Beth Cornelison | Five things I love about October

Can it really be October already? I hope so! I love this month, and here is why...

Cooler weather. I admit it. I hate the heat and humidity of summer in the south. Being hot makes me cranky. Ask my husband, he'll tell you it's true! But a miraculous change in the weather sweeps in around the first of October each year. Mornings have a cool nip in the air, and the mid-day sun is warm but not breath-stealing. The first hints of autumn arrive. I love wearing sweaters, the smell of fallen leaves and the evening temperatures that let me jog in the neighborhood without melting. Welcome cooler weather!

Football! By October, high school and college football seasons are in full swing. I love football. In fact, it is one of the few sports I do enjoy watching. I love the school rivalries, the excitement, the sweaty men in tight pants , and spending a Saturday afternoon (and often the evening too!) curled up on the sofa with my hubby watching all the games. Football is a great pleasure of the Fall.

The holidays. October means Halloween and an excuse to decorate my house with pumpkins and buy chocolate! And if Halloween is near, can Thanksgiving and Christmas be far away? Nope! Turkey Day through New Years Day is my favorite time of year. I go holiday crazy! Decorating, music, parties, gifts and church activities. There's nothing about Christmas I don't like... and I start planning for the holidays in October!

My birthday. My birthday is October 5, but I've been know to stretch it out over a week or more. This year I'm shooting for a whole month of celebrating! Some people may dread getting older, but I look at my birthday as a celebration of life. I made it through the ups and downs of another year. I count my blessings--and I have many! Besides, I have a sure fire reason to make my husband take me out to eat wherever I want to go. And eating out is a favorite of mine any time of year! So when I flip my calendar and see October, I have plenty of reasons to cheer.

What's that? I said FIVE reasons I love October? Well, number five is my newest release from Silhouette Romantic Suspense! Here's a bit about it...

RANCHER'S REDEMPTION- October 2008-Coltons Family First Continuity Book 2- by Beth Cornelison

When Clay Colton reports a crime on his ranch property, his ex-wife Tamara is on the CSI team that arrives from out of town to sweep the scene. The intervening years have changed his ex-wife but not his feelings for her. As evidence of a grisly murder on his property mounts and an accident injures Tamara, Clay insists she recuperate at his ranch where he can protect her. But how can he protect his heart when rekindled memories and an undeniable attraction draw Tamara back into his arms?

Last November (another great month!) I was thrilled to be asked to participate in the Coltons Family First Continuity in the Silhouette Romantic Suspense line. I jumped at the opportunity, even though it meant writing under a deadline through the holidays (see above for how I feel about the holidays!). I was honored to be a part of a project with stars like Marie Ferrarella, Carla Cassidy and Justine Davis. Writing the reunion story for rancher Clay Colton and Tamara, his ex-wife, was a blast. Who doesn't like a good reunion story? I fell in love with the whole Colton clan and hope you will too!

So this October I have an extra reason to welcome the Fall, cool weather , football and the pre-holiday anticipation... Sharing Rancher's Redemption with my readers! Happy reading and happy October!

Joy Nash | October Favorites

Apples - I just can't get into eating apples in the summer. Once fall comes, it's like I'm discovering apples all over again. I like the tart kind. Braeburn and the new Honeycrisps.

Hot, homemade soup - Something else I don't make or eat in the summer. It's a great easy meal for autumn. (Today's soup is split pea.)

Fall foliage - I lived in Florida for a while as a teenager, and I really missed seeing the leaves change. Now I'm lucky to live in an area with lots of trees and lots of fall color.

Crunchy Leaves - All that fall foliage leads to crunchy leaves! I love stomping through them.

First frost - So pretty. Time to get out the big, comfy sweaters!

My wedding anniversary - Twenty-three years this October. I can hardly believe it.

Pumpkins - Sometimes I grow my own. Not this year, though, so I'll be picking up some big ones soon.

Jack-o-lanterns - Some pumpkins eventually become Jack-o-lanterns! I was a little disturbed when the supermarket started selling pumpkins with pre-painted jack-o-lantern faces a few years ago. I'm a purist. Gotta carve my own, usually on the day before Halloween.

Costumes - I love to see what the neighborhood kids come up with!

Halloween - This is getting to be a lot of people’s favorite holiday, and I can totally understand why – it’s so much fun! I get into decorating the front lawn with tombstones, plastic skeleton bones, jack-o-lanterns, etc, for the big night. I play a scary-sounds tape during trick or treat, which is a big event in my neighborhood.

I was so glad that Immortals: The Crossing is an October book! It’s perfect because the story takes place on Halloween. What better time for a "Crossing" into the realms of the dead?

Hope your October is healthy, happy, and fun!!

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Joy Nash
www.joynash.com/