Welcome to my Hop Stop in the Autumn Harvest Blog Hop!
To me, Autumn is...
A wonderful fall vacation in the Colorado Rockies. |
My kids carving pumpkins |
Having fun in the leaves |
Autumn is my favorite time of year. Crisp apples. Pumpkin pie. I like wearing jeans and a sweatshirt while being outside. I love the smell of wood smoke in the air from our outdoor wood burner and the crunch of dry leaves underfoot. I even enjoy the rainy, gloomy days - as long as I'm tucked away in my warm house with a steaming mug of tea.
I've set a few of my books in the Fall of the year. Most recently is my story in the TALES FROM THE MIST Anthology.
BENEATH STILL WATERS (Part One)
Get your copy of TALES FROM THE MIST
Amazon, Amazon UK, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW, Goodreads
RISING ABOVE (Still Waters Part Two) is also available:
Imagine you’ve lived before, but don’t remember or believe it’s even possible. Therein lies the danger. For in not believing and learning from your pasts, the power shifts to the one who would see you dead. Again.
I've set a few of my books in the Fall of the year. Most recently is my story in the TALES FROM THE MIST Anthology.
BENEATH STILL WATERS (Part One)
An old legend tells of a beautiful witch unjustly persecuted who
became a ghost bent on revenge.
The danger lies in not believing.
On a sorority camping trip in the Colorado Rocky
Mountain National Park, Becca scoffs at the story of the Ghost of Still Waters,
despite the convictions of her fellow campers, Liz and Shane. When Liz
challenges her to summon the witch’s spirit, will Ali’s disbelief seal her
fate?
EXCERPT:
“Back in the eighteen
hundreds, there was a young witch who lived in these mountains. In fact...” Ted
paused and looked around. “What remains of her cabin isn’t too far from here.”
Megan gave a little moan,
as if the long-dead woman would suddenly appear right behind her.
“The townspeople were all
scared of her, but since she kept to herself mostly, they left her alone. Then
one day—”
“Does this witch have a
name? And why were they scared of her?” Becca fired off the questions as Megan
glanced uneasily over Johnny’s shoulder.
“Shh,” Liz said with
annoyance.
“The legend warns against
speaking her name.”
“Don’t encourage him,”
Shane added.
“Why not?” The fearful
question came from Megan.
“She practiced black
magic,” Ted explained. “They say if you speak her name it could awaken her
spirit.”
The fire popped, throwing
a shower of sparks skyward. Becca noticed Megan and Liz both jerk in reaction,
as if the witch had sent a sign.
She didn’t believe there
was an ounce of truth to the story. “You guys probably don’t even know it.”
Ted met her gaze with a
solemn nod.
“Are you chicken?” she
challenged him and Shane. Now she was starting to have fun.
“Some things are better
left unspoken,” Shane warned.
“Just tell us.”
Despite Liz’s urging, Ted
hesitated. Becca guessed it was part of their presentation.
“Her name is ... ”
“Don’t say it,” Shane
breathed, closing his eyes. “Please don’t say—”
“Alianna.”
A burst of rustling leaves preceded a loud
clatter in the forest behind them.
Amazon, Amazon UK, BN, ARe, Kobo, SW, Goodreads
~*~
RISING ABOVE (Still Waters Part Two) is also available:
Imagine you’ve lived before, but don’t remember or believe it’s even possible. Therein lies the danger. For in not believing and learning from your pasts, the power shifts to the one who would see you dead. Again.
Ryan James never gave much thought to ghosts or
the idea of reincarnation—until the appearance of the beautiful Ali Whitman
triggers terrifying visions that feel like real life. As he pieces together
their past lives, he discovers they aren’t the only players. Worse, if he can’t
convince Ali to believe before their past adversary makes the next move, he’ll
lose her all over again.
MY PRIZE for the Hop and how to win it:
PartyLite Trick or Treat Fragrance Warmer w/melts |
Now, if you're visiting all the hop stops, I'm going to guess you've answered what your favorite part of autumn is about a hundred times, so my question is:
What's the most creative pumpkin you've ever carved?
(Remember--comments here also enter you into the overall Blog Hop grand prizes)
(Remember--comments here also enter you into the overall Blog Hop grand prizes)
And don't forget to visit all the other blog stops to win more fabulous prizes!
1st Grand Prize: A
Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $50
Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag
Pack that contains 10+ paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets,
pens, coffee cozies, and more!
Most creative pumpkin was cat. We attached a body, tail, ears, & paws. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteSue B
Cute! My daughter would've loved that.
DeleteI'm not very creative about pumpkin carving. Just a plain old jack-o-lantern here. I know...boring!
ReplyDeleteBarbara
bbsbooknook@aol.com
Not boring, Barbara--Classic. And classic never goes out of style! :)
DeleteYes, fall is my fav time of year here in New England. Every year for the past 14 years my hubby and I have gone apple picking. now that we have children we take them too. Nothing better than homemade apple crisp.
ReplyDeleteGreat pics
We haven't done this yet, but we should. It sounds fun!
DeleteI haven't carved a pumpkin in several years, but my children (my son, 23, my daughter-in-law 22, my daughter 19 and my youngest daughter 15) all carve some pretty interesting jack o'lanterns. This year I'd have to say that my favorite out of them all was my sons. He carved the "pi" symbol in his...so pumpkin "pi"..lol My youngest daughters was a hoot...she carved the word "fur" with the circle and line across it to symbolize "no fur". What made it so funny was that we had no more than put the pumpkins out on display, then the youngest of our three dogs walked up, sniffed over all six and promptly began to EAT hers! LOL
ReplyDeleteS.D.
AnnieBancroft08@yahoo.com
I LOVE this! Not sure which is funnier, pumpkin pi or the dog eating the no fur. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteWhen my kids were younger we used to go to a Halloween weekend at a campground. The imaginative pumpkin carving always intrigued me.
ReplyDeleteIt's not something I thought they'd miss when they got older..but I do.
phillips[.]connie[@]gmail[.]com
Sounds like fun, Constance! Someday maybe you can go again. :)
DeleteI cannot carve a pumpkin if my life depended on it. I'm horrible at it. But this year my lovely husband carved a pumpkin for each of our 3 girls. There was a cat, a ghost, and a flower on our front porch. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
jinni_james@yahoo.com
Good dad!
DeleteI live in SW Colorado! Fall here is great! I'd love to win!
ReplyDeletehorses5@frontier.net
I'm jealous! But glad you're enjoying fall.
DeleteI love your photo of your daughter in the leaves. Aren't kids great, they make fall extra fun. My best memories of fall are with my kids. And as for carving pumpkins, well, I'm not so good at that. My daughter is the one who makes lovely scrolled work like the Nightmare Before Christmas. Her pumpkins are works of art. Me, I buy the plastic ones with the face on them and and light inside. Happy Harvest Time!
ReplyDeleteI'm raising a mug of Apple Cider to you!
Raising my tea back at you! Make sure you take pics of your daughters pumpkins.
DeleteStacey! I'm doing this hop, too. Small world. :) Loved your post - and your kids are adorable!
ReplyDelete~Cate
Thanks, Cate!
DeleteI am not really a very creative person but we painted pumpkins one year and I painted one to look like a bat.
ReplyDeleteLove Halloween bats--and I can see the benefits to painting. So much less messy.
DeleteI wish I was creative but it always turns out lopsided or worse!
ReplyDeleteehaney578 at aol dot com
As long as you have fun carving them, Elizabeth!
Deletefortunately for me, my husband is the artist in our family, i take photos. i guess i will just go with this years since it is fresh in my mind.
ReplyDeletehoney boo boo
Oh...nooo...
DeleteLOL
I did a haunted house once but it didn't turn out very well...I'm not so very artistic :(
ReplyDeletealigingerread@gmail.com
Ali, you tried. :) Hopefully you had fun?
DeleteThere's never been a creative one I've done but for this past Halloween my cousin did Cinderella's carriage :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the awesome giveaway!
cassandrahicks1989@yahoo.com
Man, I wish I could see some of these! Very cool.
DeleteI love this time of year as well! I think this year was one the most challenging pumpkins I have ever tried to do:), my # year old loves nick jrs bubble guppies and wanted a bubble puppy pumpkin, so we tried;)! But he also got something from his teacher that I thought was cute, it pumpkin tattoos, turned out very cute! I can't wait to read Tales of the Mist on my TBR list! Enjoy your weekend!
ReplyDeleteallysonbrann06@yahoo.com
bubble guppy pumpkin and pumpkin tattoos--sounds great! A great weekend to you, too. Enjoy the book. :)
DeleteI've never done a creative one honestly -- I like the ways to not carve them like decorating them with paint -- easier and less messy!!
ReplyDeletebooksconsidered[at]gmail[dot]com
DeleteI do like the less messy aspect of painting. I'll have to have my artist daughter try that next year.
DeleteI am not a great pumpkin carver sadly. My Dad was so creative when we were little and he could literally create anything. There's no way I could possibly choose.
ReplyDeleteSassychassy333@gmail.com
Great memories...
DeleteAutumn is my favorite season! I like all the beautiful colors outside and the weather is not that hot anymore but not freezing cold either. It's just perfect! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteverusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
You're welcome, Veronika-thanks for stopping. :)
DeleteMy kids do some great pumpkins every year. This year the favorite was from Transformers. My son did the Autobot Transformer face. It was pretty cool and he was very excited about it. I love the ears on your pumpkin! Very cute! danao.b7(at)gmail(dot)com'
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Another picture I'd love to see! (Glad you like our pumpkin ears)
DeleteWe have never been too creative when it comes to pumpkin carving, but last year we needed to carve a pumpkin quick to return for a preschool project so we got out my hubby's power drill and bits and made a Polka DOt PUmpkin :)
ReplyDeletekissyjensen at gmail dot com
Works for me! :)
DeleteI've never carved a pumpkin. :) I'm from Brazil and we don't have Halloween.
ReplyDeleteYour kids are adorable!
morebooksthanlivros@gmail.com
Sometime, if you get a chance, maybe give it a try just because. :) Thanks for the compliment about my kids and for stopping by, Isabelle.
DeleteI carved a ultra- conservative pumpkin with three triangles and a jagged mouth. That one was my favorite.
ReplyDeletebrendurbanist at gmail dot com
Said it before, will say it again: Classic never goes out of style. :) As long as it's your favorite, it's perfect!
DeleteI haven't carved any pumpkins yet. I'm more into pies.
ReplyDeletebituin76 (at) hotmail (dot) com
As long as I get to eat the pies, I can get on board with that. :)
DeleteWe carved the words Happy Halloween!
ReplyDeletesqwalker2@gmail.com
Now that's ambitious to me. Lots of detail work in all those letters!
DeleteIt’s hard to say what exactly would be my Go-To Autumn Romance book. When I think real hard about it, I would have to say it has a sexy, strong, determined male that when it comes to love is just lost. Then there has to be a woman who is usually in need of help or needs to know what love and family is. Together they heal each other and love turns out to be their greatest gift. I also love a happy ending at this time of year, usually where the epilogue has them starting their own family to love and cherish. Oh….and definitely HOT loving too!
ReplyDeleteAngelheart618@gmail.com
Happily ever after rules!
DeleteMy kids love to use the stencils to do the pumpkins, one year my son sat and drew his own stencil..for the Broncos, his fav football team. He was so proud, and still mentions that pumpkin now at age 18.
ReplyDeletethanks for the blog hop fun !
Kym
flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kids getting creative is the best! And so cool he still mentions it. :)
DeleteIs it cheating if I didn't carve it, but painted it? I had a line of evil pumpkins, complete with wicked eyes, fangs and witch hats. :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle
chellesy.clay(at)gmail(dot)com
Not at all, Michelle! Again, another picture I wish I could see.
DeleteI'm tragically bad at carving pumpkins. Seriously, I'm lucky if it has a distinguishable face when I'm finished. The carved pumpkin in your picture is amazing!
ReplyDeleteJYL22075 at gmail dot com
Thanks, that's about as creative as I get these days, and that was years ago. :)
DeleteAUTUMN HARVEST BLOG HOP
ReplyDeleteThank you the opportunity to get acquainted with all these new books!
I love autumn with all the brilliant colors: oranges, yellows and reds of leaves. I love crisp, cool mornings where the sky is so blue it looks endless and the air is so fresh in your lungs. I love snuggling up in a warm throw on a cold autumn day with a good book. Of course, I love snuggling up with a good book about anytime of the year. I love Thanksgiving because it is a time to remember all the many blessings in my life and express thanks. I love baking spicy pumpkin pies with dollops of cream.
The last book I finished was “Unravel Me” by Kendall Ryan. I liked it because the hot story line was so unexpected. I also love the steamy passion along the likes of Sylvia Day and Sylvain Reynard, but I hate mentioning favorite authors because the list is long. I appreciate the many styles authors use to weave stories of mystery, love, intrigue, preternatural and inspiration. I love reading because I can go anywhere, any time in my mind and imagine indescribable things.
Thank you for doing the Autumn Blog giveaway.
Gail djgandyfan@gmail.com
Gail, I agree with you on the joys of autumn! And you're right, hard to mention favorites when the list is so long.
DeleteThanks for coming by!
I am not a great pumpkin carver, but I did a ghost once.
ReplyDeletemel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Maybe I'll try a ghost next year. I like that idea. Thanks!
Delete8m a very creative person myself your little girl is so cute with the pumpkin she just steals my heart away thanks for the chance to win angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
Deleteops i forgot about what is is the most creative pumpkin i did i sparyed painted with gold and silver to make it prety my husband onced craved a apumpkin one year and he said never again cause he couldnt stand the guts but yet he dont mind gutting fish oh well i guess thats a man for you i hope you dont mind that i commented again my cat is getting in my viewing way i guess she wants to be apart of the fun angleowolfmystic@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteToo funny about your husband. Thanks for the extra comment and if you do win, then give your kitty a treat,too. :)
DeleteI carved a drunken ghost! It was funny. I messed up the eyes so I had to improvise. The kids loved it! LOL.
ReplyDeleteI love the family photos!
Thanks for the opportunity to share and know you better. Take care.
Belinda G
belgre@comcast.net
I'd have loved to see the drunken ghost. Thanks for stopping by, Belinda. :) You take care, too.
DeleteHey Stacey, I love the autumn, too! And I miss Halloween celebrated by all as it is in the States. It's not so prevalent here, although some have started the tradition of trick or treating in certain neighborhoods.
ReplyDeleteI love the pictures of your kids. They are so cute! And so are you and hubby :).
angelaguillaume@gmail.com
At least there's a little bit of Halloween-sorry you don't get more. Thanks about the pics. Hope you're having a great weekend!
DeleteThis year we did a kitten sitting on a pumpkin design on our pumpkin. Thanks for the chance to win!
ReplyDeletenatasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Sounds very cute! My daughter is such an artist-I look forward to hers as she gets older. Thanks for coming by!
DeleteI am sorry to say that I have never carved a pumpkin,as, in Australia, Halloween is not a big thing.annpa@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI said the same for another Australian--someday, just do it for fun! :)
DeleteMost creative would have been carving a witch.....though it didn't quite turn out the way I wanted...lol.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
molly at reviewsbymolly dot com
I've run into that more than once, too, Molly. :) Have a good weekend!
DeleteI've never carved a pumpkin. I'm in Australia.
ReplyDeleteMary--try it just for fun--if you think it sounds fun. :) And if you're following the comments, reply with your email address so you can be entered into the contest for the grand prize!
DeleteThanks for coming by. :)
A witch! Simple but yeah......
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway! I LOVE your books!
tobihelton at gmail dot com
Thank you so much, Tobi! And simple is good if it makes you happy. I like simple, too.
DeleteI haven't been terribly creative with my jack-o'lanterns mostly because my daughter never wants to do a scary face. My sister, however, always carves super neat ones, all freehand.
ReplyDeletejochibi AT yahoo DOT com
Yep, I can see my daughter like your sister in a few years. Thanks for coming by!
DeleteI'm not very creative at all Thank you for the great giveaway and fun blog hop!
ReplyDeletetishajean@ charter.net
No problem, LatishaJean, and you're welcome! Have a great weekend!
Deletehmmm, probably just a creative face. Not much time for teh complex designs.
ReplyDeletezenfoxflowerATyahooDOTcom
I hear you on the complex designs. I don't have the patience no matter how much I love seeing them. :)
DeleteI'm not a creative individual. My husband usually helps the kids with carving. Usually it's creepy face.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
aprilnu2003@yahoo.com
Yay for hubbys willing to help! :) Have a good weekend!
DeleteI can't really do the whole "carving" thing. Instead, my kids and I paint pumpkins. One year, my husband and daughter entered a pumpkin painting contest at her school and she won 2nd place. Her father and her took a plain orange pumpkin, painted it all green and gathered the right materials and made it into her favorite Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle (just the head). It was very cool. Last year my youngest daughter and I made a black cat out of a small pumpkin.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this giveaway!!
~Julie K
kornhsl@yahoo.com
Very cool on the painting! Others have mentioned and I think we'll have to do this soon to avoid the mess. But I do like the roasted seeds...
DeleteHi Stacey - Great excerpt and what fun pictures! My son carved a Alien ( a grey) pumpkin - you know the large eyes and tiny mouth
ReplyDeleteOoh--I like that idea! My kids would LOVE that! :)
DeleteI must confess never craving a pumpkin.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I can't win the prize of the blog; I'm from Azerbaijan. However, I hope to be getting extra entry.
Happy Hopping to everyone,
Adila
adilasblog(at)gmail(dot)com
Adila, you'll still be entered for my prize if you want to do the rafflecopter. If you win, while I can't mail you the physical prize, I could substitute an electronic gift-card.
DeleteThanks for coming by and good luck!
One year I decided to exercise my creative side and do something other than the traditional triangle eyes, etc. So I decided to do one of those cute silhouettes of a cat and a full moon. Unfortunately my pumpkin caved in on one side, leaving what looked like a deformed cat. My roommate insisted that it feature prominently in Halloween party pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhoops, email. dancingcelt [at] gmail [dot] com
DeleteSounds like it turned out...perfect. LOL
DeleteI adore autumn because of the amazing colors, bundling up in sweaters, Halloween and my birthday! Autumn also means cuddling up with a good book and a cup of cocoa!
ReplyDeletegrapeapril75(at)gmail(dot)com
I love the hops cause of all the awesome new books I find to add to my to read list!
Yes--everything you said--especially the cocoa. :)
DeleteGlad you're finding some great new books.
I love the cooler weather.
ReplyDeletemagic5905 at embarqmail dot com
Me, too, Joy! Thanks for coming by. :)
DeleteThe most creative pumpkin came from one of those craft kit book where you take a page out & pin it to the pumking wet the paper and let it dry for 15 min peel the paper off and you got a design that you cut out with the specialize knifes that came with the kit... Messy and works after the third bumpkin mess..
ReplyDeleteBeckey
I haven't seen those before, but cool--if they work. :)
Deletethe most creative pumpkin i ever carved was with my 4 year old it was the weirdest thing ever but we had a great time just her and i and she did it herself. thanks for joining the hop.
ReplyDeletemiriam.whitewolf@gmail.com
Miriam, carving with your 4yr old sounds just about perfect!
DeleteOur most creative one was the one that had dangling, jiggly eyeballs..we used string to hang a piece down into the eye space..lol. The kids loved it.Speaking of kids, I love the leaves pic..they are adorable and love their expressions. I can't believe your book is set in the Rocky Mtns,Im a Colo girl..though stuck in Cali for now.
ReplyDeletepeach_hugs@yahoo.com
I love the jiggly eyeballs! Yeah, I love that leaf pic, too. Leena, if I could live in CO I would! Hopefully you at least get back for frequent visits.
Deletemy most creative was a witch flying over the moon
ReplyDeletewildnmild4u at yahoo dot com
Another picture I wish I could see. :)
DeleteOne year, my best friend had a pumpkin carving contest. It was the only year I ever used a pattern, and I carved a creepy cat. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe contest sounds like fun! What was the prize? :)
DeleteMy favorite thing about Autumn/Fall is the changing color of the leaves. They are so pretty. My least favorite thing is raking up those pretty leaves. LOL I love to curl up by the fire and read a hot romance book on a cold fall evening. Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win. <^_^>
ReplyDeletereneebennett35 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Renee, something to make raking a bit more fun is put on some of your favorite music and rake with friends. The time flies by!
DeleteI'm not very creative when it comes to carving a pumpkin. I just carve a face on it with fangs. Thanks for the giveaway! cheryllynne(at)rocketmail.com
ReplyDeleteFangs are good! :) Have a great week!
DeleteThose are some great pictures of your family!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I am not very creative, so the only ones that I have ever done are just simple cut-outs of eyes, a nose and mouth. :)
trb0917 at gmail.com
Thanks, Tina. I've already said it, but simple works. As long as you have fun carving it. :)
DeleteI dont carve pumpkins because the smell makes me sick for some reason, so we paint them. Thx for the hop stop.
ReplyDeleteblinkysthebest at aol dot com
Lots of painting going on...I see that in our future, too. :)
DeleteIve never really been a pumpkin carver I am more of a appreciator.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and being a part of the hop!
bacchus76 at myself dot com
Appreciators need to be appreciated, too! Have a wonderful week!
DeleteLOL I don't have a creative bone in my body so the most creative would just be a smiley face of some sorts. There are so many great stencils now to carve and Michaels will even carve them to your specifications. Unfortunately my child's days of carving pumpkins with mom is long over. Maybe one day I will get to try them with my grandbabies though (if she ever has any for me!)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for the GREAT prize (I love my tarts) and for being a part of the hop.
Best wishes,
Marlena
charmedpoms(at)yahoo(dot)com
Marlena--I'm becoming a convert with the tarts. Better than the black soot coming off my candle wicks.
DeleteI hope you get some grandbabies for carving in the future. :)
I love Fall because of the football games and tailgating with friends and family! And of course having a campfire with roasted hotdogs! Thanks for the chance to win a great giveaway!
ReplyDeletekacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com
Kaci-I enjoy football in the comfort of my home where I can stay warm. Glad you have a blast tailgating, though! Thanks for coming by. :)
DeleteUnfortunately I am not very artistic the last pumpkin that I carved was ages ago when I was a kid. I carved the eyes, nose & mouth...not so pretty.
ReplyDeletejmesparza821(at)gmail(dot)com
That's okay, Juana, that's what's great about pumpkins--they don't have to be pretty. Thanks for coming by and have a great week!
DeleteI just make regular pumpkins. I love Autumn though. lisarayns at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteSometimes regular is perfect. :)
DeleteI did the mudflap girl once for my husband. heh, yeah.
ReplyDeleteThank for participating!!!!
peanutty222@hotmail.com
That's great! I sure hope he appreciated it. :)
Delete