Florida Fall Flowers

Roses at the Gulf Breeze Zoo.

Florida is truly the land of flowers and Fall is no exception. An assortment of pinks, reds, lavenders and blues are found just about everywhere.

Flowers I can't begin to name.

I happen to love flowers. So when I went to the Gulf Breeze Zoo the weekend before last I took bunches of photos of the flowers I found there.








Crepe Myrtle at the Gulf Breeze Zoo.

Some of the flowers I recognized: Roses, Crepe Myrtle and Oleander. Many others I couldn't even begin to name. (If you happen to know the names of some of these flowers, please feel free to comment below.)

No, I can't name these either.

My grandkids wanted to know why I was taking photos of flowers instead of just the animals and, of course, them. Yes, my grandkids always want photos taken of them wherever they go.

Lavender-Blue flowers a bit out of focus.

Well, my last post included some of the photos I took of the Rhinos, Zebras, Gorillas and other zoo animals. So it seemed only fair that today's post is all about those gorgeous flowers at the zoo.

More flowers I can't name.

If you want to visit the Gulf Breeze Zoo to see those flowers and zoo animals up close and personal, well, here's the link below so you'll know how to get there.

Gulf Breeze Zoo in NW Florida

I haven't a clue on this one.

Since I have a one year zoo pass I'll be visiting the zoo quite often, which means lots more photos of flowers and zoo animals.


Oleanders at the Gulf Breeze Zoo.

I hope you'll stop by from time to time to check out my posts and photos. I even post about writing every now and then. Gee, imagine that.

Magnolia seedpods are more colorful than the blooms.

I promise that my next post will be about books. After all, I love books even more than flowers, which is saying a lot.

The Tranquil Days of Spring

My patio is the perfect place to sit and read.

This is the time of year I love the most, these tranquil days of spring, when the temp hovers in the 70s and only occasionally tops out the low 80s. My yard is an assortment of greens, from the palest celery shade to a deep forest green and everything in between.

These days I spend most of my time sitting on the patio, my feet up, listening to the songbirds singing their varied songs and reading or oftentimes just daydreaming.

The latticed patio is covered by a huge canopy of wisteria and the leaves shimmer in the gentle breeze.

It's hard to believe that hurricane season here on the Florida Gulf Coast is a mere two and a half weeks away.

Potted miniature Roses on the patio table.

As I'm writing this I hear the cooing of doves and the caw of a crow. Directly overhead another bird is chirping while a bright red Cardinal is perched on the wooden fence. The scent of Jasmine and Lilies sweeten the air around me.

I can't find the energy to do much of anything today. My dog, Dude, and I spent an hour at the dog park this morning where he ran around with an assortment of dogs, big and small. I read for a while when we got back home. Today I'm reading Luanne Rice's Secrets of Paris. It seemed like a perfect read for a day like today.

My Lilies that only just started blooming.

I should be writing today, working on one of my works in progress, but I'd rather just sit here and watch the squirrels play and the birds fly from tree to tree. It's one of those days when daydreaming is high on my list of things to do.

I swear that tomorrow I'll get back to my writing. If I could just get those voices in my head to stop daydreaming and get back to work. Honest, I need the cooperation of those voices to help me write and they're enjoying these tranquil spring days too.

Mandevilla on my patio.

I hope you all have a chance to just sit back and enjoy some beautiful spring days. The hot days of summer are just around the corner. In the meantime, stop and smell the Roses, Jasmine, Lilies and any other flowers now in bloom.

May Day Flowers

A floral assortment in one of my many flowerpots.

For me, May Day has always meant flowers. As a kid, I used to pick flowers from my neighbors' yards all the way home from school. Then I'd give the bright colored bouquet to my mom. She never said, "You shouldn't pick the neighbors' flowers." And the neighbors never stopped me from doing just that. I guess because I only did it once a year that little harm was done?

I have lots of pretty potted flowers.

Well, this morning, in honor of May Day, I took a bunch of photos of the flowers blooming in our yard. So here are some of those photos.

I have flowerpots everywhere filled with an assortment of flowers, but I've long since forgotten the names of many of those flowers.









Dude wanting to be included in my photos.

My dog, Dude, wanted to get in the pictures and so he plopped down in the middle of a flower bed. No, he doesn't have a missing paw. He just likes to tuck one paw under him when he's laying down. My other dog, Shani, followed us around the yard, but she didn't want to be in any of the photos.

The blue flowers are on a huge bush full of blooms.

It rained all last night. Torrential rains and lots of wind. The yard is covered with leaves fallen from all the oak trees: Naval Live Oaks, Pin Oaks, White Oaks, and others I can't even name.

Oak trees here lose their leaves in the spring instead of the fall. So it's Leaves-R-Us in our yard at this time of year.






Mandevilla growing next to the backyard patio.

There were still raindrops on some of the flower petals and occasional drops/plops of rain falling from the trees overhead. Guess I don't need to point out that I love flowers, trees and anything green and growing.

I love the heady smell of Jasmine.

My grandson told some of his school friends, "My Nana lives in the woods." Considering all the trees in our yard, it kind of looks like the woods. Plus, our yard has bunches of flowers scattered here, there and everywhere.

Florida is, after all, the land of flowers. Just take a drive through any Florida neighborhood and you'll see a rainbow assortment of flowers.

As a kid, Lantana was one of my favorites.

Before I forget, we have lots of wildflowers blooming in our yard. Some are a pretty lavender/blue that look like some kind of Iris. There are some white ones that look like miniature daisies. The yellow ones are so small I didn't even try to take photos of those.





Some of the wildflowers in our yard.

I hope you stop by now and then to see my latest posts and photos. I'll be doing several Texas posts over the next week or two due to our mini-vacation to East Texas last month. I took so many cool photos on our trip that I have to share them with you.

If you love wildflowers, be sure to check out my previous post, "Wild About Texas Wildflowers," which includes lots of photos of gorgeous Texas wildflowers.

Daisy-like wildflowers in our yard.

I hope you love flowers as much as I do.

A Happy May Day to y'all.


After-Easter Lilies and more April Showers

After-Easter Lilies in my backyard this morning.

This week my backyard Easter Lilies started blooming. Obviously they didn't make it in time for Easter. My front yard Easter Lilies are still a week or two away from blooming. Hmm! Apparently there's something different about my front and backyards. My After-Easter Lilies looked so pretty in the rain this morning.

Rain? Yesiree! The latest round of April Showers began in the wee hours with an accompaniment of lightning and thunder. My dog, Dude, who is usually a bit stressed over lightning and thunder, slept through the whole wild night. I suppose Dude was worn out from yesterday afternoon's romp at the dog park.

April Showers on our patio.

This morning it's still raining, drizzling. According to the TV, another line of thunder showers is heading our way.

This morning, while the rain was at the drizzle stage, my dog Shani and I went outside to take photos. Wildflowers are blooming all over our backyard. Beautiful purples, lavender, yellow and white. The Wisteria growing on our patio trellis is blooming too. The Wisteria has delicate white blooms.

Here on the Florida Panhandle, close to the Gulf Coast, it's definitely a day of April Showers. The air smells so fresh and clean. Windows are open and I'm listening to the musical sound of rain. This is a perfect day to sip coffee and read.

Wisteria that bloomed in this morning's rain.

I'm always reading an assortment of books at any given time, depending on my mood at the moment. So here's a list of my current reads:

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory (from the library)
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley (on my Kindle)
The Abilene Trail a Ralph Compton Novel by Dusty Richards (paperback)
The Chisholm Trail by Wayne Gard (a history book from my bookshelves)

A perfect morning to sip coffee and read.

I'm researching Texas history for a western romance series I'll be writing, which is why I'm reading the last two books listed above. My husband and I are planning a Texas vacation soon so I can further my research. Hey, that's a good excuse for some much needed time off to sight-see.

I can't wait to walk along the Brazos River, which was a crossing point for the Chisholm Trail (also known as the Abilene Trail) and the Shawnee Trail. So please check back for upcoming Texas posts with lots of photos. I happen to love Longhorn cattle, so rest assured I'll have photos of Longhorns too.

Shani checking out this morning's April Showers.

As I'm writing this, Dude and my husband are off on a car ride in the rain. Shani, on the other hand, is curled up next to my recliner. She doesn't care for car rides.

Today I'll be enjoying the lovely April Showers and reading one book or another. Thanks again for stopping by.

April Showers Bring May Flowers?

This morning's April Showers in our backyard.

I woke up this morning to the drip-drop, plip-plop, split-splat of April Showers. Hours later the sky is darker and the rain is still coming down. Off in the distance is rolling thunder with the occasional bright flash of lightning and booming thunder almost overhead.

My dog, Dude, is curled up in one of his favorite "safe spots" next to the couch and my bookshelves. Dude, as a pup, eagerly jumped into a neighbor's pool, but now as a two year old "mature dog" he avoids water in most every form, including rain.




Dude waiting for the April Showers to end.

My other dog, Shani, is older and wiser and doesn't mind the rain all that much. She's already ventured outside and then came back inside to shake off all that rain. Ahh, the smell of wet dog.

Dude, on the other hand, will wait all day before he risks the onslaught of those chilly raindrops. He doesn't seem to mind the lightning or thunder today, but the rain, well, that's just not his thing.





Some of my potted flowers soaking up the rain.



My potted flowers are happily soaking up all that nourishing rain. The grass, under a blanket of fallen oak leaves, should be happy too. And then there are all those giant oak trees that need lots and lots of rain.

Now the tourists on the beach, those Spring Breakers who came here for all that Florida sunshine, well, they won't find any sun today. A few hardy souls will venture out in rain gear to walk along the beach, but the rest will sit in hotel rooms and condos watching their vacation time drip away.

Shani showing little concern for the April Showers.

I thought about going over the bridge to take a few photos of the rain-drenched beach, but then decided Dude has the right idea about staying warm and dry inside. This is a perfect day to curl up with a good book and listen to the rain.

Hmm! So what am I going to read today? I'll probably alternate between Bernard Cornwell's 1356 that I checked out from my local library and Susanna Kearsley's The Shadowy Horses which I'm reading on my Kindle Fire. I'm almost always reading more than one book.


If you want to see the books I've been reading lately, mostly historical fiction these past few months, check out my Goodreads page: Teri Heyer on Goodreads

I checked Amazon/Kindle this morning to see if there were any April Showers books and found the three listed below. All three are romances (in no particular order):

April Showers by Ann LeValley
April Showers (HQ, A Valley Ridge Wedding) by Holly Jacobs
April Showers (Twelve Months of Romance - April) by Margaret Lake *

*Just added to my Kindle

Well, the rain has been going on for hours and hours with no end in sight. I guess it's time to settle into my recliner and read for a while. Here in Florida, these April Showers are sure to bring a riot of May Flowers.

Outrageously Orange

Some of the orange flowers in my flowerpots.

Orange is one of those bold, in-your-face colors. There is very little orange inside my house, as I tend toward earth tones, but outside is another matter. I love flowers. So bright and bold, outrageously orange flowers are just my thing. My flowerpots are always filled with bright colored flowers. I love Gerbera Daisies, Marigolds, Sunflowers, wildflowers. I could go on and on.

Lucky for me that I live in Florida where flowers are everywhere. Some days my dog, Dude, and I drive through the neighborhood just to look at all the flowers. Well, I look at the flowers and Dude looks for dogs, cats and kids. I don't think Dude is all that interested in flowers, though as a pup he ate some of my flowers from time to time. Thankfully he's outgrown his flower-eating days.

Dude, my reddish-orange dog.

Lately I've been writing blog posts about colors. So if you have a fascination with colors you might want to check out those other posts: Seeing Red, Passionate About Purple, Think Pink, Yodeling for Yellow and Shades of White.

Some days I love to get out my oil paints or acrylics, a fresh canvas, my assortment of brushes and just start painting. Some days I paint landscapes or seascapes, while other days I prefer florals. I love painting flowers, as that's when I can use all those bold colors. Trust me in this, orange is a fun color to paint.

For those who follow my blog, I almost always include a list of books in my posts. So I couldn't resist adding a list of Orange Books, which is fiction and non-fiction that has something to do with the color orange (in no particular order):

Moonlight and Oranges by Elise Stephens*
Bright Orange for the Shroud (Travis McGee #6) by John D. MacDonald**
Cat in an Orange Twist (A Midnight Louie Mystery) by Carole Nelson Douglas
The Orange Blossom Express by Marlena Evangeline*
Oranges by John McPhee
Five Quarters of an Orange by Joanne Harris
Orange Crush (Serge Storms) by Tim Dorsey
The River Runs Orange (A Meg Harris Mystery) by R. J. Harlick
Song of the Orange Moons by Lori Ann Stephens*
The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin
Orange as Marmalade by Fran Stewart
The Orange Trees of Baghdad: In Search of My Lost Family by Leilah Nadir
The Burnt Orange Sunrise (A Berger & Mitry Mystery) by David Handler
Orange Blossom Trails: Walks in the Natural Areas of Florida by Phillip Manning

*TBR on my Kindle
**Read (I love the whole Travis McGee Series)

Please feel free to add some orange reads in the comments below. Thanks again for stopping by. I hope you have an outrageously orange day.

Shades of White

White Azaleas are blooming all over my neighborhood.

Lately I have been reading a lot of historical fiction, particularly during the time of the Wars of the Roses. From 1455 to 1485 the White Rose of York and the Red Rose of Lancaster were fighting to put their king on the throne of England.

Eventually, after much bloodshed, the two factions united under the Tudor King Henry VII and his White Queen, Elizabeth of York. The symbol of their rule, the Tudor Rose, was Red and White.

If you want a quick overview of that tumultuous era, check out Wars of the Roses - on Wikipedia


Reading about the Wars of the Roses gave me a new sense of color, with Red and White representing two sides of wars that seemed to go on forever. This inspired me to write today's post on Shades of White.

Flowers in assorted shades of white.

Colors have varying shades, even the color white. Here on the Florida Panhandle the flowers are in bloom. Each day brings a new display of color, but lately it's the white blooms that stand out: White Azaleas, Dogwood and other white flowers I couldn't even begin to name. So many lovely blooms in every shade of white.

In my search for historical fiction set during the Wars of the Roses, I discovered the awesome author, Philippa Gregory. Now many of you have probably been reading her wonderful books for years, but she's new to me. Believe me, I now fully intend to read every one of her books.



It just so happens that the first Philippa Gregory book I read was The White Queen. I followed that up with The Kingmaker's Daughter.  Both were awesome reads. Now I'm looking forward to reading The White Princess when it's released this July. These books are all part of Philippa Gregory's series, The Cousins' War, which is set during the Wars of the Roses.

Delicate pinkish-white flowers.

If you check out my Goodreads page you'll see the other wonderful historical fiction novels I've been reading lately. This includes historical fiction by Sharon Kay Penman, Bernard Cornwell, Morgan Llywelyn and Elizabeth Chadwick, to name just a few.

I love compiling lists of books to read, so here is my latest one of books in Shades of White (fiction and non-fiction that has something to do with the color white).



Reads in Shades of White (historical fiction, contemporary romances, paranormals and more). All of these are available in eBook format. In no particular order:

Lady in White by Denise Domning*
A White So Red by K. D. Jones
White Lion's Lady by Lara Adrian
The White Dragons by Charley Ray
White Heat by Jill Shalvis*
The White Lord of Wellesbourne by Kathryn Le Veque
White Horses by Alice Hoffman**
Snow White (Enchanted Fairytales) by Cindy C. Bennett
The White Swan (Enchanted Fairytales) by Cindy C. Bennett
White Apache's Woman (Santa Fe Trilogy) by Shirl Henke
White Eagle's Touch (Blackfoot Warriors) by Karen Kay
She Only Wore White by Dorthe Binkert
White Hot by Carla Neggars
White Owl by Veronica Blake
Black and White (Life and Love in the City) by Olivia Hugo
The White Garden (A Novel of Virginia Woolf) by Stephanie Barron
White as Snow by Maleah Layne
Spirits White as Lightning (Urban Elves) by Mercedes Lackey
The White Gryphon (Mage Wars) by Mercedes Lackey
White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Silver-White (The Great North Woods Pack #1) by Shawn Underhill
White as Snow (Truly Yours) by Janice Thompson
White Pearls (Truly Yours) by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
White Heart by Sherry Jones
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
White Lies (Arcane Society) by Jayne Ann Krentz
A Corner of White (The Colors of Madeleine #1) by Jaclyn Moriarty
White Lace and Promises (Carte Blanche) by Natasha Blackthorne
The White Flower (Love Endures) by Grace Livingston Hill
White Satin by Iris Johansen
White Hot (Men in Uniform) by Nina Bruhns
The White Dragon (Dragonriders of Pern) by Anne McCaffrey
The Whites of their Eyes (Bunker Hill) by Paul Lockhart
White Witch by Trish Milburn
The White by Deborah Larsen**
In the Land of the White Cloud by Sarah Lark
White as Snow (Mysterious Ways #1) by Donna Westover Gallup*
The White Horse King (Alfred the Great) by Benjamin Merkle
White Thunder (Ella Clah) by Aimee & David Thurlo
The White Cuckoo by Annie Ireson
White Hot by Sandra Brown
White Seed by Paul Clayton*
One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
The White Album (Essays) by Joan Didion
White Heat by Brenda Novak
Little White Lies by Erin Lawless
Somewhere Between Black and White by Shelly Hickman
The White Rose Murders (Tudor Mystery #1) by Paul Doherty
A White Rose by Bekah Ferguson
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins*



White Azaleas in my yard.

*TBR on my Kindle
**Read and Recommend

I had no idea there were so many reads in Shades of White.  If I missed some of your favorites, please feel free to list them in the comments below.

When you have the time, I hope you'll check out my other color posts: Seeing Red, Passionate About Purple, Think Pink, Lovely Lavender and Yodeling for Yellow. I'll be writing more color posts from time to time.

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by.

Lovely Lavender

Lavender Azaleas in my yard.

I live in Florida, so this time of year my yard is a floral rainbow of color. The most recent to bloom are lovely lavender azaleas with fuchsia colored centers. Each bloom has the exquisite look of an orchid. Of all the azaleas in my yard, I think these are my favorite.

I enjoy painting. A favorite subject of mine is florals. I love the challenge of mixing my oils to get just the right shades of color. Lavender appears in my florals, seascapes, sunsets and landscapes. Yes, I love painting in shades of lavender.

More of my Azaleas, in a lovely shade of lavender-pink.

These lavender azaleas bring to mind my growing-up years in Southern California. Now how is that? Well, I've noticed that every phase of my life is represented in one color or another. My childhood just happened to be highlighted in lavender. My bedroom, from the time I was a small child through my teen years, was all in lavender with a touch of turquoise here and there.

Lavender? You see, my mom decorated my room with a lavender shag carpet, a lavender bedspread on my twin bed, and a lavender swag lamp over my bed. I don't recall if my mom ever asked me if I wanted a lavender room. It's just the color she chose for me and so it became a part of my life for all my early years. All I can say, it's a good thing I happen to like the color lavender.

For those who follow my blog, I write color posts from time to time: "Seeing Red" (1/24/13 post), "Passionate About Purple" (2/16/13 post) and "Think Pink" (2/20/13 post). So if you happen to have a passion for colors, please stop by from time to time to see what colors I write about next.

I also happen to be passionate about books. So this is the perfect time to provide a list of Lavender Fiction. My favorite lavender book is The Long Lavender Look  (Travis McGee Series, #12) by John D. MacDonald. See my 11/1/12 post, "Florida is a State of Mind," for a list of all the Travis McGee books in order of publication. I've read through the whole Travis McGee series and am looking forward to reading them all again. I still think every one of these books would make a great movie. Anyway, it seems to me that lavender reads would be just as exquisite as my lovely lavender azaleas.

Lavender Fiction (in no particular order):

The Mystery at Azalea Plantation (Lavender Series) by Lavender Lace
On Lavender Lane (A Shelter Bay Novel) by JoAnn Ross*
Lavender Vows (Medieval Herb Garden Series) by Colleen Gleason**
Lavender Morning (Edilean) by Jude Deveraux
Loving Lily Lavender by DeAnna Kinney
A Sprig of Lavender by Susan Ralph
Lavender Lies (China Bayles Mystery) by Susan Wittig Albert
The Lavender Principal (Reid Devron Mystery) by Julie Baythorpe
Lavender Fields by Marie O'Byrne
Lavender Skies by Tony Ivers
Lady Lavender (Harlequin Historical) by Lynna Banning
Lavender Aurora - Destiny of Life by J. F. Ellington
The Lavender Maze (Walcott Manor) by Florrie Boleyn
Lavender Love by A. J. Estes
Lavender by Annemarieke Tazelaar
The Lavender Field by Jeanette Baker
Lavender Lady by Carola Dunn
Lavender Secrets by Sandra Barret
Lavender Road by Helen Carey

*I have this book in paperback, but haven't read it yet.
**I have this one on my Kindle Fire, but haven't read it yet.

Please feel free to add any of your favorite lavender books in the comments below.

Before I forget, I happen to love the fragrance of lavender. I remember lavender sachets from when I was a kid, in addition to baskets of dried lavender at the county fair. When I lived in Las Vegas, I grew lavender in my garden and loved the fragrance in the warm desert air. Come to think of it, lovely lavender has always been a part of my life.

Note - If you love azaleas, please see my 1/30/13 post, "In Florida it's all about the Flowers," for more of my azalea photos.

Think Pink

A neighbor's Pink Camellias.

Now I've never been all that crazy about the color pink until I had identical twin granddaughters who happen to love the color pink. After buying bunches of pink baby clothes, toddler clothes, little girl clothes, well, I've developed a kind of fondness for the color in all its varying hues.

I'm a redhead (now faded and almost blond???), so through the years I rarely wore pink anything. But these days I have pink t-shirts, sweatshirts, socks, undies (Oh,my!), alarm clock (a pink Hello Kitty alarm clock, a Christmas present from my granddaughters), silverware and even a set of pink cut-glass glassware.

In fact, as I write this post I'm sipping on a pink wine cooler (chardonnay and cranberry juice) in one of my pink glasses. So I've definitely started to "Think Pink."

I've always loved Pink Flamingos and even have a beach cover-up adorned with pink flamingos in sunglasses. Hey, I live in Florida and we love pink flamingos here. In fact, I've threatened more than once to decorate my front yard with plastic pink flamingos, but my BFF, Regina, says she'll stop being my BFF if I do that. On the other hand, my Dear Hubby, just shrugs and says to buy the pink flamingos if I really want them. So far, I'm just thinking about it.

I happen to love flowers and think that pink ones are absolutely gorgeous. So come spring I'll have an assortment of pink flowers in my yard and in flowerpots. At the moment, the azaleas in my yard are more red or fuchsia color rather than pink. But the pink ones should be blooming before too long. A neighbor around the corner has beautiful pink camellias (see photo above). Now I'm wanting to plant some pink camellia bushes in my yard too.

When I decided to write this post I put together a list of pink books. That's a list of fiction and non-fiction with pink in the title. Yes, I love to put together lists of books. Why? Because I happen to love books in every shape and color and in just about every genre.

My granddaughters, just turned four, highly recommend Victoria Kann's Pinkalicious Books. So if you're looking for some fun storybooks for little girls, then you might want to get these. I've enjoyed reading the books to my granddaughters, so I can recommend them too.

I started reading romance novels way-back-when on the day I discovered some of Barbara Cartland's charming romances in a used books store. I've loved her books ever since and read them from time to time. So I was totally delighted when Barbara Cartland's The Pink Collection was released. These are books that were previously unpublished. For fans of Barbara Cartland, this is a treasure trove of sweet romances. I read the first few published and absolutely loved them and definitely look forward to reading more.

One of my favorite "pink" reads is John D. MacDonald's Nightmare in Pink. This is the second book in the Travis McGee series. I love every one of the books in this series set in south Florida. These are definite keepers. Read just one and I know you'll be hooked. Check out my 11/1/12 blog post, "Florida is a State of Mind," for a list of the series in the order of publication. You may be able to find these books in your local library or in used book stores. Otherwise, these books are still in print and are also available as eBooks.

Now for my "pink" book lists. This first list is Young Adult Fiction (in no particular order):

My Life in Pink & Green by Lisa Greenwald
Only Girls Allowed (Pink Locker Society Novels, #1) by Debra Moffitt
Harsh Pink (Teen Series) by Melody Carlson

Pink Fiction (that's fiction with pink in the title and in no particular order):

The Pink Rose: Secrets, Love and Betrayal by Alicia Roberts
Pink Slips and Glass Slippers by J. P. Hansen
The Pink Lady (A Victorian House in Cape Cod) by Elaine Joyce
Pink Slippers (A Fun, Flirty Novel) by Gina Robinson
One Pink Line by Dina Silver
Pink Jinx (Jinx Series) by Sandra Hill
Shocking Pink by Erica Spindler
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Cat in a Hot Pink Pursuit (A Midnight Louie Mystery) by Carole Nelson Douglas
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation Series, #1) by Lauren Willig
Pink Balloons and Other Deadly Things (Mystery Series, #1) by Nancy Tesler
Death, Taxes and Hot Pink Leg Warmers by Diane Kelly
Pink (Shades of Style, #1) by Marilyn Griffith
Tickled Pink by Christina Jones
Pink Sky & Mourning (Ruth Chernock Series) by Kim Scott
The Pink Flamingo Murders (A Francesca Vierling Mystery) by Elaine Viets
Lawyer Geisha Pink (Rattlesnake Lawyer Series, #6) by Jonathan Miller
The Hot Pink Farmhouse (A Berger & Mitry Mystery, #2) by David Handler
Tickled Pink by Rita Rudner
Pink Freud by Patricia Barrett
The Cop with the Pink Pistol by Gray Basnight
The Pink Tricycle by Alan J. Oliver
Pink Satin by Jennifer Greene
The Pink Panther by Max Allan Collins

Pink Non-Fiction (books that looked interesting, in no particular order):

Pink Boots and a Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer by Mireya Mayor
In the Pink: How I Met the Perfect (Younger) Man, Survived Breast Cancer, and Found True Happiness After 40 by Susan McBride
Running Pink: Deborah De Williams' Inspiring Story by Megan Norris
When Life Hands You Pink Lemons by Nicole Briamonte-Malato

I have to say that the pink non-fiction books listed above all sound quite inspiring.

Thanks so much for visiting my blog. I hope you enjoyed this "Pink" post. If so, you might want to check out a couple of my previous posts: "Passionate About Purple" (posted 2/16/13) and "Seeing Red" (posted 1/24/13). I'm an artist, in addition to being a writer, so I'm in love with color. So please check back from time to time as I write posts of every color in the rainbow and then some. In the meantime, don't forget to "Think Pink."

Passionate About Purple

Purple Pansies in my flowerpots.

  

Purple happens to be one of my all-time favorite colors. Why? I haven't a clue, except that the color seems to call to me. So you see, I'm passionate about purple.

As an artist, which is something I do when I'm not writing, I love to paint, which means I love colors. So I love using purple in all its many shades in my landscapes, seascapes and florals.

One of my favorite childhood books is Hailstones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill. It's a book of poems about colors. I still have the book my mother gave me all those many years ago. It was a favorite which I shared with my daughter when she was young and which I now share with my grandkids.

Another kid's book that I've always loved is Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson.

One of my very favorite books is Zane Grey's Riders of the Purple Sage. Lassiter is a to-die-for-hero. And I swear I can smell the purple sage. I've read this book more times than I can count. It's simply awesome! Amazon offers a free Kindle version of Riders of the Purple Sage, but some of the original story was edited out when it was first published back in 1912. The Leisure Books Edition, if you can find a copy, is the restored version before those edits. I've read both. The Rainbow Trail  is the sequel, published in 1915. The Desert Crucible  is the Leisure Books Edition, also hard to find, which is the restored version.

If you want to know more check out:  Zane Grey and Riders of the Purple Sage (on Wikipedia)

Another one of my all-time favorite "purple books" is John D. MacDonald's A Purple Place for Dying. This is the third novel in the Travis McGee series. This is an awesome series of books, definite keepers. Unfortunately, the series is quite pricey in eBook or paperback editions, so you might want to check your library or used book stores first. In a previous post I listed all the Travis McGee novels in order (see post dated 11/1/12, "Florida is a State of Mind").

If you want to know more about this great series check out: Travis McGee (on Wikipedia)


Tiny purple and orange Violas in my flowerpots.

Now back to my passion about purple. I happen to love the color in all its varying shades. I particularly love purple flowers, so I currently have purple Pansies and purple and orange Violas in my flowerpots (see flower pics in this post).

I have a neighbor with a purple Dodge Charger, so obviously I'm not the only one who is passionate about purple. I haven't gone to that extreme with the color purple, but I do have a purple cover on my Kindle Fire and I have purple t-shirts, socks and even purple undies (Oh, my!). I'm also a big-time NFL football fan and have two favorite "purple teams": the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens. Hey, what can I say? I love the color purple.

Now for those who regularly read my blog posts, I usually add a list of books. This time it's a list of fiction that has purple in the title. Some of the books are well known and others not so well known. Although I haven't yet read any of the books listed below, they all sound like great reads. All of them are available as eBooks.

Purple Fiction (in no particular order):

The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Purple Roads by Fleur McDonald
The Purple Cloud (Classic) by M. P. Shiel
Purple by Graham J. Sharpe
Night of the Purple Moon (The Toucan Trilogy) by Scott Cramer
The Purple Shroud (A Novel of Empress Theodora) by Stella Duffy
Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick
Knight of the Purple Ribbon by Jennifer Wells
Purple Moon (Shadow Guardian Trilogy) by Judith P. Vaughan
Kiki Loweinstein and the Purple Passion (Short Story) by Joanna Campbell Slan
Talking Dogs, Aliens and Purple People Eaters (Ellora's Cave) by Shelley Munro
Purple Shroud (A Yorkshire Dales Mystery) by Susan Parry
The Meaning of Purple Tulips by Blaithin O'Reilly Murphy

Purple Non-Fiction (in no particular order):

I Shall Wear Purple by Linda Mather
If It's Purple, Someones Gonna Die: The Power of Color in Visual Storytelling by Patti Bellantoni

If you've enjoyed my "Passionate About Purple" post, you might want to check out my "Seeing Red" post (posted 1/24/13).

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by. Since I love colors, I'll be doing other color posts from time to time. A special passionate shout-out for the color purple. GO PURPLE!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

Happy Valentine's Day on Pensacola's Graffiti Bridge.

In the words of Tina Turner, "What's love got to do, got to do with it ..." I'm sure that's a question we all ask, over and over again. Romance, lust, like, longing, love, get all mixed up together. Why do we want it? Why do we need it? Well, heck if I know, but when Valentine's Day rolls around we all get reminded of it real fast.

Tina Turner - What's Love Got To Do With It (on YouTube with Lyrics)

Turn on the telly and we're bombarded with "Buy her this, buy her that ... perfumes, flowers, chocolates." Chocolates??? Now we're talking. I absolutely LOVE chocolate! So am I going to complain about Valentine's Day? No way! Will my "Dear Hubby" buy me chocolates? Maybe yes, maybe no. Is it wise for him to forget to buy me chocolates? Probably not. And what about flowers? Yep, I love flowers too, but particularly the live variety that I can plant in my flowers pots or garden.

It's all about hearts and love on the Graffiti Bridge.

Now I'm a realist. I've been married for ever so long. The shine has worn off all that romance. So I don't expect flowers, chocolates, diamonds or perfumes (by the way, I'm allergic to perfumes). But I do expect friendship, love and a bit of romance now and then. Hey girls, don't we all?

On the other hand, I'm a dreamer and I dream about love, romance, the whole nine yards. I love diamonds and yes, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend." I swear that's true. Do I have diamonds? "You betcha!" Do I want more? Girls, what do you think? "Heck, yeah!" Will I get some this Valentine's Day? Of course not! I'm a realist, remember? I'm practical. I want more important things, like BOOKS.

Yep, I said BOOKS. Ask me any time of day or night if there's something I want and I'll tell you, "I want books. Lots and lots of books." But here's where you ask, "Don't you already have lots and lots of books?" Well, of course, darling, but there's no such thing as too many books. I love romance novels, historical fiction, short story collections, poetry, history books and everything in between. I definitely love books!

I read romances and I write them too. So if you all get a chance, I hope you'll check out my books and add a little more romance and love into your life. My books are all about love, in one form or another. Oh, and there's some adventure, laughs, a little sorrow, and a good amount of romance in there too. So here they are: Outback Love, Jetting Away, Moon Over Madness, Bayou Blues and Other Sorrows. Won't you "give love a chance" and read my books?

Now, as I was saying, I read romances too. Lots of them. Here's an assortment you might want to try for Valentine's Day!

On my Kindles (Read or TBR):

Candy Valentine (A Sensual Short Story) by (my BFF) Ruth D. Kerce
Kiss Me (A Contemporary Romantic Comedy) by Jan Romes
The Trouble With Valentine's Day (Chinooks Hockey Team) by Rachel Gibson
Candy Store (A Contemporary Romance) by Bella Andre
Cupid's Cupcake (A Romantic Comedy) by Ivy Sinclair
Chocolate Kisses  (A Contemporary Romance) by Judith Arnold

Some other Valentine's Day Romances that caught my eye (all available as eBooks and in no particular order):

Be My Texas Valentine by Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday & Phyllis Miranda
Valentine Babies (Holiday Babies) by Mona Risk
A Romantic Comedy Duo by Talli Roland
Cupid on Deck by Nancy Serofano
Tripping on Love by Carrie Stone
A Valentine Surprise by Lisa Page
Valentine Collection (Anthology) by Jennifer Conner
It Happened on Valentine's Day (An Avon Romance Sampler) by Eloisa James, et al.
Valentines Say "I Love You" (Anthology) by Denise L. Wyant, et al.
My Vegas Valentine by R. A. Lee
A Cupid Kind of Day by L. A. Dale
Stirred with Love by Marcie Steele
The WG2E All-For-Indies Anthologies: Viva La Valentine by Talli Roland, et al.
Heart Bouquets (Romantic Short Stories) by Stephanie Craig, et al.
The Valentine's Day Ball by Julia Parks
Kiss Me (An Avon Valentine's Day Anthology) by Codi Gary, et al.
Love is in the Air (A Valentine's Day Collection) by Carolyn McCray
Valentine's Dream by Sandra Kitt, Carmen Green & Felicia Mason
Burning Hearts by K. L. Morisen
Duping Cupid by Gina Ardito
Un-Valentine's Day by Kristine Cayne
Cupid's Revenge (A Chloe Boston Mystery) by Melanie Jackson
Heart Stealers by Patricia McLinn, Judith Arnold, Julie Ortolon & Kathryn Shay
Valentines (A Trio of Regency Love Stories) by Barbara Metzger
Straight from the Heart by Janelle Taylor
One More Valentine by Anne Stuart

Valentine presents from my Dear Hubby. <smile>

I'm sure I've missed listing lots of cool/great/fun/romantic reads for Valentine's Day, so please feel free to list more in the comments below.

Once again, thanks so much for stopping by. Wishing you all a Happy Valentine's Day! And just for the record, LOVE has everything to do with it.

In Florida it's all about the Flowers

A first bloom on my tulip tree.

When Spanish explorer, Juan Ponce de Leon, discovered Florida in 1513 he gave it the name, La Florida, for a very good reason. Florida is all about the flowers, every shape, size and color you can imagine.

I first came to Florida thirty-one years ago this month and knew instantly that I had to stay. I got off the plane in Daytona Beach and fell in love with the balmy temp, sunny blue skies and fragrant flowers everywhere.

Azaleas in my yard.

Though I've moved away from Florida from time to time over the past years, I've always moved back. Although I have to admit the beaches are a big draw, I can't stay away from Florida's beautiful flowers. Even in the midst of winter, flowers bloom everywhere in Florida.

It's the end of January and my yard is abloom with azaleas of every shade, in addition to little white wildflowers that look like daisies. My tulip tree is just starting to bloom and my Easter Lilies will be gracing my yard in no time at all. Then I have an assortment of periwinkles, marigolds and other flowers I can't even name. And all this in the middle of winter.

More azaleas in my yard.

Florida is a huge state with a subtropical climate in the north and a tropical climate in the south. I live on the Panhandle which means azaleas, magnolias, jasmine, gardenias, camellias, wisteria, mimosa, more flowers and blooms than I can even begin to name.

Daisy-like wildflowers in my yard.

I have a passion for flowers, not cut floral bouquets, but flowers growing in my yard, in pots, around the neighborhood, in parks, well, everywhere.  I particularly like driving through the older neighborhoods which tend to be a panopoly of blooms in a riot of colors all year round.

Now this is where I confess that if a book has flowers on the cover, or if some flower is in the title, well, I stop and take a closer look at that book. Consequently, I read and enjoy a lot of books with flower titles. For this reason, I've put together a list of flower fiction just for you.


Fiction with Flowers (in no particular order):

The Flame and the Flower by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss*
Beach Roses by Jean Stone
Caramel and Magnolias by Tess Thompson
Blood Orchids (Lei Crime Series #1) by Toby Neal**
Torch Ginger (Lei Crime Series #2) by Toby Neal**
Black Jasmine (Lei Crime Series #3) by Toby Neal**
The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley**
Daisies in the Wind by Jill Gregory
The Blood Upon the Rose by Tim Vicary*
Flowers in the Blood by Gay Couter
Return of the Rose by Theresa Ragan**
The Women of Magnolia by Kate McCabe
Magnolia Park by Kate McCabe
Rawhide and Roses by Maddie James**
Flowers on Main (Chesapeake Shores) by Sherryl Woods
Where Azaleas Bloom (Sweet Magnolias) by Sherryl Woods
Beneath the Honeysuckle Vine by Marcia Lynn McClure**
Magnolia Moon (Callahan Brothers Trilogy) by JoAnn Ross*
Winter of the Passion Flower (The de Vargas Family #1, Steampunk) by Annie Seaton
He Kissed Me Between the Geraniums and the Daisies by Janice Silkworth
Magnolias, Moonlight and Murder (Elle Avery Mystery) by Sara Rosett
Prairie Rose (A Town Called Hope #1) by Catherine Palmer**
The Orchid Keeper's Son by Barbara Arnold
Please Don't Eat the Daisies by Jean Kerr*
Millie's Rose by Donna Sturgeon
Wild Orchids by Karen Robards*
Paper Roses (Texas Dreams #1) by Amanda Cabot*
Elly in Bloom by Colleen Oakes
The Pink Rose by Alicia Roberts
Flowers for Victoria by Sunni Jeffers
Sleeping with Anemone (A Flower Shop Mystery) by Kate Collins
The Flower Trilogy: Violet, Lily, Rose by Lauren Royal
Summer of Roses (Summer's Child) by LuAnne Rice*
Magnolia Creek by Jill Marie Landis
Coming Up Roses by Catherine Anderson
A Field of Poppies by Sharon Sala
Roses in Moonlight by Lynn Kurland*
A Garden in the Rain by Lynn Kurland*
Staying at Daisy's by Jill Mansell**
Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
Yellow Rose Bride by Lori Copeland
Orchids in Moonlight by Patricia Hagan**
Flowers from the Heart by Louise Armstrong
Summer Rose by Elizabeth Sinclair**
Blood on the Orchid (A Wolfgang Fenstemier Mystery) by R. Harris Harrison**
Murder at the Azalea Festival (Wilmington Series) by Ellen Elizabeth Hunter
The Iron Rose (Pirate Wolf Series) by Marsha Canham
Daisy's Back in Town by Rachel Gibson
The Scent of Jasmine (Edilean) by Jude Deveraux
Death in the Orchid Garden (Gardening Mysteries) by Ann Ripley
Magnolia Dreams (Richmond ) by Virginia Gaffney
The Thorn (Rose Trilogy #1) by Beverly Lewis
Black Rose (In the Garden Trilogy) by Nora Roberts
Princess Daisy by Judith Krantz
For the Roses by Julie Garwood
Orchid Blues (Holly Barker) by Stuart Woods
Flower Fables by Louisa May Alcott
Under the Lilacs by Louisa May Alcott
Daisy Miller by Henry James*

* Books I've read and Loved
**Books TBR on my Kindles

Other Flower Books (not to be missed):

Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway
The Power of Flower Colors by Rebecca Yaacov

As you can see from all the books listed above, I'm definitely drawn to books with flower titles. Hey, what can I say? I love flowers!