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

Why I Love Fall …and the Change of Season ... by Delsora Lowe

Changes happen every day. Some we embrace and some we don’t. Those we don’t embrace take a lot of energy to deal with. So, finding and celebrating changes we love is good for the heart and soul.

Fall farmers market

To me and so many others, fall is the season that most represents change. In a way fall always seems like the New Year. Probably because it is the start of a new year in school.

My morning walk view of the school and it's playground through the fence

Yes, I’m old enough to have been out of school for MANY years. But as an adult I returned to college to finally finish my degree when I was thirty-six and my kids were still in school. I worked at a college as a fraternity chef, so my work schedule coordinated with the college schedule. It was the best of all worlds to have summer and school vacations off with my children.

An evening walk as the shadows from the setting sun play with the rising moon to the left and the glowing street lights

Another one of my careers was working in the development office as the alumni director for two independent, secondary schools and one college. So, for fifteen years, I again followed the schedule of schools, although I did have to work through the summer. But working summer had a different vibe and was more relaxed than during the school year.

Check out the bees on the center of the flower in this close-up

Another change associated with fall are the changing colors. I do love my spring and summer flowers. And winter white has a magical quality to it, but fall is my favorite. The bright colors of changing leaves and fall flowers and the invigorating air is a balm to me. The later we go into fall, the darker, vivid blue of the sky and the intensity of stars on a clear night are magical. Even the dying, stark stalks that once carried vivid flowers, have a certain beauty of their own.

Fall color overlooking the ocean

Of course, a very special day in my life is my birthday—I’m a September baby. My son was born in October and my daughter in November. So yes, fall once again is a special time for celebrations. To me, fall is my favorite time of year for weddings. No, I did not get married in the fall. But I love the idea of fall weddings and fall romance. So, I have written several books that take place in the fall—one with a fall wedding and two with fall proposals.

No, I'm not one - but it was a pretty cake - love purple!

What is your favorite kind of change?

A fall wedding is the catalyst for rekindling love for two who's love was lost

The Love Left Behind

Amazon

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

Books2Read   books2read.com/u/mglVqK

Fall in New England and Love!

Legacy of Parkers Point

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: 1st Birthday Cake Clipart - Free Clipart Images - ClipArt Best - ClipArt Best

Celebrating the Little Things…in a Big Way by Delsora Lowe

In this crazy world, we find ourselves inside or imprisoned in the confines of our yards. Maybe we can wander through our neighborhoods, as long as we stay far away from others.

When all we hear is sad and bad news on a daily basis, as we have for months, instead of only celebrating birthdays and holidays and work promotions and book launches—those monumental milestones in one’s life—now celebrating the little things is a must.  

Weird mushroom with wild strawberry leaves top and bottom - soon tiny red berries

LITTLE has many definitions: insignificant, tiny, inadequate. In this case, I want to concentrate on those everyday “tiny” things we take for granted. Not because they are unimportant, but because we know we can depend on having them. And when we don’t have easy access, they become HUGE. They become things we yearn for or things we obsess about.

Then there are the little things we may not take notice of or think of as important, but are delightful and put a smile on our face. Those little things that make us forget our big problems, like the first dandelions in spring.

My way of celebrating myself is to celebrate what is around me, to energize me, and give me the strength to celebrate myself.

Dandelions aren't just weeds

For me dandelions signal the birth of spring. And more than that, they evoke images of my grandmother, who made dandelion wine from the flowers and picked the tender leaves as they appeared in early spring, before the flowers bloomed. She sautéed them for dinner. My grandmother knew the health and culinary benefits of dandelions (see link below*)—probably why she lived to be ninety-nine. I lived in a small, country town when the kids were pre-school age. We had a huge garden that took up the side of the house. But in early spring, before we rototilled, I’d take the kids out and we’d pick dandelion greens for dinner. I never did try making wine.

Buds are out - soon May flowers

I celebrate taking walks. I live in a medium-sized, safe town and I have two legs that work and I have energy (sometimes), so taking a walk shouldn’t be monumental. As I write this, social-distancing is the norm. Hopefully that term won’t be as significant a barrier when this post appears, as the mandate is now. But I’m not counting on that to be the case. Getting out in the sunshine or on a chilly, windy, brisk day with questionable clouds skittering above me, is a gift. Part of that gift is watching the seasonal changes around me—growing gardens, the return of migrating birds, and even the color of the sky, sunsets, and cloud formations look different than they did this winter.

Waving to a neighbor who is cleaning up the lawn and setting out colorful chairs after a long winter, is a gift. Saying a quick hello to someone you don’t know, but pass by on the other side of the street, and getting an enthusiastic greeting back, is a gift. And standing on the back lawn after a walk, watching your neighbors five new laying chickens peck the dirt, is a gift.

Right now, our celebration of the simpler things that are usually a given in life, are making a huge difference. Last summer a friend who moved gave me a compost barrel. The thing was huge and would take me a decade to fill it, even with the bags of leaves I rake every fall, so I offered it to my neighbor who is building raised garden beds and has just purchased his hens. It sits at the corner between our lots, so I can still help fill the container. He is thrilled and in return gave me fresh eggs.

Fun in the Sun

Escaping the Rain

Another friend gave my ex-husband fresh oysters. His friend had to purchase 100 at a time, but did so to help the local oyster harvesters who have no business with restaurants and the farmer’s markets shut down. My ex, in turn, shared them with me and also with the neighbor who gave each of us fresh eggs. The oysters were the biggest, sweetest, and most tender I’ve ever eaten and were harvested near my town. So much to celebrate, as we all exchanged gifts.

Fresh Maine Oysters

Then there are the simple things we take for granted. Going to the grocery store is now a celebration, especially when the shelves aren’t bare, people are being polite and social-distancing, and the employees who have worked there for decades are still safe and healthy. Hoping that someday soon I’ll be able to get my haircut and chat it up with all the women who work at the small salon as well as the customers who are familiar faces from around town.

Connecting on Zoom or WebEx or Skype and chatting with authors from all over the country and hearing workshops on the craft of writing, is a blessing when we’re all stuck inside. Video chatting with my grandson, so I can show him the Easter basket I’ve been filling up since February, is reason for celebration. I was finally able to deliver the candy in person, dropping it off at the end of the driveway. I got to see his face light up and wave and blow kisses. We did a distancing display of hugging. It wasn’t the same as putting my arms around him, but it was a huge gift to see him and talk in person.

Grandson's eyes widened at this stash

And to wrap up my long lament on things I am grateful for and celebrate, is being a monthly contributor to Romancing the Genres. It is indeed a gift and reason to celebrate. Writing is a gift. Sharing my writing and my thoughts on writing is good for my soul, not to mention, a mental exercise that invigorates and challenges me. And celebrating nine years if RTG as this month, the blog moves into its tenth year is…yes… a great gift.

One more thing to celebrate – is my new book cover. The Legacy of Parkers Point is not a new book, but a new cover for my very first book. When I wrote Legacy, I did not envision writing two more to make a series. Although I loved my very first cover, I decided a new cover was needed to better fit the look of the series, and to show the book takes place in the fall.

Here’s to celebrating ourselves and all the wonders that surround us.

What are the important little things in your life that you now celebrate more than ever?

New Cover - YAY!

The Legacy of Parkers Point

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 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.

Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com
Author FaceBook page: fb.me/delsoraloweauthor
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

* Dandelion Resources:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dandelion-benefits 
https://www.thekitchn.com/10-ways-to-use-those-dandelions-recipes-from-the-kitchn-188774

The Romance of Writing Winter Settings

By Delsora Lowe

I’ll admit right up front that I am not a lover of winter. Unless…I am sitting inside by a roaring fire, sipping hot cocoa, and watching lazy snowflakes drift by…OUTSIDE my window. Having said that, I love to write books set in winter.

Who doesn’t love the thought of cuddling under a huge wool lap blanket while riding in a sleigh on a crisp, cold starlit night under a full moon with the love of your life? Or a first date with the man you’ve lusted after for years, cross-country skiing over a field of virgin snow under a sunny, bluer than blue February sky.

Winter Walk in Colorado
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

Cross-country skiing in Maine
Photo by Nancy Bosburgh-Zane

                                   

Or being “stranded” in a car, just the two of you, on a small winding road in Colorado, snowflakes fluttering down under a full moon shining through the light cloud cover, and surrounded by a herd of grazing elk…on Christmas Eve. Yes, that really happened to me. A little bit scary, yes! But awe-inspiring as the silhouettes of Elk meandered around the car, their majestic heads held high, the moonlight and swirling snow adding an eerie, but beautiful feel to the cold night. And, you can bet I used that magical scene in one of my Cowboys of Mineral Springs, Colorado ranching novels due out in 2018-19.

My current work in progress, The Inn on Gooseneck Lane, is set during the winter holidays in Vermont, and will abound with romantic outdoor activities (says I, as I gleefully rub my hands together in anticipation.) Think midnight sleigh rides under a full moon. Watching New Year’s Eve fireworks while sitting around a bonfire, sipping mulled wine or hot cocoa and toasting marshmallows. Midday cross-country ski trips with a winter picnic around a toasty fire. And then returning to a cozy New England Inn for the night.

Fireworks over Aspen, CO ski area
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

In my Starlight Grille series, I used winter scenes in all three books.

In book one, The Legacy of Parkers Point, the resolution happens on a blustery, snowy day. Using weather, in this case the cold and snow as a metaphor or contrast to convey emotion gives readers the ability to feel what your character does.

Lauralee stood and walked to the bank of windows, the flutter of first snow now drifting across the deck, a contrast to the turmoil inside her.

In book two, Come Dance With Me, the moment it seems that all is lost for our hero and heroine, is at a Christmas dance. There is also a scene of driving through a blizzard searching for a lost teen. Although all turns out well, I had to pull forth my many experiences of commuting to and from work in blizzard conditions in Maine to help create a feeling of anxiety. And my friend’s knowledge of search and rescue techniques for frigid weather adds authenticity to the scene. Hence the reason I’d rather be warming my hands next to a roaring fire, rather than out in a blizzard.

In my newest book, with a Valentine’s Day setting, the entire story is set during the winter. Mary Beth, the heroine of Moonlighting, doesn’t see herself as the most graceful or athletic person. I used her lack of confidence in herself in an ice-skating date gone awry with the man she crushed on in high school and has recently reconnected with. The angst of once being that nerdy, uncoordinated, plump girl drives her emotion and reactions to a present day date on skates. I used my own experience as a far from athletic teen and a date from hell (on his part, not mine) with one of my teenage crushes—skating on the canal in Washington D.C., and having to cling to my date the entire time because I was so afraid of falling. Okay, so clinging to a guy you have a crush on is a good thing. Holding him back from having a great time with a group of friends, not so much. Fifty years later, that date is a vivid memory that I used to conjure up the angst of my heroine.

As I said earlier, winter is not my favorite time of year, because for me it means more work; bundling up to go outside, navigating bad roads and sidewalks, trying to keep myself warm even inside the house, shoveling. But winter can also be the most romantic season to write about, where you can use the backdrop of setting to build celebrations or mirror your character’s angst.

Holiday Magic, Aspen, CO
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

So I leave you with romantic thoughts for a cold winter day. Winter holidays. The chill in the air, a good excuse for cuddling. The vivid blue winter skies. The winter constellations in a moonlit, clear, crisp sky. The magic of a pristine, bright white landscape. The touch of snowflakes landing on your cheeks and the invigorating cold as you fill your lungs with each breath. Warm drinks by a roaring fire. Being snowed in with the one person you love. And last, but not least, curling up by the fire to read a romance.

Do you have a favorite winter memory?

And since February is the month of all things Valentine, anyone who leaves a comment and their email address between now and February 28 will be put in a drawing to win a free copy of Moonlighting. The book will be on sale for 99 cents through March 10.

Blurb:

A blast from the past, a ten-year old matchmaker with a valentine wish, an omission, and a villainous man…a recipe for disaster? Or love against all odds?

Tucker Benson’s decision to move to a new town, build a new business, and protect his daughter does not include finding a replacement for his cheating wife. But his ten-year old daughter has other plans.

And she’s found the one!

Mary Beth Walters’ life is up-to-the-brim full. When her high school crush, a single father, moves to town, she is tempted. Only problem is, he doesn’t recognize her. That could be a good thing. Or end in trouble.

When Tucker discovers the secret Mary Beth holds close to her heart, will love be enough to overcome broken trusts?

From Cabins to Cottages…Keep the Home Fires Burning

Delsora Lowe

A transplanted big city gal, world-wide traveler, and foreign-service brat, who now lives in a coastal Maine town, Delsora Lowe loves to write about small town heroes from the cowboys and ranchers of Colorado to the game wardens and lobstermen of Maine. Her work in the hospitality industry, rape crisis, admissions, alumni relations, and women’s advocacy has allowed her to interact on a daily basis with real life heroines and heroes.

Lowe’s family visits to Colorado are the inspiration for an upcoming contemporary western series in 2018. And her daughter’s wedding and her son’s home on the coast of Maine provided plentiful ideas for the Starlight Grille series.

Website: www.delsoralowe.com
Newsletter signup (only sent out when there is news): http://www.delsoralowe.com/contact.html

Blog: http://www.delsoralowe.com/blog

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2nRx1Bs 

Links:

Links to Moonlighting (A Starlight Grille Book 3): on preorder, to be released on December 7

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BjuZS1

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/mZ5eop

Links to Come Dance With Me (A Starlight Grille Book 2):

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Ev2rHc

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/bMrQva 

Links to The Legacy of Parkers Point (A Starlight Grille Book 1):

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nRcEUV

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo:  https://www.books2read.com/u/b6rQzx