Friday Feature Summer Solstice
The longest day of the year, every year, in the Northern Hemisphere falls on either June 20 or 21. The 20th is the day for this year. The event signals the beginning of the astronomical summer north of the equator.
“Solstice” means “sun stands still” in Latin. This is because the sunrise on the solstice is the farthest northeast and sunset is the farthest northwest of the year. For a few days before and after the solstice, the sun also appears close to these farthest points before slowly drifting back to rise and set due east at the fall equinox. Therefore, the sun appears to stand still in the sky.
A still sun is most interesting to paranormal/time slip authors such as ourselves. There can be all kind of things that happen because the sun appears to stand still. Does this open a portal to another time period? Another world? Another dimension? The possibilities are endless.
The prehistoric creators of England’s “Stonehenge” thought the sun event important enough to build their monuments such that on the solstice the sun’s rays align with the heel stone of the monument. What did they know that we don’t?
In Egypt, when standing in front of the Sphinx, the sun appears to set between the ancient pyramids of Khafre and Khufu on the summer solstice. Were the Egyptians looking for a way to meet with the dead?
Yesterday you got the most daylight of the year to get things done. What did you do with all that light. Did you sit by a pool to soak up the rays? Work around the yard? Play an extra round of golf? Or was there something else you used the extra daylight for?
For us it was a normal day, other than the light still streamed through the windows at bedtime.
Our big solstice news is our time-slip book, Ghosts and Gardenias, available in print from Amazon. . So put away your e-reader and travel back in time to where print books reigned. You won’t have to worry about the sun reflecting off a screen or the battery dying at a cliffhanger. Hurry and get your copy today before you lose the daylight.
Here’s a sample to get you interested:
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Susan longed to feel the antique silk touching her body. She flipped her long hair behind her shoulders, then held the dress to her chest measuring the tiny waist to her own. The dress might fit, at least for as long as she could hold her breath.
The gardenia scent grew stronger. Susan twirled around to face the cheval mirror, the dress still held to her. The last rays of the evening sun, coming through a rip in the attic window curtain, glinted off the mirror, blinding her for a moment. She touched the glass, gasping when her hands met the ice-cold edge. Rubbing the goose bumps on her arms she took two steps backward.
Her reflection, misty and spotted by the mirror’s worn silver backing, stared at her. When she stepped closer to the mirror the image blurred even more. She blinked, trying to clear her vision.
As she reached for the mirror, the gardenia scent changed from pungent to rotting. Another flash of light glinted off the mirror. Susan’s breath caught in her chest as she tried to sort out what she saw. Two overlaid images, both her yet different, stared from the silvered glass.
The more prominent image wore a pristine version of the dress Susan held to her body. No yellowed streaks marred the silk. The lace caplet billowed around her shoulders as though caught in a breeze stirred by a midsummer storm. Mahogany curls adorned her head like a crown—a sharp contrast to Susan’s long, flowing hair. A pair of green eyes, a near match to her emerald ones, stared out of the mirror.
Heart racing, Susan clutched the fabric in her fist. She moved to the right. The two images parted briefly then merged. She moved to the left. The same thing happened. Squeezing her eyes shut, Susan willed her pounding heart to slow and ignored her instinct to drop the dress and run.
A trick of the light. Nothing weird is happening. There’s a rational, logical explanation.
Gathering her courage, Susan fluttered her eyes open and peeked at the mirror. Her reflection had been replaced by the Victorian woman. A low moan rolled from the glass. Dropping the gown on the floor Susan skittered backward.
If this interests you in our newest book Ghosts and Gardenias is available now on Amazon, the first book in our Haunting of Garnoa Road Series.
Here are the links for our other books:
You can find our books on our book page, under the menu at the top of the page or on our Amazon Author Page
