In Like a Lion, Out Like a. . . Lion?

It's that old adage that is espoused every year at this time - March roars in  like a lion and goes out like a lamb. Well, I'm guessing no one told Mother Nature about this because this month has been the craziest for those of us in the Northeast. Four....count 'em....four Nor'easters formed and stormed up the Atlantic coast bringing strong winds, heavy rain then snows, flooding, icing and other assorted weather conditions. Almost like clockwork, they formed and moved each week, usually on Monday or Tuesday, all through March. Last week - during our heaviest snow event -- even Jim Cantore of the Weather channel was in my area - and you know that means it was bad around here! LOL!

Thank goodness, March ends today and we can be done with those!

Holy April Fools joke, Batman! Another storm is on its way tomorrow into Monday (and vague rumors of another next week)!! Don't misunderstand - I'm the one who loves snow and snowstorms. I love watching it snow....love the quiet and the muted sounds....love the way the white stuff covers everything making it look pristine.

I love sitting at my desk with that view next to me.

But I know I'm crazy and everyone else I know was soooo over snow by the second storm. 

I think I'm the only one who also likes winter in general. I love cold weather and the lack of the allergens that will fill our air soon, making it impossible to breathe or stop sneezing.  I like feeling the need to put on a coat and gloves....and love it when it's cold enough for a hat or ear muffs. As I said, I know I'm the crazy one in this!


Don't lose hope yet if you don't like winter and wintry weather -- Spring has been making valiant efforts to break through. My crocuses and daffodils have been up for almost a month. The trees are budding and I've seen robins around here for weeks. Our temperatures have already reached the 70s several times and the smell of Spring is in the air now.

Maybe that's why I enjoy March? There is a possibility of all sorts of weather all month long - and snow can sneak in and brighten me up any time. Sigh....

So, how about you? Yearning for Spring or still wishing for Winter? Are you more of a hot weather Summer person? Or do you like the mix of Fall? What's your favorite kind of weather or season of the year? Post a comment or photo to share yours and I'll pick one person who comments who will receive one of my books and a wee giftie! 

I'm very excited to announce that CLAIMING HIS HIGHLAND BRIDE will be available in retail stores in a special edition in July! I hope you'll look for it and support our Harlequin Historical line in print!

The Weather Outside is Frightful. . . .

Winter arrived here in southern NJ this week and the temps took a windy, frigid tumble. The windchimes outside my former office window have been clanging like a school bell this week, wobbling to and fro, for hours and hours. Luckily, my bedroom is on the other side of the house or I'd get no rest. . . ! 

And, as Thanksgiving approaches, there are some other cold weather traditions I enjoy....

Hot chocolate!  The cold seems to awaken my need for hot chocolate. I associate it with snow and shoveling snow and kids playing in the snow and the first flurries send me running to check on my supplies -- either packaged or the fresh ingredients. 

Chai tea!  I drink tea all the time, and it's mostly always plain black tea, no flavorings, with fat-free milk and sweetener in it. But, when Autumn and Winter arrive, I need chai tea, with its rich flavors of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and even some pepper. I like to sip it, hot, and inhale the wonderful aroma of it.

Coffee! I know, I know, I don't drink coffee. I love the scent of it and the taste but coffee does not like me... So, I wait for a family gathering -- usually Thanksgiving, but this time a baby shower -- and I allow myself one cup, mixed with lots of milk and real sugar. I sip it and savor it, making appreciative noises (that drew my hubby's attention and curiosity) and know that I will pay the price to enjoy it. And I did, all through the night AND the next day -- but it was sooooo worth it. 

And finally, the ultimate sign that winter is approaching in my area? The arrival (and too-quick departure) of the WaWa turkey bowl! 

What, you ask, is a WaWa turkey bowl? Well, WaWa is a middle-Atlantic and Florida regional convenience store that makes incredible food, sandwiches, coffees and specialty drinks and . . . turkey bowls. They only arrive for a limited time -- and are a teasing hint of your homemade Thanksgiving dinner. Hot turkey in gravy served over mashed potatoes or stuffing or some of both. A dash of cranberry sauce can be added by why mess up the perfection of turkey, gravy and potatoes/stuffing? 

This year, an inside source told me of a pending end to the turkey bowl supply! They won't even last until Thanksgiving and connoisseurs of the dish are already mourning its loss. . . until next year....when it will come back when the cold weather returns. 

So, how about you? Do you have certain favorite foods or beverages you turn to when the weather turns bad? Please post and let me know....with turkey bowls disappearing, I'm going to be needing a new one very soon...! 

While awaiting the release of RISING FIRE in March 2015, Terri is working on the second in her new fantasy series - Novels of the Stone Circles - RAGING SEA. She's also going to have her next Harlequin Historical - the first in the new A HIGHLAND FEUDING series - coming out in April 2015! Please visit her website for more info about her books and upcoming events...! 

'Tis the season to shiver - Kandy Shepherd

How important is weather to you in a novel?

As I shiver through a cold, wet winter Down Under (yes, I know it’s meant to be eternal summer here but not where I live!) I realize I have never written a story set in anything but warm weather.

Whether my stories are set in spring, summer or fall, it’s always pleasant weather. Cool enough, perhaps, for a heroine to shrug on a hero’s chivalrously offered leather jacket on a spring evening, but most of my characters wear nothing warmer than a T-shirt. In The Castaway Bride, my hero and heroine don’t wear clothes much at all. If you were cast away on a blissfully perfect tropical island alone with a hot hunk, would you?

The perfect setting for romance!

A book set in a wonderful snowy location (trapped in a cozy, snowed-in mountain cabin with a hot hunk maybe) might be in my writing future, who knows? But not right now.

Toby is a picture of equine misery--despite his expensive new rug

They say to write about what you know, but there’s also writing about what you wish for. The scenarios I’ve chosen up ’til now force me to admit blue skies and a kindly sun feature strongly in my fantasies. Yes, the three stories I’m working on right now are all set in summer!

Miss Molly models her cosy coat

It isn’t only me who suffers in the cold weather, my animals too don’t seem to happy with the cold and wet winter we’re having.

There's nothing as contrary as a cat like Cindy who insists on sitting out in the rain

I have quite the menagerie of pets who are all complaining about the conditions.  Forget me getting a new coat for the winter—the horses and dog have priority.

I’m lucky, though, as I’m escaping to the Romance Writers of America convention in Anaheim in just a few weeks. Bring on that Californian weather!

Do have a season you enjoy more than the others? Do you notice the weather in a novel? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Leave a comment to win a free download of my e-book Something About Joe, or a voucher for a copy of The Castaway Bride from Amazon. Be sure to include your email address.

Something About Joe is available for just $0.99c at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and other e-retailers. The Castaway Bride is exclusive to Amazon.

Kandy Shepherd writes fun, feel-good fiction.

www.kandyshepherd.com