#SCENTsational Saturdays- #Autumn in the Air

Autumn is sneaking right upon us. I know a few people who aren't enthused about it, but for me, this is one of the best times of the year. The aromas in the air, the chill infiltrating the heat of summer in the breeze, the quietness across the land that inspires me to be descriptive and poetic in my ramblings. The other morning I had the window up and the only sound I heard was a squirrel sitting on a branch on a tree in the backyard, nibbling on a walnut or something he found worthy of eating now instead of saving and hiding somewhere in the yard, unlike the green walnut I found on the post next to our mailbox where it couldn't have fallen from a tree and conveniently situated itself there. I'll leave it there and see if a squirrel ever comes back for it in the spring. It just seems funny that they'd hide it in plain sight. Silly squirrel!

Earlier this week at the store I got some air freshener that smells like Maple Pumpkin- Lordy! It smells delicious. Normally I go with floral scents or sugar cookie/vanilla & apple and cinnamon. Those are smells that speak to me of the change in season, that hearken back to me the memories of childhood that remind me of home and gathering around the coal stove and eating homemade vegetable soup and chili or oyster soup (milk, butter, salt, pepper and oysters) that my grandma made....

Every morning when my kids get on the bus now, I can smell it in the air...Autumn is coming and it scratches something in my soul that wakes me up. My sense of smell is heightened by the musky odor of the leaves and grass as they die back, taking their greenery with them for a spell. The pungent aroma of brush piles being burned, of bonfires and wood-burning stoves- the earthy tones of decay and hibernation as the earth begins to take her rest from the weary heat of the summer sun. She withdraws into herself while at the same time, drawing us near in the circle of her warmth, beckoning us to retreat indoors.

I inhale deeply the spicy tang, the incense-like crispness that permeates into all things at this time of year, the dying back, the rustic fragrance that takes on a life of its own. Instead of the fresh sweet smell of roses blooming, there is a cloyingly sweet headiness in the air, suffused with the smell of damp earth and cold rains, as the moisture sinks into your bones.

 

I'm reminded of cool Halloween nights, seeing your breath in front of your face as you shivered your way around the neighborhood and the warm smell of neighbors burning wood, the sweet aroma of apples and oranges and chocolates and candies in your bag.

The meaty buttery goodness of turkey baking in the oven for the family's Thanksgiving gathering warms you through, while the zesty smell of basil fills the air while the dressing browns and you give thanks for all you have. One of my favorite things is making a crock-pot full of spiced apple cider, with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and brown sugar. The aromatic beverage not only tastes good, but it perfumes the house with that sweet spiciness.

Welcome Autumn, I'm glad you're back. I dedicate my first cup of chocolatey good cocoa to you!

What are some of your favorite smells during Autumn? Your favorite memories? Please feel free to share! I'd love to hear your favorites!

Have a SCENTsational Saturday!

Friday Spotlight- No Neighborhood for for Old Women by @JudyAlter #TMPress @FictionWitches

click image to check it out on Amazon

Claire Guthrie shoots and wounds her husband the same night that Florence Dodson, Kelly O’Connell’s former neighbor, supposedly falls down her back steps, hits her head, and dies, Kelly knows it’s murder, but she has a hard time convincing Mike Shandy. She also has a hard time explaining why she gave Claire refuge in her guest apartment. Mike is adamant that she stay out of police matters. But then, with another murder, it’s clear someone is targeting elderly women in Fairmount, and panic invades the neighborhood.

Jim Guthrie dies in an automobile accident—or was it an accident? Kelly’s real estate business plunges. Who buys a house in a neighborhood with a serial killer? And in the midst of it all, Kelly’s mom decides to move to Fort Worth from Chicago.

Will Kelly solve her differences with Mike? Will Claire be convicted of murder? Will Kelly’s mom be safe and yet not dependent on her? And most important, will Kelly be able to identify the serial killer and restore peace to her Fairmount neighborhood.

No Neighborhood for Old Women holds some real surprises.

About Judy Alter-

After an established career writing historical fiction, for adults and young adults, about women of the nineteenth-century American West, Judy Alter has turned her attention to contemporary cozy mysteries. No Neighborhood for Old Women is the second in the Kelly O’Connell Mystery Series. The first, Skeleton in a Dead Space, is available at www.turquoisemorningpressbookstore.com. Judy’s western fiction has been recognized with awards from the Western Writers of America, the Texas Insti-tute of Letters, and the National Cowboy Museum and Hall of Fame. She has been honored with the Owen Wister Award for Lifetime Achievement by WWA and inducted into the Texas Literary Hall of Fame at the Fort Worth Public Library.

#ThursdayswithTaryn The 4 R's of Helping a #Writer

In this techno age, most readers across the cyberworld have authors who inspire them, who write the kind of novels they love to read and who they follow on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, their blogs and websites; the list could go on and on.

Some readers don't realize that THEY can help get their favorite authors get noticed and there are truly some very easy things they can do if they'd like to help out these authors, all by the simple click of the mouse.

So, you wanna help writers?

If a writer inspires you- makes you laugh, cry, scream, love

then use these 4 R's-

~Retweet, Repeat, Repost, Review~

~Share their blogs & statuses~

Show 'em

♥Love♥

Retweet~ Are you following your favorite author on Twitter? Retweet their statuses and help promote them into the Twitterverse and you never know- someone else might RT you. Word of mouth spreads like wildfire.

Repeat~ Share their posts on Twitter or Facebook or Google+ and many others. You might know other people who haven't heard of these writers. If you enjoy their books and think others you know might enjoy them as well, be sure to pass that along. It never hurts to pay it forward if a book has touched your heart.

Repost~ Did they post a blog today? Share that- repost it for others who might not have seen it otherwise. Did they say something funny or share a joke that made you LOL? Did they talk about hobbies, family, food. If it interested you, it might interest others, too.

Review~ Did you enjoy their book? Or maybe you didn't, but a review doesn't have to be all sunshine and lollipops. An honest review doesn't just help other customers, but it also give the author constructive views from readers about what works and what doesn't. I know I'd rather have a handful of honest reviews that helps me grow as a writer, than 100 that are just full of BS wrapped up in shiny foil paper with a ribbon slapped on it that feeds my ego but not my mind or my heart.

(That doesn't mean I would want a reviewer to slam me- reviews that do nothing but cut the author and their writing down, that childishly flame or blatantly bully have no place in the writing/reading world as it does nothing but enrage the readers and hurt the writers on a personal level that isn't necessary- it is not the way to help. Behind every book there is an author, a real person, who truly loved the story they wrote, but not every reader will enjoy and that's okay.)

Besides the 4 R's there's also a few other things you can do. "Like" the author's Amazon Author Page, or their Facebook Page, if they have one. "Like" their book on Amazon. Follow them on Twitter, read their blog. Write and tell them how their story touched you.

Most of these things are tiny considerations that authors appreciate, more than you can EVER know. We work at a very lonely, albeit, self-inflicted lonely job and when we touch others lives or hearts with our stories, we are grateful for even one little note letting us know these things. It fills us with gratitude that we've done our job- to write the best story we can and share it with others who will enjoy it as well. And it's also a wonderful reminder that doing what we love pays off more handsomely than just in a financial way. If we touch just one heart, then we are encouraged to continue to tell more stories. If we tell a story you want to share with others, it washes our spirit in joy.

I know it's easy to get discouraged in this business. Sometimes it's like spinning wheels in mud- trying to get somewhere and yet getting no where fast- Just throwing mud out behind us and not blazing our trail. Those 4 R's and those other helpful things readers can do to help out mean the world.

If you get a chance today, take a moment to click on something to retweet, repeat, repost or review it. Like a page, follow someone new, share an author with a friend (don't be stingy) :)

An author will thank you for it.

Have a wonderful Thursday- the weekend is almost here again.

#TuesdayswithTaryn with J.K. Miller II @JKMillerII #author of Reborn

Tuesdays with Taryn

J.K. Miller II

What book(s) most influenced you as a writer?

I grew up reading mystery first. The Boxcar Children, Nancy Drew, and The Hardy Boys were the first books that I read. These books sparked my interest in mysteries. Then, in high school, I was introduced to the Sword of Truth series by my sister. Admittedly, at first I told her I didn’t want to read them. The first book was way too big and I was snotty at that point in my life. She persisted, though, and told me to read one chapter. It wasn’t long, just a few pages. Then, she laughed at me when I wouldn’t give the book back. Since then, I’ve been stuck on fantasy.

What book do you read over and over again?

The Tears of Elios by Crista McHugh. Right now that’s my favorite book!

Tuesday Trio-

1)      Movie - Avatar

2)      Music – Rockapella or Jason Mraz

3)      Decadent Dessert – Pumpkin Pie

What’s the most interesting or bizarre bit of trivia you’ve learned from researching for a novel?

There is such a thing as a take-down bow. I thought I was being creative when I created the Traveler’s Bow that Jason received from Fletcher in my first novel, but as I was researching the diagram to name the parts, I found a take-down bow that was pretty much identical to the one I had created. Completely took the wind out of my sails for the chapter. =(

Novel on your Nightstand:

Who/what are you currently reading?

The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton. As of now, I’m on Chapter 4. If anyone likes fantasy with a dark twist, I suggest you pick it up. It’s very good, thus far.

Whom would you cast as your Main Characters/Hero/Heroine if your book became a movie?

As much as I could see some of the major actors portraying characters in my book, I would want to debut new actors. You know, people have a reputation of doing a pretty good job, but not already Golden Globe winners. I’m all about promoting new talent. We’ve all had to start somewhere.

Here’s a blurb from Reborn:

“Every now and again an anomaly is born – an enigma, a theorist…a genius. They are born with the sole purpose of changing the course of history. The decisions they make in their lifetime can bring the dawning of a new era of progression, or unfold the beginning of the end of our kind. They have a knowledge that goes far beyond an average person’s dreams, and a power that can make the earth quake in obedience.

“She is that anomaly. She commands a force strong enough to overpower all of Trystrum, but she is patient. She understands that true power does not come in conquering, but in respect…in fear. She now seeks the Gift of Prime and, if she succeeds, will gain a power greater than any before her – a power she was born to command.

“She is the reason we were reborn as Kahnan. Our only purpose in life, now, is to stop her.”

 Reborn is available at

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

You can find J.K at

GoodReads

on his Website

Follow him on Twitter