The Magic of Falling Leaves

 

There is something enchanting, magical even, about falling leaves. They don’t just flutter to the ground, they dance and whirl, as if enjoying their freedom. Even when they land they aren’t content to lie still, they take flight again in a gust of wind or in the wake of a speeding car. I could watch this ballet for hours, except you never know where the next show will be.

I recently spent a weekend chasing fall around Western North Carolina and while the colors weren’t as vibrant as what I’ve seen in the past, there was a different beauty to the landscape. Perhaps spending my whole life in Florida with little to no fall color that made this trip so spellbinding; maybe it was the much needed reprieve from the stifling heat; or maybe it was taking the time to see the world from a different perspective.

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As I watch my photos from this trip slip through the screensaver on my computer, I’m struck by the thought that fall is a chance for God to show us what a master artist He is. There is the side of a mountain with red, yellow, and orange spattered among the deep green of the pines and spruce. There are the fallen leaves, some brown, some still golden, that found a resting place on a moss covered rock in the rushing rapids of a clear stream. In the front yard, red and pink roses are still blooming in front of trees that are changing color daily.

Back in Florida, I can immerse myself in the photos and videos from this trip and find inspiration. There is so much beauty in the world, sometimes we just have to take time to change our perspective.

Sweet Treats and Sweet Deals

Does anyone else crave sweets when they aren’t feeling well? The thought of regular food may turn my stomach, but a warm brownie makes me feel the tiniest bit better. The past few weeks I have barely had the energy to go to work, but every night I come home with this intense desire to bake. All of the fabulous recipes in the past two issues of Tea Time haven’t helped any either. Last week, I finally broke down and made some Orange Macarons with Chocolate Buttercream filling.

I had no idea how long these little cookies take to make! Three hours to allow the egg whites to sit at room temperature, 10 minutes or so to mix up the batter, 45 minutes to an hour to allow the batter to set, then about 25 minutes in the oven. The buttercream took another 10 minutes to mix up and about the same to fill the cookies. I was pretty happy with this first attempt though. Now that the weather is starting to cool off, I can see a lot more baking in my future.

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Speaking of cooler weather, now’s the time to stock up on books for those chilly nights or snow-bound days. A number of authors from a group I’m a member of, Clean Indie Reads, is having a sale to celebrate fall, October 5-11. You can see all of the books being offered, including two of mine.  

 

Thursday is the last day to pick up DiVoran’s novel,. Clear Spring the final book of the Florida Spring Trilogy for free!! So far it has been downloaded more than one  thousand times!

 

Patience

 

Click HERE to snag your bargains!

There is also a fantastic blog hop going on. Some of the stops are running giveaways. Want to hop with me? Here is a link with all the stops

http://lindacovella.com/events-news/clean-indie-reads-fall-sale/

 

Super Easy Entry Giveaway

We have a super easy entry giveaway during the month long celebration of my new release Jessie.

Since the story of  Jessie is wrapped into the early days of the space program and the US race for the moon, I put together a space themed gift bag worth more than $50.00. Of course, there has to be something personal too, so I added in a very pretty necklace as well as an autographed copy of Jessie. The winner will find some other goodies tucked into the canvas bag as well!

You Can Win This!!
You Can Win This!!

 

I really wanted to make this availabe to everyone but when I checked shipping using France as an example, the cost was $150.00!!  But no worries, if one of my international friends win, you will receive $50.00 via paypal cash or Amazon card and an eReader copy of Jessie.

So what are you waiting for? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jessie Blog Tour | Shanna Hatfield

Shanna Hatfield was gracious enough to be the first stop on my post launch blog tour for my new release, Jessie.  Be sure to stop by and leave a comment. Who knows, you may even win an autographed copy of Jessie!

 

Jessie Blog Tour | Shanna Hatfield.

To see a list of  the Jessie launch and post launch tour visit my cooking blog,  Rebekah Lyn’s Kitchen