A warm welcome to author Elyse Springer joining us today to talk about her new release: “World Turned Upside Down”.
Welcome Elyse 🙂
Midwinter
Midwinter is a major holiday in Antarctica, falling on the Southern Hemisphere’s winter solstice. It’s celebrated continent-wide, by winter-over residents on bases from over a dozen different countries, all of whom exchange digital greetings with one another. And it plays a pretty central role in World Turned Upside Down, allowing Simon and Asher to grow closer.
“You mentioned something about Midwinter. Is that the big party in a couple of weeks?”
Simon leaned forward, elbows on his knees, thankful for a subject that he was happy to ramble on about. “Midwinter is great. It’s usually on June 21, and it’s the longest night of the year. Not that you can tell here, because everything is always dark. But the station really goes all out: party, food, music, everyone gets dressed up… the works.”
Midwinter was the biggest holiday of the season in McMurdo. It was a chance to remember the history of the land they stood on and to feel the community and companionship that surrounded them. Stations across Antarctica held a Midwinter feast, from the Russians to the French and British.
Asher also leaned forward as Simon explained about the holiday, genuine interest clear on his face.
“It sounds like a lot of fun,” he said.
Simon laughed. “It is. Like Christmas in June, you know? Everyone eats and drinks a little too much. It’s a nice halfway point in the season.”
I did one winter season at McMurdo, and will always remember the magic of our Midwinter feast. I went with a big group of friends and we ate, drank, and partied late into the night! Most people dressed up, though the Antarctic version of “dressing up” can range from “suit and tie” to “bizarre costume”!
The year I wintered, 2011, was the 100th anniversary of two incredible expeditions in Antarctica: the British Terra Nova expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott, and the Norwegian expedition led by Roald Amundsen. Both explorers and their teams were racing to be the first to reach the South Pole.
Here is the Midwinter Greeting card that McMurdo Station sent out to all of the other bases back in 2011:
McMurdo Station was decorated to celebrate this momentous anniversary, with colorful flags displaying the history of the continent… and even a giant ice carving of one of the ships that first arrived to Antarctica!
Of course, the food was the most exciting part! Being in Antarctica in the winter means no access to fresh food supplies… everything we need to survive is sent down throughout the summer season by plane or container ship. But the National Science Foundation allows for some special treats to make their way into the cargo supplies, which means we get to feast for Midwinter.
Simon loves Midwinter for a number of reasons… the same reasons I do, in fact. It’s not just the mouth-watering dessert spread (though, admittedly, that does help)… it’s also the sense of community that you get. Winter in Antarctica can be incredibly lonely and isolating. McMurdo Station has about 150 residents over the winter, but that’s the largest population by far (others range from about 5 to 50). Midwinter gives you a chance to connect with the people around you, and also to share a deep sense of companionship with every other person on ‘the Ice’.
So you can see why Simon loves Midwinter so much… and why it’s such a perfect setting for Simon and Asher’s relationship to blossom!
Title: World Turned Upside Down
Series: World of Love
Author: Elyse Springer
Word Count: 31,000 words
Genre: M/M, Contemporary Romance, novella
Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht
Release Date: August 9, 2019
Summary:
After three winters in Antarctica, Simon Bancroft is an old hand on the ice. The harsh weather and extreme isolation aren’t for everyone, but he enjoys the tight-knit community at McMurdo Station… and lately he’s enjoyed watching the hot new researcher, Asher Delaney, who’s recently arrived to study the aurora. But Simon’s just a janitor. Asher doesn’t even know he exists.
When Simon’s friends propose a wager, he gets a chance to introduce himself to Asher at last. But Asher defies all of Simon’s assumptions, and suddenly he finds himself reevaluating everything he thought he knew about Asher, himself, and falling in love at the bottom of the world.
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Elyse is an author and world-traveler, whose unique life experiences have helped to shape the stories that she wants to tell. She writes romances with LGBTQIA+ characters and relationships, and believes that every person deserves a Happily Ever After. When she’s not staring futilely at her computer screen, Elyse spends her time adding stamps to her passport, catching up on her terrifying TBR list, and learning to be a better adult.
You can find Elyse online at:
Website: http://elspringer.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ElyseSpringer