Falling into Fall by Nancy M Bell

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It's that time of year again. The sun is making its way south through the skies and throwing golden slanting rays across the land as its position sinks toward the horizon. The air is full of shining motes of light as the sun glints off the dust raised by busy combines bringing in the harvest.

The days are drawing in as the Autumn Equinox approaches, mornings are blessed with the cool bite of what is to come and the grass is rimed with the last of summer's breath.

 

My roses are still blooming right now, the pumpkins are orange, the apples are glowing through the emerald leaves and the garden is getting ready for the winter sleep.  Fall is a time of renewal, much the same as spring.  The busy days of summer are coming to a close, the nights grow longer and wrap us in the comfort of our hearth fire and knowledge we are ready for the coming cold. The long nights gift us with time to spend in pursuits we have set aside for the warmer months. Time to bring out the projects that have been put on hold, time to savour the summer that is past, time for introspective thoughts and time to plan for the coming spring.

Nights through October and November are long and sometimes cold, but without the dark would we really appreciate the return of the light after the Winter Solstice? The slow trickle of lengthening days as January turns to February. For those who follow the old ways, Samhain, Alban Arthuan and Imbolc. No matter what we humans call the turning the seasons, the universe carries on with no regard to our celebrations or worries. I find comfort in that in some odd way. So I'm more than ready to fall into Fall. The short days will get me out of the garden and back into the house where the dust lays thick on my computer. There are stories to write and tales to tell.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.  

 

Reading by Season by Eileen O'Finlan

                                                                                                                                                                   

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Over the years, I have noticed an interesting phenomenon. At certain times of the year, usually at the change of seasons, I get the overwhelming urge to read specific types of books. Often, just as we are sliding into summer, I get the hankering for historical fiction set during either the American Revolution or the American Civil War. I've no idea why the warmer weather induces such a fancy. After all, those are hardly what most people would call beach reads, but there we are. 

I've never been into the typical "beach read" anyway. The last time I read a book on the beach (many, many years ago), it was The Shining by Stephen King. I was so into it that I completely lost track of time - a common occurrence when I'm reading a good book - and didn't realize that four hours had gone by. I'd been laying on my stomach, propped up on my elbows. I got a massive sunburn and wore the outline of it on my back from my low, scoop-back, one-piece bathing suit for the next two years! Yes, Stephen King books can be dangerous!

Now that we are heading into fall, the temperatures here in New England are beginning to dip, the days are getting shorter, and autumn is definitely on its way, my book cravings are turning to the supernatural. I'm beginning to amass a "to be read" pile of such books, having just finished two of the genre's classics - Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House and Henry James's The Turn of the Screw.

I'm sure I'm not alone in turning to these types of books at this time of year. It makes sense. (Certainly more than yearning for Revolution and Civil War books just because it's summer.) Come the holidays and the long, cold winter, I'll probably start looking for something more cozy. But from now through Halloween, bring on the vampires, ghosts, and haunted houses. 

While it took a year to write The Folklorist, (after at least six months of research), I really got into it the most during the fall. It was exciting to craft a novel that could have been on my own autumn TBR list at the same time I was craving that type of book. I think it helped me write the kind of book I most wanted to read at that moment.

Included in this fall's reading will be books from BWL's Paranormal Canadiana Collection. If Nancy M. Bell's Night at the Legislature is any indication, they are sure to induce plenty of spine tingles!

Of course, I might throw a book or two by Stephen King into the mix. At least at this time of year, I won't be risking a sunburn.

The beginning of my fall TBR

Welcome to Fall

 

https://books2read.com/Loving-Charlie-Forever

Welcome to Fall

            I know Fall is well underway, but the weather in Kansas has been more like summer than autumn, so it’s been difficult to think that Halloween has passed and Thanksgiving is around the corner. I love to incorporate fall into the settings for my stories -- the changing colors of the leaves, the smell of wood smoke on cooler nights as people light up the firepits, football games and bringing out sweatshirts and sweaters.

    On past holidays, I cooked and baked for days before the kids came home from college, making all their favorites. Now, the kids have families of their own, and my son enjoys hosting Thanksgiving dinner. Last year, there were over thirty people at his house – parents and in-laws and siblings and nieces and nephews from both sides of the family. This year there will even be some new babies to cuddle. Everyone shares in making a feast with traditional smoked turkey and dressing and all the side dishes you could possibly imagine.

            Everyone has their favorite Thanksgiving dish, and while some are the same nationwide, others vary according to location. You can imagine with me being from the Midwest and my daughter-in-law being from the south, we get an extra-large variety. But until a year or so ago, I had never heard of Macaroni & Cheese being a holiday dish.

    One Thanksgiving dinner staple is bread, in all its many shapes and forms. Last year, my son wanted me to make Bulgur Bread, a long time favorite at our house, so although I live in Kansas and he’s in Tennessee, I checked the ingredients and packed what I knew he wouldn’t have when I boarded the plane. (I didn’t make it until I got there because there is nothing better than fresh baked bread.) For those of you who enjoy the art of kneading dough and the smell of it fresh from the oven, I am putting the Bulgur recipe here. It’s a coarse texture, crusty bread that I know you’ll enjoy. (BTW, you can usually find Bulgur—cracked wheat – in the organic or health food section of the grocery store.)

Bulgur Honey Bread
1 cup bulgur (dry)
3 cups boiling water
½ cup honey
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1 Tbsp salt
2 packages dry yeast
½ cup warm water
6 ½ -7 cups flour

Combine bulgur, boiling water, honey, oil and salt in a large bowl. Cool to lukewarm. Add yeast to warm water. Stir to dissolve. Add to cooled bulgur mixture. Blend in flour in 3 parts, beating after each addition until dough leaves side of bowl. (Dough will be soft.) Turn onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, elastic and doesn’t stick when pinched with the fingers. Put in a greased bowl and let rise until double (about 2 hours). Punch down, divide in ½ and shape into loaves. Put in 2 loaf pans. Cover and let rise until double. Bake in 350 degree oven 45-50minutes or until done. Brush with butter.

For those who celebrate – Happy Thanksgiving. For those who simply enjoy good food, Bon Appetit!

 

Barbara Baldwin (whose story characters often have favorite foods, which are actually mine and I sneak them into my stories.)

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Fall is coming or is it here? By Nancy M Bell

 

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September 2024 is almost half over. Do you think the calendar decides when summer is gone and fall is upon us? I honestly don't think nature pays much attention to our human machinations. I remember an August day back in 1978, I was sitting on my horse having just come out of the wooded valley behind the barn and looking over Bruno Bijoni's  huge bean field. It was only mid August, but as I sat and let the sun fall in slanted beams around me and the breeze sweep across the land to lift my hair, there was the unmistakable scent of autumn in it. It's a hard scent to describe, more experienced than described. It's a mix of dry grasses, disturbed leaf litter under the trees, a cooling of the air moving over the tasseled heads of ripe corn waiting for the reaper and so many other  nebulous but unmistakable nuances.

In my middle years, I so looked forward to the shortening of days, the cries of the wild geese overhead and the whisper of the wind in their pinions as they lofted off the trout pond. Summer was always full to the brim and the dusk of ten pm often found me still teaching a riding lesson, or schooling my own horses. Not to mention the myriad of  chores that spring and summer brings. Haying in June when the weather was always hot and humid, repairing fences, showing horses, braiding manes and tails until after midnight with my own horse always done last after the students. So yes, the shortening days were welcome. A promise of respite and a chance to recharge. 

When I was much younger, fall meant the time we spent at the cottage on Davis Lake in Haliburton was drawing to a close and that was not met with such relief. But oh, the glory of the maple trees burning orange and red and gold against the dark spruce and pine. Their colours reflected in the mirror stillness of the lake. In later years, it was the Rouge Valley that gifted me with the palette of autumn colour as I rode my horse along the well known and loved trails. Even now, so many years later, I can close my eyes and ride down Mosquito Alley, climb Spyglass Hill, look over the flats on the east side of the river from Souix Lookout, ride down the broad avenue that ran along the top of the ridge, the place where I could find  trilliums and lady's slippers in the spring.

Some falls have been open and warm, holding autumn at bay and spreading honey-gold light and heat across the western prairies. Clouds of dust rising into the Alberta blue sky heralding the work of many combines bring in John Barley Corn, wheat, canola, rye and other crops. On those days, fall seems far away and winter even more distant. There is one thing I can always be certain of though, no matter when it arrives, fall will be a'comin' in with crispy days and sharper nights. Jack Frost will paint the trees with colour, although out here in the west it mostly shades of gold and yellow. I trust my nose and my senses rather than the calendar to tell me what season it is. 

Here are some images to get you into the mood.

Until next month, stay well, stay happy.

Autumnal Thoughts by Eileen O'Finlan

 

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There's something about autumn. It's gorgeous, mysterious, spooky, and magical all at once. It conjures up thoughts of trees ablaze in red, gold, yellow, and orange, of Halloween ghosts and goblins, harvests of apples, pumpkins, and winter squash, of simmering soups and hearty stews, the swish of leaves underfoot, and crisp, tangy air. Yet it has a tinge of sadness as well. The year is dying. That lovely, slightly fruity scent in the air is created by the decay of leaves and vegetation.  For many of us in New England, autumn is bittersweet. It is stunningly beautiful, but also the harbinger of the long, cold winter that's surely on its way.

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Autumn is a special time of year for me. Each of its months brings a different emotion. In September, I mourn the loss of summer's warmth and freedom. By October, I've usually made my peace with summer's departure, and I'm ready to embrace autumn in all its beauty and bounty. And in November, I'm consumed with the coming holidays.

The high point in my current work-in-progress takes place in a Vermont October. Working all of that month's enchantments into the story is both challenging and rewarding. Since I am close to that point in the writing now, at least I won't have far to look for inspiration. A glimpse outside my window will do.

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Book Cover release during My Favourite Season by J. S. Marlo

 

J. S. Marlo's BWL Books

A few days ago, I received my new book cover for my upcoming November book release: Mishandled Conviction.  I'd like to thank our fabulous book cover artist Michelle. If I can say so myself, my new book cover is gorgeous!  Michelle, you're awesome!

I will tell you more about Mishandled Conviction next month, so stay tune. Now back to My Favourite Season.

Last week, my little granddaughter asked me what was my favourite season. Without hesitation, I said Autumn. So she asked if it was because it was my birthday. That was a fair question coming from the mouth of a six-year-old girl who'd just opened two birthday cards that I'd received  in the mail that day. As I replied it wasn't because of my birthday, I knew her next question would be Why then? And I was right, except I wasn't sure how to explain why.

For as long as I remember, Autumn has always been my favourite season. I grew up in Eastern Canada where autumn means vivid fall colours. My grandparents had a cottage by a lake and we were there all the time. My most memorable memories are walking in the surrounding forest by myself. I could be gone all day, only coming back when my stomach growled in hunger. The cottages were far and few between, so in retrospect, I don't know how my mother didn't worry about me. I never encountered any strange characters or big animals like bears, moose, or wolves, but I saw wild cats, raccoons, otters, and other smaller animals.

 

 

Nature is full of sounds, and in their midst,  there was a peace and tranquility that I couldn't find anywhere else. It was particularly true in the fall. The temperatures were cooler, the air was crisper, and the sounds and the colours were sharper. Walking in a tapestry of red, orange, and yellow with leaves twirling all around me was magical. In these precious moments, I felt free and carefree, almost invincible. Time stood still and nothing could touch me or hurt me. Maybe it was the innocence of youth...or maybe it was something more...something greater than me.

 

 Decades ago, I moved from the eastern part of Canada to the western and northern part of the country. There are no maple trees here, and to this day, I miss the autumn colours, but to my amazement, the magic didn't die. I still experience that peaceful feeling when I gaze in awe at the northern lights dancing in the night sky. 

Northern lights are more frequent toward the end of September, and though they are mostly green, I've also seen them in their glorious purple, pink, and red colours.

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my fellow Canadians! Many hugs!

JS

 

J. S. Marlo's Website

This Day in History ~ October 5 ~ by Jamie Hill

It's October, and everyone's thoughts immediately go to Halloween, especially if you're a kid of 'trick or treating' age. For the rest of us, October means different things. Fall weather, the World Series in baseball, football season, pumpkins, sweatshirts, and the holidays just around the corner.  

But what does October 5 mean? What happened this day in history? If you were born today, then that's obviously the highlight. Here are a few other tidbits.

1877 Chief Joseph surrendered to the U.S. Army.

1910 King Manuel II was overthrown in a revolution and Portugal became a republic.

1921 The World Series was broadcast on the radio for the first time.

1930 Great Britons largest dirigible the R-101 Airship crashes in Beauvais, France, killing all on board. 

 

1933 Machine Gun Kelly has pleaded not guilty to charges of a being a co conspirator in the Urschel kidnapping. 

1947 In the first televised White House address, President Truman urged Americans to refrain from eating meat on Tuesdays and poultry on Sundays to help starving people in other countries.

1953 Earl Warren was sworn in as the 14th Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

1962 The Beatles released their first hit, "Love Me Do," in Britain.

1969  Monty Python's Flying Circus makes its debut on BBC Television, there were only 45 episodes aired over four seasons featuring the zany comedy sketches with John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Graham Chapman, Terry Jones, Michael Palin, Eric Idle.

1990 Cincinnati's Contemporary Arts Center and its director were acquitted of obscenity charges resulting from an exhibit of Robert Mapplethorpe's photographs.

2001 Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire's record of 71 home runs in one season when he hit his 71st and 72nd homers.  

2011 Visionary co-founder of Apple Computers, Steve Jobs, died after battling pancreatic cancer for several years. The 56-year-old former CEO had resigned prior to his death leading to speculation that his health had made a turn for the worse. Fans of him and his company immediately set up memorials and tributes at Apple stores and on the internet upon hearing the news.  

And just because they're interesting, here are two Oct. 2 facts: Elvis Presley performed only once on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry stage, on Oct. 2, 1954.

The first “Peanuts” comic strip written by Charles Schulz was published on Oct. 2, 1950.

Some general trivia:  University of Chicago researchers have found that people born in the fall have the highest chance of living to be 100 years old.

And finally, according to a national survey done by the US Social Security Administration of 12,000 Americans the most common date of birth was Oct. 5.

There, now doesn't that make today feel so much more special?

Indulge in a fall splurge- all four of my Blame Game books in one boxed set for a low price. Find them at your favorite online retailer or our Books We Love store where you can use Paypal and purchase in your choice of formats:  

http://store.payloadz.com/details/2376872-ebooks-romance-the-blame-game-boxed-set.html 

Until next time, have a great October!

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