The Ins and Outs of Snow

When I first started writing my story—Snow Kissed—I knew I needed some insight about SNOW from my friends who actually lived in the snow. I, myself, am a California girl recently transplanted in North Carolina. I’d visited snow, gone skiing, spent weekends in the mountains all while living in CA. Now in NC, we have the occasional snow fall which usually melts that same hour or within a day or two. But living with snow day in and day out all winter long, I knew nothing about. So I tapped into the knowledge of my good friend and critique partner who is a Wisconsin native. Here is some of what she told me are the ‘Ins and Outs’ of Snow.

Good Things

1. Snow is beautiful.  Especially new fallen snow that has yet to be disturbed.
2. Winter sports and activities are great – skiing, sledding, ice skating, snow mobiling, snow shoeing and ice fishing to name a few.
3. It’s nice to look out at the snow from your cozy, warm house as you are curled up under an afghan with a good book.
4. Winter clothes are so cozy and cuddly (not to mention more forgiving of figure flaws than most summer clothes.)
5. Hot chocolate with whipped cream when you come in from the cold.
6. No road construction!
7. Snow days!  Hurray for no school.

Bad Things

1. Dirty snow and slush are gross.
2. Shoveling the driveway and digging out cars after a snowstorm.
3. We miss gardening, picnicking and swimming outside.
4. It’s not nice when it’s twenty degrees below zero (before factoring in the wind chill) and your car battery is dead from the cold.
5. It’s a pain to have to put on so many extra clothes – coat, hat, mittens, scarf and boots – just to walk to the end of the driveway and get the mail.  If you have kids, add snow pants as well to their outdoor ensemble.
6. Cold floors!  Especially if you don’t have carpeting in your bedroom.
7. Bad driving conditions.  Icy roads can send cars spinning into the ditch and drifts of snow can trap cars in them.

Do you have anything to add about snow? Love it—Hate it?

From my friend's 'Guide to Snow' that she sent me, I was able to write my story--Snow Kissed. My heroine is in love with the white stuff and my hero finds it inconvenient and annoying.

Snow Kissed is coming this Novemeber from White Rose Publishing.