Exploring the Paranormal

I love popping into the "Happily Ever After Blog." It's topical, fun, and I enjoy branching out and meeting new people. Since I have a new release out with Desert Breeze Publishing in May 2010 which deals with paranormal themes, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the paranormal.

One romantic sub-genre that's really popular right now is the paranormal. You can have all kinds of fun with the paranormal. You can play in the darkness with vampires, have fun in the sun with werewolves, and travel back through time.

What I love about the paranormal is that it's very versatile. You can set your story in the past, present, or future. You can also go to exotic locales. My favorite is Eastern Europe, deep in the heart of old world paranormal myths.

My latest story is about a werewolf. Set in 1901, the first half of the story takes place in England, the second half in Budapest, Hungary. Count Matthias Duma harbors a dark secret, but when he meets the beautiful Katherine Archibald, he risks everything for her love.

Of course, Matthias's secret is that he's a werewolf. How do you tell the woman you love you're…that? *yikes!*

While more paranormal literature is beginning to explore shape shifters and werewolves, I picked werewolves because unlike the vampire, they aren't "undead" – they're alive and so deliciously human. And telling a good story is all about taping into the human condition.

Most myths about werewolves include longevity in life, they're poisoned by silver, and they turn into wolves during the full moon. But how long does a full moon last? Two? Three days? If a lunar cycle is 28 days then the wolf is a man for 26 days – and it's the psyche of the man that is the wolf which appeals to me as a writer.

How does the man deal with being a wolf? Does he hide away from the world? Does he have a friend or two who understands his condition, willing to help him? Does he bear his curse with a certain nobility? Dare the man who is a wolf fall in love? Is he entitled to happy every after? I'd like to think so.

In my novel, "The Hungarian," my hero, Matthias, struggles with all these issues. That's what made writing "The Hungarian" so much fun.

Here's a small excerpt:

She caught his lips with hers. He responded in kind, wrapping his rugged arms around her, holding her tight. They kissed for the longest time, their lips deepening the kisses between them until their tongues began to mingle against each other, yearning with the sensual heat of desire. Katherine felt a deep physical agitation pooling inside her. His full lips tasted sweet, like a sinful treat she could easily become addicted to.

Then, with an abruptness she hadn't expected, he put his hands on her shoulders and broke the kiss with a jerk. "Katherine, do you realize what you're doing?"

"Tell me."
He cupped her cheek, looking at her with a deep intensity that burrowed into her soul. "It's too soon," he whispered.

"Too soon for what?"
"Don't I scare you? The way I look?"
"No."
"My scar? My eyes?"
"Not in the least."

"It doesn't bother you I'm a widower? That the Ashtons are openly seeking to prove me a poor parent so they can take my daughter away from me?"

"No." None of what he'd mentioned bothered her. From what she had observed he was honorable, exuding more nobility than the Ashtons ever would.

Matthias tore himself away from her and left the gazebo. He took long, quick wolverine-like strides toward the roses.

"What are you doing?"

He plucked a rose from a bush without any hesitation and held it up to her. "I love roses, Katherine. They're very soothing to me when I'm alone late at night, trapped by the moon. I want you to have this one. I am not an ordinary courtier, Katherine. I would not woo you with British practicality, but in ways that are foreign to you―"

"What are you saying?"

"If you think you are strong enough, if you think you can endure the summer's challenges, if you think you could find a life with me, then send this rose back in a week's time and I will ask Lord Archibald his permission to court you."

"The Hungarian" will be available 1 May through Desert Breeze Publishing and on Amazon for Kindle.

Here's a link to the book's trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZwaF8hAdow.

I'll be offering autographed postcards with "The Hungarian's" cover on it. To win, post a comment and I'll draw two winners name out of a hat which I'll announce at the end of the day.

Beware. The wolf is coming.
Smiles & Fangs
Stephanie Burkhart

Release Day! Jewel of the Sun's BLOOD DESTINY

Yay! Finally! It's available. Comment for a chance to win a copy of Jewel of the Sun's BLOOD DESTINY in .pdf format.

Have you ever had a story peck at you until you it's given you a full blown kiss? This is the book for me. This story has gone from a call for one publisher of max word count of 15,000 to what it is now, over 50,000 words of agonized bliss. The story deserved it's due, the characters needed their whole story told and they pecked at me until I did it.

The story is about a young couple thrust into the midst of a triad of spiritual matchmakers. Neither want a new relationship, but are willing to do the one thing they're told will stop the curse thrust upon them -spend one together and part unattached.

All I can say, if you had a one-night-stand such as theirs, who would want it to end?


Adult excerpt:

“Let’s go to the bed,” he managed to say. She started to fall when she forgot to lower her leg before attempting to move forward. “In a hurry?” he asked, catching her. He meant to make light of it, but the huskiness of his voice gave a different meaning. The fire raged in him.

“I guess,” she said, righting herself.

She sounded equally as affected. He grabbed the camera, turned off the lights and left her to follow him. He didn’t dare touch her right now. He’d hurt her with the need threatening to erupt.
When he flipped on the lights around the bed, he saw her climb on the bed and sit with her legs under her. She ran her hands over the cool satin, her eyes on them. His chest heaved and he raised the camera to capture the innocence of a seductress. Cassandra raised her head and looked through the viewer at him. “What do you want?” she asked with a sultriness, causing shivers to shoot through him.

The camera slipped, but he caught it. He swallowed. “Give me what you’re comfortable with.”
Under normal circumstances, he knew beforehand what the client wanted, but this wasn’t a client. Shudders swept through him when she leaned back on her elbows, bringing her legs forward. The glimpse of the green thong she’d left on had his zipper pressing into hard flesh.

He wanted shots of her with her hand splayed over the scrap of green, the ring, the bracelet, maybe a finger slipped beneath the band as if she was thinking of removing them. Images raced through his mind. Heat broiled in his gut and more sweat beaded on his forehead.

She rubbed the soft sole of her foot against her ankle as she shook her hair back behind her. He reached for a softener lens and snapped it on the camera as she moaned.

“Do you feel it?’ she asked him.

“What do you feel?”

“I’m not sure. It’s like…It’s stronger than before.”

She ran her fingers through her hair as he forced himself to watch via the viewfinder. The air thickened around them, heavy, breathless air filled with monumental tension. He wanted to rip the sheet from her body and give a warrior cry as he joined with her body.

“I’ve awakened from these bizarre dreams…feeling like I’ve had hot…sweaty sex.” Her tongue ran over lips and she blew out while her breasts heaved. “Now, it’s like…intense foreplay.”

“The psyche factor,” he told her as he moved around the bed. She fell back on the pillow and the look on her face combined with her heaving breasts caused him to lower the camera. Color came into her cheeks and spread, her hips rose and her heel dug into the bed. He forced himself to continue taking shots, but the sounds of the camera no longer played a song for him. He’d never seen anyone come alive as she was. She groaned and balled the bedding in her hands. Her eyes closed and he forced down a moan and tried to tune out the raging fire within himself.

“So hot…wonderfully hot,” she whispered as her back arched, tipping her head back.

She reached for the knot lying in her cleavage and undid it, tossing the fabric aside. Perspiration rolled down his chest from the effort of trying to hold himself back. Her beautiful, perfect breasts lay before him, the tips hard and begging to be touched. He backed up and picked up the remote to the hidden cameras he used for couples who wanted full range shots with privacy. What was happening before him needed recorded, even if it was in stills. She was consumed with the same fiery passion he’d been dealing with.

“More, I need more,” she mumbled.

end of excerpt


5 Cups - Delane, Coffee Time Romance and More - "If reading were a physical thing
then I ran through this book. I was entranced from the very beginning with both of
the main characters. Bekki Lynn has an amazing talent for weaving the spell around
the reader and preventing them from leaving the story until it was done. It was
almost like the spell on the main characters included me the reader. The erotic love
in this book is off the charts hot. Bekki Lynn has just joined my list of TBR authors
and if you will excuse me I think I need to go find everything she has ever written.
Enjoy Jewel of The Sun’s Blood Destiny as it is a book no one should miss.


Later in the story - PG excerpt:

Cassandra moved up behind him and laid her hand on his shoulder. “Silent as a cat on prey, and hearing as astute as dog.” She knelt beside him and handed him the jewelry box. “This belonged to your Aunt Nikita.”

He looked at her as he took it. The light of the flames danced over her face, His heart fluttered with feelings threatening to melt his resolve.

Without a word, Elan took the necklace from the box. The likeness of the design still puzzled him. If this was his great aunt’s necklace, he had no memory of it. He didn’t recall anyone mentioning a missing necklace when she died, but then he was a young man.

“Explain. Tell me why you have the necklace of my aunt.” He looked at her and waited.

Cassandra swallowed, looking up at him with worried, crystal blue eyes. “She was my grandmother’s best friend. I have no shadow of her in my memory.” When she repositioned to face him, he turned and sat on the hearth to see her as she spoke. “The similarity in the designs rattled my grandfather’s memory and he found pictures of her wearing it.”

She reached out and fingered the necklace as the light of the fire glistened off her eyes. The seriousness he saw gave him a sense of what she had to tell him was a piece to the puzzle he needed. Her breasts rose and fell and the sheet she had wrapped around her slipped, revealing more of her tempting flesh. He forced himself to ignore the distraction. She turned her face toward the fire as she bit down on her bottom lip. With a gentle finger, he turned her face back to his and caressed her lips with his thumb, to stop her from drawing blood. She kissed the pad as her eyes watered.

“I don’t know what to make out of all this, Elan. I came here to give you the necklace, hoping…I don’t know. I thought if it had anything to do with this connection, these sexual…Hell, I don’t know what to call them. They’re real and not real and I can’t take the sleepless nights…the sex without it being…in this realm.” She blew out on a sigh. “I thought maybe if you have this, being a member of the family, returned full circle or something, it would all stop.”



end of excerpt


Want to read more? chapter one

Jewel of the Sun's BLOOD DESTINY is available at eXcessica, All Romance Ebooks, Fictionwise and Bookstrand; it's also available in paperback - Amazon


Thanks for sharing my release day with me.



Bekki

http://bekkilynn.net/

Inspired by Spring

I'm very excited to be here. This is a blog I enjoy following because it's very topical and always has interesting ideas that inspire.

Spring is in the air. California poppies are popping up all around the countryside here in Southern California. In my backyard, my lilac bush is sprouting leaves. Last year, it didn't bloom so I'm happy to report I see some flower buds. Just last week, my husband planted tomatoes, marigolds, and a lime plant with the boys. The winter doldrums are just an echo as an occasional day of bad weather haunts us.

Spring is fresh. It's new. It's vibrant. It inspires.

That's what I'm here to talk about – the inspiration of spring. With new and fresh life all around us, especially in our blooming plants and trees, new ideas generally tickle the muse and our muses generally tickle us.

Who hasn't had a fresh idea with the oncoming of spring – or a new idea for a romance, or a blast of fresh inspiration for the direction of a story?


It's intangible, yet right now, we're more susceptible to feel the passion of inspiration. Inspiration is all around us. Isn't a blossoming flower garden romantic? The warming weather?

Don't lose touch with your inner muse; your inspiration. If you feel your muse has taken a vacation, tap into the inspiration of spring. It's an invigorating feeling.

Just recently I had a chance to write about muses and inspiration for the Be Mused Anthology, released through Desert Breeze. In my story, "Matchmaking Amusements" Isolde, the muse, takes a vacation – but after her writer, Jane, finishes her novel. Isolde goes to Berchtesgaden, Germany in the heart of the Obersalzburg Mountains and meets a male muse, Tristan. Surrounded by warm weather, fresh cut grass, clear blue lakes, and the smells of warm apple tarts, Isolde and Tristan can't help but fall in love.

Spring into inspiration with your muse, and thanks for having me today.

"Be Mused," an a-muse-ing anthology is now available through Desert Breeze Publishing at: http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-73/Be-Mused--dsh--%3Ci%3EAn/Detail.bok

Here's a link to my book teaser for "Matchmaking Amusements:" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxZASQSddfM

Stephanie Burkhart

Audiobook of 'A Secret Treasure'

Audiolark have now released their audiobook of A Secret Treasure, so now my Greek island romantic mystery comes with the friendly, engaging voice of its reader, Melissa Malone. And all for $12.99....

A Secret Treasure and Holiday in Bologna can also now be bought together in one paperback under the title Summer Duet.

Lindsay
http://www.lindsaytownsend.net

2nd Annual U.S. Military Wives Contest

It's great to be back here at HEA! Thanks for having me back again gals!

Last year, as a special thank you to our service members and their families, I held a very special contest for Military Wives. It turned out to be an incredibly rewarding experience. I had the privilege of meeting several incredible women and their beautiful families. It's so easy to forget that there are real people who are deeply affected by the conflict overseas. Hearing the personal stories of these families helped me remember that our troops are husbands, fathers, brothers and sons who are immensely loved and sorely missed.

I have decided to make this an annual contest. I am very excited to report that ASMBA-STAR, an outstanding organization for Vets and their families, has agreed to continue their partnership with me.

This contest will run from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Once again, a portion of my annual book sales will be donated to ASMBA-STAR.

Who is eligible? This year I've opened the contest up to ALL U.S. Military Families. Moms, Dads, Sons, Daughters, Wives, Husbands, Sisters, Brothers. If you have a family member that is serving our country...tell us about them!

How do you enter? Send an email to sarataneyhumphreys@hotmail.com with a picture of you and your family member in uniform. Tell us a bit about what branch he/she serves in, where you've been stationed, challenges and so forth.
Please put "2nd Annual Military Families Contest" in the subject line.

Once a week, beginning Memorial Day weekend, I will pick one entrant to be highlighted on my blog. These weekly entrants are semi-finalists. Labor Day weekend I will select three winners.

Second Prize: A $25 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

First Prize: A $50 Amazon Gift Card, a signed copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

Grand Prize: A book signing event at their local Bookstore and the winner will be the special guest of honor. 5 Free Signed copies of "The Amoveo Legacy. (1 for them and 4 of their friends) A $100 Amazon Gift card and a Team Amoveo T-Shirt.

I hope you'll help me spread the word about this contest. I look forward to meeting more incredible families! You can support our veterans and their families by purchasing a copy of "The Amoveo Legacy" or donate directly to ASMBA-STAR .

Romance Heroes in General

Sometimes I see men on tv shows and think, wow -- now that's a man romance stories talk about - even though they may not be six feet tall, or work out to keep a stellar body hard and sleek like. Which brings me to the questions -

Why in romance stories do we require the perfect male body? Do women really fantasize about men like that? This one doesn't. There are too many other important factors. An over worked-out body doesn't make a man a great person, or a great lover.

Don't most women think Harrison Ford is sexy? I know I do. What about Martin Sheen? Thomas Gibson? OMG! This is a man I thought was perfect in Dharma & Greg and more so now in Criminal Minds. He's dark and brooding and if you happen to catch a rare espisode where he almost gives a full-blown smile, you want to freeze-frame the moment -- it's heart melting. What about Mel Gibson? He was all the craze back when -- I think he's more handsome today than he was then. Same for Tom Cruise and Pierce Bronsnan.

It's not just about what the body looks like, though I do like a man with chest hair. If that was the case, none of us would ever get married. My husband was slim and toned thirty-three years ago, but not what we write about. Goodness, if I had wanted what we wrote about, I still wouldn't be married - the men I know with bods like that are self-absorbed.

Recently, I came across photos of my husband taken at the end of his military career -- wow - he was hot, but still not the buff man with a six pack. I look at him now with his overweight body and beard, and think - wow -- he's hotter than ever. It's not his body, it's the whole package.

I've always been hooked on expressive eyes, smiles, attitude, how a guy smells, and even how they walk. And don't faint, but I think men look sexier clothed than unclothed.

So, how does one go about changing the world of writing to include the normal male with all the other romantic attributes? Will be they be accepted?

These are questions I've been asking myself since high school -- all my earlier works are written with men I find sexy - characters that make sense to me. I'm not changing them. They will be put before the reader.

What about you - are your ready to read about characters whose core is more important than looks? Whose character jumps off the page and outshines his less than perfect attributes?

So you say you read to escape reality -- don't you think normal women fantasize about a man who's normal, but willing to give that extra hump they're not getting from their current man? Most women I know don't fantasize about the hunky dork in the corner of the weight room constantly checking his biceps and wish they were the muscle he was squeezing - most women I know are turned off by that. They just want a man to give them more than they are getting and if that man turns out to be the nerd who comes into the coffee shop -- why shouldn't we cater to their needs as writers. We cater to every other woman's need.

Besides, looks and all is in the eye of the beholder - who are we to judge?

Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net/

Cowboys Don’t Do Romance Photos

Oh, those sexier-than-all-get-out cowboys are out there and starring in many of our romance novels, these days. Our very own Celia Yeary has authored TEXAS BLUE, SHOWDOWN AT SOUTH FORK and ALL MY HOPES AND DREAMS. My author friend, Gem Sivad, pens western erotic romances that are realistic and gritty, but where love triumphs over all.

Western romance has exploded onto the scene. Like a huge cyclone racing and churning over the prairie, there’s no stopping these hero-driven stories. Yep, a lot of readers want them. And, I’m in their camp. I was raised on all the great TV westerns and cut my teeth on Gene Autry and his famous horse, Champion.

However, I have a question: Where Are the Romance Novel Cowboys? Their photos, I mean. I addressed this question on my personal bloggie, Kougar Kisses, and I thought I’d share and expand on my experience here. Plus, I got a little crazy over it all, as I am wont to do, so beware, strange flights of x-fantasy ahead.

I spent most of Wednesday searching out those *not to be found* cowboy photos, only to end up spinning my eyeballs and draining my brain. As an author, I find I am in desperate need. Yes, this little lady is desperate for cowboys to star on the cover of her next release.

However, as I discovered, evidently, cowboys don’t do romance photos. At least, if they do, they don’t make them available on the royalty free sites. I found out this sad truth after my cover artist, Amanda Kelsey, told me there were no Stetson-wearing men awaiting their chance to be featured on my cover. Dang! Dang it all.

So, of course, I went spanning the Google globe and the Bing globe... nope, not really much of anything usable. Great pics, but zero, zip, zippo...nada. So, my next two moves...

First, I contacted Gem Sivad because she has a photo stable of the most studly cowboys. She hires them on whenever they meet her rigorous romance-author standards. Gem took pity on my plight and sent a selection of Jimmy Thomas photos from his biz sight ~ RomanceNovelCovers.com. Oh, yes! Do take my breath away like a Spring whirlwind...and were my fingers ever itching to write stories around some of those photos. Woooweee!

Okay, Jimmy is not wearing a Stetson in any of the pics, as I envisioned my cowboys would be, and I finally decided a change of plans for the cover was in order. The pics I chose as possibilities... well, we’ll see. That’s in the ‘goddess of cover art’ works.

My other move was to email the Cowboy’s Sweetheart artist, Deb Trotter ~ http://debtrotter.com ~ Deb is a wonderful inspiration as an individual and as an artist. Check out her webbie place. Anyway, I thought she might know something the rest of us don’t. But, no. She’s lookin’ for those elusive gone-wild cowboy photos, herself.

So, where are you Stetson-wearing, rough-tough cowboys hiding? And, why hideout from us desperately seeking romance novelists? We, who adore you, sigh over you? And only want your images to sexily grace our covers.

There’s a market there, boys... if yer of a mind to sell photos of yourselves through the royalty free pictures sites. Give it some thought while yer out there ridin’ the range, eatin’ dust and listening to the bawling cattle.

What about all you ultra tough rodeo cowboys? How about giving us authors a break before you break something flyin’ off that longhorn bull? Before Tornado, the worstest and bestest bronco in the wild, wild west tosses you into the dust, an instant after your triumphant ride.

Or, if you’re holed up in the hole-in-the-wall...why not invite us to join you for a secret photo session? Yep, we’ll bring the whiskey and good times, and not the law. And? Maybe there’ll be a little hanky panky pantin’. Oh, and we promise...shhhh...we won’t reveal your location...wink, wink... unless, you want us tell our best girlfriends and other gal pal authors.

Good gosh, wouldn’t that be a fun erotic romance novel to pen... stalking the wild cowboy... infra-red trail cameras, lookin’ for boot tracks or horse hoof prints in the soft ground... maybe a stray hair or two caught in the brush... a lost sweat-stained Stetson... a frayed lariat. Bait, okay, let’s see... freshly brewing coffee wafting on the early morning winds... yep, sorta like the way some are searching for Big Foot... okay, maybe not. Still, our elusive cowboy could have big feet...if yer gettin’ my drift here... and this Big Cat cowboy-lover is definitely drifting toward the extra naughty in her always-wicked imaginings...meow-wowsa!

Wait! That’s my next title, my next inspiration ~ Stalking the Wild Cowboy. It’s mine all mine!!!!! Rawrrrrrr... scratch and claw... unless, someone has already laid claim and used it.... hmmmm....but, what an adventure. Famous woman photographer takes to the western wildlands of America to hunt down a reclusive cowboy for her next coffee table book. He’s rarely been sighted and he’s rumored to be almost every cowgirl’s perfect dream lover. Women lost in the back country have claimed an ecstatic unforgettable night of pleasure in his arms, only to be returned home with no idea who their rescuer is, or where they can find him again.

BTW, can you copyright a premise?
~~~

Happy Spring Reading!

Savanna

Savanna Kougar ~ Run on the Wild Side of Romance ~

Spring is Sprung

Spring is sprung,
The grass is riz,
I wonder where
the flowers is.

Ok, this piece of doggerel is a bit lame--well, more like a lot lame--and no, I didn't write it. The honor belongs to that famous and prolific author, Anonymous. Or maybe Anonymous didn't want his/her name attached these deathless words, if "riz" is even a word.

I read it a long time ago, and the verse stuck in my mind. I remember it every spring, and whenever I think of it, I chuckle. I hope you have a good laugh, too. Happy Spring.

Thank you all,
Linda

Spring, Spring, Spring - It's Confirmed

Oh, gosh! Spring is here.

You know how I know. It's more than the warmer temps, the green grass and blooming flowers.

It's opening day of the 2010 Baseball season. Finally!

I gear most of my doings from opening day to the end of season around Chicago Cubs games. I'm excited. From 3-6 today, I'll be planted on the couch with my peanuts, pepsi and have a hot dog or two for dinner as I watch.

Every year, I watch Ryan Theriot at short stop and at bat and think, wow, he is so much like Ryne Sandberg, my all time fav Cubs second basemen. His stats aren't there yet, but his stance and movements are familiar as I watched Sandberg from spring training until he retired - and yes post retirement as he managed the Cubs A team here.

During arbitration, many of us feared we'd lose Theriot, and that would have been a loss detrimental to the team. Finally, when it came down to the wire, they settled on a pay amount and we have him locked in.

What does this have to do with romance, you're probably wondering? Despite the fact there is romance in almost all baseball movies, I've had a love affair with baseball all my life. Every year we end with a winning season or a division title, it's very much a Happy For Now. I love my Cubbies - period.

And Wrigley Field -- the best Stadium experience ever. I often tell my husband that I'd love to go and just sit in the empty stands. I know I'd be visited by the greats and not so greats and listen to their tales and see their experiences. It'd be fantastic.







Bekki
http://bekkilynn.net

Easter, How Do You Celebrate?

Happy Easter!

We all have our reasons for celebrating or not celebrating Easter. Today, Happily Ever After Authors are sharing how they celebrate the day and why.

Bekki Lynn: As a child, I used to go to sunrise service, then home to hunt for easter eggs and check out the goodies in the Easter basket. Today, and for many years, the heart of my Easter celebration is my family. Like Christmas, there is a giddy, childlike excitement about putting together the baskets for candy and special gifts I search out for each and every person. The joy of the kids is every bit as jubilant as it is on Christmas morning. I hide eggs in our front and back yard, some easy to find, others not so easy to find. It turns into a mental challenge as we throw out clues that make them think; like puzzles. There is a lot of laughter, a lot of fun jibing. Once our home fun is finished, we hook up with the rest of the family for either brunch or dinner, whatever grandma decides she wants to do. For us, Easter gives us another day where we know we'll all be together; unless family from out of state is visiting, it's our first chance since Christmas with everyone having busy lives. It's all about family and the love of being together.


Happy Easter!

Bekki
_______________

Savanna Kougar ~ As a kid, growing up, I had some of the best Easter days ever, thanks to my parents. It was about family, everyone being together and eating that specially prepared dinner. Oh, the smiles and the smells. For several years my very talented mother would make a bunny cake, a rabbit face decorated with food-colored coconut frosting and jelly beans. Yum!
Early in the day, me and my siblings would paw through our Easter baskets gobbling the goodies or trading them... one of the advantages of a large family. Before Easter, there was always the egg dyeing, one of my favorite things to do. Nothing like a beautifully colored egg. I would feel entranced once we'd finished, and just sit and look at them.
These days, it's the joys of nature, right outside my door on Easter, that make me feel the most spiritual, the most connected to everyone and everything on Mother Earth.

Have a Joyous Easter~

________________

Lindsay Townsend ~ These days I celebrate Easter as the start of the New Year proper, with the growing plants and newly-born animals and birds. Every day the light grows stronger and the flowers begin to bloom and the birds sing and begin their courtship. To me it's a time of hope and renewal.

As a child I was less focused on nature or church and more, I'm afraid, on the chocolate eggs I might receive! I especially loved the extra-special eggs my parents bought us from the local chocolate shop, Thorntons. Their chocolate was always very silky smooth and luxurious and our eggs were always signed with our own names - in pink or white icing sugar. I still have fond memories of those eggs now...

Lindsay