Dreaming of Sun and Sand…OR…Silently Falling Snowflakes? … by Delsora Lowe

What a choice!

It’s July. And everyone who knows me, knows I love Hallmark and especially Christmas in July, where they run holiday movies all day long. Okay – full confession. By the time I get to the third week of July, I am pretty numb and holidayed-out. However, I still love to read holiday books while sunning by the ocean. And…I love writing holiday books.

As an author who has written three Christmas-themed romances and one that is Valentine-themed, when do I usually do most of that writing? You got it, during the warmer weather of spring and summer.

And many times, when I am working on books that take place in warmer weather, that writing takes place as the weather-gods open up the skies to that cold, white stuff.

The hero and heroine in Come Dance With Me, an interracial, intercultural story about a uptight high school English teacher who has trouble opening up to anything, much less love, are both based on actors I have seen on Hallmark.

As I wrote the hero, I had in mind an actor I saw on “Christmas in Homestead,” a Hallmark movie. Aaron also reminded me of a guy on whom I had a major crush in high school. I watched Aaron “Quick” Nelson when he played the role of a bodyguard to a well-known actress. His role was so sweet as he interacted with the innkeeper hero’s young daughter who loved the movies made by the actress. Plus, in real life Mr. Nelson is a New Englander, so…what’s not to like. I envisioned the actress being Autumn Reeser, a well-known Hallmark staple. And I searched high and low for the perfect cover photo of how I envisioned what these two characters might look like, as I wrote the story.

But I digress…

To address the question about whether I like snow better than sand, or vice versa is a tough question. I can be gazing at a blizzard outside my window and writing a hot, summer scene. That stream of fluffy and frozen, white stuff brightens the sky in its own way. The day is beautiful, cocooning, and comfortable, especially when I know I can stay inside with a cup of hot cocoa, and write, write, write. With a bit of a shiver, I imagine a cozy comforter, snuggled on the couch in front of a roaring fire.

As a writer, it is good to have an imagination, since I do not have a fireplace or a woodstove, so instead I have to crank the heat up and know I’ll be using more fuel to stay warm. I also know that were I to succumb to cuddling on the couch with a comforter wrapped around me, I’d doze off and not get any writing work done. Instead, I crank up the electric heater by my desk and crank up the fire under the kettle, and imagine myself in that sunny clime, as I finish tapping out a romantic, engagement, beach scene that could bring my beach-wandering couple to their inevitable happily-ever-after.

The warmth of the radiator takes my imagination away to a pristine white sand beach, sailboats, and the aqua blue ocean or bay gently lapping against the shore. A couple strolls, hand-in-hand. When the sun becomes too much, they run into the bathtub-warm water, splash around, and cool down before they continue their leisurely walk, picking up beautiful shells as they go.

And occasionally, they stop to turn toward one another for a sun-drenched kiss. And maybe, just maybe, the hero, pulls from his swim trunks pocket a shiny, glittering gemstone, attached to a ring. He slips to his knees in the packed sand and proposes. Okay, since I just had the hero taking a dip in the ocean, I better add that his swimsuit’s inside pocket has a zipper, so that precious engagement ring doesn’t float down and get buried in the murky depths of sea and sand. That would be a total downer for the couple. Or…it could create some tension in a scene that is supposed to be sweet. Hmmm…ideas percolate

See what happens when I crank the heat and imagine, in the middle of winter, sand and sky-blue water and dining outdoors and moored boats? 

The downside of being a fiction writer, the imagination can run wild at any given time. So, picking a snowy day snuggled by the fire, over a breezy, sunny day at the ocean…well, for me, it depends on the mood of the story I am writing, and not the actual season flashing its attributes outside my window. Because in the winter I dream of sand. And in the summer, I dream of sipping hot cocoa by a fire.

Do you have a favorite season?
Do you prefer snow over sand, or vice versa?

 

Amazon

The Inn on Gooseneck Lane - Kindle edition by Lowe, Delsora. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

                       Barnes & Noble

                         The Inn on Gooseneck Lane by Delsora Lowe | NOOK Book (eBook) | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

                    Apple Books

                 TheInn on Gooseneck Lane on Apple Books

Amazon

HolidayHitchhiker: A Sweet, Heartwarming Holiday Romance: Christmas in Angels Glen -Kindle edition by Lowe, Delsora. Contemporary Romance Kindle eBooks @Amazon.com

Books2Read

https://books2read.com/u/mez9AE

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Come-Dance-Me-Serenity-Starlight-ebook/dp/B074N95RGK/

Books2Read

books2read.com/u/bMrQva

~ 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/

Hot or Cold? Summer or Winter?

 by Diana McCollum

I love where I live. Northern CA is a place that has actual seasons. 

We live at an altitude of 2,200 ft. We have the hottest weather middle of June through the middle/end of September. Leaves change around the middle/end of October and the weather gets considerably cooler, with even the chance of frost.

The two years we've lived here we've had snow by December. It doesn't always last but a few days. This

year it was 2 1/2 ft deep and lasted 2 weeks! And once in a while it snows again in January and/or February. Spring rains start in March through May. Although we have had rain in the winter months too. In fact we had a lot of rain this year throughout the winter and spring months. Oroville Dam is at 100 % for the first time in many years.

If I could change any of the seasons, I guess it would have to be the hottest months. 85 to 104 is too hot at this altitude. So during the hottest part of the day I tend to stay in doors. I go out after dinner to water the vegetable gardens and floweres. I might even pull a weed or two.

Now my husband thrives on those hot days. He spends most of his time outside, weeding, sitting and watching the plants grow, or building something. Today he worked on a fence behind the Oleanders, so he could tie the branches up. The poor branches took a beating this winter with 2 1/2 ft of snow on top of the plants for two weeks or so, and now while not broken, they're bent and don't want to stand up!

I love our gardens and flowers, and of course, without the hot weather the veggies wouldn't grow. Therefore, I guess I do like all the seasons. I don't want to change a thing!!!

I like the cool part of the year, as I can spend more time outside. Plus there is something to be said for wearing extra layers of clothes and turning the fireplace on in the mornings to have coffee and warm up.

I like the summer because the heat grows the plants. The cool summer evenings sitting outside with ice tea and listening to the frogs in the pond is very relaxing.

Do you like the weather where you live?

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!

What times of the year do you pay special attention to? by Sherry Thomas

 I am an obligation-based individual, rather than an anticipation-based one. So the passage of time usually brings groans, not cheers, because special times of the year simply imply more responsibilities, in addition to all the everyday stuff to keep track of. Oh, no, it’s the kid’s birthday and I’ll have to make a vegan cake. Crap, Christmas is in two weeks. Damn it, this deadline has my hair on fire and here comes Thanksgiving and the whole family will be in town.

 

But, with my children now grown, and the pandemic—maybe, hopefully, knock on wood—no longer constraining lives the way it did for so long, I have learned to embrace shoulder season for cruises.

 

Or basically, any time that is off-peak, but specifically late winter to early spring, and then again, mid-to-late autumn.

 

Summer is the when everybody goes on cruises, especially families with children home from school. True, it might also be the best time to visit places such as Alaska and northern Europe, but the prices will make your jaw drop and your soul hurt.

 

On the other hand, when the children are firmly back in school or not let out yet, i.e., when it is not summer, Christmas holiday, or spring break, the cruise ships that are so crowded at those times suddenly have plenty of capacity and not as many ready passengers. 

 

That’s when there are deals to be had.

 

That’s also when—in spring and autumn—the cruise lines reposition their ships. Vessels that have been plying the shores of Alaska in the warmer months are moved to Australia and New Zealand for the summer season down under. Those ships that island-hopped all winter in the Caribbean Sea now set out across the Atlantic Ocean to cruise the Mediterranean ports.

 

If you don’t mind being at sea for days on end—I love it, in fact—repositioning cruises can be some of the best deals you’ll ever see in travel. 

 

So yes, I do pay attention to certain times of the year now. I have sort of taken October off my calendar because I anticipate my mom might find another great cruise for us when October rolls around again. 

 

Okay, maybe not this coming October because I have two deadlines this year and I’ll be home madly scribbling this October. But when the busiest work months pass, I’ll always have another shoulder season to look forward to. 

 

And maybe last-minute deals? I’ll take it, because it’s also much cheaper to book flights when you aren’t fighting with all the families in peak season!

USA Today-bestselling author Sherry Thomas decided years ago that her goal in life is to write every kind of book she enjoys reading. Thus far she has published romance, fantasy, mystery, young adult, and three books inspired by the martial arts epics she grew up devouring. Her books regularly receive starred reviews and best-of-the-year honors from trade publications, including such outlets as the New York Times and National Public Radio. 

 

A Study in Scarlet Women, A Conspiracy in Belgravia, and The Hollow of Fear, the first three entries in her gender-bending Lady Sherlock historical mystery series, are all NPR best books of the year. 

Sherry emigrated from China at age 13 and English is her second language.  

The Ides of March by Lynn Lovegreen

We’re almost at the Ides of March, which is the start of either the spring or fall season depending on whether you’re in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere. Most people notice the seasons where they live. Even warm equatorial regions might have a wet season and dry season. But where I live in Southcentral Alaska, it’s a big deal. It’s temperate here, not like the Arctic north, but we still have a big difference between our warm and cold seasons.

Right now, we’re at the end of winter, almost at break up (so-called because the ice breaks up and melts). Break up is when mud puddles and muck cover the ground, and meltwater fills the streets. But it’s also an exciting time of year, as we all anticipate warmer times when we don’t have to shovel the driveway, scrape off the frost before we drive our vehicles, or bundle up to go outside—all those things we get tired of doing by the end of winter.

 

Spring is short here, just a few weeks long, but it is one of my favorite times of year. As the leaves grow on the birch trees, delicate spring green infuses the forests. Grass and shrubs grow again. Many of our migratory birds come back in spring. Energy seems to flow around us.

What season do you have now in your part of the world? Or do you have a favorite season?

 

Lynn Lovegreen has lived in Alaska for most of her life. After twenty years in the classroom, she retired to make more time for writing. She enjoys her friends and family, reading, and volunteering for her local library. Her young adult historical romance is set in Alaska, a great place for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.

Five reasons why autumn is my favourite season, in no particular order:

My birth month is in autumn.

The end of hot, humid, blech days.

Wearing cosy, wool sweaters.

Freshly picked apples at the farm stand. 

Long walks through colour-dappled forests.

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, two spoiled cats, and five hens. 

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads 

Happy New Year, Spring – Seasons and Stories … Delsora Lowe

For some reason, for me, both spring and fall always seem like the start of a new year. The changing seasons equate to changes in our lives.

In my mind, summer seems to drift into fall, and winter seems to drift into spring. Like the tides, winter teases us by splashing up on the shores of spring. Just when we dip our toes at the edge of spring warmth, the tide surges. Cold rushes back in. We wait with anticipation for a quick retreat, so we can feel the warm sand between our toes and walk the beach without hugging ourselves against a strong cold wind.

Winter storms wreak havoc on the spring we hoped had finally arrived. Little green shoots, a symbol of rebirth and growth and new beginnings, end up covered in that cold, white fluff. And all our hopes are dashed, until the sun returns from behind storm clouds and gives us a taste of a resurrection of sorts.

This whole process reminds me of writing a story. As many of you know, writers are supposed to “torture” their characters. That means throwing challenges in the way of the both the hero and heroine, to make it harder for each to achieve dreams of falling in love. And achieving one by one the steps in between dreaming of love, finding the one person that may have potential to be the one, and then assuring that you are worthy of winning and keeping that love.

Think how boring stories would be if everyone was perfect and got along and achieved their dreams with no effort. Actually, as much as I hate conflict, I have to admit life, in general, would be boring if we didn’t have to challenge ourselves.

And the same would hold true if we had no change of season. No heat that gave away to beautiful, sunny, cool days and colorful leaves. No bare trees that gave us a clearer view on now vivid blue, fall into winter skies. No blanketing of that white stuff (that yes, we have to shovel,) but when it falls it brings with it a serene blanket to makes us feel cozy and warm (as long as the heat works or a fireplace is roaring.) No retreating of layers of snow and ice, to expose a brown lawn that will soon turn green and lush and sprout a few weedy, yellow dandelions to add new color to our world. No cool nights moving in on still warm, but not too hot, days.

Trees turning from a continuum of green to an array of colors: yellow, orange, red, purple. And then the winds pour in and rip the leaves from branches to scatter them about. The green lawns are covered in those leaves, which we rake into piles, and watch dogs run through them, or kids jump into them until they are covered in a soft blanket provided by nature. And just when the landscape is brown and boring, the snow returns to blanket us in pristine white.

Giving our characters, challenges, tests, reasons to second guess their view of the world, a need to ditch a plan and devise another to solve a problem—all those things make our characters and stories interesting. Just as the change of season both challenge us and give comfort, our characters, too, need challenges to make the reward at the end—LOVE— that much more precious.

So, looking at the change of season as part of the continuum that leads to a new year, keeps us on our toes, gives us new challenges, and brings new delight.

Happy New Year, Spring!

Disclaimer: this opinion piece is written from the point of view of someone who lives in the Northeast in the USA. And yes, I face challenges, in that in the dead of winter, I do wish I could travel to visit my friends in the south. And in the heat of summer, I wish I could cross the border and travel to the northern part of Canada. Here’s to embracing challenges and what we learn from them.

What is your favorite season?

 
The Legacy of Parkers Point

Starlight Grille ~ Book 1

Two lives, one legacy—the lure of Parkers Point

One Runs From …

Inheriting his grandfather’s estate on the rocky point in Serenity Harbor, Maine is the perfect escape from the biggest professional disaster of Grayson Mann’s life. Will distance and space help Gray heal old family and professional wounds enough to open his heart to love?

One Runs Toward …

Lauralee Adler struggles to save the family art gallery as she watches her aunt succumb to Alzheimer’s. Returning to the small coastal town is payment for the kindness that saved her life and soul. Now she’s on a quest to find her father. Will this trip home help her learn to trust and finally convince her she can truly belong for the first time in her life?

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Parkers-Point-Serenity-Starlight-ebook/dp/B0743NVCC6/

Books2Read

books2read.com/u/b6rQzx 

~ 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 new novella, The Love Left Behind, will release in late fall, 2020.

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:
New Year: new years eve clipart - Clip Art Library (clipart-library.com)
Beach: Free Images Of The Beach, Download Free Images Of The Beach png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
Sun and Storm Clouds: Free Images Of The Beach, Download Free Images Of The Beach png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
Change of Season: Free Four Seasons Cliparts, Download Free Four Seasons Cliparts png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
Spring Fever: free clip art new spring - Google Search

Spring Is On The Way! Tis The Season For Wildfire by LoLo Paige

Spring Is On The Way! Tis The Season For Wildfire 

By LoLo Paige

LoLo is a contemporary and romantic suspense author. To read the first few chapters of Alaska Spark, click HERE or visit LoLo's Webpage to sign up for her newsletter. 

It's almost time for "break-up" in Alaska, the herald of spring up in these parts. That means a couple of things.

First, we gain daylight up here in mass quantities each day, all the way to Summer Solstice in June. Alaskans celebrate Summer Solstice with enthusiasm because after our long, dark winter, all-night sunlight is our much-anticipated reward! Extended daylight wakes up dormant trees and bushes, spurring new growth in our spruce, birch, and willow. (I still marvel at the miracle that ANY plant up here can survive the ruthless winter temperatures. I sincerely believe it is one of the Wonders of the World).

Second, we warm up, which is another delight. And third…well, the warmth also brings in our wildfire season. We have two susceptible periods of fire season up here: Pre-green-up, the time between break-up, where ice breaks up on our lakes and rivers, and when trees and bushes pop buds and leaf out. It’s super dry during this time, creating low fuel moisture for wildfires.

The second susceptible period for fire is in May and June, when the sun does its thing of never dipping below the horizon line. Temperatures can rise in Southcentral Alaska in Anchorage to the high 80s, and in the Interior near Fairbanks, in the 90s. This shocked me the most when I fought fires in the Interior. How can it get so hot in Alaska, of all places? One summer I worked loading fire equipment into airplanes in Fort Yukon in 97 degree heat.

Our state land mass of 663,268 square miles equates to a ton of action with lightning-caused wildfires, as it does around the Lower Forty-eight western states. Last summer, smoke was so dense in Anchorage from all the fires, that we had severe health advisories, and no one could open their windows. We had several weeks of a rare, 90-degrees. A historic moment: Alaskans overran Costco and Home Depot, desperate for fans to stay cool. Such a rare event they reported it on Channel 2 News!

Growing up in western Montana, wildfire was just as common. I began as a seasonal firefighter with the U.S. Forest Service and fought fires in Montana, Idaho, and California. I later transferred up to Alaska and worked for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Alaska Fire Service, fighting fire in Alaska’s Interior.

When fires happen you are dispatched with your fire crew when requests are made for resources. Most fires are small and require less staff, but in recent years with the hotter, drier summers, fires have quickly grown to massive proportions, as we’ve seen in California, Washington, Montana and other states in the arid West.

Part of our fire training was to work with public outreach to educate homeowners on the urban-rural fire interface, where neighborhoods border wildlands. We made sure homeowners understood the importance of defensible space around their homes.

If you live in an area that is susceptible to wildfires, or bush fires, as Australians call them, it’s a good idea to create “defensible space” around your home. That is, remove all trees and other vegetation within a parameter at least 30 feet or greater, if possible, from your house. And never, ever store your firewood next to your home. You can Google videos of what happens when a wildfire comes through and the firewood stack ignites.

When fires reach trees and crown from tree to tree, rooftops can ignite if trees are too close. The National Fire Protection Association has specific actions to take to prepare homes for protection against wildfires:

https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Fire-causes-and-risks/Wildfire/Preparing-homes-for-wildfire

In my first book, Alaska Spark, I write what happens when these things aren’t done and where inaction can lead. And because it's fiction, of course I raised the stakes high for homeowners and firefighters. The story is a romantic suspense/action adventure about the dynamic of people working together in a stressful environment and the friendships and love relationships that form…and complicate things. I love writing about the grit and determination required to be a firefighter.

Much of my novel is inspired by true events. My husband and I were both firefighters in Montana, so I had lots to draw on for the romance *smiley face.*

Despite the back-breaking work and sometimes being terrified on the fireline, I loved my time as a wildland firefighter. It was something I never dreamed was possible or I thought I could do. But growing up in the Rocky Mountains with the romantic notion of working in the great outdoors was something I couldn’t resist.

When I fought fire, I was fortunate to have good leadership and crew bosses who knew fire behavior and always kept safety a priority. I enjoyed the give and take between everyone on a crew, regardless of gender. I worked on a crew where everyone respected each other’s boundaries.

As a female, it was a constant challenge to prove I could do the physical aspects of a job traditionally done by males. Sometimes I worked with old-school thinkers who thought women had no place on a fire line. I worked hard to prove myself to them. Most came around, but there was always that one holdout. I write about this in the novel. Now it’s commonplace for women to work on fire crews. An all-woman fire crew from Montana came to Alaska last summer to fight fires.

As our Alaska fire season progresses, I cross my fingers that homeowners and firefighters will be okay, and no more homes will be lost.

When I watch the evening news and see lines of firefighters in yellow Nomex shirts, shouldering heavy packs and gripping their Pulaskis, I’ll pray they’ll be okay, no matter where they are fighting fire.

They will forever be my heroes.

 For a behind-the-scenes experience on what it’s like to be a wildland firefighter, read Alaska Spark, available on Amazon

Alaska Inferno, the second book in the Blazing Hearts Wildfire Series, is now available for Pre-order

ARE YOU FIRE READY? 🔥🔥🔥

Montana Seasons

By Courtney Pierce

I love all four seasons for different reasons. Each one holds triggers deep in our DNA that drive our behavior. At the moment of transition, I am compelled to follow earth’s cycle. If I had to pick a favorite, it would be a toss-up between spring and fall. Don’t get me wrong. I truly love the winter. I delight in the variety of animals’ prints circling the property like Morris Code. Deer prints. Fox prints. Racoon prints. Mountain lion prints. From the wide five-toed one, we think we even had a wolverine pay us a deep-freeze visit.

I live in an area of the country that gives me a front row seat at nature’s movie. The environment of Montana allows me to live among the mountains, lakes, and forests. There are more animals than I can count. After two years, I’ve clued into the nature’s rhythm.

Fall is for rituals.

Autumn in Montana ushers in a unique energy, and with it comes a sense of urgency to prep the nest. Golden rays of sun poke through a backdrop of boiling dark clouds. Tamarack needles turn bright yellow and create a brilliant shower at the slightest breeze. Rolling distant thunder urges me to rush into the yard to clean up dead branches, stack the yard furniture, and spade the garden for the last of the potatoes and root vegetables.

Squirrels and chipmunks race across the lawn to check off their tasks of securing their nests. The first flurries of snow can come too soon. We stack cords of wood for the coming winter, releasing a cedar aroma in the air. One of my nest-like tasks includes filling tubs with pinecones for kindling. The wood stove will soon dance with warm flames.

Then comes the ritual of perusing through my recipe books to make hearty soups and stews for the slow cooker. There’s nothing more satisfying than walking through the door to a savory aroma of roasting meat. The hunt is on to fill the freezer with wild elk and venison. My husband and I study maps of where we will stalk the woods. On weekends, we don our camo gear and strap on our rifles. Hunting is not just for food. The whole animal is used: the hide for leather, the bone as fertilizer for the garden, and the fat for preservative oil.

Hunting may make people a bit squeamish, but this is Montana. Most of us prep to be self-sufficient for nature’s winter sequester.

In March, the countdown begins. Spring is a favorite for its renewal and celebration. Life changes with the snow’s retreat, and along with it so does my whole outlook on life.

Spring brings forth a riot of colors: blue crocus, purple iris, red-striped tulips, yellow daffodils. The buds poke through the thawing soil, happy to flex their muscles from a potential freeze.  My husband and I draw out plans for the flower baskets and vegetable garden. Starting the seeds is an indoor activity here in Montana until May. The temp can bounce from below zero to sixty degrees. In preparation for planting, we fill a cold-frame mini greenhouse box filled with peat pots: rosemary, basil, oregano, dill, parsley, thyme, marigolds, peas, beans, beets, kohlrabi, and several varieties of tomatoes. Grow lights hum with their life-giving glow.

In the early morning hours of spring, ethereal sounds emit from the still-frozen lake behind our house. As the ice begins to stress and crack, a deep, harmonic wooo .  . wooo  . . wooo reverberates through the air. It’s like an ancient harmonic call. Personally, I think it’s Mother Nature’s warning for the animals to “stay off the ice.” This amazing phenomenon is one that most people don’t get to experience.

When open water starts to emerge, dozens of ducks and geese arrive for their first open-swim session. Let the mating rituals begin! There’s a reason Stravinsky wrote The Rite of Spring. In the coming month the little ones will hatch, like tiny ping-pong balls with fuzz. They’ll float behind mama in a perfectly straight line as she teaches them to dive. I could watch them pop up for hours.

The garden provides a perfect vantage point to watch the wildlife. Bears emerge from their dens to forage for berries and fresh green shoots. Turtles and bass come up from their hibernation at the bottom of the lake. And with their appearance, the eagles and osprey swoop overhead. Does debut their wobbly fawns, instructing them how to raid our garden. I will usually go outside to give them a half-hearted scold, but they don’t seem to mind me at all.

We shed our heavy layers of clothing to let our skin breathe again. We drink in the spring sun with an appreciation for what life should be. Sometimes stunning sights catch our eye that force us to stop at the side of the road. Like glorious artwork, nearby farms are carpeted with canola blooms. A sea of gold, like infinite bullion presents itself as far as the eye can see.

Soon we’ll strap the canoe on the pick-up and head to mountains. The quiet of the wilderness spawns a calm that keeps our core intact.  All we’ll need is in our backpacks. Oh. . . and our fishing poles, and worms.

But first, we'll take a side trip to Puerto Vallarta for a walk on the beach.

Courtney Pierce is a fiction writer living in Kalispell, Montana with her husband and stepdaughter. She writes for the baby boomer audience. She spent 28 years as an executive in the entertainment industry and used her time in a theater seat to create stories that are filled with heart, humor, and mystery. She studied craft and storytelling at the Attic Institute and has completed the Hawthorne Fellows Program for writing and publishing. Active in the writing community, Courtney is a board member of the Northwest Independent Writers Association and on the Advisory Council of the Independent Publishing Resource Center. She is a member of Willamette Writers, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, and Authors of the Flathead. The Executrix received the Library Journal Self-E recommendation seal.

Print and E-books are available through most major online retailers, including Amazon.com.

Check out all of Courtney's books: 

courtney-pierce.com and windtreepress.com 

New York Times best-selling author Karen Karbo says, "Courtney Pierce spins a madcap tale of family grudges, sisterly love, unexpected romance, mysterious mobsters and dog love. Reading Indigo Lake is like drinking champagne with a chaser of Mountain Dew. Pure Delight."

Coming in 2021!

When Aubrey Cenderon moves to Montana after the death of her father, the peace and quiet of Big Sky Country becomes complicated with a knock on the door from the sheriff. An injured grizzly bear is on the loose and it must be eliminated before it kills again. The sheriff's insistence that she buy a gun for protection will present Aubrey with some serious soul-searching, because the grizzly-on-the-run is hunting her too . . . for a different reason.