What I Love About Fall

 

It's officially fall. The nights are getting cooler and the leaves are already beginning to change. There have even been a few days when I've been able to turn off my air conditioning!

While I'm not thrilled fall means winter is right around the corner, there are some things about fall I love.

1) The colors. I love seeing the leaves change into oranges and reds. As my husband's family lives on the east coast, we've been fortunate enough over the years to make several trips through the Appalachian Mountains during the fall. Driving through the mountains when the leaves are an array of beautiful colors is quite the sight to see.

2) Pumpkin. I don't go crazy over pumpkin spice everything like some people do, but I do like pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin rolls, and even pumpkin cookies. It's hard to find pumpkin flavored items outside of fall, so I enjoy it while I can.

3) Apples. Yes, of course I can get apples all year round, but there's something about getting apples in the fall that makes them taste different. Especially if you have the opportunity to get them at an orchard. Not to mention, there's apple cider in the fall. I'll take a warm apple cider above a pumpkin spice anything.

4) Big bulky sweaters. We're not talking coats here. Purely sweaters. I love the ones that hang below your hips where the leaves are just a little too long. On chilly mornings, I can snuggle into them and feel surrounded by everything cozy.

5) S'mores. Okay, Bonfires and s'mores. I have such fond memories growing up of bonfires in the backyard, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows. Growing up in the country, fall was an excuse to hang out after dark around the fire and enjoy the contrast between the heat of the fire and the cool night air.

What are some of your favorite things about fall?

Escaping The Dreaded Reading Slump

 We've all been there. You set a reading goal for the year, create a list of books you want to read, and dive headfirst into your reading with gusto.

But somewhere along the way....something happens. The books you're picking up just aren't holding your interest. You're struggling to finish reading the story. Even if its a good story, you find yourself not caring whether the hero and the heroine get their happily-ever-after.

It's frustrating.

I've been in one of these reading slumps over the last month. Even though I go into the book excited to read the story, I find myself lacking the desire to pick it up even when I have time to read.

So what can I do?

Unfortunately, this isn't the first time this has happened. When I was in my late teens, I went two years without reading anything for fun. Back then, it was because I was being forced to read things I had no interest in for school and it killed my desire to read for recreation.

As an adult who hadn't had to pick up a text book for years, that isn't really an issue.

In recent years, the usual culprit is either stress or my schedule is overloaded. I need time to get into the story, to allow it to build and hook me with the plot and the characters. If I'm trying to grab five minutes of reading time here or there, that doesn't really do it for me, you know?

Does that mean I accept my fate and stop reading until the craziness has passed?

No. If I did that, I might never read again.

The best way I've found to get out of a reading slump for me is to pick up an old favorite. Returning to a book I already love can rekindle my passion for reading.

One of my favorite stories is Shadow Dance by Susan Andersen. It's one of her first novels and it hooked me from the beginning. I loved the characters, the story, and the mystery added an element of danger to the characters interactions.

After trying to read several stories and not being able to get into any of them, I'm turning to an old favorite.

How do you deal with reading slumps? Do you turn to old favorites? Try reading in a different genre? Switch to audiobooks? 

Leave a comment down below and let me know what works for you.

What I'm Currently Reading - Just Say Hell No

 

 

Next on my TBR is Just Say Hell No by Rosalind James.

 

Even a hard man needs a soft side.

Marko Sendoa isn’t a beach man. He’s not an Auckland man. He’s a hard man. Born Basque tough, raised in the heart of New Zealand’s Southern Alps, and bred on hard work, discipline, and getting the job done. It’s not easy for a rugby flanker who’s played 13 bruising seasons to make it to age 32 at the top of his game, but he’s done it. Next year is the Rugby World Cup, and he’ll do whatever it takes to be on the field in the black jersey when the anthems are sung.

He doesn't need a kitten. He doesn't need a pregnant cousin. He definitely doesn't need a too-short, distractingly curvy, totally unimpressed Maori barista and part-time pet portraitist who fills his house and his life with too much color, too much chaos, and too many secrets. He’s getting them anyway.

 

Amazon 

 

Free Steamy Romance Reads For September

 The weather is changing, and fall is right around the corner. It's the perfect time to get some books that will heat things up.

 Available September 1st through September 30th, 2023. 

CLICK HERE to browse over over 130 stories.

September Contemporary Romance Deals

 

Over 100 Romances on SALE!

 

Searching for your next favorite story?

 

Look no further. These bestselling authors have teamed up to offer a delightful selection of books JUST FOR YOU. 

CLICK HERE to check them out!