Fall, How do I Love Thee...Let me Count the Ways! And a giveaway!

Confession, I go into the fall season kicking and screaming, but once I get there I remember why I love this season so much. So let's commence with my counting the ways I love fall.

1. I married the love of my life in the early fall. As a matter of fact we just celebrated our 36th wedding anniversary.

2. I do so love all of the wonderful fall foliage we get to admire here in the northeastern part of the United States.

3. As a parent I would rejoice in the sound of the school bus engine chugging up our dirt road signaling the start of the new school year.

4. I find that my muse returns from it's own summer vacation gracing me with newfound story ideas and quirky characters. Right now I'm working on a brand new book, the second in my Pinkerton, historical romance series. I'm bringing the characters of Agent Lily Handland and Adirondack Great Camp owner Owen Murphy to life. My fingers are tingling in excitement!  I really do love writing during the fall months.

5. And did I mention it's apple season!!!! And pumpkin picking time!!!! Which means visits to our favorite farm stand to buy those freshly picked from the tree apples. Macs are the ones I go for. Another fall confession I only buy my apples from my childhood farm stand, which is now a two hour drive from where I live. But so worth the effort and I get to enjoy those fall colors while I'm driving!

So tell me what are some of the favorite things you love about fall? One of my lucky commenters will be chosen to win a giveaway of one book from my best selling Women of Surprise series.

Available now at Amazon.com.

 

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Anticipation....The First Kiss.

Now I know you all remember your first kiss. I know I do. And my first kisser shall remain nameless. Suffice it to say the good news is I still remember the person, and the setting! 

I think we can all agree we've seen hundreds of first kisses on the big screen. Memorable first kiss movies-for my generation, who can forget Ryan O'Neal and Allie McGraw as Oliver Barrett and Jenny Cavilleri in Love Story. Or how about Bridget Jones Diary? And I love Hope Floats with Harry Connick Jr and Sandra Bullock.  

I could name thousands of great first kiss moments from books I've read! I think what appeals to us with first kisses is the anticipation leading up to the event. It's a dance of sorts. The heroes in the books or movies usually go out of their way to entice the heroine. Sometimes with silly antics other times using more heroic tactics. The heroine for the most part is usually not impressed and then slowly comes around. Or it could be the first unexpected scene where no one sees that kiss coming that hooks us. As readers we know we want that first kiss to lead to bigger things. In a high heat romance it could be a full on love scene or in sweeter books a tender moment that leads to lasting love.

How ever you like them, be they fictional or for real, first kisses are our first hint of what falling in love could be like. What's your favorite first kiss scene from a book or movie? Or do you have a first kiss memory of your own that you'd like to share? If so please feel free to comment below! 

***** 

Tracey's new book A Changed Agent will be releasing on 

July 19th. 

Amazon.com A Changed Agent

Waterfall Press is doing a 100 copy ebook giveaway of A Changed Agent click here to enter. Giveaway signup ends on July 18, 2016.

Spring...is it over already!!

Hey there! So this month on our blog we've been talking about spring. Is there spring in your step? Have you sprung forward? Spring may be nearing an end, but I have to say our spring, weather-wise, was interesting. It started out great with warm days followed by cool nights. Then suddenly it was like winter had returned with cool days and frozen nights!! All those plants we put in that had been thriving were suddenly threatened by Mother Nature's antics. Thankfully, if you wait for just a bit here in the Northeast, the weather will changed. And sure enough it has. We just had days in the 90s and I didn't hear nary a complaint.

Our farmer's market has opened and I can't wait to get there to pick up some of my favorite vegetables and herbs.

I'm looking forward to sitting on my front porch and watching the world go by. And maybe plotting a book or two. I bought this really cool disc bound organizational notebook that I'm excited to fill with my ideas for the next two books in my historical series.  Springtime is a great time to reassess my writing. I take a look back at the first half of the year to see what I've accomplished and look forward to the next half to set my goals. I sort of do the same thing with my life. For me Spring is one of the best times of the year! I hope you are enjoying yours! 

I'm a Morning Writer, sort of... by Tracey Lyons

I'm a morning writer, sort of. I must confess when I see the morning sunlight streaming in through my bedroom window my first thought isn't "Hey, let's rise and shine!" Oh, no. I pull the blankets over my head and roll over.

Maybe I should call myself a before noon writer. I do have some must-haves to keep me motivated during my writing time. I have a home office. This is my third relocation, but by far my favorite spot. Situated right outside my bedroom door, I only have to tumble out of bed and I'm at my desk in seconds.

Then I have my wall of book covers. These remind me of my successes.

There are two of my favorite photos that inspire me. The one from my first Romantic Times book signing in 2000. Here I'm with the fabulously talented Thea Devine. A new fan. And long time author friend and signing buddy Sharon Schulze.

And the photo that always makes me smile. The one from the Chatham Book Store signing where my book is featured right next to  Bill Clinton's.

Lastly, I have a beautiful lead crystal, cut-glass paper weight that my Aunt Jean gave to me before she died, right before the release of my third novel. This reminds me that life is short and of how lucky I am to have been blessed with the talent to create.

My favorite couple is…!

I’m going to let you in on a little secret. I love all of the couples I write about. Not unlike my children and grandchildren, for various reasons they are all my favorites. But I know our blog theme for this month was to pick our favorite couple…so drum roll please! The couple I had the most fun writing about, and watching fall in love is Abigail Monroe and Cole Stanton. They made their first appearance in A Surprise for Abigail, book one in the bestselling Women of Surprise series.  This was the first book of mine to hit a best seller list. I think of this as the little book that could and maybe that's really why it's my favorite.

Cole Stanton was a man on the move. On his own since the death of his family, he drifted from place to place, guarding his heart from attachment to anything or anyone. Meanwhile, Abigail Monroe was busy planning her wedding until she was jilted by her intended, Edward Quinn. Her heart broken and her hopes dashed, Abigail vowed to never fall in love again, fleeing to the town of Surprise to visit her sick Aunt Margaret.

However, when Abigail arrived, she found that her Aunt Margaret had an unorthodox request of her: become the town's first woman sheriff!  When Abigail agrees, her life quickly turns upside down. Her first arrest is none other than Cole Stanton, for drunken and disorderly conduct. After his arrest, it becomes clear to Abigail that Mr. Stanton could be much more than he seems. He may very well be a wanted man: wanted both by the law and by Abigail.

I still love Abigail and Cole’s story! But right now I’m working on another one of my favorite couples soon to be available for your reading enjoyment, the couple from my upcoming, Waterfall Press release, A Changed Agent. When schoolteacher Elsie Mitchell meets rugged William Benton on a train platform in Albany, it appears they have nothing in common. He isn’t the sort of fellow a proper young woman of the 1890s would ever speak to, much less become involved with. But when she arrives at her small town in the Adirondack Mountains, Elsie is offered a job as caregiver for this mysterious out-of-towner’s niece and nephew, who’ve been tragically orphaned. Heartbroken for them, she accepts.

Unknown to her, William is an undercover Pinkerton agent posing as a lumber-company foreman. He’s never wanted family—his work is too dangerous. Yet as Elsie transforms his house into a home and he spends time with the children, he feels drawn to family life—and to Elsie. As a good Christian, Elsie is troubled by William’s secrets…though she does find him intriguing. And when a sinister figure from her past arrives, Elsie and William will have to trust in faith and newfound love to protect their unlikely family from danger.

Be they fictional or from real life I know everyone has an all-time favorite couple. Leave me a comment to tell me who yours is! 

A Surprise For Abigail available at Amazon.com
A Change Agent now available for pre-sale at Amazon.com
Be one of the first to learn about my new releases, follow me at amazon.com/author/traceylyons

Sometimes Change is a Good Thing-a new release for author Tracey J Lyons in 2016

     Change is never easy, but for the characters in my upcoming 2016 release, A Changed Agent (Waterfall Press) change is right around the corner… A man without a place to call home, William Benson has always been perfectly suited to the rough and solitary lifestyle of a Pinkerton Agent. A loner by nature Will has no room for anyone special in his life which suits him just fine. A man in his position should remain unencumbered by emotional ties. William wholeheartedly believes in this theory right up until the day he has a ready-made family thrust upon him.

     Elsie Mitchell is about to enter spinsterhood, an unfortunate occurrence she hadn’t planned on considering just a few short months ago she’d been anticipating her wedding. When her fiancé jilts her without explanation, Elsie resolves to lead a happy, productive life regardless of her marital status. With her broken heart finally on the mend, she immerses herself in her life as a schoolteacher. She’s dreams of traveling beyond the small town of Heartston, New York and saves every penny for her adventures. Indeed, Elsie Mitchell’s life is almost perfect until the day she crosses paths with the secretive William Benton and his two young charges.

     I love writing books with characters who think their lives are great just the way they are and then one day, poof! It all changes. A Changed Agent is set in the late 1800’s against the backdrop of the rugged and beautiful Adirondack Mountain region of New York State. This is one of my favorite places to visit. And in this book I get to revisit the setting for my first ever published novel, Mountain Jewel. Though not a sequel or even a connected book to my first one, developing this story and these characters has been a nice change for me. I got to delve into the inspirational romance genre, something I wasn’t that far off from in my Women of Surprise series.  Look for A Changed Agent (Waterfall Press) coming in July 2016.

 

Adirondack inspiration for the setting of A Changed Agent

Why I set my books in the Adirondacks!

Tell me, if you were to write a book and set it in your favorite place where would that be?