Last week we were in the middle of what I shall light heartedly call snowmaggedon. It started Wednesday morning with rain as I drove to campus at 7:30. By 8:05 as I walked to my class, it was sleeting and by 9:30 at a break we had an inch of snow. When I walked back to my building at 11, it looked like this:
I spent Thursday and Friday working from home. The ring light and Zoom became my “friends” as I taught four classes and had four meetings on Thursday followed by a full afternoon of meetings on Friday. I’ve got to tell you, I’m grateful for technology that allowed me to keep teaching my students rather than cancelling classes as the university closed to in-person classes through the snow. Closing for weather is very rare, so you know it was intense.
And here’s why. The side of town I live on got between 16 and 19 inches in two days. That’s more than we usually get in two winters. It was beautiful, but the roads in our neighborhood were still a mess on Tuesday. So. Much. Snow. (And I know those of you from New York, Colorado, and other spots are thinking, “You think that’s snow?!”
It really was lovely to watch it collect. And I’ve very glad the kids’ schools were proactive to cancel even if it means we have to add three days to the end of the semester. Snow Days, School Days. Oy! We eventuallly had to shovel a path across our patio so our pup could get out of the house to do her thing. That’s a lot of snow for us!
I’ve always loved snow. There’s something so pure and beautiful about trees laced with snow. The branches dark compared to the brightness. It reminds me of Jesus washing our sins as white as snow. It’s so white. So pure.
Now for a the giveaways…Y’all, there are exciting bookish things burbling, the kind the feel like the end of a drought and the beginning of something fun and new. I’d love for you to stay in the know. Did you know that when you follow me (and all of my friends here on the blog) on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads, you get alerts from them when I have new books coming out or bookish deals? It’s a great way to stay up to date!
I’m putting everyone’s name in a virtual hat to be entered to win either a copy of Toni Shiloh’s latest novel In Search of a Prince or one of my novels (Stars in the Night or Lethal Intent). I may add a $10 Starbucks e-giftcard. Act quickly! The pop-up closes shop on February 14th! If you have already followed and subscribed on these platforms, thank you! Please feel free to enter, too.
Note: This giveaway is for US residents only, but please be on the lookout for giveaways that will be open internationally!
Then a funny thing happened in the mail this week. I got two copies of Sarah Sundin’s next novel from Baker Bookhouse. I love that store’s preorder deals. I also love Sarah’s books. So much that I preordered it in June and then again in November. Oops! But this is a mistake that will bless one of you. I’m keeping one copy to read, but will give away a copy to one lucky reader. All you have to do is in use the second form to enter for a copy of Sarah’s book.
So here’s the first giveaway:
And here’s the bonus:
Good luck!
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Those snow pictures are gorgeous, even if they did cause trouble. We (in Virginia Beach) had five inches the weekend before and two inches the next.
I’m amazed at all you do – teaching classes, meetings, interviewing authors, and WRITING! Wow! Blessings!
Your snow photos are beautiful but I’m thankful we didn’t get that much snow in central Kansas. I’ve also accidently pre-ordered a book twice. I donated the extra to my community library. Now I try to keep better records so it doesn’t happen again. I recently read In Search of a Prince and really liked it. Thanks for the book giveaways.