In the Good 'Ol (Almost) Winter Time

 

We’re entering my favorite time of year, not because of the festive holidays of the season, but because of the weather. I love late fall and early winter, when the temperatures finally start to chill. Maybe we’ll see a little frost on the ground.

I moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast from New Jersey over 40 years ago and you would think that by now, I would adjust to the heat and humidity of the South. Nope. But once November and December arrive, I am a happy camper. Of course, the temps don’t drop that low, maybe 40s at night then back up to the 70s the next day, but that’s alright. There will be those cold, wintery nights when we drop into the 30s. And hey, last year we had up to 9-inches of snow in some areas. I was giddy as a schoolgirl.

I have a couple more events scheduled around my latest book, Notable Women of Alabama . The first will be on November 14^th when I return to the beautiful BellingrathGardens in Theodore, Alabama. I will be there at 10:30am for my first ever reading and book signing. I know, crazy, right? I have had 20 books published in 25 years and have never been invited to do a reading, so this will be fun.

Then on January 10^th from 1 to 3 p.m., I will be signing copies of the book at Page and Palette in Fairhope, Alabama. I hope to see you at one of these events.

So, I was asked the question the other day, "Have you ever used people you know as the basis for characters in your writing?" The answer is - how can you not?

I've met so many interesting people over the years, I can't help but mix their personalities into my writing. And that's what I do, when creating a character, they are usually a mashup of personalities - a bit of this one, a touch of that.

That's how I crafted the characters for my new cozy mystery. The banter, their quirks, the romance, the atmosphere at the station, it's all based on the great people I worked with over the years in the field. Yes, even my sarcastic personality shines through. Don't get me wrong. There wasn't a murder at any of the stations I worked at.

So, yes, I do use people I know as the basis for characters in my writing. And as the t-shirt says, "Be careful or you'll end up in my novel."

 Until next time…