News and author-stuff, Writing

Can you believe it’s November??

Can you believe that it’s almost December? I’m having a hard time even considering it – or that the year is almost over. Yet on Monday we received a big reminder of what time of year it is: SNOW! And yes, it deserves excess capitals because there was a lot of it!

For the most part, I confess I’m not the biggest fan of the white stuff. But there is something magic about it, especially that hushed quiet of the first real snowstorm of the year, as everything is blanketed in white, tucked in until, in many cases, spring arrives.

I’m trying to focus on the magic part of it, and not the having to drive in it part (although did that yesterday too – whoo-boy, that wasn’t fun!) I’m trying to see it the way my girls do, so excited that today was the first Snow Day of the year since buses were cancelled. Or maybe to look at it with wonder the way that our young kittens, who’ve never seen a winter before, look in wonder at the white fluffiness coming down from the sky. I wonder what they see – or what they think it is.

Maybe that’s where the magic of it lies. In looking at it with different eyes that are less jaded by having driven or been stuck in it one too many times. Instead, seeing it as this magical unknown delight, like a kitten or very young child would. Or like my girls are looking it: all about the possibility of getting out and playing in it. Maybe for most of our experiences that’s where the magic is.

What do you think?

Other than (occasionally) staring out the window at the snow, I’ve been working on book two in the Shades series, Shade to Measure. So I’ve been thinking about sirens, and gender-reversal fun, and a women-owned-and-run construction company. Fortunately, my husband has been in construction for some time now, so I have a ready source of information should I need it. 🙂

I’ve also been getting ready for the holidays, which seem to be sneaking up quicker than anything, and this year I’d like to just enjoy it instead of only seeing the stressful part. There’s so much holiday magic too, with memories and gatherings and rituals… but I think I’ll save that for next month’s post.

And if you’re looking for a book set during the winter to shiver along with (the furnace never seems to kick in enough when temperatures are still supposedly “mild” in fall / shoulder seasons!), check out Must Love Death. I know, it sounds kind of dark – and parts of it definitely are – but it is at its core hopeful and full of both love and loss, since I was experiencing them both while writing it. There’s also plenty of humor, as this Death has an attitude and isn’t afraid to use it. 😉

As always, I love hearing from you – please comment or drop me a message. 🙂 Until next time, may your toes stay warm, and may you too be able to find the magic in your everyday world.