Coffee and Conversation with the #RomanceGems

It's time for Coffee and Conversation with the Romance Gems! So, grab a cup of your favorite beverage and join us for some fun. This month's topic is: Be a tour guide to a place you love.

2020 is certainly one for the record books, and most folks I know are eager to get back to “some kind of normal.” For many, that includes travel. So, let’s do a bit of armchair traveling, shall we?

Be an expert tour guide to a place you love. Hint…This does not need to be the Pyramids of Giza unless you want it to be. It could be a favorite vacation spot, a museum, the town you grew up in, even your backyard garden. Let’s talk!

“California’s Hearst Castle, which I’ve visited four times, ranks up there with the world’s great sites. Two things make it stand apart: its spectacular setting five miles above the Pacific Ocean and its rich history of the early California film industry. When Hearst was living there with his actress lover in the 1930s, it was a gathering place for Hollywood’s elite. There’s a spectacular outdoor pool as well as a spectacular indoor pool with tiles made of real gold. Hearst owned fifty miles of the California coast. He spent $1 million a year on art and antiquities during the Depression” ~ Cheryl Bolen

“Indiana used to be a big, BIG railroad place. It’s not so much anymore, but it’s still a big railroad TRACKS place. However, many of those tracks have become walking and riding trails. One of them, the 37-mile Nickel Plate Trail, meanders through the fields about a mile and a half from my house. It’s where I walk, get out of the corners I’ve written myself into, pray, and find peace in a time when it’s hard to find. I am accompanied by squirrels, chipmunks, deer, and the occasional snake, to mention a few. While I’ve never learned to properly identify either birds or wildflowers, there are multitudes of them on the Trail to enjoy. Come and visit!” ~ Liz Flaherty

“Here in St. Augustine, in the northeast part of Florida, we have something called Nights of Lights. The entire historical downtown area is lit up with lights everywhere. Visit the Plaza de la Constitucion and see the gazebo and Christmas tree and all the trees covered in lights. Or walk down quaint St. George Street where the buildings are pulled right from the past. Visit the little shops and restaurants and sit outside watching boats cruise on the Matanzas River. Many of them are covered in lights as well. The beauty will definitely get you in the mood for Christmas!” ~ Kari Lemor

“My favorite vacation spot is Las Vegas. From the gambling (within reason) to the shows, to the glitz and glamor ... it's more fun than should be legal! My last trip netted a comped stay at the Wynn Casino with their amazing topiary AND a chance to see Elton John in concert!” ~ Nancy Fraser

“One of the places I love best is the American Saddlebred barn, Premier Stables, where I take riding lessons. I love the smell of cedar shavings and horses. I enjoy riding lessons and the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment. And at the end of the lesson, I love handing out peppermint treats.” ~ Jan Scarbrough

“Butchart Gardens’ sunken garden, built on the site of an old limestone quarry, is one of the most photographed gardens in the world, hosting one million visitors annually. Even then, I can always find a quiet corner to hide away, whether it’s a pond-side gazebo in the Japanese Garden, or a secret bench behind a bower of roses. “Sometimes parts of the family home are open for tours, set with original furnishings and photos. Fireworks and concerts in the summer, or a romance lover’s winter wonderland with the 12 days of Christmas creatively displayed on fifty-five acres, these gardens are always a crowd pleaser.” ~ Kathleen Lawless

Photo Credit, Carole Thornton 

“Snow swirls hypnotically across the windshield as we pick our way through Crawford Notch in northern New Hampshire. One more turn and we’ll see her. Stark white and magnificent, topped with a shiny red roof. Distinct against the bluish grey of the tallest mountain in the northeast. Our home away from home for a long winter’s weekend—the glorious Omni Mount Washington Hotel!

“This marvel of modern ingenuity for its time (construction completed in 1902) was built by Joseph Stickney, a gilded-age industrialist who made a fortune in coal and railroads. He spared no expense. Today the resort offers luxury accommodations, outstanding restaurants, a prohibition-era bar, colorful history, and epic mountain views. Plus, it’s haunted! That’s my kind of place!” ~ Kathryn Hills

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Okay, it's your turn to join the conversation! Add your comments below or send via email through the "contact us” link on the bottom of the left sidebar. You can also make suggestions on what you'd like to discuss here in the future.

Thanks for joining us! Wishing EVERYONE a happy, healthy, wonderful holiday season and New Year!

~ The Romance Gems ~

Merry Christmas from Cheryl Bolen

Since I blog on the 25^th each month, I figure not many are going to be reading my blog on Christmas Day. So I’ll make this brief. 

 It you’re going to be in the car for a long drive you might want to listen to one of my G-rated Christmas books on audio. (These links will be to Audible, though they're available on Amazon and iTunes, too.) I’ve got Christmas Brides, three novellas set in Regency England, all heartwarming. One of them, Christmas at Farley Manor, won Best Novella the year it came out. I’ve also got a fun friends to lovers story titled A Christmas in Bath in which a nerdy lady, with a little help from her friend, gets transformed in the eyes of the man she’s always loved.

And for everyone, I’ve got a very short, warm fuzzy, fully developed Christmas short story that’s a prequel to my second Brides of Bath book, With His Ring. You can read Glee’s Gift FREE here.

 Merry Christmas to all our wonderful blog visitors. See you next year.—Cheryl Bolen, who newest release is the marriage-of-convenience story A Proposal of Marriage 

Cheers for the Winter Solsice! - by Judith Hudson

We are snowed in - a good four inches of icy snow. Don't laugh, northerners! Even though I'm in Canada, here on Vancouver Island we get very little snow, usually for about a week a year, and we are not prepared for it. 

It was really coming down, big fluffy snowflakes of heavy wet snow when I started writing this post and, of course, the power went out. For nine hours. It came on right about bedtime and on these dark days of the year that means a lot of darkness.

So cheers for the winter solstice and coming out on the other side! My Scandinavian blood rejoices at the lengthening of days.

I usually have a solstice dinner party for family and friends. The Christmas decorations are up and we light a million candles in fancy containers and old cups. Anything can be pressed into service. No electric lights are allowed except for a few dim lights in the kitchen for safety sake. I love it, probably more than Christmas dinner, and was sad to miss it this year. 

So when the lights went out, Hubby and I had our candle light dinner after all. Sure it was leftovers reheated on the barbecue, but even so, it was great. And isn't this what this year is all about? Making new traditions?

In most of the Fortune Bay books there is a solstice party. Really just a chance for the women to get together with a bottle or two of wine and catch up. Starlight and Tinsel is no exception.

Star is a newcomer in town and after she moves into the cabin she's invited to the winter solstice party. Usually, just for fun, Frankie gives someone a tarot card reading. This year it's Star's turn.

Here's a short excerpt to give you a taste.

    Frankie reached into her handbag and pulled out an embroidered velvet bag. She undid the drawstring and pulled out an oversized deck of brightly decorated cards.
    A prickle went down Star’s back. She recognized those cards. Her mom was a great believer in Tarot card readings, but it seemed every time Poppy went for a reading, they moved shortly thereafter. And Star wasn’t sure she wanted to move. Harry’s face filled her mind, and warmth spread through her body. Not only didn’t she want to move, but at this point she wanted to stay in Fortune Bay forever.
    “I don’t know if I should have a reading,” she stammered.
    “It’s just for fun,” Louise said.
    Not always.
    “We do it every Solstice,” Maddie added.
    Looking around the room at the encouraging faces of the group of women she longed to be part of, Star wet her lips. “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”
    Star focused on the rhythmic movement of the cards as Frankie shuffled the deck and her anxiety slowly faded.
    “Winter Solstice is traditionally a time of new beginnings,” Frankie said. “The end of the darkness and the return of the light.”
    She put the deck face down on the table. “Fix a question clearly in your mind, then cut the cards.”
    Energy thrummed through Star’s body. Excitement? Anxiety? She wasn’t sure which. The burning question was, Should I stay, or should I go?  Reminding herself that since she didn’t believe in tarot readings, she had no reason to be nervous, she cut the cards.
    “The cards are just an observation,” Frankie said. “How you use the energy they reflect is up to you.”
    That alone would be a challenge since Star had rarely felt in control of her life, but now was the time. She had already decided that her new year’s resolution, starting now on the Solstice, would be to take charge of her life rather than be a pawn of the universe.  
    Frankie reassembled the deck and tapped it twice to straighten the cards, then turned over the top three, laying them face down in a row in front of Star. “I sense you have reservations, so let’s keep this simple. A three-card spread.”  Frankie tapped each card, beginning with the one on Star’s left. “Past, present and future. We’ll begin with the past.”
    Star turned over the left-hand card.
    “Hmmm,” Frankie said. “Queen of Cups. Reversed.” She studied the card then looked thoughtfully at Star. “Cups rule the emotions, and love. The queen can be a woman of dreams, a nurturer and a romantic. But reversed, she can take it too far. Maybe letting emotions rule her life or nurturing to the point of not letting go.” She tilted her head to one side. “I don’t really think it refers to you. The past card usually refers to someone who had a profound effect on you.”
    Poppy. Even from the grave, Star still felt her mother’s influence. The room was quiet. Everyone was watching. She nodded, mutely.
    Frankie smiled. “Okay, let’s move on.”
    Slowly and with a sense of foreboding, Star turned over the center card. It depicted a young man sitting under a tree with three cups before him. A small cloud drifted toward him. An arm stuck out of the cloud, holding another cup. This card was also upside down.
    “The present,” Frankie said. “The Four of Cups. Interesting. More cups. And this one is also reversed.”
    She smiled reassuringly at Star. “This card is about taking the time to nourish yourself, to understand what you need. It’s about accepting love, but reversed it has the added suggestion that a new direction is open to you. And, being cups, that could be new love.”
    “Finally,” Louise said with satisfaction. “Here we go. Anyone we know?”
    Star felt herself blush and was glad for the dim, candle-lit room. She glanced at Lily, who had mentioned the day before that Harry hadn’t been at the farm much and had wondered pointedly if Star knew where he’d been, even though she must have known they were spending time together. Star had dodged the question, but now could see Lily holding back a smile and hoped she wouldn’t spill the beans.
    “The future,” Frankie intoned, bringing everyone’s attention back to the cards. “The Ten of Cups. More cups. More joy, fulfillment and family.” She shook her head and smiled.  “I love readings with happy endings. I’d say it all means your cup is going to runneth over.”
    It was just a tarot reading, but it was crazy how closely it reiterated the things Star had been thinking herself lately. She shivered and looked around the candle-lit room at the faces of the women who were becoming friends, and hoped there was something to these readings after all.

If you want to read more, Starlight and Tinsel, 

a 120  page e-book novella, 

is on sale for 99¢ until the end of the month on Amazon.

Take care, stay safe, and treat yourself kindly. Have a happy holiday.