Stormy Weather #RB4U @melissa_keir

Stormy Weather

This month the RB4U authors are talking about Storms. The unpredictable nature of weather is exciting and frightening. All that power....

April showers bring May flowers. But here in Michigan we are almost as likely to get another round of snow showers before April is over and done with. Seriously by February, I'm ready for warmer weather and no more snow. In fact, the word SNOW is a horrible four letter word for me.

It's not that I hate snow. It's perfect for Christmas but it could come on December 23rd and melt on December 26th. What do you think of snow? What about thunderstorms?

There's nothing more thrilling than a thunderstorm. I used to sit on the front porch when I was younger and watch the lightning crash. The pouring rain and deep booming thunder completed the thrill ride. Still when a thunderstorm comes, I want to be right there, watching and feeling it to the marrow of my bones. They've never scared me...thrilled me...yes!

Do you find thunderstorms thrilling? What's your favorite thing to do during a storm?

My book- A Christmas Accident features a horrible snowstorm. The impact of the storm changes the lives of Sherri and Adam. 

Buy Link Only $0.99!

Excerpt:

Route 2 is known as Death’s Highway. The area of Route 2 between Bono and Sandusky claimed dozens of lives due to the large semi-trucks in addition to the awkward two lane road. People couldn’t see what was coming around the next bend so head-on collisions were frequent. The horrible blizzard-like conditions from Lake Erie only made the road more treacherous.

After grabbing the coffee, pretzels and some crackers for myself, then paying for them, I headed back to the car. The snow made the car hard to see from the door of the gas station. Driving in this mess wasn’t a comforting thought.

“Adam, the weather looks really bad. Maybe we should turn on a local radio station to check on the road conditions.”

Making slow progress, we listened to the bleak weather bulletin. Little did we know one single radio announcement would change our lives forever.

I've actually driven on Route 2 in Ohio. During one particular snow storm the road was so bad that after I spun out, there was another accident up ahead. The accident had the police cars just sliding off the road. In other words...what help would those sliding police officers and cars be!

Thank you for visiting today. I hope you'll join me again next month on the 9th for some more excerpts and thoughts. If you want to know more about my books, check out my website: http://www.melissakeir.com/melissas-books.html

It's Raining in my Books by Janice Seagraves

I enjoy the rain, spring and the planting season. It's raining right this minute and I'm loving it.

 Photos owned by Janice Seagraves

I've added rain as a scene element in most of my stories. The weather is nearly a secondary character in Windswept Shores, while Megan and Seth struggle to survive on a deserted island in the Bahamas, and in Weather Witch, Meredith, shows her emotion in a most singular way, the weather. 

In my current release, Matrix Crystal Hunters, a science fiction romance, it's the start of the rainy season on the distant planet of Zenevieva. On a trek out to the badlands, Vach and Maya get caught in the rain, but my favorite scene comes just after.

Blurb for Matrix Crysal Hunters:

The trail seemed to go on forever. Puddles reflected the dark gray sky. The air had a fresh-scrubbed smell, which contrasted with the earthy scent of the damp ground.

Several hours later, Maya checked her watch. Twelve o’clock. Which could mean it was closer to ten, since the Zeeman day had twenty-two hours and her watch used Earth’s twenty-four hour cycle. A hooded Zeeman stood not far off, staring at her. She stared back, wondering if it was a herder. But where was his flock?

Several more Zeeman-shaped figures were standing in a group, not far away, but their cloaks didn’t appear to be being stirred by the fretful wind. Maybe they weren’t Zeemen at all. Statues of some sort?

Later, she spotted one ahead of her, near the road. As she rode closer, she saw that it was a stone pillar of some kind. Zeeman-shaped, but much larger, maybe ten to twelve feet in height. She looked it up and down, trying to find carvings or letterings, but there were none.

She turned over the possibilities in her mind, finally coming to the conclusion that these must be the roots of long dead trees and bushes encased in limestone jackets. A few miles down the road, more of these pillars filled the landscape. The standing stones seemed to be watching her, from out on the flat plane. A shiver went down Maya’s back. Creepy.

Vach waited for her at the next rest stop. His nasty sherakey had been tied up at the far side, with a bush to chew on. Brawley made his way into the clearing, and Vach held his arms up, so he could help Maya dismount. She pulled a leg over the huge saddle horn and slid off into his arms.

Vach caught her, laughing. “Got you.”

She smiled. “Yes you do. Now, can you kindly help me walk? I’m as stiff as a board.”

“Of course.” He half-carried her over to a picnic table and bench set.

She let out a groan as she sat on the hard, ironwood surface.

“The ride will get better.” He rubbed her back.

Maya looked at him. “Promise?”

“It will.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

US, Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FJ10W26

UK, Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-ebook/dp/B00FJ10W26/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1380662336&sr=1-3

US, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

UK, Trade paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Matrix-Crystal-Hunters-Janice-Seagraves/dp/1492709751/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_t_1_KKW6