NOVEMBER REFLECTIONS

The autumn leaves here in north Texas are finally bejeweled. My eyes feast on them every day because they came late and will probably not last long.

Election season has left almost everyone in an emotional state. The full moon on Monday will be the most intense super moon of the past sixty-eight years. In the next few days we may see overwhelming emotions in those who feel extreme losses or gains.

US Thanksgiving is just weeks away, and we’re deep in the season of gratitude. As we look around during these post-election days much soul searching is taking place.

What are you most grateful for? What can you focus on that magnifies the beauty you bring to the table of life? Each of us is a piece of the jigsaw puzzle of the whole.

Make time for some self-nurturing and compassion as you stroll the leaf-strewn paths of your journey through life. Focus on the positive and the light that shines through your eyes and in your smile.

At the end of the day we are all just humans coexisting on a beautiful planet together.

Thank you to the many supportive and friendly readers and writers whose paths have crossed mine this past year. These precious encounters have made my writing process a joy and pulled me out of my solitary and sometimes lonely cave. Many of us have had extreme challenges in 2016, and our sharing has brought us all closer.

A heartfelt Happy Thanksgiving I wish you. 

AUTUMN MASQUERADE

$0.99
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Anna Spencer learned long ago to focus on her corporate career. Her psychic gifts must remain secret or she’ll risk rejection from those she loves and ridicule from her coworkers.

Her boss, Richard Bentley, owns an international luxury hotel chain. A widower, he is still plagued by guilt two years after his wife died in a tragic accident.

Will time heal his wounds? Can he move beyond his pain to love again?

At the autumn masquerade Anna’s secret world collides with her daily reality. She is the heavily disguised psychic, an unwilling role she agreed to play in order to help a friend. It’s Richard’s first social engagement since Eva died. 

Communicating with the dead is Anna’s greatest gift, and Eva intends to take full advantage of her skill so she can play matchmaker. 

Will Richard fire her if he finds out? Even worse, might she lose his respect and the fragile friendship that has been growing between them?

~~~~~

Have a splendid autumn and be sure to read some wonderful stories!

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity.

You can buy Gemma’s books on Amazon and visit her website http://www.gemmajuliana.com.

Follow @Gemma_Juliana on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gemma_juliana

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Autumn Glory

Even in north Texas autumn is slowly rolling in. I welcome back my favorite season with delight—the cool air, changing leaves, and rich hearty meals. Mugs of hot chocolate replace coffee and hearty soups replace salads. My eyes stray to the leaf-bejeweled trees—ruby, amber, and gold glow in late afternoon sunlight as I drive the country roads near home.

This time of year is conducive to introspection, when we can honor the seasons, reap the harvest of life’s lessons, and be thankful for all the good things in our lives. It's a time to go within and focus on hearth and home, preparing for the bitter cold winter that may lie ahead. Meditative reflection alerts us to the gems we’ve gleaned, and our gratitude increases for all the people and experiences that have crossed our paths. There is some sadness as well, as 2016 has impacted many neighbors, friends and loved ones harshly.

Two years ago, I wrote a novella called Autumn Masquerade as a tribute to this rich season. Anna Spencer is a corporate executive with otherworldly gifts she tries to hide because she thinks people won’t take her seriously if they know she speaks with dead people. Richard Bentley, her boss, lost his wife two years ago and has been a hermit since then. Anna’s feelings for her lonely boss have been growing, but now she’s agreed to be the psychic at an autumn masquerade to help her friend out. The only problem is that Richard will be there, and the ghost of his deceased wife has matchmaking on her mind. This sweet story is available only on Amazon and is $0.99 through the end of the year. http://a.co/iOiW5c0

I’m so thankful during this past twelve months to have joined up with many wonderful authors in six anthologies and series. My muse went on strike in mid-2014 and didn’t return until mid-2015. I lured her back with novelettes for anthologies, and she jumped at the bait. Now we are in the flow again.

So for writers who are going through a dry period, take heart and try something new. Maybe a short story, novelette, or group undertaking will jump start your creative flow.

Entice Me – RB4U 2015 Anthology – my story is Riviera Rendezvous

 

Exquisite Christmas – Exquisite Quills 2015 Holiday Anthology – my stories are Shooting Star Holiday Express, Tropical Christmas, Midnight Sleigh Ride & Recipe

  

World Romance Writers – 2016 Letterbox Love Stories Volume I – my story is Abandoned Treasures Thanks to everyone who helped make Letterbox Love Stories Volume I an Amazon bestseller!

A World of Gothic series – My stand alone novella Raven of Blackthorn Manor: Ireland 2016

Roping the Cowboy – RB4U 2016 Anthology – my story is Love, Texas Style

World Romance Writers 2016 Holiday Anthology – Holiday Magic – my story is To Kiss A Prince (coming in November)

To all the delightful author friends and readers in my life, thank you.

Do you dress up or do anything special for Halloween?

GEMMA JULIANA lives in Texas and enjoys playing matchmaker to her characters… but not without putting their backs against the wall and squeezing them first. She writes across many genres of romance and mystery, and lately enjoys writing novelettes and novellas. She enjoys hearing from readers.

Love Across The Ages ~ Intrigue Across The Pages

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Autumn: Earthly & Unearthly

First, I wish you a delightful autumn. Drink in the scents of fall, feast your eyes on the bejeweled colors, and savor the tastes of the season.

Autumn stories tend to fall into two main categories: earthly and unearthly. 

 

Earthly autumn stories are much the same as those written for any other time of year, with only seasonal, weather and holiday changes. These provide backdrops for wonderful themes and plot twists. 

Unearthly stories are cut from a very different cloth. Usually the world of the paranormal – whether light or dark – comes into play. For those who write in this genre, there are few ‘musts’ or restrictions, and just about anything goes as long as the integrity of the story is sound. We can indulge in exotic world building, travel on an alien space ship, use stone circles to pass through time portals, and allow witches to brew potent magic potions.

The standards for authenticity vary depending on which genre we choose to write in. Some authors have a passion for research and accuracy, and express it in their novels. Loops exist where an author who writes thrillers or murder mysteries, for instance, is expected to have impeccable knowledge of FBI guidelines, morgue procedures, CSI skills, ballistic expertise, as well as knowing just about everything a practicing attorney would know about wills and child custody. 

This is not the only genre where an author is held to an extremely high factual standard. Historical romance can be just as demanding. There have been many heated debates about how historical fact should be woven together with a fictitious story.

The paranormal writer, on the other hand, can get away with – murder. Of facts and procedures, that is. Mermaids can steal humans away beneath the sea, only to find the human can breathe by way of magical infusions, time travel can be a mode of transportation, curses can turn people into insects, and a mischievous djinn or ghost can interfere with life and love. Humans can even mate with extraterrestrials and vampires are immortals.

To many, the paranormal world may seem delusional or a haphazard product of author fantasy. While it can be, much of it is based on ancient legends and tribal teachings that morphed over time. It is not as haphazard as it may seem. The beautiful painting below is of the goddess Night, painted in the 1880s.

There is a genre suited to everyone’s style of writing, and stories to entertain every reader. 

Where does your writing fall on the scale of absolute fact or fantasy? Earthly or unearthly? 

As a reader, how do you feel about the different degrees of factual accountability depending on the genre?

For this author, as long as a story is compelling, well written and structurally intact, it can be enjoyed.

GEMMA JULIANA is a multi-published author who lives in an enchanted cottage in north Texas with her handsome hero, teen son and a comical dog. She loves making new friends and hearing from readers. Exotic coffee and chocolate fuel her creativity. You can buy Gemma’s books on Amazon and visit her website http://www.gemmajuliana.com. To follow on Twitter: @Gemma_Juliana https://twitter.com/gemma_juliana

A Season for the Senses by Rose Anderson

It’s official. The seasons have changed. In my neck of the woods, yesterday’s early autumn storms brought heavy rain and cooler temperatures. I’m good with that. Of all the seasons, I love fall the best. What’s not to love? To me, autumn is a treat for the senses.

First off, autumn is filled with pleasant sights.

I think it safe to say most people are familiar with the colors of autumn. Shrubs and trees of all kinds don bright yellows, blazing oranges, and an array of reds and browns. In my area, if conditions are just right, even the oaks will turn bright maroon.

How about pumpkins? I was a city girl for the first twenty-three years of my life. Back then, any pumpkin came from the grocery store. I experienced my first pumpkin patch after moving to the country with my husband and young daughter. There were acres of pumpkins of all shapes and sizes there and I was thrilled. Next to trees in autumn finery, nothing says fall better than orange pumpkins piled high next to bushels of multi-colored gourds.  Add to that clusters of Indian corn hung here and there. Their hard colorful kernels remind me of mosaics of semi-precious stone.

I love Halloween decorations in the small towns around me too, but I’m more of a traditionalist. No zombies or horror for me. I like my ghosts, skeletons, and pointy-hat witches amid the jack-o-lanterns. And I absolutely love seeing mobs of little kids Trick or Treating with parents in tow.  :)

It might just be me, but clear autumn days always seem to have brighter skies – bright blue skies or grey mackerel skies just appear more stunning. One of the coolest things overhead has to be the V’s of geese heading south for the winter. Another favorite of mine – those massive flocks of migrating songbirds that roll and shift through the sky like waves. 

The night skies this time of year are pretty nice too. Away from city lights, I have skies dark enough to see the constellations. Aquarius, the water bearer, and Pegasus, the winged horse, both have their place in the sky now. They’ll soon make room for Orion and the rest of the winter stars. If you have a telescope of eight inches or more in aperture, you’ll be able to see Neptune and its largest moon, Triton. Go out on a clear night. The planet Venus starts to climb the night sky and gets brighter by the day. By the end of the month, it’ll be one of the brightest “stars” in the sky.

Autumn has great sounds.

As the leaves fall, the sound of the wind in the trees becomes sharper. Those stubborn leaves that refuse to let go rattle and rustle with each blast. Who doesn’t like the crunch of leaves underfoot? It’s like shuffling through the dried memories of summer.

One of the best sounds of autumn has to be those migrating geese, ducks, and sandhill cranes flying overhead. I hear them all day long this time of year and never tire of it. Canada geese often stop at the wetlands around my home. They fly low to land and are anything but graceful as they careen and slam into one another. The sound they make is reminiscent of styrofoam chunks smacked together. Second to that, those huge flocks of passing birds I mentioned above. They often stop and rest in the trees in my yard and chit chit chit as they talk to one another.  When they leave their roost they do so in a loud whoosh. Sometimes they come in such numbers even Alfred Hitchcock would have been inspired.

On a smaller scale, this is the cricket time of year. Salamanders are chirping too – the sound somewhat similar to a fingernail running down a few teeth of a comb. I also enjoy the sound of logs popping on a campfire. Occasionally we’ll build a fire at night and drum with friends.

Autumn also comes with great scents and tastes.

A favorite of mine is the heady scent of burning of leaves or the lingering smokiness from a log fire. I love the accent smoke leaves on everything. It's a scent made even better when the air is crisp and clean. 

I’m a soup person – I love making them, love eating them, love smelling them simmering on the stove. I especially love when my husband comes home and raves over the wonderfully delicious aroma at the door.  I’ll add another sense to the rest ~ Autumn is a perfect time for snuggling! Here's an autumn favorite to get you started.

Butternut Squash Bisque (soup to snuggle with)

I large peeled and cubed butternut squash.
1 48oz carton of chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion  minced
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. fresh ground black pepper
Salt to taste
3 t. butter
1 1/2  bricks of Neufchatel cream cheese (also known as Light)
Optional topping - a dollop of crème fraîche, sour cream, or plain Greek yogurt 

Prepare your squash. (Wrapping the squash in plastic wrap and microwaving until it feels soft to the touch is much better than fighting the hard peel with a paring knife. Let the squash cool, then scoop out the cooked pulp. Discare seeds or bake with a little salt like pumpkin seeds) Sautee onion in butter until translucent. Add squash pulp and stock  Simmer until squash is cooked through. Add cayenne. Cube the cream cheese and stir in until melted. Puree with a stick blender or in small batches in a food processor. 
Serve it in a mug. Add a grilled cheese sandwich alongside. Then go snuggle under a cozy blanket with your puppy, your kitty, or your sweetie.   :)

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About Rose 
Rose is multi-published award-winning author and dilettante who loves great conversation and discovering interesting things to weave into stories. She lives with her family and small menagerie amid oak groves and prairie in the rolling glacial hills of the upper Midwest. 

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Finally Autumn by Janice Seagraves

September 23rd was the first day of fall. Yay!

Photo owned by Janice Seagraves and taken by her daughter

I’m so tired of the heat in Central California. Yesterday and today it has become cool, finally. In the seventies, but that’s down right chilly for us.

Last night, I actually shivered and today my knuckles are stinging a bit. Although the stinging has more to do with the clouds in the sky and first heavy dew than the coolness. For the first time in months, I feel moisture in the air. My eyes have been so dry, it’ll be nice not to have to put drops in.

Not a lot of fall color in California. We’re known more for our lovely spring display than anything else.

But, ah, autumn.

I have been so looking forward to this. The smell of fallen leaves, the cooler temperatures, finally being able to wear my long sleeve shirts and pants. I can take walks again without overheating. Make soup on a cold day, bake chicken, lasagna, enchilada pie, and cinnamon rolls and cinnamon toast. Using the burning pit in the front of my house and making s’mores.

Photo owned and taken by Janice Seagraves

I’m looking forward to the first rain of the season. Weather, how I love you. Come to me clouds, rain down on me. I dare ya.

What is your favorite thing about autumn?

SyFy Romance. Excerpt, Matrix Crystal Hunters - Just after a rain:

Walking over, she tried not to smile. He gave her a leg up into the saddle. Sitting on the big animal, she could feel every bruise and muscle strain from the day before.

“Hurts?”

Maya nodded, biting her lip. “I can feel my butt bones. They’re sore.”

“I can only promise you that it will get better with time.” He rechecked the straps for the stirrups, making sure they were the right length for her and set her feet in them. “All right. You’re all set.” He led Brawley over to the two snags. Untying their leads, he handed them to Maya, who ran the rope around the high saddle horn. “Here you go. Same as yesterday, allow me and Zareth take the lead, then follow us.”

“Okay.”

He looked up at her, a slight frown troubling his handsome features. “I never asked, but what does okay mean? You seem to say it all the time.”

She tried to think of an equivalent in his language. “It means the same as all right or yes. Or you can use it to say everything is fine.”

“Oh, I see. Hmm, okay.” He grinned like a little boy.

She laughed. “There, you got it.”

“Okay.” He walked over to Zareth. “You okay, you big, nasty beast?” His mount snapped at him, but Vach jumped out of the way in time. “Guess not.”

He got on his sherakey, kicking him into a canter. When Vach got far enough ahead, Maya leaned forward in the saddle, the leather creaking loudly. Brawley took his cue to start trudging up the path after his master.

The trail seemed to go on forever. Puddles reflected the dark gray sky. The air had a fresh-scrubbed smell, which contrasted with the earthy scent of the damp ground.

Several hours later, Maya checked her watch. Twelve o’clock. Which could mean it was closer to ten, since the Zeeman day had twenty-two hours and her watch used Earth’s twenty-four hour cycle. A hooded Zeeman stood not far off, staring at her. She stared back, wondering if it was a herder. But where was his flock?

Several more Zeeman-shaped figures were standing in a group, not far away, but their cloaks didn’t appear to be being stirred by the fretful wind. Maybe they weren’t Zeemen at all. Statues of some sort?

Later, she spotted one ahead of her, near the road. As she rode closer, she saw that it was a stone pillar of some kind. Zeeman-shaped, but much larger, maybe ten to twelve feet in height. She looked it up and down, trying to find carvings or letterings, but there were none.

She turned over the possibilities in her mind, finally coming to the conclusion that these must be the roots of long dead trees and bushes encased in limestone jackets. A few miles down the road, more of these pillars filled the landscape. The standing stones seemed to be watching her, from out on the flat plane. A shiver went down Maya’s back. Creepy.

Vach waited for her at the next rest stop. His nasty sherakey had been tied up at the far side, with a bush to chew on. Brawley made his way into the clearing, and Vach held his arms up, so he could help Maya dismount. She pulled a leg over the huge saddle horn and slid off into his arms.

Vach caught her, laughing. “Got you.”

****

US, Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJ10W26

UK, Kindle: http:1380662336//www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-ebook/dp/B00FJ10W26/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=&sr=1-3

US, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

UK, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_KKW6

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Matrix Crystal Hunters is now on Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/447796

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Top Ten Things I Love About Autumn

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN

A few months ago someone on the RB4U loop asked this question: What’s your favorite time of year? My answer was summer. And it still is. But I do like autumn. The only problem with autumn is that winter follows. If we could only get rid of January, February and March. But wait, then we’d all be living in San Diego. If only. So here are the top ten things I like about autumn, in order of importance:

10.  The clear, crisp air that dispels the pollution from the nearby chemical plants.

9.  Crockpot stews and soups with warm crusty bread.

8.  I get to wear my new cowboy boots. (Picture and story to follow).

7.  No humidity which means my hair doesn’t fall flat like it does in the summer. Unlike so many of you, I have zilch curl and body to my hair, so while you all fight the frizzies, I fight the flatties.

6.  Good time to travel. With the kids in school, the tourist places aren’t as crowded.

5.  The new TV season. I’m a TV junkie. I study TV Guide’s Fall Preview issue every year and map out my viewing schedule.

4.  The beautiful autumn foliage that paints the trees in a colorful collage that brightens every day.

3.  Pumpkin. I love pumpkin. I make pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin squares, and pumpkin bread. I drink pumpkin coffee laced with pumpkin spice creamer and I slather my pumpkin English muffins with pumpkin butter. Pumpkin ice cream is a real treat that is only available in autumn. Yum, Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream. As soon as I hear TJ’s has this seasonal favorite, I run out and buy it. They sell out quickly. I have a great recipe for pumpkin gingersnap ice cream which I’ll share if anyone wants it.

2. My birthday is in the fall.

AND MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUTUMN:

1.  Thanksgiving.

Now, about those cowboy boots. I bought them brand new, tags still on, this past May at a local resale shop. I haven’t had a chance to wear them yet. You might ask: What does an East Coast born and bred lady do with a pair of cowboy boots? Heck if I know, but they are so pretty. There’s a background story here. When I was thirteen, my family took a road trip to the West Coast. We stopped off in Fallon, Nevada, a one-horse town near Reno where my father was stationed at the naval air base during WW2. Yes, there was a naval station in the middle of the desert, still is. We were walking along the one main street in Fallon and passed a shop selling cowboy boots. In the window was a beautiful pair of supple-looking brown boots in my size. I begged my parents for those boots but they said no. I understand now why they said no, but I wanted the boots. So, fifty years later, I got my boots, and here they are.

Please tell me. What are your favorite things about autumn? What don’t you like about the season? And what the heck do I do with my blue cowboy boots?

And to get into the Christmas mood, here's the blurb from my latest release, A Groom for Christmas, a sensual romance that is like a Hallmark Christmas movie with some intense love scenes.
.

When a young woman hires her hometown’s former bad boy to be her pretend fiancé for the holidays, she finds she can’t wrap up her feelings as easily as a Christmas gift.

New York jewelry designer Graceann Palmer has two days to find a fiancé to bring home to Pennsylvania for the holidays so her matchmaking mama will quit fixing her up with jerks. The Falcon, a motorcycle-riding, leather-clad former high school crush, helped her out once before. Maybe he'll do it again.

Jake Falco, man of many mysteries, is back in town on a mission—one the people of Spirit Lake most likely won't appreciate. When Graceann presents him with her crazy scheme, it gives him something he's always wanted—a chance to get to know Graceann. It also gives him the perfect opportunity to add fuel to his project of revenge.

But as Jake and Graceann grow closer, their engagement-of-convenience begins to feel like the real deal—until Jake’s secrets are revealed.

Can a relationship that began with lies and secrets bloom like a rare Christmas rose into happily-ever-after?

www.caramarsi.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G03I5UI/?tag=carmaraut-20

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-groom-for-christmas-cara-marsi/1117185595?ean=2940148677871

 

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE & DON'T LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN

TOP TEN THINGS I LOVE & DON’T LOVE ABOUT AUTUMN

It’s September. That means, sadly, that summer is over. I love summer and I’m always in a blue funk when it ends. Fall can be beautiful with much to recommend it, but it’s not as much fun as summer.

Here are the top ten things I love about autumn, in order of importance.

10. I get to wear cool boots.

9.  Leaves crunching under my feet.

8.  No humidity which means my hair doesn’t fall flat like it does in the summer.

7.  Good time to travel. With the kids in school, the tourist places aren’t as crowded.

6.  The new TV season. I’m a TV junkie who studies TV Guide’s Fall Preview Issue every year.

5.  The beautiful autumn foliage.

4.  The clear, crisp air.

3.  Pumpkin. I love pumpkin. I make pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin squares, and pumpkin bread. I drink pumpkin coffee and slather my English muffins with pumpkin butter. Pumpkin ice cream is a real treat that is only available in autumn. Yum, Trader Joe’s pumpkin ice cream. As soon as I hear TJ’s has this seasonal favorite in, I run out and buy it. They sell out quickly. I have a great recipe for pumpkin gingersnap ice cream.

2. My birthday is in the fall.

AND MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT AUTUMN:

1.  Romance stories set in the fall. I love to write stories set in autumn. There’s something romantic about couples falling in love amid the bright foliage and the crisp air. My very first short story sale to the confession magazines was titled “The Thanksgiving Dance,” and was in the November 2009 issue of True Experience. In the opening lines I mention the leaves blowing across the parking lot right before h/h meet. My romantic suspense, “Logan’s Redemption,” starts off in early November. I describe Logan as he puts up the collar of his black leather jacket against the autumn chill that sweeps down the Philadelphia streets. I’ve written several other short stories set in autumn. The beauty at that time of year sings to the poet in me.

Things I don’t like about autumn:

10.  I can’t wear sandals. I love sandals.

 9.  No fresh corn-on-the cob.

 8.  No locally-grown fruit and vegetables.

 7.  Not much sunshine.

 6.  Popular restaurants are more crowded than in the summer.  

  5. TV viewing cuts into my writing time.

  4. Dead leaves all over our lawn.

  3. School buses clogging the roads.

  2. Have to wear more clothes.

AND THE THING I DISLIKE MOST ABOUT AUTUMN:

  1. Winter follows

 

Please tell me. What are your favorite things about autumn? What don’t you like about the season?