Thank you so much to the fillies of Petticoats and Pistols for having me back as a guest blogger, following the release of my latest Harlequin Heartwarming, A Family for the Cowboy Cop, set in Violet Ridge, Colorado.
Autumn might be my favorite season. I love the cooler weather and the blaze of red, orange and gold on maple and oak trees. There’s something for everyone in fall as communities often come together at festivals, some of which celebrate harvesting like apple or pumpkin festivals, some center around arts and crafts while still others provide for an opportunity to take time to appreciate the natural beauty of the season ranging from hot air balloon festivals to farm tours.
In A Family for the Cowboy Cop, Cassie O’Neal owns Thistle Brook Farm and is looking forward to her first year operating a corn maze, which are popular in many parts of the country, but especially so in the West. Colorado’s real-life longest running corn maze is located at Anderson Farms, a twenty-five acre attraction which offers three different adventures for families and groups visiting the maze. Other popular Western mazes include a thirteen-acre maze at the Lowe Family Farmstead in Idaho and a choice of two mazes at Cornbelly’s in Utah.
Both farm stands and farmers markets are experiencing a boom in Colorado with over one hundred such sites popping up all over the state, allowing residents and tourists to experience the different offerings from fresh Rocky Ford melons to Pueblo Green chiles to Palisade peaches. Farmers markets have expanded over the years, and I was astounded this year over the variety and energetic environment when I attended two farmers markets in different states. There was music, artisan wares, pet treats, and so much more like sourdough bread and fresh vegetables. At one of the farmers markets, my daughter and I purchased earrings while my son and I ordered delicious churros.
What I love about reading books set in the West, whether historical or contemporary, is the resilience and ingenuity of the heroines. I like to think Cassie follows in this tradition as she is thinking of ways to increase income at her family farm. In addition to her new corn maze, Cassie also runs a farm stand, selling fresh produce from her farm as well as her own special jam and hanging plants. This summer on my travels through seven states, my husband loved stopping at farm stands, and my family loved the juicy peaches and freshly picked corn that we purchased. There’s nothing like a peach fresh from the orchard.
In the midst of trying to get her corn maze operational and open to the public, selling her seasonal jams and fresh produce at her farm stand, and taking care of her two children and the animals living at Thistle Brook Farm, Cassie O’Neal finds herself opening her home to Denver detective Jase Virtue, who grew up in Violet Ridge and whose brother is the manager of the local Lazy River Dude Ranch. Jase wants to capture the escaped robber, who happens to be Cassie’s half-brother, and return home to Denver. The longer he stays at Thistle Brook Farm, the more he questions his theory that Cassie is the robber’s accomplice.
Have you visited a farm stand or farmers market lately? What was your favorite part of the experience? If you haven’t, I hope you’ll leave a comment about your favorite fall activity. One commenter will be chosen to receive an e-copy of A Family for the Cowboy Cop and a $10.00 Amazon gift card.
We try to visit ours when it’s open. We love going to the pumpkin patch, getting fresh apples, plus a pie in the fall.
Hi, Denise! Ooh, pumpkin patches and pies! Two wonderful things about fall! I hope you’re able to go to your favorite orchard or pumpkin patch this fall!
Sadly, I have not been recently. It’s been quite a while since i’ve been, but for me it was the maple butter. I think it’s the only place I could find it and it is really delicious. I haven’t had it in so long & can’t find it anywhere else. My favorite fall activity is looking at the pretty leaves.
Hi, Joannie! Gold, orange, and red leaves make for such a pretty landscape! Thanks for commenting! Have a great day.
Living in a rural setting all of my life, I am very familiar with Farmers’ Markets and produce stands. The experience is peaceful as you gaze at all the beautiful produce, homemade ice cream in the summer, jams and jellies, and sometimes other items like pies, baskets, homemade items, etc. I love going to the mountains and picking out apples in the fall.
Hi, Susan! What a wonderful observation! Farmers markets and produce stands do provide a seasonal lift with so much variety and things to look forward to! I hope you’re able to visit the mountains this fall! Have a great day!
There is a farm stand near our home. I stopped in earlier in the summer and bought a hanging basket.
Hi, Linda! Hanging baskets can be so pretty! The vivid colors of the flowers are very summery! Have a great day!
Farmer’s markets and stands are wonderful. Thank you for the giveaway opportunity
Hello! Thanks for stopping by! And I agree – I love farmers markets and stands, too, and think they’re wonderful! With my family of six, there’s always something for everyone!
I go to a local farmer’s market on about half of the Saturdays in the summer. They have arts and crafts as well as produce, and I sell my books there. It’s a lot of fun.
Hi, Janice! That’s wonderful to hear that you’re able to sell your books at a local market! And it’s always fun to browse arts and crafts. I visited one market with one daughter and bought a ring that reminds me of that day, and visited another market with my youngest daughter and we bought earrings (different styles) that now remind me of the time I spent with her. Have a great day!
Where I live in Ohio we have all the rural things you can think of. Farms galore, county fairs, fruit orchards, corn mazes, fresh apple cider and warm donuts. I can hardly wait for the fresh crop of apples!
Hi, Carrie! My husband’s family hailed from Ohio, and I loved visiting the state. Ooh, warm donuts and apple cider – delicious! I hope you have a wonderful fall. Thanks for stopping by!
Welcome Tanya! I love everything about fall! Especially the colors, smells, and weather! My grandson and I try to catch all the fall activities or festivals. It is my favorite time of year!
Best wishes to you and your new book! Sounds wonderful! Thanks for visiting us and sharing your autumn adventures!
Hi, Tracy! Thanks for sharing how fall is special to you and your grandson! I love fall festivals and I hope you and he have some exciting adventures this fall. Thanks for the kind words about my book. Have a great day!
I love going to the farm stands.But, it seems they are slowly disappearing. The fruits and vegetables always taste better!
Hi, Ann! It is sad that many of the stands are going away, but I do agree that fresh fruits and vegetables taste better! I hope you have a great day!
We don’t have farm stands or farmers market here in Finland, not the way you guys do. There are some farms from where you can buy various products they make directly from their own farm shop or make the order on the internet. Or you can buy local food from the nearest shop, store or supermarket or go buy them from downtown marketplace.
Hi, Minna! Thank you for sharing all of that wonderful info about Finland! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
I haven’t visited a farm stand this year. I love riding through the countryside and looking at the pretty fall leaves when they start turning.
Hi, Connie! I love going for a drive and seeing the fall leaves as well! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!
I love taking a road trip just to see the beautiful colors in our area of Indiana.
Hi, Barbara, I had a wonderful time passing through Indiana several times this summer. Indiana is a beautiful state! Thanks for stopping by! Have a great day!
I haven’t been to a farmers market in a while, but I have recently been to an apple house to get a bag of apples. They taste so much better than the grocery store apples!
Hi, Bridget! I love my local orchard as well, and their apples are delicious. Glad you have a local apple house near you! Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!
I haven’t been to a farmer’s market in a while but when I did go, I loved trying the samples they had and getting great deals on fresh fruits and veggies. My favorite fall activity is decorating the house for the fall season and finding new hearty recipes that we can eat for the fall/winter seasons like hearty soups and breads.
Hi, Laura! Samples are always fun to try as are new recipes. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great day!
Good morning. Welcome to P&P today. I have visited/participated in farm stands since I was 8. We had a big goose berry bush. Mom would make goose berry jam. That always sold off first. We had peach trees. Mom made jam, pies, or just plain fresh peaches. We had asparagus, that mom canned some and sold some fresh. There was seven of us, so she always canned, etc. enough for the family first. Now that I live in the suburbs, I love to go to farmers markets.
Hi, Lori! Thank you for the warm welcome! I’ve never had gooseberry jam, but now you’ve made me on the lookout for some! Have a wonderful weekend!
I have visited a corn maze. What fun!
Also, i like to go to the Fall Markets at farms where i get fresh fruits and vegetables.
Hi, Joye! It sounds like you had a great time at the corn maze! How wonderful! And fall markets are great for fresh fruits and veggies. Hope you have a great weekend!
A couple years ago there was a farm stand in a small town close by. They sold boiled peanuts, fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as local honey. We’d mostly stop there to buy some honey, but we’d always spend extra time chatting with the owners. 🙂
Hi, Sabrina! That’s always wonderful to hear about conversations and people chatting! And local honey always makes recipes that much sweeter! Hope you have a great weekend!
Good morning , yes I have visited them. My husband is also a musician and he plays at Farmers Markets on Saturdays, he actually plays at 2 different ones like once a month or so. He has bought delicious cantaloupes , good jams and other goodies, homemade banana nut bread also. Have a great day and I great weekend. Your book sounds like a great read and I love your book cover.
Hi, Alicia! I love hearing about your husband’s music making people’s experiences at that Farmers Market that much more special! Thank you for the kind words about the book and the cover. The Harlequin Art Department did a wonderful job with the cover!
Thank you for running the promo (the story sounds intriguing). My favorite thing about fall is fresh apples.
Hi, Mary! Fresh apples are one of my favorite things about fall, too! I love my local orchard and we make an afternoon trip out of it! Thanks for the kind works, and I hope you have a great weekend!
It has been several years since I have visited a farmers’ market and that was in the season for the local peach harvest. A fun activity!
Hi, Catherine! My twins love peaches! We always are on the lookout for farm stands in the summer for them! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great weekend!
We have a local farm stand that I love to stop at. Laura makes the best apple butter and apple dumplings. It’s been fun to now take the grandkids and introduce them to the farm to table experience.
Fall is my favorite time of year, the crisp air, the changing colors and nights around the fire pit.
Hi, Danielle, Ooh! You had me at apple dumplings! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! Thanks for stopping by.
I have lived on a farm for the last 61 years, so I have been to many farmer’s markets and used to sell my green eggs at one! Nearly every town has something like this and of course live next door to the Covered Bridge Capitol of the world – their 10 day festival in October draws in Millions of people!
Dear Teresa, Green eggs! How neat. The Dr. Seuss book, Green Eggs and Ham, was one of my favorites growing up and I loved reading it to my kids. The Covered Bridge Festival sounds amazing! I hope you have a great weekend!
It has been quite a while since I last went to one… I love hayrides, but that too has been something I have not done in quite a while.
Hi, Colleen, I love hayrides. The first picture ever taken of my husband and myself was at a hayride that we both attended for a college youth group activity. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a great weekend!
This is the perfect time of the year to visit farm stands. I love wandering and seeing the different offerings.
Hi, Debra! Sometimes wandering and just savoring the moment can help you enjoy the experience all the more! I hope you have a great weekend!
In the fall I love going to the Bob Evans Farm Festival close to our hometown it is so amazing to see all the activities they have going on there Have a Blessed Day
Hi, Sarah, Thank you for dropping by! The Bob Evans Festival sounds wonderful! I hope you have a great weekend!
like the jam
Hello, I love jam, too! It’s such a great addition to biscuits, toast, and so much more! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Haven’t visited a farm stand yet, but can’t wait to get to the orchard near our house for apples and apple butter!
Hi, Nan! Orchards seem to be very popular! I love my local orchard, and it’s been fun to hear that so many others have found an orchard they love. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
I haven’t recently, but we have driven by several. I’ve had some knee issues since my knee replacement in 2021, and just recently had another doctor check it. Turns out I have a couple things going on, not related to the replacement, and a cortisone shot has me walking without my cane or a limp!
Hi, Carol! I’m so glad it seems like your knee replacement has improved! No cane and no limp! How wonderful! I hope that continues to be the case for a long time! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Every fall we went apple picking. What a wonderful day that was for the family. Fresh, crisp apples. I made applesauce and baked apples.
Hi, Anne! That sounds like such a fun memory! Homemade applesauce is the best! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Fall is a beautiful season. We always go to farmers markets for the tomatoes which are so tasty. They are my favorite thing about the market.
Hi, Ellie! My niece used to eat tomatoes like apples! I’ve heard that homegrown tomatoes are the best! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
An outing that I have always enjoyed and look forward to. Farmers markets are great since we love veggies.
Hi, Laini! It’s always fun to look forward to outings! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
I haven’t been to any lately but I love the changing of the leaves and the cooler air .
Hi, Linda, Leaves and cooler air are two wonderful reasons to love fall! I’m looking forward to seeing this year’s leaf display! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Your book sounds great, although I don’t think I could go into a corn maze. I would feel like I couldn’t breathe, claustrophobic. lol My favorite fall activity is walking through the woods and collecting all the different colors of leaves, then ironing them in between two pieces of waxed paper. They will keep a long time that way.
Hi, Sarah! Thank you for the kind words about my book! I remember my twins doing a similar fall activity with leaves when they were younger. That’s a wonderful way to keep the memory of the season alive! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
I love Farmer’s Markets. We have stopped every week for the last few weeks. I am in a wheelchair. I drive. Sometimes, my husband goes up to pay for what we need. One of the stands, I can see everything from my car. I love the taste of the fresh vegetables. Thank you for the opportunity. God bless you.
Hi, Debra! Thank you for sharing your story with me. I love hearing from others and what’s going on in their lives. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
I love going to craft fairs in the fall, and also to the local apple orchards. It’s so cozy getting to see all the beauty of autumn.
HI, Megan, Craft fairs are so fun. It’s fun to go from booth to booth seeing all the beautiful items. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Still to hot here in Florida so I am waiting to do that when it is cooler. Once we get into October many of the churches have fall festivals that my family and I look forward to attending. My personal favorite is the hayride.
HI, Cherie! I grew up in Florida and remember well how warm it continued to be in late August and early September. I love hayrides! One of the earliest pictures I took with my husband was when we were sitting side-by-side on a hayride! Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Have not had the opportunity to visit either one but would love to find one.
Hello! I hope you’re able to find a farm stand or festival near you. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you have a great weekend!
Welcome, Tanya. We are lucky enough to live in an area rich with farmers markets and fresh produce stands. There is a large produce stand not far from our house. They have produce they grow, flowers, yard art, and in the Fall they have a large corn maze with games, pony rides, and a small train for the children. Most years they close the maze after Halloween and reopen it in December with Christmas pageant scenes throughout the maze. the games are open again, there are crafts for sale along with hot chocolate and kettle corn.
Every town in this area has a Farmers’ Market one day of the week. In addition to local produce, they have baked goods, crafts, and outs has a booth from a lavender farm. They have dried lavender, lavender soaps, baked goods with lavender, and lavender wine.
When we travel, we look for local Farmers’ Markets and festivals. It is a great time to find the specialties of the area and get fresh, delicious food.
I went to a farmers market last week and bought a watermelon. We have a couple of farmers market right here in our little town.