Autumn Reminiscences

Let's talk about Autumn shall we?

While driving down the expressway leaving for the weekend, my mind wanders as through the window each passing tree reminds me of the season. Leaves, swirling down to gravity's command, wearing the fading glory of their vibrant show. It is that time again. Fall, the season when all things beautiful come to an end in preparation for the depth of winter. My favorite season.

Some people love Spring, the time of awaken and new life; others prefer the hot, sticky steam of a Deep South Summer. Others thrill for the freeze and promise of overlying pure blankets of perfect white brilliance, and the smell of the hearth fire flavoring the painful breath of Winter. While each of the other seasons have their charms and I do enjoy them each in its turn, my heart ever longs for Autumn.

As a child I enjoyed the swish of the fallen leaves as we ran through the neatly raked piles, laughter bubbling up from a wellspring deep inside. The special perfume of Saturday afternoons, a concoction of camp fires, s'mores, popcorn, and crisp cool air sliding across the countryside always brings me back to simpler days: Friday night football games and Saturday night bonfires followed by Sunday afternoon rides leaf peeping from the back of my favorite horse.

I love mornings, when the fog hangs low over the creeks and valleys of the mountains which surround us. The sting of early chill in the air brings a tear to my eyes when walking the horses out for the day. Mid morning the first of the long sleeves are coming off, and by after lunch you can wander in the sunshine in short sleeves; laughing to yourself over the capricious nature of Fall weather.

Autumn also brings the memories of first love. The rush of attraction soon followed by the thrill of those early dates. My first love left in the fall, more than once actually. He was in the Air Force. It seemed we were always saying goodbye. Then came college and the rush of fraternity boys. Homecoming and formals, dances where the music always seemed to fit the mood and alcohol flowed. 

Change happens constantly, but in Fall the changes are spread across the spectrum of God's creatures. Not only are the trees wearing and shedding their brilliance, but the animals are in their element, preparing for the depths of hibernation. Squirrels scurry hither and yon, memory failing them in the endless search for their summer hiding places. The skies are filled with vast formations of birds, seeking the earth's compass to guide them to the safety and warmth of winter homes. By Autumn's end, the forests will be poised with an air of patience; waiting for the earth to tilt again and the lengthening of days.

So as the calendar winds down toward harvest's end and before we bar the doors and windows against the long night of winter, enjoy the fleeing beauty of Fall's glorious daylight. Partake of the fruits of the vines and the bounty of the fields. Autumn's Harvest is here. Enjoy the repast!

It's a beautiful fall day here in Georgia. The sky has that amazing blue that almost hurts your eyes to stare at, and the brisk chill in the air reminds us that fall is winding up in all its amazing colors and smells. 

I have two pieces of news to share: First, Book Two of 'The Guardian Stories' will be released soon on Amazon.com, so be sure to check this space for an exact release date. The Title is "The Price for Redemption" and continues Vivienne's race to defeat her dark enemies.

Second, and I cannot express how excited I am about this, I have signed a contract with The Wild Rose Press, to publish the first of a series set in and around Atlanta, 'The Family Devlyn'. Book One is 'Welcome to the Family'.

Here is a little blurb/teaser for this contemporary tale of family and greed:

Everyone has something about their family that drives them crazy. Some families are neurotic, others are chaotic. Some are so in your business it feels like you still live at home. And others feel like the death of you. In Cassandra Devlyn Ferguson’s case, that death might literally be her own. The Devlyns aren’t your normal all American family. Their company ships freight world-wide. Most of the freight is legitimate but somewhere along the way, as the money spoke louder, the lines between good and bad became blurred, until soon a monster was born, and now the dirty deals are coming back to haunt them. Just one problem – they’re after the one Devlyn who has no idea what people are upset about.

Cassie Ferguson’s been kidnapped, and her husband and brother intend to move heaven and earth to get her back, preferably before she discovers what her father’s job really is. When working with the FBI and the Atlanta Police don’t bring satisfaction, Kevin Devlyn calls in his long-time friend, and Cassie’s husband, Irishman and former Black Ops specialist Sean Ferguson and asks him to return to Atlanta, conduct his own investigation and find Cassie before any harm befalls her. It sounds great in theory; too bad all the men involved, other than Sean and Kevin, loathe the very mention of each other.

I'm so excited to be working with The Wild Rose Press! I will have more updates soon!