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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Tis The Season for Trick or Treatin' #scifi #romance

Hi, I'm Pippa Jay, author of scifi and supernatural stories to engage your emotions. October may traditionally be the time of year for youngsters to trick and treat, but this year I spotted something in a charity shop window and decided to treat myself. It's not anything fancy or worth a lot of money, but it caught my eye. It's only resin made to look like bronze and probably not by anyone famous in the sculpture world - I still think it's pretty. Um, since this blog doesn't have an age restriction I've kept the images above waist height as, yes, they're both naked (you should have heard my eldest's chorus of 'eww!').

To me, this figurine kind of sums up my hero/heroine relationships in my stories. They're not kissing. They're just holding each other. Supporting each other. And just lately I've needed a lot of that in the real world too. This year has thrown a lot of unfun things at myself and my family, and it's only been holding onto each other and giving support that I think we've made it through. For me, a real treat will be to get through the rest of this year without any more scares or dramas! Although that's exactly what I'll keep doing to my poor characters...

But as this is the season for trick or treat, I do have a little treat for you as well. For the whole of October, all my short stories are now just $0.99. Click on the book cover for the retail links.

And despite everything and even though I thought this might be the first year since my debut that I wouldn't have a new release...I have a new release! The title is oddly appropriate considering.

Love can come when it’s least expected... 

When an injured alien crashes on her planet, Soraya follows her instinct to repair and restore it despite the challenge of their differing physiology. But as she gets closer to her patient and he recovers, Soraya confronts a whole new form of existence...and a desire that could destroy her completely. 

Yoran chose exile in order to release the woman he thought his soulmate from a marriage contract she had no wish to fulfill, and almost paid for it with his life. Now he finds himself drawn to his alien savior. But how can he ask her to give up the only existence she knows when he’s already suffered the consequences of such a sacrifice himself? 

£1.99 for a limited time - please click HERE to be taken to all the retail links.

It's October... Let's get the creep on

I write primarily romance/suspense. The suspense always is killing .... in a really gruesome way. Sorry, that's just what I write. So every October, I look for new and different ways to get 'creepy' - in a totally NON-creepy way.

This October for Wine Wednesday I'm trying a new wine with a 'creepy' name and reading a 'scary' book. This week's....

I'm also a big fan of fog...and we have some awesome foggy days here....

Now don't you wonder where the dead body is in those pictures?

Actually, I'm such a big fan of Halloween, I wrote a book about Halloween...sex...and murder :-)

Knock Knock…. Answer if you dare.

New to Kanna, Florida, Lila Maxwell attends All Treats, a Halloween speed dating event in the hopes of meeting Prince Charming but instead one Halloween ghoul after another appears at her door until Cowboy Bill.

Jax Carlson has spent the last year focusing all of his attention on starting his own business. Hiring Lila Maxell over the Internet as his project manager was the completing task. Set to open for business in three days, Jax plans on spending a couple of days on his boat relaxing. However, his friend Erik has a different idea – a speed dating Halloween party.

Jax has spent the night plotting the best revenge possible for Erik until Lila opens the door. The woman dressed in the pale lavender Harem costume ignites a fire that Jax thought was impossible without the aid of his formulated dating list.

After a night of mind blowing sex, Lila sneaks out before they exchange real names believing it was no more than a one-night stand.

When Lila reports to work she learns Cowboy Bill is actually Jax Carlson. She thinks keeping her hormones in check while convincing Jax that love doesn't follow a formula is complication enough until she learns the participants of the All Treats speed dating event are being killed.


Hope everyone enjoys the rest of the month...

Who hates scary movies? by Kristin Wallace

Can you believe it’s October already? Before you know it, we’ll be knee deep in Christmas decorations, if you’re not already buried in tinsel and holly. But we’ll stick with October (for this week at least), and more importantly...Halloween. The theme on Romancing the Genres is actually “Why I read scary books/Watch scary movies.”

Well, the truth is, I don’t do either. I don’t watch horror movies or read scary stories. (My one exception is seeing a few movies based on Stephen King novels, including The Shining and Carrie (and I’ve actually only seen the end of Carrie). I did see The Exorcist once and that freaked me out. I think the only scary/horror book I’ve ever read was Amityville Horror, and that was enough for me.

I grew up in the heyday of Friday the 13^th and Nightmare on Elm Street franchises. Jason and Freddie Krueger were pop culture icons, but I couldn’t bring myself to watch them. I just can’t get into blood and gore, and extreme violence, especially stupid violence. If you hear something in the basement, why would you go down there? I do remember a time when I was in junior high and had a sleep over with my friend. She wanted to watch one of the Friday the 13^th movies. I don’t remember which one…could have been 3 or 5 or 6…as they were pretty much the same. Start with 6 pretty teenagers and by the end there are 6 dead pretty teenagers. Or maybe one does finally get away. I didn’t want to watch it, but my friend insisted…then spent the entire movie covering her eyes and asking me to tell her what was happening. Mostly, it was a STUPID movie. It confirmed my firm belief that I don’t like those kinds of movies.

Give me a romantic comedy or a drama any day. You can take your scary movies this month and I’ll just wait for the Hallmark Channel Christmas movies to start. It should be next week, right?

Kristin Wallace is the USA Today Best Selling Author of inspirational and contemporary romance, and women’s fiction filled with “Love, Laughter and a Leap of Faith”. Look for her latest releases FALLING FOR YOU AT CHRISTMAS, which is part of SWEET CHRISTMAS KISSES 3, a box set featuring 17 holiday stories by NYT, USA Today & national bestselling authors for only 99 cents, including. For info & buy links, visit Kristin's Website

Want a FREE book? I’m on Instafreebie where you can download FINDING YOU AT CHRISTMAS. CLICK HERE!