I couldn’t put the punctuation markings over the vowels correctly with WordPress but those first words are supposed to be in Latin….They are the immortal words of the Bard, a warning given to Julius Caesar about impending doom (which had occurred when Caesar was assassinated by conspirators on March 15, 44 BCE). Now, of course, Shakespeare knew that date so it was more a case of ‘Monday morning quarterbacking’ than a portent, but March does seem to be an unsettling month overall, doesn’t it?
Just think about the weather. . . how many have heard the old saying “In like a lion, out like a lamb”? The beginning of the third month of the year is firmly entrenched in winter, with storms, both snow and rain, expected. By the end of the month, spring has arrived. Some of the worst Nor’easters in my area on the East Coast have arrived in March, one I remember because it began on my sister’s birthday on March 14 and ended on the 15th, dumping more than a foot of snow on us.
Then, just after mid-month, there are the dueling saints —
the Irish have St Patrick first and they do things like drinking, partying, singing Irish songs and other fun things like turning the Chicago River green! And, in his honor, Southwest airlines offers passengers free beer to celebrate… On the other hand,
the Italians have St Joseph and they go to Mass, cook big family meals and pray. A different approach for sure!
And after all the feasting, a day of balance in the universe known as the vernal equinox, a day of equal daylight and
night, the end of winter and the beginning of spring! The earth wobbles back up straight on its path in the other direction, giving the northern hemisphere more hours of day as the southern hemisphere. Again, doesn’t sound like a stable time of the year to me!
But, brighter and warmer and longer days are nearly here! March leaves like a lamb, all the uncertainties and unsettledness behind us and the calmer, gentler winds of April approach. The weather eases, the winter wimpers away and our moods and days lighten.
So, though many think of the warnings about March, I see the opportunity of change and the expectations of the future. I welcome the winds at the beginning of the month, but also the calm breezes at the end. How about you? Do you hope for the end of winter and the beginning of spring? St. Patrick or St. Joseph? Portent of doom or opportunities abounding? Leave a note telling me what you will miss the most about the winter or what you look forward to the most about the spring and I’ll pick two people to receive copies of my upcoming Harlequin Historical anthology – Pleasurably Undone.
While lamenting the end to the the terrific snow season, Terri is also looking forward to her new releases – PLEASURABLY UNDONE! is an April release from Harlequin Historicals. Then in May (April 27th actually!), her novella A STORM OF LOVE will be part of a Kensington Brava anthology that includes Susan Johnson and Mary Wine. Visit her website at www.terribrisbin.com to find out about the new books and her upcoming appearances!




































Got it? Okay, now onto the fun….
Scotland, the Orkney Islands to be specific. The builders of Maes Howe aligned the structure so that the rays of the setting sun flow down the entrance tunnel to hit the back wall of the chamber. I crawled/shimmied into the tomb on a tour, gawked at the Viking graffiti and imagined what it would be like to stand in the chamber and witness the sun’s approach. This is what it would look like >>>>
In history, the end of December was the time to celebrate Saturnalia — it was a week-long feast honoring the Roman god Saturn and featured a reversal in roles, lots of partying, bonfires/candles, presents and, did I mention, feasting! It was held when winter’s grasp was at its strongest and there was even a ‘king’ designated for the celebration who, unfortunately for him, was sacrificed at the end of it! Oh my!
feasts and holy days and it’s probably not a coincidence that the Nativity is celebrated at the end of December, even though many Biblical scholars agree that Jesus was probably born in the late spring or even early summer. The Christian Church capitalized on existing practices and borrowed them for their needs. And so, Christmas was scheduled in late December.
for this time of year to celebrate. . . The Festival of Bells!! Yes, it’s the time of year when Fraggle Rock slows to a stop and unless someone finds and rings the bell at the center of the rock, all the Fraggles will stop, frozen in time and place!! It’s a harrowing time of year and it’s nerve-wracking watching the classic episode and hoping and praying that Gobo will find the bell. My family has watched the show every year on our also classic VCR on an aging VCR tape until the series was finally released on DVD – now we have a brand- spanking-new edition and we still watch it.
And there’s more than just 2 million clear lights! There are stockings the size of small houses!!
tons of colored lights that look like Christmas lights!!
There’s a Nativity scene all around the Delta atrium, where you can ride riverboats by it….
So, when do you begin putting up your Christmas decorations? And, are you like Clark Griswold in “Christmas Vacation” with millions and millions of lights? Or closer to Charlie Brown with his sparse little tree? Any special decorations that mean something special to you or your family? Let me know and I’ll send out a Scottish Christmas tree ornament to one poster….along with a signed book, too!
Terri is thrilled to find her newest book (just released yesterday!) on the Noteworthy Fiction tables at B&N Booksellers! A STORM OF PASSION is available in print and in digital formats all over the place now and she hopes you’ll give it a try. Visit her website for more info about signings and events…
time blissfully ignoring it. All summer I was waiting for August and my trip to Scotland. Then I was pushing August to move so I could leave. Then, once in Scotland and in spite of using my willpower, I discovered that I cannot control the flow of time to make it slow down when I want! And visiting places like this….I really did want time to stop.
Then I was back and out of town again…on what I call my husband’s consolation prize trip — you see he has no love of historical places like I do, so having him accompany me to Scotland would have inflicted needless pain on both of us. So, he stayed home while I ‘researched’ in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. But he does like cruises — so we went on the Caribbean Princess and visited Bermuda, St. Kitts, Antigua, St. Thomas and San Juan. This is just one of the lovely beaches where I managed to grab some R&R during our cruise….
Terri is also running a website contest to celebrate the release of her first BRAVA romance. Since it’s set in the Hebrides Islands which were ruled by the Vikings at the time, she’s found some cute Viking t-shirts to give away….along with books and some Scottish souvenirs (no, unfortunately not men-in-kilts!). Visit her website at
My first book, A Love Through Time, was a November 1998 release and I remember watching the calendar move forward, waiting and watching for it in bookstores, on online booksellers and any other place it could show up. I remember the UPS delivery guy bringing my box of author copies and screaming as I opened it! Then I remember being in the local Waldenbooks store and seeing it on the shelf for the first time–I scared at least one customer by screaming as I found it earlier than I expected to see it. Lucky for me, she asked me to me sign it and she bought it, too.
Well, it’s only 15 short days until my new books officially hits the shelves and I can feel the anticipation growing. So far, early reviews are looking good:
Terri is awaiting the release of her first BRAVA historical romance, A STORM OF PASSION, which will hit the shelves late next month. She’s just finished writing a novella which will be featured in a May 2010 anthology along with Susan Johnson and Mary Wine. For more info, visit her website and join her email newsletter list – 



























