January is normally the coldest month for us here in Alberta, Canada, and this January isn’t disappointing in that respect. We’re having a bit of a cold snap. For us, that’s when the highs are between -25C and -30C. It’s not too bad. It certainly might get colder for a bit, but it’s chilly! And you don’t want to be standing around outside.

This is our son looking really enthusiastic about the weather before I drove him to school recently. 😉 It was snowing out, and we had to clean the car off. But underneath that pile of snow is a nice windshield cover, so after wiping the snow off, I didn’t have to do any windshield scraping at all! (That was a Christmas present this year. The gift that keeps on giving!)

Mr. Johns had already left for work, and you are all free to send him your silent sympathy, because he works outside in this weather!

Winter is cold. That’s just the way it is! But in Alberta, we’re used to long winters and it doesn’t hold us back. Our town is particularly nice, because after those Christmas lights are lit in early December, they stay on all winter long until spring!

This is a picture of the lights in a nearby park. I took that picture after dropping my son off at school when I was on my way home again to get back to writing. It’s cheery, isn’t it? It just makes the cold mornings a little happier.

I joke around and say that this is the perfect place for a writer to live because the winters are long and cold, and it makes sitting at home with your computer a lovely, cozy option. (Mr. Johns gives me a flat look when I say this, because his days are considerably less cozy!) But you can see how that would work, can’t you? When the outdoors are like this, it feels good to get back inside with a good book–one you’re writing, preferably. LOL!

I hope your winters are as cozy as mine! And if not, I hope you’re as tough as my husband. 😉

***

Coming in April 2020!

Pre-order now!

For a proper young Amish widow struggling to begin again, encountering her reckless first love will test her forgiveness, resolve—and heart . . .

Overwhelmed by grief and tending twin baby daughters, Rosmanda Lapp is without options. She still blames her brother-in-law, Levi, for her husband’s accidental death—but she and her aging in-laws need him to keep their farm going. Yet as Levi takes on his responsibilities with a new determination and steadiness, she can’t help but regret that she chose his serious-minded brother over him. For Levi is still very much the passionate man she loved—and Rosmanda now has even more reasons to keep him at arm’s length . . .

Levi can’t blame Rosmanda for staying clear of him. He has mistakes to make up for and must finally do right by his parents. Still, he never got over his brother stealing Rosmanda away. And he can’t  deny the feelings that even now tempt them back to each other. And when a mistake from her past threatens her reputation, Levi will do whatever it takes to help her—and trust that faith and courage will at last help them claim a future together . . .