Fall Reflections by Merrillee Whren

 

Fall is a colorful time of year in many regions of the country. Here in southern Arizona, nothing much changes in the landscape unless you go to a higher elevation. The most noticeable thing in fall is cooler weather. I took the above photo last fall on our cruise into Canada. The photos I took don’t come close to showing the spectacular colors we got to see.

 

Setting is important to the books I write. Sometimes setting sets the mood for the character and the character’s thoughts. Out of the nearly thirty books I have written, only three start in the fall. Although these three books start in the fall, the stories end near the Christmas holidays. Here is the opening from A Family to Call Ours, the fourth book in my Front Porch Promises series.

 

The sideways rain drenched Caleb Fitzpatrick as he slogged down Main Street. He dodged puddles and wielded his umbrella like a shield against the precipitation coming from the dark-gray clouds, but his attempt to stay dry proved unsuccessful. Why had he traded a sunny beach in Florida for the dreary early October weather in Hawthorne, Massachusetts?

Family. The family business. The family legacy. He was the only child who had chosen to walk in his parents’ footsteps. He wanted to protect everything they had built and step into their shoes when they retired. A warm, sunny climate couldn’t lure him away from this all-important obligation.

That was the most important reason. He’d gone to Florida to do a job for his family’s accounting firm. That job was over, and despite the temptation to stay in the warm Florida sun, he had come home. His parents needed his help even if they didn’t think they wanted or required it.

 

My other two books set in the fall are Second Chance Gift and Kirsten’s Mission. You can find an excerpt and buy links by clicking or tapping on the book titles.

 

 

 

I know many people love fall. It isn’t my favorite season because it means winter is coming, and winter is definitely my least favorite season. What is your favorite thing about fall? What is your least favorite thing? 

 

Merrillee Whren is the winner of the 2003 Golden Heart Award presented by Romance Writers of American. She is married to her own personal hero, her husband of forty-plus years, and has two grown daughters. Connect with her on her Facebook page and sign up for her newsletter.