Tag Archives: fall

Jun17

Forgotten Ghosts (Book Two of the Legacy Witch series) by Cass Kay

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Having read the first book of this series and enjoyed it so well, I was excited to get the chance to read this second book. Our heroine, Vianna is just as interesting and compelling as she was in the first book. Her best friend, Sandeen—known as Dee—lives with her now and they are making a home together. Two outcasts as neither belong to a coven, they have bonded as friends and each has the other’s back. I really enjoy their dynamic and personalities.

Of course, being Vianna, troubles come to call from various sources. Even the creepy nephew of her old landlord in Boston shows up. He smells like canned bacon and that made me laugh every time she mentioned it as I have never heard of such a thing though I can imagine just how lovely that smell could be. LOL

The author is very good at descriptions. She has the characters attend a witches fair and I loved how she evoked the atmosphere of first, the booths of items for sale, then the bonfire and the magic that occurs around it at the end of the fair. The fall setting was particularly well done. It’s my favorite season and I could almost feel like I was there despite the 90 degree weather as I read this book.

Part of the story takes place in tunnels under the city of Salem. Ms. Cass did a great job in atmospheric writing there and in her descriptions of the inhabitants of the tunnels.

Lots of drama like in the first book, some surprises from characters we thought we knew, and an interesting battle all make for another intriguing book and I, for one, can’t wait for book three.

Oct6

Free Short Story Through October 8, 2022

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This is a fall short story by Jillian Chantal. She was lucky enough to know a lot of her grandparents and great grandparents due to the longevity gene.

Her paternal great grandfather was Carver Fowler and he was a quiet man who loved to do wood-working. He also, as a young man, had a Model T and spent the whole rest of his life regretting selling it. Jillian always loved that his name was Carver and he did wood-working.

Mallie Phillips was her great grandmother and that lady was a pistol. She was sassy and fun and up until the week before she died, she would be in her yard with her cane in one hand and a rake in the other.

The year of the story is fudged as they would have been older than Jillian wanted them to be in the story if she used their real dates of birth.

Enjoy this free short story– just long enough to read while you have your pedicure. GET IT LINK

Blurb:

In 1924, Carver Fowler, a young man raised on his family’s farm in North Alabama, has long been in love with one of the girls who lives in town. Her name is Mallie Phillips. Mallie has always treated Carver as beneath her notice since in her opinion he’s nothing but a country yokel.

The county’s fall festival is soon and, as a joke, Mallie is dared by a friend to ask Carver to be her date to the party. Mallie takes her up on the dare and visits Carver to invite him to accompany her to the festivities.

In the midst of all the intrigue about whether Carver will be her date or not, a young man is killed and another is attacked. Carver becomes a suspect and Mallie begins to understand that Carver may not merely be the backwoods boy she thought he was.

Sep11

Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson

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This book is part of a series of stories with the protagonist being the owner of a coffee shop who can’t help but get involved in murders that happen in her town. She’s attracted to the detective she works with on the cases but she also has a date with a local doctor and has a former live in lover who is a stalker. In other words, she attracts drama. And she isn’t very likable.

Even though she owns a coffee shop and the title of the book makes one think there will be some kind of pumpkin spice drink—latte, coffee or even chai—nope. Not any in sight for the entire book.

A woman is killed at a Halloween party and busted pumpkins are all around her but no spices. Nope. None.

The protagonist is smart and clever in the way she can solve crimes but she is one of those types who don’t listen. Even when she is told to stay out of the crime scene, she goes willy-nilly in the room and starts touching stuff.

The first couple of times she didn’t listen were cute but then it got old. I get that the amateur sleuth needs to have access to try to solve the case in these kinds of books, but it really became annoying to this reader. I’m sure there were other ways to get around that issue but her just blatantly ignoring warning after warning became tedious. She went rogue way too many times to count.

All that being said, the mystery itself was good. It was clever to have the story take place at a Halloween party with a terrible storm so everyone was stranded there and also in costume. It heightened the danger and intrigue to make the killer not be able to escape. The other partygoers didn’t seem too concerned to be locked in a mansion with many rooms for a murderer to hide in, though.

I thought the ending was appropriate and I enjoyed the mystery of the murder.

Even though this is a series, I was able to follow the story and figure out who was who without much effort.

For a quick, easy, seasonal read with not much depth, this was a fun one. Just don’t expect any pumpkin spice.

Aug13

Long Time No Post!!

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Sorry I’ve beem MIA. I’ve had a lot going on with my mother being ill and in and out of the hospital. I’ve also had to travel quite a bit recently and have been working diligently at the day job and the evenings writing. I also had edits on a pretty long novel that my alter-ego has coming out on September 9, 2012.

I’m over here today to announce that I got an acceptance for a Halloween story to be published by Whortleberry Press in September. This will be my fourth year in their Halloween anthology and I’m super excited to be back. I absolutely adore the fall season and all the holidays therein.

This story I wrote was so fun. I woke up on a Saturday morning with the first paragraph in my head, fully formed. I jumped up and grabbed my iPad to jot it down. The next paragraph came right away and every time I thought I’d stop working on it, more came. I didn’t get up for two hours and it was done. I was still in my robe and was shocked when I looked up to see it was two hours later.

I edited it that night and sent it in. It’s a really cute little story if I do say so myself. It’s in first person but you know, it really called out for that perspective.

The name will be changed from what I had but that’s cool. I’m awful at titles so I’m always open to changing them. LOL! Of course, I’ll post when it’s available for purchase.

Oct4

What I Miss About Childhood

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Virgina is for Lovers…. Of FALL!

wanted: rotting pumpkins

I lived in Virginia and I miss the change in the seasons. Driving up Skyline Drive to get apple cider, pumpkins and gourds in the fall was such a blast. The weather was cool and the cider was icy cold. So cold it hurt going down even though it tasted heavenly. There’s nothing like fresh pressed apple cider.

The leaves crunching underfoot were magical and I can remember kicking them to make them fly and thinking there were fairies and gnomes in the woods. I never uncovered one but I probably made so much noise that they ran from me. I was a pretty rowdy kid.

The smell of fires burning along the route was a tingle in my nose and I loved to inhale the scent. It was an idyllic time and I miss the heck out of it.

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Oct1

10 Things That Make Me Happy

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10 Random things that make me happy with a special tribute to fall in honor ot Oct 1

Boots
I love to wear boots in the fall and winter. They’re comfy and keep my toes warm.

A roaring fire in the fireplace
There’s nothing like a cozy fire on a cool day. sitting by a fire is a fine way to spend a fall day

Petting my cat
She’s a long hair cat and likes to cuddle only when the weather is cool. It’s relaxing and soothing to run my hand over her fur and hear her purr.

Writing
Writing is something I MUST do. It is part of my soul and my psyche needs it.

reading fiction
Escaping to other worlds is something I enjoy. There’s nothing like a well written book to take me to away from my day to day life.

Red doors
They are beautiful and represent sanctuary.

bare limbed trees
Mysterious and sexy, bare limbed trees speak to my imagination. A haze or fog over such a tree appeals to me. Have no real idea why. It just does.

lunch time
A break from the work day is always a grand thing.

Watching Cary Grant movies
He was so awesome and funny and suave and a wonderful entertainer.

Fridays
DUH!

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