Oh How I Love This Time of Year
September 2023 newsletter from author Charlotte Rains Dixon
Stay up-to-date on book releases, giveaways, and more from Women’s Fiction and Romance author Charlotte Rains Dixon
Yes, I’ve had my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the year. Actually, I’ve had several. I’m pretty sure I got one the first week they came out. Halloween decorations are starting to crop up around here and the leaves are turning—we’ve finally had some cooler weather. I say, bring it all on. I adore autumn.
I’ve been writing hard, and I’m very happily halfway into my next novel. So happy, in fact, that I have neglected the next novel on my release schedule—The Matchmaker’s Temptation. (Beta readers, I know! I’m behind. I’m planning to devote my weekend to a quick look at it so I can get it off to you.) You can read more about that novel here. And I do have a worthy excuse. I’m taking a marketing class and learning so much. Also massively overwhelmed by how much there is to do! But I love learning and I can’t wait to put it all into play.
In other book news, this past week was my book birthday! (And also my son’s. He’s old now.) I’m running a giveaway on Instagram to win a free paper copy of The Bonne Chance Bakery. All you have to do is comment on the post to enter, and also subscribe or be a subscriber to this newsletter. My Insta is here.
Obsessions
Yes, I’m a houseplant lover. The above pic is of the plants next to my desk in the September sun. And this is, ahem, a very small portion of my collection. They cover almost every available surface in our very small living area. I acquired many of them during the pandemic, as so many others did, too, though I’ve been an indoor plant lover for many years.
As you can see, I like everything from cacti to orchids. I have a secret weapon that I use on them. It’s a fertilizer they call a plant elixir from Neilson’s Botanicals. They developed it for orchids, and yes, it will get your orchids to rebloom. But it also works on everything! I use it every time I water and it’s a miracle drug. Wish they had the same elixir for humans. Hahaha. Anyway, I am not affiliated with the company and I do not receive any recompense for recommending them. I’m just a fan.
You can buy the plant elixir here.
Books You Might Like
New feature—I want to start sharing books from friends and clients here. So many good things are being published!
My friend Darci released her book this week. Look at that cover! It features auto racing and a handsome Italian driver. Hello? Sign me up. I’ve already ordered it and can’t wait to dive in. You can buy it here.
Recipe: Roasted Tomato Sauce
I hope you still have tomatoes in the garden where you live! If you don’t you can probably nab some heirlooms from a good grocery store.
Look at these beauts:
Some came from my garden, and some came from the store. I also got another luscious bunch from my friend Marni when we went out to her homestead to press apples for cider.
I’ve gotten into roasting them this year to make a chunky sauce. I’ve added the sauce to recipes, and also taken an immersion blender to it and served it as soup. I can’t get enough of it. Here’s my very loose recipe:
Ingredients
—Tomatoes. The best-tasting you can harvest or find at the store. They don’t have to be perfect specimens because you’re going to chop them up.
—Onions or shallots or a mix
—Oregano or thyme or basil or a mix
—OIive oil. Because, of course!
—Salt and pepper
Cut up the tomatoes but keep them chunky. Throw them onto a sheet pan that you’ve sprayed with Pam. Chop up the onions or shallots. They don’t have to be perfect, say I, mostly because I’m an impatient chopper but also because it doesn’t matter. Douse them in olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and the herbs. I had oregano growing in the garden this year so I cut sprigs and threw them on top. All very festive looking.
Roast in the oven at 400 for 30 minutes or so. This is where I get even more loosey-goosey than usual. Let them go for as long as you want—I like them very roasty, almost too much so, but lately I’ve been setting fires when I cook so I’ve had to start being more careful.
If I were a domestic goddess type I would know how to make huge batches of this stuff and preserve it but I’m not. So I just stick it into the frig and use it in recipes or eat it as it is. You can also blend part or all of it for more of a soup experience.
Enjoy!
Writers, I also write a Substack on writing, which you can subscribe to here, and a Sunday weekly newsletter that has been described as a non-religious homily about creativity. Yeah, a bit confusing I know. But I’m aiming to unite the two in wedded bliss later this fall. (In truth, I should just freaking do it but I’m nervous about pushing that button.)
Meanwhile, I wrote my subscribers a story. If you haven’t downloaded your free story yet, you can do so here. It’s called Dreams Do Come True and it will take only a few minutes of your precious time to read. And if you have friends who would be interested in this newsletter, please do share it with them. If they subscribe, they’ll get a free story, too.
And remember you can buy all three of my novels online. Here’s my Amazon author page where you can find them all. The Bonne Chance Bakery, Emma Jean’s Bad Behavior and Let There Be Snow. I’d love it if you read and shared a review.
Thank you for reading and see you next month! Oh, also—please feel free to leave a comment or reply to this newsletter via email and tell me what you’ve been up to!