All Things Pumpkin and Fall…And Romance .......... by Delsora Lowe

Romance novels and films have been maligned or mocked as being frilly and frivolous and feeding a false narrative on life.

Hello! Why do you think romance novels are the highest selling category of book than any other genre—fiction or non-fiction? We all want to dream about a wonderful and loving life. And, no, romance novels are not based on a false narrative. But yes, the entire genre is meant to boost hope for a feel-good future; however that is defined by the reader.

Watching “seasonal” – as in any season – Hallmark movies, or Lifetime Christmas movies, or reading a seasonal book by one of many best-selling, or newly discovered, romance authors, is a guaranteed FEEL-GOOD.

In fact, a book will not be classified as a romance without a Happily-Ever-After ending, or a Happily-For-Now ending—which infers a Happily-Ever-After beyond the end of the book.

So, what does this have to do with pumpkins, you ask? In my mind… romance. Fall-themed romance books and movies. Turn on Hallmark and you will be accosted by pumpkins, colorful leaves, actors in sweaters, and participating in fall activities, despite the fact they film these movies in the heat of summer.

I love the fall season. The air is crisp — allowing for the comfort of a sweater to snuggle into. The leaves change from vibrant green to a medley of colors, depending on the type of tree. The flowers are sturdier and have deeper, richer colors, than the dainty pastels of spring. The pale sky blue of summer turns into a deeper blue before darkening to a vibrant azure in late fall and winter. The shadows lengthen as the sun drops below the horizon earlier each day. Even the nights seem darker and brighter with brilliant stars and distinct constellations. And pumpkins abound, with their beautiful and happy orange color.

But I digress. Back to books.

I scour new book listings that will embrace the fall season—their covers resplendent with colorful leaves, crisp, blue skies, and the promise of cooler temps. That means we can bring out our favorite cozy sweaters, and brew fun hot liquids. Do you know how many ways you can doctor a simple cup of hot cocoa, especially when you add spices associated with fall? Ever try the combo of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne in a cup of coco? Heavenly—with a subtle hint of heat to add to the warmth of the liquid.

As a romance novel enthusiast, I am also a romance movie fanatic. My dear friend and I critique every movie, as we watch and compare notes. Then we Google “Stream It or Skip It” to see if our take on the movie matches the “expert” reviewer. You would be amazed how many times, we “nail” the gist of what the reviewer says.

Extreme fandom? You bet! But I prefer to call the activity of watching romance movies “a must-research” for writers of romance. And…I’ll let you in on a little secret…ever since I saw my first Hallmark movie, back when I was in Junior High—a LONG time ago—when the movies only came out three or four times a year, I dreamed of having a Hallmark movie made from one of my books. Not that I ever thought of actually writing one at that age. 

Full disclosure—I still dream that dream. Only now, I’m actually writing romance novels. And if I’m honest, in the back of my head sits that little—okay—gigantic dream egging me on.

Another way of researching romances is through reading. I religiously buy Woman’s World every week. Although, I used to be a caterer and restaurant cook, so I do love their recipes, I still flip toward the back of the magazine first. You know why? The 5-minute romance! I’ve even sold 4 stories to the magazine since my first in 2010. And right now, I am madly editing for the umpteenth time two stories, one for Christmas and one for New Year’s Eve. I just sent in a Thanksgiving story. It’s a tough market, but with all the almost sixty shorts I have written over the years, I am now assembling an anthology. So, eventually those stories will get a home.

November 2018 - "Bright New Beginnings" - My Story
About Organizing the Local Thanksgiving Parade

But I digress. What does my love of romance movies have to do with fall and pumpkins, besides a plethora of pumpkins in the movies at this time of year? Not much, except my writing is in full, fall-themed mode. And my tastebuds are clamoring to tell the “artistic” part of my brain that it’s time to cook my favorite pumpkin or squash enhanced recipes.

So, let’s talk food! Pumpkins, in particular. I am immersed in reading fall-themed romance books and watching movies that seem to have plenty of pumpkins. And…I am buying ingredients to make my favorite fall soups that include winter-type squashes or pumpkins. And who doesn’t love to sip a fall-flavored and pumpkin-spiced hot tea on a crisp fall day. Or, in my case, as I write this and stare out my window, a typical fall day filled with skittering white clouds in a bright blue and sunny sky, followed by graying clouds and intermediate spits of rain. A great day for fall-flavored soup and tea.

Yes, folks…Fall is here, and the pumpkins are piled up in front of the local grocery store. Enjoy the season!

 

What do you like about pumpkins?

Do you enjoy pumpkin-flavored

 food and drinks? Or are there other foods, drinks,

 and scenery that remind you of fall?

Do you like reading romances set in the fall?

 

 

The Rancher Needs a Wife

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. The Love Left Behind is a Hartford Estates, R.I. wedding novella. A Christmas novel (The Inn at Gooseneck Lane) and novella (Holiday Hitchhiker) were released in late fall 2022. Look for book 3 of the cowboy’s series, as well as book 2 of the Hartford Estates series, in 2025.

Social Media Links:
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/

Image Link Credit: 
Photos: taken by blog author  
TV: https://clipart-library.com/1950s-tv-cliparts.html  
Dancing Couple: 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFUY9rHWBVq8O0aVrj9eXyU3z1dWSPyvEKs9DH89jr8-5h6UA8fcl_LgoCLT1cAGYbuQH-dUl0hAyNvR2473Ntc3J895V11M21yjMS3v-3GYDRv99BJNN7DRWkjj0DxiC7EKYiZQX5dkmeQpOUakRgpnOP3qRLWp3HTLvK0PjlHtv56RwSGfcTrEPqzXlp/s2048/top-bride-and-groom-silhouette-photos.jpg.png

The Christmas Tree Alliance

Make sure to enter the Christmas Tree War contest—see details at the end of this blog.

Inspired by Book Cover

To celebrate the launch of my holiday novella on December 10^th, I used Debbie Taylor’s cover art as inspiration for one of my three personal Christmas trees. While I’m not exactly thrilled with the results of my blue and white creation, I do like it.  I am however, pleased with my other trees. I really enjoyed decorating all three.  In fact, I like decorating trees so much, I start planning a new theme each January (yes, I know I should be in a program). Worse, I’ve infected several of my friends and they, too, start planning eleven months early.

This year, I fashioned a green and pink tree—inspired by a hydrangea display I saw in a store window in Asheville, NC. Normally, I only design one “new”  
tree each year and simply recycle designs from prior year favorites for the other two. Did this obsession inspire The Christmas Tree Wars?

Not exactly.

Pink and Green

Pink Tree without Lights

In the past, I always felt a bit odd for my multiple tannenbaums—until I met my friend Pam.  She had twelve Christmas trees--or maybe the number was even higher. Of course, she counted the small tree on the tank of her bathroom toilet (the woman was ahead of her time). Pam had a wonderful assortment of Radko decorations and lights for every color of the rainbow.  Since I have a new theme each year, I must be more budget conscious about my ornaments.  Not only do I modify dollar store decorations and paint inexpensive boxed ornaments, I also create a lot of folded ornaments. Yep, the very same ones you made from Christmas cards as a kid. Except I use Wonder-Under and shiny/lacy/metallic fabric to give them a more grown-up flavor. You can find the instructions on my website, www.AuthorRobinWeaver.com.

Sometimes art imitates life and sometimes it doesn't. The effort my friends and I expend on our trees each year certainly ignited the idea for The Christmas Tree Wars, but there are no battles. Ours is more of a Christmas tree alliance; we each keep an eye out for ornaments befitting the theme (both our own and others).

Some might say spending so much time on a tree that’s displayed for only a month or so is a waste of effort. I say it’s a thing of beauty.  After all, isn’t that what makes life worthwhile—those moments of beauty?

Wishing all of you a very happy holiday!

Robin

Don’t forget to enter the Christmas Tree Contest.  Send a picture of your Christmas tree to ChristmasTreeWars@yahoo.com.  I will be posting the pictures on my facebook page and will select at least one winner on December 15th. The winning entry will be selected on December 15th and will receive a free copy of The Christmas Tree Wars AND a copy of Ashantay Peters holiday tale, Dickens of a Death. Also, one lucky person leaving a comment on either of my Facebook pages (Robin Weaver OR Christmas Tree Wars) will win a copy of the novella--so leave those comments.