined for interconnectedness or something else? 

The village of Horseshoe Crab Cove sparkles as the community celebrates a birthday and a wedding. The kindling of a new relationship and a baby boom bring joy and resonance to the season as Joe O’Leary makes the difficult decision to leave the priesthood. Will he find peace in his new life? Celebrate the holidays with a copy of Morgan’s Fire # 7!

 Links to A Horseshoe Crab Cove Christmas!

AMAZON

APPLE

BARNES AND NOBLE

KOBO

GOOGLE

    Of course. I write romances. Connectedness always wins out. In Joe’s Calling the story arc continues as these two lovers explore whether, indeed, freeing oneself to walk alone is a delusion or the only path to wholeness in life. One can and should practice self-love and compassion, in effect, romancing oneself, but Joe’s Calling is a romance between two people, so a shared path looks promising!

            Down-to-earth Meryl Stockdale meets gorgeous ex-priest, Joseph O’Leary and their relationship explodes with fiery passion. Certain she’s found the love of her life, Meryl is shocked when Joe suddenly disappears. After 30 years, the priesthood has shaped Joe in ways not easy to put aside. He loves Meryl but struggles in his new life. Is there a loving future ahead for this couple? Find out in Morgan’s Fire book 8!

Pre-order links to Joe’s Calling: Release date: December 20^th

 AMAZON

APPLE

KOBO

NOOK

GOOGLE

 

            Story arcs and foreshadowing are important elements of many series, but somehow the links between these two books seemed subtler yet determined. As if the silken threads of emotional connection blew forward in the soft, prevailing winds, from book to book, without my awareness. This particular arc became a discovery for me, a surprising, lovely connection that supported plot, but also these beloved characters.

             I wish everyone a lovely December and happy holiday season! May your connections sustain you as the days grow darker and bring you peace, comfort, and joy.

             Warmly,

            Mary Lee

 Please keep in touch, always!

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Creating Community as a Character in Our Books ... M. Lee Prescott

 

“Community is the single most important factor in learner-centered classrooms.” (Carol Avery)

Hello,

It’s Mary Lee (alias M. Lee Prescott) saying hello. The quote above is from my life as a teacher (retired in June 2021). Creating a community in one’s classroom is critical if a teacher wishes to build trust among all stakeholders – adults and children – and encourage the kind of risk taking that allows learning to thrive. You might be asking yourself—why in a writer’s blog, is she writing about teaching and classrooms? The answer is simple creating a supportive, nurturing community where my characters live is at the heart of most of my fiction. Certainly, community is, indeed, a main character in all four of my series. I thought in this post, I tell you a little about these communities. Perhaps you’ll come and visit someday?

The Morgan’s Run books are set in the southwestern United States in the fictional town of Saguaro Valley. An orographic effect characterized by unusual cloud formations and abundant moisture has created this extraordinary green valley that lies between two mountain ranges, vast deserts beyond.

Home to six thousand residents—ranchers, farmers, entrepreneurs, and others – much of the land is owned by a few wealthy ranchers, Ben Morgan among them, who take their stewardship seriously, providing livelihoods and support to every resident. The undiscovered valley mostly remains isolated in its pristine beauty and agricultural abundance, except when the occasional movie star arranges a pack trip up into the mountains. Saguaro Valley is a place where everyone knows everyone and takes care of everyone. If you’re in danger, trouble or need, you are never alone. Many beloved characters leave home and return, to heal, to find love, and to raise their families. Others spread their wings and move east as do two of the Morgan sons, Sam, an architect to Maryland and Kyle, a veterinarian, to Horseshoe Crab Cove, a New England town that is home to the Morgan’s Fire community (see below!).

In this spin-off series to Morgan’s Run, readers come to the village of Horseshoe Crab Cove, home to Ben Morgan’s younger brother. Formerly a world traveler and longtime Maine resident, Richard purchases a five hundred acre property, where he builds an enormous farmhouse, barns, stables and eventually a winery. Richard is also an investor in Field and Field, a farm-to-table restaurant on the property, created and run by his son-in-law.

The community encompasses several small seaside towns, Horseshoe Crab Cove at its center. On tiny Main Street, with its shops and restaurants, is a garden space, Laura’s Community Garden, started by Richard’s daughter, Pam in memory of her mother. There in the four acre plot, residents come to plant, grow, and share the fruits of their collective labors. Horseshoe Crab Cove is also home to the Darn Yarners, a group of eight women in their sixties, friends for over four decades, who support each other, each other’s families, and the village proper. Over the years the Yarners have raised money for parks and other civic projects, their fellowship intricately woven into the fabric of village life. Like Saguaro Valley, no one in Horseshoe Crab Cove is alone and the close community provides a safe, loving place for longtime residents and newcomers like Kyle Morgan, who follows his wife Harriet, daughter on a Darn Yarner, to town. When, at age fifty, Joe O’Leary leaves the priesthood, he, too, comes to the village to learn how to live outside the confines of the church. 

Village of Old Harbor, a coastal village with a Quaker school at its center, seems like just another sleepy town, where murders happen a little too regularly! Born and raised in the area, Detective Roger Demaris, and his team, along with his former schoolmate and high school girlfriend, art teacher Bess Dore, explore the worlds beneath the town and school’s placid surfaces uncovering unimaginable evil. Despite its aura of tranquility, this is a sometimes fractured community, infiltrated by outsiders bent on dredging up the past, wreaking havoc on the present, and changing the course of the future for the residents of Old Harbor. There is, however, a core of community resilience that prevails and triumphs over the darkness—thank goodness!

Finally—there are the communities traversed by private investigator, Ricky Steele. When not chasing criminals at a snobby boarding school or helping a friend find her husband’s killer in the exclusive, coastal town of Windy Harbor, Ricky prowls the mean streets of Spindle City, trailing errant spouses, and mingling with sex workers and drug lords. All of these communities have an identity that shape Ricky’s often bumbling, but heartfelt investigating style. Her office is in one of the old granite mills that populate the landscape of Spindle City. These behemoths, left over from the city’s heyday as a thriving textile manufacturing hub, reflect the gritty strength of the community and its denizens.

The above notwithstanding, the community readers love more than those mentioned, is where Ricky lives—the Grove. There in her ticky-tacky beach cottage, she is surrounded by friends and neighbors like Maddie and Fulton, the deaf octogenarians to the east, who keep the canapes and cocktails coming, and Vinnie to the west, a dear friend who helps with carpentry, security, underworld information, and cat sitting. The Grove also draws to its community, Dr. Charlie Bowen, who renovates a waterfront property around the corner, while wooing the independent Ricky. Will love win out? Time will tell.

So… is “community” synonymous with setting? Are they the same? I would answer no, but I could be persuaded either way. As author, community unfolds in my stories as the living, breathing manifestation of setting. Community allows characters to take risks to dare to be themselves, to grow, to develop, to thrive. Is this the same as setting? Hmm… You be the judge!

Great blogging with you! I love to hear from readers and writers so please be in touch anytime.

Warm wishes,

Mary Lee

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