Dearest Reader,
Do you like winter, and with it the cold that forces you inside and snow that blankets the earth, the sky, and everything in between? I do! I miss seeing the mountains, but I know when the snow does clear, the views will be spectacular. I'm heading into a full day of writing, because what better way to spend a snow day. It's not a great picture below because I won't be venturing outside until I need to stretch my legs again. That's out my office window.
Normally I can see the mountains. Well, when they aren't covered in clouds.
It's my alter-ego's characters who will monopolize most of today, with tomorrow being devoted to Donovan Kyndall and his story. With the outline complete, I'm eager to get down to the writing of his adventure. It's tricky with a series to keep each story unique and still tie the installments together. Because it wouldn't be fun to write or read with all four siblings in every book, I've taken to including them all in some way while keeping only one extra on the page. In Donovan's story, it will be Alexa who makes a return, this time with Craig. Do you remember them from their book, The Dragon's Staircase?
I learn new things about the Kyndalls with each book, and in a lot of ways I feel it was meant to be for Donovan's to come third. He's taken a little more work to figure out. Quiet and responsible, he's enjoyed his life as sheriff in small-town Alaska, but there's a lot more to him. I've gotten to appreciate his dry sense of humor, his unwavering love for his family, and his total good-guy persona. Of course no one is perfect and Donovan is no exception. I'm eager to spend more time with him.
Before I sign off and get to writing, I want to touch on the recent tragedy. There are days when horrific things happen and a scheduled post has already gone up and I haven't seen the news, which was the case on February 14. While I don't go back and remove posts based on current events, those affected by heinous crimes are in my thoughts and the families have my sympathies. When tragedy occurs, it touches us all in some way, regardless of how we express our sorrow, or where on earth it happens. My life is peaceful and sheltered where I live, and I cannot claim to understand what people go through when confronted with those horrors. For me, countering woes with joy and the simple act of moving forward is the only way I truly know how to live in a world where misfortune and darkness are still realities.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
