A Bloomin’ Snippet for #CFFC

Posted on by Teagan Riordain Geneviene

 Monday, December 8, 2025

Red tulips in snow Dreamstimefree
Dreamstime

This week, Dan Antion, host of the Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge (CFFC), gave the prompt “Autumn or Spring — or Both.”  To me the “Both” part spoke of contrast, and I’ve always found the contrast of flowers in snow to be magical.   It reminded me of something I put in the description of one of my novels too, so today I’m using images related to that book.

“Now Lilith the calico sniffs out a strange beast. Fae foolery backfires. A friend is abducted.
On a cold December day, Atonement, Tennessee comes into bloom.”

Composite image by Teagan Geneviene Lilith Blue Rose snow
Composite of Dreamstime images by Teagan

A Bloomin’ Snippet

By the way, Atonement in Bloom easily stands on its own without the need to read the first book.  Don’t think the book is only about the cat — far from it.  However, Lilith the calico was so popular in the first novel, Atonement, Tennessee, that I gave her a larger role in this one.

And now the excerpt

Cailleach Bheur and Lilith calico, by Teagan via Night Cafe
Cailleach Bheur and Lilith calico, by Teagan via Night Cafe

At last, Cailleach Bheur gave a sharp nod, as if satisfied.  She dusted her hands against each other and turned in a circle as she looked around.

“Now to restore the balance,” she said with a slight hesitation.  “But those two tricksters have definitely earned a lesson,” Beira added with a wink to Lilith.

Her dark green velvet cloak fell back as she extended both arms.  With the staff still grasped in her right hand she turned in a circle three times clockwise.  As she turned, the velvet cloak swirled about her ankles as if the wind moved it.  Beira’s long lapis-blue braid lifted on the same invisible currents.  Her violet eyes shone brightly in the moonlight.  On the third circle Beira tilted her head back exultantly.

The strange pillar lights faded out of the sky, and the glowing nimbus became normal wintery clouds.  The temperature plummeted.  Lilith instinctively fluffed out her long fur.

This can’t be good, the calico thought.

Lilith watched in wonder as white flakes floated to the ground.  Snow began to accumulate on the nearby stone wall.  Beira walked over to it and tilted her head as if considering.

“I see it has grown here before, and spontaneously.  Ah, recently too.  This place is more interesting than I knew.  Perhaps Atonement, Tennessee bears further investigation,” Beira commented, rousing Lilith’s curiosity.

She gave the wall a light tap with her age darkened wooden staff.  Then she nodded once more.

blue rose closeup
Dreamstime

Within the stone wall, Lilith’s feline ears heard an odd vibration, which a human would never have noticed.  In the light of the moon, the cat watched as a single rose sprouted from the top of the rock wall.  A single blue rose.

“Just in case anyone should doubt,” she said with a self-satisfied smirk, but looking at the inquisitive cat, she blinked.  “Maybe it is not known in this strange day and age…  A blue rose is the symbol of the impossible,” she told Lilith and with another wink, Cailleach Bheur — Beira the Crone disappeared.

Snow quickly blanketed the ground.  Lilith hurried across it, not liking to get her paws wet and cold.  In a moment she was back at the old estate house, Sunhold.

End of excerpt

♥ ♣ ♠ ♦

Thanks for visiting here today.  I’m happy to answer any questions about the “Atonement” books.  Friendly comments are encouraged.

♥ ♣ ♠ ♦

You realize that I have to include the obligatory shameless self-promotion… “Atonement, a Quirky Magical Town” is the name of the series.  It is urban fantasy — that is to say, set in the modern-day real world, but with magic.  The stories have plenty of suspense, but they don’t drift into horror at all. 

Atonement in Bloom

The Atonement Series

Full series of e-books with one click:  relinks.me/B087JV25JT

Atonement in Bloom

Kindle:  rxe.me/5RRBLH

Paperback:  relinks.me/1726882128

♥ ♣ ♠ ♦

Copyright © 2015 and 2025 by Teagan Ríordáin Geneviene

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67 thoughts on “A Bloomin’ Snippet for #CFFC”

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  5. So beautiful, I loved the story lines, Lilith calico is very sweet and the blue rose is wonderful! I remember I took photos of a blue and white rose too once… 10 years ago, it was in a bouquet with other flowers, I will look for it, thank you for reminding me. 💙 Oh… and amazing Night Cafe creation, the light in the image is so nice, the way it falls onto the snow and the stone wall 🤩

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    1. Thank you for this wonderful comment, Nicole. I would love to see your photo. I made several images of Beira with Lilith that were much better than this one. However, this was the only one where the AI didn’t insist on giving her gray hair except for the braid, and an elderly face — neither of which matched my description in the book, of the ageless “Queen of Winter.” I was undecided, but I used the one you see here. Have a great weekend. Hugs.

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      1. I will definitely re-edit the blue rose photo now, to repost it too, but until then… I finally identified the post back in the day, a quote post in May 2015, I had only started blogging, oh my… 😀 here it is, https://doarnicol.wordpress.com/2015/05/28/scatter-joy/

        Oh… maybe I will upload it to Dreamstime as well, 😊, would have to check its size, being just a point-and shoot old Canon shot, but still quite nice. I have a seller’s account on Dreamstime, started in 2017 when I first uploaded only a few photos, and resumed last year… with only one image sold so far, of some lovely white quince bloom, in January 2025, I just checked 😅 Thank you for also reminding me about that, Teagan 💕 a lovely weekend to you too!

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  8. Lilith! My favorite calico friend. Bond also doesn’t care for wet, cold paws. When there’s condensation on the tiles of the screened porch, he only walks on the wooden frame or rug. What a diva, lol.

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    1. Applesauce! Teri you really were catching up. I appreciate the time you’ve spent here today.
      LOL, cats can be so funny about water. Mine will walk around in the bathtub with it still wet, or try to put a paw down the sink drain, but when I turn on a faucet they run for their lives. 🙀 😽 Thanks for being a friend of Lilith. Hugs.

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    1. Thanks, Marian. Writing Beira’s character was fun research into mythology, but also an interesting experience because I wasn’t sure whether or not she would be a villain or a good guy until I was almost at the end of the writing. Hugs to you and the kitties.

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    1. Welcome, Laura. I’m in a “high desert” climate (over 4,000 feet altitude, yet not in the mountains), so we usually get a few snows each year, and typically not more than 3 inches. However, even a 6 inch snowfall melts quickly because the sun is so intense. I get a kick out of seeing my cactus garden in snow. They look startled. 🌵. 😀 🌵
      Thanks for commenting. Hugs.

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    1. Thanks, Noelle. I had such a fun challenge in writing the feline for the first Atonement book. There are occasional bits from her POV, and keeping her reactions cat-like rather than human. In “Bloom” she gets her own adventure which is a part of the overall plot. Hugs to you and the kitties.

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  15. I love the images, Teagan, and I recommend Atonement in Bloom (well, all Atonement related novels and stories) to everyone. It’s a magical place I’d love to visit again. Thanks, big hugs and love to the Scoobies!

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  16. Teagan, the image of Cailleach Bheur and Lilith is a gorgeous contrast in “seasons.” It is going down to 14F here tonight as winter has arrived before autumn has officially departed, but it sounds like you are experiencing much the opposite…just like the prompt challenge issued. Enjoyed the excerpt!

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    1. Thanks very much, Bruce. Burr — that’s too cold. I’m not sure where you are, but several commenters have mentioned that extreme weather. Southern NM does get quite a few nights with temps in the teens though, but we’ve got warmer than normal right now. Stay safe and warm. Hugs.

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      1. I’m in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Teagan. A lot of us hope for a White Christmas but that rarely occurs anymore. A couple of years ago, we had no snow all Winter. We always get cold eventually…but this year it has come in earlier and colder. I heard your area is pretty warm right now…and a bit dry as well. Weather is so wacky these days. Hugs.

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  23. Its been cold here, going down to the teens tonight. Reading that excerpt sent a shiver down to my toes. Great atmosphere, Teagan. Love Atonement,TN. Was hoping a glowing pig might offer a snort and worthy appear. 🐖🐖🐖

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    1. Holy frigid frijoles! That’s too cold, Pat. Meanwhile here, we’re having near record breaking highs. (shakes head) Wishing you hot mulled wine. 🙂 Thanks for remembering the glowing pigs. I almost shared one of their snippets. Hugs.

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        1. Ouch, sorry. Winters here are definitely nice. They’re short, but can get bitter cold. Although “summers” in the past 5 years have changed dramatically. There used to only be a scant handful of days over 100 degrees, now it’s about 3 months’ worth. Based on the past 2 years, winters are getting a few weeks shorter though. Wishing you fuzzy cozy socks.

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