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| Pol-arrr Vorrr-tex! |
For those of you who aren’t from New England, a Nor’easter
is a storm that hits the East Coast of North America, includes lots of snow, and high winds from the North East.
It’s not unusual for a good storm to drop a couple feet of
snow in a twenty-four hour period. There have been some winters where the Governor of Massachusetts has even had to shut done the highways, it was so bad!
Now, some of you may be shaking your heads, but I’m going to
let you in on a little secret. I LOVE a good snowstorm.
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| My Winter Reading Schedule |
After the holidays, I like to take the month of January to
hibernate and recharge my batteries. The cold weather and bad roads give me the
perfect excuse to do just that. There is something comforting about sitting on
the couch, tucked under a blanket, with a good book and a glass of wine while
the wind howls and the snow swirls outside my window.
Heck, I even like shoveling! It gives me a chance to get out
into the fresh air and exercise. Plus, then I can indulge in a nice
cup of hot chocolate when I finish my outdoor chores and not feel an ounce of guilt.
In fact, I lived in Maui, Hawai’i for a year and one of the
things I missed most were the four seasons – especially Winter. Can you believe it? Having every
day be partly sunny, mid-seventies, with light trade winds actually got boring.
Luckily, I had an opportunity to capture my love of the season
in my book Secret Hunger. If you prefer your winters on the page rather than in
person, then this may be just the book to curl up to.
Secret Hunger Excerpt:
Olivia hunched over her steering wheel while the headlights cut a swath through the hypnotic swirl of flakes. The squeak-swish of the wipers kept pace with her heart as they struggled to keep up with the storm. Luckily, the snow plows had been hard at work and the accumulation on the roads wasn’t too bad.
At the end of Centre Street, she took a left and made her way up the hill and out of town. The roads were icier here, the reason she always hated driving this hill in the winter. Olivia knew she’d have to accelerate to have any hope of making it up the slope, and mentally crossed her fingers.
The good news was she was used to Maine’s storms, having lived in the area all her life. The bad news was she was driving her 4-door sedan with no four-wheel drive and very little tread on her tires. She’d been saving up money to replace them, but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Just before she reached the crest of the hill, another vehicle came flying over the rise, sliding around the curve. Olivia had just enough time to take her foot off the gas and turn the wheel, barely missing being side-swiped by the reckless driver. Her car began to lose its forward momentum up the slope.
“No, no, no…come on!” She muttered as her car started to slide down the slope backwards. She pressed on her brakes and could feel the tires spinning without purchase as the backside of her car slid, angling towards the ditch on the side of the road.
Be sure to grab your copy of Secret Hunger HERE.
Now that you’ve heard what I think about Old Man Winter, I’m
curious. How do YOU feel about our coldest season? Leave a comment!
While you’re here, be sure to check out our January
Rafflecopter contest. The theme this month is, “What’s Next?” Be sure to enter
for your chance to win one of FIVE Amazon gift cards!
For more details, check out our MONTHLY GIVEAWAY page.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
For more details, check out our MONTHLY GIVEAWAY page.
I like winter, too, when the wind's not blowing. However, the seasons have changed so much in the Midwest that winter is mostly just a few months of wet, windy gloom with some fixes of bright sun thrown in. Great post!
ReplyDeleteA cold, biting wind is the toughest, for sure.
DeleteIt's blustery, 90% chance of rain so the skies are overcast. It's a balmy 66 degrees with a high of 71 today. Winter in Texas. Tomorrow may be freezing--who knows. But this is great writing weather. Or reading with a glass of wine. As far as shoveling snow, we never get enough to worry about that. I do enjoy seeing it fall, though, even if it isn't very often. There's something magical about snow.
ReplyDeleteThere *is* something magical about snow. I love how it makes the world feel hushed and waiting.
DeleteI like winer around the holidays and then I'm done! Your post was great and I think your Olivia loves winter too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Olivia does love winter! Winter doesn't seem quite so magical after all the holidays. That's when it's time to hibernate.
DeleteI lived with snow...now, I live in a more temperate climate and I’m happy!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're happy with where you're living, Bonnie! I've been lucky to live in a number of climates. Who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind about winter one day.
DeleteI like winter up until about February, then it starts getting old for me. But, I will say I enjoy visiting our snowy mountains and grey-sky beaches of New England. And snuggling in by the fireplace with a book! What gets tough is everyday getting around and dealing with stir crazy dogs. That being said, I've been inspired by those big nor-easters too, Satin, and I even included one in Haunting Highland House. LOVE your reading map BTW :D Bundle up and grab a hot coffee, we got this!
ReplyDeleteNice to hear a fellow New Englander loving the snowy winters around here. Although, I agree that it starts getting old around mid-February. Cheers!
DeleteWe rarely get snow. I don't go out if we do, knowing it'll be gone soon. I really feel the cold, so I'd happily try a tropical winter to see if I get bored. I think I'd be quite happy reading at the beach or by the pool.
ReplyDeleteI definitely did a lot of reading by the beach AND the pool when I was in Maui. And even the Christmas palm trees held a certain charm. For me, it was good for a year.
DeleteI used to love a good snowstorm because it meant I didn't have to go to work/school and could sit around the fire reading a good book -if my kids cooperated. Now I'm in Florida most of the winter and can't say I miss shoveling or walking and driving on icy roads. But I did just spend three weeks in NH with my kids and grandkids so I got my fill of ice and snow.
ReplyDeleteI do agree, though, if you are in perfect weather all year it becomes second nature and you don't appreciate it as much. But St. Augustine still gets cold - 50 and 60 degrees, not 10 - so it does make me appreciate the 70 and 80 degree days more.
Your move is quite a change in weather, Kari. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it.
DeleteI don't do cold! I'm ok with it during Christmas, but after that, I'm good if it goes away. Enjoyed the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked the excerpt, Kara! I dub anything after Christmas as the "Winter Doldrums."
DeleteI also lived in Hawaii at one point and I missed the change of seasons. Happy New Years!
ReplyDeleteHappy New Years, Msredk! For me, Hawaii was good for a year. Anything more and I think I would have gone stir-crazy.
DeleteI don't mind the winter, as it doesn't get too cold here, spring at last now!
ReplyDelete