Reading through the posts here the last couple days from Michelle, Nathan and Kayleigh I can see a theme resonating with cold and warming everyone up.
I have to join in with them, because I'm praying for spring. We've had a fairly mild winter, but I'm counting down the days until spring (42 days!!!). The tundra swans have returned to SW Ontario earlier than usual and Shubencadie Sam and Wiarton Willie both predicted an early spring.
Although Puxtaney Phil said 6 more weeks of winter. Meanie.
I know, I know it's the same length of time. It's a totally mind game those rodents are playing with us. Still, the Tundra Swans don't lie right?
RIGHT???
*sigh*
I'm not a fan of winter, as you know, but we're getting closer to spring.
So close.
And I'm really looking forward to not wearing 18 layers of clothing and kicking off my socks again.
I guess I could have it worse. My brother & his S.O. are suffering through their first winter in the Northwest Territories. Did someone say cold? This is a picture of my brother driving across Great Slave Lake on an actual ice road.
Brrr.
I think I'll keep my winter ...but it's days are numbered! What part of spring are you looking forward to the most?
You can find out more about Amy at her website or find her hanging out on Twitter.
It's February, and it might be the shortest month of the year, but wow, it feels like it just goes on forever. Especially up here in Canada, where the sun might be returning but it's sure taking its time, and there seem to be endless days of minus-you-must-be-kidding degrees outside, which is full of endless white stuff that isn't white hot chocolate.
At our house, we jokingly (but not so jokingly) refer to January-February as one long month, which we've renamed Suckuary.
Suckuary can really...well, suck.
So what do I do when it's dark, and cold, and even working up my usual levels of enthusiasm feels like too much work?
First, I check in on how I'm really feeling. There's a real stigma with discussing mental health, and I'm pretty forward about my own. I've been medicated before, and I am absolutely willing to be medicated again if I need it. My brain isn't always up to the task of producing the right chemicals, and it can go a bit off the rails when it's Suckuary.
But if it's not time to visit my doctor, sometimes it's just time to practice some self-care.
That's something else that has a bit of a stigma to it. It goes hand-in-hand, frankly, with mental health stigma, as far as I'm concerned. If we take time out to recharge, it's often seen as self-indulgent. We feel guilty over things we could be accomplishing—never mind that we can't accomplish anything on a flat mental or emotional battery. In theory, we're supposed to just "get over it" and "pull ourselves together" and any number of other completely useless and tactless phrases that don't actually help in the slightest.
So what do I do? Honestly, in the short days, with the short light, in the shortest month...
I go short.
I read a lot when I'm struggling to keep my chin up. Throughout January and February, I'm far, far more likely to read short fiction and novellas than any other time of the year other than maybe December (and, hey, December doesn't have a lot of light, either, no?)
Now, I'm a huge fan of shorter fiction already, and I read it quite a bit, but it's almost all I read these months. I love short fiction on its own merit, and I adore the tightness of a well-written piece of shorter fiction. I don't think of short fiction as "lesser" in any way other than word count. They're different animals than novels, and that's a good thing. You can do things with short fiction that you can't pull off with different formats. The same goes for novellas—done well, they run lean, and they can tell different stories than novels. Shorter fiction can get a bad rap. I think part of that is so often most readers are really only exposed to shorter fiction through classes in High School and University and... okay, I did a Lit degree, and can we just admit that a tonne of assigned reading is... uh...
Help me out here. I need another word for "mind-numbingly dry."
Okay, that's unfair, and I read some amazing stuff in university, but you get my point. It's Suckuary. I want fun, light, happy-ever-after, or super-smexy and scorching, or funny—or all of the above—and I want it in small, compartmentalized doses because I'm tired, cold, and grumpy and no one has brought me another white hot chocolate yet.
And as silly as this may sound, the sense of accomplishment and joy of reading a story isn't reduced by the length of the piece I've read. Every single one I finish and mark as read on my little tracker has me grinning to myself and thinking, Take that Suckuary!
I get to visit new worlds, I get to watch people fall in love, and I get to do it quickly. We all win.
So, when it's dim and cold and I'm trying to get things done when all I really want to do is find a blanket and (another) cup of white hot chocolate, I can give myself a dose of happiness with something short. Maybe that's a collection of short fiction from an author I love (right now, that's Trebor Healey's Eros and Dust), or maybe it's by diving into a novella series (which, most recently, was our own Kayleigh Malcolm's fantastic Craving His Love, the forty-seventh (!) in the Black Hills Wolves series), or maybe it's taking a chance with an anthology and potentially meeting a tonne of new-to-me or just-plain-new authors to love (I love the Best Gay Romance series for this very reason).
Whatever form it takes, short can be awesome. White hot chocolate, on the other hand?
Go for tall.
Speaking of short stories... I have one that's near and dear to my heart. This short erotica story turned out to be only the first to use the characters that would end up with four more stories and two novels to follow. It's called Three.
Blurb
During the full moon, the vampires gather to renew their bonds. It takes three, and those in groups have total power over those who aren’t. For Luc, alone since he was created, the full moon is his only opportunity.
Seeking blood to satiate him for the month ahead, Luc finds a rival instead: Anders, a demon just as alone, who’s also on the hunt.
They choose the same prey: Curtis, a handsome young man resistant to their supernatural charms. When neither a vampire’s glamour nor demon’s passion work on him, it becomes clear their only chance of success lies in the unthinkable: working together.
There are mixed opinions about winter in Canada. There are those who love it, and those who hate it.
I'm somewhere in the middle. How can that be, you ask? There are many variables to take into consideration. So here's my list:
Love:
Extra reasons to cuddle
The crackle of the warm fire on a cold winter's night
The smell of wood burning in the fireplace
Hot Cocoa or a great cup of tea
More time indoors attached to my laptop
Snow days where Mother Nature determines if I leave home
Watching my minions building snow men
Sledding
Cozy Sweaters
Leggings and long pants
Scarves made with love
Curl up with a glass of wine and snuggle under a blanket
Hate:
Salt-stained boots
The crowded and cluttered mud room
Schizphrenic weather
Ice storms
Muddy cars
Dangerous commutes
Not being able to BBQ as often
Limited bond fires outside
Yellow snow
Bitter cold (below -20 c)
Unburying your car, your porch, your driveway...
Any kind of shoveling in general!
Most of all, I love steamy Canadian Romances that chase the chills away.
I love reading them, I love writing them. Without spending a fortune to travel to romantic getaways with balmy weather and smexy men in next-to-nothing, romance stories can sweep you off your feet.
There is nothing better than to be curled up with your favourite bevvy, a fantastic book and a cozy blanket with the crackling fire just feet away from you.
This winter and early spring, I'm so excited to be bringinng not one, but two fiery releases with dragons to warm your hearts!
Coming in February, 2017:
Mythic Iron
A Wiccan Haus-Dragon Menage
(Official cover still to come)
Coming in March, 2017:
Stoking the Flames
A 13 Story Anthology with 13 Fantastic authors!
My story in this anthology is another smokin' hot dragon menage called
Curse of the Dragon's Eye
So tell us, what is your favourite way to keep warm in the winter? Happy reading,
Do you realize that the mound of snow at the end of my driveway is actually taller than me? Well, most people and things are actually taller than me, what can I say? LOL Welcome to Sault Ste. Marie! haha
Hi all! I'm baaaack! :)
So this girl has a super seekrit Regency novel due very soon
with my editor, and with the temperatures consistently dropping, I can’t afford
to be delayed by writing in a room that’s too cold. Not that we don’t have the
heat on, but if you live in Ontario, you know our electricity bills have been
soaring through the roof. Keeping room temps between 17 to 21 degrees is our
typical range at home.
55k in 30 days is no small feat, not to mention writing a
sexy historical romance. So with this month being my version of #nanowrimo here’s
a few handy things that anyone writing, working on homework, or even gaming can
do to keep those nimble fingers moving and warm.
Drink warm beverages. Whatever your choice is,
keeping yourself hydrated with warm fluids is a must. Be it dirty bean water,
tea, or even broth, it does a great job in keeping you alert and your phalanges
warm.
Take a break and stretch it out. You’d be
surprised how much you can improve your circulation and warm up with 15 minutes
of stretching, or walking up and down your stairs. Physical activity is a bonus
and good for you.
Dress appropriately. I mean if the room is 17
degrees and I’m not lucky enough to experience a hot flash while writing, I’m
certainly not going to be sitting there in a tank top and shorts. 😂😂😂
Fingerless gloves anyone?
Did I miss anything? What tips would you add to keeping warm while working at your computer?
- About The Author -
Born and raised in Toronto,
Ontario, Layna discovered her love of reading at an early age. She’s a
bestselling author at All Romance eBooks and a multi-published author of
historical, paranormal, and contemporary erotic romances. When she isn’t
devouring salacious romance novels or writing, she enjoys hiking and
researching ancient history, mythology, and weaponry. She lives in Northern
Ontario with her husband and two daughters.
I hate winter ...which is funny since I should be somewhat used to it as a Canadian right? And one who has lived in Canada for *cough* 39 *cough* years.
I still hate it. Yuck. There are baby pictures of me in a snowsuit, crying. It's true.
I recently did 23andMe genealogy tests and I'm a mix of Fennoscandian (Viking basically) & English on my mother's side and Algonquin/Cree and French on my father's side. He's from way, way, up in northern Ontario ...like where the road ends.
Genetically speaking, I was made for winter.
I really hate winter.
However, I love me some Canadian summers. My CP is from Jamaica and she thinks our lakes are too cold in the summer. Even when it's stifling out, she thinks I was nuts launching myself into Lake Huron or Erie. Okay, I admit Lake Superior is cold, but once the numbness goes away it's quite pleasant. LOL
When I went on the Great Canadian Road Trip a couple years ago through the prairies and to Alberta, I fell in love with the west. I said to my husband, I would move here in a heartbeat. I love it.
Then he reminded me about winter. Drat.
I also, in a sad twist of fate, love the north. I'm obsessed with the north. In fact my debut book with Harlequin was set in the winter in Iqaluit, Nunavut.
I write about winter, but I still get the serious winter blahs.
I might also be the only Canadian who doesn't skate, but really you don't want to see an almost six foot woman who is dressed like Randy from a Christmas Story (because I don't like the cold) falling down on hard ice and crying much like Randy did from that same movie.
So like a smart, sunlight deprived, winter complainer I try and write stories set in the south during the winter. Last winter, I got to travel (in my mind only sadly) to Miami, Florida with my newest release Alejandro's Sexy Secret.
There is a method to my madness. My winter books get written in the summer on blistering hot days and my sunny books in the winter, when it's -40 and the wind is howling like some kind of demented banshee and end up sounding a bit like Burgess Meredith from Grumpy Old Men when people come and knock on my door. Actually, the below scene is pretty accurate to me in the winter, fair warning.
Well, I may not be made for winter, but I sure as heck love being a Canadian!
How do you fight winter blahs? Or summer blahs? I know some people prefer winter over summer. I want to know.
Born and raised just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Amy fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams.
After the birth of her second child, Amy was lucky enough to realize her life long dream of becoming a romance author. When she's not furiously typing away at her computer, she's a mom to three wonderful children who use her as a personal taxi and chef.
Good morning all! I hope you've had a great summer, and fall is shaping up to be awesome for you. I can't believe it's November already!! I'm about 3/4 through my Christmas buying. Our kids are getting older and while the presents increase in price, they don't need as much. So the shopping is going well and quite quickly but I've found doing most of it online saves so, so much hassle. I mean, our mall is already congested with people every day, traffic is a heart attack waiting to happen and it's impossible to get down any aisles in some stores as they are also congested. And I like buying people things that aren't always found in stores so doing it online makes it fun to find those unique gifts for everyone. I helped the hubby with a lot of wood cutting and piling over the last few months. Many days looked like this ...
and were a lot of fun. For the most part! It is hard, back breaking work sometimes but he and I enjoyed it. Plus, it's a necessity. We need it to keep our tushies warm in the winter and we have enough acreage to do it ourselves.
In writing news, Evernight Publishing has contracted 3 of my stories in the last few weeks. Coming up are --
COVER ME (Contemporary Erotic Romance) -- Older woman/younger man
PAYBACK'S A BITCH (Contemporary Erotic Romance) -- Previous release, scene added and re-edited for re-release
GUARDING HIS ANCHOR (Suspense/Contemporary Erotic Romance) -- Canadian Muscle Book 2
I'm super thrilled to have new books coming out and am grateful that the last year is over. It was a difficult one but I've grown in strength and knowledge that I can't control everything.
I am currently writing the sequel to "Stirring Up Dirty" (Stirred by Love series), and am enjoying the characters again. It's always refreshing to return to old characters and catch up on their lives.
That's all from me today. I'm off to work on my WIP and my newsletter. See you next month.
Good morning all. Just when I thought my world was warming up a bit last weekend (weekend of Feb 6 & 7th) -- see no snow around Peaches...
Was gorgeous weather!!
Then, a cold snap came through that had me wishing I was a bear with the ability to hibernate!! Even driving Son #1 to work those cold mornings and afternoons was exhausting and bitter. I hate snow!! I was born on a night --- mmm blah blah years ago --- in the midst of a cold and frigid snow storm, and I really dislike winter! So why do I live in Canada, right? There's no place like home where my family is! But I digress, with the cold snap came a lot of writing, which I've started to doubt will remain in my current WIP. The 3,600 words may not pass muster, there's just something "wrong" about some of them and it's quite disappointing when that happens. A lot of energy and time go into writing a first draft -- blood, sweat and tears -- and I dislike deleting chunks like this. I think my heart and mind just weren't in it. All this cold weather, family drama around me has turned me even more introverted than I already was.
Peaches
Thankfully I have Lily, Peaches, as well as new babies -- Sam and Dean (my hedgehogs) to keep me positive and smiling. I also have my Daughter's hedgie here for a few days (Jax), while she's not in school this week.
Lily
Lily's just been "fixed", which is nice now -- no more in heat cries of torture for her. LOL Peaches is as cute and cuddly as always. And the hedgies are about a week away from their mom and doing great.
Dean
Sam in his sock
Sam, Dean & Jax eating
But I have the mid February -- mid winter -- blues that I'm struggling to kick. Hubs and I should take a long Caribbean vacation until the weather turns. Though I'm not sure I'd be able to find enough sunscreen to keep me from turning into a lobster...another blog post entirely!!! LOL What do you do during the winter that keeps you from going crazy with the ups and downs of the weather?? Until next time, stay warm!!!
