Romance Writers Weekly ~ Halloween Costumes ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What was your favourite Halloween costume when you were a kid? Do you still dress up now?"

Um...all my favorite costumes from my childhood would probably be considered cultural appropriation now, so let's not go there. I do occasionally still dress up for Halloween--usually if there's a party involved. One of my most favorite recent costumes was when I dressed up as a Dead Unicorn Trope. 

In case you're not familiar with this literary device, allow me to explain. 

You've doubtlessly heard the expression, to beat a dead horse--meaning to continue to do something even after it's pointless. An example of that in writing would be to use the cliche of having the butler be the murderer--the butler did it!--if you were writing a cozy mystery set during a Victorian era house party. The idea being that it's pointless. That particular trope is so overused that it would be immediately obvious and anti-climactic. 

EXCEPT! Plot twist! It's not overused at all. In fact, it was never actually a cliche at all. There are very few books in which the butler is revealed to be the murderer and--fun fact!--almost all of those were parodies written after the phrase was coined.  

So...what's a type of horse that never actually existed? A unicorn, obvs! So a dead horse trope that is based on a cliche that was never really a cliche in the first place becomes: a dead unicorn trope.

For more info about dead unicorns, check out this article here: https://tropedia.fandom.com/wiki/Dead_Unicorn_Trope

But to continue: I'd already had my hair dyed in my usual pastel unicorn shades, so for my costume I simply added a matching unicorn horn headband, and then paired that with a colorful, Day-of-the-Dead skeleton costume. And voila! 

Now, hop on over to Jill Haymaker's page to learn what she has to say about costumes. And don't forget to check out her book, Colorado Golden Sunrise.

Colorado Golden Sunrise

Get in the holiday spirit with this heartwarming romance set in a small town in the Colorado mountains. When Kelly Charm leaves her home in Nebraska for a new life in Peakview, Colorado for herself and her teenage son, the last thing she expects is to find love. But when her son suffers an asthma attack, handsome EMT Jake Midnight is there to help. Can these two find love and family over the holidays?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07828MFF1 

https://books2read.com/VisionMidnight

https://books2read.com/HungryHeartOberon

Musical Monday: Fancy Like (Walker Hayes - featuring Kesha)

 There's no real reason for posting this song right now. I mean, I am supposed to be working on a short story involving my characters from Que Será, Syrah, and I guess this would fit their dynamic. Sort of. At least from Clay's perspective. But that's still a stretch. I mean...boxed wine? Hard pass.

But anyway, it's a fun song and I really like this particular version featuring Kesha. 

Wine Wednesday: Grape Creek 2021 Ser-en-dip-i-ty

 

Serendipity is one of Grape Creek's member exclusive wines. The '21 has a lovely aroma--rose petals and raspberries. It's a soft, medium bodied wine with lots of juicy raspberry flavors and hints of pepper and smoke. 

I have no idea what I'd pair this with, to be honest. It's not bold enough to stand up to  steak or most pasta dishes. And it's a little too sophisticated for beef stew. Maybe Beef Stroganoff, or a Marsala? Something with mushrooms, perhaps?  Or a Tex-Mex/Indian fusion dish? It has enough acidity to cut through the queso, and it's soft enough to balance out the heat from the curry.

It makes me think of cool fall nights, sitting by the bonfire, watching for falling stars. And maybe that's all the accompaniment it needs. 

Alternately, there's a great wine scene in Visions Before Midnight, which is set at this time of year. So, perhaps, I'd pair this wine with a good book. lol!

Romance Writers Weekly ~Real Life Love Stories ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked, "What real-life experiences have inspired your romance writing?"

Wow. That's a tough one. I mean, there have been a lot of details and small events that I've lifted from real life and slipped into a book, but nothing really big. I mean, the biggest was probably a rash of bear encounters I had while camping in Yosemite, many years ago. One of those played out not too differently than how it's portrayed in A Sight to Dream Of (Oberon, Book Two). 

And the bear was, in fact, as big as a picnic table, just like my characters insist. 

Which reminds me, back in the day I had a skateboard themed T shirt that bore the logo "picnic tables are fun". That may have inspired certain scenes, as well. Unfortunately, I lost it somewhere along the way and was never able to find a replacement. 

It would be seriously vintage now, but if anyone knows where I might get my hands on another one, please hit me up! 

Now, hop on over to Brenda Margriet's page to find out what's inspired her. And don't forget to check out her book, No Life But This.

NO LIFE BUT THIS

​​​Abigail Garsson feels trapped in her safe, boring, conventional life. Desperate to escape, she signs up for an adventure vacation on the Portuguese island of São Miguel.

Santos Carregado enjoys introducing tourists to his tiny island in the middle of the Atlantic. At first he barely notices the unassuming Abigail. He soon finds her meek exterior hides a vibrant woman who teases his senses and ignites his passion.

Abigail is stunned to discover the handsome, confident Santos is attracted to her, but his fiery kisses and searing caresses convince her to accept a sensuous invitation.

Will the realities of life shatter Abigail's holiday daydream? Or can the shifting sands of a short-term fling become the rock on which a life-long relationship is built?

https://books2read.com/NoLifebutThis

A Sight To Dream Of

Oberon Book 2.0

Sam Sterling is a man with problems.  Including a partner who is trying to kill him, and a nosy reporter, who's just turned up dead! It's going to take a miracle to save him.  Or, better yet, an angel.

​ Marsha Quinn is used to being called a witch.  After all, her abilities as a psychic make a lot of people uncomfortable.  But no one has ever called her an angel before! 

Falling in love was not a possibility she'd ever envisioned, until Sam the skeptic arrives in Oberon, and teaches her to see past the scars she carries, and the lies he's told her, to the love that lies within their hearts and minds.

https://books2read.com/SightDream

Musical Monday: All the Things She Said (TATU)

So here's a song from my Hungry Heart playlist--which I find myself listening to a lot at this time of year. It's a short playlist, because it's a pretty short book. But it's available FOR FREE today, along with Going Back to Find You. So hurry up and click the links below!

PLAYLIST

FREE Through October 20th!

https://books2read.com/GoingBack

https://books2read.com/HungryHeartOberon

 

Romance Writers Weekly ~Favorite Cold Weather Drink ~ #LoveChatWrite

This week, on the Romance Writers Weekly blog hop, we're asked to, "Share your favourite cold weather drink. Bonus points if you can provide a recipe!"

Oh, I love this question! Normally I'd say PSLs or Mulled Wine, but we discussed the first last week, and the second is more of a Yule-time treat. So, I'm going to go with spiced cider--which can be enjoyed either hot or cold. And, trust me, when it's mid-October and the temps are still in the low 90s, cold cider is an excellent choice for Autumn!

Below are two freebies I'm running from October 16th through the 20th (so, a couple of days, yet) to get you in the Halloween mood. There's a scene in Going Back to Find You that features a whole list of Halloween-themed drinks. Maybe you'll find a new Fall Favorite there!

Also, I know it may be cheating, but here's the link to a really good recipe: https://joyfulbalanceonline.com/homemade-spiced-apple-cider-hot-or-cold/#recipe

Now, hop on over to Jenna Da Sie's page to find out what cold weather drink is her favorite.

Halloween Freebies!

https://books2read.com/b/GoingBack

https://books2read.com/HungryHeartOberon

Musical Monday: Die with a Smile (Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars)

 My husband is obsessed with this song. OBSESSED with it. He's got it on repeat somewhere on his computer and it's been running in the background for WEEKS. Thank God he has headphones (I can still hear it sometimes; like a whisper. Like an earworm) otherwise I'd be convinced he was trying to drive me out of my mind. 

Might happen anyway. We'll see.

Personally, in terms of apocalyptic songs, I prefer When the World Ends (the Oakenfold remix) from the Matrix 2 soundtrack. But that's me. 

Anyway, I'm sure this is a good song. I'm just over it. And I can't even with these costumes. 

Wine Wednesday Paso-D'Oro 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

So, it's been about a year and a half since I wrote about this wine. I kind of raved about it then, so I was curious to see what I thought of it now. Mind you, it's a different vintage, the other was from 2021, this one is from 2023. 

So I still really like this wine.  The nose is still lush. Oak and leather and syrupy fruit. I'm not getting fig yet though. This vintage smells of blackberries, currants and violets with hints of spice. The taste is a little smoky, like burnt orange or Crème brûlée. But it's also not as robust a flavor as I remember. Or again, it could be this particular vintage. 

As it turns out, the weather in 2023 was cooler and rainier than average, which might have played a part. I've recently learned that it's not recommended to harvest grapes too soon after it rains because the ripe grapes actually soak up the rain water and it dilutes the wine. Of course, it's also bad to hold off harvesting the grapes too long after they ripen, so sometimes you just have to pick your poison. 

Still a nice wine, but it doesn't instantly transport me back to Paso like the '21 did. It's much softer than most Cabernets so I'm not sure what I'd pair it with. It's definitely not a steak wine or a pasta wine. Maybe a pork roast or duck a l'orange. Ooh, wait. My mom used to make a delicious Cornish game hen stuffed with wild rice with a flaming cherry sauce. It was the '70s, so what would you expect? I think this wine would go perfectly with that. 

Musical Monday: Harvest Moon (Neil Young)

 So, tonight is the Harvest Moon--hence the timing of this song. So, if there are clear skies where you are, go out and do some stargazing, or something. 

I like this song. I like most Neil Young songs. But I LOVE the video. It's just so cute. 

Wine Wednesday: William Chris 2021 Petit Verdot

 

I think I mentioned that I got to try a couple of extra wines at my recent tasting at William Chris, and this was one of the extras. 

I liked this wine quite a lot. But I don't know what the people who wrote the description of it on the WC website were thinking. They claim hints of bubble gum on the nose, which (thankfully) I did not taste AT ALL. 

It had an absolutely lovely scent, IMO; something sweetly floral with hints of caramel. It put me in mind of campfires and summer nights--all honeysuckle and toasted marshmallow, with hints of smoke. The taste was very summery as well--lots of blueberry and blackberry flavors, along with a little salinity. 

This is another medium body/medium tannin wine. Not sure what I'd pair it with. Maybe a charcuterie board, or a lighter pasta dish (something with olives and lemon, perhaps). But I think it would also make a nice wine to simply drink on its own. Particularly outside by a lake or a river.

Which reminds me. I put together a playlist for nights like that.