Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Weather or Not?

Hi to all of you who are fighting blizzards or other snow storms.  Once more, here in Southern California, we've had a bit of rain, which is very, very welcome.  Snow?  Not this year, although believe it or not I've seen a little snow in Los Angeles over the years.  Very little, and not recently, though.  But believe me, I'm not trying to rub it in.  I sympathize with all of you who are having to plan your days around the weather.

I grew up in Pittsburgh and changes in weather seemed natural to me.  My favorite season was fall, since it wasn't hot and humid like summer and neither was it snowy and hard to get around, like winter.  Plus, I loved to see the leaves on trees change color.  Spring was okay, too, but only second best to me. 

And now?  I've lived in LA for a long time and the seasons blend into one another, generally consisting of rainy or not.  And lately, rainy doesn't rule, although this year we're at least seeing some of that welcome wetness.

Because I live in LA, a lot of my stories also take place in Southern California so weather doesn't play a huge role.  However, my next Harlequin Nocturne, another in my Alpha Force mini-series, takes place in Canada.  There's a hint about coldness and snow in the mountains in that story but it doesn't take place in the most severe weather.  

My upcoming Barkery and Biscuits Mysteries are located in a fictional town in the San Bernardino Mountains near LA.  The first one doesn't have a lot of reference to the weather there, although my protagonist's brother takes people out on expeditions that can include hiking, boating, swimming--or skiing or treks in the snow.  The next book I'll be writing is number two in that series, and I'm considering setting it in fall or winter.  If so, I'll be including weather.  However, it's more likely to occur in summer since book number one in the series, BITE THE BISCUIT, will be published in May and it's set in the spring. 

I'm currently watching the overcast sky over the San Fernando Valley and enjoying it as I write.  And I hope all of you, wherever you are and whatever your weather, are doing well and taking full advantage of your climate. 
 
So--tell us.  What's the weather where you are?

4 comments:

Betty Hechtman said...

Having just been in snow recently, I can certainly appreciate Southern California weather - particularly last Sunday when I went to Disneyland and barely wore my jacket.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I assume you're talking about a Chicago visit, Betty, which has to be fun but a lot more weather-challenging than Southern California!

chkntza said...

I live in Los Angeles. I was just out walking at 5:00pm under a cloudy sky. It was still light and warm outside. It was lovely.

Linda O. Johnston said...

I'm with you, Miriam! So are my dogs. They like going outside into our yard before sunset.