The Romance of Writing Winter Settings

By Delsora Lowe

I’ll admit right up front that I am not a lover of winter. Unless…I am sitting inside by a roaring fire, sipping hot cocoa, and watching lazy snowflakes drift by…OUTSIDE my window. Having said that, I love to write books set in winter.

Who doesn’t love the thought of cuddling under a huge wool lap blanket while riding in a sleigh on a crisp, cold starlit night under a full moon with the love of your life? Or a first date with the man you’ve lusted after for years, cross-country skiing over a field of virgin snow under a sunny, bluer than blue February sky.

Winter Walk in Colorado
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

Cross-country skiing in Maine
Photo by Nancy Bosburgh-Zane

                                   

Or being “stranded” in a car, just the two of you, on a small winding road in Colorado, snowflakes fluttering down under a full moon shining through the light cloud cover, and surrounded by a herd of grazing elk…on Christmas Eve. Yes, that really happened to me. A little bit scary, yes! But awe-inspiring as the silhouettes of Elk meandered around the car, their majestic heads held high, the moonlight and swirling snow adding an eerie, but beautiful feel to the cold night. And, you can bet I used that magical scene in one of my Cowboys of Mineral Springs, Colorado ranching novels due out in 2018-19.

My current work in progress, The Inn on Gooseneck Lane, is set during the winter holidays in Vermont, and will abound with romantic outdoor activities (says I, as I gleefully rub my hands together in anticipation.) Think midnight sleigh rides under a full moon. Watching New Year’s Eve fireworks while sitting around a bonfire, sipping mulled wine or hot cocoa and toasting marshmallows. Midday cross-country ski trips with a winter picnic around a toasty fire. And then returning to a cozy New England Inn for the night.

Fireworks over Aspen, CO ski area
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

In my Starlight Grille series, I used winter scenes in all three books.

In book one, The Legacy of Parkers Point, the resolution happens on a blustery, snowy day. Using weather, in this case the cold and snow as a metaphor or contrast to convey emotion gives readers the ability to feel what your character does.

Lauralee stood and walked to the bank of windows, the flutter of first snow now drifting across the deck, a contrast to the turmoil inside her.

In book two, Come Dance With Me, the moment it seems that all is lost for our hero and heroine, is at a Christmas dance. There is also a scene of driving through a blizzard searching for a lost teen. Although all turns out well, I had to pull forth my many experiences of commuting to and from work in blizzard conditions in Maine to help create a feeling of anxiety. And my friend’s knowledge of search and rescue techniques for frigid weather adds authenticity to the scene. Hence the reason I’d rather be warming my hands next to a roaring fire, rather than out in a blizzard.

In my newest book, with a Valentine’s Day setting, the entire story is set during the winter. Mary Beth, the heroine of Moonlighting, doesn’t see herself as the most graceful or athletic person. I used her lack of confidence in herself in an ice-skating date gone awry with the man she crushed on in high school and has recently reconnected with. The angst of once being that nerdy, uncoordinated, plump girl drives her emotion and reactions to a present day date on skates. I used my own experience as a far from athletic teen and a date from hell (on his part, not mine) with one of my teenage crushes—skating on the canal in Washington D.C., and having to cling to my date the entire time because I was so afraid of falling. Okay, so clinging to a guy you have a crush on is a good thing. Holding him back from having a great time with a group of friends, not so much. Fifty years later, that date is a vivid memory that I used to conjure up the angst of my heroine.

As I said earlier, winter is not my favorite time of year, because for me it means more work; bundling up to go outside, navigating bad roads and sidewalks, trying to keep myself warm even inside the house, shoveling. But winter can also be the most romantic season to write about, where you can use the backdrop of setting to build celebrations or mirror your character’s angst.

Holiday Magic, Aspen, CO
Photo by Tanya Noone Baldwin

So I leave you with romantic thoughts for a cold winter day. Winter holidays. The chill in the air, a good excuse for cuddling. The vivid blue winter skies. The winter constellations in a moonlit, clear, crisp sky. The magic of a pristine, bright white landscape. The touch of snowflakes landing on your cheeks and the invigorating cold as you fill your lungs with each breath. Warm drinks by a roaring fire. Being snowed in with the one person you love. And last, but not least, curling up by the fire to read a romance.

Do you have a favorite winter memory?

And since February is the month of all things Valentine, anyone who leaves a comment and their email address between now and February 28 will be put in a drawing to win a free copy of Moonlighting. The book will be on sale for 99 cents through March 10.

Blurb:

A blast from the past, a ten-year old matchmaker with a valentine wish, an omission, and a villainous man…a recipe for disaster? Or love against all odds?

Tucker Benson’s decision to move to a new town, build a new business, and protect his daughter does not include finding a replacement for his cheating wife. But his ten-year old daughter has other plans.

And she’s found the one!

Mary Beth Walters’ life is up-to-the-brim full. When her high school crush, a single father, moves to town, she is tempted. Only problem is, he doesn’t recognize her. That could be a good thing. Or end in trouble.

When Tucker discovers the secret Mary Beth holds close to her heart, will love be enough to overcome broken trusts?

From Cabins to Cottages…Keep the Home Fires Burning

Delsora Lowe

A transplanted big city gal, world-wide traveler, and foreign-service brat, who now lives in a coastal Maine town, Delsora Lowe loves to write about small town heroes from the cowboys and ranchers of Colorado to the game wardens and lobstermen of Maine. Her work in the hospitality industry, rape crisis, admissions, alumni relations, and women’s advocacy has allowed her to interact on a daily basis with real life heroines and heroes.

Lowe’s family visits to Colorado are the inspiration for an upcoming contemporary western series in 2018. And her daughter’s wedding and her son’s home on the coast of Maine provided plentiful ideas for the Starlight Grille series.

Website: www.delsoralowe.com
Newsletter signup (only sent out when there is news): http://www.delsoralowe.com/contact.html

Blog: http://www.delsoralowe.com/blog

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2nRx1Bs 

Links:

Links to Moonlighting (A Starlight Grille Book 3): on preorder, to be released on December 7

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2BjuZS1

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/mZ5eop

Links to Come Dance With Me (A Starlight Grille Book 2):

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2Ev2rHc

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo: https://www.books2read.com/u/bMrQva 

Links to The Legacy of Parkers Point (A Starlight Grille Book 1):

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2nRcEUV

Books2Read – links to various vendors including iBooks, Nook, Kobo:  https://www.books2read.com/u/b6rQzx