The Things That Always Cheer Me Up . . . . . . by Delsora Lowe

I am lucky, I have many things that give me a lift every day.

Reading…

Whether it is reading a good book or watching a romcom movie or a sitcom that will take me away from the reality and horrors of our world, each gives me a sense of peace and happiness. I can bask in the message being portrayed in that media and lock away my worries for the time it takes me to read or watch an uplifting book or program.

Writing…

I also write romance. So, writing positive content definitely gives me a feel-good vibe. Even when getting the couple together at the end may take a turn for the worst, know that in order to proclaim a book’s place in the romance genre, a happily-ever-after or a happily-for-now is a requirement. So, they always have a feel-good component at the end.

Friends…

Another thing that makes me happy is seeing a friend in person. Yes, these days ZOOM makes it easy to keep up with friends. I also keep up with many over the phone or through email or other forms of social media but getting together with friends in person is the best! There’s nothing like cradling a cup of tea, while looking directly into a friend’s face who is sitting across the table from you. Or slurping down an ice cream cone while walking the boardwalk with friends. That in-person contact makes a huge difference.

More Writing…

Going to my local weekly writing group grounds me every week. We each write a piece that takes 5-minutes or less to read out loud. The writing can be in any genre, which is fun for me, since my “job” is writing romance, whether a 5-minute romance I want to submit to Woman’s World magazine or a romance novella or full-length novel that I will eventually publish. Writing outside of my preferred genre gives me a different prospective on life, my town, my relationships with family, or any other topics, such as the environment, recipes I love to cook, etc. It frees up my brain to be creative in a different way.

What Things Give You a Lift and Make You Feel Happy? 

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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, to be released in 2025.

Bragging: Or At Least Talking Myself Up...A Bit - - - - by Delsora Lowe

This month’s theme is bragging, ah, er, I mean, telling all of you the three things that I think are my strengths or things I do well.

That’s a hard one. Because, even though there are certain things I love to do, I never feel as though I am great at any of them. But I have to admit, maybe I am good at some of them. And at the same time, always trying to improve.

The obvious is I am good, getting better, but not a star, at writing. I have practiced a lot since I was a kid. My freshman year at a new high school, my teacher submitted a story I had written from a child’s point-of-view, about his little red wagon. It ended up in the school’s quarterly literary magazine. I wanted to run and hide, because I thought people would think I had a childish mind. I survived the ordeal—which wasn’t the ordeal my imagination thought it would be.

My three grandsons, who are all in high school now!

My first-year college English professor “kicked me out” of the required grammar class, because I already knew “that stuff.” As an aside, for the few weeks I was in his class, he also drilled in the use of the Oxford comma. When I went back to finish my degree fifteen years later after marriage and kids, my professors in various disciplines, asked me where I learned to write. So, I offer many thanks to my high school English classes, that at the time were pure torture. However, I did learn to write.

Here are two other areas that I think I am able to achieve in.

First: Cooking—and by that, I mean, I am able to make anything out of nothing. To me food is not only nourishment, but inspiration. I love recipes, but I never follow them. Oh, I try. But then I say to myself…hmmm, I bet if I add this or that, this recipe will be better. Or I look in the fridge and groan, because I haven’t been to the grocery store lately, and I make up a recipe out of anything that is still useable in the fridge. Or I scan the cupboards. I mix and match and add a tidbit of this and a spoonful of that, and a shake of something else.

I have my maternal grandmother and both my parents to thank for showing me how it's done in the kitchen. Use up leftovers in inventive ways. Never let anything go to waste. And always have enough wine - whoops - channeling my dad. Here's to you, Dad, as I hold up my stemmed glass toward the heavens.

I do the same thing in the grocery store since my list says bread, meat, fish, veggies, salad stuff, soup, etc. I have to feel “in the mood.” Today the butternut squash calls to me. Next time it might be broccoli or turnip or beets or avocado. And then as I wander the isles, or survey the meat and fish displays, or check out cheeses I have never tried, I devise my menus for the next few days. Okay, so I may be one of the few who love to grocery shop, and I especially love to wander the farmers market, where each week the offerings are different, depending on harvest times. My brain snaps into creative cooking mode.

Living in Maine – lobster, a favorite ingredient in a meal

The second other thing I am good at is TALKING. I can hear the groan from the peanut gallery of those who know me well. Yup—she talks ALL THE TIME. I love to talk with friends. But I also chat up the store clerk or cashier, anyone in line with me, or anyone searching for the same item in a store. But that love of chat came in handy in my chosen, and not-so-chosen, careers and jobs in hospitality, retail, event planning, government, non-profits, etc. In those jobs it’s a requirement to speak to strangers.

And out of that type of work, I also became good at being a connector of people.

            One example is that during 9/11, I worked in a school in Washington, D.C. It was also my alma mater. We had alumni all over the country, as well as living overseas. I received many calls from people worried about their former classmates in D.C. and N.Y.C. I also heard from many in those affected areas reporting in. I became a conduit between friends.

Part of my job was organizing gatherings for alumni all over the country. That included finding venues and caterers, plus programming for each event. That might include bringing along a beloved professor, or finding an alum in the area who had an interesting career they could speak about, or who had authored a book. I also used to connect alumni from different generations who had things in common—like similar jobs, lived in the same area, or had the same interests. Or those alumni who were looking for jobs and those who might be mentors in that search.

Working in non-profits and alumni relations, connecting like-minded people to resources, job opportunities, or other people who like the same things or are in similar careers, becomes a given. And now, with a network of writers all over the country, it is fun to connect other writers to resources, or authors who write in similar genres, or have areas of expertise needed by that author. And…luckily, they do the same for me. Writing romance is one of my joys in life. And with that goes staying in touch with my good friends, and connecting with authors who may have advice to help me on my journey.

It’s all about the networking, no matter whether it is a job search, connecting with people who have similar interests, jobs, or hobbies, or a simple helpful gesture guiding a lost shopper in the direction of the aisle filled with ice cream. So put on that bright smile and connect. You might be surprised at how much fun it is, even when you know you may never cross paths with that person again.

What is something you think you do well? 

And why do you believe you do this item well?

 

Check out Starlight Grille

Welcome to Serenity Harbor, Maine, a small coastal town where the Starlight Grille is a favorite meeting place. This sweet, with a touch of heat, 3-book collection includes a new bonus short story and a Starlight Grille recipe.

 Amazon(also in print)

Booksto Read

 

~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~

Delsora Lowe writes small town and contemporary western sweet and spicy romances, from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of New England.

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 (most recently, an Easter romance in the April 1, 2024 edition.) The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella with Book 2 on the way. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker – the youngest brother of the Mineral Spring’s ranching family) were the most recent releases. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, coming soon.

 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:
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What's new, pussy cat?

Ah, those lofty New Year’s resolutions. For many of us, if written down, they’d make great birdcage liners by February. Unfortunately, I no longer have a birdcage and the hens prefer wood shavings.

I’m pleased to say I’ve learned a thing or three in the nearly sixty years (gulp) I’ve been alive. One thing I’m finally accepting is life is a marathon, not a sprint. Another thing I hold to be true is that one tiny, inconsequential decision, good or bad, can change your life.

Case in point:  Many moons ago, I saw a notice in the local paper for a writing workshop. This was before I started writing in earnest and was just playing around and had less than a clue what I was doing. I almost talked myself out of attending due to a combination of introvert tendencies and fear of the unknown, i.e. real writers. Who’s to say how my life would have evolved if I’d hesitated? I did go, discovered a whole new world, and now have good friends and a strong support network. One two-hour meeting of an RWA chapter slowly and gradually (that marathon thing) changed my life. I believe my evolution as a writer hasn’t ended, but I feel stuck. I’ve set goals for this year, both writing and non-writing, but they’re similar to last year and the year before, and the year before that. I need another “two-hour meeting”, except it’s not safe to breathe the air of a bunch of strangers for that long!

Funny story. I was scrolling through my Kindle the other night/early morning when Mother Nature’s furnace woke me and I couldn’t get back to sleep. And what did I find? A whole bunch of unread or partially read writing craft books that I’d been excited to buy but never got around to reading. I’ve decided that this year’s writing “two-hour meeting” is the challenge of reading and absorbing one of those books per month. I even created a page in my planner to keep track. Perhaps I’ll learn something that will be life-altering, or at least settle once and for all where the blasted commas go.

Another funny story. Regular readers of this blog, or my personal blog when I had one, or my newsletter will know that I love to bake. I especially love trying new recipes. I also enjoy cooking, though baking is my first love because I have a serious sweet tooth. For years and decades, we’ve subscribed to Cook’s Illustrated magazine – yes, an honest-to-goodness bunch of pages that are delivered to the mailbox.

Any guesses as to the last time I tried a recipe from the massive collection of back issues? Exactly. So my non-writing “two-hour meeting”, and a great way to relax, is my second challenge – cooking or baking two recipes from each new issue, which will work out to be one per month since it’s a bi-monthly publication.

I’m not expecting life-changing consequences from a new cookie recipe, but I may discover a new food culture that will enrich my soul as well as my body. As for learning where the blasted commas go, I have a feeling that ship sailed long ago.

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy contemporary romance, 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, one spoiled cat, and five hens. 

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads 

Freedom of Mind ... by Delsora Lowe

Anything artistic takes a creative mind—obviously. But, creativity-inspired work takes so much more. It takes years of studying and honing a skill, whether it is writing, painting, weaving, pottery, cooking, or…

Sauteeing farmers' market swiss chard

Having said that, artistry also takes concentration. And to concentrate, the mind must be free to explore.

These last few years have been daunting, in that the problems of the world seem to overtake the creative part of the brain and shut it down. At least it has for me. Freeing my mind to create has been tough.

In order to attain freedom of mind, I’ve had to shut off the things that cause me anxiety. And those stressors can vary from day-to-day. Whether it is the news or dealing with family issues or catching up on the never-ending barrage of email or keeping up with social media, even if it is fun—all those things can put one in overload mode.

Add in your creativity priorities and deadlines, and the stress can become overwhelming. Finding other creative outlets that don’t have timelines or expectations, is a good way to jumpstart the creative parts that have shutdown. For me, it was the simple idea of grabbing a few sheets of computer paper and my ten different-colored sharpies and scribbling out a drawing of flowers in a vase. I am not an artist, even though everyone else in my family is. But I had fun creating what I call Kindergarten / Picasso-Inspired-Abstract. And even though it was the only creative thing I could think to do in my marathon, TV-induced haze of procrastination, IT WORKED!

Find something to distract you that will jump-start your creative mind. Cooking, which for me starts with a random set of ingredients to create a new recipe, has always been a relaxing and creative endeavor. But push yourself out of your comfort zone, whether it is buying an adult coloring book and a set of bright-colored pencils, picking up knitting needles after thirty years of not knitting, pot gardening on your deck, trying a ZOOM belly-dancing class (yes, I did that and what fun!,) trying something new and creative is a great way to free up, and jump start those stagnant brain cells.

So, my advice, as all of us try to get back into a more “normal” life pattern, whether it is resurrecting our creative mode, or jumping back into in-person work or meetings or social events, is to pinpoint potential stressors, and limit yourself. And not only do this for the things we must check off our lists. Do so as you ease back into the joys of life and discover a new, fun distraction.

And most of all, define your own freedom. I’m usually an outgoing, social being, but this last year of isolation has diminished that part of me. So, I’m easing back into interacting in-person, in order to save my brain from the overload shock of dealing with real people.

Having said that, there is nothing more that energizes me then running into a friend in the grocery store parking lot and just getting to yack, yack, yack for a few minutes. Or talking to a farmer at the farmers market about their wonderful offerings and getting ideas for recipes. Or hollering “over the fence” to a neighbor to find out how their chickens are doing or their garden grows or their kids or dog is faring.

Enjoy your new creative outlets. Have fun setting your new boundaries. Recognize your limitations that may have changed. And take back your freedom in whatever way works for you.

What tricks do you use to free up your brain?

The Love Left Behind

Amazon

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

Books2Read   books2read.com/u/mglVqK

~ 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:
Exploding Brain - free clip art brain exploding - Google Search
Belly Dance- Free Belly Dance Silhouette, Download Free Belly Dance Silhouette png images, Free ClipArts on Clipart Library (clipart-library.com)
Crowd: free clip art crowds of people - Google Search

A Joyful Heart

by Diana McCollum 

 For the first time ever we can truly say 2020 is behind us! There is a vaccine coming to all of us very soon! With the vaccine, when most people are vaccinated, will come a shift towards life as we knew it before the pandemic. I don’t want to dwell on all the negativity that has been part of all our lives right through today. 

Instead, what are we going to do going forward? I have come to appreciate my friends and family so much more. I’m hoping my weekly zoom meetings with family and friends will continue. As I am always uplifted after seeing their faces and hearing their voices. I intend to keep up my daily walks and i always find something new to be thankful for. Sometimes a deer in a neighbor's yard or a bunch of tiny pinecones that fell from a tree. The blue sky and fluffy white clouds, so many things to be thankful for. and so many more things too many to name.

I want to learn new skills. My friend and are holding each other accountable for spending time on writer related things. The book I’m working on will be published in 2021, which is exciting. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and hopeful for a peaceful world. There is some joy in every day. If one can find even that small amount of joy it is uplifting. One thing I enjoy is cooking. I must say during the pandemic I’ve cooked new deserts more often than healthy meals. That is one thing I am changing.

I’d like to share a New Year’s recipe with you. It is from my recipe book “A Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook”, by Patricia Telesco.

As you go forward into the New Year I wish you the Magical attributes of this recipe which are: Strength, courage, vitality, and fire magic. 

Red Bean Rally (Cuba) 

 1lb red beans Pepper

 ½ lb cooked, cubed pork

 1 large onion chopped 

3 cloves garlic minced

 1 red pepper diced

 ½ tsp dried thyme

 2 tbls olive oil

 ½ tsp dried basil

 1 tomato chopped 

1 bay leaf

 4 ½ tsps. Vinegar Salt

 3 cups cooked rice 

Soak the beans for 12 hours and then drain. Combine the beans, pork, garlic, thyme, basil, bay leaf, salt, pepper, and 5-6 cups of water in a large pot. Simmer. Saute the onion and pepper in the oil. Add to the beans with tomato and vinegar. Simmer till the beans are done, 20-30 mins. Serve on a bed of rice with a hard boiled egg or lemon slices as garnish. Yield: 6 servings

Celebrations: Solar and fire festivals, Feast of Banners, Feast of Juniper Enjoy the recipe!!! 

"The bookshop has a thousand books, all colors, hues and tinges And every cover is a door that turns on magic hinges." by Nancy B. Turner 

 What things are you doing for yourself in the New Year?

A funny thing happened on the way to the campsite

I struggled to recall a funny family story because I don’t have the best memory and never have. For instance, I need to travel a specific route many times before I know it. I’m hard-pressed to remember a store location if I’ve only been there once. I won’t even mention my poor sense of direction. All I can say is, thank goodness for GPS. But there is one incident that I hope is amusing, in a comedy of errors sort of way.

Many years ago, on one of our family camping expeditions, Hubby, our two sons, and I loaded the canoes with supplies and provisions and set off on a five-day circuit along three lakes in Kejimkujik National Park here in Nova Scotia. We would camp at a different site every night, and paddle and/or portage for a few hours every day.

Now, because we would have limited contact with the outside world (cell towers were few and far between back then), we double and triple checked everything as we unloaded the car. The parking lot was a good fifteen-minute hike from the boat launch and we had to make several trips back and forth with the two canoes and all our stuff. Our two boys were twelve and ten years old at the time and could carry only so much.

Anyway, we finally got underway after a picnic lunch and enjoyed a leisurely paddle to our first campsite. The weather was fine and we took our time setting up camp, exploring a nearby trail, and hunting for snakes. Son1 was determined to catch a garter snake. (He did later in the trip and got a good snakebite for his trouble. And still proudly carries the scar.)

On our first night of one of these trips I always cook a regular meal using perishable food because subsequent meals will be freeze-dried or dehydrated “casseroles” which we’ll be thoroughly tired of by the end. Along about six o’clock I set up the kitchen with the compact one-burner stove, the small frying pan with folding handle, and the pound of ground beef for our burger feast. Imagine my frustration when I couldn’t get the stove to light. There was plenty of fuel, I’d lit the stove countless times before, and so I had no clue what I was doing wrong. I called hubby over and, after a few minutes of fiddling, he determined that an essential piece of the stove was missing, a little valve or something. Well…now imagine my frustration. The stove had been intact when he loaded the car so the piece must have fallen out when he gave the stove one last check in the parking lot.

The park regulations forbid using a campfire for cooking, leaving us with only one option. Hubby and Son1, being the strongest pair, set off on the three hour round trip in a race against nightfall. Son2 and I tried to amuse ourselves while waiting – which wasn’t easy. When the sun dipped below the horizon we settled on the little wooden dock because there was more lingering light at the water’s edge than under the canopy of trees. We counted frogs based on their noises, tried to identify birds as they flew home to roost, and marveled at the call of the loons in the perfect stillness.

I let out a sigh of relief when I heard the unmistakeable sound of a paddle hitting the side of a canoe. Son2 and I turned on our flashlights and became a human lighthouse to guide home the rescue team. They were hot and tired because they’d paddled at full steam and run to the parking lot. Sure enough, the missing stove part had been lying on the ground next to our car.

Dinner was late that night but those hamburgers were the most delicious we’d ever eaten.

~

Luanna Stewart has been creating adventures for her imaginary friends since childhood. She spends her days writing spicy 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 and two spoiled cats.

Website ~ Bookbub ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page

Her newest book, If I Didn't Care, is available at your favourite online retailer.

Guess who’s moving in next door?

Nicole Bennett is used to bad luck—it’s kind of a family curse. She’s spent the past year stitching her life back together after losing her dream job. Well, it paid the rent. Now stuck working at her family’s grocery store while wrangling a demoralized dad and a spoiled-brat sister, the last thing she needs is for the man who wrecked her life to move in next door, even if it is for only three weeks. So what if he’s sexier than sin and makes her believe in fairy tale endings?

Ross Calvert’s life in the fast lane crashed when he lost his job and fiancée. All he’s got to show for years of hard work are a sleek sports car and a closet full of designer suits – minus the closet. Determined to salvage his relationship with his best friend, he trades in the corporate life for a brief stint as a caregiver. The decision was simple—until he discovers the tempting vixen he wronged lives next door. Maybe she’s what he needs to reboot his life.

What starts off as a no-strings fling soon veers into making promises that might be impossible to keep.