Pumpkin Spice and Not So Nice by Becky Monson

 Lighten up a little and enjoy this romcom with more pumpkin than spice!  All the scents, flavors, tastes, and energy of fall bringing us to a plentiful Thanksgiving.

Jenna loves her family, and the pumpkin patch attached to it.  This includes a lot of work and little time for substantial relationships.  When autumn comes it's everything pumpkin, which includes pumpkin pies, drinks, painting, games, rides, clothing, and a field of pumpkins to sell.  Besides, her relationships with men are one sided.

Her side of the deal is as follows:  He's all perfect except he has communication problems with feelings.  Once Jenna shows her date how to be more open, communicative, and confident, he thanks her by finding a new girlfriend and inviting Jenna to their wedding.

She ponders giving up on men.  She must concentrate on helping to save the pumpkin farm from foreclosure.

That's when she finds a fifty-dollar bill in the tip pumpkin.  Wonderful!  Except the personal message written on it clues her in that someone may have deposited the bill on accident.

Aiden believes in being generous.  Jenna locates him and returns the money.  That should be the end of their communication and nearly is because he is at a loss for a meaningful discussion.  

As usual.  A good-looking man who can't open up.

For some reason, they keep being pushed together, that's called fake dating, and he advances from the two-word (noun and verb) sentences.  Maybe there's hope, but he also has to stick around after he can speak a whole paragraph.  

There's hope for the pumpkin patch and there's hope for Aiden and Jenna!  The farm flourished in its fall festivities, and after Aiden opens up, he is still at her side.  Does Jenna decide that her counseling is done or is she willing to spice up her season?

Happy reading,

Dawn

Thanksgiving is over....but I'm still thankful!

        

Thanksgiving is over (*sigh*). It’s my favorite holiday because I'm so thankful for so many things! My son has gone back to Texas (the dogs are exhausted! So am I!) and the house is back in order but it’s good to know that all my cleaning and baking and cooking resulted in a successful dinner. Now, I count a dinner successful when people push away from the table and reach for the top button of their pants with a groan (unlike those who thought ahead and wore elastic waist pants). I have a rule….if you walk away from the table still hungry then you didn’t take advantage of what was made available. Of course, my table could never compete with the lavish meals you read about in historical romances nor would baking and cooking have been so easily done!

          It was wonderful to sit around the fire pit and visit with everyone, too! I’m really glad I took some time off from the day job (even though I did not manage to read very much or write very much either. I really wanted to, but ran out of time).

          Now the best part of Thanksgiving dinner for me? The leftovers! I do love my leftovers. I’m pretty pedestrian when it comes to what I like. My favorite? A turkey sandwich (white meat, please) on a King’s Hawaiian roll with a little mayonnaise (Best Foods on this side of the country, Hellman’s on the other….what other kind is there?) and a pinch of salt. My son calls them turkey sliders. My DH’s favorite? The spinach dip, which I put in a bread bowl. He’ll pick on that until it’s gone (bowl and all). Of course, there is the turkey in gravy over rice or egg noodles and turkey soup, too. I do not make turkey tetrazzini (never learned how, but really, by the time I’d get to that, I’d be turkey’d out). There’s also leftover apple and pumpkin pie as well as my homemade cheesecake (my grandmother’s recipe). All guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth as well as pack on a pound or two.  

          And on that note, I gotta go…..I have my Christmas menu to plan….and there’s a piece of homemade cheesecake calling my name but before I do, what’s your favorite holiday and holiday food?

As always, happy reading (and celebrating!)

Marie

XXX Thanksgiving

I’m going to tell you a short story today about thankfulness, imagination, and the not-so-common cold.

It all started a week ago when I was attacked by the local bug making a home up my nose, down my throat, and burrowing in my chest.  I haven’t had a cold for nine years.  I thought I was immune. 

I tried all the drugs the pharmacy assured me would work.  My uninvited visitors are still creeping around in their slimy glory.

As a writer, it’s best to think out of the box to keep a story lively, interesting, and unusually twisted.  I guess it’s time to make up my own medicine.  I’ve done stranger things.  Along with a recipe for an obnoxious cold, a story came to life. 

The XXX part is that I’m going to tell you where the story came from along with a dose of sexuality because it fits nearly every time when a romance author writes.  It’s rare to know the thoughts of an author as the story unfolds and how she/he came up with the ideas.

Words of the author are in parenthesis…

***Sabrina (name evolved from an adopted Rottweiler.  The former owner suspected that Sabrina was possessed, so she dumped the toddler dog at the Humane Society.  She became mineJ) researched herbs.  It wasn’t her normal passion, but herbs are healthy.  Herbs smell good.  Herbs are in the news.

Sabrina’s cold, flue, or dirty rotten germs (I really had a cold and checked the herbal remedies) persisted longer than two days.  This was ludicrous and she acted rationally.

She came up with a list: Oregano, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, lungwort, and don’t forget the peppermint (I really used all except peppermint and lungwort.  They weren’t handy at the time).  The list could’ve included an entire garden, but Sabrina focused on the top ten before the idea became a burden.  (I have superb intentions all the time.  I don’t always follow through with those that are a chore and don’t have to have attention).

A basket buried at the back of her clothes closet supplied folded cheesecloth (I used paper towel).  Sabrina felt she was on the right track.  Witches used cheesecloth (or is that my imagination?) and wrapped all kinds of potions and remedies that her targets feared.  She was not afraid.

Recipe: A heavy dollop of each herb mentioned (true) on the cheesecloth dampened with hot water.  Tuck the remedy to your chest.  Hint:  It’s helpful to use your bra to keep it in place.

Sabrina breathed deeply, feeling the essence of her created drug seep into her lungs and clear the path for a deep breath.

The snow glowed under the sun and streamed through the four patio doors.  The fire crackled.  The couch invited.  Sabrina noticed a portion of the cushions left for her between two dogs already lounging (true story).

Enter the XXX scene…

Sabrina snuggled on the couch, head cushioned by Satchel’s shoulder and her legs wrapped around Minnie (Actually quite comfortable).  Her eyes drooped closed with The Twelve Men of Christmas carrying on in the background.

The coffee (I really drank a Bloody Mary- virgin style) steamed and the heavily scented (probably from the poultice of herbs nestled in her bra) cup of mushroom barley soup was set in front of her.  Sabrina sat alone at a worn wooden table in the Grasshopper café (great place in Wisconsin). 

She entertained herself with the antics of other patrons.  Two joyous twenty-somethings sat at the bar and batted their eyes and cracked their lips whenever the dark haired bartender visited their spot.

Two tables away a group of four apparently thought everyone else enjoyed their conversation (truly loud enough). 

In walked a serious face, stubble starting in the early day, khaki pants and a windbreaker.  He sat by himself, kept to himself, and waited.

Sabrina kept her head dipped toward her soup as the next man entered and joined Windbreaker.  He, the new man, was heavenly (Yes, he walked right past me).

Six feet of steel.  Dress pants, mock turtleneck, tightly trimmed light brown hair, and the serious look that must be the protocol to join their group.

Six Feet motioned to the bartender and flashed a badge. (I didn’t see the badge, but I heard his statement).  “Federal DEA agent.  We need a private room.”  Oh, how I, I mean Sabrina nearly jumped out of her clothes onto him. 

A real Federal agent in her little town of thirty thousand people!  He was evocative, strong, and powerful just like the characters in romance novels.  They’re truly out there!

To save all the preliminary actions as this is a short story, Sabrina peeled off her clothes and the DEA Agent took her all over the evacuated restaurant as his muscles pulsed and throbbed for her visionary delight and physical enjoyment.

It was a happy dream.  Sabrina blamed it on her herbal poultice. 

Warning:  Poultice not approved by the FDA, but rather concocted by myself.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving and appreciate everyone and –thingJ

Dawn 

Roll Up Your Sleeves....It's Time for Fall Cleaning!

     It’s November and if you’ve read this blog before, then you know this is when I begin my annual fall cleaning. I’m talking everything here...walls, windows, blinds….you name it, it gets cleaned and the house smells so lovely.

     I’m generally a Saturday cleaner. That’s when I do my dusting (I live in Arizona, dusting could be a daily chore…heck, it could be an hourly chore), vacuuming, mopping, etc, but fall (and spring)….yeah, those are a big deal.
      Don’t get me wrong. I don’t enjoy doing this kind of deep cleaning (it takes away from my writing time), but it’s an old habit and it’s hard to kick (growing up back east, this is just what one did). I do get a lot of satisfaction out of it. That being said, I’m much older than I use to be and my body doesn’t “bounce” back as quickly as it used to. I still do it all because I don’t know the word quit (and I’m a bit stubborn…ask anyone).
      I used to do everything the weekend before Thanksgiving but I’m learning to live within my limitations (I’m old now, remember?). The mistress of this blog, the fabulous Lexi Post, suggested I tackle one room a weekend and by the time Thanksgiving rolls around and company comes, everything is done and I can relax and visit. I’ve taken her advice (she’s a smart woman!) and you know, the task just doesn’t seem to be as difficult (and I’m not as wiped out!)
      Which makes me realize I would have made a terrible servant in the huge mansions I love to read about in historical romances. Can you imagine having to clean all those rooms? From the time the sun comes up to the time the sun goes down? Ugh! Nope, just wouldn’t work for me. Doing laundry? Now, we just toss our clothes in the washing machine, add detergent, push a few buttons and just like that, we are done. Not so easy in days past. Laundry was an all day adventure—hauling the water and heating it then scrubbing the clothes against a washboard, scraping one's knuckles and making one's hands chapped and raw then hanging everything up to dry. Worse yet, washing ones clothes in a river or stream! Just thinking about it makes me shiver.
     Maybe that’s why all the heroines in the books we love to read have maids and housekeepers and so forth. Suits me just fine. What about you?

As always, happy reading!

Marie

After Thanksgiving

      The house is strangely quiet.

      It’s the week after Thanksgiving. The leftovers are almost gone (I think there’s a turkey leg and a small piece of cheesecake left). My furry, four-legged daughters are still sleeping (one on the futon behind me, the other on the loveseat) utterly exhausted from having company and the fact that their ‘mother’—that’s me―can be a whirlwind (I have made more than one person tired just watching me). My son and his girlfriend have gone back to Texas (and reality, as my son says) and I have gone back to work after being off for a week.  

     It was a lovely Thanksgiving. Lots of laughter, lots of teasing, lots of hugs.

     And once again, I am struck by how blessed I am (despite the fact I caught a cold and our hot water heater decided that it would no longer heat our water) and how grateful…I spent the holiday doing exactly as I wanted—cooking and cleaning and being with friends and family. I avoided Black Friday as there is nothing I need (or want) bad enough to brave those crowds and that traffic. Instead, we stayed in and watched old westerns with John Wayne (and a couple newer ones with Tom Selleck). And it was perfect! Just being able to spend time with family makes me feel blessed.

Did I read while I was off? A little. Certainly not as much as I should have, but that’s okay. My TBR pile is towering, but has not fallen over so I think I’m good. Did I write? Yes, I did….right into a corner….or should I say hole?...but I’ve got my trusty shovel and I’m digging…..

In the meantime, hope you all had a wonderful holiday. 

As always, happy reading!

Marie

Holiday Movies

        As you all know, this is my favorite time of year—the weather has changed and there’s a lovely briskness in the air that somehow makes me feel so…alive and energized! My heavy-duty, deep fall cleaning is done (yeah!) and Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, is right around the corner! I am thankful and full of gratitude that family and friends will gather at my house to share in a turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

         I am ready!

         One of the things (aside from cleaning) that gets me ready for this season are the wonderful holiday movies on the Hallmark Channel (you all know I’m a big movie fan) and I am such a sap for those happy endings (is it any wonder I write romances? Gotta have those happy endings!) Two, in particular, had me misty-eyed but grinning like an idiot―leave it to Hallmark to do that to me―I’ve cried reading their greeting cards, but I digress.

         The movies….the first is November Christmas with Sam Elliot (I LOVE him!) and John Corbett. It’s about a town that pulls together to help a little girl “push up” the holidays, because they might be her last ones. Of course, the movie ends happily (it IS Hallmark) and even though I’ve seen it before, it still got me. The second is A Season for Miracles, about a woman who is trying to take care of her sister’s children and the wise angel who sorta helps her. I had never seen this one before, but the ending was so heart-warming…well, let’s just say the lump in my throat was massive. (Just for the record, I was not the only one in my house to have a cheesy grin and watery eyes when this movie ended….glancing over at my DH, I noticed he wore the same silly smile and yes, his eyes were unnaturally moist…though he’ll never admit it, my burly, tough-as-nails DH is a bit of a marshmallow…shhh….don’t tell anyone I told you).

         If you have the opportunity, try to catch them both. Well worth it, in my opinion.

       All that being said, my holiday season will not be complete, however, until I sit down on Christmas Eve and watch It’s a Wonderful Life (it’s a tradition for me). This particular movie, though I’ve watched it every year for the past thirty years, gets me every time…that moment when George realizes just how rich he is….well, let’s just say it has me feeling warm and fuzzy and wiping the tears from my eyes (even though I promise myself this year, I will not cry).

         Do you have favorite movies that make you well up? Make you sniffle and pretend you didn’t cry?

         As always, happy reading (and watching) and Happy Holidays, too!

Marie

Family Traditions

With Thanksgiving fast upon us, I wanted to take a moment and talk about family traditions, especially for this holiday. It’s my favorite one and I think so much of that has to do with my grandparents, who were very special to me.

            The first tradition? Fall cleaning. I know. How sad that cleaning is right up there at the top of the list. Every year while I was growing up, I spent the weekend before Thanksgiving with my grandparents….cleaning. Windows and blinds were washed and new draperies were hung up. All decorations and pictures were removed from the walls and those walls got a scrubbing (including the baseboards) before those newly dusted and polished decorations and pictures went back on the wall. The kitchen would be cleaned too (we’re talking getting down on hands and knees to scrub the floor). We did this kind of heavy cleaning in the spring, too, but I digress.

            After all the cleaning? The second tradition: cooking. Oh yes. Grandma was a great cook (and so was Grandpa, who actually did more of the cooking than she did!). There was homemade date nut and banana breads and rice pudding and pies! Oh my! The pies. Pumpkin and apple. Cherry. Mince meat. And of course, there was Grandma’s cheesecake, a little piece of heaven right here on earth. Turkey with all the trimmings and those little special dishes Grandma made. Stuffing balls were my favorites (and still are and yes, I make them every year).

            Third part? Family coming to visit, sitting around the table and eating until chairs were pushed back, a trouser button or two might be opened and everyone groaned because they were so full.

            I still have all these traditions. I still clean like a maniac (and my house smells like Pine-Sol when I’m done) and hang those new draperies and I still cook. I don’t make the Mince meat pie as it just wouldn’t be eaten, but I make everything else, including the cheesecake and I still have family over (well, sort of. My friends are my family now). My grandparents as well as my parents are gone, but that doesn’t matter. I can still see them all gathered around the table, laughing (I can still hear my grandfather’s laugh…it reminded me of Popeye), still see my grandmother making up care packages of leftovers for all of us to take home and isn’t that the best tradition of all?

            What are some of your traditions?

 

Marie

It's November!

        Oh my gosh! It’s November! And it seems that autumn has finally hit Arizona (it’s hard to tell in Phoenix. The leaves don’t change here….I do miss that….growing up in New Jersey, seeing the leaves change was the highlight of the season…but I digress).

           

        This is my favorite time of year. I’m just curious how it got to be November without me noticing until just now. Yes, I changed my calendar on the first. Yes, I’ve noticed sunrise is a little later in the morning and sunset is a little earlier in the evening. I saw the trick-or-treaters for Halloween and I’ve noticed a definite chill in the air, especially in the mornings (believe me, I so look forward to this time of year, especially after the heat of the summer!).      

         

        Time just seems to have snuck up on me.  I have not made out my menu for Thanksgiving dinner or made out my shopping list. Those who know me are probably shocked by this admission as I usually have both tasks done in September and have already started purchasing items during my weekly shopping trip to the grocery store. Today is the 6^th and I haven’t done that yet. I know!

            Other than being a little behind in my tasks, this year is a little different for me as my son and his girlfriend will not be making the trip to join us. That’s all right. This is still my favorite time of year. I will bake and cook and clean. And, once again, I realize how much I have to be thankful for.

            And I am a very fortunate woman! I have family and friends whom I adore. I have my health. I have a home that’s warm and comfortable. I have a job I love and I am able to write books that make me, and hopefully others, happy. Oh, and let’s not forget all the stories that I have yet to read.

            What are some of the things you’ll be giving thanks for this Thanksgiving?

As always, happy reading and happy!

Marie