Minimal water, Maximum Beauty … Michal Scott

You never know what stereotypes or preconceived notions you have until they hit you in the face. As a transplanted Northeastern to the Southwest I hadn’t realized I thought everything would be tumbleweed, cacti and lots and lots of dirt and dust. Never had I imagined snow. But at least it’s gone by noon.

So imagine my wonder at the varied plants and trees I found not just in my neighborhood but throughout all parts of my new home city. Vibrant colors, swaying branches, fragrant blooms.

How was this all possible? Because of a new word that came into my vocabulary: Xeriscaping. Xeriscaping is “the practice of designing landscapes to reduce or eliminate the need for irrigation.” It is comprised of seven principles: (1) plan and design for smart water use (2) improve soil quality (3) reduce turf and other water-wasting plants (4) Choose the right plants (5) Water efficiently (6) Mulch (7) Maintain your landscape.

A myth about xeriscaping is that it’s mostly rocks. As you can see from my photos even lilac bushes and grass are part of xeriscaped landscapes. Practically all the front yards of the houses on my street are xeriscaped. Even the one with a lawn follows all the xeriscape principles.

 Minimal water. Maximum beauty. Who couldn’t get behind that?

 

Anna Taylor Sweringen self-publishes second chance gothic ghost stories in her Haunted Harlem series as Anna M. Taylor and steamy historicals for the Wild Rose Press as Michal Scott. You can learn more about Haunted Harlem on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/355nKv0 

and Michal Scott's steamy historical novellas and short stories here: https://amzn.to/2TSHzRn.

 

New Year Musing by Bonnie Hobbs

                                        

I woke up with a word bouncing gently in my mind. I didn’t hear it, I saw it, as is often the case. Vicissitudes. Big word for such an early hour, but here at the beginning of a new year, I’m thinking about life’s ups and down, that ol’ taking our knocks, reeling with blows, but more often, just sliding along.

Bonnie Hobbs

We dance a kind of two-step. You know, one step forward, two steps back and slide, slide, slide. The dance of writing goes that way for me. Advance, retreat, make progress, delete whole scenes, and lately, with seven manuscripts in various ways “completed,” I seem to be sliding sideways with most of them – rewriting, revising, resubmitting. Yet some steps in this dance have been the high-stepping kind. One book was released by Wild Rose Press last March, and two more accepted by Five Star Publishing. (Can I say this without signed contracts in hand? Or is that a sure way to invite the wrath of jealous writing goddesses?)

So maybe this coming year will bring less downs in work and life and more ups, when words come swimming into my brain on awakening, as today. So, a new year, filled with what is yet to come.

In that light, let me leave with a story about life’s surprises, shall I? Throughout my childhood my rough-talking Texas grandma filled me with stories of living on the plains. Born in 1896, married at sixteen, her girl-hood and young wife’s memories stirred my imagination—living in a “soddy,” fending off rattlers with a buggy whip, cooking on a wood-stove for twenty men at round-up time, all with a toddler to mind and a baby on her hip.

Often I now think she told the stories in an attempt to tell us, when we were whiny little monsters, to “get over ourselves.” I have even wondered lately if she made many of those stories up. They’ve been sprinkled into much of my writing, that’s for sure. I wish I’d pressured her for more before she died in 1976. Is it any wonder my stories are Women’s Frontier fiction set in the American West?

Ah, but the surprise I promised—Grandma always told us how her great-grandma was Cherokee. I scoffed as a know-it-all college girl, telling her “everyone from Texas claims Indian descent, Grandma.” Well, she’d only glare at me with squinted eyes.

Last year, feeling sentimental about Grandma, I spat in Ancestry.com’s handy tube to find out just how much of this “Indian” blood I carried. Well—wait for it. My ancestors are mostly from the British Isles. No surprise. And Grandma was right in a way. I do indeed carry a small percentage of “Indian” DNA. Yep. From the Asian subcontinent. Huh? One can only guess at the when and wherefore of the co-mingling of such genetic material. (I, of course, plan to be putting this in a short story.)

So what would Grandma say to that? Something like “pshaw!” Again, she’d be glaring at me. But I can only chuckle at life’s vicissitudes and say, “Namaste, Grandma, many blessings upon you and thank you so very much for the stories.”

Learn more about Bonnie on her website.

A CHRISTMAS VILLAGE REAWAKENS TO DELIGHT READERS

Merryvale is a village everyone would like to claim as a hometown once Santa starts loading his sleigh. Luckily for readers who love Christmas stories, author Robin Weaver is whisking us there once again this holiday season for a delightful laugh-filled visit.  

FULL CONTACT DECORATING is the newest title in Weaver’s series that starts with the mood-lifting CHRISTMAS TREE WARS. Her new novel, aptly dedicated to Christmas Tree Lovers everywhere, brings back many of our favorite characters.

Here’s a preview:

Katrina Snodgrass believes she can get her life back on track. If she can regain her title as the Christmas Tree Contest champion and re-snare the man of her dreams. Too bad soap-opera star, Tripp Anthony, isn’t interested—at least he’s indifferent until Hunter Montgomery arrives and convinces Katrina she needs to make her former flame jealous. The plan succeeds, but Katrina finds herself equally attracted to Tripp and Hunter, the man she loves to hate. Her heart is torn, but can she truly choose either man while she guards a horrible secret?

Here's a link to make it easy for you to buy an ebook copy of FULL CONTACT DECORATING for just $2.99. Enjoy!

REVIEW: The Christmas Tree Wars

By Ashantay Peters

My love of Christmas stories is hereditary—my mother reads books with a winter holiday setting all year around and so do I. Genes also account for our cross-genre reading tendencies, along with our need for stories that feature twists and turns. That’s why I believe my Christmas story pick, The Christmas Tree Wars by RTG blogger Robin Weaver, will appeal to readers across generational—and genre—lines. The book is set for release on December 10 by The Wild Rose Press. You can search for it by title or by author Robin Weaver's name.

In this novella, Suzette Forrester discovers she’s been entered into the local Christmas tree decorating contest, familiarly known to many as The Christmas Tree Wars. Unbeknownst to the generous friends who footed the bill, Suzette had played the lack of funds card as an excuse. Her real reason for not entering the contest was deeper and difficult to admit.

While looking for a way to pull out of the contest, Suzette is cornered by her nemesis, Katarina Snodgrass. Posturing, a rash bet, a few rude words later…and to her horror, Suzette is bound to compete.

Suzette wonders if she’s made Santa’s naughty list for life when she learns her high school crush, Spence James, has returned to help his ill father. She’d love to sit on his lap and whisper her Christmas wishes in his ear, but Katarina was standing first in line.  Which makes working with Spence fraught with emotional icicles.

Mix a wanna-be fiance, a Hollywood star with secrets, a series of contest wins by Suzette’s grandmother, and a history of losing to Katarina to the holiday potpourri, and you’ve got the makings of a Christmas Tree War.  And what a fun war it is!

I enjoyed the many plot turns and new twists of language employed by Ms. Weaver. The author’s trademarked snarky heroine does herself proud and pulls off a laugh out-loud HEA win in more than one category.

If you are searching for a short read to take your mind off the stress-related decorating, baking, and shopping to find just that right gift for cantankerous Uncle Joe, pick up The Christmas Tree Wars novella. You’ll be swept into a story that will invigorate you faster than devouring an entire gingerbread house!

Be sure to put December 10 on  your calendar so you can add this title to your personal Christmas gift list. This writer gives the book a high recommendation for a ho-ho-ho good time. And that’s no snow-blinded opinion. Remember, I come by my holiday story biases naturally.

May your upcoming holidays be filled with satisfying stories, love, joy, and peace!