Today is the last Sunday of August. It’s strange this year, since most of my normal “end of summer” and “back to school” activities haven’t happened (or they’ve happened in such a strange way that they don’t feel real.)
And yet, it’s also officially Pumpkin Spice season.
I don’t really go to Starbucks anymore – but Dunkin’ Donuts has decent pumpkin spice lattes, too. And I’ll admit to liking the occasional pumpkin-flavored hot beverage.
What about you?
Winners this Week
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Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Angela Ruth Strong gave us an excerpt from Husband Auditions.
On Tuesday, Liwen Ho asked what story element matters most to you.
On Wednesday, Deb Kastner talked about how authors plot.
On Thursday, Narelle Atkins talked about learning new words through fiction.
On Friday, Merrillee Whren celebrated Just Because day.
On Saturday, Laurie Larsen caught us up on her rapid release experiment.
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Sally Bayless
Tuesday: Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Wednesday: Toni Shiloh
Thursday: Jaycee Weaver
Friday: Tara Grace Ericson
Saturday: Jan Thompson
And the third e-book package. Did y’all notice there’s a box set in each of these prize packs?
New Releases
August 2020
Finding Love for the Workaholic (Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church 3) by Laurie Larsen
The Price of Dreams (Faith & Fortune 3) by Toni Shiloh
Not Until Someday (Hope Springs Book 7) by Valerie M. Bodden
September 2020
Marry Me for Real, Cowboy (Cavanagh Cowboys Romance 1) by Valerie Comer
Finding Love for the Playboy (Matchmaking Moms of Oceanview Church 4) by Laurie Larsen
Ride with Me (Chapel Cove Romances 10) by Marion Ueckermann
Sing with Me (Seaside Chapel 3) by Jan Thompson
Lavender and Lace (Bloom Sisters 3) by Tara Grace Ericson
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
I can’t imagine what pumpkin spice would taste like. Partly cos I don’t like pumpkin and drinking pumpkin as a hot drink really doesn’t appeal to me. I am probably imagining it all wrong.
Ok I just looked it up and pumpkin puree was enough to know I wouldn’t like it. (plus I don’t drink coffee).
Its hard to believe August is almost finished. Tuesday means Spring is here. We had spring weather yesterday and back to winter today.
Oh yay for spring! I’d honestly prefer that ;)
And it didn’t even occur to me that pumpkin spice wasn’t a thing everywhere – it’s so ubiquitous here.
I don’t really care for pumpkin spice. Of course, I don’t go to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks, either! I have friends that drink pumpkin spice, but I’d much prefer a good Hazelnut or Snickerdoodle flavor!
I am not a huge fan….sorry!
Ooh. Snickerdoodle sounds amazing.
Ha! It’s okay :) I’m not like the crazy fans. I like maybe one or two a year.
I have never tried a pumpkin spice latte but then there are no Starbucks near my small town.
I hate Starbucks, but I love pumpkin-spiced anything! Either last fall or the one before, I even found a shelf at the grocery store of all things flavored with pumpkin spice! They had donuts, instant oatmeal, cookies, coffee, and a bunch of other things. I had to pick up a couple of them. You really can’t take the pumpkin. It’s the “spice” that is the yummy part! :)
If you get the chance (and you like pumpkin flavor), they’re worth trying. Or I think so
It’s true – it’s the spice part that makes it yummy! And the PSL is starting to be available in all kinds of coffee shops (or other stuff!)
I can’t imagine what it is like. Is it spicy like a chai latte?
I’m glad you get to enjoy it, I would love to be at the beginning of autumn, it is my favourite season and no hayfever to come.
I am a huge coffee lover! The only coffee chain we have in my town is Bigby and the only thing I’ve tried from there is a latte which made me so sick, it was way too sweet! I do like it when I go through a neighboring town, they have a Tim Horton. I am addicted to their mocha lattes! I am not at all a fan of pumpkin-very strange around here! I don’t mind some pumpkin cookies and pumpkin rolls but only once every few years! For coffee I drink a fair amount but stick to my own for the most part as I’m pretty particular. I’ll let you all keep the pumpkin!
It is a little like a chai latte yes. Just imagine that the spices are the same spices you use in a pumpkin pie. I don’t actually think there’s any pumpkin flavor.
Ooh. Mocha latte sounds amazing.
It’s really good!! Sometime after my Daddy passed away, Mom and I went to GA. There used to be a really cool outlet place in Byron, and one of the stores there was a coffee shop. I decided to buy Christmas presents for my sisters there. Four different flavors of coffee, because we each had to have our own. Oh, wow! The car smelled sooo good with that coffee!!
I’m looking forward to fall, cooler weather and seasonal decorations. So pretty!
I certainly can’t believe it’s the last day of August myself! It’s like you said, this year has been so strange that it seems unreal (or surreal). School will be starting soon for Oregon, but even that is going to be really different. The first six weeks (at least) will start online, and if the kids do get to go back to in-person classes, it will probably be on a staggered schedule (one group Mon/Tues & another Thurs/Fri) or maybe a four day week instead of five. Very strange times indeed!
I do like pumpkin spice, but this year I’m just not in the mood for it yet. Maybe when it gets to a more colder season. I’m more of a fresh pressed cold apple cider person instead of hot chocolate or pumpkin spice latte. What I most like pumpkin in is bread, bars, cake or pie :-)
Happy SONday everyone!
Yes! Cooler weather especially, lol.
I agree it feels a little early — I don’t want pumpkin when it’s still 99 degrees outside!
Oh, they make it fantastic!!! My car fights turning when we pass without stopping! 😁 I have tried a mocha latte everyplace I try going into & they are the only ones I think do it justice. That’s what I tried at Bigby & have gotten one at a privately owned shop downtown. Theirs I tried a few sips & threw it out! Not sure why everyplace but Tim’s make it so sweet. Maybe I’m just picky but Tim’s it is! That flavor…..oh, I have to stop before I go over to get one….lol
I’m not into pumpkin spice lattes or much of anything pumpkin flavored other than pumpkin bread.
Pumpkin bread is so yummy.
I love peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks. It is really good!
I love peppermint hot chocolate at Starbucks, I like to get one every once in a while. It is really good!
Those are yummy! I think of them at Christmas.
Hi, Congratulations to all the Winners! I don’t like drinks that are pumpkin flavored, I love pumpkin though, I love pumpkin bread and I love a cream cheese pumpkin filled roll, my husband makes a delicious one. Have a Great week and stay safe. God Bless you and your family.
Pumpkin and cream cheese is yummy.
I am not a coffee drinker. Therefore, I am not sure the taste of pumpkin spice. I am looking forward to fall with being able to bake. Having fresh air come in through the windows. Being able to see the sunlight as well as wildlife.
I’m not a pumpkin spice person, but I love chai tea lattes.
Fall baking with the windows open is the best!
Yum. Those are so good
So looking forward to cooler weather and clean air!
I prefer vanilla latte ❤️
During my time in the US, I remember I was excited for PSL since everyone kept talking about it, but when I ordered one from Starbucks, sadly, for me, it didn’t live up to all the hype everyone had made about it. However, I’ll always be thankful for my roommate for making me try other pumpkin-flavored things that made me a fan of the Fall season :)
Also, yay for boxsets! Y’all are the best! :)!
It does get a LOT of hype. So I can see how it easily would not live up.
Pumpkin pie isn’t something most Aussies make or would have tasted.
I love fall, especially the coffee flavors.
I’m looking forard to these posts!
Oh wow. Um. I have no point of reference then. Pumpkin pie spice is a blend of: cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and clove.
Yay!
I am looking forward to closer to Christmas when the gingerbread latte is out too.
I remember hearing a speaker who was born and grew up in Australia then came to the US as an adult. He was describing the language and cultural differences that he and his family had to deal with here. One of the items was pumpkin pie. Come on, people. Pumpkin is a vegetable! The entire idea of a confection made with pumpkin was foreign to him. For us Yanks, the pumpkin in pumpkin pie provides texture more than flavor. A pumpkin pie is almost (but not quite) as thick as cheesecake. The flavor comes from the brown sugar and spices (as Elizabeth shared above). Pumpkin bisque or soup, though, is a savory recipe, a different taste altogether.
I have never been a big fan of pumpkin pie. I prefer fruit pies, especially apple and cherry. However, my sister-in-law made a pumpkin pie with a cookie dough crust with chopped pecans in it. That crust went a long way toward curing my aversion to pumpkin pie. :)
Thanks for hosting the August Sundays, Elizabeth!
Your sister’s pie sounds amazing.
I really only enjoy pumpkin in dessert (or breads.) The soup and such are too much like sweet potato for me :)
I don’t drink coffee, but I like pumpkin spice creamer in a cup of tea. And I love DQ’s pumpkin pie blizzard! Can’t wait for those to show up!!
Oh what a fun idea – I’ve never even thought to put flavored creamer in tea.
I don’t like pumpkin spice drinks but look forward to peppermint season.
I’m always ready for peppermint when they come too!
Happy almost September! Stay safe!
Thanks, you too!
I like pumpkin spice doughnuts! I do enjoy fall a lot too.
As Jenny says pumpkin pie is an unknown quantity here, but the spices you mentioned below sound delicious.
I read up how to make a pumpkin spice latte. it included pumpkin puree and coffee and the spices mentioned above.
We had pumpkin pie at church once cos our Pastor had been an exchange student in America and also had American relatives. He loved it so he had a 4th of July. We had Pumpkin pie and Apple pie. Lets just say almost no one like the pumpkin pie.
I do love autumn, can’t take coffee but pumpkins spice in desserts and bread is awesome. Enjoyable last week and looking forward to the posts from this week
I cannot stand pumpkin spice, lol, but my husband loves it so we try to include it in food several times during the fall season.
I’m not a coffee drinker nor am I into pumpkin spice. I do enjoy pumpkin muffins and most apple flavored things! Give me an Apple cider any cool day and I’ll be happy.