Should We Rename February? by Joan Reeves

February is the month most people mispronounce. I blame it on January. 

You look at the word February, and your brain erases that "r" before ary—and Febuary comes out of your mouth.

Of course, if the powers that be had named the month Februa, the festival that actually inspired the name, we wouldn't have that problem. 

But no, someone decided to take the Februa and tack "ry" onto it thus giving the English-speaking world a pronunciation problem for all eternity.

WHY FEBRUA?

Februa was the ancient Roman festival of cleansing and atonement held during this time period. It was designed to prepare for the coming spring. (I guess that's how spring cleaning, for which my mother was a strong advocate, came about.)

Girl English Dictionary - Pixabay

 The word shares the Latin root with fever and fume which I read relates to the burning of sacrifices during the purificaton rites. Thank goodness that tradition wasn't passed along with the month's name.

In any event, the month is merifully short. As a famous quotation goes: "If you plan on being depressed, do it in February so it won't last very long."

All that aside, I like February. It's that bridge between winter and spring and gives the snowbound, frozen states hope that spring truly is just around the corner.

GREAT MONTH FOR WRITING

I don't know why, but I find February to be a great month for writing.Maybe it's because I'm raring to go on a new book or finishing one in progress. I feel a burst of energy that makes me want to get out and do something—but the weather outside is usually too lousy to actually do that. So I focus that energy on writing. I'll confess that I also seem to read a lot in February.

Patience Strong said, "In February there is everything to hope for and nothing to regret." I agree with that. What about you? How do you spend the month?

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Make Room for a New Year by Joan Reeves

We are 2 weeks into the New Year, and practically everyone I know has been sorting and storing away holiday decorations, cleaning out closets and garages, and carting the excess to Goodwill and church thrift stores.

After thinking about this a while—when I was actively avoiding engaging in the same activities—I decided there's a reason behind this compulsive cleaning and organizing.

What they're acctually doing is a physical manifestation of making room for the New Year. I think this is a good thing.

It's like warming up your engine for the Grand Prix race ahead—making new starts, changing habits, improving whatever one thinks needs to be optimized, undertaking new projects, etcetera.

Make room in your life for new beginnings. Clear the decks for that all important assault on resolutions or goals or whatever you choose to call those good intentions we all have to optimize our human body, mind, and spirit. I cheer you on and wish you the best.

Since I did much of that cleaning, organizing, and paring down in 2025, I'm good. In fact, I'm so over the "clearing the decks" that I don't even have goals for this New Year. 

Maybe I'm still tired from all the frenetic activity of the last 6 months, but I'm okay just floating along and doing what comes next.

In my case, what comes next is the writing. I'll confess I do have writing projects listed. I'm excited about getting some new books out. If—yes, if because there are always challenges—my eyes and vision hold up, I'll make that a reality.

In the meantime, if you've been clearing the decks and getting ready to launch yourself into the stratosphere, figuratively speaking, I'm offering a free romantic comedy so you'll have something to read when you run out of things to do.

You'll notice JUST ONE LOOK is still wearing its Christmas cover. 

Seduction and sex can be pretty funny—especially when both sides play dirty, and there's no holiday ceasefire in this battle of the sexes!

Get your free ebook while offer lasts.

Free ebook starts Friday Jan. 16, 2026, at 12:00 AM PST. 

Free offer ends Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at 11:59 PM PST.

I wish you a happy year ahead. Go forth and conquer!

Best Wishes, Joan Reeves

"Writing Happily Ever After—Time After Time

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Bewitching October by Joan Reeves

October is the month to truly feel and celebrate autumn.

The drifting leaves of red, gold, and yellow are a visual delight, and the crunch of the dried leaves underfeet are an auditory pleasure.

The crispness in the morning air assures us that summer truly is over. 

All this natural beauty bewitches so I suppose it's logical that Halloween on the last day of the month has the cachet to enchant little kids and adults too.

One of my favorite things is to give treats to the little ghosts, goblins, and witches who ring our doorbelll and chant, "Trick or Treat."

As adults, we're supposed to be too old to trick or treat, but wouldn't it be fun to do that again? Instead of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, maybe people could stock ebook gift cards for us. After all, there is nothing more bewitching than tales of love and passion.

Halloween Candy

If you've ever been in love, then you know you don't need a witch to cast that kind of spell. Just a special man or woman who speaks to your heart is sufficient. 

After all, that's what romance novels are all about—that connection that leads to passion, to love, and, ultimately to commitment.

SWEET TREAT WITH NO CALORIES

I've not written any spooky Halloween type books, but I do have several romance novels currently on sale for 99¢, including 2 new releases.

I know the other authors of Smart Girls Read Romance also have some wonderful books available so why not treat yourself?

HOT AUGUST NIGHT, new, spicy enemies to lovers romcom short story set at Last Chance Beach.

OLD ENOUGH TO BE OLD, new forced proximity romcom set in the frozen north.

SCENTS AND SENSUALITY, spicy fake boyfriend romcom.

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE, Texas small town romance.

CANDY CONFESSION

We have our Halloween candy ready. I find Snickers are perfect for romantic comedy. For romantic suspense, the bag of Hershey's assorted miniatures seals the deal. When it comes to mysteries, I like Reese's Peanut Butter Cups best.

What's your Candy Confession?

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How To Enlarge Your House by Joan Reeves

Do you love those TV shows where someone fixes up a room or an entire house? They take it from drab or maybe just not exciting to gorgeous. I think I've seen every episode Chip and Joanna have ever made along with a bunch of other design shows.

I don't limit my fixer upper passion to houses. I watch the landscaping shows too. All of it inspires me—to my Darling Hubby's dismay.

As it turns out, my whole year has turned into a Fixer Upper Adventure. I didn't plan it that way. It just kind of evolved because of having the interior of our house in town painted.

We had to pack up virtually everything so furniture could be moved to the center of the room and covered with drop cloths. Rugs came up, books and decorative accessories were packed, paintings and photographs removed from the walls, etc.

That's when we realized how much stuff we have. We rented a small storage space and moved it all into what amounted to a giant closet.

 I made a statement I now regret: "Since we've packed just about everything but clothes and furniture, now would be a good time to see if we can find a house we like better."

I MUST BE CRAZY TO DO THIS BUT...

You see, we downsized and we went too small. So we gave serious thought to finding another house. We contacted a friend who is a realtor, and she happily began sending us daily emails with all the houses available in our area.

It's much easier to shop online than actually going to all of the houses. I also discovered that 99% of what you see online that makes a home look appealing is due to professional photography that can probably make a pigsty look good.

By the time we'd attended a dozen open houses—ugh—and a half dozen of personal showings, I made another statement I regret: "Maybe we should just add on to our present home."

YEP I'M DEFINITELY CRAZY

This began a round of talking to contractors in order to get a sense of what was involved, who was honest, etc. before we talked to an architect. All this did was confuse the issue. I feel as if I've been in a whirlwind, tossed willy nilly from—let's find a different house—to let's stay where we are.

AGH!!!! So what have we done? Nothing. Yet. Still thinking. One day we think we'll put the house up for sale. The next day we think we'll call the contractor we chose. All I've done is take my frustration out on the clutter hidden away in the closets and the stuff packed away in the attic, garage, and the storage facility.

Suddenly, after 4 truckloads to Goodwill and 3 truckloads to a consignment shop, my house doesn't seem so small. Amazing how much space clutter takes.

I cleaned the house from top to bottom, rearranged the furniture in every room, hung different art in different arrangements. My house looks like a different house! How amazing is that?

BOTTOM LINE

After all has been said and done, more was said than done. Confession—I did buy a beautiful large armoir for my office. It holds everything from old paperbacks I've kept to all of my office supplies. My office looks neat, organized, and I know exactly where everything is stored. I may send a photo next month.

CRAZY SUMMER YIELDED A NEW BOOK

I did make my goal of releasing a new book in July. OLD ENOUGH TO BE BOLD is at the New Release sale price of 99¢ or read it on KU. 

Trope Alert: Spicy Enemies to Lovers + Forced Proximity + Ugly Duckling + Handsome Stranger with a dazzling smile = enough heat to melt the ice storm that forces Linnie and Max to share an isolated cabin.

The spicy romcom which is Book 2 in the Mean Woman Blues series has been well-received to my relief. 

With the first day of Autumn, I'm leaving my fixer uppr adventure behind and starting a new book. Wish me luck!

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Awesome Is Hard Work by Joan Reeves

Good morning! If you knew everything I've been called upon to do in the last 2 weeks, you'd understand why I'm posting late today.

We attended two graduations out of town, then a funeral in west Texas, then a reunion in Louisiana. All of that was exhausting, but then everything hit at once. 

BRIEF RECAP

1. We signed a contract to sell property in another county which necessitated our presence for various meetings with the buyers, inspections, and arranging for a few things to be done there. All of that took several trips there and back (240 miles round trip).

2. After much arguing back and forth discussion, my Darling Husband convinced me to put our current house in town up for sale. Reason? He wants a much bigger lot with a much bigger garage. Me? I'm okay with where we are, but happy husband = happy, uh, can't think of anything that rhymes with husband. (Saying happy wife = happy life is much easier.)

3. Spent an entire week removing everything from bookshelves, cabinets, etc. so the furniture could be moved to allow the painters access to the walls.

4. We packed about a million books it seems along with stuff stored in the cabinetry that was to be moved. 

I decided there was no way I wanted to put all that back in place if we were going to sell the house so we rented a storage facility and moved what seemed like hundreds of boxes into storage.

5. Darling Hubby decided he wanted to also store the pool table because "looking Lous" always seem to want to roll the balls on the pool table.

He's protective of his Olhausen so he deconstructed it and got a strapping young man to help him move the slate, etc. into storage.

6. All paintings, etc. were taken from the walls and rugs rolled up. 

7. We finished all of that deconstructing this morning—minutes before the painting crew showed up.

Now, I'm in my office, which was painted a year ago and isn't part of the week's painting adventure, but there are paintings stacked against the walls, a half dozen lamps on the floor, and other hazards.

I have just enough space to walk from the door to my chair in front of the computer. I'm praying this will all be finished by Friday.

MORE TIME SUCKS SCHEDULED

Of all times to have a tooth that needs to be crowned! Had a day of dental anguish to get the tooth prepped for crown. Permanent crown scheduled for July 3.

The rest of this month and into July is filled with more of the same because this next weekend we must arrange for movers to remove everything from our house in the country and into storage. 

I'm exhausted just recounting all of this.

To make matters worse, I have a July deadline to upload my new book, OLD ENOUGH TO BE BOLD. I'm concerned I may not complete everything that needs to be done to make it publishable.

That means I haven't promoted it other than mentioning it in a few places.I had extended the release date twice already, but the universe keeps throwing curve balls at me. I'm worried. If I have to change the release date again, I'll be penalized by Amazon and banned for 1 year from setting up a pre-order. 

Yikes! But if I have to extend again, I'll just have to live with the consequences. I'll blow up that bridge when I come to it.

LIFE GOES ON

I'll keep writing and trying to be "awesome" —whatever that means—and get the book done. In the meantime, I have 2 books on sale for 99¢. Both are guaranteed to give you heated romance and lots of laughs.

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE  is a spicy Enemies to Lovers Romantic Comedy set in a small Texas town. Just click the link to learn more about it.

You can also read it with Kindle Unlimited.

There's an audio book of it too for those who love to listen to a good book, but the audio edition is not  on sale.

Also on sale is SCENTS AND SENSUALITY which is also on Kindle Unlimited. This spicy fake boyfriend RomCom is part of the Love, Laughter, and Shenanigans series.

Click the link to learn more about this hugely popular RomCom that's been on the UK romance bestseller list since January. (I love that it's also selling in India and France—the USA too of course.)  

Scents and Sensuality is also available as an audio book too.

By the way, on the audio book link, you can listen to an excerpt which is entertaining in itself.

So that's my frantic, frazzled life since May. How are things in your Life? I certainly hope it's more serene and peaceful than mine.

Enjoy the rest of June. Here in Texas, July means the door to the furnace will probably be blocked open. See you then!

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Wallflower of Wildflowers by Joan Reeves

I'm a bit late in posting today because I just arrived home from a few days in the country.

The wildflowers are blooming in the fields around our house there, but I was a bit dismayed in how many bull nettles have popped up.

Like wallflowers that no one wants to dance with, these wildflowers are the ones no one wants in their landscape. Why? Because everything about the plant except for the bloom is covered with stinging little spiny things.

If you ever touch or brush up against a bull nettle, you'll always remember to be careful around them in the future.

Why so many this year? Because we had feral hogs using our land as a playground back in the winter. Their hooves dig deep in soft earth and their snouts do even more damage.

Where the soil gets torn up, bull nettles follow. 

My first inclination was to put on my jeans and boots and dig up as many as I could. However, the blossoms on top of the 2 foot tall stalks are pretty. Usually these over-sized blossoms droop rather than stand straight up.

I never knew much about this Texas wildflower so I decided to learn something about them before I decimated their number.

SURPRISE! WRONG NAME

I learned that the plants in my field were probably not Texas Bullnettle aka Cnidoscolus texanus, a spiny, deep-rooted, herbaceous perennial in the Spurge family. They're probably the White Prickly Poppy aka Argemone albiflora, a nettle-like spiny plant that also grows tall.

White Prickly Poppy has spiny prickles, but it's not the stinging hairs that cause severe irritation like those on the Texas Bull Nettle, renowned for its stinging hairs that can cause a painful rash and irritation upon contact. (I shudder to think about what a real bull nettle might feel like.)

Taken at Johnson City, TX

Both plants have striking green foliage with jagged leaves and they bloom in the same time period, April through September with pretty blossoms. The true bull nettle flower isn't as showy as the prickly poppy.

They have a strong taproot system so can survive drought and hard winter freezes. Livestock will not eat either of these plants even in periods of drought because they're so prickly.

Quail and dove eat the seeds of the prickly poppy, and native Americans used it for various ailments, but it has to be expertly used because it can be toxic.

The bull nettle seeds are edible when ripe and were eaten by native Americans. The root is supposedly edible, but I don't plan on digging a plant up and boiling it like a potato unless we descend into a post-apocolyptic era. 

The plant has medicinal uses, and Native Americans have used it for various ailments, but it can be toxic if not used properly.

LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY

I became fond of these 2 native plants—yes, I have both varieties in the fields—and I decided to leave them alone. They look a little strange growing almost 2 feet above the other wildflowers, but I imagine them as sentries, looking out over the field of flowers, keeping watch for danger.

I'll love them from afar because I'm not getting within a foot of either of these plants. I learned my lesson long ago when I wanted to pick them for a bouquet. Outch! Ouch! Ouch!

WANT MORE WILDFLOWERS?

My friend Kara O'Neal has a wonderful series, Wildflowers of Texas. Check out SUNFLOWERS FOR HER, a new release that is Book 4 in the series. 

I think you'll love it.

SPECIAL DEAL FOR READERS

I have another special deal for readers this month.

I've been running Facebook ads in the US and in the UK which is why I've been making the first book in a series on sale.

Last week I started an ad campaign for another of my romantic comedy novels, THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE.

REVIEW

"ENCHANTED AND THOROUGHLY DELIGHTED" 5 Stars. A thoroughly delightful romance. The story of not one but three separate and equally lovely couples. The first is Suzannah and Hogan. An FBI agent and a beautiful Deputy Sheriff enbroiled in a little drama, that deftly introduces the second pair.

Rory, Suzannah's mother, a recluse from a bad young marriage and Walter a long time widower and Mayor, Hogan's step uncle. 

They in turn bring in the third grouping Yvonne, Hogan's step-mother and an aging Jewel thief, of English/Scottish orgins called McConnell.

What a merry chase this story is. I absoluted loved how it all wove together to create a satifying and lovely romance.

THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE is on sale for 99¢ or read it "free" on Kindle Unlimited.

Thanks for dropping by today. I hope you found the wildflower post interesting.

Have a wonderful May. I'll see you again next month.

(Find me online: SlingWords * Website * Facebook * Romance Gems...Authors & Readers Meet.)

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Post Valentine Giveaway by Joan Reeves

I'm being held hostage by that ogre named Allergies. It started when I visited my brother in Louisiana at the farm.

All of the trees, weeds, shrubs, and vines that I'm not used to were dripping pollen out of season. Ah choo!

Even though I haven't felt that well, I've been working intensively on new book covers, new file format for my existing ebooks, and working on a new release.

When I say working, I literally mean 12 hours a day for the last week. I crashed last night, decided to battle the ogre, took 2 Zyrtec (as recommended by my doctor), and went to bed.

Even though I woke at 4:30 this morning, I felt better. (Allergy meds have that weird effect on me—knock me out then make me awake at a weird hour.) Now after 2 cups of coffee and a cup of tea, I have enough energy to visit with you.

CRAZY WEATHER

I don't know about where you are, but we're having some weird weather here on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Yesterday, it was 76. Today it's 40 and dropping, but the sun is shining brightly. I understand we're supposed to have a low of 22 around mid-week.

I think everyone in the state is fearing another winter like we had in 2021. I'm so thankful we now have a generator. I just hope our water utility has a bunch of them.

BELATED VALENTINE GIFT

For Valentine's Day, I offered BLAME IT ON CHOCOLATE, a Valentine romance, free to my newsletter subscribers. 

Now, I'm inviting you to grab a free copy too—free on Amazon Kindle until 11:59pm PST tonight, Sunday, Feb. 16, 2025.

"A fresh, witty, delicious story. Just like an irresistible bar of chocolate, you'll finish it all at once." —Reader Review

HAPPY READING

I hope you'll enjoy this story. Times are tough, and many readers simply can't afford the luxury of books. That's why, this year, I'm offering one of my books for 99¢ each month. 

This month the book is Scents and Sensuality, a Love, Laughter, and Shenanigans Fake Boyfriend Romance that culminates on Valentine's Day.

If you'd like to know when a book is on sale or is free, sign up for I LOVE READING, my free newsletter.

Until next week, stay warm, stay away from pollen, read books, and enjoy life.

JOAN ONLINE

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Baby, It's Cold Outside by Joan Reeves

Of course it's cold outside—it's January. But that's not really what I'm talking about. 

I'm defending the song of the same name because it's rarely heard in today's world. Once, you'd hear it during the holidays until some people interpreted the song as a date-rape warning. That's all it took for radio stations to ban it.

The song, written by Frank Loesser and his wife, Lynn Garland, was first sung at their New York City home in 1944. They performed it as a humorous way to tell their guests that it was time to go home.

In 1949, the song was featured in the MGM movie "Neptune's Daughter" which starred Esther Williams and Ricardo Montalbán. Then in 1950, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song.

Recorded by many artists from Dean Martin to Lady Gaga, the song was placed on some kind of "hit list" but not the kind that celebrates popular music but the kind that seeks to have music banned.

I never saw it neither as a rape anthem nor a as a man coercing a woman into having sex. Too me it was funny and about a man pleading with a woman for her affection. Maybe I'm a naive, but the song was written back in the day when courtship still meant courting—not forcing. I grew up in a couple of decades beyond the song's creation, but I still didn't think it was offensive.

I do think we live in an era when people seem to be looking for offense where none is intended. I think Mr. Loesser and his wife would be shocked that the song they wrote is now banned from the airwaves.

WHAT DO YOU THINK

I'd be interested in hearing what you think about this topic. If you leave a comment, please leave your approximate age because perhaps age has something to do with what is found offensive.

If you'd rather read a romantic comedy than discuss this topic, may I recommend JUST ONE LOOK? 

Seduction can be pretty funny—especially when both sides play dirty!

What would you do if the gynecologist subbing for your regular doctor turned out to be your old high school crush? Psychologist Dr. Jennifer Monroe does what any normal, well-adjusted woman would do. She makes an excuse, sends the doctor and the nurse from the room, dives into her clothes, and flees—hoping she'll never run into him again.

Unfortunately, her running away makes conscientious Dr. Matt Penrose conclude she has a problem and wants to refer her to another doctor for her exam, but she refuses to take his calls. Dallas is a big city. What are the odds these two will ever meet again? 

Even money, when Fate lends a hand.

JUST ONE LOOK is a Kindle Unlimited free read for subscribers. 

Wishing you a warmer January than probably seems possible at this point!

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Celebrate the Music of Christmas by Joan Reeves

It's nearly Christmas, and I've had a lot of happy days decorating, watching Christmas movies, and singing along to Christmas music.

I especially love the music of Christmas—carols old and new as well as the rock and pop Christmas songs.

MUSIC OF CHRISTMAS

A few years ago I bought a couple of books aboout the stories behind the best-loved Christmas songs. These two books are delightful and tell the history of the stories. I put them out every Christmas for guests to peruse.

Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins, a Christy award winning author, comes in Kindle, Audio, Hardback, and Paperback.It tells the stories behind all the Christmas songs you learned as a child from Jingle Bells to Silent Night. 

"Each song in its own way expresses a facet of God’s heart and celebrates the birth of his greatest gift to the world—Jesus."

This is truly a wonderful book, and so is the sequel to it, also by Ace Collins, More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas.

This book with the origins of 31 famous Christmas songs from Handel's Hallelujah Chorus to Auld Lang Syne also comes in Kindle, Audio, Hardback, and Paperback. and reveals the history of 

I love Christmas music so much that I used one of the most popular songs of the season as the premise of a book.

LAST CHRISTMAS

"LAST CHRISTMAS, a heartwarming and steamy small town romance that will have you laughing, crying, and falling in love all over again!"

As the song goes, Last Christmas she gave him her heart.

He gave it away, or as Annabelle thinks, he stomped on it.

This Christmas they meet again, and she decides to make him pay for breaking her heart.

This tale of heartbreak, revenge, second chances, and redemption is on sale for 99¢ until after New Year's Day.

Merry Christmas to you all. I hope you find Joy and Happiness and spread love and good cheer wherever you go. See you next year!

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Great Pumpkin Horde Smashed Into Pumpkin Pie by Joan Reeves

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

Pumpkin season kicked off in October with Halloween, but never fear. It's not over yet.

The great pumpkin horde rises then get smashed into Pumpkin Pie, Pumkin Bread, Pumpkin Cheesecake, Pumpkin—well, you get the picture.

As if all the pumpkin desserts weren't enough, there's Pumpkin Latte, Pumpkin Eggnog, and, I fear, so much more.

Love all those orange beverages and desserts? Unfortunately, I don't. I've never been a fan of the pie made from this giant orange gourd.

 To be honest, I don't know if it's the pumpkin or the overload of spices because I do like pumpkin bread when I make it in my kitchen.

WHO DISCOVERED THOSE BIG ORANGE GOURDS?

I was surprised to discover pumpkins were first cultivated in Central America around 5,500 B.C.. When Europeans arrived in the New World, pumpkins were one of the first foods they brought back to Europe.

In Europe they were first mentioned in 1536. Within a couple of decades they were grown regularly in England. The British called them pumpions which came from pompon which was what the French called them because of their round shape.

Photo by cottonbro studio
Is it the brownish color that deters me?

The English were already well-versed in pie making so it's no surprise that they started using pumpions for pie filling.

BACK TO AMERICA

When the Pilgrims came over on the Mayflower in 1620,  some of them probably were familiar with pumpkins just as the Wampanoag tribe who helped them survive that first year were. 

The next year, the 50 surviving colonists were joined by about 90 Wampanoag for a 3-day harvest celebration—what we claim as the very first Thanksgiving.

Pumpkin was probably served in some form because this useful vegetable can be used in many ways.

Add it to flour, thus decreasing the amount of flour needed, and make bread. Roast it and season with salt, pepper, and some kind of fat and serve it as a vegetable.

Cook it and season with something sweet and spices for—Pumpkin Pie!

By 1654, Edward Johnson, a Massachusetts ship captain, wrote that New England had prospered and  people could now make apple, pear, and quince tarts rather than their former Pumpkin Pies.

By 1705, Pumpkin Pie was firmly established as the pie to serve at Thanksgiving, an established New England holiday.

Photo by Diliara Garifullina

After the Civil War, the popularity of Pumpkin Pie spread beyond New England. In the South, I imagine they made Sweet Potato Pie before pumpkin was popular.

To me, Sweet Potato Pie tastes the same as Pumpkin Pie, perhaps because the same spices are used in each pie.

TO PUMPKIN OR NOT TO PUMPKIN?

I think the brownish color is what makes Pumpkin Pie look unappetizing to me. I might try a fancy crust with pastry cutout leaves like this photo shows. Pretty isn't it? 

Do you have a favorite pumpkin recipe? Leave a comment and tell us all about it.

BEST WISHES FROM ME TO YOU

I wish you the happiest Thanksgiving with family and friends and lots of delicious food. Make some wonderful memories!

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Buried Under Book Covers by Joan Reeves

Image created with AI by Joan Reeves

I do apologize for missing my blogging date yesterday. I blame Artificial Intelligence for that.

Actually, I must take some blame too. It all started last week when I completed all of the  Facebook Ads training tutorials. I was pumped and ready to get going.

There was one thing holding me back. My book covers. I learned that the most successful book ads had cover art featuring men. 

Having a woman on the cover art gets men clicking but not to buy the book.

I wrestled with that intel until Monday when I decided to "just do it" and change out the book covers in question.

OMG! DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

After more than a week of trying to come up with cover art featuring an attractive male that organically represented the theme, story, etc. I'm ready to throw in the towel. Agh! So I waved the white flag of surrender and called my daughter the graphic artist for help. We meet tomorrow.

UNEXPECTED BENEFIT OF LOST TIME

One positive of this exhausting week was that I learned how to use an AI graphics program. Well, more or less learned. In many ways, it was harder than I expected and easier than I expected.

Harder? Because it requires far more hours of time and endless trial and error to create an image suitable for a book cover, i.e. an image that looks "real" and is specifically tailored to an element of the book.

Easier? Because with just a little effort you can create an interesting graphic good enough for marketing purposes. The image at the beginning of the post is one I made in about 5 minutes time. Of course, it took me about 4 hours of learning time to be able to make the image.

LAST THOUGHTS

I've always been willing to try new things and learn something new. However, I have conflicting emotions about using AI. I'm sure there are photographers and musicians who are also upset that AI is being used to create images that look like photographs and music that doesn't come from a real person.

I know I hate the thought that unscrupulous would-be writers will use AI to write novels. They're already doing it.

I will never do that. In fact, I think I'm going to put something in my book blurbs that goes something like this: "The content of this book was created entirely by the author, Joan Reeves. No artificial intelligence was used to create any part of the text."

I've heard other authors are inserting that into their blurbs and into the book's front matter. Do you think this is a good idea? As a reader, do you want to know that a real, live human created the book you're reading?

Image created with AI by Joan Reeves

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Lemonade, a Summer Classic by Joan Reeves

When you think about a winter drink, does hot chocolate immediately come to mind?

What about a summer drink? Do you make an instant connection to something?

I do, and the drink is lemonade.

When I was a kid, we didn't drink Coca Cola or other soft drinks very often. We had lemonade made from freshly squeezed lemons.

The citrus drink had just the right amount of tartness and just the right amount of sweetness. Mom would fix a big pitcher of lemonade and toss ice cubes into the pitcher too. She'd crush mint leaves on the rims of the glasses, add ice, and fill the tumblers with the lemonade. If she had a lemon left, she'd slice it and float it on top of the drink. 

Oh, there was nothing better. Just the smell of the lemons would make our mouths water. The drink was more thirst quenching than water or ice tea. (Yes, we in the South always said "ice tea" not iced tea.)

Years ago, when powdered lemonade mixes hit the market, I tried them, but they paled in comparison to the real thing. I wanted lemonade like my mother made. She squeezed fresh lemons—and oranges too—on an old glass juicer like the one shown here. I don't know what happened to the one she had. I guess it got broken at some point in time.

 A few years ago, at a thrift store, I saw one like the one my mom used. Excited, I scooped it up then bought a bag of lemons on the way home.

OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE

I was so excited. I washed the glass juicer, got my ice tea pitcher out of the cabinet, lined up the lemons on the cutting board, and rolled each lemon around to "loosen" the juice.

The tangy scent of the oil in the lemon skin hit my nose and reminded me of being in Mom's kitchen.

I cut each lemon in half then took one of the halves and placed it over the glass juicer, pressed down and rotated the lemon around on the glass cone-shaped middle. Happily, I went to the next half, and the next, and the next...next...next...next until I thought my hand might fall off my arm.

How on earth did women do things like this back in the old days? By the time I'd squeezed out 12 lemon halves, I felt as if I'd been doing bicep curls with a fifty pound dumbbell. I did finish making that pitcher of lemonade, but I never used that beautiful glass juicer again. I bought an electric juicer which does 12 lemon halves in a few minutes. There's definitely something to be said for modern appliances.

WANT TO MAKE REAL LEMONADE?

It's really easy just make sure you use freshly squeezed lemon juice—never that bottled stuff which is really gross.)

3 cups water + 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice + 1/2 to 3/4 cup of white sugar. (Half a cup is what Mom used, but most people today think that's too tart so adjust as needed.) Fresh mint leaves if you have them.

Add the water and juice to a tall pitcher. Stir well. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Serve over ice with a crushed mint leaf on top. Drink and enjoy.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

Have a glass of real lemonade while you read a summertime book. May I suggest ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE? 

Can good girls ever win? High school principal Judy Anne Palmer doesn't think so. She was always a good girl who never did an impulsive, rebellious thing. Ever. And look where it got her! Stuck in a life she hates. One night in Dallas, she rebels against...everything! That may end up being the biggest scandal that ever hit her little Texas town.  

Reviews: "I can't recommend this story enough. The characterization is deep and the end as satisfying as the reader could hope for." and "I just adored Roman/Romeo. Perfect hero material, hot, rich and a lovely guy."—Loves Reading

ROMEO AND JUDY ANNE is available only on Kindle, but it will be available wide by the end of August. Sign up for my free newsletter below and you'll know when this book can be found at all the other ebook sellers plus you'll receive exclusive content, book news, and other book bargains.

FIND JOAN

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Love to read? Sign up for my free Newsletter, I LOVE READING. Once a month, you'll receive exclusive content and news about giveaways, bargains, and new releases.