Favorite Things

It’s the First Day of Autumn

This is my favorite season! I love it when the weather turns cooler and the leaves start to turn colors. My ideal place is sitting high on a mountain in a copse of aspen trees that are turning colors.

When I was growing up, I lived high up in the mountains amongst the pine trees. I loved to lay on my back on the soft pine needles and look up at the towering trees. The smell of the pine needles would surround me and the sound of the wind rushing through the boughs was so peaceful.

I think you can see my love of the mountains, trees, and lakes in my writing. That’s the terrain around Revlin, where the palace of Carlow is located in the Kingdom of Carlow. There’s a wonderful lake with a waterfall and trees that grow nearly to the water’s edge. Too bad the awful Red Caps live on the other side of the southern border.

Anyway, back to autumn! Go outside and hike in the mountains. Be safe and look for the changing leaves. They’ll be everywhere!

A Favorite Thing

One of the things I miss when the weather is hot is a nice cup of tea. I have a favorite seller here in the U.S. (harney.com) and favorite blends. I typically use loose tea because I think it makes a better cup, plus, I love the ritual of spooning leaves into the pot and pouring water over them. The leaves unfurl and the aroma is fantastic.

I usually need to drink decaffeinated or herbal teas because my body loves to hold on to caffeine and keep me awake at night. And that interferes with my writing process! It’s in the dark when I’m relaxed and about to fall asleep, that problems with my plot are solved. I also “see” interesting scenes and those little details that can help a scene come to life. But sitting in front of my computer with a steaming cup of tea really makes the writing process work for me.

What works for you?

Have a cup with me! Sonja

Being out in nature is one of my favorite things–which is something I have in common with the characters in my books. There’s something about the green of the trees, the whispers of the wind, and the sound of my hiking boots on the dirt trail. Do you feel the same way?

Here in the desert, we don’t have a lot of water, but when we do it seems that everyone gets out to celebrate the greening up of Mother Nature’s gown. The water just left this creekbed, but the trees and shrubs are still reaping the rewards of the damp soil.

Now that we are at the end of the summer, things are dry and dusty. Our monsoon season was a bust; hopefully, we’ll have a wet fall and winter. I haven’t been able to hike into the hills because of the intense heat (safety first!), so I’m looking forward to the cooler days. I’ve been asked why I don’t simply drive into the Santa Catalina Mountains to go for a hike. It’s so temperate there, even in the desert furnace. I haven’t been able to go hiking up there since I ran into the bear (that’s a subject for another post). It really scared me, so I am reluctant to meet another one. I probably wouldn’t see one, but I would be so worried that I wouldn’t enjoy the hike. It’s a quandry!!!

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Have a wonderful day, Sonja