April Showers

As I write this, I'm listening to the cars splashing through the rain running down the sides of our streets. Alby River, my husband calls it. I'm drawn to stories that depict weather. Maybe not as another character, like Twister or The Day After Tomorrow, but as a part of the feel of the story.

Torrential rain isn't just for the tropics. The rain here in the Midwest sometimes comes down so hard, it's impossible to see the roads. Driving on days like that, I just stay in what I believe to be the middle of the road. And hope the storm passes soon. I always scoffed at the history stories about the mud the wagon trains had to deal with after a rain storm. I was wrong.

Life's a little like those torrential rain storms. In your face destructive. Then, once it's calmed down, the apologies come. I didn't realize you were scared, or on deadline, or really trying to put your own spin on things.

And yet, sometimes, a gentle rain is a blessing. Farmers bless the powers that be for giving the crops a much needed soaking. The rain clears out the pollen and pollutants, giving us sweet, clean air to breath. A little rain in your life can make you focus on the things that are really important, or see things clearer.

"It was a dark and stormy night" sets the reader up for a certain type of story, just like the bright sunny day, gives the impression of a different type. But what if you switch the mood?

In Shawnee Holiday, A Bull Rider Novella, the storm that hits town early causes all kinds of havoc. But it's where we find ourselves after the storm that makes the difference to us, and our characters.

Cash Dillon, former pro-football player and owner of The Pancake House, is hours away from paradise. A week on a Mexican beach–no responsibility, no worries, and no schedule. When his delivery driver is stuck on another run, Cash takes one last delivery up the mountain.

June Palmer is home visiting her grandmother, but when her high school crush delivers their meal, it feels more like a Shawnee reunion. When Cash crashes his truck minutes after leaving her cabin, she has to figure out a way to get him down the mountain and to safety without revealing her hidden feelings.

Exclusively available at Amazon

Writing out of Season

I like writing short stories.  They give me a break from the longer projects and a way to feel like I’m accomplishing something, even when my WIP won’t move out of the muddled middle.

The problem with writing (and submitting) shorts, is the one’s I’m writing now, in the dead of winter, will be considered for publication in mid-summer. Instead of focusing on the snow that’s scheduled to arrive tomorrow and keep me from driving to the day job, I have to be thinking of fun, sun, and maybe a little sand.

My feet are freezing even in my heavy socks and winter boots. The thought of flip flops makes me shiver.

But my character needs to be in shorts and a t-shirt, ready to run into the surf at a moment’s notice. Or enjoying a warm summer night with the new love of her life.  Not cuddled in sweats and blankets watching movies, baking brownies, and whipping up a new soup. (Stuffed Green Pepper soup is a-maz-ing – by the way.)

If I was more organized, I’d write winter stories in the winter and summer stories in the summer and just hold off submitting.  My fear is I’d never submit because I’d lose the story or, worse, totally forget about it.

Instead, I’m firing up the barbecue under the carport and drinking a frozen margarita tonight. 

I’ll be back after my fingers unfreeze.

What about you – do you read out of season? Are you devouring hot summer romances while the wind drifts the snow outside your door? 

Lynn

Small town Shawnee isn't where Cash Dillon planned on spending his vacation, even after his short reunion with June Palmer, the girl who got away in high school. But Cash learns sometimes, living in the moment, isn't half bad.

Shawnee Holiday now available for your Kindle -