Allie Pleiter on Sunshine

I admit it...the weather can dictate my mood.

I like to think of myself as a "sunny" personality, but it's closer to the truth than I realize.  Days like today, where the lovely breeze and sunshine in Chicago signal the welcome end to a dreadfully dreary Spring, I love writing on the back deck.  I'm doing so right now.  The words come easily, happily.

Those same words might not come so easily in the rain.  Or cold.  Or under an overcast sky.  I like my sunshine, and my life always feels better under the sun.

Still, my family jokes that I "wilt easily."  In other words, I like to enjoy my sunshine from the shade (how's that for irony?).  Bake me in the sun too long, and I'm a cranky gal.  My daughter lives in a warm climate, and June is about the latest I'll visit her.  August?  Forget it.

What about you?  Does weather change your mood?

Writing and Weather by Marta Perry

We seem to be riding a wave of weather-related posts lately, and I've been thinking about what Leann said in her blog post about getting a story out of all the crazy weather. It seems no matter where we live, there is some weather-related phenomena to write about, and I think doing so can bring a reality and freshness to a story that is important. Someone recently used the words "disaster fatigue" in my hearing, referring to the fact that after we watch so many stories on the news of disastrous tornados and terrible tsunamis, we begin to detach from them.

That's human nature, I suppose. We watch, we marvel, we say a quick prayer for the victims, maybe we give money or send other aid. But then we move on. There are always new stories, new things going on in the world to engage our emotions and motivate our giving.

But what about the people who actually lived through the disaster? For them, moving on is not so easy or so quick. Here in the Susquehanna Valley in Pennsylvania, we are still recovering from the disastrous flooding that accompanied Hurricane Lee on its rampage. That happened in early September, but some people are still out of their homes, still unable to get on with their lives. For them, the flood is still now.

We were fortunate last September, more fortunate than many. We were isolated for a few days out here in the country, unable to get to town because of the river flooding, but at least we were warm and dry. The creek rose into the barn, but then it flowed back out again without causing much damage. Still, we were involved. Friends, church members, other people we don't even know were hurting. We gave money and supplies, fixed food and offered prayers. When the community is in pain, we all are.

And what does this have to do with writing, you ask? It's my feeling that all of the things we go through become a part of our creative imagination. Sometimes as writers we're not even aware that it's happening, but there it is on the page--we've worked out our grief and anguish through our fiction, and if we've done it well enough, we've drawn other people, people who haven't known this particular disaster, into it with us.

I'm in the planning stages of a new trilogy at the moment, and sure enough, a flood has worked its way into the story. It's part of my life, so it's part of my story. If I've done it well enough, perhaps God may use it to move or to comfort someone else, and that is why we write, isn't it?

Blessings,
Marta

Lyn Cote--Weird, Weird Winter

Am I the only one who thinks that this January has been strange?
Seattle gets a foot of snow!
Tornadoes in Arkansas and Alabama!
North and South Dakota are in a snow drought!

The weather is a constant topic of conversation. Any ideas why?

Personally I like to use weather in my stories since a storm, tornado, lightning, etc can raise the tension. My first Love Inspired, Never Alone, took place during a very hot, very stormy summer. Did anyone read it? Do you know what weather phenomenon I used for the climax?

So tell me about the weather you're having at home and if it's the usual. And answer that question if you can. I'm giving away one free download of my latest "wintery" ebook, Winter's Secret. I'll annouce the winner on my blog on Sunday!--Lyn


(Click the cover to go to Winter's Secret's Amazon page.)

Time to Read--Merrillee Whren

Before I became a published author, I was a reader. I read different kinds of books--classics, mysteries, thrillers and non-fiction, but when I discovered romances, I knew I had found my favorite reads because they always have a happy ending. I don't have as much time to read anymore because the time I used to spend reading is used for writing. My to-be-read pile is so huge that I'm afraid I will never find the bottom of it.

So when do I have time to read? This week. I'm looking forward to the next couple of days. One of our daughters is coming for a visit, and we will climb over the sand dune in the photo below, put our chairs on the sand close to the water's edge and read.



You might find us looking something like this, although we will probably have an umbrella to shade us from the sun. If we get too involved in our books, the umbrella will keep us from getting a sunburn.



What is your favorite place to read?

Weather

Merrillee here, who is enjoying some very nice weather--perfect for going to the beach near my home. I feel fortunate that the weather has been so wonderful for the folks who were here for this past holiday weekend. Although sunny skies and rainless days are great for beaching going, golfing and tennis, it also means a greater chance of fire. Fires are burning in several places along I-95 in Florida. We need rain very badly.



Other people in the US are getting too much rain and are dealing with horrendous floods, and others are dealing with tornadoes.





Everyone talks about the weather even though we can do very little about it. An important weather event starts today--the beginning of hurricane season for those of us who live in the coastal areas of the United States. Every year it is a guessing game as to what the hurricane season will bring. We get our hurricane readiness supplies and hope for the best. Several years ago we purchased hurricane shutters for our house. Thankfully, we haven't had to use them. If a hurricane is expected to make landfall where we live, we will be required to evacuate. That means we will have to take our most important possessions with us and leave our home behind and pray that it will still be there when we come back.

In several of my books, my characters have had to deal with problematic weather. In FOUR LITTLE BLESSINGS, my hero and heroine have to evacuate because of a hurricane. In MOMMY'S HOMETOWN HERO, the farm where my hero lives is hit by a tornado. In HOMETOWN PROMISE, the hero and heroine have to dig out after a blizzard, and in my upcoming January 2012 book, MONTANA MATCH, my characters also have to deal with a blizzard.

What kind of weather affects the area where you live? Have you ever had to deal with a weather related disaster? If so, please tell us about it.

Weather

Merrillee here, who is consumed with thinking about the weather. I live in "sunny" Florida, and so far our winter has been anything but sunny. Today I'm looking at another cloudy, gloomy day. I will have to admit that most of yesterday was sunny--one of the few I've seen this year.

When I was a kid we always used to say if March came in like a lamb, it would go out like a lion. Well, it came in like a lamb, so I'm wondering whether the end of March will go out like a lion with some not-so-nice weather. This time of year our temperatures should be near 70 degrees for a high, but we are hovering in the 50's. I like to walk outside, but I'm a fair weather walker. I hate to be cold on the outside and too hot underneath all my clothes.

We recently took a vacation to Arizona to see our daughter and her family. We thought we were going to enjoy some warm Arizona sun. NOT. Instead, we took our cloudy, gloomy Florida weather with us. We went to visit the Sonora Desert Museum, and I was almost too cold to enjoy it. Here are a few photos that I took.

Notice those big, black rain clouds in the background.


I wonder whether the mountain lion is wishing for a more sunny day. He has great camouflage, doesn't he?


Here are a couple of coyotes. I wonder what they do when it rains. At least the mountain lion has a cave for cover.

Despite the cold weather and the rain, I also saw this bright sign.


I hope, despite the dark clouds, that you can see the rainbow. It reminded me that God keeps his promises. No matter what is going on around us God is in charge. He brings the rain even to the desert. He also gave me a granddaughter who brings a smile to my face. Looking at her makes me forget all about the cloudy weather.


Despite bad weather, what makes you smile?