March is
here, and that means spring is near. What a lovely thought. This month brings
the switch to Daylight Saving Time on the 8th, St. Patrick’s Day on
the 17th, and Palm Sunday on the 29th.
In addition, this
is Irish-American Month. Most schools have a spring break this month—applauded by
students and teachers. I not only love living in spring, I love writing books
set then.
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| Bluebonnet photo by Nelda Liles |
One of
my books set in spring is BLUEBONNET BRIDE. Pardon me for being immodest, but I
love that book. (Okay, I love most of my books.) My friend Nelda Liles gave me
the lovely bluebonnet photo for the cover and Hero applied the image of the
lovely woman who (in my head) looks like the heroine, Rosalyn. Many of you
readers have commented on how much you like the book’s cover. Thank you. If you haven't read the book, here's the link to purchase it. (hint, hint)
Amazon http://amzn.com/B00BHOC7L8
Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bluebonnet-bride-caroline-clemmons/1115679131?ean=9781482507089
In
addition, bluebonnets are the Texas state flower and one of my favorite
flowers, second only to pink roses. Did
you know bluebonnets smell like orange blossoms? Every spring when they bloom along
the highways, we see families stopped to take photos of children sitting in the
fields of flowers. Picking the flowers from public land is illegal, but
smelling them and photographing them is just fine.
Ennis,
Texas has an annual Bluebonnet Trail. That’s where Nelda photographed some
lovely pictures of fields of bluebonnets.
I’ve always wanted to drive that trail, but life always interferes. Le
sigh.
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| Ladybird Johnson |
Regardless
of your politics, Texans have Ladybird Johnson to thank for the wildflowers,
including bluebonnets, that grow along Texas highways. She persuaded then
Senator Lloyd Bentsen to promote planting wildflowers on highway right of ways.
He even promoted it in Washington D.C. for national roadways. The last grass cutting
of the year, cutting crews tossed out seeds. For many years, free bluebonnet seeds
were available from the State. Amazing what one influential person can
accomplish, isn’t it?
I’m not
a fan of summer heat, but spring and fall are my times of year. Not too hot,
not too cold, just right. We do have violent storms in spring, but we always
need the rain they bring. My books often feature extreme Texas weather. BE MY GUEST has a spring flood which strands the heroine on the ranch of the hero. The cover features Jimmy Thomas standing in front of a photo I took of spring flowers. BE MY GUEST is also the first book I had published. Once I recovered the rights from Kensington, I self-published.
Amazon http://amzn.com/B004M8T1EC
As happy as I am to see spring approach, I know all
those in the frozen northeast are even more eager to see the end of winter.
What a winter they’ve had! In the meantime, stay warm.
What’s
your favorite time of year?
I'm with you, Caroline. Spring and autumn are my most favorite seasons! Winter and summer are for staying "inside" and reading - preferably your books!
ReplyDeleteThanks for telling the story behind your book covers. Beautiful photos and cover design. You know I share your love of bluebonnets!
ReplyDeleteThe bluebonnets are beautiful and so are your stories.
ReplyDeleteI do enjoy the spring and fall. We have the added bonus in Seattle of absolutely beautiful summers--not too hot and it rarely rains. We like to keep that a secret so don't tell anyone. Of course, starting at the end of September, we make up for the lack of summer rain. It gets a little hot in Idaho and I like to use the stifling heat in my stories. I don't particularly enjoy being in 100-degree heat, though.