Tea Time in the Garden by Milou Koenings

I had dinner outside last night, on my terrace, by candlelight. It seemed a fitting end to the summer. Tonight, my kids come home from a month-long visit to their grandparents in Chicago and in a few days we’ll all be adjusting to new routines, early morning bustle, making school lunches and hustling everyone out the door on time.

But last evening, lulled by the song of crickets in the darkness, I reflected on how eating outdoors evokes such wonderful late summer memories.

Liana Mikah

Sure, I’ve been blessed with many picnic memories. Some were delightful, like the one at the edge of a remote lake in Africa where various wildlife popped in to say hi, or the day I cooked breakfast, wrapped it up and took everyone down to the still-empty park to eat on the dewy grass. Others were disasters, like the time the extra gas canister in the back of the jeep sprang a leak and flooded all our food for the trip over and past the Mountains of the Moon, and that was before we got mired in mud ­— fortunately we can all laugh about it now, but it sure wasn’t funny at the time!

But the image that most comes to mind in the late summer if of my visits to my godmother. Every year of my earliest childhood, my parents shipped me off to spend two weeks with my godmother. 

She and her husband lived in Brussels, in a big house so removed from the boulevard that was its official address that one could pretend to be out in the country. It was a magical place to me. There was actually a library in the house — the kind with the rolling ladders to reach the highest shelves. There was a grand piano that I was allowed to “play” for hours. There was a dovecote, with the attendant cooing playing the background melody of each day. There was only one telephone and it was the candlestick kind that you need both hands to use — one to hold the little hearing piece to your ear and one to hold the base. It had been installed in the 1920s by my godmother’s parents, and sixty years later, she didn’t see any reason to replace it — it worked just fine.

One of my godmother’s passions was her rose garden, a wild, rambling thing that overtook the front alley with heady scents and glorious colors. At the edge of it, off to the side of the house, was a clearing with a gnarled old tree. There was a bench beneath it that had been there so long that the tree had grown through and around it so that the two were now one being.

My godmother had set a table and chairs before the bench, and every afternoon in August, she served tea under the tree.  And I don’t mean toss-a-tea-bag-in-a-mug kind of tea.  It was a ceremony planned for from early morning, when her first task after breakfast was to bake the pastry of the day. (My favorite was boterkoek, a Dutch pastry made with candied ginger.) Then, in the afternoon, there was laying out the tea tray: setting out a lacy cloth over the tray; stacking delicate saucers and cups and cake plates; the sugar bowl with its silver tongs; the creamer; the teapot, the plate of thinly sliced lemon.

Anita Austvika

At four, we’d go sit under the tree and my godmother would pour. This was the time that their friends knew they were welcome to come by. So, each day was different — on rare occasions it was just the three of us, but most of the time one or two of their friends would join us.  My godmother was a pianist. Her husband was an archaeologist. Among their friends were not only colleagues, but also artists and college professors in other fields.

There I was, a quiet child sitting under the tree, sipping my tea and nibbling my slice of boterkoek, imbibing the most fascinating conversations. I learned more esoteric things on those lazy August afternoons than I ever did at school — not least of which was the existence of Disney World in Florida. One of the friends, an engineer, had just returned from taking his family there. He explained in detail not only the rides, but also the ingenious ways in which they were constructed. It sounded so out-of-this-world, that to this day I fear a visit to Disney World would pale in comparison to the vision he described to us that day. (I have taken my kids to Disneyland in Paris, though, and admit I was not disappointed in the least!) I also now associate engineers with Disney magic, which is probably why I’m so fond of them.

Anita Austvika

My grown-up life is so hectic, there’s little room for this kind of genteel ritual. But if I need a little end-of-summer vacation, I’m grateful I can slip into my memories and still enjoy this one. 

And if an intertwined tree and bench or a gracious teatime make an appearance in any of my books, you’ll know where it came from.

Milou Koenings is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes romance because, like chocolate, stories with a happy ending bring more joy into the world and so make it a better place.

Her other Green Pines sweet romances, I Love You Three, Reclaiming Home, The Kampala Peppermint Twist and Sweet Blizzard are available on Amazon,  Amazon.uk, iBooks, Nook, Kobo and all your favorite e-book retailers.








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More than an Ornament by Melanie D. Snitker

If someone were to walk into our living room today and take a look at our Christmas tree, they might think it's an unorganized mess. There is no obvious theme with ornaments of every color, shape, and type along with candy canes, and multi-colored lights. Not only that, but some of the ornaments are clumped, with more hanging on the middle and lower part of the tree (because that's where the kids can reach).

I have to admit I love it like this because when I look at our tree, I see memories. Each of those ornaments are more than just an ornament, they are like a photograph that reminds me of a moment in time. 

Growing up, my parents let me and my brothers pick out one ornament a year. My mom meticulously wrote down when we got the ornament and how old we were. I remember the anticipation of getting them out each year to hang them up, and how I would play with them on the tree as a kid. With the exception of a couple that have broken (namely due to a cat who once knocked our Christmas tree down), I still have all of those ornaments from my childhood: The pretty frosted Christmas tree from my first Christmas, the pretty little cardinal, and even Miss Bianca that we got from McDonalds the year the "Rescuers Down Under" came out in theaters. 

My husband and I continue to collect an ornament a year as well. Hallmark began releasing the Snowball and Tuxedo ornaments that second Christmas after we were married, and we haven't missed one of them yet. Our first Christmas together as a married couple, my sweet husband gave me an ornament. It was Droopy the dog with mistletoe hanging off his hat and a sign that said, "Pucker Up Baby." I remember laughing and blushing profusely. It's still one of my favorites! 

Now we carry on that tradition with our kids and allow them to pick one favorite ornament to add to the tree each year. Between that and the precious handmade ornaments we make ever season, the tree is an absolutely beautiful conglomeration of memories. 

If you decorate for Christmas, what kind of ornaments do you use on your tree? Is your Christmas tree themed? Do you have a favorite ornament? I'd love to hear from you!

~*~

A marriage of convenience isn't exactly what she had in mind.

After a rocky start, Rachel Peters finally has her life on track. Then a tragic accident takes away her sister and leaves her to raise her niece, Kendra, alone. About to lose custody of her last blood relative, Rachel is desperate to prove she can adequately care for her niece. On the verge of running away to keep Kendra, a new friend offers Rachel an opportunity she can't refuse.

Brandon Barlow has long admired Rachel. When her world begins to fall apart, he feels led to help. A marriage of convenience would enable him to provide Rachel and Kendra with a stable place to live, proper health insurance, and a viable shot at staying together. Once Rachel gained full custody of her niece, the marriage could be annulled.

His plan provides the perfect solution, until Brandon realizes he's fallen in love with Rachel. Through love and patience, can he help Rachel realize that, even when she experiences storms in her life, she's never alone?

Calming the Storm

Available on Amazon

~*~

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~*~

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Life Without Memories by Grace Greene

Memories – they're what we’re made of.

Memories, to a very large extent, are what make us who we are. They form our history and inform our present. The sharing of memories bonds us to others. Memories guide us, provide context, support wisdom, and serve as a foundation for creating stories, for art, for imagination…and for how much more? Without memories, our lives and our stories would be colorless until we build more memories.

But what if we can’t?  

I visited my mom yesterday. She was a smart, capable woman. She was an amateur genealogist. She was a computer whiz when it came to surfing, shopping and saving photos. She was a gardener who grew azaleas, bleeding hearts, and nurtured her beloved peonies. She was a daughter, wife, and mother, a grandmother and great-grandmother, and she was the best paper-doll maker in the whole world. Now she has Alzheimers and lives in a memory care unit in an assisted-living home.

As the disease progressed and she lost parts of herself (not literally, but that’s how it felt to me) I grieved constantly. First, she lost the ability to make new memories and reasonable decisions. Then, in the ten minutes it took me to travel from her home to mine, she’d forget she’d just seen me. Next, fear overwhelmed her because she knew something was wrong with her world, but couldn’t understand what, why, or how to fix it. Then began the trips up the street. Her sweet, loving neighbors who’d known her for decades, would see Mom walking with purpose (to where, she couldn’t say) and would speak to her with kindness, cajole her, then take her home and call me.

Then the dreadful day came when she had to leave her home forever for a new place, a place where she would be safe, if not happy.

My grief has eased as I’ve ceased to fight against reality and inevitability. Now, it’s sufficient for me to see her content and safe, and catch an occasional glimpse of the person I remember. To appreciate a good day. To love what remains. When I visited her yesterday, she smiled and we conversed and laughed. Despite the missing pieces, it was worth more than I can say.

No one expected this. Not her. Not us. No one does.   

Yesterday’s visit got me to thinking about what happens when we are unable to create new memories and, over time, lose the ones we've gained through the years.

The stories of our lives, our experiences, the stories we pass on from generation to generation, fuel the creation of fiction. The places, the characters, the incidents, the voices we hear in our heads when we are writing a book, who demand to be heard – what happens to them when we lose them? Fiction or non-fiction, they become as dust, never to be savored again, no longer able to be shared.

So, what’s the takeaway? What’s the “moral” of this story?

Don’t wait. Do it today.

Tell it today. Sing your song, tell your tale, make new memories even as you cherish and share the old ones.  And while you’re at it, kiss your sweetheart, hug your grandbabies, cuddle your pets – dance the dance and yell and cry and tell the stories of your heart.

On behalf of my mom who’d tell you this if she could – DO IT NOW. 

~ * ~

Grace Greene, an award-winning and USA Today Bestselling author, writes stories of love, suspense and inspiration. Her Emerald Isle, NC books include her debut novel, BEACH RENTAL, which received a 4.5 star Top Pick rating by Romantic Times (RT Book Reviews). The sequel, BEACH WINDS, also received a 4.5 Top Pick rating, and a short story, BEACH TOWEL, and novella, BEACH CHRISTMAS, are currently available. "It's always a good time for a love story and a trip to the beach."

Grace also writes stories set in rural, small town Virginia. "Follow a Virginia Country Road and take a trip to love, mystery and suspense with a dash of Southern Gothic."

A Virginia native, Grace lives in central Virginia. Contact Grace via her website, GraceGreene.com and while you're there, please sign up for her newsletter!   Find her on Twitter as @Grace_Greene and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/GraceGreeneBooks.   

While you’re visiting Sweet Romance Reads, I hope you’ll sign up for our newsletter, too.  Also visit our new Sweet Romance Reads Café on Facebook to chat with our authors, plus we have a Sweet Romance Reads Authors group on KOBO. Please check it out!

A Trip Down Memory Lane by Ginny Baird

Earlier this month I had the pleasure of traveling to New Orleans with my husband. It was my first time visiting the city, and I loved every minute of our trip. Something that made it special was that my husband had lived there years before. Back when he was a fledgling professor at Tulane, he discovered many local haunts and native eateries that are still there today. What fun it was to have him as my tour guide, as I indulged in Cajun cooking and experienced the joy of my first piping hot beignet!

The day we took the streetcar from our hotel in the French Quarter to the university, it poured. But it wasn’t just rain streaming from the sky. One large tree on campus was raining Mardi Gras beads! We snapped this shot on our way to the student store where I purchased a pair of rain boots. Then we slogged off on further adventures, enjoying red beans and rice at the diner that used to be my husband’s favorite lunch retreat.

There’s something very special about exploring a loved one’s past in this manner. It provides insight into who they are now by better understanding the things they did then. A few years ago, when we visited our daughter studying in Spain (where I’d spent my junior college year), I was able to play tour guide for my husband by sharing a unique glimpse of my history. 

Have you and your partner had similar experiences in taking each other on trips down your own personal memory lanes? Let us hear about them here!

~ * ~ 

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Ginny Baird writes contemporary romance novels and novellas. Her latest sweet romance release is The Calendar Brides, available at Amazon, iBooks, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Want to keep up with news from Sweet Romance Reads authors?

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Same Old Story ~ New and Different Each Time

The experts say there are only a set number of plots. The number varies depending upon which fiction writing expert is giving the information, but the number is tiny compared to the stories that have been told over the centuries and the countless stories being produced now. Whether it’s a Cinderella story or marriage of convenience or action-adventure, etc., experts say each story is just a retooling and retelling of the same basic plots. If that’s true, then all stories should be redundant and boring, right? Yet readers keep reading. And writers keep trying.

 
On top of my china cabinet is a dish once held by my great-great-grandmother. It isn’t fine china and it isn’t in mint condition. It was well-used and shows it. I hold the dish in my hands and think about the generations of hands that held it before me—before it became a family treasure—back when a woman’s loving hands set it on the table filled with food to feed her hard-working family. The dish would’ve been passed around the table for each family member to take a portion and pass it on. Then later, she stood at the kitchen sink to wash this same dish with the detergent bubbles tickling her arms. She probably rinsed the dish and handed it to someone—a daughter, a mother, a husband—perhaps with a smile, maybe a casual remark, to dry it before putting it back into its place in the cabinet.

So I hold the dish in my hands and wonder about those people and their lives, and the experiences of love, joy, sorrow, and anger that passed through those lives even as the dish was passed from hand to hand, from generation to generation. There is an undeniable similarity in the beats of our lives, past and present, but the same basic plots? Yes, perhaps, except that it’s new to the person who experiences it. When love strikes or heartbreak follows, it’s new and unique to that person.

Each person whose hands held the dish before me had a story. It was a story retold over and over, and the reader may consciously or subconsciously respond to the common chord, but it was HER story, HER heart, HER life. Each time it was lived, it was lived anew for the first time, every time.

As it should be with the stories we write.

 

As a reader, what kind of stories do you like best?

~*~ 

Grace Greene is a USA Today Bestselling Author of sweet romance, romantic suspense, and women's fiction. She writes two series: Emerald Isle, NC Stories, and Virginia Country Roads. Please visit her at www.gracegreene.com and sign up for her newsletter.

Inexpensive Holiday Cards by Angela Benson

Happy Holidays!  I hope you’re gearing up for a safe and happy holiday season.   

I really look forward to sending holidays cards this time of the year.  Hubby and I like sending out the personalized cards with our photo and a personal greeting.  From the response we’ve gotten, the recipients enjoy getting them.  The good news is that these cards are fairly inexpensive.

On Sunday we’re going to Flash Digital Portrait Studios in the local mall for our holiday photo session.  We usually just use a picture we’ve taken on our phones [the picture above is the one we used last year] but I found a great deal on Groupon that I couldn’t pass up.  The photo session and a package that includes three images on CD and one traditional print sheet cost only $15.99.  We’ve had our pictures taken at this place before when it was Olan Mills and I hope we are as happy with the results this time as we were then.

I’m going out all for this photo session.  I haven’t decided what we’re wearing yet, but I do know there will be some red involved.  And right before the shoot, I have an appointment to get my make-up done at the Clinique counter in Belk, also in the mall. This is a much cheaper route than going to a salon.  At the Clinique counter, they only ask that you purchase one or two items, which will probably be around $30.  A salon would charge at least $30 for the make-up session and you wouldn’t get any products.  Again, I think I’m getting a pretty good deal.

To get even more bang for my photo dollar, in addition to striking some poses for the holiday card, I’m also going to try to find a pose that will work as my author photo.  The photographer’s assistant suggested that I bring a few copies of my books to use as props in those poses.  We’ll see how it goes.

After I get the CD with the pictures, I’ll create our cards on Staples.com. With another great Groupon deal, I’m getting 50 custom cards (with envelopes) for only $10.  I don’t think I can do much better than that. 

In total, I’ll spend about $57 for 50 personalized holiday cards, a semi-professionally done author photo and two Clinique products.  That’s a pretty good gift for me to give myself.  I just may give it someone else next Christmas.

If you’re still with me, you’re probably wondering how we’re going to get our cards mailed in time for Christmas.  Well, we’re not.  Over the last few years, we’ve gone from sending Christmas cards to sending more general “holiday” cards.  That way, as long as the cards arrive between mid-December and mid-January, we’re fine. 

I’d love to hear about your holiday card plans for this year.  Do (did) you send Christmas cards, holiday cards or something else?  Have you already put yours in the mail or have you joined the high-tech revolution and started sending only e-cards?  Feel free to also tell me about any good Groupon deals you’ve found.  I’m always looking for a good buy.

Happy Holidays!

Angela Benson is the author of 14 novels and two novellas.  In the novella, Friend and Lover, Reed Lewis thinks his best friend, Paige Thomas, is engaged to the wrong man, so he devises a holiday ruse to make her see things his way. Celebrate the season with this light-hearted holiday romp about two friends on the path to becoming so much more, and the grandmother who helps them get there.