Romancing the Genres: Serenity Harbor

I thought about veering off topic this month, but frankly in a world so full of dark right now, I need some magic in my life.

Books, especially children’s book are filled with magic and imagination. One of my favorite children’s books is Goodnight Moon. Full disclosure, I barely remember books I read as a child. Fuller disclosure, I barely remember what I read last night 😊 What I do know was that the book was a romance with a happily-ever-after that takes me away from the universal troubles of yesterday and today, and will again tonight and tomorrow night. When I was a kid, I read constantly and I still do.

Daylight Moon

For children, books can either take you away into a magical land or they can show the splendor of the world around us. That is what Goodnight Moon does. I can still see the look on my first-born grandson’s face when he was three—he’s now thirteen—as I read him Goodnight Moon. We sat on a cushioned bench seat underneath his bedroom window, with a full moon shining over the snowy Colorado mountains in the distance. His eyes were wide as he looked at the pictures, then pointed to our very own moon right outside the window. This book was passed down to his brother.

I don’t have a copy of Goodnight Moon, so I can’t quote from the book. But I do have a copy of my third-born grandson’s tattered and well-loved Goodnight Maine, inscribed by moi – to my precious Jack. This is my book of choice to give to my friends with newborns.

Books like this take us to magical places, like the shores and mountains of Maine, as we say hello to the seagulls, bears, moose, and lobsters. We play at the beach by the Atlantic Ocean, kayak down rivers, and climb mountains, and then we say goodnight to the moon shining above the mountains, and the lobstermen putting away their boats, and the lighthouse that shines all night. The book takes us through the seasons in this vast state, from snowy mountaintops to the summer seashore with seals.

Now that my grandson is eleven, he is experiencing mountain climbing and kayaking in the bay near his home, where great views of the moon shining on islands and the ocean abound. The moon still remains a magical place for young and old together.

Crazy Cloud Formation Surrounding Full Moon

I’ll admit to standing in my backyard in the middle of the night taking photos of the moon. Or rising early to see the sun peaking at us on the eastern horizon, while the moon dips low in the western skyline. Gazing at the moon takes me away from my problems. It puts into perspective the grandeur, and yes, the miracle, of our lives. And each time I gaze on the moon, I visualize the wonderment, and the hope of innocence, in the eyes all three grandsons.

Perfect position to peak through two trunks of the oak tree

And I pray that all three will be able to live long, magical lives, in peace and harmony and love, in a world much better than the one we have today.

After The Ice Storm

So, enjoy your favorite books, and once in a while look back on those that were favorites as a child. AND remember the magic!

For grownup magical romance in Maine, check out: Starlight Grille

Amazon: (also in print) https://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Grille-Serenity-Harbor-Collection-ebook/dp/B07CN8JV2Z/

Books2Read books2read.com/u/3yDjWe

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet 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.