Hooking the Reader and Setting the Tone of the Story By Connie Vines #Hooking your reader, #ChapterOne, #Romance novels,

 Chapter One: Hooking the reader and setting the tone of the story

Chapter One, page one, has to hook the reader and set the story's tone. 

In some ways, the opening chapter has to work harder than any of the others. Chapter One is the one most writers agonize over the most. 

Begin at the point the story actually starts – or even after it’s started.

I like to begin with dialogue, followed by action. 

Make sure the opening sets the tone for the rest of the novel. 

Easy-peasy. 

Except when it isn't.

Tanayia--Whisper upon the Water. (historical YA novel). It was my first award-winning novel. I was also honored with a lifetime achievement award for my work on behalf of Native American Children.

While the use of a prologue is usually discouraged, it was a simple way to transport a reader into the past.

1868

The Governor of New Mexico decreed that all Indian children over the age of six be educated in the ways of the while man.

Indian Commissioner, Thomas Morgan, said, "It is cheaper to educate the Indians than to kill them".

1880, Apacheria, Season of Ripened Berries.

  

Isolated bands of colored clay on white limestone remain where the sagebrush is stripped from Mother Earth by sudden storms and surface waters. Desolate. Bleak. A land made of barren rock and twisted paths that reach out into the silence.

A world of hunger and hardship. This is my world. I am Tanayia. I was born thirteen winters ago. We call ourselves N'dee, the People. The white man calls us Apache.

On the lighter side.  "Who doesn't love a cowboy?"

Chapter One

Charlene hadn't told Rachel that she'd fixed her up with a cowboy, much less Lynx Maddox, the "Wild Cat" of the rodeo circuit.  Rachel sighed. She should have known. After all, Charlene only dated men who wore boots and Stetsons.

If you like your romance Cajun style, you'll enjoy this mix of short stories. 🐊

"Marrying off Murphy." Like all Cajun fairy tales, it began harmless enough. A match-maker 

 promises to turn a stuffy professor into a charming prince. So, why does the confirmed bachlorette suddenly wish she was dressed for the ball?

"Love Potion #9"  Watch what happens when you mix a traditional Creole woman with a fun-loving Cajun man and throw in a Voodoo Love Potion--stand back! The Louisiana Bayou ain't never gonna be the same!

"A Slice of Scandal". A producer finds herself embroiled in a mystery as hot as her Bayou Cooking Show. When an undercover cop-turned-chef shows up and dishes up more heat than a bottle of Louisiana hot peppers.  Can she prove her innocence before the real killer finds her? Or, will she become the main course in a murder trial?

"1-800-FORTUNE" Garlic hangs from the rafters, but this sexy Loupe Garou isn't looking for trouble or a cure for what ails him. What's a law-abiding werewolf to do when a gypsy woman shows up with mischief on her mind?  

To purchase or for sample reads of my novels:

BWL (publisher's site)  https://www.bookswelove.com/

AMAZON: Kindle, audio, print. (Canada or USA)

Or at your favorite online bookseller.

Happy Reading,

Connie

 

My Favorite and My Not-So-Favorite-Point-of-View By Connie Vines #ConnieVines

 

 My Favorite and My Not-So-Favorite Point-of-View.

How does an author choose a point of view for his/her story?

I promise to only skim the surface of our high school creative writing class :)

Omniscient, 3rd person, or 1st Person, What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Reading:

The omniscient POV allows you to enter the heads of multiple characters, but you will act more as an observer than a reporter.

As a child (and even today), I enjoyed reading the Greek myths and Homer (author of the Iliad and the Odyssey)

The Odyssey is uniquely structured, with the narration split between a third-person omniscient narrator and a first-person narrative by Odysseus himself. The omniscient point of view is present in excerpts at each chapter's beginning.

 In terms of gods, the Greek pantheon consists of 12 deities who were said to reside at Mount Olympus: Zeus, Hera, Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hermes, and Poseidon.

Writing:

While I might consider this point of view in a noir-type crime story (short story or novella), I do not believe it would be widely accepted in a contemporary story.

Reading:

First Person POV

In first-person narration, the narrator is a character in the story, telling it from their own perspective. The narration typically employs the pronouns I (or we, if the narrator speaks as part of a group).

Writing:

I write in the first person when writing Young Adult contemporary and Young Adult historical novels.

I remain in the main character's point of view. At the beginning of each chapter, I may insert information using a quote, historical fact, etc. I also include an Epilogue.

Reading:

3rd Person POV

In the third-person point of view, the author narrates a story about the characters, referring to them by name or using the third-person pronouns "he," "she," and "they." The other points of view in writing are first person and second person.

Writing:

3rd Person POV

My contemporary novels, excluding young adult fiction, are written in the third person. While I may change point of view (POV), I strive not to head-hop. 

First and foremost, this mode of storytelling comes most naturally to me when writing a romance. The third-person narrative is as old as time.

Third-person subjective:

From this perspective, you can enter the characters' thoughts and viewpoints. It goes beyond narrating the character's thoughts by telling the reader "she thought" or "he wondered." It lets you really be in their head the way first-person POV does.

My excerpts from "Gumbo Ya Ya," An anthology for women who like their romance Cajun Style!

(Opening Teasers from my anthology)

Marrying Off Murphy

Settling into his office chair, Professor Murphy Flynn glanced at the faxed copy of the OP News. "I Want to Get Married!" the headline shouted. He upended his coffee mug when he realized the grainy photograph was of him, sending the liquid perilously close to a six-inch stack of upgraded papers.

He snagged the papers with one hand, using the other to dab at the puddle with his tie. His gaze locked on the name of the submission's editor: Sylvie Dupree. The memories hit him hard and fast, leaving Murphy to feel like he'd taken a direct blow to his solar plexus.

Love Potion No. 9

"Don't shake your finger at me, Simone Basso. I know what I'm doing," Persia Richmond said, holding a pipette to fill a crystal half-ounce atomizer with perfume. The top notes of peach blossoms, bergamot, and mid-notes of gardenia, honey, and tuberose tanalized. Meanwhile, the tuberose, the most carnal of the floral notes and the high-ticket natural essence for her fragrance compound, merged with peony and orange blossom to temper the intoxication properties. The base notes linger, while a hint of something unnamed and mysterious beguiled and skimmed across the narrow processing room, saturating her senses.

A Slice of Scandal

"Hey, now, 'dis key lime pie's like de one I serve at my restaurant. Simple to make and good to eat! Key limes perk up de mouth and makes you happy."

Producer/Director Julia Kincade focused on her monitor and adjusted the mic on her headset. "Camera One, tighten that headshot." She watched as the camera feathered over the chef to capture the best angle. The camera should have loved Franklin. His height was average, his black hair was short and curly, and his skin took on a polished bronze color under the harsh camera lights, but the camera didn't like Franklin.

1-800-FORTUNE

The moon was full and huge in the sky, a brilliant iridescent orb that stared down at the earth. Enza allowed the energy to feather over her as she removed the silk cloth protecting her Tarot cards.

The tarot deck has seventy-eight cards, four suits of fourteen cards each, Swords, Cups, Wands, and Pentacles, and twenty-two cards called the major arcane—the big mysteries.

Enza's mother told her she would learn to associate cards with people. She knew this was true. Because through her travels, she had met them all...

I hope you've enjoyed this month's post 😀. 

All of my novels are available on the BWL site.

or:

Amazon: https//www.amazon.com search: ConnieVines

Barnes and Noble Book Seller: https//www.barnesandnoble.com

Apple Book Store: https://books.apple.com 

Or via links on my website: https//www.connievines-author.com

Follow me: 

Facebook: Connie Vines, Author and Author Connie Vines

Instagram:  connievines_author 

Twitter: @connie_vines 

Threads: connievines_author

Substack: connievines.substack.com

Happy Reading,

Connie 

XOXO

Why Does Writing a Novel Remind Me of Pizza? By Connie Vines #BWLAuthorBlog,

My creation!

Like most writers, I get excited about beginning a new project.

I select my favorite pens, a fresh college line notebook, 3 x 5 lined cards, and my 'new favorite coffee mug. I even set up my playlist for the main characters (music he/she like listening to).  I might even have a rough draft of my book trailer in place.

Then I sit down at my laptop (yes, I'm still a hardcore PC person), however, my laptop has a dictation feature which seems to work well for free-flow thought.

Why do I think about pizza 🍕?

You begin with a blank computer screen white piece of paper. And as I stated in my opening paragraph I have everything in order.

To begin your pizza dough you arrange your ingredients: Yeast, Water, Flour, Oil, Sugar, Salt, and Cornmeal (for dusting the bottom of the crust). You may even wish to add garlic or Italian seasoning to the flour.

You will have your favorite bowl handy. 

Like a novel, pizza dough will require kneading, resting, and kneading again.

Your pizza dough should be shaggy and lumpy, to begin with, but if you've kneaded it for a while it should be slightly tacky to the touch. If your dough doesn't ooze or sag when you hold it up, it's another sign it is well kneaded.

It's not unusual for my plot and opening scene to be a little lumpy at the beginning. However, with work, an unending supply of hot coffee, and pacing, my story takes shape. 

I may take a day or two off to let the ideas rise to the surface. Then I'm back at the computer again.

A couple of chapters later I realized my story may need a bit of extra seasoning, and several new toppings or I may need to toss out the pie and start again.

But hopefully, like the glutamate in pizza toppings, my stories cause my readers' brains to get excited--and crave more of my novels!

Happy Reading and "gustare la pizza",

Connie

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

My books are on SALE until March 3rd (at Smashwords) click the link above :-)

The Best Things to Do on Valentine's Day By Connie Vines #BWLAuthorBlog, #Valentine's Day Ideas, #Romance

 Valentine's Day has always been my favorite holiday. 

Valentine's Day is more than just gifts. Valentine's Day reminds me of pieces of childhood: excitement, handmade gifts, candy hearts in a small box, and fingers and chins sticky with chocolate. Of course, I adore flowers, sentimental/cute cards, chocolates...

I'm aware of the 'dark beginnings' of the holiday, but that can be discussed at another time.

February 14th will be here before you know t!

I may not be Cupid ...but I do write romance 💕💖💘

#1 Visit a Book Store or Brouse for E-Books online

The perfect date for bookworms. Spend the day exploring new reads together, grabbing coffee, and talking about the books you bought. (romance picks should be at the top of your list today!)

# 2 Make a Bucket List of Things you and your Significant Other would Like to do Together.

There are 365 days in a year. Local sites and historical areas are nearby and usually easier on your budget.

Here in the Burbs, my travels have included more than the usual (well-known) SoCal  choices:

The Ocean to Ocean Highway (Holt Boulevard)

Guasti Winery

Graber Olive House

Route 66 (Starts in downtown Chicago and ends at the Santa Monica pier in California).

Stomping grounds of Frank Zappa and the location of  Dr. Sandra Lee's (TLC network) medical office.

                                (copywritten by Connie Vines)

#3 Make Fondue

My personal choice for this year.

Why? It's perfect for two or for a Valentine's Day gathering.

Everyone gets to choose their own "dippable"—strawberries, bananas, marshmallows, or mini pretzels and it's easy to make. Only three ingredients are chocolate, cream, and a pinch of salt.

Flavors may be added to the chocolate: peppermint extract, cinnamon, and chile for a Mexican spin, or Amaretto or Bailey's Irish cream for a grown-up version.

And if it's just the two of you, chocolate fondue is a great way to end a romantic meal at home. The dip-ables can be prepped in advance, and the chocolate sauce comes together in just a few minutes.

For the dipping fondue chocolate:

1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream

Pinch salt

12 ounces milk or dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped bar)

For dipping:

Strawberries

Banana pieces cut into 1-inch chunks

Dried apricots

Apple slices

Candied ginger

Squares of pound cake

Heat the cream:

Heat the cream with a pinch of salt over medium heat in a small saucepan until tiny bubbles show and begin to lightly and slowly simmer.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate:

Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.

Serve immediately:

Transfer the chocolate mix to a fondue pot heated at low or low flame, or serve straight from the pot.

Arrange the dip-ables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot.

Use a fondue fork, bamboo skewer, seafood fork, or salad fork to dip the fruit pieces and other dip-ables into the hot melted chocolate mixture. Eat immediately.

If the fondue begins to feel a little stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and stir.

Enjoy!

Happy Reading 📖📱 and Happy 💗Valentine's Day, too!

Connie Vines

Visit my BWL page:

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

https://books2read.com/Gumbo-Ya-Ya

Find me here:

https://connievines-author.com/  (links/ blog posts, etc. are here :-)

Keeping Track of All the Books You Read By Connie Vines #WritingTips, #BWLAuthorBlog, #Tips for Readers

 If you are like me, you read so many books/ebooks during the year.

Fiction, nonfiction, cookbooks, craft books, and in my case, manuals and instructional materials.

I struggle to recall what print books are shelved in bookcases and what paperback novels I have scattered around the house. 

How difficult can it be, you scoff.

The closet in my office is a bookcase. Floor-to-ceiling, which takes up one entire wall of the room. Plus, the 4 additional standing bookcases in numerous other rooms.

And then there are the eBooks. I own a Kindle, a Nook, and an Apple tablet, which house the works of my favorite fiction authors, and sample reads.

You can see where this is leading....how many times have I re-purchased a book?

I'll give you an example. There is a western novelist (who shall remain nameless); books have always been must-reads for me.

There was one novel (I can't recall the title, which was part of the problem 😉). I purchased the original hardbound via a book club, then a paperback version. A few years later, the book was republished with an updated cover (paperback and hardbound). 

Yep. I bought them all. (remember, this is only one case in point.) since the books were new, my father received a hardbound copy on his birthday, and several paperbacks were given prizes at the local library fund-raiser event.

Lists, log books, etc., were a real pain and never foolproof. 

📚

It was quite by accident that I located a free app. Book Buddy.

The reviews were glowing, so I decided to give it a try.

I paid a small fee for additional storage because I was uploading so books.  

Why do I love this app?

I can track who I've loaned a book to, my reading status on each book, my next read,

Favorites, Series Titles, books I've donated (my personal tracking addition),

You simply scan the ISBN, and all the info uploads. 

If it's without the current 13-digit ISBN, you snap a picture of the cover and add some information.

It's also available on my phone. This will be a great help when I'm Christmas shopping this year!

Remember to check out all of BWL's November and December new releases! Get those stocking stuffers early--there are only 26 shopping days...📅 🎅🎄

BWL has a BIG sale on Smashwords: Connie Vines.

.

Connie's BWL Author Page: https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

Happy Reading!

Connie

Connie Vines's Blog and links

It's Heat Wave Time--But I'm Revisiting Fall by Connie Vines

 I apologize for the late post to BWL Author Insider Blog.  Here in southern California, as well as all of the Pacific Northwest, we are experiencing power outages, record-breaking temperatures, and wildfires.  We also have flex-alerts, a preventative measure to ward off rolling blackouts. 

Today, I decided to write about my idea of a perfect Autumn date...as in a romantic endeavor. 

My (or perhaps, the heroine of my WIP) favorite Autumn date: an early morning 45-minute drive to Oak Glenn, California in the San Bernardino Mountains for apple picking.  A thermos of hot coffee is a must bring along.  I love stopping along the way to experience a beautiful sunrise.  There's a sharp chill in the air and it's, a bit windy--the leaves of the trees sing, and pebbles and bit's of sand dance along the edge of the highway.

Breakfast fortifying breakfast at Apple Annie's then off to the orchard.  A stroll among the trees while making small talk with your special someone. Then, suddenly, you discover the perfect tree!  Standing on tip-toes to reach the best apples in the orchard, with your date leaning on the high branch a bit, so the lush apple dip within your reach. 

All-too-soon, you find your basket is overflowing.  Laughing you both reach for the apple at the top of the basket. After all, you must try just one.

Ladies, first, he says, offering you the first bite.

Tart and crisp a bit of the juice rolls your chin.

He smiles while gently brushing away the moisture.  You office him the apple, and he gently removes it from your fingertips to take a manly bite or two!

Afterward, it's a short drive to the pumpkin patch in Yucaipa for a couple stand-in-photo as Mr. and Mrs. Frankenstin Monster before playtime with the goats at the petting livestock area.

If my date joins in the fun--he may just be a keeper!

The links lead to the perfect Oak Glen experience :-)

Oak Glen

Fun YouTube Video of the Petting Zoo

My Pumpkin!

All of my ebooks are on SALE via Smashwords this month!

Vist BWL link!

https://bookswelove.net/vines-connie/

→→.      Current Release :-)

Happy Reading,

Connie Vines

New Year’s Resolutions and other Horrible Ideas by Connie Vines

New Year’s Resolutions.  Everyone makes them; everyone breaks them.

Need additional stress in your life?  Then go ahead and make resolutions for 2020.  Proclaim your intent to friends, neighbors, co-workers, and even strangers you might encounter on the street.  Tell everyone so he/she can remind you, about mid-February, that you’ve fallen-off-the-rails—or worst yet, you never made it to the station.

While I’ve had my share of failed resolutions over the years (I’ll share those later in my post), I compiled a list of ‘what were you thinking?’ resolutions.

• Quit Your Job.  Calling your boss up on New Year’s Eve and leaving voicemail that you quite your job is one of the worst New Year’s resolutions you can ever act on? Why? Firstly, your savings account is probably looking rather unhealthy. Plus, after the holiday seasonal hires are looking for new jobs, meaning competition for that position you want is going to be tougher than ever.

• Join A Gym Straight Away. Joining a gym straight away doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to stick to it. Studies have found that 60 per cent of gym memberships go unused and that by mid-February gym attendance has subsided back to the pre-Christmas levels. Instead, sign-up for a gym class, or walk with a friend (human or furry variety) in the early morning or in the evening.

• Travel.  Booking a one-way ticket to some far-flung exotic destination. Great; what about your house, your pets, your job, your partner, your debts? The list goes on and on. Although traveling is great, booking a flight as part of your New Year’s resolution because you hate the monotony of your life.

• Join A Band.  Just because the likes of “insert name of your favorite band” started their epic career in a garage, it doesn’t mean you’re going to follow a similar path.  Bad, very bad idea.

• Find Someone to Marry (in real life).  Yes, I know I write romance novels with always end with a HEA. However, ‘finding someone to marry’ and ‘falling in love’ are not interchangeable terms.  Even if you’ve had your parents nagging you to settle down all Christmas or you’ve been paraded in front of what feels like a hundred happy couples at numerous festive parties, then your desire to find someone to marry might be higher than normal. Yet, love strikes when you don’t expect it. So, don’t try to plan to find “the one”; give it time and you’ll find someone when you least expect it.

My failed, or repeated fails, of past New Year’s resolutions.

• Weight loss, of course.  I’ve joined and rejoined this popular program several times—always with limited results.  The past several years I’ve utilized Pinterest to save ideas and recipes.  I also downloaded “My Fitness Pal” application.  It’s free and I am able to scan, track, and sync with my Fitbit activity tracker.

• Go to bed early.  I’m a night-owl (or a closet vampire). Mid-night is my early-bed-time, never mind that I must bound-out-of-bed at 5:45 AM each week day.  My primary doctor asked me ‘how much sleep to you get each night?’  I hedged, “how may hours should I be sleeping?” He responded, firmly, “at least 7 hours.”  “7?” I was shocked (I come from a long-line of night owls) and confessed, “6 hours. . .maybe.”  He stared me down and ordered me to get at least 7 hours.  When I returned home my husband asked me what the doctor said.  I replied, “He told me that I failed sleeping.”  Unfortunately, my husband found this extremely amusing (he’s an early to bed and get-up at 5:00 AM type of person—he even cat-naps). 

• Which leads me to. . .going to bed by 10:30 each week night.  Sounds like 7 hours sleep, doesn’t it?  If I fall asleep at 10:30 PM (snort), I’m awake for a couple of hours, usually 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM.  However, on Friday and Saturday I stay up late writing and go to bed in the early AM.  I did purchase a satin sleep mask (think: Holly Golightly in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s) for my writing nights.  Of course, my dog (Chanel) tries to pull the mask off and my husband ignores us both. The mask does help.  Sometimes, I even sleep 8 hours.

Are you making resolutions for 2020?  Or do you have a few fails you'd like to share?

Remember my novels are on sale 75% off at Smashwords until January 1, 2020 --saving money and reading a wonderful story written by a BWL author is a great way to start the New Year!

Smashwords  (75% off !)   

Books We Love


Best Wishes and Happy Reading,

Connie Vines

"What woman doesn't love a cowboy?"

Enjoy the special effects:

Holiday Traditions, Old, New, and (maybe) Improved by Connie Vines

Traditions

Remember when we were in elementary school and sang those multi-generation holiday songs?

One that comes to mind:

Over the river and through the woods,
To grandmother's house we go;

The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh,
Through (the) white and drifted snow!
Over the river and through the woods,
Oh, how the wind does blow!

It stings the toes and bites the nose,
As over the ground we go.
Over the river and through the woods,
Trot fast, my dapple gray!

Spring over the ground,
Like a hunting hound!
For this is Thanksgiving Day.
Over the river and through the woods,

Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!

In the U.S.A.  when we were in elementary school we traced an out-line of our little hand, coloring each finger to appear as a turkey’s tail feathers.  The palm was the turkey’s body and our thumb the turkey’s neck and head.  We sat on the sofa, with our stomach growling, waiting for the turkey to be removed, golden and hot, from the oven.  Gaze locked the lovely prepared pumpkin pies and the like resting on the sideboard.

While, I certain many children would recognize the song, few are going to sit around at grandma’s after the final bite of pumpkin pie is consumed.

Why?  Because Black Friday starts on Thursday afternoon.  With Cyber Monday right upon its heels!

I can count, on the fingers of one hand, the number of times I’ve venture out (rising at 3:00 AM) on Black Friday to go shopping.  FYI: It’s not happening this year either.

I often shop on Cyber Monday (though I can usually find comparable money-saving deal of non-tech items) all through the month of November.

I will spend my Thanksgiving in my kitchen preparing dinner, setting my table, and sharing food and fond memories with family and friends.

Chanel (my poodle) may order her new winter sweater online before I cozy up in my wing back chair with my e-reader and a new novel from BWL. 

Tomorrow, I may unpack my Christmas decorations and start listen to Christmas music.

But not today.

Thursday is Thanksgiving—the day we give thanks.  I am thankful for Family and dear Friends-- everyone here at BooksWeLove, and our treasured readers.

I wish everyone a healthy and a happy holiday season.

Now, please enjoy a few holiday memes and remember we have holiday discounts on our eBooks –no Black Friday lines, or need to wait for Cyber Monday!

Celebrate the holidays with one of my novels:

 Univeral Book Links
https://books2read.com/Brede

BookBub

Overdrive

Autumn, Pumpkin Scones, Tea, and Me By Connie Vines

Autumn in Southern California. While the swaying Palm Trees do not change color with the seasons, we do have oak, maple, and sycamore tree which are painting the horizon in vibrant colors.

It is also pumpkin and apples season.  Though I am a devoted coffee drinker, I do enjoy and savor an excellent cup of tea pared with a perfect scone.

California Classic Pumpkin Scones

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes 
Total Time: 45 minutes 
Yield: 8 scones

Description

Deliciously spiced classic pumpkin scones are flaky and soft with perfectly crumbly edges. Top with coarse sugar for extra crunch and maple icing for extra decadence!


Ingredients
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, frozen
1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons (105ml) heavy cream, divided
1 large egg
1/2 cup (115g) canned pumpkin puree, blotted*
1/2 cup (100g) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
optional: coarse sugar for sprinkling on top before baking

Maple Glaze
2 Tablespoons (30g) unsalted butter
1/3 cup (80ml) pure maple syrup
1 cup (112g) sifted confectioners’ sugar
pinch salt, to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Adjust baking rack to the middle-low position. Line 1 or 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini scones, I use 2 baking sheets. Set aside.

Make the scones: Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter (I use a box grater). Add the grated butter to the flour mixture and combine it with a pastry cutter, a fork, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. Set aside.

Whisk 1/3 cup (75ml) heavy cream, the egg, blotted pumpkin (see note), brown sugar, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle it over the flour mixture and then mix it all together until everything appears moistened.

With floured hands, work the dough into a ball as best you can and transfer onto a floured work surface. Press into a neat 8-inch disc and, with a very sharp knife, cut into 8 equal wedges. To make smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 equal wedges.
Place scones at least 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s). Using a pastry brush, brush scones with remaining heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. (Gives a nice crunch!)
Bake the larger scones for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. If you made 16 smaller scones, bake for 18-20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes as you prepare the icing.

Make the glaze:

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and maple syrup together, whisking occasionally. Once the butter has melted, remove from heat, and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Taste and add a pinch of salt if desired. Drizzle over warm scones.
Scones are best enjoyed right away, though leftover scones keep well at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 2 extra days.

Notes

Pumpkin Pie Spice: Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/2 teaspoon each: ground allspice and ground ginger AND 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
Blotting Pumpkin: Using a paper towel or clean kitchen towel, lightly blot the pumpkin puree to remove some of the moisture before using in the recipe. The more moisture removed, the less moist and muffin-like the scones will taste. We want the scones to be flaky and crumbly, not super moist or muffin-like. I prefer to squeeze lots of moisture out so the scones taste textured and delicious. Do what you prefer!

My Tea Parings:

Assam Black Tea - Mokalbari Estate
English Breakfast Black Tea – Organic

Do you have a favorite Autumn recipe?

Or a favorite tea you sip while reading a novel from one of the BooksWeLove authors?
I enjoy sitting in my favorite reading chair is in my bedroom.  The chair is a soft gray color. I snuggle under my violet afghan with my slippered feet on the ottoman.  The Autumn light shimmers though my patio doors while I sip my tea from my Royal Albert china cup.

Happy October Everyone,

Connie  

To purchase my books:
https://www.overdrive.com/search?q=connie+vines
https://books2read.com/Brede

And They Lived Happily Ever After by Connie Vines

Classical Meaning:
Live happily ever after. Spend the rest of one's life in happiness, as in romantic novels the hero and heroine end up marrying and then live happily ever after. This hyperbolic phrase ends many fairy tales. [ Mid-1800s ] The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary.

What Life Teaches Us:

Adulthood, however, brings knowledge that life is messier than stories. It does not deliver happy endings, if only because it does not deliver endings. Or at least, it only has one ending. ... When a story is described as having a happy ending it is easy to think of the happily-ever-after of a fairy tale.

Why do I cling to ‘happy ends’ even when I am not writing a romantic novel?

Fairy tales were a very important part of early modern popular culture. Not only did they provide people with much needed entertainment, they offered a means of exploring one’s most secret dreams and deepest anxieties. Beneath their enchanting exteriors, fairy tales contain certain recurrent emotional situations, which are actually quite primitive in nature. Shakespeare recognized this and drew on these popular tales in his plays not just for their entertaining story lines, but for their emotional models, too. This allowed him to connect with his audience on an intimate, perhaps subconscious level.


In the 2003 film adaptation of Peter Pan , Wendy describes the stories she’s been telling the Lost Boys as “adventures, in which good triumphs over evil,” to which Captain Hook sneers, “They all end in a kiss.” Like Wendy and the Lost Boys, millions of people escape into the world of fiction to find happily ever after endings. We cheer when the good guy defeats the villain. We applaud when true love conquers all. We find hope and encouragement in the fictional examples that peace and happiness await on the other side of seemingly insurmountable trials. Without doubt, happy endings are enjoyable, uplifting, and reaffirming.

…Are we squelching hope, beauty, and wonder? Or are we perhaps just exploring the opposite side of the same coin? Life is just as full of sadness as it is of happiness. To ignore that fact is to limit both our personal experience of the human existence and our ability to write truthfully about life. To cap every story with a happy ending is dishonesty to both ourselves and our readers. The moment fiction becomes dishonest is the moment it becomes useless. Novelist Aryn Kyle  comments in her article “In defense of sad stories” (The Writer, June 2011):




My novels (as do many other romance novels) deal with person growth and overcoming the odds, including life and death struggles, as well as, current social issues.  How those stories possibly end in a happily-ever-after?

Sad stories don’t have to be depressing stories.

 The stories that have broken my heart and changed my life are stories of great tragedy, but they’re also stories of great hope. That, right there, is where we find the true power of the sad story—because light always shines brightest in the darkness.



This is why my stories always end with a happily-ever-after.

I have a core belief, no matter how dark the moment, someone—be it Faith, or words from a friend, or a stranger, will offer guidance or give you the strength to face another day.
Before I type The End, I make certain my readers feel there is a happy future for my ‘characters’ and for themselves.



What story changed your life?  Fanned the dying spark of hope into a flame rekindling the fire in your soul; or mended your broken heart so you could reach for tomorrow?

What story did you need to hear when you were a child?  A teen? Finding your way as a young adult?

What happily-ever-after story do you need to read now?

While you reach for your happy-every-after in your life.  Remember to reach for a novel to feed that hope!

Happy Reading,

Amazon      bookswelove buy links

Kobo      BookBub